# Pier Fishermen who went on to be something more...



## Worn Out (May 10, 2008)

OK , I'm Staring it.. Pier Fisherman "Roll Call", on to Greater acomplishments...

Frank Helton. 

Charlie Smoot (C2)

Pete Brooks

Ken Roy

C Boy 

David Duellie

Maggie Gray

Bobbie Gray

Frank Hardy

Rodney B

Donnie Rozier

Me

Wes Rozier

Tommy Holmes

There are more that I'll have to sleep on to recall... Many gone, some still here..

Y'all help me out and remember some old freinds from the Pier who went on to be "something" more as fishermen...


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## Travis Gill (Oct 6, 2007)

Myles Colley

Zane Godwin

Matt Mauldwin

Scooter Porto


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

scotty mcguire

eddy lively

big ron hogue!


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

Victor Wright!


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## Worn Out (May 10, 2008)

I'm trying to remember one who died a year back... Ran a "Youths "...boat thing Dang who was he ?? Be pushing 60 now...He deserves a better salute than i'm trying to give him...


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## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

Charlie Smoote(Charlie2) checking in.



I raised 5 kids and 7 gkids on the pier. They still ask about it often and share fond memories.



After Ivan, which BTW took my boat, I reverted to wade fishing in the Sound for specks and reds I also started surf fishing by wading to the second bar and casting. After a close encounter with a shark, I build a long rod and learned to make long casts from dry sand.



I cut my foot on a piece of glass and lost a toe and a lot of flesh from my right foot. It lasted for some 8 years when I tore it up again and have to rely on others to haul me to and from the beach. I can 'go' OK; but it's the 'stopping' that I can't do. I even taught my gson how to drive.



I still wear a 'boot' and am in Wound Care for I don't know how long.



I still build rods, but don't do cast nets any more.



Other than that; nothing happening here in Jones Creek Swamp. C2


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## fat guy/little boat (Nov 12, 2008)

Albert Einstien-- big pier fisherman back in the day. Started dabbling in math later on.


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## Mullethead (Oct 4, 2007)

Good thread - I can't say I went on to become anything great- but anyone who cuts his teeth fishing on public gulf pierand is successful has to develop several valuable skills thattransfer over to many other ways of fishing. To name a few of these skills - Pier fishermen must learn how to:

Look for, find,and recogizie fish or bait in the water 

Cast well- bothdistance and accuracy

Optimize terminal tackle - getting that rightbalance between string enough with stealth and action. Also learning functional knots and leader terminaltions

Catch bait - snagging cigsor workingthe gold hooks 

Play fish -from a fixed location with lots of other challenges (other anglers).

Land fish with bridge gaff or net- not a skill often transfered to a boat, but they gain an understanding about how to get the fish "caught"

Optimizeand understand rods and reels- without a boat- seems like pier fishng spend a lot of time getting their rods and reels "just right".With custom made gear they understand how rods are constructed, how reels work, howa rod, reel, line, system interact and tinker with all.

These skills andmore are honed by not only experience, but in a competitive enviroment. Boat fishermen often do not know they have been out fished untill they hear from frieds, see posts, or maybe others at the cleaning table. Then it is often diffcult to find out how they were outfished.On a pier, the difference between a good day and getting skunked is often justdoing something a little betterthan he guy next to you. You gotta adapt or keep going home fishless.

I am surprised how ofter good boat fisherman have trouble whipping out a long accurate cast at some fish breakig the awater near by - or can't figure how how tocatch bait, or(ugh) can't figure out what to do withmy 706's 

I still sneak out to a pier when I get some time free during a week day (the lasttime was June 07) my rust shows but its fun to watch and learn from the easy-to-spot pier regulars who know what they are doing.


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## wrightackle (Oct 29, 2007)

One person that comes to mind for me is Mike Stachow. I sold him a lot of rod components when he was building rods and his demeanor always impressed me. He was a pleasure to wait on. His possibilities in life were limitless but he died very young. Ben Fairey is another class act. Ben and Ron Arnold were really great individuals also.


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

John Giannini - Owner of J and M Tackle 

And he still hassight fishing from a pierin him.


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## captwesrozier (Sep 28, 2007)

tiny roberts



bob rozier...RIP



bob and jim melbeck



don thomas



bill mengus



jim strickland...he could not see over the old rail...he would need a ladder for todays rail.



tight lines and great fishing adventures!


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## The Admiral (Mar 13, 2009)

Harry Allen started me pier fishing, He went on to get me started on Charterboats in orange beach after my stint with Red Mc Lean at Pensacola Beach. Mike stachow fished with me aboard my first Private job in 1979.Both left us way too early. I saw another thread about what makes a good captain. The Pier is first on my list! Ben Fairey


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## Dylan (Apr 15, 2008)

I guess all pier fishermen aren't A-Holes as they are made out to be...:banghead



Yall forgot Junior Angler extraordinaire Travis Gill and Hot Spots pitch man Chickenbone


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## [email protected] (Mar 20, 2008)

Tom Stewart is a heck of a fisherman...caught Blue Marlin all over the place...whats funny about him is he still goes to the pier and likes it more than the boat...he was in the parking lot at 5am on his day off from fishing this morning!


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## Linda (Oct 2, 2007)

> *Garbo (7/19/2009)*John Giannini - Owner of J and M Tackle
> 
> And he still hassight fishing from a pierin him.


 I hope to pier fish with my old mentor one day soon . All we could do was talk about it when i worked there do to lack of piers. Bob Greenwood RIP and son Eric introduced me in 83' 84' .


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## captwesrozier (Sep 28, 2007)

dale moore...RIP



whether you hated him or loved him my uncle joe seely



john soule


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## HighCotton (Oct 2, 2007)

*wrightackle (7/19/2009)*One person that comes to mind for me is Mike Stachow.

RIP Mike Stachow ... Truly one of the greatest guys i've ever known.


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## Tyler Massey (Oct 2, 2007)

> *captwesrozier (7/19/2009)*tiny roberts
> 
> bob rozier...RIP
> 
> ...


Jimmy Strickland still fishes all the time!! he has a stool that helps him see over the rail!! Super nice guy and funny as hell!


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## kingling (Apr 10, 2008)

scotty mcguire

harry allen

mike stachow

bill arnold

ron arnold

roddy pate

mike quina

mike moore

derrick wall

gene sullivan

jimmy cook

kimbo wallace

glenn conrad

obie hill

jimmy strickland

terry strickland

ron houge

wally kaizer

bill meigus

and there are more


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## King Crab (Dec 28, 2008)

Many more, Randy Waldrop, Jimmy cook, Bg Hickerson, mike Krause, All gone on. Jimmy Cook Was the 1 that sticks in my mind the most. I feel 1 of the best:clap


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## J.Sharit (Oct 3, 2007)

Both the Sharit's Randy And Jimmy. Both the Sharp twins Bob and Bill. Roddy Pate. Elmo Horine. Paul Hetherington Lou Nanni. I remember Joe Seely what a charcter........Just a few I grew up with ohh and don't forget Hippie from Dirty Joe's


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## King Crab (Dec 28, 2008)

the list goes on & on! I know randy sharit , how's he doing?


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## atlast740 (Dec 19, 2007)

joe seely was one of the best pier operators around. i had a key to the old chain link gate that use to b at the old pcola pier. joe never got there before 830 or 8 s0 mi got a key so we could go out and fish early. he would come in and go collect from everyone lol


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## J.Sharit (Oct 3, 2007)

Randy's doing good lives over in scenic heights with his 3rd wife....Still crazy as hell and I should know I'm his brother.


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## atlast740 (Dec 19, 2007)

wright tackle was a place u could get any part u needed for fishing gear.i remember going in there and asking for a part and he would bring out a big wooden box , and said u shud find it in there lol. from all the parts was in that box u could have put several reels together.wright tackle and biggs was about only places u could get fishing gear back then.


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## masher (Oct 30, 2007)

SARGE He's my hero!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nick Bouzios

Anthony Arnold

Jeff Colley

Chad Linkous

(I didn't get to fish out there as much as I would have liked but I did learn a thing or two. Thanks for including me.)


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## kingling (Apr 10, 2008)

this is Bill Arnold posting... great thread....some of the ones on the piers I recall.A fewof the greatest Pensacola Beach Pier king mackeral fishermen: Darrell Crush...A class act fisherman and great person.....Wally Wilkins...(used a Mitchell 306 reel, 15 lb.test lineand a garcia conolon rod that he could send a 8"cigar minnow to the deep water from the old wooden pier that Joe Seely managed and would fight a 30 plus pound king so that at the gaff it would be dead,"no green KINGS for Darrell orWally"They constantly caught BIG KINGS. Others back in the day.... who have passed on to the big pond :Mike Stachow, Harry Allen, JimmyMcGuire,Jimmy Cook,Mike Krause,Randy Waldrop.Others that I recall whoare great fishermen at Pensacola Pier.... Jimmy Roose, up there with Darrell and Wally,Scotty McGuire, Matt Froome,Ben Fairy,Jimmy Strickland,Terry Strickland,Glenn Conrad, Bill Mengus,(kept us in stitches with his humor,and his pickup lines for the hot chicks who ventured on the pier),Jim Whatley,my brother Ron,Butch Gunnels...another class act..who would help anyone...several times when he had a nice fish on he would pass his rod to some young person ortourist that just walked up on the pier,just to see their reaction ..."here you fight it,Ill help you and he would ...still does today!! Other great fishermen:Bob Melbeck(sp) Bobby Bolysten,Phil Kellem(Cobia Phil), Mike Quina( cool Mike...quiet guy)

At Navarre pier you had the greatest known and most respected pier fishermen on the gulf coast...Roddy Pate....Cobia/ King mackstremble when they pass by the S.E. corner or cruise up the bar. He kills them.Others on Navarre Pier that I recall: Mike Moore, Allen Moore, Dale Moore ,"**** Dog" Moore( greatest pompano fisherman and jig maker around),ColinMoore...great sports writer for the PNJand any other of the Moore group ....these guys crushed the fish. Mike and Jeff Peacher...two of the best fishermen in saltwater or freshwater.(Not too bad of deer hunters either).Clay Peachercan hold his own.Then guys like Gary Wells,Gene Sullivan,Sammy Kaiser,Wally Kaiser, L.L Barlow,Al Lauderdale,Roy Densmon(sp),Kimbo Wallace, Max Williams, Holley Reed,Obie Hill,an a host of others that arefish"killers". Just about forgot... Kevin Glover( aka King Kevin on the LM Bass) hellva 'Poon fisherman too.Bleached out jeans and all.

Some of the younger fishermen at Pensacola pier that are making a name for themselves: 

Clinton Arnold,Justin Krause, Jeremy Hogue,Jake McCarthy,John-Michael Moore, Ben Arnold, Ben Kitzel,John Willey,Derrick Wall,Kenny Way Jr.(aka Crab),Tyler Massey,John Booker(aka Chicken Bone)Dylan Johnson,Travis Gill, France Stewart,Gino Quizon,Josh Starbuck,Tyler Maxwell,these people here could hold their own to the above"older" guys.

And so I'm not biased :The ladiesfishing at Pensacola Beach pier (from Texas) that fishes for mackeral, flounder,pompano and mangrovesnappers....sorry I can't recall her name (Debra?) , introduce me to sufffix line ,when she hooked a 3-4 lb snapper which wraped her and then she proceeded to pull itout from the pylon...w/o breaking the fish off.... and Mrs. Kimnice asian lady and last Linda Cavitts...Ernie's wife...great fisherwomen.

Ps If I left you out...nothing personal....just too many great fisherpeople!!!


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

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## Tyler Massey (Oct 2, 2007)

Great post Mr.Arnold!! all the people listed are great fisherman and for the most part good people..lol

One day I hope to be a person that started out on the pier that goes on to accomplish something great.


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## Dylan (Apr 15, 2008)

Great post Mr. Arnold..I am honored to be even mentioned with any of those guys..I think you hit da nail on da head..:bowdown....You mentioned Linda but what about Ernie..He can fish with the bestany day of the week..


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## stargazer (Oct 6, 2007)

> *kingling (7/20/2009)*this is Bill Arnold posting... great thread....some of the ones on the piers I recall.A fewof the greatest Pensacola Beach Pier king mackeral fishermen: Darrell Crush...A class act fisherman and great person.....Wally Wilkins...(used a Mitchell 306 reel, 15 lb.test lineand a garcia conolon rod that he could send a 8"cigar minnow to the deep water from the old wooden pier that Joe Seely managed and would fight a 30 plus pound king so that at the gaff it would be dead,"no green KINGS for Darrell orWally"They constantly caught BIG KINGS. Others back in the day.... who have passed on to the big pond :Mike Stachow, Harry Allen, JimmyMcGuire,Jimmy Cook,Mike Krause,Randy Waldrop.Others that I recall whoare great fishermen at Pensacola Pier.... Jimmy Roose, up there with Darrell and Wally,Scotty McGuire, Matt Froome,Ben Fairy,Jimmy Strickland,Terry Strickland,Glenn Conrad, Bill Mengus,(kept us in stitches with his humor,and his pickup lines for the hot chicks who ventured on the pier),Jim Whatley,my brother Ron,Butch Gunnels...another class act..who would help anyone...several times when he had a nice fish on he would pass his rod to some young person ortourist that just walked up on the pier,just to see their reaction ..."here you fight it,Ill help you and he would ...still does today!! Other great fishermen:Bob Melbeck(sp) Bobby Bolysten,Phil Kellem(Cobia Phil), Mike Quina( cool Mike...quiet guy)
> 
> At Navarre pier you had the greatest known and most respected pier fishermen on the gulf coast...Roddy Pate....Cobia/ King mackstremble when they pass by the S.E. corner or cruise up the bar. He kills them.Others on Navarre Pier that I recall: Mike Moore, Allen Moore, Dale Moore ,"**** Dog" Moore( greatest pompano fisherman and jig maker around),ColinMoore...great sports writer for the PNJand any other of the Moore group ....these guys crushed the fish. Mike and Jeff Peacher...two of the best fishermen in saltwater or freshwater.(Not too bad of deer hunters either).Clay Peachercan hold his own.Then guys like Gary Wells,Gene Sullivan,Sammy Kaiser,Wally Kaiser, L.L Barlow,Al Lauderdale,Roy Densmon(sp),Kimbo Wallace, Max Williams, Holley Reed,Obie Hill,an a host of others that arefish"killers". Just about forgot... Kevin Glover( aka King Kevin on the LM Bass) hellva 'Poon fisherman too.Bleached out jeans and all.
> 
> ...


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## Brant Peacher (Oct 4, 2007)

haha this has turned into the best pier fishermanof all time thread...Anyways...I can't wait until Navarre gets back going! That's where I learned to fish. I was on that pieralmost everydayas a child and through highschool.Iowe a majority of my fishing ability to experience on that pier. I will definitely bring the 302s out of the closet once Navarre is up and running. I will be glad not to have to deal with a boat for once!


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## kingling (Apr 10, 2008)

i know dylan

there are so many people it is hard to remeber all of them


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## nb&twil (Oct 2, 2007)

> *masher (7/20/2009)*
> 
> Chad Linkous


I'd say he's doing just fine for himself now huh...


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## atlast740 (Dec 19, 2007)

thats a impressive list of anglers, cant think of but one that was left out and that wasw cc blackmon on the old p cola pier .that brought back a lot of memories just reading that list


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