OK old- time bay area bass fishermen who remembers this one

hydro · Post by **hydro** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 11:15 am

There used to be a bass tackle shop somewhere in San Jose and the owner's name was (it seems to me) "Frank Hauk" spelling?
I think the store was later purchased by Gordon Spencer of "Rod Strainer " lures fame . This was in the mid to late 70's anybody remember the name of this store ?

mac (Doyle McEwen) · Post by **mac (Doyle McEwen)** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 11:32 am

I have been in the San Jose area since 69..I do not remember a tackle shop owned by either of these guys..Not saying it didn't exist, just that I never shopped there..And I thought I had shopped at them all..

mac

Caudawg · Post by **Caudawg** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:36 pm

I think it was the San Jose Sportfishing Center. Gordon Spencer had it for a while...even sold Bass Trackers through there.
Then he started Rodstrainer Tackle which I used to be sponsored by back in the day.
Does anyone know if Dink Mendez still owns Rodstrainer these days? I'm getting back into tournament fishing and need to update my tackle. My old rodstrainer jigs are all gummy now...lol!
I guess that'll happen to jigs that are 15 years old!

mac (Doyle McEwen) · Post by **mac (Doyle McEwen)** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:46 pm

I just can't figure out where that would be..I honestly thought I knew all of the tackle shops in San Jose..

mac

Johnny C · Post by **Johnny C** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:50 pm

Got me Hydro..But what was Waltons Pond called before Jon owned it? It was in San Leandro.

Caudawg · Post by **Caudawg** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:18 pm

Mac, if I remember correctly it was off Stevens Creek Blvd. It's been well over 20 years...maybe even 30 years since Gordon owned it. And I think Frank Hauk was the original owner...and unless I'm mistaken...was also the inventor of Living Rubber.

hydro · Post by **hydro** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:25 pm

Jeez John I forgot all about that place . I do remember doodling and garland spider jigs were the rage back then but can't remember the name of the store????

hydro · Post by **hydro** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:35 pm

Caudawg , I came across my old fly tying vice this morning and thought about going to that old store and Frank Hauk getting me lined out with the vice ,living rubber, jigheads, wire and showed me how to make a living rubber jig . I think I also bought a black bucktail , poly rope, and banana jig heads for making the old Dee Thomas flipping jigs . Ahh thoses were the days and hardly any bass fishermen on the lakes.....................

Simon · Post by **Simon** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:37 pm

John C. it was called Rons Tackle owned by Ron Newcomb. John Caulfield is correct on the SJ store. 2 brothers owned the store before Gordie owned it. That was one of the first places I used to by fesshn stuff. I do remember you were a fishing Rep in those days.

ONTHETHING !!! · Post by **ONTHETHING !!!** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:54 pm

Mac do you remember the bait shop on bascom behind the 76 station, or the one on union in the old drive thru milk store next to cosentinos. Gordon use to dip his spinner baits in the plastic coating. ONTHETHING!!!

Johnny C · Post by **Johnny C** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 3:20 pm

Thanks Simon Ron was the guy..Had lots of Smitty worms there. Kenny I still have some poly rope, banana heads and bucktail if you want some.

Caudawg · Post by **Caudawg** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 3:24 pm

Hydro... Gordon also taught me to tie jigs and I ended up marketing my own saltwater gagnions called Deep "C" Jigs and Caulfield's "J" Jigs. I could make that rubber flare almost as good as Gordon could. "Almost" being the key word.

I need some 1/2 and 5/8 oz football head w/wire weedguards badly!! So I wonder if I can talk Gordon into making me just a few dozen more....just for old times sake!

I haven't talked to him in years. He was like a mentor to me back in the late 80's & early 90's. I think between me, Gliebe and his bass club guys...we kept him pretty busy.

Simon · Post by **Simon** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 4:18 pm

John I will take all ya got.....any in red? I got some club guys that will buy any sekert bait...haha !!!

Gordy is in Florida, chasin Dorado etc.... He does not feesh much Black Bass these days.....and he also taught me how to tie jigs and spinner baits.

Simon · Post by **Simon** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 4:18 pm

RichThiel · Post by **RichThiel** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:33 pm

I remember Frank Haulk's store... Moorpark and ?. Biggiest length in Rods for LMB at that time was a 5 1/2fter,,, I bought 3 from Frank then.

Dink Mendez still ties and has about 8 stores that is supplies.

Ron Newcomb use too own the store before Jon, Jon worked for him when he was 14 or there abouts. It was on 96th and Macarthur Blvd across from 1/4lbs

Rich Thiel

mac (Doyle McEwen) · Post by **mac (Doyle McEwen)** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:17 pm

You guys have convinced me, I didn't or haven't shopped in all of the San Jose tackle shops..

mac

eclips · Post by **eclips** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:35 pm

that was Moorpark near Lawrence Expwy

Caudawg · Post by **Caudawg** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:57 pm

Mac...if Westernbass.com was around back then you would have known about that store. I never shopped at SJ Sportfishing Center..because I was barely a teenager and lived further up on the peninsula. But I remember Gordon telling me about it. He used to make a killing selling Bass Trackers back when they were just becoming popular due to Bass Pro Shops getting so popular.

Back then, the best shop in my area was Ellingson's Sport Shop. Now there's a nostalgic memory!

eclips · Post by **eclips** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:59 pm

the store on Bascom was called Bass Fishing North Pro Shop

mac (Doyle McEwen) · Post by **mac (Doyle McEwen)** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:52 pm

There used to be a small tackle shop at the ice house in Mountain View..They never carried much..In the late 60's early 70's Cope and McPheters on El Camino in Santa Clara carried a fair selection of bass gear..There is or was a shop on Capitol, that I never shopped at..One of the best shops was Tri-Cities Sporting Goods in Fremont..How many of these are still in business..

mac

kb · Post by kb » Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:26 pm

Hey Caudawg IF westernbass.com was around in those days can you imagine how much trouble we woiuld have gotten in? Do you remember the day I took you into twin skulls when that crazy old guy lived down there and you didn't want to fish?

I pulled down a box in the rafters the other day and put some stuff together for some guys that needed gitzits for Washington. This was all stuff that my dad had and the stuff left over from when my parents sold that stuff out of the house for Bobby Garland. Those old boxes bring back some great old memories. I even found about 50 packages of brown/orange Rebel 6" Ringworms that Gary Klein and I bought every package Delta Bait and Tackle had.

I know Dink still is making most of the stuff and John Cifranic is pouring and trying a great deal of it for him up in Redding. I get to run into him about once or twice a year and it is always great to see him.

Do you remember how tough those bay area b assmasters were in the old days. Carter and Dave Kubo, John Cifranic, Gordon Spencer, Pat Kawaguchi and Dink....those guys kicked our butts often! That was in the day when Gary O and Gordon Johnson and that ornery older brother of mine were fishing and Gleibe and Payne and Bedwell. Great days and Caudawg........your getting old!!!

later
kb

miklanderson · Post by **miklanderson** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:30 pm

Tri-cities went out of business a few years ago. By the time they went out of business their bass fishing dept. was in pretty bad shape. They didnt have a good selection and were way overpriced. They did have a bunch of rods and reels though...

Bob Lim · Post by **Bob Lim** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:30 pm

Hey KB your starting to show your age j/k LOL. the guy that owned the shop in San Jose was Frank Hauck on Moorpark near Lawrence Expwy. that was in the '70's. Frank also had the second Bass Pro franchise co-op store in California. I was a partner with Wayne Cortipasse and Gary Warren in Sportsden Pro shops in the Belair/ Longs shopping center on Florin road and I-5 in south Sacramento. I aquired the first Bass Pro co-op store in California. Frank Hauck also started The Living Rubber co. Yep those were the days.....Bob

Caudawg · Post by **Caudawg** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:52 am

Hahaha Kent. Yep...if this forum was around back then...we'd be banned for sure!

Yeah Kent...I do remember the twin skulls spot...but don't remember not wanting to fish... hmmm.... that was a great spot though. Didn't that old guy have a gun...and threaten to use it?
I haven't fished the Delta in at least 8 years. Dang!

I remember your folks and the "House of Gitzits". Man, back then it was all about gitzits, lit'l bits, gator tails etc. Man, they had all the hot colors when they were hard to find.

I also remember that crazy blonde gal (Debra Payne) from Clear Lake who used to pedal all kinds of bass gear out of her station wagon at tournaments. She was a hoot!

And yeah, that Bay Area club had some great sticks. Those guys took me under there wings...showed me the ropes and helped me immensely even though I wasn't a member. Jerry Scott, John Cifranic, Howard Hughes, Dink Mendez etc...great guys for sure! And then there was "Crazy Jay" McKendry...who wasn't in that club but was another important mentor in my early days.

Yes Kent... Harvey Naslund would no longer be calling us the "young turks"... sadly, those days are long gone. But now I ask you...can an old dawg learn new tricks?

reel2real · Post by **reel2real** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 2:04 pm

Just found this old thread. I grew up in that neighborhood and lived a few street over from Gordon. He had a cool pond in his backyard with bass and crappie swimming about. I would watch him feed the bass cut up strips of liver. The fishing store on Moorpark and Lawrence was next to a larger supermarket called Manor Market. As a kid, I would walk down to that fishing store (can't remember the name of it) and walk the small isles and checkout all the cool tackle. I remember watching Frank receive his Bass Trackers in bulk. They left the parking lot as fast as they arrived. By the time I was in high school, Gordon was full time making lures in his garage. I would often walk over to his house and hangout with him and his grown daughter as they will fill big orders heading to Japan. His pond inspired me to build a pond in my parents yard. He would walk over and watch and give me pointers. He called my pond Lake Lynbrook because I built mine to be 35' x 16'. Lynbrook was the high school in the neighborhood that I attended. I remember when he sold Rod Strainer, seemed sad at the time.

Robb R · Post by **Robb R** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 2:40 pm

Franks was on Lawrence Expressway and Moorpark .
I went to High school with his daughter .
He had tons of jig making stuff . I bought my first ever bait caster rod from him , a Lew Childers Speed stick #6 , heavy action , still have it .
A couple of guys started a "fishing club" at Lynbrook High school and Franks' was our go to place to stock up on Deep Wee R's and living rubber homemade jigs . Back then he kinda taught us how to copy what was being done at Lake Camanche (cant remember the name of the guy that started deep jigging on that lake--brothers I think ?) .
Living rubber , still have some of the bags I bought in the mid/late seventies.
Robb R

Tony P · Post by **Tony P** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 10:40 pm

Hey KB how about the first time we meet. Heck of an introduction in bass boat operation.

Caudawg how about a few schooner sized 7&7's.

Those were the days.

kb · Post by kb » Tue Jan 20, 2015 10:48 pm

I remember the first time we met Tony P.......Wasn't that a Winner boat? Then the same knuckleheads flipped one down on the Sacramento River a few months later

kb

Tony P · Post by **Tony P** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 10:50 pm

Hydra-Sport

Also I really enjoy listening to UB on Saturday mornings.

SObassman · Post by **SObassman** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 9:23 am

I remember the Sportsfishing center,it started my Bass fishing addiction. Bought my first Basstracker from Gordon and learned to make jigs from Frank, this was in the late 1970's. Lived only a short distance from the store. Here we are all these years later and my addiction is worse now. After reading the previous posts it brings back lots of memories,like the Lynbrook high school fishing club,which Robb R wrote about.Robb R check your PM.
Thanks SObassman aka Robert Radbourne

Robb R · Post by **Robb R** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:03 am

Wow , Robert--how the hell are you ?
It's been over 30 + years . Hope you are well . Didn't see any PM .
I am still addicted to bass fishing , looks like you are too.
I am still in the Bay Area , fish the local lakes all the time .
Lost track of you when you graduated and moved North .
Do you ever travel down to the Bay Area ? If yes , we should go fishing .
I usually have a flexible schedule unless travelling .
Regards ,
Robb

Larry Hemphill · Post by **Larry Hemphill** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 3:26 pm

Fred Dietz owned or managed a small tackle shop in San Jose - west side. I think he was killed in a plane crash. There was a rather large memorial tournament, 1974, held at Lake Camanche to raise funds for his family. We had 68 teams show up. My partner and neighbor, Manny Garcia and I could have won the tournament, but he lost a 4 or 5 pounder at the boat just before weigh-in. We finished 4th, and of course they had a few prizes for 1st thru 3rd place. Was a very nice tournament for a nice guy!

Howard Hughes · Post by **Howard Hughes** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 6:13 pm

The name of the store was Frank Hauck's Sports Fishing Center. I met Frank Hauck April 1977,I believe he was fishing with the East Bay fishing club with Dee Thomas and Nish Yamamoto. He sold the business to Gordon Spencer who sold it the Faust Brothers. It was a franchise BASS PRO SHOP back in the seventies. Dam it seems like yesterday man dose time fly.

Ray Vanacore · Post by **Ray Vanacore** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 3:38 pm

kb wrote:I remember the first time we met Tony P.......Wasn't that a Winner boat? Then the same knuckleheads flipped one down on the Sacramento River a few months later

kb

Hey Kent you calling your old buddy a knuckle head

Crossram · Post by **Crossram** » Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:17 pm

The name of the store was Frank Hauks Sport Fishing Center and I helped Frank open the store. I worked at Bass Fishing North but the owner Fred DietZ wasn't doing well and Frank got the idea to open a fishing store. It was located at Laurance and Moorpark. Steve D Orsay and my friend Glen Tanabe also worked there. These were epic times, the early days of bass fishing. Frank and Dee Thomas teamed up Tule dipping and won all the tournaments forcing the organizers to reduce the size of the poles to 7.5 feet. Frank and I marketed "living rubber" a material that was used on Brawley bugs we hood adapted it to striper fishing in the South Bay with the help of Pat Kawaguchi. We were the first Bass Pro shop on the west coast and we brought Tracker boats to California. I remember the first load coming in and almost all of them were damaged due to poor trucking, we got it figured out pretty quick. When I placed orders with Bass pro shop it was directly to Johnny Morris LOL. Gordon Spencer purchased the business and I went off to college. Still fishing though and I still have my original BB1 speed spools and tule dipping sticks. Posted is a shot in front of the shop 1975, me on the right. Second is with Pat Kawaguchi.

toulon · Post by **toulon** » Thu Apr 21, 2022 9:00 am

I worked and fished with Fred Dietz for many years before he opened Bass Fishing North. He was instrumental in bringing a Bass Pro type store to Northern California and organizing a bass club (Bass Classics) in the Santa Clara Valley. He also opened a shop on Liberty Rd. on the way to North Shore Camanche that Art Price ran. He was also instrumental in bringing the first Western Bass Tournament to northern California attended my mostly fishermen from southern California, that really showed us northern boys how it was done. Although Fred probably wasn't the best businessman, I don't think he gets the credit he should for his vision of educating bass fishing and bringing a Bass Pro type shop and organized bass fishing to Northern California. RIP my friend.

Ray Vanacore · Post by **Ray Vanacore** » Thu Apr 21, 2022 9:04 am

(Kent) Quote: I even found about 50 packages of brown/orange Rebel 6" Ringworms that Gary Klein and I bought every package Delta Bait and Tackle had.
Kent not all i still have a few packages left also.

toulon · Post by **toulon** » Thu Apr 21, 2022 11:30 am

First Western Bass Tournament in Northern California. South Shore Lake Comanche March 10 & 11 1973.

toulon · Post by **toulon** » Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:58 pm

Crossram please get a hold of me.

johnb · Post by **johnb** » Sat Apr 23, 2022 2:19 pm

yes I remember Gordon and Dink very well ( Dink is still ugly) I used to go by Gordon's shop and buy stuff . I have been making tackle for 25 years now and I live here in Round Rock Texas last 12 years. Thanks for the memories John Blair

SObassman · Post by **SObassman** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 5:07 am

As a teenager I lived only a few miles from the Sportsfishing center and thats were I got hooked on bass fishing about 45 years ago. I remember them having open house shows with vendors in the back room a couple of times with the Brawly brothers and meet Dee Thomas there that had to be 1975 or 1976. In 1979 as a 19 year old I purchased my first boat a Bass Tracker 3 from Gordon cost $3395 and was $600 to have it shipped to San Jose. I also got hooked on making live rubber jigs back then and still make all my jigs, pour jig heads and spinner baits today. I live in Oregon now and in my home town The Living rubber lure Co. is still in business here, what a small world.
Thanks for jogging my memories things were sure alot simpler then but Bass fishing will never be out of my heart.
Robert

hydro · Post by **hydro** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 10:02 am

SObassman wrote: ↑Mon Apr 25, 2022 5:07 am As a teenager I lived only a few miles from the Sportsfishing center and thats were I got hooked on bass fishing about 45 years ago. I remember them having open house shows with vendors in the back room a couple of times with the Brawly brothers and meet Dee Thomas there that had to be 1975 or 1976. In 1979 as a 19 year old I purchased my first boat a Bass Tracker 3 from Gordon cost $3395 and was $600 to have it shipped to San Jose. I also got hooked on making live rubber jigs back then and still make all my jigs, pour jig heads and spinner baits today. I live in Oregon now and in my home town The Living rubber lure Co. is still in business here, what a small world.
Thanks for jogging my memories things were sure alot simpler then but Bass fishing will never be out of my heart.
Robert

It's really amazing seeing so may people sharing the same experiences from the same little tackleshop . I fished my first bass tournament with a bass club in April 1977 on Lake Camanche
I only caught one keeper on a black plastic worm that day but more importantly I discovered living rubber jigs . A Club member named Jerry Moore won the tournament using a black Brawley bass bug and caught a 10 lb bass on it . By some coincidence I snagged some fishing line in some brush and pulled up a like new 5/8 oz brown and purple Brawley bug living rubber jig . Those jigs didn't even have weed-guards on them back then so with all of the wood in the water I never even considered tying it on . A few days later while out fishing I caught 4 bass on that same Brawley jig totaling 16 lbs with the biggest going 4 1/2 lbs . Needless to say I was hooked on jigs after that and still pouring heads and tying jigs with the same vice I bought at the Frank Hauck store back then . I just remembered after I bought all the jig making equipment I was also given a free bass pro shops hat too Great memories ...

jiggin4bass · Post by **jiggin4bass** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 10:46 am

I sure do miss the square rubber that living rubber use to put out I started tying jigs back in 1977 and into the 80s then they did away with the square rubber went to round rubber and it good but not as good as the the old square rubber. And the old school rubber they make now not even close too the old living rubber.
Silicone has pretty much taken over now. I still tie alot of different baits that never gets old. That one thing I still enjoy about tying.

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