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The Official Publication of the Fresh WaterFishing Hallof Fame

VOL. 33NO. 2Spring 2009

Inside:

Curt GowdyProfile by TimLesmeister, page 2

Thinking LikeA Pro byGary Roach, page 4

Crankbait Tipsand Tactics byRoland Martin, page 6

Ol’ Tackle Talkby Chris Slusar, page 8

Plus articles byC. Boyd Pfeiffer,Bill Siemanteland TomNeustrom

urt Gowdy was enshrined intothe Fishing Hall of Fame in2005. The highest honorbestowed on an individual,

enshrinement recognizes a person as apioneer in an essential aspect offreshwater sportfishing who has contri -b uted a lasting and significant nationalor international impact to the benefit offreshwater sportfishing. Thoseachieving enshrinement are recognizedfor excellence and innovation of theircontributions to freshwater sport -fishing. The magnitude or importance oftheir endeavors stand out amongcontemporaries as being avant-garde,unparalleled, unprecedented,transcendent, and served as aninspiration to others and they arerecognized for contributions which aresingular and distinct, without whichsome critical aspect of freshwatersportfishing, as it is currently known,would likely not have existed

Curtis Edward Gowdy (July 31, 1919 -February 20, 2006) was an Americansportscaster, well known as thelongtime “voice” of the Boston Red Soxand for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events. He alsohosted the long-running outdoors showThe American Sportsman on ABC.

The American Sportsman was atelevision series from 1965 to 1986 onABC which presented filmed highlightsof hunting and/or fishing trips involvingthe program’s hosts and celebrities. Itwas typically presented on Sundayafternoons, frequently followingcoverage of live sporting events. Theshow had its roots in a 20-minutesegment depicting Curt Gowdy and JoeBrooks fly fishing in the AndesMountains in Argentina in 1964. Thesegment appeared on the Wide World ofSports and immediately was spun offinto its own. The show’s first episodewas on January 31, 1965.

Gowdy was the first individual sportsfigure to win a Peabody Award foroutstanding Journalism. He won 7Emmys for sports coverage and 6Emmys for his TV program “TheAmerican Sportsman.”

Gowdy, a Wyoming native wasinducted into the Wyoming OutdoorHall of Fame in 2004. A state park inWyoming which opened in 1971, wasofficially named for Gowdy on March27, 1972, one of numerous honorsbestowed on the native son from thestate of Wyoming on “Curt GowdyDay.” The 11,000 acre Curt GowdyState Park is halfway between hishometown of Cheyenne and his collegetown of Laramie. Additional acreagewas acquired by the state for the parkin 2006. “It has two beautiful lakes,hiking trails, camping, boating, fishing,and beauty,” said Gowdy. “It haseverything I love. What greater honorcan a man receive?”

Gowdy was proud of his Wyomingheritage and loved the outdoors, andsaid that he was “born with a fly-rod inone hand,” and that the sports micro -phone came a little later. In 2002, herecalled that his father, Edward CurtisGowdy, who had taught him to huntand fish, was the best fly-fisherman inthe state. “We had free access toprime-time fishing and hunting. Theoutdoors was a way of life for me. Ishould have paid them to host TheAmerican Sportsman,” he said.

For more about our awards recognitionprogram go to our website atwww.freshwater-fishing.org.Nominations can be done on-line andelectronically sent. The process onlytakes about 10 minutes!

Hall of Fame Enshrinee Highlight

Curt Gowdy By Tim Lesmeister

CFounded 1960Incorporated Not For Profit 1970

P.O. Box 690, 10360 Hall of Fame DriveHayward, WI 54843

Phone 715/634-4440http://www.Freshwater-Fishing.org

e-mail: fishhall@cheqnet.net

Printed February 15, April 15, August 15, November 15

Programs and Activities

• Recognition of World Fresh WaterSportfishing Records

• Record Book Published Annually• Enshrinement for Achievement and

Accomplishment• Library for Research and Pleasure• Educational Museum of Sportfishing

Artifacts

Museum open April 15 to November 17 days a week, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

(no admittance after 3:30 p.m.)Administration Office open year ‘round

5 days a week, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (exceptChristmas-New Year interim weeks)

Executive Board of Directors

Bill Beckwith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PresidentBill Gautsche . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice PresidentTed Dzialo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SecretaryTom Turngren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TreasurerRandy Albrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorScott Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorJohn Dettloff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorDave Perkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorDon Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorJim Scheer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorHarold Tiffany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorWendy Williamson . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorBen Wold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director

Professional and Volunteer Staff

Emmett Brown . . . . . . . Executive DirectorKathy Polich . . . . . . . . . Business ManagerDarlene Overman . . . . . . . . . . . . SecretaryMyrna Huber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ClerkEmmett Brown . . . . . . . . . . . Splash EditorTim Gavigan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WebmasterTim Lesmeister. . . . . . . . Media CoordinatorClaudette Kersten . . . . . . . . . . . . Volunteer

The Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame is anon-profit educational organization

dedicated to conservation andsportfishing and to the maintenance of ahall of fame where the history of fishingand angling achievements are displayed.

A 501(c)(3) organization© Copyright 2009 Fresh Water

Fishing Hall of Fame, Inc.2

From the

Director’s Deskby Emmett Brown

Spring is just around the corner! As a matterof fact, spring has arrived in many of oursouthern and central climes.

Spring is, of course, a time of renewal and re-birth. So, appropriately, wehave unveiled our new “The Splash” with this issue. Not only is theformat new, but so is much of the content. Inside, you’ll see articles byLegendary Anglers Roland Martin and Gary Roach. California LegendaryAngler Bill Siemantel has contributed a very interesting piece on how tocare for the fish you are about to release.

In upcoming issues, look for information regarding your particularregion. Our goal is to provide relevant forecast information on a regionalbasis. Legendary Guide Taylor Streit has provided, in this issue, hissouthern Rockies run-off prediction. This should be of considerable useand interest to you southwest anglers.

East coast legend and Legendary Communicator C. Boyd Pfeiffer is goingto contribute on a regular basis. His anecdotal fishing stories areabsolutely timeless. His first installment appears on page 9.

Of course, Chris Slusar will continue his always entertaining “Ol’ TackleTalk” series. In this issue, Chris chats about the Creek Chub BaitCompany of Garrett, Indiana. I found it particularly interesting as CCBCOhas always been a favorite of mine. To this day, I still “chuck” a 3000series (Jointed Husky Pikie) at a musky or two. They still work!

I hope you like our new look and content. I look forward to yourcomments.

Our museum will open its doors (about the time you read this) on April15th. If you’ve never visited us, or if it’s been a long time, come and seeus this year. We always love to see our old friends and meet new ones.

During the interim, please go to our website at www.freshwater-fishing.org and visit us on-line. Just click on “Photo Gallery and MuseumTour” – left navigation.

Thank you again for all of your great support.

Best regards,

Emmett A. Brown, Jr.Executive DirectorThe Splash Editor

Excellent Snow Pack

in Southern Rockies

It is another banner year for snowpack in the southern Rockies.

The Taos area is 100% and the Chamaarea (San Juan Mountains of Colorado)is 150%. This is good for the freeflowing streams as the water tableshould remain full and provide steadyflows throughout the summer. The bigsnow pack will probably push the startof the fly fishing season well into June.

The Jemez area inNew Mexico willfish earlier thanthat as snow isalready melting

there. Expect the red hot fishing tocontinue at Eagle’s Nest Lake innorthern New Mexico starting in April.

Stone Lake on the Jicarilla ApacheReservation should be excellent withlarge trout this spring.

The green drake hatch on the ConejosRiver in southern Colorado will happenin early July and is fabulous dry flyfishing. Further north, The MountainAngler (.com) of Breckenridge, Coloradoreports big snows also and suggestconcentrating on tail water streams,ponds and lakes until runoff ends.

For more information, call 575-751-1312or www.streitflyfishing.com.

3

Professional anglers don’t reallyfish much different than theweekend anglers, we just thinkdifferently. Here’s an example.

hen a pro-angler takes tothe water they know wherethe fish should be and they

go there. We’ve been patterning aparticular species of fish for so long wehave confidence in the spots we go tobecause, through experience, that’swhere those fish should be.

The twice-a-month angler doesn’t get tospend as much time on the water sothey must rely on information from thebait shop or join a group of boats. Somelook for their own school of fish, butwithout the assurance of a bite or twoin the spot they pick, it’s tough to putmuch effort into a location that isn’tproducing, and much easier to hangwith the crowd.

The only way you will ever gainconfidence in your search for a schoolof non-pressured fish is to get good atfinding productive spots. Since youcan’t spend a lot of time on the wateryou need to substitute that lack of timewith some equipment. That would be atop-of-the-line sonar.

By researching the period and thespecies you’re targeting you can get ageneral idea of how deep and what kindof structure the fish are on. Then it’sjust a matter of going to spots like thaton the lake and performing your search.Searching is faster and easier with ahigh-end sonar.

I find that most anglers have a toughtime deciphering what they see on theirsonar screen. If that’s your situationconsider an underwater camera whereyou can actually see what you’ve got onthat sonar screen. This sure shortensthe learning curve. It won’t be longbefore you will be at a master-classlevel in sonar reading and finding fish,your own fish that aren’t beingharassed by a bunch of other anglers.

Another area where pros thinkdifferently is with lure choice. It seems

that the weekend angler tends to getstuck on a technique and they use itwhether it’s producing or not. It’s easyto get locked into one presentationbecause it’s the technique you’ve usedenough to get good at, but techniquesare only as good as the conditions thatmake it a good or bad choice.

Here’s how the pros think. It is in factmore detailed than this, but if youunderstand the basic program you canfine tune as you gain experience.

When fish are tightly grouped you usetechniques that target them, like avertical jigging presentation or aRoach (live bait) Rig. If the fish arespread out you need techniques thatallow you to cover some ground, like acrankbait or a spinner rig.

An example would be walleyes that arespread out and suspended over a deephole next to a sunken island. A RoachRig would keep the bait on the bottomand the fish are suspended, but acrankbait trolled through the scatteredfish would work great.

Here’s another example. Largemouthbass are in the lily pads. The best padsare those that are shallower andsurrounded by thick mats of milfoil.Time for a topwater lure. Even aspinnerbait would be no match for thisheavy cover, but a floating topwaterbait will generate some bites. If thosebass were on the deeper pads that hadsparse cover on the edges I would tieon a jig and just make short pitches tothe edge of that cover.

We pros are always thinking about howwe can tailor our presentation tomatch the condition of the fish, notthe structure. Let the fish dictate whatyou tie on.

The average angler tends to not onlyuse the same technique whether thesituation calls for it or not, they alsofish at the same speed no matter whatthe mood of the fish.

I’ve witnessed anglers continuing toput live bait on their jigs when thewalleyes were biting like crazy. I switchover to a scented plastic trailer to tip

Thinking Like A Pro By Legendary Angler, Gary Roach - Mr. Walleye

that jig with because when the fish areaggressive I can catch three to one if Idon’t have to rebait after every fish.

When the bite gets tough you just haveto slow way down and add a whole newdimension to what you qualify asfinesse. When the weather shuts downthe fish I’ll use the liveliest bait,because lively bait catches fish, dead orlethargic bait won’t.

I will also sit right on top of fish. On atough bite you have to coax bites. Thatcan mean leaving a struggling minnowin front of a fish’s nose until it decidesto commit. Once you understand that anegative bite requires determinationand concentration you’re thinking like apro.

Finding fish is the first priority of thepro-angler. We use our sonar to makesure we are putting the bait in front offish. Then we look at how the fish arepositioned, stacked up or spread out, todetermine the lure choice and if theweather or some other factor has putthe fish in a negative mood we modifyour approach to compensate for that.You can all fish just like we do, but ifyou start thinking like a pro, you will notonly be fishing like we do, but catchinglike we do too.

W

4

World Angling Records Granted

Chris KubichekSplake, 10-12,Lake Michigan, MI,USA, 10/18/08.

1st QUARTER - 2009 UPDATENOTE: World angling records are updated quarterly and the ultimate synthesis ispublished annually in book form each April, distributed free to members, media,manufacturers and world fisheries as a public service.

NOTICE TO REPRINT©COPYRIGHT 2009 FRESH WATER FISHING HALL OF FAME. Ex cerpts or whole may be reprinted withoutwritten permission as public information only, but not for commercial profit purpose. The source of thisinformation must be credited to the Fishing Hall of Fame in a type size readably noticeable or as thecontents of the companion text.

“Kept” World Records List

DIVISION #1 – ROD/REELLine Lbs./

Fish Class Ozs. Angler Where Caught DateSPLAKE 16 lb. 10-12 Chris Lake Michigan, 10/18/08(Hybrid Trout) Kubichek Michigan, USA

DIVISION #4 – ICE FISHING, TIP-UPLine Lbs./

Fish Class Ozs. Angler Where Caught DateBULLHEAD Heaviest 2-8 Todd Jenkins Pond, 2/6/09Brown (Only) Matera Massachusetts, USA

“C&R” World Records List

DIVISION #2 – FLY FISHINGLine

Fish Class Length Angler Where Caught DateMUSKELLUNGE 20 lb. 51” William Lake of the Woods, 7/25/08Natural Tippet Ludwick Minnesota, USA

DIVISION #4 – ICE FISHING, POLE/LINELine

Fish Class Length Angler Where Caught DateCATFISH/ Longest 42” Walter Pistakee Lake, 2/3/09Flathead (only) Matan Illinois, USA(Mud Cat)

Todd Matera Brown Bullhead, 2-8, Jenkins Pond,MA, USA, 2/6/09.

To apply for a world record, go to our website at

www.freshwater-fishing.org, click on World Record

Application, left navigation. The necessary rules and forms

are easily downloaded. If you have any questions, contact us

at fishhall@cheqnet.net or at 715.634.4440

William LudwickNaturalMuskellunge, 51”,Lake of the Woods,MN, USA, 7/25/08.

Walter Matan Flathead Catfish, 42”, PistakeeLake, IL, USA, 2/3/09.

5

Crankbaits Tips and Tactics By Legendary Angler, Roland Martin

There are a lot of bass fishermen inthis country who think ofcrankbaits as dummy baits thatanyone can use to catch fish with.

They think that all you have to do isthrow it out and retrieve it. But there’s agreat deal more to crankbait fishingthan that.

I’ve used crankbaits to catch big bassfrom California to Connecticut. FromCanada to south Florida. I can tell youthese diving baits are among theversatile lures an angler can fish. Butknowledgeable fishermen know there isa real science involved in getting themost out of a crankbait.

Generally speaking, I fish crankbaitsabout 25 percent of the time and catchabout 25 percent of my fish that way. Intournaments, I catch at least a third ofmy bass on crankbaits. Crankbaits arean excellent way to locate and quicklycatch a limit of fish, which makes themideal weapons for tournament fishing.Over the years, I’ve refined my systemof crankbait fishing and, as a result, atleast four of my national tournamentvictories can be attributed to thatparticular skill.

The average angler often doesn’t takewater temperature into account, butthats one of the main factors in mycrankbait success. Thats one reasonwhy crankbaits are especially produc -tive in pre-spawn situations when thebig female bass move up adjacent tothe spawning areas. They’ll get onpoints and ledges of creek channels andin shallow timber and brushy areas —areas where the water is slightlywarmer than other parts of the lake.

The fish in these warmer areas are alittle more aggressive than their cold-water counterparts, creating a deadlycrankbait situation. Generally, I don’tuse crankbaits in real cold-watersituations.

As far as water clarity, I prefer to fishcrankbaits in slightly dingy water. Aprime example of a good cranking lakeis the typical Tennessee Valley Authorityreservoir, which is slightly turbid. I justdon’t like to use crankbaits in clear

water, but they can be effective in someclear-water situations.

If you fish a crankbait enough, you’lldiscover that these diving plugs areamong the best possible tools forcovering a lot of water and finding fish.If you’re on a good pattern and knowthe color of the lure to use and the rightcover to fish, you can cover more waterwith a crankbait than you can even witha spinnerbait. Crankbaits are highsaturation lures. If the bass are feedingfor only 20 minutes in the morning, youcan make more casts and show the baitto more fish in that 20 minutes with acrankbait than any other lure. Thats oneof its biggest advantages.

During the last few years, I’ve traded inthe traditional casting tackle for heavytackle for my crankbait fishing. I’ll oftenthrow a big deep-diving crankbait on myflipping stick with a high speed reel.The big 7 1/2-foot rod gives me severaladvantages over the type of rod used bymost crankbait fishermen in thiscountry.

First of all, I can make a longer castwith the long rod, which means I’ll beable to get the lure to run deeper and,potentially, reach more fish. Secondly, itenables me to use heavy line. And,importantly, it gives me the ability toset the hook better after a long-distance cast.

For fishing clear water, I’ve developed asystem of fishing crankbaits of com bin -ing light line and heavy tackle. I knowthat sounds strange, but Roland Martindoesn’t do conventional things. A lot ofpeople talk about fishing ultralighttackle and light line. They believe thetwo have to go together. But why?

In clear water, you’ll often need thelight line to attract bass. But you canfish 10-pound line on gear other thanlight tackle. With enough practice you’lldevelop a feel for fishing light line on aflipping stick, for example.

Again, the longer rod allows meto make longer casts than moreconventional shorter castingrods. And the other side of thecoin was that the flipping stick

enabled me to set the hook faster andharder from a considerable distance. Ifyou’re using a 5-foot wimpy casting rodand a 5-pound bass hits your lure fromabout 70 feet away, its a real chore toset the hook. You’ve got to take intoaccount that the wimpy rod will onlygive you about 2 pounds of pressureand the line will have some stretch to it.Under those conditions, you can’tcontrol a 5-pound bass at all.

With enough practice, you will developa feel for just how much pressure youcan apply with the big rod to the linewithout breaking off. And DuPonts newPrime gives you a big advantage overmonofilament lines on long casts whereline stretch hurts your hook-settingability. Because it has very little stretch,you can set the hook better and quickerwith Prime. Its an excellent choice forlong-distance fishing.

Another tip that will help your ability tohook bass with crankbaits fromconsiderable distances: I change thehooks on my crankbaits. I’ll put big No.2 treble hooks on the small Fat Rapsand Shad Raps. That greatly increasesmy hooking ability.

I prefer fishing larger crankbaits,although there is plenty to be said forthe small diving lures like the DeepWee-R and the small Rapalas, whichcatch a lot of small fish. But I seem tolose more fish on the little crankbaits,which can be attributed to using lighterline and the small hooks on the lures.But I hardly miss a bass when I’m using1/2- and 5/8-ounce Hellbenders or FatRaps, which have bigger hooks.

Although active bass will often hookthemselves on crankbaits, it is veryimportant to sharpen regularly.

One reason I have to sharpen the hookson my crankbaits regularly is the kindof cover I fish with the lures. Unlikemany bass enthusiasts in this country, Irun crankbaits through some of the

nastiest, roughest cover you canfind, like tree tops.

For more tips and tactics by RolandMartin visit his web site atwww.fishingwithrolandmartin.com.

6

Living One’s Dream By Legendary Guide Tom Neustrom

How to put an explanation point onaccomplishing one’s dream ispretty tough.

Living the dream and being recognizedby your peers for your value tosomething, so simple as teachingpeople how to fish, is a humblingexperience.

Taking a moment to reflect back onwhere it all started is mind boggling atbest and there are times when you askyourself “If I had to do it all over again,would I have chosen this path?” I knowthe answer would have been, yes!

For me, it’s always been about fishing,and learning, and teaching others howto fish. From the early days of pedalingmy bike on a daily routine to BelmontHarbor in Chicago to catch perch androck bass, being the trusted net man formy Dad fishing the Chain of Lakes inAntioch, Illinois for whatever camealong, I was haunted by water and whatit would teach me.

I went to every tackle shop and baitshop imaginable and used to collectpop bottles and deliver papers to fuelthis hunger I had for fishing. My Dadwould take me to sport shows and Iwould listen to the likes of Art Mercierand Jim Thomas, who were the AlLindners of that era. I have always beena person that does it my way and triesto reverse the obvious when it comes tofishing. It was probably why I driftedaway from my fishing mentor, my Dad,when I was about twelve. I wanted tofigure out things for myself and createmy own techniques.

Having the opportunity to go toWisconsin, north of Hayward everysummer, had a huge impact on myfuture in fishing. Being on the watereveryday made me better anddeveloped strategies that even amazedme at times, but it has all mattered inthe end.

I have been gifted with a relentlesspursuit of accomplishment in fishing

and guiding has been one of the mostsatisfying moments. From that first tripon Lake Geneva in Wisconsin to now,every guide trip was about people andhow I could impact their day on thewater to be a lasting memory. Truly,isn’t that what guiding is all about?Exhibiting skill, teaching, and patienceis all needed requirements for the job ofbeing a fishing guide.

It’s not for everyone, but for me it hasbeen living a dream. Late suppers, longhours, broken equipment, battlingweather conditions of everythingimaginable, cuts that don’t heal, sorearms and knees, and trust me there isno disabled list for guides, I wouldn’ttrade places with anyone. My clientshave become friends and now I evenhave second and third generation ofcustomers that I have grown with.

I have been truly blessed with theinternal drive that I feel separates thefield of guiding to the select individualsthat have dedicated their lives to beingthe ultimate teachers of their sport.Creating positive memories for clients

and being able to share in their momentof accomplishment is very special. It’stheir home run, their touchdown, theirhole in one, their feeling of belonging tosomething special when they hook andland a fish. The pride is almostoverflowing from my personality when Isay to customers “good job”, for thethousandth time.

Being inducted into the Fresh WaterFishing Hall of Fame was never on mymind decades ago. This was never mygoal and I am humbled by theacceptance to a fraternity of giftedanglers. I will, when my time comes,accept the award for all the guides inthe country that will probably never beable to have this honor. All the hardwork and dedication to my job as aguide, teacher, promoter, and a caringindividual has made this happen.

I would like to thank all the people inthe fishing industry that have supportedme and gave me the opportunity to livea dream. My three mentors, my Dad, AlLindner, and Gary Roach who taught methe meaning of being the best at yourtrade and instilling the values that I liveby today. Lanny Orvalla, from Lund BoatCompany, gave myself and others, theopportunity to have equipment to betterserve our job on the water.

Becoming a Hall of Famer is a crowningachievement that will live forever in myheart and mind. I am very humbled andproud of this accomplishment in my lifeand in closing I would like to thank mycustomers for without them this wouldnot be a reality.

7

Legendary Guide Tony Rizzo proudlydisplays a 7 and 3/4 poundsmallmouth bass that he caughtand released in May of 2008 nearhis home in Vilas County,Wisconsin.

Smallmouth Bass

he early 20th century willforever be known as a classicera in fishing lure development.

While many entrepreneurs contributedto the evolution and commercializationof the lure, few meet the credentials ofThe Creek Chub Bait Company (the“CCBC”).

The exact origins of the CCBC aredebated even today, but certainresearchers date the beginnings to asearly as 1906. It is clear that threefishermen; Henry Dills, Carl Heinzerlingand George Schulthess formed the newenterprise with a goal of revolutionizingthe fishing tackle industry. The CCBCbegan slowly in the basement ofSchulthess’ home in Garrett, Indiana.Lures were made in small numbers andsold to local hardware dealers. TheWiggler was the first success and quiteinnovative for its time. Known for itsnatural action, it introduced a new lipdesign and is recognized as aforerunner of today’s crank bait.

Serving as its principle location formore than 60 years, the businessmoved to a remodeled Garrett hotel in1916. With a workforce of eight, thebusiness expanded to include three luremodels in seven different colors. In1919, the company patented what hasbecome a CCBC trademark, the scalepattern. A game changer during itstime, the scale painting process waslicensed to other companies.

Throughout the 1920’s the companycontinued to innovate and grow. Thefamous CCBC Pikie Minnow came to lifeduring this era. The most prolific of thecompany’s offerings, the Pikie wasoffered in 18 cataloged colors and manymore custom variations. The Pikie iswell-known for “specials”. Frequently,fisherman would request one-of-a-kindcolor patterns, most were

accommodated by the company (aminimum order quantity, usually onedozen, was required). As more than 1million Pikies were manufactured,most “experienced” tackle boxes willhold at least one.

The 1930’s continued the success of

The Creek Chub Bait Companythe previous decade and growth pushedthe company workforce above 40 beforeWorld War II. Although challengedduring the depression, the companywas well-respected for not having had alay-off. Again, the company led themarketplace with new inventions.Developments included the improved lipand thru-wire construction, both settingan enduring standard for heavy dutyfishing tackle.

As the Great War consumed the UnitedStates, production at the CCBC factorywas limited, awaiting return of itsbuying public. In the years immediatelyfollowing the WWII, demand was great,but production was slowed by the lackof materials. It took a few years beforesupply fully met the needs of expandingdemand.

T

8

Chris Slusar

#1- The CCBC Wig gler with intro duct ory box. Gen er ally,intro duct ory boxes carried a black or red-lined image of thebait presented and pre-date 1921. This combination isvalued at $150-$250.

A #708 Pikie with the appropriate and ty pi cal CCBC box.The “08” combined with the #700 mod el num ber indicatesRainbow color. As its condition is ex cep tional, this piece isvalued at $70-$100. (Photo courtesy of Mitchell Slusar)

Can you ID?

Roger Ebert of Morris, Illinois provid -ed the following for consideration:

Roger, you’ve got 1940’s era,Mercury Minnow, manufactured inDetroit and Grosse Pointe, Michigan.As its name implies, an inner pocketof the tail end holds a drop or two ofMercury, which is intended toprovide a unique action when pulledthrough the water. Definitely not themost environmentally friendly lurearound! The lure is valued at $10-$20 alone and $30-$40 in the box.For your reference, the correct box ispictured below.

Please do forward your questions orrequests for identification toslusar@krlynk.com. Alternatively,send your queries to Chris Slusar incare of the Fresh Water Fishing Hallof Fame.

Until next time, enjoy an old lure!

9

The Creek Chub Bait Company

The late 1940’s and 1950’s saw theintroduction of many new models andthe expanding use of newer materials,including plastics. Around 1950, a sonof an original founder, Harry Heinzerlingtook an active role in sales andchampioning changes at the CCBC.Harry was a proponent of spinning andsaltwater tackle, both of which achievedgreat popularity in the United Statesduring the 1950’s.

The early 1960’s marked a transitionfrom glass to tack eyes and, in the faceof cedar wood shortages, a movetoward more plastic bodied baits.Although wooden bodied lures wouldmake a comeback in later years, by themid- 1960’s, only a dozen CCBC luremodels were manufactured in a woodenvariety.

The later 1960’s and 1970’s ushered inan era of greater competition, alternateproduction methods and materials.Under the careful guidance of Mr.Heinzerling the company continued tobe competitive until its sale to the Lazy

Ike Corporation in 1978.

Today, the Creek Chub name survivesalong with certain of its early luremodels, the famous Pikie Minnow andStriper Pikie among them.

As you might imagine, the Creek ChubBait Company has a very long andstoried history. Those interested inmore details or looking for some helpwith identification are welcomed tocontact me anytime.

The preamble. Phillippe, Payne,Edwards, Thomas, Leonard, Orvis,Uslan - aficionados of fine and classicfly rods know these names.

They are the names of classic split bamboo rodmakers, the rods crafted by taking bamboo culms,splitting them, tapering strips on "V" blocks to makethem into equilateral triangle strips, almost needle-thin on one end. Six of these - or sometimes five oreight - are glued together make the basis for a splitbamboo fly rod.

The costly, labor-intensive process was developedby Easton, PA gun smith and violin maker SamuelPhillippe in the mid-1800's. Others soon followed hislead. The above pieces, now museum-quality andmuseum desirable, became the standard of beautifulhand-crafted rods. They are understandablyexpensive with prices well into the thousands ofdollars.

The story. My friend Bob was dragging his trash outto the front curb. He knew that the garbage pick-upcame shortly, so he hurried after his morning coffeeand paper.

As he positioned the cans holding a weeks worth ofhuman detritus, he glanced across the street. Canswere already in place, no doubt placed there thenight before by the single elderly resident. Herhusband had died some time ago, but she continuedto live in the same house.

But what were those things sticking up out of thetrash can, Bob wondered? Curtain rods? Old wooddowels from a workshop? Ribs from a blown-outumbrella?

Bob went across the street to check. The stickspoking out of the trash can were fishing rods.Perhaps there was a good rod among them, or theycould all be post-World War II Japanese imports whenthe country was flooded with cheap toys, cheaphardware, cheap fishing tackle and cheap everythingelse.

Or they could be early Montague rods which weresplit bamboo, but used in everything from fly rods toboat rods. They also were cheap, well enough madeto fish, but not fine enough to collect or evercommand anything beyond Salvation Army orGoodwill prices. Bob did not check further, rightlythinking that the lady resident should know of hisconcerns.

She answered the door on his second knock.

"Ma'am," he started, "I was putting out my trash andnoticed some sticks poking out of your trash. Ichecked them and found that you have some fishingrods there. I didn't take them out but some of themcould be worth something."

"I don't want them, that's why I put them out in thetrash," the lady responded. "My late husband was afishermen. He had stopped fishing before you movedhere a few years ago. But he is gone now, and I amcleaning out the house. I found these and don't wantthem. They are old. Some of them belonged to myhusband's father."

"But ma'am," Bob continued, "some of those rodscould have some value if you were to take them to aflea market or auction them off. I'm a fisherman. I'dbe glad to help you and try to check them out or findsomeone who could price and sell them for you."

"I really don't want to fool with them," replied."Thanks for your offer, but I just want to clean house.If you want them, you can take them and do whatyou want with them."

"Are you sure?" Bob asked.

"Yes," I'm sure, she replied, "just take them out ofthe can before the trash man comes and do what youwant with them. I don't want them."

Bob, his conscience and ethics clear, his morality andfairness-to-fellow-man still intact, walked out to thecurb. He pulled out and saved all the rods. The trashtruck could be heard banging and clanging cansfarther down the block, men throwing the contentsinto the crushing maw at the rear of the truck.

Once home, with the two- and three- piece rodsassembled, he discovered that he had sevencomplete split bamboo fly rods. All were in good toexcellent shape except one that had a damaged butreplaceable snake guide. The old man across thestreet had been a fisherman, a fly fisherman, asapparently had been his father. The rods were all 7-to 9-feet long, fly rods of a time long past, perhapsthe late 1800's.

You guessed it - they were early, rare and valued rodsby the likes of Payne, Edwards, Thomas, Leonard,Orvis, Uslan, and others of that early period. By then,the garbage men who might have collected this trashthat was really treasure had emptied Bob's trashcans, and the cans across the street and hadmoved on to another block.

C. Boyd Pfeiffer is an internationally known sportsman andaward-winning writer on fishing, hunting, and theoutdoors. He can be reached at cbpfeiffer@msn.com.

Two CCBC Injured Minnows displaying the innovative scalepatterns. At top is a #1600 Baby Injured Minnow in red-side finish (color #05), this early body style is valued at$40-$60. At bottom is a #1500 injured minnow in goldenshiner (color #04), valued at $20-$30. (Photo courtesy of NickKostman)

A #818 Giant Jointed Pikie. The “18” combined with the#800 model number indicates the Silver Flash colorpattern. One of the larger baits ever mass produced, thismonster measures over 12” and is pictured in its correctCCBC box. The combination dates to late 1950’s and isvalued at $80-$120.

Trash and Treasure By Legendary Communicator C. Boyd Pfeiffer

Stop the Bleed - Become an EMT By Legendary Angler Bill Siemantel

You just finished that big turkeydinner with the in-laws and the wifehands you the Christmas list for thekids, but all you can think about isgetting out on the water. Why?Because this stuff is interruptingsome of the best fishing of the year.

We fishermen do not have the time togo shopping for presents unless it’s 6 feet long with a great looking sectionthat can handle a big bait; no punintended. Then taking the time to wrapa gift, are you kidding me. That’s whythe guy who made the paper bag andstick on bows is my hero!

More to the point, this is the time ofyear that one can truly have some epicdays out on the water. From spooning,big baits, swimbaits, to the lonely butalways dependable drop shot RoboWorm. All of these lures can be Deadlyfrom time to time, and there is a punintended on that statement. For all ofthe time and effort we put into trying tocatch a single bass, are we willing totake the next step in keeping it alive?Through the years of fishing we have allhad those moments that the fish wepursue just get hooked wrong, and withmore pressure on our lakes than everbefore, these fish are taking abeating.Years back when I started reallytrying to figure out how to catch bigbass and build on the concepts of theBBZ mindset I learned that thinkingoutside of the box was not trying to re-invent the wheel, but to find simplicitiesin targeting bigger bass with moreconstitanticy. As I was doing this Ifound out that catching a monster basswas just one piece of the puzzle,returning it back to the water healthywas the final piece.

After Ray Scott started the Catch andRelease craze in the early years ofB.A.S.S (this is after seeing howeffective it was with our brethren theTrout fishermen). Then with creel limits,slot limits, and the start of CPR (catch,photograph, release) in the early 90’s;we still see and or hear of those littlemishaps that take a toll on the

ecosystems of the lakes we fish.Case in point, your favorite lake does alittle “Blue Stoning” to get rid of theweeds and spreads the chemical in thewrong place and at the wrong time;with in a few days Voila, a turkeyvultures buffet. Or have a BassTournament down in Southern Texaswhere the average size of the bass inyour limit is over 6 pounds, withinadequate live wells to hold 30 to 40pounds on each side of the tanks orreleasing procedures that are not readyfor the sheer numbers of big bass; andyou can feed the entire Elite Tour withfish tacos made out of tournamentbass. I know that this does not happenall the time and these are extremeexamples. But if we could all do ourpart and take baby steps when we havea chance to save just one fish’s life;those days that bad placement ortiming with blue stoning, ortournaments gone wrong just might notbe so overwhelming.

From fishing rods to fishing baits,screwdrivers to wrenches, andeverything in between; today’s bassboats are nothing more than an anglersdream tool box. Fishing competitively,you will find that many of the pro’s willcarry the necessary tools to not onlywin a tournament, but enough tocomplete all the honey-do’s that couldever be dreamed up. Some bass pro’stake tools one step above the rest byincluding one of the most versatile toolsthat could be carried, PRO’s Soft BaitGlue (this IS NOT superglue). Theaddition of one small bottle of PSBGcan not only save money on tackle, butcould save a badly hooked fish one day,to even winning you a tournament.

Many articles have been written on theuse of glues for saving money on baitsand tackle, and the stories of boatrepair I am sure are endless. But what ifthere was a product out on the marketthat was capable of pretty much doingit all? Would that get your attention?

To say that I have had my moments outon the water where I have turned intothe Yoda for thinking out of the box is a

50/50 shot (OK 75/25); oh trust me Ihave been way off the mark sometimes.But it was one night tournament a fewyears back that the real appreciation forPRO’s Soft Bait Glue really set in.Remember, understanding what yourtools are capable of will set you farapart from the other guys.

After catching a great limit one night Ipicked up a crankbait and withinminutes a beer-keg with fins inhaled thebait so ferociously that it was lodged atthe back of the throat, partly detachingone of the gills. After placing the fish inthe live well and determining thatwithout care the fish would bleed outand die. I looked at my partner and toldhim we were not going to lose thistournament because of a dead fishpenalty. Not only was the tournament atstake, but the Angler of the Year racewas also on the line; oh and I hatekilling a Bass (I enjoy Stripers for myfish tacos). So I reached for the PRO’sSoft Bait Glue and placed a smallamount on the top end of the detachinggill and just let it run over the bleedingwound. Within a second I just made aliquid bandage and stopped the massivebleed. After ten minutes in the live well,¼ bottle of Catch and Release, and mypartner saying that could never work;

10

11

Stop the Bleed - Become an EMT

the fish went from struggling on itsside, to upright and active and ready tobe released. It made it untilthe end of the tournament 4hours later; it helped securedthe win, AOY title, big fishhonors, and a little pride fortaking the time to save afish’s life.

If you’re not satisfied with justone fish story, the feat wasthen duplicated in atournament two weekslater. After telling one of myvery good friends, SteveDavies, (Team Davies DropShots) about how to save ableeding fish, he foundhimself catching an tank basson a crank bait that alsoseparated two gills, He reached for thePRO’s Soft Bait Glue just as I had whenrepairing the gills of the 10 pound fishtwo weeks earlier. After creating abandage on the gills from the crank baitdamage, the fish became active withinminutes and remained in the live wellunfazed for the remainder of the dayand was released at the end of thetournament to be caught another day.The tournament may not have been wonby Steve, but his fish was definitely notlost.

These are two examples that saving abig fish worked out. Can it been doneall the time? Probably not. All I can sayis that I have used this basic skill as anEMT (Emergency Medical Technician) 30times without fail in the last 3 years.

Remember, if you catch a small limit ofbass that for some reason they justended up eating your darthead wrongand 3 of the 5 bass in your limit diefrom bleeding out; you can only culltwice. Yes twice, California Fish&Gamerules state that you can not cull outdead game fish. Remember MikeIaconelli and the American Flag? I knowthat was a technical error with turningon the live wells; but if you were tossingbleeding bass in your well and did nottake the time to stop the bleeding and itcost you thousands of dollars in a

tournament. You better hope that yourRed, White, and Blue’s are hanging fromanother part of your boat, as you turnyour light pole into a pretzel.

Just one more trick or two that can helpyou in the next few months. I, like mostof you have been using a small needleto take care of deep caught bass foryears. Still remember the days during

the BASS Invitational at Shasta Lakein 1998, trying to release thebladder through the throat with mybig fingers and a little needle.

I just found a tool called theBends Mender that really gets twothumbs up from me on making abetter mouse trap to help thesurvival rate of deep caught bass.

This is another tool that should bein everyone’s boat. I hope that I do notneed to tell you how to deflate a bassbladder (should already be known). Kindof like tying a knot, this is one EMT skillyou should be good at. But for thosewho skipped the class on deflatingbladders, see the illustration.

While writing this article I was talkingto the team of DeLynn and Steve Davies(Team Davies Drop Shot) aboutspooning deep bass and DeLynn tellsthe story that Steve caught a deep fishand needles the bass. In the excitementof the tournament and pushing a littleto hard on the bladder to get the air outthe bass dropped to the bottom of thelive well like a rock. I think Delynn’ssaying from the father to the son was“great job on making a rock bass; weare going to lose points in the standingson that dead fish”. Steve reached down,grabbed the bass laying on the bottomof the tank, put the needle back intothe bladder and blew air back into it.Guess what? That little trick worked andthe fish started to swim around uprightwith no problems. Talk about a “breathof life”. You beat me on that one Stevefor thinking way out of the box and thatstory gets top billings for the BBZ

mindset.

In bass fishing the story is always toldthat if you use the right tool in the rightsituation it will lead you to success. Inthe case of PSBG, and the BendsMender it is surely no exception. Theuse of these products can not only saveyou money, but can also save the life ofa trophy fish and possibly securemoney in a game that can be separatedby fractions of ounces, the game we alllove, the game we call bass fishing.

Take care and Keep it in the BBZ.

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