SINKERS SINKERS SINKERS Thank You So Much!

I am constantly blown away about how many great people are involved in this hobby of ours, especially the community we've created here on Joe's (thanks as always to Pappa Joe Yates for putting up with us).

I put out a query for help on the Sinker article and I have been BLOWN AWAY by how many nice and kind people have taken time out of their busy schedules to drop me a note, pictures, or a word of encouragement. UNBELIEVABLE. This hobby is amazing and I can't imagine my life without it. I know how valuable time is and truly appreciate the moments (and hours in some cases) people have taken to help me out -- and many others -- better enjoy this thing we do.

Just a short list (and please don't be offended if I have missed a name as it is unintentional and a product of an overworked mind) of those who've helped on the sinker article:

Steve Lumpkin, Ken Kerr, Jim Garrett, Skip Brooks, Stuart Stein, Vic Bjork, Dan Leroux, Michael Roehr, Steve O'Hern, Gibby Gibson, Merv Bortman, Tom Temple, Dick Gresock, Bob "Grouch" Klawitter, Big Foot, Donald Dye, RP Brisco, Gary Henderson, Bob Barbel, and others.

Kudos to all of you! I owe all of you a debt of thanks. And thanks for making what we do such a joy and so great.

-- Dr. Todd

I Am Daytona Bound!

I am on the road to Daytona Beach for the great FATC/ORCA show! After record-breaking snow in Cincinnati this past two weeks (no less than five snow days for the girls) I am looking forward to a bit of heat, chatting with friends old and new, and soaking in the ambience of one of the great tackle shows in the world.

Here is what I'm leaving:



Here is where I am arriving:



Remember to stop by on Saturday and get your picture taken with a replica of the World Record Bass and meet Bill Baab, the author of Remembering George W. Perry!

Internet willing, I'll put up some updates from Daytona!

-- Dr. Todd

BREAKING NEWS: Dr. Todd on the Radio!

BREAKING NEWS: Dr. Todd on the Radio!

Fascinating. Tomorrow (Friday) at 8:30 a.m. I will be a guest on the Interstate Sportsman Radio Program, hosted by Brock Ray and Don Kirk. The program is on the VoiceAmerica Sports Channel and should be a blast.

The show is streamed from their web site. I don't know what to expect but certainly will enjoy myself!

-- Dr. Todd

6 Continents in 6 Hours

Just had to post this...within the past six hours, Fishing for History had visitors from six different continents: North America, South America (Brazil), Europe, Asia (Japan), Africa (Tanzania), and Australia. We even had visitors from sub-regions like Eastern Europe (Bulgaria) and the Middle East (United Arab Emirates).



My only question is: what's up with YOU, Antarctica? You spoiled my whole global map. So if any of you know any scientists on the frozen continent, tell them to visit my blog ASAP so I can claim all of the continents in a 24 hour period.

Just goes to show you the global reach of fishing.

-- Dr. Todd (who apparently has too much time on his hands)

Fishing for History Has Gone Global

Thought I'd share this with everyone, as I found it to be pretty cool. My little blog has now been read in over 80 different countries, but I thought I'd show you a recent two hour block from last Wednesday to give you a bit of a visual:


We've definitely gone global--20 different countries represented in just a two hour span! One of the things the sitemeter allows me to do is to see where visitors come from, and interestingly enough, most foreign visitors come via Google. Many of them stay and explore the site, and hopefully return again at a later date.

So to all my foreign visitors, welcome! I suggest if you are interested in the subject, you should explore the many links to the right, like Joe's Message Board and ORCA's Reel Talk, where you'll come across a ton of interesting information on fishing, fishing history, and collectable fishing tackle.

And no matter where you are, be good to others, and yourself.

-- Dr. Todd

Fishing for History Turns 1 Today!

Happy Birthday to us! One year ago today, Fishing for History: The History of Fishing and Fishing Tackle blog had its humble beginnings. Never did I dream it would be as interesting, frustrating, and time-consuming as it has turned out to be. What began as a small little attempt to shed some light on fishing history has since put me into contact with hundreds of individuals across the globe, people who have taken the time to write and introduce themselves. 268 posts later it has morphed into the Fishing for History blog that is here before you, five days per week.


I am particularly indebted to those individuals who have contributed to the blog. They include (but are not limited to) Jim Garrett, Bill Sonnett, Warren Platt, Brian Funai, Richard Lodge, Jack Bright, Jerry Jolly, Robert Hann, Patrik Lönell, Joel Kifer, Steve Wight, and the many people who have sent links, videos, and auction pages for the web site.

My goal for Year 2 is to get MORE OF YOU TO CONTRIBUTE MATERIALS! Original articles, editorials, essays, poems, interviews, show reports, anything that will keep me from being chained to this computer all morning long!

I'd like to thank everyone, including those from over 60 countries, who visit my little moon in the universe of cyberspace. I hope you've enjoyed yourself a little bit, and will continue to do so in the future!

-- Dr. Todd

Happy New Year!

2007 is now history, and it was a year for the books (both literally and figuratively). Not only was I able to launch The Whitefish Press and its seven fishing titles, but the response I have gotten has been overwhelmingly positive. I want to thank each and every person who has purchased a book for helping support this little endeavor. It is not about money--if people knew how much time and effort goes into just one book I think they would be more than a little shocked--but it is about publishing books that deserve to be made available. 2008 promises some great additions to the growing catalog. Stay tuned--you'll be glad you did!

The Fishing for History Blog has been an interesting experience as well. Frankly, I didn't know if I had the time to keep up with the pressing demands of posting something interesting and original every weekday, but as I learned how to do it, the time demands dropped somewhat. For 2008, I want to expand the blog into some interesting directions, and I think you'll like the additions and changes. I would also like to solicit more contributions from others--so if you have an article or piece don't hesitate to submit it.

I have been consistently stunned by the number of readers this little blog has. My site meter shows hits from over 45 different countries, as well as every American state and Canadian province. To the readers in Estonia, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Micronesia, and other parts of our rapidly shrinking globe, thanks for stopping by! To the 10,000 or more of you who stop by every week, I hope you enjoy the information and articles you find on the blog.

Here's to a fabulous and successful 2008!

-- Dr. Todd

When Tragedy Strikes Close to Home

Like most people, I am impacted by disaster in tangible ways. When Katrina happened, for example, I wept like most for both the loss of life and the lives interrupted.

But sometimes a natural disaster hits too close to home. When the bridge over I35W in Minneapolise collapsed last night, it hit me in my own backyard--literally. When I was an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota, my wife and I lived less than a block from the 35W bridge for three years. I used this bridge a dozen times a day, thousands of times in total during my stay in Minneapolis.



I learned of the disaster in the middle of my lecture on German Unification for a summer class I am teaching. My phone began to go nuts; friends and family, many of whom visited us when we lived on University Avenue, were texting and calling to tell us what happened. The pictures were shockingly familiar. I know that bridge as intimately as I do the street that runs in front of my house, because literally, it was my driveway.

My heart bleeds for my native Minnesota. My heart bleeds for my original Alma Mater, the University of Minnesota. But most of all, my heart bleeds for the victims and their families and loved ones of this terrible tragedy.

Today I don't feel like talking about the history of fishing.

-- Dr. Todd

Changes to the Blog

I have made some changes to the blog. First, you'll notice on the right side there are now two lists of web sites, one entitled "The Short List of Important Links" which is pretty much what it says--a list of what I feel are "must views." Don't fret, I will be adding to this in the near future. There is another list further down the right side called "Archive of Fishing and Fishing History Links." This will be a longer list of sites of great interest and importance to fishing history.

The second change is that I am going to try and standardize the information on the blog by "scheduling" topics Monday-Friday. The schedule as of right now is as follows:

Monday: Fishing History News (discussion and links of various on-line articles of interest and importance to collectors and historians of the history of fishing and fishing tackle).

Tuesday: Voices from the Past (a selection of the great fishing writers from the past, with an emphasis on those articles of direct importance to collectors and historians).

Wednesday: Feature Article (features of varying lengths on a wide variety of topics)

Thursday: The Weekly Review (a review of literature and web sites of interest)

Friday: Editorial (Editorials on any number of subjects concerning the state of fishing and fishing tackle history).

I will post on Weekends when i feel I have something of interest/importance. And of course, the schedule will/can be interrupted due to important news or special features like the NFLCC Nationals Report.

This schedule will be permanently posted at the top of the "The Short List of Important Links" list.

One last point--PLEASE if anyone is interested in contributiing to this blog, drop me a note at whitefishpress@yahoo.com -- any subject is fair game, but I am particularly interested in reviewers and editorials.

Thanks for all the kind words I've received the past few months. The blog is a lot of work but also a lot of fun.

-- Dr. Todd

Blogging from the North Woods...

As I am on vacation right now in the northwoods of Wisconsin, keeping this blog updated is difficult (at best). I will certainly try my best to make sure that I get something up every other day but I make no promises...

For your perusal today is a state record musky from Virginia. Even in the heart of musky country--Hayward, Wisconsin where I currently am staying--a 45 pound 8 ounce muskellunge is a monster.

--Dr. Todd

Saving Posted Information...

As many of you know, I am an advocate of saving as much information on fishing and outdoor history that is posted on-line as possible. Well, I have heard from a lot of you out there that this is also important to you.

If you have not read Steve Kuchman's post on Joe's Board, I suggest you do so.

Kuchman's Post

Any information posted on this board I will archive, and when I get some time, will post to the Fishing History blog to be saved and utilized.

By the way, anyone wishing to contribute a guest posting on my blog is welcome to do so! Just email me...

--Dr. Todd

Back from Vacation...and A New Book on Fred Arbogast!

I have returned from vacation to discover many orders for my new book, The History of the Fish Hook in America, Vol. I, and have been exceedingly happy with the results to date.

I also nearly got arrested for trying to fish at Walt Disney World in Orlando. I am in the process of writing up my experiences in a story I call "There's No Fishing in the Magic Kingdom." Look for it next week!

Finally, while I was gone, a new book has been published on Fred Arbogast. "The Fred Arbogast Story" was written by Scott Heston, author of a 2005 work "Ohio Made Fishing Lures and Tackle." I will try and get a copy in the coming weeks and post a review. For those interested, the book can be found at:

http://www.ohiolures.net/

Glad to be back and will work hard to update the blog on a daily basis.

--Dr. Todd

I Am on Vacation!

Fishing History will not be updated until April 14th as I am leaving for a conference and vacation in Florida. With snow and 28 degree weather in Cincinnati, this could not come at a better time.

Thanks to everyone who ordered my book, I hope to reprint seom unsolicited reviews of it upon my return.

Have a safe and happy Easter holiday.

--Dr. Todd

A New Blog

My name is Dr. Todd E.A. Larson and I am a college history professor fascinated with the history of fishing. I have started this new blog for anyone who has an interest in fishing history, including the history of baits (lures, spinners, flies), rods and reels, techniques (saltwater, fly fishing) specialization (bass fishing, musky fishing, etc.), and people (Zane Grey, Hemingway, etc.).

I have written a host of articles and books on the subject of outdoor America, including a forthcoming work on the history of the fish hook in America. I plan to use this blog to distribute vignettes, articles, links, and original content to people who, like me, have a passion for the outdoors.

I also plan to use this as a forum to stimulate discussion on various aspects of fishing and environmental history.

So keep tuned in! I plan to work on this blog and hopefully update it on a regular basis.

--Teal (Dr. Todd)