It saddens me to inform you all that Virgil Ward has passed away. Virgil was a true legend in the fishing community. He was loved and respected by millions.
For those of you who did not know Virgil Ward, I encourage you to take a moment and read about his life. His accomplishments and contributions to the outdoors were far too many to list here.
http://www.bassinusa.com/busa/pro_staff/virgil_ward.asp
Virgil lived a long and full life that touched so many people. His memory will live on forever in the wonderful television shows he created and also the hearts of those who knew him.
Rest in peace Virgil Ward, you will be missed… but never forgotten.
A Fishing Legend Passes On
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johnnie crain outdoors
- Posts: 1504
- Joined: Sat Apr 06, 2002 5:00 pm
A Fishing Legend Passes On
Thanks Brendan,
Dan Galusha, long time associate of Virgils called and told me the bad news. It's so sad, but he had a very long-fruitful life and his legasy will be what he taught all of us, which we have passed on to the next generation of anglers. He was a great angler and more important, a great man.
Dan Galusha, long time associate of Virgils called and told me the bad news. It's so sad, but he had a very long-fruitful life and his legasy will be what he taught all of us, which we have passed on to the next generation of anglers. He was a great angler and more important, a great man.
Johnnie Crain
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dansfishntales
- Posts: 248
- Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2002 5:00 pm
A Fishing Legend Passes On
Brendan and Johnnie,
I know Virgil would appreciate your comments. In his way, he would have had a slight grin, little laugh, and say, "All of this for me?" He was a great man, and a wonder friend to me. I will miss him, and especially our conversations.
I've been receiving emails from fans through my Virgil Ward page, which shows how much he was respected, and how their lives were touched. One gentleman said he became a fisheries biologist because of the inspiration he got from watching Championship Fishing.
If anyone would like to see The World of Virgil Ward documentary aired on their local PBS stations tell them to get in touch with WQPT Productions in Moline, IL. They will have the contact information.
This Saturday the show will be aired again in the Moline/Quad Cities area of Illinois and Iowa.
One of Virgil's desires was to have this show seen in as many areas as possible, as he was very honored by it being produced. Also, I told his daughter, Sandy, that we were going to try getting this show out to the public. She seemed very pleased, and knew her father would like that very much.
Brendan, I have the tribute you requested on its way in an email. If you need to have it edited, or completely rewritten, let me know.
As I've said in the tribute, and on my web page - God now has a great fishing partner.
Best of fishing,
Dan
I know Virgil would appreciate your comments. In his way, he would have had a slight grin, little laugh, and say, "All of this for me?" He was a great man, and a wonder friend to me. I will miss him, and especially our conversations.
I've been receiving emails from fans through my Virgil Ward page, which shows how much he was respected, and how their lives were touched. One gentleman said he became a fisheries biologist because of the inspiration he got from watching Championship Fishing.
If anyone would like to see The World of Virgil Ward documentary aired on their local PBS stations tell them to get in touch with WQPT Productions in Moline, IL. They will have the contact information.
This Saturday the show will be aired again in the Moline/Quad Cities area of Illinois and Iowa.
One of Virgil's desires was to have this show seen in as many areas as possible, as he was very honored by it being produced. Also, I told his daughter, Sandy, that we were going to try getting this show out to the public. She seemed very pleased, and knew her father would like that very much.
Brendan, I have the tribute you requested on its way in an email. If you need to have it edited, or completely rewritten, let me know.
As I've said in the tribute, and on my web page - God now has a great fishing partner.
Best of fishing,
Dan
Dan Galusha : Bassin' USA Prostaff : Illinois
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Scott
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2004 4:00 pm
A Fishing Legend Passes On
I sing the Virgil Ward song to my 6 month old daughter and she laughs like it is the best song ever. That has to be the catchiest outdoor song there ever was.
He will be missed, Im sure.
Scott
He will be missed, Im sure.
Scott
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brendanc
- Posts: 2720
- Joined: Thu May 03, 2001 4:00 pm
A Fishing Legend Passes On
Here is an article about Virgil that was written in the Kansas City Star:
Sport loses a legend, Virgil Ward
When I heard that Virgil Ward had passed away last week, it sent me on a nostalgic trip — back to the first time I shared a boat with the fishing legend from Missouri.
The sad news transported me back to the early 1980s, a sunny spring day when life couldn't have been better.
To someone who had fished for most of his life, I looked at getting a chance to be in the same boat with Ward the same way as some would view getting to play catch with Mickey Mantle.
Long before I came to Kansas City, I had watched Ward on his nationally syndicated “Championship Fishing” television show. And like many, I was hooked.
I looked forward to tuning in each week and seeing the mild-mannered Ward take me and other viewers on a fishing adventure to some exotic location I knew I would never see other than on television.
It was like hopping into a vehicle or a plane with your grandpa and going fishing.
Ward wasn't flashy like other TV show hosts such as Bill Dance or Roland Martin. And he didn't produce the laughs that Jimmy Houston or others did.
Still, it was hard not to like Ward and his soft-spoken mannerisms. To me, he seemed like fishing's version of the perfect gentleman. And when I got out with him that first time, I discovered that it wasn't an act.
He greeted me with a warm smile and a tour of his place in the country near Amsterdam, Mo.
When I had called him the day before, requesting a day on the water so that I could do a feature article on him, he understated, “I have a little pond out back where we could go.”
Well, that “little pond” was a fishing paradise. I could tell that when I first laid eyes on it.
It had about everything a fish could want. It was loaded with flooded timber and brush. It also had weeds and lily pads, rocks and stumps. And plenty of big fish.
We started catching those fish — bass and crappies — almost immediately as the camera rolled. Then came one of those signature moments that Ward and I reminisced about for years.
As I reeled in a half-pound crappie and let it splash around a bit, I looked down in the water and saw a shadow approaching. Then I watched as one of the biggest bass I have ever seen rose and inhaled that crappie like it was a minnow.
So I opened the bail on my reel and let the big bass descend, with the crappie and jig in its mouth. I counted to 10, then set the hook.
But when I did, the only thing I reeled in was the mangled crappie.
Ward immediately turned to the cameraman and said, “Did you get that?” And the cameraman smiled and said, “Every bit of it.”
Later, we went to his studio and played it back. Ward was as excited as a kid, eager to put the show on the air.
But that's not all I remember about that day. I also remember how he would insist on letting me have the first cast and how he maneuvered the boat so that I would always be in position to cast to the best cover.
Ward might have been competitive by nature, but he didn't show it that day. He was the perfect host. The perfect gentleman.
We started a friendship that day, one that lasted for years. We got together regularly for fishing trips, everywhere from western Missouri to the Ozarks.
Yeah, those were good times.
Virgil never sat in the boat and boasted about his accomplishments. But he certainly could have.
His “Championship Fishing” show, which started in 1964 and lasted 27 seasons, was seen on more than 300 stations across the nation. He also was a pioneer in the lure business, inventing, among others, the Beetle Spin that went on to become one of the all-time most popular baits.
Fishing lost a good man when he died of cancer at the age of 93 on Monday. I, like many, will miss him.
But his legacy will live on.
Sport loses a legend, Virgil Ward
When I heard that Virgil Ward had passed away last week, it sent me on a nostalgic trip — back to the first time I shared a boat with the fishing legend from Missouri.
The sad news transported me back to the early 1980s, a sunny spring day when life couldn't have been better.
To someone who had fished for most of his life, I looked at getting a chance to be in the same boat with Ward the same way as some would view getting to play catch with Mickey Mantle.
Long before I came to Kansas City, I had watched Ward on his nationally syndicated “Championship Fishing” television show. And like many, I was hooked.
I looked forward to tuning in each week and seeing the mild-mannered Ward take me and other viewers on a fishing adventure to some exotic location I knew I would never see other than on television.
It was like hopping into a vehicle or a plane with your grandpa and going fishing.
Ward wasn't flashy like other TV show hosts such as Bill Dance or Roland Martin. And he didn't produce the laughs that Jimmy Houston or others did.
Still, it was hard not to like Ward and his soft-spoken mannerisms. To me, he seemed like fishing's version of the perfect gentleman. And when I got out with him that first time, I discovered that it wasn't an act.
He greeted me with a warm smile and a tour of his place in the country near Amsterdam, Mo.
When I had called him the day before, requesting a day on the water so that I could do a feature article on him, he understated, “I have a little pond out back where we could go.”
Well, that “little pond” was a fishing paradise. I could tell that when I first laid eyes on it.
It had about everything a fish could want. It was loaded with flooded timber and brush. It also had weeds and lily pads, rocks and stumps. And plenty of big fish.
We started catching those fish — bass and crappies — almost immediately as the camera rolled. Then came one of those signature moments that Ward and I reminisced about for years.
As I reeled in a half-pound crappie and let it splash around a bit, I looked down in the water and saw a shadow approaching. Then I watched as one of the biggest bass I have ever seen rose and inhaled that crappie like it was a minnow.
So I opened the bail on my reel and let the big bass descend, with the crappie and jig in its mouth. I counted to 10, then set the hook.
But when I did, the only thing I reeled in was the mangled crappie.
Ward immediately turned to the cameraman and said, “Did you get that?” And the cameraman smiled and said, “Every bit of it.”
Later, we went to his studio and played it back. Ward was as excited as a kid, eager to put the show on the air.
But that's not all I remember about that day. I also remember how he would insist on letting me have the first cast and how he maneuvered the boat so that I would always be in position to cast to the best cover.
Ward might have been competitive by nature, but he didn't show it that day. He was the perfect host. The perfect gentleman.
We started a friendship that day, one that lasted for years. We got together regularly for fishing trips, everywhere from western Missouri to the Ozarks.
Yeah, those were good times.
Virgil never sat in the boat and boasted about his accomplishments. But he certainly could have.
His “Championship Fishing” show, which started in 1964 and lasted 27 seasons, was seen on more than 300 stations across the nation. He also was a pioneer in the lure business, inventing, among others, the Beetle Spin that went on to become one of the all-time most popular baits.
Fishing lost a good man when he died of cancer at the age of 93 on Monday. I, like many, will miss him.
But his legacy will live on.
Brendan C.
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brendanc
- Posts: 2720
- Joined: Thu May 03, 2001 4:00 pm
A Fishing Legend Passes On
Here is another article on Virgil from the KC Star:
Posted on Tue, Sep. 14, 2004
Fishing legend Virgil Ward dies at age 93
Three weeks ago Virgil Ward went fishing with his son, Bill.
Although he could barely climb into the boat, Ward was determined to fish. When the boat's motor went out, Ward insisted on helping Bill paddle into shore.
“That was my dad,” said Sandy Curnutte, one of Ward's three daughters. “He always had a very strong will, all the way up to the end.”
As usual, the day ended with a nice catch. It was the last time that Ward, one of the nation's best-known fishermen, went fishing on his private lake.
On Monday morning Ward died of bladder cancer at his Amsterdam, Mo., home. He was 93.
Ward achieved fame through his nationally syndicated television show “Championship Fishing” and several fishing innovations.
“Virgil was one of the best fishermen in the country, and I've fished with a lot of them,” said Frank Fensom, who worked for Ward and owned Frank Fensom's Sports Headquarters in Raytown. “He was honest, and he didn't exaggerate. He just went out and backed up what he said.”
In 1950, he and his son began the Bass Buster Lure Company in the back of the family's appliance shop in Amsterdam.
They patented the fiber weed guard, which is still used in manufacturing jigs. The feather jig was the first big success of the company and was followed by the maribou jig and the Beetle Spin. The company was sold to Johnson Fishing in the 1970s, but Ward's career had long since taken off.
Ward built his reputation through several tournament victories, including the 1962 World Series of Sport Fishing, the 1964 National Championship of Fresh Water Fishing and the 1964 Outdoor Writers and Broadcasters National Fishing Tournament.
By 1963, Ward was writing a column that appeared in 455 newspapers and was host of a radio show on 200 stations.
“Championship Fishing” began in 1964 and was syndicated throughout the country. Ward went fishing around the world and often included celebrities like George Brett, Pete Rose and Wayne Gretzky. The show lasted 27 seasons and was the No. 1-ranked fishing show for 24 of them, according to www.bassinusa.com.
Last December, Ward celebrated his 70th anniversary with his wife, Cleda. He is also survived by four children, nine grandsons and several great-grandchildren.
A visitation will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel in Butler, Mo. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Twin Lakes Ho****e, 304 Main Street, Warsaw, MO 65355.
— Kevin Kaduk/The Star
Posted on Tue, Sep. 14, 2004
Fishing legend Virgil Ward dies at age 93
Three weeks ago Virgil Ward went fishing with his son, Bill.
Although he could barely climb into the boat, Ward was determined to fish. When the boat's motor went out, Ward insisted on helping Bill paddle into shore.
“That was my dad,” said Sandy Curnutte, one of Ward's three daughters. “He always had a very strong will, all the way up to the end.”
As usual, the day ended with a nice catch. It was the last time that Ward, one of the nation's best-known fishermen, went fishing on his private lake.
On Monday morning Ward died of bladder cancer at his Amsterdam, Mo., home. He was 93.
Ward achieved fame through his nationally syndicated television show “Championship Fishing” and several fishing innovations.
“Virgil was one of the best fishermen in the country, and I've fished with a lot of them,” said Frank Fensom, who worked for Ward and owned Frank Fensom's Sports Headquarters in Raytown. “He was honest, and he didn't exaggerate. He just went out and backed up what he said.”
In 1950, he and his son began the Bass Buster Lure Company in the back of the family's appliance shop in Amsterdam.
They patented the fiber weed guard, which is still used in manufacturing jigs. The feather jig was the first big success of the company and was followed by the maribou jig and the Beetle Spin. The company was sold to Johnson Fishing in the 1970s, but Ward's career had long since taken off.
Ward built his reputation through several tournament victories, including the 1962 World Series of Sport Fishing, the 1964 National Championship of Fresh Water Fishing and the 1964 Outdoor Writers and Broadcasters National Fishing Tournament.
By 1963, Ward was writing a column that appeared in 455 newspapers and was host of a radio show on 200 stations.
“Championship Fishing” began in 1964 and was syndicated throughout the country. Ward went fishing around the world and often included celebrities like George Brett, Pete Rose and Wayne Gretzky. The show lasted 27 seasons and was the No. 1-ranked fishing show for 24 of them, according to www.bassinusa.com.
Last December, Ward celebrated his 70th anniversary with his wife, Cleda. He is also survived by four children, nine grandsons and several great-grandchildren.
A visitation will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel in Butler, Mo. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Twin Lakes Ho****e, 304 Main Street, Warsaw, MO 65355.
— Kevin Kaduk/The Star
Brendan C.
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dansfishntales
- Posts: 248
- Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2002 5:00 pm
A Fishing Legend Passes On
Brendan,
Thanks for posting the articles.
For those who have asked about VHS and DVD copies of The World of Virgil Ward documentary, they are available through WQPT Productions at 1-800-747-2430 for $20.
Also, the documentary is now available for any PBS station across the country. All we need is for people to contact their local PBS, and tell them they would like to see the show. There is some sort of email notice going out to them - they know about it - all they need is to see some interest.
Best of fishing,
Dan
Thanks for posting the articles.
For those who have asked about VHS and DVD copies of The World of Virgil Ward documentary, they are available through WQPT Productions at 1-800-747-2430 for $20.
Also, the documentary is now available for any PBS station across the country. All we need is for people to contact their local PBS, and tell them they would like to see the show. There is some sort of email notice going out to them - they know about it - all they need is to see some interest.
Best of fishing,
Dan
Dan Galusha : Bassin' USA Prostaff : Illinois
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Eriebronze
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2003 4:00 pm
A Fishing Legend Passes On
Brendan, thanks for the posts. Too many times a legend passes and you here about a great article, honoring their life's work, only to not see and read it for yourself. As a member of our chosen sport, Virgil will leave in his wake, a legacy that will span time and technology of the sport. A true sportsman, teacher, fisherman and just plain well liked. I will copy those articles to file for future reference.
Herb Bouyack : Bassin' USA Prostaff : Ohio
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MMT
- Posts: 487
- Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2002 5:00 pm
A Fishing Legend Passes On
93 years old is a lot of fishing time. Virgil was a true ambassador of the sport.
Craig DeFranzo