Hello,

My name is Dan Basore. Even though others in my family didn't fish I loved it from the time I was 2 years old. Fortunately, growing up near one of the greatest fishing tackle stores ever, I got great help from the owner Charlie Sutphin.

He, his father and mother were all casting champions. He made lures, rods and souped up reels for tournament casting in his shop just accross from the entrance to the Indianapolis 500 track. I started a fishing club and began a fishing diary at age 15. That year my Grandfather died in 1957 and his mostly unused lures came to me. That started me collecting old fishing stuff. Major acquisitions include the oldest collection known, started in 1909 consisting of 4,000 lures.

Good fortune shined in 1967 when Ray Scott invited me to become a Charter Member of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society. For $100 I got a Life Membership. Fishing several tournaments with top ten finishes, I won the Bass Casters Association's National Championship in 1971. This picture of Ray and I is from the early 1970s.

Testing tackle and representing many companies including Mann's, Bagley's, Storm, Norman, Lew's and Shimano, I met and became friends with many of the greatest giants of the industry.  I also began at an early age to take my display of old fishing items to sports shows and special events. This resulted in even more acquisitions.

This has evolved with many major and individual additions to the Historical Fishing Display, which is trade marked, and is seen at sports shows, kids fishing events, special displays in museums and Historical Societies and other venues.

The second illustration is an article and picture in conjunction with our exhibit at Naper-Settlement in Naperville, Illinois. We recreated a 1890s fishing outing with kids and I dressed in clothes from that era, took limbs off trees, tied on strings, corks and hooks and proceeded to help the kids catch over 200 fish of 8 different species from the Naperville, Illinois River Walk.

My passion brought me together with Midwest Outdoors where for over 20 years my FISHING HISTORY column resides. Some day these stories of early tackle makers will become a book. In 2007 we had a major exhibit at the Lake County Discovery Museum in Wauconda, Illinois. We will have exhibits at the Chicagoland Sports Show in January and the Milwaukee Sports Show in March each year. In addition we have placed major exhibits in Bass Pro Shops throughout the country.

Passing on this passion for fishing is very important and gratifying as we teach children how to fish. I also enjoy helping others to add items to their collections with duplicates and items that don't fit into my displays, and eBay has been a great way to do this as well as finding items to add to my collection of collections.  I'm so busy fishing that eBay seller Lurelore is helping to sell duplicate items I can't use. Contact me at ollures@aol.com