One of the proudest moments in my life was when I was the first Southern fishing guide to be inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame at Hayward, Wisconsin as a "Legendary Guide" in 1993! Instead of having me travel to Hayward at that time, however, the Hall of Fame sent one of their directors and a good friend of mine, Larry Columbo, to the awards banquet of the Red Man All American Bass Championship at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. During the ceremonies that evening, Larry made a special presentation of my plaque in front of a packed house of my fishing peers. It was an unforgettable experience. The idea of developing an attraction and museum to collect, preserve, and display artifacts of the sport of fresh water fishing, recognize famous anglers, and keep world record catches was explored initially by Hall of Fame Founder, [...]
