The Official Publication of the Fresh WaterFishing Hallof Fame

VOL. 35NO. 3Summer 2011

Inside:

From theDirector's Deskby EmmettBrown, page 2

The FabulousBluegill byKenneth Kieser,page 4

Muskies on aFly - 1949 byBill Gautsche,page 5

Bass on Docks byBabe Winkelman,page 9

Ol' Tackle Talk byChris Slusar,page 10

Cutthroat Trout

Gaylon Newbold • Trout/Cutthroat (Kept)16 lb. line class • Div. #1 – Rod/Reel • 7 lb. 14 oz.

Bear Lake, Idaho • 4/27/2011

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Bill Gautsche . . . . . . . . . . . . PresidentHarold Tiffany . . . . . . . . . .Vice PresidentTed Dzialo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SecretaryTom Turngren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TreasurerScott Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorBill Beckwith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorJohn Dettloff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorDave Perkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorDon Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorJim Scheer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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

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Fishing Hall of Fame, Inc.2

From the

Director’s Deskby Emmett Brown

August 1, 2011

Although today is the first day of August,there is no sign of visitor or summer wind-

down here at the Hall. Our visitor count remains strong and the heat(and the sometimes accompanying humidity) remains intact.Additionally, this summer we have seen the return of rain. No rain outs,just plenty of it. It is very welcomed, indeed!

My staff and I are busily preparing for the upcoming annual awardsselection meeting which will take place in just a few short weeks. Ialways look forward to seeing this diverse group. I just wish it wasn'tonly on an once a year basis. Oh well, I guess that is what email andphones are for.

I have looked, preliminarily, at all the nominations and it appears wehave an exceptionally fine group of candidates for consideration thisyear. Yes sir, the Awards Committee is going to be very busy. We willannounce the fruits of their deliberations in the next Splash. Good luckto all!

I am extremely proud of how much our awards program has grown overthe last few years. This growth is due largely to the hard work of mystaff (most notably Dar Overman) and the Awards Committee(particularly Chairman Bill Gautsche). Thank you all very much.

I have a few dates I would like you to jot down and remember, please.On Sunday, September 11th we will once again host our annual Kids FishO Rama. This is the day when we invite all of the local and vacationingchildren to participate in a free-for-all fishing contest on our grounds.There will be many prizes and, of course, complimentary hot dogs, chips,pop and ice cream for all the kids. If you are up this way, come on over.

Finally, don't forget that you can still get in on our Mega Raffle this year.We will continue to sell tickets for this tremendous Lund/Mercuryfishing boat package through October 31st at our location in Hayward.The drawing will take place on November 1st at 11:00 am at the Hall.Good luck everyone!

Until next time.

Warmest regards,Emmett A. Brown, Jr.Executive Director

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Awards Committee

to Meet

On August 15th and 16th, 2011 our AwardsCommitte will hold its annual selectionmeeting in Hayward, Wisconsin. Thiscommittee consists of a select group ofindividuals representing the entire spectrumof fresh water sportfishing. They are: BillGautsche (Chairman) - Wisconsin; LarryColombo - Alabama; Clem Dippel - Wisconsin;Dr. Mike Dombeck - Wisconsin; Dr. JamesGammon - Indiana; Elmer Guerri - Indiana;Bruce Holt - Washington; Tim Lesmeister -Minnesota; Gil Radonski - North Carolina; VinSparano - New Jersey; Wendy Williamson -Wisconsin; Gregg Wollner - Minnesota andForrest Wood - Arkansas.

The results of their deliberations will beannounced in November, 2011 for 2012. Thepurpose of our Awards Program is torecognize those men and women who havemade significant and lasting contributions tothe sport of fresh water fishing on a local,regional, national and/or international basis.Awards recognition is a core program of theHall and is, of course, a significant part ofour mission.

We are always asked, "How does someoneget in to the Fishing Hall of Fame?" Theprocess can only start with a nomination. Forinformation about the nomination processand more information about our AwardsProgram, just go to our website atwww.freshwater-fishing.org and click onEnshrinement/Induction - left navigation.

Courtesy of the Plano Molding Co.

TIPS YOU CAN USE!We'll Miss You!

It was with great sadness that we recently learned of thepassing of Legendary Angler Charles Lahey. Charles wasinducted in to the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame in anOctober 26, 2009 ceremony for 2010 at the age of 100!Charles was an avid fly fisherman most of his life and spentmany days afield even in the last few years of his life. May weall enjoy our sport to the extent Charles did. Goodbye Charles!

Hall Awards Are Presented

Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) President and CEO Frank Peterson (left) receiveshis group's induction plaque from Hall Executive Director Emmett Brown on July 12th at theInternational Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) in Las Vegas, Nevada. A hardy thankyou goes to American Sportfishing Association (ASA) executives Mike Nussman and Mary JaneWillliamson for making this presentation venue possible. Another great show!

Awards Committee member MikeDombeck (left) presents to PaulBrouha his enshrinement plaque atPaul's home near Sutton, Vermont onJune 6th. Thank you Mike andcongratulations Paul!

Executive Director Emmett Brown (right) presents to TomSwanson his plaque for induction as a Legendary Guide onJune 11th in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin. CongratulationsTom and your hospitality that day is much appreciated!

luegill constantly get a bad rap byfishermen. Magazine articles in thisday and age of “catch the biggest”

bass or walleye list this feisty game fish asforage. But a big “slab” can provide quite afight when rod, reel and line matches thisopponent. A bass reel with heavy rod mightnot provide much challenge, but a light-weight spinning rod and reel on light linemeans quite a fight. Perhaps moreimportantly, bluegill are a great fish for kidsto start and stay with as have I the past 50years.

My love affair with bluegill fishing started inthe late 1950’s with a worm, small bobberand a small hook. Then in 1968 at age 15, akind neighbor loaned me his old lightweightflyrod and reel. I practiced and learnedenough to try this unique form of fishing.

I walked down to a promising lake shore thefollowing morning and flipped out fly linewhere I knew a big school of bluegill weresuspended. The bug landed with two feet ofline dropping on top in a big splash, but theGods of fishing smiled and everythinguntangled in the water. I pulled out the slackand twitched the popping bug. Nothing. Itwitched again and made the rubber legskick like an insect. “BLOOP.” The artificialbug disappeared in a mini-explosion on thelake’s surface.

The big bluegill started pumping towards thesafety of depth. The old flyrod maintained asatisfying bend. The slab turned its bodysideways to create the most drag andresistance possible. I soon examined the bigslab and found a blue marking around itshead and gill, highlighted by a bright orangebelly. I had a heavy wire mesh sack full ofslab bluegill by day’s end, the beginning of alife- long addiction.

Bluegill provide an excellent day’s fishingwith promise of a good fillet dinner. These

fillets are not large but daily limits aregenerous, sometimes up to 30.

Bluegill are not hard to catch, making themkid friendly. Popping bugs, worms, cricketsand tiny lures are the main bluegill baits. Butthat is the joy of bluegill fishing--they are notparticular. If it looks or smells good, chancesare they will bite it.

During the spawn bluegill are mostly caughtin shallow areas. After spawn, bluegill arefound in deeper areas. But they will moveinto the shallows for food, especially aroundlogs and stumps. Fly fishermen consider this

to be one of the best times to fish. Try an 8-inch leader, two to four pound test and a boxof tiny popping bugs.

An old fisherman once told me, “It don’tmatter what color you use, as long as it isyellow.”

This is proven advice, but black, brown andwhite will attract a fair share of bites too. Flipthe tiny popper in productive water andgently move the rod tip until the rubber legskick. All game fish love to find a bugstruggling and helpless in the water,imitating an easy meal.

Bluegill tend to hang around woody cover forprotection. Wood draws a healthy populationof insects. Bluegill love these tiny aquaticinsects and respond well to black and brownwet flies normally used for trout. You mightdo as well with 1/80 and 1/100-ounce blackand brown jigs—usually found in trout tackleboxes.

Match your tackle to a school of big bluegilland prepare for a great day, but I highlyrecommend you don’t eat the fillets, savethem for me!

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The Fabulous Bluegill By Legendary Communicator Kenneth L. Kieser

The author is holding a fine string of big bluegillabout 1963 and wearing a hat he would ratherforget now. –Photo By LaDonne Kieser

Bluegill are top fighters on flyrods or ultralight.A school of big "gills" will provide a day ofaction and an incredible meal! –Photos byKenneth L. Kieser

The author and his little brother hold a string ofbluegill and other species that made a finedinner. By 1970 the author had given up strangefishing hats for long hair. Today he is bald andwearing ball caps. –Photo By LaDonne Kieser

B

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Believe it or not, I made more money in thosetwo hours after dinner tying bucktails than Imade guiding. It was great gas money for myModel-A Ford.

One summer evening in 1949 as my fellowguides and I sat around discussing the day’shappenings, my roommate in the guide shackand fellow guide friend, Freeman Metcalf,said he needed a favor. He said, “I’mscheduled to guide a client who is a ‘dyed inthe wool’ fly fisherman and he wants to fishfor muskies exclusively with a fly rod. I don’tknow anything about fly fishing, but I doknow that you fly fish and have at least someexperience.”

Freeman’s schedule was tightly booked andhe didn’t have all the time available that theclient wanted to book. Since I had a fairlyopen schedule, he then generously passedhis client to me. Naturally, I jumped at thechallenge. I knew that I was going to enjoyworking with this fly fisherman to assist himin developing his technique for muskiefishing.

I was introduced to the client and found himto be very agreeable to the switch, as did theguide scheduler for the guests at the resort.It didn’t take us long to review his interests,desires, plans and his arsenal of fly fishingtackle. His tackle certainly put mine toshame. What I had were mostly hand-me-downs that worked well for me. His was abeautiful 3-piece, 9-foot bamboo rod with anextra tip section, large open cage, singleaction Pflueger fly reel, an assortment of flyleaders and flies, mostly bass, trout andpanfish types and a few streamers. I knowout of respect, I called him a Mister. So, forpurposes of this story we’ll refer to him asMr. X.

He was a kind, pleasant and personablegentleman with whom I shared a mutual lovefor fly fishing. He was very easy to get alongwith making it fun to work together towardshis goal. “Catching them on a fly” with a manwho is 6’2”, roughly 225 pounds and in hismid-sixties offered challenges in and of itself.I wasn’t sure if we would work together onlyone day or every day until the end of his stay.Fortunately, we ended working together forthe duration of his trip.

Our first and second days out on the waterwere truly trial and error. We had the wrongweight fly line, the wrong leader. We werechanging flies constantly to try to developwhat we both thought would look good.Should we use a floater, a popper, a streamer

and on and on it went. We experimented withthe proper line weight and leader length toturn the fly for a successful presentation. Weretied leaders until our fingers hurt. Afterhours of trial and error, we finally goteverything to work right. I even cut the tip ofhis double tapered fly line back in incrementsof six inches at a time until I had cut off twofeet of it or more. I can still remember thelook on his face as I cut his new line.

I then tied two feet of heavier diameterleader to the fly line tip and shortened theleader from nine feet to about seven feet.This way he could turn a good looppresentation without wearing his arm out.Not all these ideas were by the book orperfect, but they worked and we improvedupon them by the day.

Naturally, most casts were 25 to 40 feet. Ournext decision was where to fish. We bothagreed that bays, pockets, selectedshorelines and weed lines out from the shorewere the prime places to start. The third daywe pushed off from shore heading for ourchosen hot spots with confidence. Theweather conditions were cloudy with a lowwind. My job was to control the boat with theoars, watch every cast and keep Mr. X in thebest position possible. His job was to selectthe spot, make his cast and work the fly. Inother words, do what he came to do. He wasextremely accurate, not just casting for thesake of casting and he could roll cast whenneeded. By the end of the third day, he hadtwo muskies follow and he caught a 3-poundbass. The first muskie raised was on a redand white bass popper. This fly also workedfor the bass. The second muskie was red hot,hungry and legal and was a good thirty-threeinches long. The thrill of seeing the muskieon a fly was unbelievably exciting.

We felt that we were ahead of the challenge,but I felt that we were still missingsomething. Fishing weedy shorelines, pondlilies, old boat docks, sight fishing andfollowing the fly action were not the totalstory. It became obvious to me, with theearlier success of my slim Black Billy FinnBucktail, that a black streamer fly with amodest weed guard could be the answer.

You guessed it. The fourth night we were inthe guide shack until midnight trying outevery configuration of what we thought to bea perfect bucktail streamer. We finally settledfor three sizes ranging from three inches tofour inches in length and three different colorconfigurations. The combinations that we

Catching Muskies on a Fly - 1949 By Bill Gautsche

hrough my seven years of guiding(1946-1952), I kept a fishing logwith dates, times, locations,

weather conditions, total catches and theclient names. Was it a bit crude? You bet itwas! It was weather beaten, wrinkled and fullof misspelled words, but it was mine and Iupdated and referred to it daily.

When I got married in the fall of 1952there came many new responsibilities, whichincluded looking for a better paying job. Anationally known fishing rod manufactureroffered me a job, which involved moving toHastings, Michigan. A few years later, aschildren arrived and numerous relocationsoccurred, my fishing log was lost, never to beseen again.

My God, I can’t tell you how many timesover the years that I’ve been involved in thefishing industry, I’ve wished for that log.Proof of bragging rights still stand out as thenumber one reason not to have lost it. Thelog documented my experiences, good orbad, as well as client names and notations ofthe things they taught me. The recording ofthe weather conditions on any given daywould have been a fantastic record to havekept.

That log and I survived wind, rain, cold,sweltering heat and hot sun, all for $5 a daywhen I started as a guide in 1946. I amforever grateful for the lessons my fellowguides were willing to share with a twenty-year old novice guide.

During this time period, I designed anddeveloped the Billy Finn Bucktail in the guideshack at Ross’ Teal Lake Lodge, Wisconsin,with the constructive comments, encourage -ment and assistance of a close friend andfellow guide, George Brandt. While my BillyFinn Company has been very successful,unfortunately all those great reminder notes,including my early ideas for the bucktail, aregone with the log. It may be lost forever, butmany of my memories still remain.

One memory, which stands out is fly fishingfor muskies. Little did I know, back insummer of 1949, that we were pioneeringmuskie fishing on a fly. Yes, for me ithappened as an accident. During the summerof 1948, along with the introduction of theBilly Finn Bucktail to the fishing market, Ialso tied conventional bucktails dressedtrebles in the evenings in the guide shack tomake extra cash. I would sell them to clients,resort guests, at the local bars and justabout anywhere that I could find an outlet.

T

6

came up with were all black, black with a tuftof white, black with a tuft of white as a weedguard and a red hackle tail accent. These areknown now to be proven muskie bucktailcolors. We were pleased with our work andideas, but we had to ask, “Will the muskie gofor it?”

The next morning as soon as we finished ourbreakfast, we were on the dock testing themout. As all the other guides departed withtheir guests, they just shrugged theirshoulders at the goofy stuff Gautsche and hisfly fishing guest were doing now. The newcombinations all worked only giving usproblems when we could not consistentlyturn them for a good presentation. Both of usgave the problem some thought and wedecided we needed more power! We had allthe line, weight and leader that we thoughtwe needed. We asked ourselves what to donext.

We decided that we needed a heavier tipsection for his bamboo fly rod, so Mr. Xreturned to his cabin and found just whatwould hopefully work for us - an extra heavytip section. It made a tremendous differenceto the presentation and now everything wasperfect.

After another shot of coffee and just onemore sweet roll, we were on the water.

What a day we had! Minimum casts, easypresentations and we were able to raisethree legal muskies. Two strikes caught onefish using the black and white streamer withthe red hackle. The thrill of doing this type offishing with a fly rod was wonderful. Theremaining days we had action along theshoreline of Teal Lake and its islands. Itbecame obvious that the only problem wasalways getting a good solid hook-set.

Swimming the streamer properly and keepingthe line tight can become monotonous. Youdon’t want to fall asleep anytime that you arefishing for muskie. Should you let down yourguard at any juncture, be it the casting,trolling or fly fishing, you’re guaranteed tolose.

The challenge of keeping this big mansomewhat comfortable in my boat was aproblem that I had to deal with quickly. Hewould occasionally stand-up in the narrow16-foot cedar strip rowboat, which was notonly dangerous, but also extremely fatiguingfor him. After giving the problem somethought, I came up with this solution. I drove

Catching Muskies on a Fly - 1949

the twenty-two miles into Hayward and wentto the local lumber mill where I purchased aperfect piece of pine, 1”x14” wide and 6’long. I cut it to fit across the width of theboat to sit on the top of the gunwale. Then Icut and fitted a backrest with braces. It nowlooked like an old stadium seat.

With the old kapok boat cushion, this raisedthe seat about eight inches higher than theconventional fixed boat seat. What adifference it made. It was easier for him tocast and get a good visual of the line andlure. It proved to be a good solution to theproblem. However, the streamers we hadalready tied rode poorly. Sometimes thehooks wouldn’t ride facing down but uprightor off center making it nearly impossible toget a good hook set into the bony upper jawof the muskie. You want to hook him in thefleshy lower jaw, which means tying thestreamer so the hook point always ridesdown. We went back to the guide shack forfurther refinements of our techniques.Another attempt to weight or balance thestreamer was by adding a drop of solder andthen tying the dressing differently. Ourchanges proved successful and reduced themissed strikes by about fifty percent.

Another point of interest - when a muskiewas hooked in the tongue, it would alwaysimmediately jump. This was quite a thrill tosee. This technique has held true over theyears with a lot of different fish that I havecaught. The first week went by too fast withMr. X’s departure date quickly approaching.Prior to leaving, he made his reservationswith the resort for the upcoming year. As hehad requested my guide services, we wereboth ready for some great fishing, the goodLord willing, when the next season rolledaround.

Unfortunately, next year’s trip was nevermeant to be.

I learned some valuable lessons from thisgentleman. These lessons, includingpatience, have carried over from guiding toworking with people in the business world,as well as with my growing family. Theinteresting part, as I look back on this time,is that Mr. X was a purist, a naturalist and aconservationist before his time. He did notwant to keep any fish, nor did we removethem from the water for photos or weighingand measuring. He insisted that no fish betaken from the water. All were measured inthe water with our very best estimates andthe fish released at boat side. It was a greatlesson on the proper handling and releaseof fish. Controlling the boat with a pair ofoars and seldom starting the motor madefor long, fun days.

Maybe now you can better understand myfeelings about the loss of my fishing log andhow much it meant to me. Those long lostrecords made up memorable thoughts andstories that were meant to be shared andpassed on to my family and friends whoreally care. I can only say a big thanks to allmy friends and cohorts who kept mebetween the waves. Remember the goodtimes and great memories. The rest is alljust numbers.

Here is a list of fly fishermen who I havebeen lucky enough to have been closelyassociated with over the years. Many Ifished with, several I worked with at majorsport shows putting on fly fishingdemonstrations, and I worked closely withthe legendary Ted Williams developing hisline of fishing rods.

Bill Cullerton Sr.*, Eddie Wood*, LeonChandler*, Stu Pritchard*, Doc Wellman*,Ted Williams*, Jack Sharky, Lew Morrison*,Jim Green, Lee Cuddy, George Foti, LeoPachner*, and Tom McNally*.*Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame inductee

Editor's Note: We gratefully acknowledgeTerry McBurney of Woods-N-Waters News ofGrand Rapids, Michigan, for allowing us tore-print this fine story for all our Splashreaders. Bill's story is currently appearing inthe current (August 2011) edition of Woods-N-Waters. Bill Gautsche is the Hall ExecutiveBoard President, Hall Awards CommitteeChairman and Hall Enshrinee. Mostimportantly, Bill is a fisherman extraordinare!Thank you Bill and Terry.

A 1948 photo of muskie guide, Bill Gautsche,relaxing after a day’s fishing on Teal Lake innorthern Wisconsin.

those areas as well.

Rizzo and his clients have spent 761.5days on the water fishing for walleye andhave reeled in 10,712 of the fish for anaverage of about 14 a day.

It is that kind of success that made someof his clients question why he hadn’t hitthe 1,000 muskie mark earlier.

"I had one client say to me, ‘Tony, Ithought you would have hit 1,000 yearsago,’" Rizzo said, "But the thing is, I guideduring October and November but I don’tfish. I feel that is when the best chance toget a trophy muskie is. I have 65 trophycatches. I don’t need another, I want theclients to get that."

Experience backs up Rizzo’s claim thatlate in the season is the best time to bagthat big muskie.

The largest fish he ever caught was a 41-pound, 52-inch monster on Oct. 24, 1972.

The biggest fish Rizzo has ever seen in hisboat is a 55.5- inch, 47.5 pound muskiecaught by a client on September 28, 2006during a Canadian fishing trip.

But Rizzo said the most rewarding thing7

(Reprinted with permission from the July28, 2011 Lakeland Times, Minocqua,Wisconsin)

Measuring 35.5 inches, it certainly wasn’tthe biggest fish expert muskie guide TonyRizzo has ever caught, but it may be oneof the most memorable.

On June 17, 2011, Rizzo reeled in the fishto catch his one thousandth legal muskiein his 42 years of hunting big fish.

"What I like best is that they areunpredictable," Rizzo said of why he likesto fish for muskie. "They have a veryuncanny ability of getting off the bait andgetting off the hook."

With a crafty fish as his target, Rizzo, aninductee of the Fresh Water Fishing Hallof Fame, has picked up a few tricks overthe years to help him reach that 1,000mark, including keeping where he fishesunder wraps.

"I will never tell a lake," Rizzo said. "I talkabout lakes but in generalities. I don’tknow any muskie fisherman that will telltheir lake."

Being vague is not something that comesnaturally to Rizzo, who keeps copiousnotes about his fishing expeditions.

"I am kind of amazed that I haveaccumulated these statistics," Rizzo said.

The habit was formed in his early dayswhen he lived in Chicago and would fishfor bass in the Chain of Lakes around thearea.

"I don’t know why I did it, but I just wrotedown everything I did," Rizzo said.

When he started guiding, the practicecontinued and the results document anoutstanding career.

In his time, Rizzo has seen 32,897muskies in his boat while spending 36,134hours, or four years, one month and 15days, on the water.

"I also have the names of every client Iever fished with," he said. "They are allspecial because there is a personattached to each fish and each number."

Rizzo also guides for walleye andsmallmouth bass and his record keepingshows the success his clients have had in

Legendary Angler Tony Rizzo Catches His 1,000th Muskie By Brian Rose

about being a guide has not been the sizeor the number of fish that he has caughtover the years, but the people he has met.

"I have clients who come back year afteryear," he said. "We have built up sometremendous friendships. They are allspecial people."

An Evinrude

Bicycle?

"Who said you need water to run anoutboard?", states Hall member WalterZielke of Prescott, Arizona.

Walt foundthis ondisplay inDonLaughlin'sAntique CarMuseum inLaughlin,Nevada andtook a fewpictures forus. It comescompletewith a water-cooled Evinrude motor andgas tank. This is obviously a homemadefabrication, but it is quite ingenious. Noword on who the bicycle manufacturer is.

Thanks Walt!

Tony is pictured with the largest muskie he everpersonally caught, a 41 pound, 52 inch monsteron October 24, 1972.

Tony Rizzo holds up his 1,000th legal muskie,which he boated and released on June 17th.

8

the very hot morning, but I kept on casting.After several casts, I made one very long castand watched Super Frog arc in the air andthen settle down into the water. The verynext moment a giant fish suddenly jumpedout of the lily pads, like a flying rocket, anddove into the water again.

Boom! The water exploded. I immediately setthe hook, but the fish was so powerful it washard to control. My Fenwick FC60 glass rodkept bending and my Abu-Garcia 4600C reelwas working smoothly. However, the fish wasalready in the dense weeds and was notmoving. There was just my taut 16 lb testmonofilament line between the fish andmyself. I had to be patient. I had to wait forthe fish to move up. After half an hour theboat went forward to the fish location littleby little and finally I could retrieve the linedirectly with my left hand. Holding the bigweed ball with the fish inside, I threw it intothe boat. The fish was a so-called ‘’snakehead’’ over 65cm in length. This fish lookslike a “garpike.’’ In Japanese it is called “Rai-Gyo.” With luck, I would be able to catch onemore snake head with the Super Frog. Thefish was not a largemouth bass, but it wassatisfactory. A very good surface game,indeed.

Through the years, I have been able touncover a little history about the Super Frog.This is what I have learned.

A Lure of Impulse – Bill Plummer’s Super Frog By Noboru Nakazawa

f you like fishing, you must have inyour tackle box the most unforgettablelure in your fishing career. One of the

most impressive lures in my life is anartificial lure called Super Frog. This lure wasinvented by Bill Plummer who was once aflight instructor near Westboro, Massachu -setts. He liked bass fishing so much thateven when he was flying with his student(s),he flew very low to watch how the remoteponds looked for his next fishing trip.

It was in the mid 1970’s when I found BillPlummer’s Super Frog for the first time in afishing catalog sent to me from the UnitedStates. I didn’t notice at all why I felt veryfamiliar with this Super Frog. Had I seen thissomewhere before? Anyway, for somereason, I ordered several of his Super Frogsfor a try.

The Super Frog I saw in the catalog was anegg-shaped life-like rubber frog. However, atthe same time a new type of Super Frog wasalready for sale with the re-formed shaperound body under the name of Harrison HogeIndustries.

One day in June, 1978 I went to a pond, aone hour drive from the center of Tokyo, withthis brand-new Plummer’s frog. It was a veryhot morning. This pond was shallow andcovered with the dense lily pad growth of thesummer. There were some visible holes inthe dense pads where you had no choice butto cast a snag-proof lure, like the weedlessSuper Frog. The boat was similar to anAmerican 12 ft jon boat, but it was made ofwood.

From past experiences I knew that bass werethere, invisible, but they were always belowthe dense lily pads. It was a little bit difficultfor me to keep a sense of high anticipation in

I Bill Plummer’s frog was originally called theBass Frog and then later was known as theSuper Frog. It was and always will be a greatsurface lure.

Bill Plummer invented his original Super Frogbased on his daughter’s toy frog. Beth, Bill's5-year-old daughter, promised not to cry forher dentist check-up if she could take herfavorite toy frog to the dentist's office. AsBeth sat in the dentist's chair, Bill studied thefrog. Soon, Bill put two and two together andstarted formulating his own plans for rubberfrog fishing.

The next day Bill borrowed his daughter’sfrog, attached a weedless hook (soon to bepatented) on it and went fishing. It was 1957and it caught bass, a lot of bass! Bill locatedthe frog manufacturer in Japan and orderedhundreds of this toy frog. This is why I wasfamiliar with Bill's frog, I first saw it in Japanbefore it became a fishing lure!

After a few year's of making the Super Frogon his own and only on a regional basis, Billteamed with Harrison Hoge Industries andwas able to market them throughout NorthAmerica.

In the end Bill Plummer’s Super Frog becamea mega hit lure! Bill would go on fishingseven days a week for more than 30 years.Countless bass have been fooled by theSuper Frog.

Bill Plummer’s Super Frog was a lure ofimpulse in my angling history.

Editor's Note: The author lives and fishes inJapan, but is inextricably tied to Americansportfishing culture.

Bill Plummer was inducted in to the FreshWater Fishing Hall of Fame as a LegendaryAngler in 2006. Sadly, Bill passed away in2007.

This is in the middle of the lily pads. Below,one can see the green UMCO tackle box. Largemouth bass – Super Frog in its mouth

The above fish are called ‘’Rai-Gyo’’. A large oneis more than 1 meter in length.

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Late-Summer/Early-Fall Bass on Main Lake Docks By Legendary Angler Babe Winkelman

beds, mid-lake islands, steep breaks,channels, etc. The shorter the distancebetween a dock and a proven basssanctuary, the better. If the water depth atthe end of the dock is 5 feet or more, that’sideal.

When considering the dock itself, I prefer L-or T-shaped stationary docks with woodenposts more than any other. Bass are moredrawn to wood than steel, probably becausewood is more conducive to periphery growth.Plus wooden posts have more girth, more“structure” than steel posts. From myexperience, floating docks tend to hold thefewest bass, because there’s very little sub-surface structure beneath the platform.

If given the choice, go for docks withplatforms that are close to the water’ssurface, with tight spacing between theplatform boards. Both features create bettershade underneath. And because lowplatforms are tougher to fish, anglers withinferior casting skills won’t be able to get tobass that the skilled “skipper” can reach.

How? I approach docks with the samegeneral patter every time. I use the word“general” because different factors can affectyour approach to a particular dock – such aswater clarity and depth, wind, dock shape,weed thickness (if any), etc.

I start by making long casts to the outsideedges of the dock to pick off bass that arehanging near posts and on the shadow line.Shallow crankbaits, spinnerbaits and plasticsall work well. When working these edges, tryand get your bait to make contact with theposts or other structures. That contact canoften trigger a strike.

After fishing the edges, switch gears andbegin really picking the dock apart. I always

opt for soft plastic baits on spinning tacklefor this task. Move in a little closer and pitchor flip the bait under the platform near posts,boat lifts, etc. Let the bait free-fall to thebottom and be on high alert for a bite duringthe drop. Dead-stick it on the bottom forseveral seconds, then give it a little move.Sometimes a twitch-fall works best. Othertimes a slow drag is what they want.Experiment and find out what presentation isthe order for the day.

Most anglers make the mistake of onlyfishing the fronts of docks. But you’ll oftenfind that the bass are positioned under ashallower portion of the walkway. So fishyour way around the sides of a good-lookingdock too. After you’ve covered all thepotential ambush points under the edges, it’stime to skip.

Skipping a weighted or non-weighted softplastic bait is the only way to truly penetratethe darkest recesses of a dock. Goodskippers can turn a lure into a flat rock andskip it from the front of a long dock all theway up to shore. Accomplishing such a feattakes a lot of practice. Some can do it with abaitcaster, but most prefer spinning gear. Ifyour initial skip-casts are awkward, don’t giveup. Keep at it and soon you’ll be skippingyour way to big fish.

When you hook up, take quick control of thefight. There’s a lot of stuff down there for abass to wrap into. You can’t give him thatchance. Winch him out fast. This requiresstrong, abrasion-resistant line. Today’sbraided lines are ideal. I like 12-pound braidbecause it’s strong enough for an aggressivefight but light enough to intentionally breakoff if I hang up on a boat lift leg or otherobstruction. A lot of anglers prefermonofilament or fluorocarbon line. It’s all amatter of taste.

A few final things about dock fishing: Beprepared to have lake home owners give youa hard time. Some of them will be pleasantand interested in how you’re doing. They’rethe ones who fish, and understand theeffectiveness of this pattern. Others will walkdown to the shore and tell you to move on.They can’t make you do it, but they can ask.Be polite. Be thoughtful in your casting toavoid injury to others and damage to boatsand other personal property. Always avoidcasting to docks that have people on them,no matter how tempting the target. Andfinally, have fun!

Good Fishing!

hen my youngest daughterKarlee was about four, she wasgleefully plucking small

bluegills off the end of our dock while Igrilled some Johnsonville brats on shore.Then she screamed. I looked up to see herrod doubled over as 6+ pounds oflargemouth bass did its best to pull the littletyke into the lake. Perhaps fortunately, herline broke.

When I tell people that story, they’re usuallysurprised. “A fish that big? Right off thedock? Really?” Absolutely! The truth is, docksrepresent one of the best bass opportunitiesin a lake system – no matter where you fishin North America.

Like all angling patterns, dock fishing is anart form that must be perfected byexperience, experimentation and dedication.I’ll share some fundamentals and proventactics with you today. But then it’s up to youto fine-tune your approach andpresentation(s) to put more and bigger bassin the boat.

Why Docks? The first step to fishing dockseffectively is to understand why the bass arethere in the first place. The answer is prettysimple. They’re there because a dockprovides bass with three key needs:structure, shade and food. Dock posts, boatlifts, cables, boat engines, etc. all account forfish-holding structure. The surfaces of thesestructures are ideal for periphery growth thatattracts bait and, conversely, predator fish.And the dock surface creates a wonderfullyshaded environment that’s perfect for“ambush” fish like bass.

When? The late-summer/early-fall monthsare prime time for fishing main-lake docks.Does this mean they can’t be caught underdocks during the spawn? Sure they can, aslong as the docks you’re fishing are tuckedback in bays, creek channels and otherspawning habitats. But we’re talking Augustto October here. The bass are done spawningand relating to main-lake structures.

As for the best time of day, the afternoonhours are ideal. Sunny days can be the best.Many bass will move up from nearby breaksand out of neighboring weed beds to feedunder docks and seek the shade temperaturethey often desire.

Which Docks? This is the million-dollarquestion. And a darned good one too. Thefirst docks worth trying are the ones in closeproximity to classic fish-holding spots:points, humps, saddles, inside turns, weed

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Please do forward your questions orrequests for identification toslusar@wi.rr.com. Alternatively, sendyour queries to Chris Slusar in care ofthe Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame.

Until next time, enjoy an old lure!

Can you ID?

Chris Slusar

Emmett Brown forwarded this picture for evaluation earlierthis year. The bait is a South Bend Surf Oreno. The SurfOreno is a fairly common variety of lure, but this one hasone unique feature. As you’ll note in the photo, this piecehas reinforcing hardware on both the front and rear. Theextra bracing was provided during the period 1927-1929,which helps us date this guy fairly precisely. Althoughaged, the paint pattern is common and the overallcondition is lacking. Consequently, I would value this pieceat $15-$25.

Emmett was kind enough to forward this one as well. Thepictured lure is a #33- Shakespeare Underwater Minnowand employs B-notched props, charateristic of certainShakespeare offerings about 100 years ago. This piece alsoutilizes what appears to be “flat plate” hook hangers. Suchhardware has origins back to the earliest Rhodes minnows,which were known for their innovation including the “flatplate” design. As such, Shakespeare and Rhodes minnowsare sometimes confused. In its current condition, this piecewould retail at $50-$100.

This piece came my way through a fellow collector lookingfor a firm identification. It dates to the period right afterWWII and was made by a small time lure maker in Racine,Wisconsin named Hans P. Olson. Mr. Olson received adesign patent for his piece in 1945. Not much is knownabout this slightly obscure piece but it does appear underthe name Rolling Plug. This early version of the lure isslightly less common and is valued at $40-$75.

This piece popped up recently for consideration and is thelater counterpart of the Rolling Plug above. You’ll note thatit utilizes two treble hooks, versus the two single hooksabove, a change likely intended to improve fish catchingability. The name of piece appears to have changed alongwith the hardware and is advertised as the Bass Snooper.At some point, manufacture of this piece moved down tothe Chicago, Illinois area. The two treble hook version is abit more common and is valued at $25-$50 in thiscondition.

A good friend from California called with a question aboutthis early Lauby lure. Strange that such an early and thinlyproduced piece would wind-up so far from home. Thosefrequent readers of Ol’ Tackle talk will recognize this piecefrom an earlier edition. It dates to the mid-1930’s and is theforerunner of what became the Lauby Wonderspoon. Thisearliest version of the bait was manufactured in Marshfield,Wisconsin and pre-dates the production period which ranfrom the later 1930’s to the beginning of WWII. This rarepiece is valued at $150-$250.

This photo came to me from another Californian looking forsome history. Pictured are the two smaller versions of theJohnson Auto Striker, made by Carl A. Johnson of Chicago,Illinois. These pieces date to the mid-1930’s. The larger ofthe two pieces is valued at $100-$150. The smaller piece isexceptionally tough to find and is typically missing a gooddeal of paint. In this condition, this piece would likely fetch$100-$175.

Couldn’t help it, just had to include a photo of the catch!Until this big guy came along, I’m happy to say that Ireleased every musky I’d ever caught.

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ell, my early summer hasbeen packed with activity,including lots of time on the

water. Fishing has been great! During alate June fishing trip that included a visitto the HOF, I was able to boat my largestmusky to date, a 48 inch fish. Even better,my son was on-board to enjoy the wholeexperience.

Aside of the outdoor fun, I’ve beenactively chasing, identifying andappraising fishing tackle.

As I’ve been short on the “Can you ID”section of recent articles, I thought I’ddedicate some space to severalassessments.

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World Angling Records Granted

Dan McGuireSmallmouth Bass,

Div. #2 – Fly Fishing,6 lb. tippet, 3 lb.

14 oz., Rainy River,Minnesota, 5/15/2011

Roger Aziz, Jr. YellowBullhead, Div. #1 –Rod/Reel, 2 lb. lineclass, 5 lb. 15 oz., StilesPond, Massachusetts,6/24/2011

11

Bridget Mohler Walleye,Div. #1 – Rod/Reel, 14 lb.line class, 34”, Hawk Lake,Ontario, Canada6/11/2011

Pat RetzlaffWalleye, Div.#1 – Rod/Reel, 4 lb.line class,33”, PerraultLake,Ontario,Canada,6/4/2011

3rd QUARTER - 2011 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 2011 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 DateAMUR/ All- 79-0 Jacob Crescent Lake, 4/12/2011White Tackle Millichamp Illinois, USA

20 lb. 79-0 Jacob Crescent Lake, 4/12/2011Millichamp Illinois, USA

BULLHEAD/ 15 lb. 3-12 Roger Forrest Lake, 6/19/2011Brown Aziz, Jr. Massachusetts, USA

20 lb. 3-8 Roger Forrest Lake, 5/8/2011Aziz, Jr. Massachusetts, USA

BULLHEAD/ 2 lb. 5-15 Roger Stiles Pond, 6/24/2011Yellow Aziz, Jr. Massachusetts, USA

BURBOT All- 25-2 Sean Diefenbaker Lake, 3/27/2010(Eelpout/ Tackle Konrad Saskatchewan, CANADALawyer)

14 lb. 25-2 Sean Diefenbaker Lake, 3/27/2010Konrad Saskatchewan, CANADA

CARP/Big Head 10 lb. 35-1 Dwain Horseshoe Lake, 3/23/2011Melvin Arkansas, USA

CARPSUCKER/ 10 lb. 4-13 Paul Wisconsin River, 5/11/2011(Quillback) Zoch Wisconsin, USA

DRUM/ 12 lb. 24-6 James Nickajack Headwater, 5/19/2011Freshwater Norris Tennessee, USA

TROUT/ 16 lb. 7-14 Gaylon Bear Lake, 4/27/2011Cutthroat Newbold Idaho, USA

TROUT/ All 48-0 Sean Diefenbaker Lake, 9/5/2009Rainbow Tackle Konrad Saskatchewan, Canada(Inland)

20 lb. 48-0 Sean Diefenbacker Lake, 9/5/2009Konrad Saskatchewan, Canada

DIVISION #2 – FLY FISHINGLine Lbs./

Fish Class Ozs. Angler Where Caught DateBASS/ 6 lb. 3-14 Dan Rainy River, 5/15/2011Smallmouth Tippet McGuire Minnesota, USA

“C&R” World Records List

DIVISION #1 –ROD/REELLine

Fish Class Length Angler Where Caught DateSTURGEON/ Unltd. 65” David Rainy River, 4/10/2011Lake Saunders Minnesota, USA

TROUT/ 16 lb. 26” John Westfield River, 6/26/2011Brown Regan Massachusetts, USA

WALLEYE 4 lb. 33” Pat Perrault Lake, 6/4/2011Retzlaff Ontario, CANADA

14 lb. 34” Bridget Hawk Lake, 6/11/2011Mohler Ontario, CANADA

DIVISION #2 – FLY FISHINGLine

Fish Class Length Angler Where Caught DateBASS/ 10 lb. 24” Robert Albion Reservoir, 5/8/2011Largemouth Tippet Warne New York, USA

PIKE/ 50 lb. 39” Pete Great Slave Lake, 6/16/2011Northern Tippet Siggelko N.W.T., CANADA

SALMON/ 15 lb. 33” Alan Patapedia River, 6/20/2011Atlantic Tippet Madden New Brunswick, CANADA(Sea-Run)

20 lb. 41” Alan Restigouche River, 5/15/2011Tippet Madden New Brunswick, CANADA

25 lb. 33” Alan Patapedia River, 6/20/2011Tippet Madden New Brunswick, CANADA

SALMON/ 6 lb. 44” Robert Oak Orchard Creek, 10/10/2010Chinook Tippet Warne New York, USA(Inland)

10 lb. 45” Robert Oak Orchard Creek, 10/10/2010Tippet Warne New York, USA

TROUT/ 14 lb. 21” Alan Lit. S.W. Miramichi R., 6/15/2011Brook Tippet Madden New Brunswick, CANADA

15 lb. 18” Alan Lit. S.W. Miramichi R., 6/15/2011Tippet Madden New Brunswick, CANADA

17 lb. 21” Alan Lit. S.W. Miramichi R., 6/15/2011Tippet Madden New Brunswick, CANADA

25 lb. 21” Alan Lit. S.W. Miramichi R., 6/15/2011Tippet Madden New Brunswick, CANADA

TROUT/ 12 lb. 34” Robert Oak Orchard Creek, 4/10/2011Rainbow Tippet Warne New York, USA(Inland)

DIVISION #3 – POLE/LINE/NO REELLine

Fish Class Length Angler Where Caught DateBASS/White Longest 13” Patric A. Seneca White 5/11/2011

(only) McDaniel Ohio, USA

DIVISION #4 – ICE FISHING – POLE/LINELine

Fish Class Length Angler Where Caught DateWALLEYE Longest 34” Jay Lake Temagami, 1/22/2011

(only) Millar Ontario, CANADA

David Saunders Lake Sturgeon, Div. #1– Rod/Reel, Unlimited line class, 65”,Rainy River, Minnesota, 4/10/2011

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