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By VI.RN SANKORI)Duvc Hawk's claim to fame is as a tishserman . . . not as an author. But his broad experience and intensive study of the whysandingwherefors ot successful fish-have prompted the man to write a book on bass fishing.He calls it “80 Years on Bass.” |Although Dave lacks a lot of being 80 years ot age. he can and does call on the vast amount of his dads and his dad's mother's experience, as well as his own wide background of fishing, to provide a * heie's how ’ book that is ; certain to become a best seller among those who wet a line and | set a hook in the bass tilled waters of Texas.Although Dave was born in, New York, he's mostly a South- j erner. When Dave was but two! years of age his parents moved to Florida. There his father served | as a fishing guide for 12 years, j During the last six ol those years he was associated ith the Shakespeare Co. and gave exhibition casting and tackle demonstrations.With this environment it was but natural that Dave learned to fish early in life. Fact of the matter is. Dave guided many a fisherman out of the Florida Everglades when he was only 11 years of age.l.uter. Dave helped his father, (apt. O. L. Hawk, open ami operate lure factories in California. Oklahoma. Missouri and Arkansas, providing bait lor those speciltic areas. These factories were sold to national manufacturers, who in-1 corporated Hawk lures into their j own lines.One November day in 1956. a representative ot a large Texas lure manufacturing company stopped in for a visit at the Hawk Lure factory in Harrison. Ark In short order he purchased the firm's entire line . . . lock, stock and bar-rcll. That put Dave out of a job. But it also brought him to Texas as manager of the Corpus C hristi firm, the Padre Island lure Co. Six months later he vs as elected president.Dave remained there until September of 1958. In November he started his own firm in Austin. Today. when he isn't fishing, he's making Extractor and other brands of Dave Hawk lures.That, in brief, in ihe background ot Dave Hawk, champion fisherman ami author ot 80 Years on Bass'*I say champ fisherman because Dave's the gent who. in 1958. won the State Bass Tournament, won the Behrens Drug Tackle Tourney for tackle representatives, shared the overall championship of the Uort Aransas Salt Water Tournament. set a tentative woild record for ling on light tackle at the runner-up in the National Professional Fishermen's Tournament in Port Isabel Tournament, and was A i Kansas.This, all in one year's time,nund you.Only a fisherman with DaveHawks' background and provenability could get away with some ot the comments he makes in his hook—without a challenge — for he is very frank and doesn't hesitate to express an opinion.Some ol the suggestions Dave makes are startling ones.For instance, his lirst recommendation is to discard all swivels. But he doesn't just tell you to do it—he explains why you should.He hacks nis contention with these statements: They increaselure losses and fish losses. They reflect light, unbalance a lure catch in the line and tempt one to change lures too often.Dave believes in black line because it reflects less light, “l ight lines looks like a ribbon ot reflected light, says the author.He prefers leaders 15 to 20 feet long. This, because the long leader Will put the line and leader kno’ so tar ahead of the lure that the fish's attention will not be trawn until the lure comes into his view. “Many a hit—and miss—can be attributed to ihe tish striking the • line-and-lcadcr knot instead of the j lure. he warns.“Added advantage of the long leader. says ihe author, “is that the linc-and-le..dcr knoi will be around ihe spiol ever d turns during the l..st lew minutes ot leading a tish and thus prevent a separation.Dave urges as much reverence lor a line as tor a lure. He points out that a good fishing line costs slightIv more than a lure, yet the lishcrman expects it to last forever. He not only recommends frequent change of line, but suggests reversing the line every It trips. This, to keep the most flexible part ot the line next to the lure. As lines stretch and tighten —change ends--’ he admonishes.“Any rod longer than five feet, seven inches, is a buggy whip, not a rod. says this champ fisherman. “So. select a rod that will set the hook in the fish—for sou—when the lish hits the lure. Remember that the tip of the rod jerks the line and this in turn plants the hook.”How the long rods and heavy rods work against the fisherman were explained by the author. He points out that every lime you attempt to set the hook the tip of your rod tirst travels toward the bass. So. it you are using a long and solid rod. the lish has more opportunity to tree itself.The Hawk method ot finding fish is pretty well outlined in one chapter of the book. Another chapter tells how to tempt them after you locate them.Here are some more of his suggestions:Stay with dark colored, underwater lures it there is a wind blowing, or the season ot the year rules out flying insects.Work the light colored top-wu-ter lure if there arc insects out and the wind is not blowing more than a two-inch ripple.In the early morning and the late evening (during insect seasons), use a dark top-watcr lure, as ihe.se are the times ot day when trogs move from the bank to the water and back.Top-water fishing always is theoftgivhaartbe*meafar thi lor I hi tw aninhkamimiI vav itianchbeVcTICdllanc.c;iRELIEVES PAINFUL DISCOMFORTS OFLESS THAN HA TAShop At Your Sav-A-Stop CountciLET S GOTWIN CITY BOVorGRAYSON UOpen Alleys F Sherman,For Reservations Phone T'NOW FRIGIDA YOFREEZINGWITHIIT'S THE NEW 1! FROST PROOF R
Newspaper Details
Mckinney Daily Courier Gazette
Mckinney, Texas, US
Thu, Feb 19, 1959
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Cecil C.
USA 09 Apr 2017
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