Virgil Ward

[Martin]

Harold loved that Reaper ! And his red, Country Squire Station Wagon. Gone fishing instead....of just... a-wishin'......The station wagon might have been a Country Sedan instead of Country Squire...Both were Ford's....Memory cells are off for Christmas.

I have an observation on the Virgil Ward question. His Bass Buster line of baits insluded 2 good sized spinnerbaits. One was called the Tarantula and the one with a slightly smaller blade was the Scorpion. Virgil used to fish Tablerock Dam (area)in the winter with a big, white Tarantula with an Uncle Josh Pork Rind (probably white) hanging on the hook. He used to park his fancy rig (fancy for then) at the Kimberling Inn near the motel entrance. I personally never heard of a spider spin ? I have a Tarantula, still in the package I should try and scan or photograph for you young guys....

I also just realized there is a page 2 to this thread, so my post may sound coo-coo..lol

[Martin]

Somebody mentioned Jim Rodgers. All though I didn't know Jim Rodgers, I have a good, old friend, Dan Langley, who used to develope some lures for (or with) Jim R.... WAY back in the...ah....probably mid 70's, Dan brought me some long, slender looking crankbaits. I THINK they were call slim Jim's, but I could be dreaming.......lol... It was the very first suspending jerkbaits I have ever seen. I believe they were working on them and they had not been released for fabrication. Had a floater also. I think I have one of those still in the package also. Dan was having fits trying to make it do exactly what he wanted it too. In any event, so many have added their talents to the world of fishing lures. Sometimes, the little guy doesn't get mentioned.. Hats off to Dan Langley. He and Bill Babler, Bill Beck, have been slinging lures on Tablerock for.....years. (My keyboard doesn't have numbers that high)...lol...I started in 1963 but I was only 13 yrs old then. The old lake has changed alot in some ways. And not so much in other ways.

[denjac]

Somebody mentioned Jim Rodgers. All though I didn't know Jim Rodgers, I have a good, old friend, Dan Langley, who used to develope some lures for (or with) Jim R.... WAY back in the...ah....probably mid 70's, Dan brought me some long, slender looking crankbaits. I THINK they were call slim Jim's, but I could be dreaming.......lol... It was the very first suspending jerkbaits I have ever seen. I believe they were working on them and they had not been released for fabrication. Had a floater also. I think I have one of those still in the package also. Dan was having fits trying to make it do exactly what he wanted it too. In any event, so many have added their talents to the world of fishing lures. Sometimes, the little guy doesn't get mentioned.. Hats off to Dan Langley. He and Bill Babler, Bill Beck, have been slinging lures on Tablerock for.....years. (My keyboard doesn't have numbers that high)...lol...I started in 1963 but I was only 13 yrs old then. The old lake has changed alot in some ways. And not so much in other ways.

I still use the slim jims, and yes they work well . They were way before their time . In another post it was mentioned about the old timers BASS on Beaver lake. Jim Rodgers won it !

[Martin]

Denjac...we may have the only 2 Slim Jim's left in the world..lol... I still may have the name wrong...Does your bait have a fairly fat gut and gets thinner near the tail ? I know, I'm asking a question that is very unclear. The bait I'm talking about has a fat belly and then QUICKLY tapers to thin at the tail...OK, still unclear..lol ...no biggy...Ahhh the memories !!!

[denjac]

Denjac...we may have the only 2 Slim Jim's left in the world..lol... I still may have the name wrong...Does your bait have a fairly fat gut and gets thinner near the tail ? I know, I'm asking a question that is very unclear. The bait I'm talking about has a fat belly and then QUICKLY tapers to thin at the tail...OK, still unclear..lol ...no biggy...Ahhh the memories !!!

Slim Jim is the right name for them. I have about a dozen of them . Your description of them sounds right. I also have abot 20 of the Deep Jims !

[oneshot]

Hey, that was only 40 years ago, oh that was a long time ago and I guess the worst part is that I wasn't a kid when I watched it.

Dang! 40 years ago I was married waiting on our Son.Owned my own Farm.

I'M NOT OLD!!!!!!

oneshot

[ness]

For what ever reason, we just didn't see much Virgil Ward at our house, but I sure do remember seeing Harold Ensley a lot. It was a local KC show, and we'd see that fancy red and white station wagon with his name on the side occasionally. Remember seeing him at the sports shows in the 70's.

I have a vague recollection of Paul Dallas. I remember he was down on Table Rock when we were there once, and the whole place was buzzing about it. Lots of snickers and whispering among the adults. My parents would never talk about it though.

[denjac]

I have a vague recollection of Paul Dallas. I remember he was down on Table Rock when we were there once, and the whole place was buzzing about it. Lots of snickers and whispering among the adults. My parents would never talk about it though.

Guys if memory serves me right I believe ColdWaterFshr is Paul Dallas ! Just saying........

[zipstick]

Smalliebigs I didn't think you were old enough to remember Virgil. I always wanted to get him a larger aquarium for his demos. I'll still tie on a Beetle Spin occasionally and catch some fish on one. Not many fish today have seen them before and they work well for beginner's use being semi-weedless.

When you wanted the latest fishing reports in print you always went to the pages of Friday's Globe-Democrat Sports Section and read their reports. The Post never paid much attention to the Outdoors scene (just like they blow off motorsports) and their staffing of that desk showed it. George Carson was also the PR guy for the Globe and wrote some good articles on the outdoors for them. He used to amaze the crowds at the original St. Louis Boat Shows at the old Arena annex by shooting aspirin out of the air with a BB gun. His Son-in-law, Bill Seibel, took over that job when George retired.

If you remember watching Jerry McGinnis' show he always wore a STL Cardinal ball cap. I think someone said he was in their minor-league system at one time ?

"Oh Son" always came across as a blow-hard and a shill, maybe he's different in real life ?

Speaking of McKinniss....He graduated from Ritnour HS in St. Louis, and aloways fancied himself as a Cardinal fan. He knew Whitey Herzog pretty good too.

[zipstick]

Harold loved that Reaper ! And his red, Country Squire Station Wagon. Gone fishing instead....of just... a-wishin'......The station wagon might have been a Country Sedan instead of Country Squire...Both were Ford's....Memory cells are off for Christmas.

I have an observation on the Virgil Ward question. His Bass Buster line of baits insluded 2 good sized spinnerbaits. One was called the Tarantula and the one with a slightly smaller blade was the Scorpion. Virgil used to fish Tablerock Dam (area)in the winter with a big, white Tarantula with an Uncle Josh Pork Rind (probably white) hanging on the hook. He used to park his fancy rig (fancy for then) at the Kimberling Inn near the motel entrance. I personally never heard of a spider spin ? I have a Tarantula, still in the package I should try and scan or photograph for you young guys....

I also just realized there is a page 2 to this thread, so my post may sound coo-coo..lol

Martin, the Spider spin was a maribou jig fastened below two small colorado blades like the old Shannon twin spin. Virgil let it fall and fluutter down the bluffs in the Ozarks lakes. You can find out more about twin spin fishing today from Agnew. He does it a lot.