JD’s Big Game Fishing Tackle: Part Tackle Store, Part Museum, Completely One of a Kind
During the last five days of my recent stay in Panama, I shared a house with four fishing industry veterans whose knowledge of saltwater tactics and culture far exceeded my own, so I took the opportunity to pick their brains as much as possible. In particular, I wanted to know where to stop and what to do during my upcoming trip to Southern California. Jack Vitek, Editor of Marlin Magazine, told me that if I had the time I would not regret a trip to Balboa Island specifically to visit JD’s Big Game Fishing Tackle.
Jack knew what he was talking about. Several years earlier, while working for the IGFA, Jack had served as the official observer for Bad Company as they caught and released 330 marlin in Mag Bay to set a single-day record for releases. JD’s owner, John Doughty, was one of the nine expert anglers the boat’s owner Anthony Hsieh had tasked with hitting that historic mark.
With the final day of our own nine-day trip effectively open to do what we wanted – starting at a hotel near Anaheim and eventually ending up at LAX for an overnight flight, Balboa Island fit perfectly into our plans. The charming waterfront community immediately appealed to Hanna, who loves admiring beautiful homes, and the Southern California weather was about as perfect as it gets.
After parking and walking a block or so, we found JD’s.
The shop isn’t large, but it punches far above its class. That’s because not only does he carry all of the tackle needed to dominate local waters, but also because it’s far more than a tackle shop. It's a museum, a university, and a living archive of Southern California's rich big-game fishing history. Every corner contains something worth examining, layers upon layers of intrigue, museum-quality artifacts, and poignant memories.
Making it even better is John himself. I’m used to the often-grumpy old-timers of bass world, the ones who look at you skeptically as you walk into their shop and sometimes judge your credentials and even your purposes. Of course I almost immediately dropped Jack’s name – you would, too, because his is a big one in the offshore world – but I’m certain John would have warmed up to us even if I hadn’t. He greeted every customer with the same good cheer and helpfulness, whether they were obviously non-angling tourists or big game hunters like himself. I was thrilled that he spent the better part of a half hour telling me about the things he had accomplished, the history of the shop and the fishing culture he’d experienced and shaped during his 50 years in this particular spot.
In the era of big box stores and immediate internet gratification, this type of passed-down knowledge is going away quickly. I can’t think of a single mom and pop tackle store within 40 miles of my home. Fishing clubs are going away, too. At least in my world, anglers would rather show up in a tournament jersey on Saturday, fish their event and go home than learn from their elders. That’s a sad state of affairs and while I make full use of the electronic resources available to me I’m glad that I grew up in a time when there was more mentoring. I hope that I did my part for those who came along after me.
John obviously continues to give back to his community. Not only does he write a daily fish report, but he also takes extreme pride in his craftsmanship – particularly the 1940s-style, split-cane, six-sided bamboo rods that he builds for lovers of history and customers who understand the Tuna Club tradition. He patiently explained their history as well as that of the associated linen fishing lines.
Balboa Island was gorgeous on a perfect Southern California Saturday. We walked the waterfront, saw people eating the famous Balboa Bars and chocolate-dipped bananas (we’d already eaten too much during our stay), and gawked at the real estate, but of all the things I took away it’s that there’s value in preserving and promoting fishing heritage. We’ll be back to avail ourselves of Cali’s many salty fishing options and we’ll make time to revisit JD’s.
