This guy can catch fish!
From left, Robert Rich Jr., a writer and fisherman; Andy Mill, a tarpon angler; Paul Dixon of the Anglers Club of New York; and Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, share fishing stories as a photograph of former President, George H. W. Bush, is displayed with a tarpon.
Now that he’s 85 and his days in the stream are behind him, several of the president’s old fishing buddies decided to come to him Tuesday night. In a program at the George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University, they helped him relive a few of their many fishing adventures.
In brief remarks to an audience of about 500 at the library auditorium — old anglers, Boy Scouts and the general public — Bush himself, a self-described “fishing fanatic,” recalled hooking a chipmunk while fishing at Kennebunkport, but more often than not, said his friend Robert Rich Jr., founder of Rich Foods, the former president knew what he was doing. He was unfailingly modest, though, Rich recalled. After a day of fishing, he’d occasionally report that he was up against “Saddam Hussein fish — they always close their mouths when I come around.”
His father taught him to fish and he kept it up through his presidency and until just a few years ago.
“It means a lot,” he recalled in a film clip made while he was still president. “I like to get away and I like to be totally isolated — no telephones, no TVs.”
“The Secret Service — he used to drive ’em crazy,” said Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. “If there was a hurricane coming, it was a good sign. He’d go fishing.”
Perhaps Bush’s favorite game fish was the tarpon, creatures that weigh up to 300 pounds. Andy Mill, a former Olympic alpine skier and a Bush fishing buddy for more than 20 years, recalled the former president tangling with a 6-foot-long, 135-pound tarpon off the Florida Keys in 2008. Bush landed the fish after a 45-minute struggle.
“This tarpon was a huge thrill,” Bush said in a film clip.
Morris lauded his longtime fishing buddy as the man who had more to do with bringing back the striped bass than anybody.
“He’s our conservation president,” Morris said. “People would be amazed about this, but President Bush established more national wildlife refuges than any other president, including President [Theodore] Roosevelt. He established 56 new wildlife refuges in America. President Bush restored and protected 3 million acres of wetlands during his tenure. …”
| May29-Sept.6 6 fish at 18″ |     |
41 | 19.81% |
| May23-sept.6 4 fish at 18″ |    |
49 | 23.67% |
| May13-Sept.13 6 fish at 18.5″ |    |
59 | 28.50% |
| May29-Sept.26 6 fish at 18.5 |    |
53 | 25.60% |
| May21-Sept.12 6 fish at 18.5 |    |
5 | 2.42% |
| May29-Sept.17 6 fish at 18.5 |    |
2 | 0.97% |
| Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 207. AS of 2-22-10 6:45 PM | |||
I will hand deliver the results to the NJ marine fisheries council. I can assure you the council members will take the results into consideration. Last year the option that was approved by the council was the same option that won approval on the poll.
If at all possible attend the NJ marine fisheries meeting. The March 4, 2010 meeting will be held in the L. Manuel Hirshblond Room, Toms River Township Office, 33 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08753.
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Originally Posted by GoNavy
 Kensdock is an enviro nut who pretends to be a big fishing advocate. He spices his posts with just enough factual info to make them sound ok… However, if you search his posts, you’ll find that his history proves his primary goal is to shut down fisheries.
I’m all for conservation and there is a big problem with several fisheries, but I just don’t trust him. If CaptTB or some of the other guys started a similar post… Ok. But not from Kensdock… |
GoNavy, Obviously you do not know me. Nothing could be further from the truth! I have caught more fish and killed more deer legally under fair chase than most people on the planet! I spent enough time to catch over one hundred keeper flounder last season and catch one of three specs caught in Cape may co.. I have won a few and participated in many fishing tournaments both big game and back bay tournaments like lucky bones flounder. My family has been involved in hunting , commercial fishing, recreational fishing for 5 generations in Cape May co. NJ and continue to be avidly involved today. I am long time personal friends to some of the biggest players in the commercial fishing industry today.Due to my back ground I am able to post information that some people do not want posted on this site and others. I am all for utilizing our natural recourse via harvesting sustainable numbers of fish and game. I am not for abusing our natural resources via over harvest and repeating the same mistakes of the past. I look forward to meeting with Governor elect Chris Christie’s staff to discuss the benefits of a saltwater license. I do not get a dime for writing these post or lobbing our legislators. I do it because I love to catch fish and I know exactly what most be done to dramatically improve our saltwater fishing in New Jersey.
Ken's Dock 