Texas Fishing Forum

Old TV fishing shows

Posted By: Kay Dyson

Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 02:10 PM

Wallace wildlife
Freddy Grant
Bill Dance
Jimmy Houston
Barry Stokes
John Fox
TeamGrandma

Help me out guys, I know there were more from the 70's early 90's...

I'll never forget a show where Wallace wildlife was demoing a lure and all the sudden he tied it on backwards, and caught fish... I laughed my face off, he'd say, when it slows down tie your lure on backwards and catchum, anyone see that, it was crazy, his shows were pretty bad.
Jezzzzz, they were cornball deluxe..
Posted By: BoomBoom

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 02:24 PM

Virgil Ward
Posted By: Lucky Al

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 02:29 PM

You gotta be older to go back to Homer Circle. My Dad and I use to watch that on black & white Tv.
Posted By: InTheClear

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 02:34 PM

Orlando Wilson, always had the Atlanta Braves hat on and a solid white Ranger.
Posted By: Donald Harper

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 02:41 PM

Orlando Wilson - Onell outside - Hank Parker - Jimmy Houston - Jerry McKinnis, The Fishing Hole - Babe Winkleman - Red Holland - Rick Murphy - Rayo Breckenridge -
Posted By: K.D.

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 03:28 PM

I've never forgot watching Larry Nixon's show and him saying if you aren't fishing bottom in the summer, you're missing a lot of fish.

And Bill Dance's "Points point to fish"
Posted By: Dwhitt

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 03:40 PM

Met Virgil Ward when I was just a youngster at a Dallas Boat Show.
Dont remember much about it other than I thought he was really old back then. Let's not forget Roland Martins fishing show.Always wanted to try fishing with those big shiners on Monticello but never did.
Posted By: fouzman

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 03:41 PM

The Sportsman's Friend
Beat Charlie Moore
One More Cast w/Shaw Grigsby
Honey Hole with Jerry Dean
ABC's Wild World of Sports with Trey Gowdy
Posted By: sprigsss

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 03:42 PM

I never missed Jimmy Houston Outdoors. Recorded his show every Saturday, or my mom did if I was at the camp.

Used to also enjoy Sportsman's Challenge, especially Doug Hannon and his occasional underwater video segments.

Watched Bill Dance some, but always seemed he was fishing in some stocked isolated pond or oxbow lake.
Posted By: One fish Bill

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 03:51 PM

I bought Beatle Spins by the card cause Virgil Ward used them.
Posted By: Jarrett Latta

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 04:14 PM

The Warren brothers, hunting and fishing Texas was my favorite
Posted By: GIG'EM AGGIES

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 04:47 PM

American Sportsman with Grits Gresham. One of my favorites. Grits died in 2008. Seems like I remember Ricky Greene having a fishing show too.
Posted By: Sinkey

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 04:55 PM

Originally Posted By: fouzman

Beat Charlie Moore


This was the worst show ever. That guy was an absolute joke! Reminded me of the youtubers today.
Posted By: Chris B

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 04:57 PM

I really liked the old honey holes. Shame they can't be seen anymore.
Posted By: fouzman

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 05:07 PM

Originally Posted By: Sinkey
Originally Posted By: fouzman

Beat Charlie Moore


This was the worst show ever. That guy was an absolute joke! Reminded me of the youtubers today.


I agree! That's why the show didn't make it.
Posted By: west tex angler

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 05:20 PM

Sure like to know the average age of the guys who responded to this thread.

There was also a show out of Louisiana where the Dad fished Toledo Bend mainly and the son fished the La/Tex coast.
A couple of Cajuns. I think his name was Cajun Phil and still has a spot on Barry Stokes' show.

Posted By: fouzman

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 05:29 PM

Cajun Phil and Kevin Broussard. They have a lodge and run trout and redfish trips on Lake Calcasieu and surrounding areas. Talked to Phil a couple months ago.
Posted By: TBassYates

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 05:47 PM

Gadabout Gaddis.
You would have to really be an old goat to remember that one from back in the 60's. Loved that show as a young boy ate up with fishing.
Posted By: BoomBoom

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 05:50 PM

Originally Posted By: fouzman
Originally Posted By: Sinkey
Originally Posted By: fouzman

Beat Charlie Moore


This was the worst show ever. That guy was an absolute joke! Reminded me of the youtubers today.


I agree! That's why the show didn't make it.


Fouz, its still on the air, not that I watch it..... eek
Posted By: ClarkC

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 05:59 PM

Gadabout Gaddis
There was also a show in the early 80's that followed some of the bigger draw tournaments. Seems like it was called the Texas Tournament Trail or something similar. Another show about that same time
was Bass N More Outdoors. They were local to the DFW area and shot some shows at Lake Fork when it was only a few years old. I filmed with them twice and the lake was not even full yet.
Posted By: Dan90210 ☮

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 06:42 PM

Originally Posted By: Sinkey
Originally Posted By: fouzman

Beat Charlie Moore


This was the worst show ever. That guy was an absolute joke! Reminded me of the youtubers today.


The you tubers who get way more watches than any fishing show on TV?

Sounds like Charlie Moore was a pioneer.
Posted By: InTheClear

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 06:47 PM

Originally Posted By: west tex angler
Sure like to know the average age of the guys who responded to this thread.

There was also a show out of Louisiana where the Dad fished Toledo Bend mainly and the son fished the La/Tex coast.
A couple of Cajuns. I think his name was Cajun Phil and still has a spot on Barry Stokes' show.



42 for me.
Posted By: fouzman

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 06:49 PM

Dan, you're California dreamin', now. Some of the weekend fishing shows draw 500,000 viewers for one episode on one day. Major League Fishing drew 1.1 million when the Summit Cup aired on CBS in early 2016, and it's gotten even more popular since.
Posted By: InTheClear

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 06:49 PM

Originally Posted By: Jaret Latta
The Warren brothers, hunting and fishing Texas was my favorite


I remember these, Keith and Allen right?
Posted By: TxRanger1

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 06:52 PM

I think the guys name was Murtis Dryskell had a fishing show. You think that I would remember because I drove one of the camera boats while filming his show when he did a show on Fayette County Lake. We did the show about 2 weeks before it opened to the public. I remember that it looked a lot different back then than it does now and we caught so many fish it was ridiculous. I think it was Murtis Dryskell Outdoors that was the name of his show.
Posted By: west tex angler

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 08:11 PM

71 here-
Posted By: west tex angler

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 08:16 PM

Originally Posted By: fouzman
Cajun Phil and Kevin Broussard. They have a lodge and run trout and redfish trips on Lake Calcasieu and surrounding areas. Talked to Phil a couple months ago.

Phil seemed like a good egg. I spent a lot of time working in the Bossier City area and always had my tube float and tackle with me. Lakes Sibley, Black Bayou, Bistenau, etc... All good lakes. Loved them. Fished a top water through that duck weed that floated around the lakes, you could always see where your last cast was by looking at the trail it made. By the time I left that area, I was talking like a Broussard!
Posted By: Chet

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 09:12 PM

As a young man in Kansas it was the Harold Ensley Show. Couldn't get enough.
Posted By: Texan Til I Die

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 09:22 PM

The Harley Berg Show. Had a 20+ year run on KWTX out of Waco.

The Lone Star Sportsman, the original from back in the 60's, sponsored by Lone Star Beer.
Posted By: PlanoTom

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 09:38 PM

I remember going fishing in the morning, going home to watch Bill Dance and Roland Martin, and then getting back on my bike to fish some more.

I used to not like it when Al Lindner’s show came on because it seemed like he was always fishing for walleye and that didn’t interest a kid in south Louisiana at all.

I had years of issues of Sports Afield and Field & Stream that I would read and re-read.
Posted By: Lee Finlay

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 10:02 PM

Charlie Pack did a show out of Waco.

I got to meet him once when he hit on my grandma in Walmart.
Posted By: Heron

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 10:07 PM

On Sunday afternoons following church and lunch, I didn't have to start chores around my grandmother's house until after Wallace and Jimmy were done. I loved those shows as a kid. I'm 50, btw.

Regarding the Youtube channels, haven't watched many but there's one done by a couple of guys on Clear Lake in California that I really enjoy due to their "tactical" emphasis. They thoroughly explain what they're doing and why they're doing it. More importantly, I've applied some of their techniques with success that I would not have otherwise had. I hold them at nearly the same level of esteem as Donald Harper. Point is, there is some very good Youtube content out there, especially for beginning and intermediate level fishermen.
Posted By: Ekman Spiral

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 10:18 PM

Schooled by Denny Brauer was a good one. Pretty cool concept.
Posted By: Kay Dyson

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/30/18 10:40 PM

I see a common alignment with these shows way back then... They feed the fire we all had, and still have.
I used to get all jacked up over the shows on Saturday mornings, watched them all if I wasn't fishing. I had a early beta recorder, then switched to vhs to record the shows... Couldn't get enough back then...

I know I learned a lot from those shows, pretty cool to look back on it, and the guys that helped us get to where we are today .
Posted By: steve boyd

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 12:28 AM

i remember watching match bass fishing on lake fork when the lake was new. they fished out of tin boats.
Posted By: Ranger205

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 12:53 AM

Specialty Bass was my favorite.
Posted By: Razorback

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 12:55 AM

Virgil Ward was sponsored by Uncle Josh and Beetle Spin. The weatherman on KTBS in Shreveport, Major Charles Middleton, had a show that was I think called The Ark-La-Tex Sportsman. He used to show pictures of "Murvaul Monsters" and talk about Zwolle or Huxley Bay, two places that sounded a long way away to a kid.

There was a guy named John something who also had a fishing show, but I heard he got caught with fish in a basket during a tournament.
Posted By: rangerb

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 01:40 AM

Could have been John Cox, The American Andgler.
Posted By: HasBen

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 01:48 AM

I remember John Fox selling bicentennial red, white, and blue Skeeter Wranglers on television here in east Texas back in the mid 70’s. I believe he got in a little tournament trouble and moved to Florida.
Posted By: Razorback

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 01:49 AM

Originally Posted By: rangerb
Could have been John Cox, The American Andgler.


That's what I was thinking, but I talked myself out of it thinking I was mistaking his name for today's John Cox.
Posted By: 44 Diesel

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 01:58 AM

Originally Posted By: west tex angler
Sure like to know the average age of the guys who responded to this thread.

There was also a show out of Louisiana where the Dad fished Toledo Bend mainly and the son fished the La/Tex coast.
A couple of Cajuns. I think his name was Cajun Phil and still has a spot on Barry Stokes' show.



That show was still on as of last year. FSSW on Sunday mornings. Outdoors n fishing. It runs for several months during the summer, mainly saltwater fishing.
Posted By: Jarrett Latta

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 02:12 AM

Originally Posted By: InTheClear
Originally Posted By: Jaret Latta
The Warren brothers, hunting and fishing Texas was my favorite


I remember these, Keith and Allen right?


Yup that's them. Seems like the show was Fishing Texas and changed to Hunting and Fishing Texas but I don't remember honestly. I know it was a great show and they went all over the state freshwater and saltwater
Posted By: Rube G.

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 02:30 AM

Ya'll remember Freddie Grant?
Posted By: rangerb

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 02:38 AM

Originally Posted By: Razorback
Originally Posted By: rangerb
Could have been John Cox, The American Andgler.


That's what I was thinking, but I talked myself out of it thinking I was mistaking his name for today's John Cox.
yep, it was Fox, not Cox, my apologies to Mr Cox.
Posted By: SlabWhisperer

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 03:31 AM

Harold Ensley was best friends with Sam Walton.
Sam knew he was dying and told Harold that he wanted a mess of fried crappie for his last meal.
So, Harold called on my Father in law Raymond (Red) Green who had a crappie dock on Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Oklahoma (in Horse Creek) to help him fulfill his wish. They did, and it was his last meal.
I hope for the same!
Posted By: west tex angler

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 11:17 AM

Originally Posted By: HasBen
I remember John Fox selling bicentennial red, white, and blue Skeeter Wranglers on television here in east Texas back in the mid 70’s. I believe he got in a little tournament trouble and moved to Florida.

It wasn't just a little trouble. The guy was a complete crook in just about everything he did.
Posted By: David Welcher

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 12:20 PM

Wallace Wildlife Show
Freddy Grant Fishing Show
Jimmy Houston
And my favorite was Homer Circle - I still [censored] my wife off singing that song "Big Bass jumping out of the water like a Jack in the Box"
Really fell in love with Bass Fishing when he helped Glann Lau film the documentary "Big Mouth" and "Big Mouth Forever", if you have never seen it, you can google it and watch it. Some incredible footage of the spawning cycle of a huge bass in some ultra clear water in the Florida Everglades.
Posted By: TinRangerJim

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 12:28 PM

Originally Posted By: BoomBoom
Originally Posted By: fouzman
Originally Posted By: Sinkey
Originally Posted By: fouzman

Beat Charlie Moore


This was the worst show ever. That guy was an absolute joke! Reminded me of the youtubers today.


I agree! That's why the show didn't make it.


Fouz, its still on the air, not that I watch it..... eek

Charlie Moore's show is now called the "Mad Fisherman", airs on World Fishing Network. New name, same old S***
Posted By: TinRangerJim

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 12:34 PM

Jose Wejebe, "Spanish Fly". I know, it's salt water but still a pretty cool show
Posted By: TinRangerJim

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 12:42 PM

Originally Posted By: Razorback
Originally Posted By: rangerb
Could have been John Cox, The American Andgler.


That's what I was thinking, but I talked myself out of it thinking I was mistaking his name for today's John Cox.

Like a couple others mentioned, it was John Fox. John Cox is fishing FLW out of his aluminum Crestliner boat
Posted By: herbsteiner

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 01:19 PM

I'm 70, and I remember Gadabout Gaddis, Harley Berg, and Orlando Wilson from the 70's. Also the Hank Parker Show, Jimmy Houston Outdoors, the Roland Martin Show, and Babe Winkelman's show from the 80's.
Posted By: NoWeighers

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 03:41 PM

Maybe somebody already mentioned it.. But I didn't see it..


But the first outdoor fishing show I remember was Jim Thomas and the show called the Lone Star Sportsman..
Posted By: Timberking

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 05:48 PM

Growing up in Ark. it was Jerry McKinnis and before him, Game and Fish aired a show on public TV with George Purvis.
Posted By: reeltexan

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 06:29 PM

I watched em all, back in the day.

My two favorites were Freddy Grant's Fun of Fishing (I have his record, he sings the theme song), and Larry Nixon's Fishing Lessons. Larry was one of the true greats and guided on Toledo Bend. A fellow could learn a lot from both of these fine anglers.

Posted By: GIG'EM AGGIES

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 05/31/18 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by reeltexan
I watched em all, back in the day.

My two favorites were Freddy Grant's Fun of Fishing (I have his record, he sings the theme song), and Larry Nixon's Fishing Lessons. Larry was one of the true greats and guided on Toledo Bend. A fellow could learn a lot from both of these fine anglers.



Love that big 5" Eagle fish finder on the console, nothing on the bow. How the heck did he ever find fish with that and win all those tournaments ?
Posted By: Ken A.

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 06/01/18 02:22 AM

Originally Posted By: Rube G.
Ya'll remember Freddie Grant?


"Fun of fishin never gets old"
Posted By: elkhartdom

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 06/01/18 04:26 AM

oh heck yea the flying fisherman gadabout gaddis. I still have some vhs tapes of roland, and rick clunn, rick still had hair then lol.
Posted By: TBassYates

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 06/01/18 11:58 AM

There was a guy I used to watch from up north. He would be fishing for those monster Muskie's and had a pretty entertaining show. He also could play a mean blues guitar.
Posted By: reeltexan

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 06/01/18 12:15 PM

Originally Posted By: GIG'EM AGGIES
Love that big 5" Eagle fish finder on the console, nothing on the bow. How the heck did he ever find fish with that and win all those tournaments ?


Look closely. He has a Lowrance flasher on the bow.
We found lots of fish with those.

I did notice he only has three rods out. Nobody could be very good with only three rods.
(and the one he's using is fiberglass)
Posted By: fish4bass

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 06/01/18 07:02 PM

Originally Posted By: west tex angler
Originally Posted By: HasBen
I remember John Fox selling bicentennial red, white, and blue Skeeter Wranglers on television here in east Texas back in the mid 70’s. I believe he got in a little tournament trouble and moved to Florida.

It wasn't just a little trouble. The guy was a complete crook in just about everything he did.


He came in right on top of us in Long Branch on Fork back in the 80's fishing the bent pole pattern. Wasn't filming but rude as hell and took a good cursing for his troubles.
Posted By: west tex angler

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 06/01/18 07:14 PM

Originally Posted By: fish4bass
Originally Posted By: west tex angler
Originally Posted By: HasBen
I remember John Fox selling bicentennial red, white, and blue Skeeter Wranglers on television here in east Texas back in the mid 70’s. I believe he got in a little tournament trouble and moved to Florida.

It wasn't just a little trouble. The guy was a complete crook in just about everything he did.


He came in right on top of us in Long Branch on Fork back in the 80's fishing the bent pole pattern. Wasn't filming but rude as hell and took a good cursing for his troubles.


I posted this before but when Bass fishing was really starting to spike, there was a bass fishing seminar here in Ft Worth.The guest speaker was Fox. He was introducing a new lure, and he had the gaul to stand up there and say that he had just set a new lake record on Toledo Bend with this lure. Of course, he was selling them in the back of the showroom. The lure was the old Harkins Lunker Lure.

I fell for it, and bought several. They caught fish. But what a self promoter he was. Also he was thrown out of an early tournament that I was in. I don't know how folks can do that.
Posted By: JWfish

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 06/02/18 01:14 AM

Remember whatching Don Wallace fishing back in the day wearing a Leisure Suit and the terrible banjo music sound track. My favorites were Freddie Grant, Charlie Pack, and good ol Jimmy Houston. Learned a lot from those guys.
Posted By: Sooner Claus

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 06/02/18 04:26 PM

Originally Posted By: TBassYates
Gadabout Gaddis.
You would have to really be an old goat to remember that one from back in the 60's. Loved that show as a young boy ate up with fishing.


My first bass came on a spoon called Al's Goldfish that I ordered from the Gadabout Gaddis show. I think I got a variety of 5 spoons for a dollar.
Posted By: lconn4

Re: Old TV fishing shows - 06/02/18 06:14 PM

Watching the American Sportsman with my dad was a Sunday afternoon tradition as a kid. Anything with flats fishing in Florida got my attention.









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