Legends of the Salt... Saltwater Hall of Fame thread

[Stripercoast1]

I was fortunate to have known and fished with Bob Pond when I was a youngster.
I lost out in a bidding war for Atom when Bob sold the company in the mid 90's.
On the last day he owned it, I was invited to join a select group of guests to bid the folks farewell.
Bob loaded all the molds, and handed each of us a plug hot from the steam jackets.
Mine was an Atom 40.
It was literally the last plug Bob ever made.
When it cooled I asked him to sign, I was the only one.

[bababooey]

What an awesome memory! You're a lucky guy,congrats.

[albiealert]

It was literally the last plug Bob ever made.
When it cooled I asked him to sign, I was the only one.

Do you still have that plug? A one of a kind item like that, many guys would have turned right around and sold it on e-bay after he passed away. I admire the respect you had for the guy not to do that. Great story!

[Stripercoast1]

If I had to sell everything I owned to survive, that plug would be in the pillow case under my head while I slept in a Maytag box in an alley.
Bob had a big part in why I am the conservationist I am today.
It used to **** me off when I would hear one of the old timers call him, "Chicken Little" when they saw him coming.
It was one of the greatest honors of my life to have shared Striper water with him.

[surfstix1963]

It doesn't get any better than that.Every time you see that plug it must bring back awesome memories of days gone by.

[DarkSkies]

Bob had a big part in why I am the conservationist I am today.
It used to **** me off when I would hear one of the old timers call him, "Chicken Little" when they saw him coming.
It was one of the greatest honors of my life to have shared Striper water with him.

There's still a lot of that going on, Gunny.

For every one like you and some others out there who talks about how things used to be, and tries to warn what could happen if all we do is take and take.... there are 10 guys who will stand up and tell you how "you don't know what you are talking about, there are more bass around than there ever were, etc, etc". They point to a good season in the last year or 2 as "evidence" to back their claims.

You try to tell them about the consistent decline in the YOY studies, some of the other data that has surfaced in the last 4 years, and they tell you the figures, data, and anecdotal evidence is a figment of someone's imagination.

You, my friend, along with others who talk about conservation, are still in the minority.
The one postive thing I can say is that it seems when Bob Pond was preaching to people, he was one of a handful.
And, as you said, he was ridiculed, until people saw that "Chicken Little's" predictions came through, and we we had to endure a striped bass moratorium.

The momentum of data and long-time fishermen may be enough at this time to get people to hear the voices. As for listening to the words, hell, we all know that many guys only listen to half of any conversation anyway...

Only time will tell.
I want people to know if they have any doubts, they can contact you any time, and you'll back up your observations with data and years of observations from your logs.

Best wishes to you and your family for a Happy New Year, and thanks for sharing the stories...

[dogfish]

Awesome story stripercoast.

[Marylee]

Russ Wilson is my Dad. It is so nice to see that people still remember him after all these years. Thank you for the "nomination" and the kind words and memories. Fishing was his love. I remember him taking me to school and there was a live well in the back of his VW minivan to keep his bait fresh, just in case those stripers were running.

[finchaser]

Russ Wilson is my Dad. It is so nice to see that people still remember him after all these years. Thank you for the "nomination" and the kind words and memories. Fishing was his love. I remember him taking me to school and there was a live well in the back of his VW minivan to keep his bait fresh, just in case those stripers were running.

Your father was a great man and a friend, he is truly missed

[baitstealer]

Wow Marylee you were lucky to have a Dad like that. Not a lot of people in my family fish, so I am the pioneer, learning as I go along. I read some of the posts you all put up here, and it seems that the times in the past were reallly great compared to what we have now. Thanks for sharing, this is a real nice thread.

[DarkSkies]

Russ Wilson is my Dad. It is so nice to see that people still remember him after all these years. Thank you for the "nomination" and the kind words and memories. Fishing was his love. I remember him taking me to school and there was a live well in the back of his VW minivan to keep his bait fresh, just in case those stripers were running.

Marylee, hello. Glad you enjoyed the posts.

It was a pleasure to do the research on your Dad. It was inspired by talks with Finchaser, and some other folks here. I couldn't have done it without the stories they told me.

I truly regret that I didn't meet your Dad while he was alive, as he sounded like such a character.

I am happy to have been some small part of the memories. Feel free to contact me at any time if you have any other questions. Welcome!

[hookset]

Awesome stuff ds, just awesome. I would love to take time travel back to the 1960s and fish with some of these guys, no internet, no cell phones, and the only fishing reports were by the guys sitting around the counters of the old tackle shops.

[finchaser]

Awesome stuff ds, just awesome. I would love to take time travel back to the 1960s and fish with some of these guys, no internet, no cell phones, and the only fishing reports were by the guys sitting around the counters of the old tackle shops.

Yep we had to learn by trial and error we couldn't Goggle how to tie a knot ,how to cast, how to fish and there were no books written by self proclaimed so called pro's, guess thats why we still can catch a fish with out snag and drop or blitz's. We learned the hard way and after 50 years most of us are still learning.

[Marylee]

Your father was a great man and a friend, he is truly missed

Thank you all for keeping his memory alive and doing what he loved... I miss my father every day and it is so nice to know that other do also. he loved and lived for fishing, after my Mom and his kids and grand kids. i remember growing up, he made his own weights, lures, flies and even his own rods...we all had our own tackle and when we were old enough our own row boat to fish on the Shark River...mostly though, we caught his bait, seining the Shark River for spearing or killies so he had live bait to fish with. The headstone is etched with a picture of him in his 18ft aluminum row boat fishing. He didn't limit himself to the river in that boat he went out the inlet to the ocean, never missing an opportunity to fish where they were running.

[Marylee]

Wow Marylee you were lucky to have a Dad like that. Not a lot of people in my family fish, so I am the pioneer, learning as I go along. I read some of the posts you all put up here, and it seems that the times in the past were reallly great compared to what we have now. Thanks for sharing, this is a real nice thread.

This is a great thread!! Thank you for the kind words. My Dad was an avid fisherman and loved the ocean, lakes, streams and rivers of NJ. He spent many a day out on the water and as we grew older got the kids and grandkids of the neighborhood, as well as his own, into fishing. He doled out tackle to them like Halloween candy and I recently connected with some of them and they tell me he is the reason they love to fish today! I hope you love it and pass it on...there is nothing like a day of fishing!!

[Marylee]

Marylee, hello. Glad you enjoyed the posts.

It was a pleasure to do the research on your Dad. It was inspired by talks with Finchaser, and some other folks here. I couldn't have done it without the stories they told me.

I truly regret that I didn't meet your Dad while he was alive, as he sounded like such a character.

I am happy to have been some small part of the memories. Feel free to contact me at any time if you have any other questions. Welcome!

My Dad was truly a unique individual with quite a way to turn a phrase...and he loved to fish! Thank you for the kind words. He inspired quite a few young people in life time, some of whom I am still in contact with today. One young man said to me...an hours worth of yard work for a life time if fishing knowledge and tackle! Nothing could have made me prouder of the Father I loved as much as a daughter could!

[baitstealer]

This is a great thread!! Thank you for the kind words. My Dad was an avid fisherman and loved the ocean, lakes, streams and rivers of NJ. He spent many a day out on the water and as we grew older got the kids and grandkids of the neighborhood, as well as his own, into fishing. He doled out tackle to them like Halloween candy and I recently connected with some of them and they tell me he is the reason they love to fish today! I hope you love it and pass it on...there is nothing like a day of fishing!!

Marylee it sounds like your Dad was a generous man, trying the best he could to ignite the spark that turns into a lifelong passion for fishing. And by your comments, he succeeded, as you related with the neighborhood kids who he got into fishing and are still into it. That must be a rewarding part of his legacy every time you get a compliment about the things he used to do.

Beautiful.

[DarkSkies]

Thank you for your moving testament to your Father, Marylee. From the memories you have shared here, I think you could say he was someone who was somewhat of a character. Getting kids to do yard work for him in return for fishing knowledge. I know of many children in this day and age who would not think of that as a fair deal. They are only motivated by green, and don't have the insight to be able to see the big picture.

However, as a child, I would have taken that deal any day. I had some older fishermen who took pity on us when we were younger and took us fishing as my Dad did not have time for it. On these trips my mind was like a sponge, soaking up every detail of their advice, thirsty for more.....

I thank you for being able to share your memories of your Dad with us in this thread.

That's what it's all about. When people are no longer with us, I like to continue to honor them by relating the memories we have. And I humbly thank you for your part in this.

[DarkSkies]

Three plugs that I count on the most in the Fall? .......


The second plug is the Beachmaster Eely, a jointed plug that's a smaller version of the giant Cheek Chub Jointed Pikie. Several years ago, I had to send away to a tackle shop in Connecticut to get several of these plugs. I do not know when they are planning to manufacture this plug again. The Eely Plug has a lot of action although it doesn't swim like an eel or anything in the ocean but the bass love it. It does a jitter bug when you reel it in. It's a surface swimmer and like all surface swimmers it extends your fishing time from before dark into daylight hours. Of course it works well at night. The big plus is that because it is a surface swimmer, it isn't prone to gather a lot of weed on the retrieve. I always use this plug or the Danny plug described below when a lot of weed is around. My most memorable catch on this plug was a big blue I estimated at about 23 pounds. He was an easy release so back he went. The color I use is black with 3/0 treble hooks and I use a slow retrieve.

Some interesting things Al Bentsen was saying about jointed plugs.....they may be a PITA to cast but they can produce some action when the fish are not feeding aggressively.

[Monty]

Originally Posted by 7deadlyplugs View Post
Three plugs that I count on the most in the Fall? .......


The second plug is the Beachmaster Eely, a jointed plug that's a smaller version of the giant Cheek Chub Jointed Pikie. Several years ago, I had to send away to a tackle shop in Connecticut to get several of these plugs. I do not know when they are planning to manufacture this plug again. The Eely Plug has a lot of action although it doesn't swim like an eel or anything in the ocean but the bass love it. It does a jitter bug when you reel it in. It's a surface swimmer and like all surface swimmers it extends your fishing time from before dark into daylight hours. Of course it works well at night. The big plus is that because it is a surface swimmer, it isn't prone to gather a lot of weed on the retrieve. I always use this plug or the Danny plug described below when a lot of weed is around. My most memorable catch on this plug was a big blue I estimated at about 23 pounds. He was an easy release so back he went. The color I use is black with 3/0 treble hooks and I use a slow retrieve.

Here is a BM Eely. Pic from May this year. The plug really wiggles. Little big for the fall/winter?