BASS FISHINGBass Fishing Sports Blog

In 1980 Harvey Pulliam was knocking the ball over the fences as a Pacifica Small Leaguer.

National Small League president bill Hooper remembers Harvey “always smiling. he was a great athlete. As a 12-year-ancient he hit 15 homeruns, five of them grand slams.”

Pulliam’s Small League all-star coaches, Mike Bagdon and Ken Mooney called him “a natural ball player; he could hit and he had all the mechanics to be a excellent player.”

“Harvey had a great heart; he was always smiling,” added Bagdon. When I asked him how his arm was, he would always say, ‘It’s alright’. he was an all-around athlete, playing at various positions. he was the largest player on the team.”

From 1983 through 1986, Pulliam dominated the San Francisco prep baseball and football scene as he led J. Eugene McAteer High School to Academic Athletic Association (AAA) championships in football (1985) and baseball (1986).

In 1983, Pulliam came to McAteer as a freshman where he played baseball for Fred Glosser.

“He played two years with me. he was the best hitter on the team,” said Glosser, who had went onto City College of San Francisco prior to McAteer winning the 1985 AAA championship. “As I recall he was first team All-League for all four of his years. he was really excellent. he had all the potential to play professional baseball.”

In 1986 Pulliam was drafted off the McAteer campus by the Kansas City Royals. he played 16 years of Major League Baseball, finishing his career in 2001.

Next week, Pulliam, who was introduced to baseball at a young age on the playing field at Fairway Park, will be inducted into the San Francisco Prep Hall of Fame.

A nice closure to a great career!

Today, while no longer playing baseball, he remains active on the sport scene as a champion bass angler.

Speaking from his home in Brentwood, Pulliam recalls his childhood days in Pacifica.

“Pacifica was a great community. it was fun playing in the streets with my brothers and friends,” Pulliam, 44, said of his northern Pacifica neighborhood. he attended both Westview and Fairmont schools before moving to San Francisco.

“This is really an honor,” he said, referring to being nominated for the Prep Hall of Fame. “I enjoyed playing sports, every since I was seven years ancient, trying to keep up with my brothers. I had a excellent career. I played with some baseball hall of famers. it all started in Pacifica.”

Reflecting back on his childhood, Pulliam said, “When I was about eight years ancient, my brothers and I were playing in the street. a policeman drove by, saw us, stopped his car and asked us if we wanted play baseball. he told us that we should check into playing Small League. My mom later signed me to play.”

“The 1980 all-start team was the toughest team the league ever had,” said Bagdon. “Harvey would pitch, play shortstop; he threw hard. that year we broke the Small League record in the District 52 tournament in San Mateo, hitting 24 home runs in six games. Harvey hit the most.”

“Harvey’s freshman year at McAteer, we played Balboa for the All-City championship at Candlestick Park,” said Glosser. “He bounced a ball off the wall. I believe in his later years in a championship game at Candlestick, he hit a ball over the wall. he was a very excellent hitter.”

Pulliam was drafted in the third round by Kansas City in 1986.

“When he got signed by Kansas City, my assistant coach at City College was Bob Brandi,” added Glosser. “His brother was Tom Brandi, a successful Bay Area lawyer. I asked Tom to be Harvey’s agent. We thought it would be fun to represent Harvey when he got signed. Tom went to Kansas City and told them that all he wanted for Harvey was that he receive $1 more than their fourth round draft choice. They thought that was a weird request but agreed. Well, the fourth round draft choice was Bo Jackson. Harvey got a $46,000 signing bonus. Tom didn’t charge Harvey a cent.”

Glosser, who hasn’t seen Pulliam since he graduated from McAteer, nominated him for the San Francisco Prep Hall of Fame. “I’m looking forward to seeing him at the ceremony,” he said.

Pulliam played in the Kansas City minor league system for five years; finally getting the call to the Royals in 1991.it was that year that he accomplished a rare feat.

Pulliam only hit eight home runs in his major league career, with the ones on Aug. 27, 1991 being memorable. “That was awesome,” said Pulliam, referencing his two home runs in a single game. “I’ll never forget that game.”

In the game, he hit both a standard homer (over the fence) and an inside-the-park home run. “The ball kept rolling and I kept running,” laughed Pulliam, who played along side hall of famer George Brett at Kansas City.

In 1995, Pulliam played with the Colorado Rockies. in 1998, he signed with Arizona Diamondbacks, but soon was sold to Japan, playing with the Orix Blue Wave. he returned home in 2000, playing with the Atlanta Braves Triple-A Richmond club. At age 33, he finished his playing career in the Mexican League in 2001.

As a child, Pulliam loved fishing. he would often go to the Pacifica Pier with his friends after school and on weekends.

He continues to fish, saying, “If I had my choice I would be on the Delta every day fishing.” he has won various bass fishing championships over the years and has been the subject of fishing magazine articles for his achievements.

Pulliam was a two-sport athlete at McAteer. Playing both quarterback and safety, he was voted to the 1984 and 1985 All-AAA teams. in 1985 he was named the Player of the Year and led the school to its first AAA city championship.

“I wished I had continued to grow up in Pacifica,” remarked Pulliam, who today works at the Oakland warehouse of Kaiser Hospital. “Baseball was excellent to me and the people were great. I had a very excellent up bringing. the people taught me strong ethics of how to play baseball. I wished I could have stayed in the community until I graduated from high school. I loved Pacifica.”

(Editor’s Note: the San Francisco Prep Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at the Spanish Cultural Center, Patio Espanol Restaurant, 2850 Alemany Blvd., San Francisco on Saturday, may 19. Reception starts at 6 p.m. followed by awards dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are $45 per person. For reservations and tickets contact Al Vidal at 415-826-3572.)

Tony runs the store with his wife, Dee. But Tony’s dad is still on the premises, his ashes in a fishing rod case behind the counter, surrounded by a collection of old reels and vintage photos.

The 62-year-ancient proprietor doesn’t have a successor and hasn’t chose what will happen when he retires.

Only 30 percent of U.S. family-owned businesses survive to the second generation, and about 12 percent make it to the third generation, according to the Family Business Institute.

The Eastern Avenue landmark began as a confectionery store that sold fishhooks and bait on the side. Gradually, tackle pushed out candy and cigarettes until, on Feb. 8, 1916, the Tochterman family cast its future with the fish. The eye-catching neon sign of a bass jumping out of the water was added to the facade in the 1930s to lure the anglers.

Baseball legend Ted Williams was a customer. Members of the Saudi royal family have cruised the aisles. five generations of one family stopped by on the way home from a nearby hospital so that a newborn’s first shopping experience would be at Tochterman.

Striped-bass trophy season begins on April 21, and the Tochtermans are laying in fishing supplies. Tony recently took a break from stocking shelves and talking to suppliers to share some fish tales.

How has your customer base changed over the years?

They’ve become more professional, more family-centric. more wives are going out with their husbands, kids are going with their parents, and fishing has become a family event. we get a lot of businessmen at lunchtime or right after work who are getting away from the rat race of downtown. Surgeons from Hopkins stop. when they walk in the door, the ties get loosened. They’ll be fishing from their boats in the Chesapeake Bay during striper season or getting ready to go shad fishing in spring or are thinking about taking a few hours off to go out to a stream and fish for trout. we talk tackle and who caught what.

What’s the burnout rate for tackle shop CEOs?

It’s just like the Ravens say: when you’re winning, it’s not work. well, when you’re here, it’s not work because the customers make it a lot of fun.

Everyone says we’re over the recession. How’s business been?

The tackle business for everybody, whether you’re a manufacturer or a distributor or an independent, has been very, very hard. But what’s happened is the economic downturn has made the small-business people better business people. They’re not being as foolish spending money on things they shouldn’t. They’re making smarter buying decisions, not getting sucked in by fads, and listening to their customers. And on the other side of the coin, most of the companies are cutting down on the amount of inventory they’re sending to the smaller stores.

It’s getting better. We’re seeing 25 new customers a week — people are recommending us to their neighbors and co-workers. our business this year is up 11 percent over the same time last year. what we saw during the worst of it was people worried about paying their mortgage and setting aside money for their kids’ education and paying down credit card debt. Now we’re seeing people — men mostly — saying, “You know what? The job is fine. The house is fine. The wife and kids are fine. I’m going to spend some money on Dad.”

How did you survive the proliferation of huge-box stores when other independent tackle stops went under?

Because we’ve been here for 96 years, we have found that the most important part of our company is offering the specialty items that other stores don’t carry. The huge-box stores have to carry the most popular items. our job is to have those items, but also to stock niche items, fishing gear we know works in specific spots but also the stuff for anglers who travel the world. Competitive pricing is important, along with a staff that fishes and can offer excellent advice. Don’t sell customers things they don’t need, but sell them the highest quality that they can afford. And then it’s customer service, customer service, customer service. It sure as hell isn’t location, location, location.

The longest-lasting tackle shop in Maryland is smack in the middle of a city of 620,000 people, not next to a pristine stream or picturesque lake. how does that work?

a supplier told us last week that we’re the oldest family-run fishing shop in the whole United States. that means a lot to us. we have a very loyal clientele, where you have grandfathers bring in their sons, who in turn bring in their sons. Just one generation after another. They want to go where grandpa bought his first fishing rod. You can’t buy that kind of advertising.

Did you ever reckon about moving closer to the water?

Don House fished Lake Santa Fe on Friday. Casting a Texas-rigged Bass Assassin worm on brushy spots not far off the treeline, House caught and released several largemouths. The largest of the bunch was a real bruiser, full enough of vigor to clear the water six times in her attempt to escape.

Once he had the monster in the boat, House idled over to another nearby angler and questioned if he might have a weigh scale. The man obliged and the giant was found to weigh 12 pounds, 8 ounces.

Satisfied that he would not have to forever speculate as to the weight of his huge catch, House released the big fish. but the fish story didn’t end there. about thirty minutes later, House caught another bass, and the man with the scale weighed it, too … at 8 pounds, 2 ounces.

The same day, Marty Gray fished with Jodie Bunn on Lake Kerr, near Salt Springs. The angling ladies were catching bass at a pleasing rate when an obviously larger fish stopped Marty’s chrome Rat L Trap with a jolt. after the experienced tournament angler fought the hard-pulling combatant around the boat several times, Jody netted the thick-lipped whopper.

The women did not weigh the bass before releasing it … but, judging from quickly snapped photos, this was easily another double-digit fish.

A slow-to-refill Rodman Reservoir is causing tournament organizers who had scheduled events there in early April plenty of grief.

At least two contests have had to be rescheduled or went. one, the 3rd Annual “People Helping People” tournament coming up on April 7, will now be held at Lake Kerr — and Marty Gray and Jodie Bunn have reason to believe the fishing will be brilliant.

Early summer patterns are apparently in place way ahead of schedule, and bream have already commenced their summer-long bedding session. some serious panfish fans are making the trip to Leesburg, where water levels are higher and the bream are notoriously large.

Ken Bedford of Bronson fished twice last week on Lake Harris with Jim Fredricks of Tavares, and the men each filled 50-fish limits of thick shellcrackers both days.

“there were a few big copperheads mixed in”, Ken added.

Dipping grass shrimp around shallow arrowhead lilies and scattered pads Friday, Bedford and Fredricks had their 100 fish before noon.

The gulf shallows continue to come alive as sea grasses thicken on the warming flats.

Two Sundays ago, Roger Lauper, John Hodges, and Henry Eagle fished for trout in Waccasassa Bay. once the Hawthorne trio located the fish, they loved steady action for three hours, filling limits of nice trout and releasing many more.

“In eight years of fishing these flats,” Roger declared, “this was our best day.”

Last Friday, Chris Bell, Dan Woods and Nem Nesic fished out of Horseshoe Beach. The Gainesville fishers headed north from the boat ramp, and cast pearl white Gulp! Shrimp on clear grass flats 3- to 4-feet deep.

Fishing in America for the first time, Nesic loved his first speckled trout action; and after boating 25 fish, the three went in to Pepperfish Keys. Casting the same baits there, they added four redfish and lost a nice cobia that, too, found the big Gulp! bait irresistible.

The gulf sheepshead spawn might be on the decline, but last Friday, Ned and Hunter Friis of Gainesville and Jamie Whitehurst of Williston found the action to be fantastic on Steinhatchee Reef. They were catching sheepshead with shrimp on the bottom when razor-toothed Spanish mackerel came through and started cutting off hooks tied onto mono leaders.

The anglers responded by tying on jigs with wire leaders and “hooked seven Spanish on seven casts.” From 10:30 until 2:00, they iced 15 nice sized sheepshead and several macks.

The Gainesville Offshore Fishing Club’s Sheepshead Shootout held at Cedar Key March 17 saw plenty of the square-toothed fish and family fun.

Michael Browning weighed in the largest fish overall at 6.57 pounds, but Virgil Cooper, Jack Cutright and Eric Daniels were right behind with stout fish of their own.

Among the lady anglers, Melvina Cutright landed the best fish at 3.93, and Karen Thomas had a 2.30-pounder. Youth anglers, James Memos, Charlie Thomas, and Reid Wagner all weighed in nice sheepshead, as well. In the “top Boat” division that rewarded the boat with the best three-sheepshead aggregate, Chic Henton and crew tallied 14.98; while the Virgil Cooper boat was close behind with a 14.51-pound trio of hefty bait-stealers.

Gary Simpson, a veteran tournament angler, operates Gary’s Tackle Box at L & S Trim.

One Easter Sunday in the early 1960s, our large extended family gathered at my Aunt Alice Goldie’s house for dinner.

As we sat around Aunt Alice’s big family room eating ham, scalloped potatoes and salad, my brother Terry and I began a conversation with our uncle John Goldie.

Unlike, most of our aunts and uncles, John was Scottish, not Italian. In fact, he grew up in Glasgow, Scotland and served as an officer in the British Royal Navy during World War II. As we talked, Uncle John shared some of his naval wartime stories with us. We listened intently.

Then he said something which really got our attention: he had just bought a 17-foot boat, and he wanted to take us fishing in it. Wow, that sounded great. Soon, we had obtained permission from our parents and a date was set.

Two weeks later, on a Saturday morning, Uncle John pulled up in front our house, towing his new boat. To say we were excited would be an understatement. We grabbed our jackets and fishing gear, bid our parents farewell and headed out to Uncle John’s waiting Chrysler sedan.

Off we headed in the direction of the Sacramento River, and thirty minutes later we pulled into Miller Park at the west end of Broadway. John circled around the parking area and headed down to the boat ramp.

Launching the boat proved to be quite an experience. First, our uncle circled the car around and began to back down the ramp. About half way down the ramp, the boat trailer began to jackknife. So, he stopped the car and pulled forward up the ramp to straighten the trailer up. then he began backing the car up again and again the boat trailer jackknifed.

This time, Uncle John had Terry get out of the car to give him directions as he backed the boat up. that proved to be less than a good idea. Terry had a long-standing reputation as a curmudgeon. Laughing like a hyena, he provided little help in launching the boat.

Eventually, however, Uncle John got the trailer far enough down the ramp to launch the boat and off we went in the direction of Garcia Bend, where we would fish for striped bass. Uncle John proved to be an able boat man, and when we arrived at our destination, he dropped anchor, put a shrimp on each of our hooks and we began a long day of fishing.

Of course, we caught no fish, but had a great time. At noon, we ate a big lunch Uncle John had prepared for us, drank soda pop and listened to Uncle John’s naval stories and the story of how he landed in the U.S. after the war.

The day skittered away and eventually, we had to pull anchor and head home. when we got back to Miller Park, we had a much simpler time loading the boat onto the trailer than we had experienced while unloading it. By 5 p.m., and fully exhausted, we returned home, full of stories about out great fishing trip.

Sleep came easily that night.

It has been over fifty years since the day Terry and I went boating with Uncle John Goldie. We never did it a second time. Sadly, Uncle John passed away over ten years ago. But, the story of our fishing trip with him remains as yet another wonderful Janey way memory.

Marty’s book, Janey way Memories, is now in print. Come to his book signing on Thursday, April, 5, from 7 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Dante Club, located at 2330 Honest Oaks Boulevard in Sacramento.

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The four men, all of whom were awarded the Purple Heart for their service in the Global War on Terrorism, were treated to two days of fishing and cookouts as part of the Wounded Warriors in Action program.

“the guys hollered to hold the fish up over my head,” Eisch said about the 10-pound, 1-ounce bass he landed, then let go.

The soldiers were invited to the catch-and-release outings, hosted by Orange Springs residents Charlie and Jackie Lawson, after applying online at the Wounded Warriors in Action website.

Participating were Eisch, 37, of Lacona, New York; Charles Lusk, 29, of Canton, Ga.; Jake Whipkey, 26, of Boswell, Penn.; and Jeremy Cabaniss, 31, of Panama City Beach. all are U.S. Army veterans.

They gathered with fellow outdoorsmen for a weekend of camaraderie and healing “using nature as a backdrop,” said Wounded Warriors in Action founder John McDaniel, a retired Army Lt. Col. the program covered all the expenses, said McDaniel.

The Rodman Reservoir, where the group fished, is adjacent to the Ocklawaha River in the heavily wooded northeast tip of Marion county. the wide smiles and gleams in the eyes of the four soldiers as they returned from their outings spoke loud and clear.

“this is huge, to know people still care,” Lusk said as he talked about the day’s catch on Saturday evening at the Lawson home.

Lusk, an Army Ranger sniper, was injured in Iraq in 2004 by shrapnel from a car bomb and again in 2005 by shrapnel from an improvised explosive device.

“I’ve had five years of speech therapy, 16 sessions in a hyperbaric chamber (from the 2005 wounds) and I lost part of my ear,” said Lusk, who with wife Daphne has a daughter Mattie, 6.

“I met Sen. John Kerry and (country singer) Toby Keith pinned on my Purple Heart,” Lusk said, “but this fishing trip is great with friends.”

The boats put in at the Kenwood Office of Greenways and Trails Recreation Area and fished in “water about eight-feet-deep with the drawdown,” or intentional vegetation control lowering, said guide Don Storey.

“this is a big deal, I’ll never forget it,” said Eisch, who was in the service for 19 years and was wounded Nov. 3, 2010. “America is a very generous country if you’ll just look around. A lady from Florida, on the plane here from New York, offered me the use of her family home if I need it and gave me her email address. this is patriotism to me.”

Eisch, a single father of Isaac, 13, and Joey, 9, said telling his sons he was going away and might not return, when he was first deployed to Afghanistan, was “a hard talk.”

Eisch was shot three times in the legs when he went to the aid of an Afghan police officer who was downed by a rocket propelled grenade attack and was still in the line of fire.

“He was out there and the Afghanis weren’t going,” Eisch said. ”He was a team member and I said, ‘Let’s get him.’ It was training and reaction when I went after him.”

Eisch suffered hurt to both legs, with extensive hurt to his left calf. He can walk, but not run. He is angered he cannot do some things he could before, but said, “It comes with the territory. We’re all volunteers.

“my Purple Heart was pinned on by a German Minster of Defense because it was a German controlled area in Afghanistan. I believe it was the first time,” Eisch said.

He also was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions.

Whipkey suffered five gunshot wounds to the chest and two to the wrist while serving in Samara, Iraq, in 2007. He medically retired in 2009.

“I can raise my arm to here,” he said, lifting his right arm to less than shoulder height. He said protective equipment stopped the bullets aimed at his chest and saved his life.

Whipkey, who is single, is a student and an associate with Wounded Warriors in Action.

“this is awesome,” he said of the fishing trip. “It’s a tribute to (earlier veterans) for the great welcome we are receiving.”

Cabaniss suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2006 and medically retired in 2007. He was accompanied by his wife, Deanna.

“Jeremy bent down to retrieve something and a rocket propelled grenade hit the turret of his vehicle,” Deanna said. “He suffers memory loss, seizures and debilitating migraines.”

“I had great time fishing,” Jeremy said.

He was wearing a bracelet honoring Sgt. Patrick Tainsh, who died while serving in Iraq in 2004. Tainsh’s parents became close with Cabaniss when they met at a medical facility, said Deanna.

McDaniel said he started Wounded Warriors in Action in 2007 after he retired from a 20-year service career and began taking Veterans Administration hospital patients fishing.

“in 2011, the WWIA program hosted over 100 Purple Heart recipients on 43 hunting and fishing trips in 26 states, and we hope for the honor to do more this year,” he said as he and his wife Kellie addressed the group Sunday.

He thanked the Lawsons for “opening their home and opening their hearts.”

Charlie Lawson is a Vietnam War veteran.

“These Purple Heart recipients are American heroes and American sportsmen,” McDaniel said. “We help heal the wounds doctors can’t fix.”

Honest weather fishermen, don’t bother getting out of bed.

The Kayak Angler Tournament Series – better known as KATS – is back in 2012 for a Texas bass throwdown. The first event, Bastrop, is in the books. Kristian of ACK shares the report and photos:

The first tournament of the Kayak Angler Tournament Series (KATS) took place on Lake Bastrop the last weekend of January and was a huge success! just fewer than 60 anglers (some from as far as Del Rio, TX) competed on a very windy and chilly day. The fishing was tough but a few lucky anglers took home prize money (pro division) and some fine kayaking gear (amateur division) donated by our generous KATS sponsors.

Being a part of an event where the competitors are truly passionate about the sport is a lot of fun but it is also very competitive. The Bastrop tourney was definitely not a fair weather fisherman’s event but these guys paddled out in the 20 mph winds through the day and nobody went home early. Steve Garcia took first place in the Pro Division while Spencer Colins secured the first place spot in the Amateur Division.

If you are not familiar with this event, it is one of the largest most sought after freshwater kayak fishing tournaments in Texas. The event brings together the most dedicated freshwater kayak anglers in Texas to compete for a chance to claim the rights to the AKF Kayak Angler of the Year. The series runs from January to June and includes four qualifying events, a wildcard tourney, and then finishes with a Classic Championship. Competitors that do not qualify for the Classic will be able to participate in a team competition benefiting charity.

If you missed our first event, don’t be discouraged, there are several opportunities to catch up including the next event being held at Lake Fayette on Saturday February 25th. to learn more about the series and to find the rules, sign up, and forum information please click here.

For more, visit ifakayakfishingtour.com.

Photos courtesy ACK.   

The 2012 bass tournament season kicks off this weekend with an Angler’s choice tourney on Saturday and an American Bass tournament on Sunday. Both tournaments are team events.

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has issued 45 permits for bass tournaments in 2012. these are “event” permits and involve tournament organizations and specialty tournaments. The DFG has issued another 51 bass club permits.

The event-type tournaments will draw most of the attention this year. The tournament organizations visiting Clear Lake this year are Angler’s choice, American Bass, Western Outdoor News (WONBASS) and Best Bass Tournament (BBT). FLW Outdoors will hold a major three-day tournament April 26-28. that tournament will draw professional bass fishermen from throughout the West.

BassMasters, which has held tournaments at Clear Lake in the past, won’t be out on the West Coast this year. There are also several specialty tournaments such as the Lake County Chamber of Commerce tournament (formally the Holder Ford) and the Triton and Stratos boat owners tournaments. Just about all the tournaments operate out of Konocti Vista Casino in Lakeport although a few will go out of Redbud Park in Clearlake.

Clear Lake is one of the more popular stops for the tournament circuits and the reason is the lake produces some of the largest bass in the West. The lake has a national reputation for its brilliant bass fishing.

The number of fishermen competing in tournaments has dropped considerably during the past five years. Ten years ago most of the team tournaments drew from 75-100 boats, but no longer. now a team tournament is considered a success if it draws 30 boats and some are drawing as few as 10-15 boats. One of the primary reasons for the decline is the economy.

Many tournament fishermen work in construction and the trades and many are out of work and have even lost their homes to foreclosures. to enter a tournament costs approximately $200 or even more in entry fees per team. Typically the tournament organizations pay back in prize money about 60 percent of the entry fees. a 30-boat field will pay back to six places and the winning team takes home approximately $1,000-$1,500 and that is divided by two. The other top finishers take home a lot less.

When you add in the cost of gas to travel to Clear Lake and the cost to operate the boat, not to mention motel and restaurant expenses, it can run up to $700 or more per tournament. Many of the fishermen just don’t have that kind of spending money these days.

Some exceptions are the specialty tournaments. they typically draw more than 100 boats and sometimes as many as 150 boats and they have a much larger payback.

For example, the ancient Holder Ford tournament always drew at least 150 boats. The same applies to the Stratos and Triton tournaments. The other tournaments that normally produce large fields are the Tournament of Champions (TOC) that many of the circuits offer at the end of the year. for example, the American Bass TOC usually draws about 180 boats and occurs in October.

Of course, it’s not just the tournament fishermen that are being impacted by the bad economy. Recreational fishermen numbers are also down considerably. even with the warmer-than-normal weather few fishermen are showing up to fish at Clear Lake. a check of parking areas at the local boat ramps shows very few boat trailers, even on weekends. The local fishing guides also say their business is down compared to previous years.

The excellent news is the bass fishing at Clear Lake has been rated very excellent despite the winter weather. The other factor is that within seven weeks the first part of spring will arrive and the fishing should be outstanding.

There is minimal mention of the area in historical references though the road is referred to as “Lucerne Park Road” which keeps the name in use.

Earliest activity in Lucerne Park is attributed to the Lucerne Park Fruit Association which had facilities on what is now “Ancient Lucerne Park” road.

One of the earliest names associated with the enterprise include a.S Beymer. Beymer was involved in developing several major downtown buildings including the “Beymer-Mann” (Ritz) Theatre. Beymer Memorial Methodist Church also pays tribute to the family name.

In the 1910-20 era, it is noted that a small steam engine ran daily from Bartow to Lucerne Park and on to Lake Alfred where residents would turn out in numbers to help “turn the train” on a huge manual turntable so the train could make the return trip to Bartow.

“Peggy,” as the train was called, primarily spotted fruit cars in the various destinations helping to move citrus to market.

As Florida approached the real estate boom of the 1920s, Lucerne Park Fruit was no different from other Florida companies looking for the opportunity to develop its extensive holdings.

Serving with Beymer on the company’s board was a man named D.C. Gillett.

His father, M.C. Gillett, was born in Wisconsin in 1858, and at some point following 1878, his doctor in Akron, Ohio, recommended a move to Florida where he expected to die of consumption (tuberculosis).

He settled in Marion County, and then, was frozen out of the citrus business in the great freeze of 1895. Gillett went on to found Buckeye Citrus Nurseries. He later went to Tampa where he served as mayor during the Spanish-American War.

M.C. Gillet joined with LPFA and proposed to develop an exclusive community called “Lake Lucerne” shown on the platted drawing.

According to an elaborate promotional brochure produced by the McFarland Publicity Service of Harrisburg, Pa., “The purpose (was) to make of Lake Lucerne a most exclusive winter home resort.” Buyers could buy land for a home as well as grove land.

The pamphlet went on to note: “under no circumstances will a grove be sold by the Lucerne Park Fruit Association to persons of other than unquestioned business and social standing.”

Lake Lucerne was to be a “community of congenial people. The lake was to be the private property of the owners for their use in “fishing, rowing and bathing.” The company also noted “gentle exercise can be indulged in at all times.”

The owners were questioned to consider putting up $500 for the construction of a clubhouse/casino, a plot that was projected to raise $50,000. LPFA pledged to donate the land for the clubhouse.

The pamphlet continues: “Our property is within gunshot of the best black bass fishing in America, and on the best hunting grounds in Florida. whenever the guest at the Florence Villa (Hotel) want a day of ‘sure enough fishing’ as we say in the South, they invariably go to Lake Hamilton. It is considered an unlucky day indeed when several 6- to 10-pounders are not caught, along with a large string of two- to four-pounders. Indeed, 12-to 15-pounders are not at all unusual.”

As with many of the grand plans of the Florida real estate boom, “Lake Lucerne” never became a reality, though one News Chief account mentions a hotel in the area. Lucerne was never a “park” for public enjoyment but has historic connections in early citrus production.

The name “Lucerne Park” today serves to designate an unincorporated area in northeast Winter Haven. Lucerne Park Fruit Association was later sold to Joseph DiGiorgio.

About the series: These articles are researched and written by Bob Gernert with the Museum of Winter Haven History. He is also the executive director of the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce. Information for this installment was developed from promotional materials associated with the “Lake Lucerne.”

Published: Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 4:16 a.m. Last Modified: Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 4:16 a.m.

Speck fishing is reaching a fall peak, and it promises to only get better with the full moon approaching Dec. 10.

“By Friday and Saturday, fishing ought to be fantastic for specks,” said Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box in Lake Alfred. “They’re in 8 feet right now, but I think they’re going to start coming up to the grass. There’s a lot of them with roe in them already.”

Schelfo was talking about lakes Rochelle and Haines, where nights have been best for specks 1 1/2-2 pounds.

Specks 10 inches and up have become more the norm on numerous lakes over the past 10 days.

“We’re getting specks up to 15 inches, and they are few and far between. But we’re getting a lot of 12- and 13-inch specks,” said Leo Cosce at Camp Lester on Lake Kissimmee. “Out of 25, eight to 10 are 10 inches and the rest are 11, 12, 13 inches.

“It looks like it’s going to be a real good year for specks,” Cosce said.

Specks have been on the outside grass edges at Kissimmee the past few weeks, but perch 12-13 inches have went to the grass for the first time on Lake Hatchineha.

“On this growing moon, they’re starting to come alive,” said Travis Cliett at Chain O’ Lakes Bait and Tackle in Dundee.

Cliett said boats are parking in the grass and fishing minnows and jigs on the outside edge. But it requires some research.

“The fish are kind of isolated. You’ve got to move around until you find the schools and lock on them,” Cliett said.

Consistent limits of specks 12-13 inches have been steady at night on crooked Lake.

“It picked up about a week ago. They’re going out at dark and coming in about midnight,” said Cindy Ritchison at Bob’s Landing.

And on Lake Pierce, numbers are low, but specks up to 14 inches are coming in, said Jay Miller at Jennings Resort.

HYDRILLA SPRAYING ON CHAIN NEXT WEEK

Hydrilla treatments on Lake Kissimmee and Lake Cypress were scheduled to start this week, but they were postponed until next week because of weather and scheduling overlaps, said Ed Harris of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Spraying is also scheduled to start on Lake Toho (825 acres) next week.

Boat trails and access/flood protection areas will be sprayed on all four lakes on the Kissimmee Chain, but less than 1,000 acres on each of them. on Kissimmee, 79 acres are targeted.

BASS TOURNAMENTS

Billy and Michael Bechard won the Fishing Misfits’ classic on the north Winter Haven chain Nov. 19 with 17 pounds, 7 ounces. Larry Johnson and Harry Porter took second with 15 pounds, 9 ounces, including the top fish at 7 pounds, 1 ounce. Kyle and Terry Tucker placed third at 12 1/4 pounds. Dennis Minton and Keith Brown had 10 pounds, 7 ounces for fourth.

Joey Smith and Jason Eldridge combined for 15.44 pounds to win the Lake Wales Po’ Boys tournament on Lake Clinch Nov. 20. Eldridge boated the largest bass at 5.84 pounds. Don Smith and Ricky Timmerman placed second with 14.12 pounds, followed by Miguel Suazo and Wayne Montgomery with 7.91 pounds.

Monte Goodman and Eric Conant won the Sunday Open Series tournament on Lake Marion Sunday with four bass totaling 12 pounds, 6 ounces, including a 3-pound, 10-ounce fish. Martin Dukes and Gary Carter placed second with 4 pounds, while Willard Combee and David Harris had 3 pounds, 6 ounces for third.

Ismael Garcia Jr. and Willard Combee won the Sunday Open Series tournament on Lake Reedy Nov. 13 with 11 pounds, 13 ounces, topped by a 4-pound, 14-ouncer. Gary Carter and Martin Dukes took second with 10 pounds, 3 ounces, while Mike McFarland and Ed Burkheimer had 9 pounds, 1 ounce for third.

[ Del Milligan's freshwater fishing column appears Thursdays in the Ledger. he can be reached at del.milligan@theledger.com or 863-802-7555. Milligan's blog, Central Florida Fishology, can be found at theledger.com home page. ]

When you pick up a book by Michael Lewis, you are sure to learn something new, thought provoking, and amusing. Following up his recent best-selling work on the 2008 financial crisis, The Huge Small, Lewis takes a broader look at the global financial crisis and explores the European situation in his new book, Boomerang. The work is timely as the world is now witnessing the slow meltdown of European nations under the weight of sovereign debt, which threatens to bankrupt several countries.

BOOMERANG: THE MELTDOWN TOUR: By Michael Lewis, 240pp, 2011 Allen Lane hardback, 611 baht.

His journey starts in the US where Lewis speaks to hedge fund manager Kyle Bass, a contrarian who had bet against the sub-prime loan debacle and won. With his new profits, Mr Bass started to hunt for new investment ideas, believing that the financial crisis had not finished with the US.

“By their [Kyle Bass and his colleagues] rough count, worldwide debts, public and private, had more than doubled since 2002, from US$84 trillion to $195 trillion.”

Both Lewis and Mr Bass came to the same conclusion _ these are insane numbers for any country or continent and certainly would not be sustainable. in disbelief, Mr Bass clarifies that the only solution would be if European countries started running budget surpluses. “Yeah, and that will happen right after monkeys glide out of your ass,” he says.

One of Lewis’ strengths is his ability to humorously highlight his characters’ quirks. Describing Bass, for example, he writes: “As he laid out his ideas I had an experience I’ve often had, while listening to people who seem perfectly certain about uncertain events. one part of me was swept away by his argument and started to worry the world was about to collapse; the other part suspected he might be nuts.”

Because of Mr Bass’ belief that all financial systems are in jeopardy, he tells Lewis on a later visit that the only things he’s investing in are hard assets such as gold and nickels. in fact he’s bought 20 million nickels because each nickel (nominally worth 5 [1.56 baht]) is really worth 6.8 based on the metal itself. such is the mind of a savvy and eccentric hedge fund manager.

Lewis’ journey continues to Europe as he seeks to uncover the implosion of sovereign countries. The first stop is Iceland, traditionally a nation of fishermen. and it was these fisherman who led the nation down a path of ruin.

Lewis carefully clarifies how they transferred the risk-taking behaviour they had honed in fishing to the global financial markets. this penchant for risk led to an irrational binge of acquisitions and speculation around the world.

When Lewis meets an International Monetary Fund (IMF) banker, the madness of the situation becomes apparent. He writes, “Iceland was entirely new to his experience _ a nation of extremely well-to-do (No1 in the United Nations’ 2008 Human Development Index), well-educated, historically rational human beings who had organised themselves to commit one of the single greatest acts of madness in financial history. ‘You have to know … Iceland is no longer a country. It is a hedge fund,’ the IMF banker said.”

The lunacy of the situation becomes more apparent when Lewis hears a distant explosion outside of his hotel room. Because of the collapse and depreciation of the currency, the krona, many Icelanders “own $500,000 houses with $1.5 million in mortgages, and $35,000 Range Rovers with $100,000 in loans against them. to the Range Rover problem there are two immediate solutions. one is to place it on a boat, ship it to Europe, and try to sell it for a currency that has value. The other is set it on fire and collect the insurance: Boom!”

The Iceland lesson is symptomatic of so many financial meltdowns including the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Borrowing can give you a fake sense of wealth. if you’re not careful, the debt can quickly become a nightmare that can’t be ignored.

His next stop provides a timely glimpse into the current European turmoil. Greece, a country of 11 million people, had by 2008 indebted itself to the tune of $1.2 trillion, receiving up to $145 billion in financial aid from the IMF.

To place this in perspective, Thailand, which had a population of around 65 million in 1997, ran up debts of $80 billion before the financial crisis, receiving $17 billion in IMF aid.

How did this happen? as Lewis clarifies, the Greek government essentially turned into “a pinata stuffed with fantastic sums and gave as many citizens as possible a whack at it”. The average pay of a government job is nearly three times that of a private sector job. for example, the national railroad had revenues of 100 million against an annual salary cost of 400 million. The average state railway worker made 65,000.

In Ireland, Lewis focuses on the collapse of the property market. Ireland’s problem was primarily a property bust. Dublin home prices had risen more than 500% in just over a decade and more than a fifth of the Irish workforce was employed building houses. “Irish home prices implied an economic growth rate that would leave Ireland, in 25 years, three times as rich as the United States,” writes Lewis.

While greed and deception underlie the meltdown in other countries, Lewis also points out the resilience and discipline of the Germans throughout the crisis. The country’s economic strength is clearly seen today as its participation in the bailout of Greece and Italy (and perhaps others) is not only a request from the EU but a key critical component for the survival of the euro.

The last stop of Lewis’ journey is California, which isn’t a country but has the economy and population of a large one. Lewis evaluates the potential of the financial collapse of various US states and municipalities. He goes through the numbers with Meredith Whitney, a prescient equity analyst, who predicted the implosion of the US banks. her analysis of the municipalities revealed that the states had “systematically underfunded their pension plans and other future liabilities by a total of nearly $1.5 trillion”.

The worst offender was California, which Lewis discusses with the ex-governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. while Mr Schwarzenegger came to the job amid hopes of change, he is pushed out of the governorship because his drive to initiate change by balancing California’s abysmal fiscal situation does not sit well with his constituents. Again, debt is a problem: “The average Californian, in 2011, had debts of $78,000 against an income of $43,000.”

But Lewis ends on a note of hope and optimism. “When people pile up debts they will find hard and perhaps even impossible to repay, they are saying several things at once. they are obviously saying that they want more than they can immediately afford. they are saying, less obviously, that their present wants are so vital that, to satisfy them, it is worth some future difficulty. But in making that bargain they are implying that when the future difficulty arrives, they’ll figure it out. they don’t always do that. But you can never rule out the possibility that they will. as idiotic as optimism can sometimes seem, it has a weird habit of paying off.”

In an environment of irrationality and financial crisis, let’s hope that Lewis’ optimism carries through in the coming years.

Acknowledged bookworm Steve Briones is a country manager for ING Bank NV, Thailand.

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