Stafford Rods & Reels...

[FloridaFishinFool]

I post this as a curiosity and for research. I am not trying to promote this brand in any way, especially since the brand is now out of business and no longer in production.

But, does anyone here know anything about Stafford brand rods and reels?

I had never heard of this brand until I recently purchased a used rod and reel lot and found within the mixed rods and reels was a brand new unused 7' MH rod I had never heard of before. It is actually a fairly well built rod with quality parts. So I decided to put my super sleuth skills to work to see if I could dig up some information about this old brand.

What I found would make a good movie! And I'll post it soon, but I just wanted to ask any members here if they had heard of this brand and if anyone uses any rods or reels from this company, and if anyone had any information on the Stafford brand???

[Sc Bassin]

I did a lot of business with them after the dad got sick & died Katie took over until she was killed in a car wreck. Then the guy was running it  & that is when I had a problem. I ordered a Pflueger reel & he sent a Stafford (the family's last name) spinning reel that was froze up. I sent it back & he would not respond so I turned the dogs loose on the company. During this time he was killed in a motorcycle wreck. While Ms. Stafford was closing the business she called me & settled with me. She said she did not know about the problem. In my opinion the reel was a piece of junk.

[FloridaFishinFool]

I appreciate your reply. The information you posted is right in line with what I found too. But I would like to use this thread to take it all the way- from one end to the other concerning this brand. The reason for this is because when I began doing my searching for information I found numerous requests for information about this brand on other fishing forums and virtually no one ever replied to any of the requests for information. So I decided to do something about this on this forum and this thread. Maybe in the future if anyone does any google searching for information on this brand this thread will come up in the search so anyone can find out at least some information about the Stafford brand.

I will say this... I have not seen nor handled any Stafford reels, but I did find some brand new ones for sale on ebay which is peculiar because the company is out of business.

I have no proof, but I suspect that this brand was all made in China, a fact that is being intentionally hidden in more ways than one. For example, on all of the ebay sales pages for rods and reels under this brand name, none of them mention the place of manufacture.

And, the location these reels are said to be coming from is New Jersey. I have had experience in the past with Chinese manufacturers trying to get their products into the American market have either purchased or leased out large warehouses located in or near shipping import locations inside America like Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, and even Miami.

So I suspect that whoever is selling the Stafford brand reels and rods on ebay may be the Chinese manufacturer that made this equipment for the U.S. company that went out of business.

I suspect that the Chinese manufacturer was left sitting on a pile of brand new rods and reels that had not been paid for and in an effort to recover their money that the Chinese manufacturer is quietly trying to unload them in various markets around the world which is why a limited amount of all brand new rods and reels are showing up on ebay to this day years after the Stafford brand and company has gone out of business.

With that said, I know the Chinese have a reputation for making cheap products made very cheaply and are considered as junk as you noted above concerning the reel you purchased.

But, the one rod I recently acquired is actually made rather well. So the Chinese can and do make some products that we Americans readily buy up as great stuff.

One example of this is the mudhole custom rod company. Virtually ALL of their rod blanks they make and sell in America for custom rod builders are ALL made in China. And yet they are very highly rated.

And just like I am finding with this Stafford brand, Mudhole also tries to hide the source of manufacture for their rod blanks. They want to hide from all of us Americans that their products are indeed made cheaply in China and brought into the USA with a very high markup.

If the Chinese tried to rebrand the very same rods mudhole sells the price would be far less than what mudhole is asking for them.

With this out of the way, one thing you said in your reply above really sparked my curiosity... and that was the very first words you wrote above concerning this Stafford brand...  "I did a lot of business with them"

I found this statement interesting because a lot of us end users out here who buy rods and reels to use might only buy one or two items from a company like Stafford, but you said you did a lot of business with them which sounds like you were in the rod and reel selling business and did it on a much larger scale???

And then you said this: "I did a lot of business with them after the dad got sick & died Katie took over until she was killed in a car wreck. Then the guy was running it  & that is when I had a problem."

That part about "after" dad got sick and died sounds like after he died the daughter wanted to sell off or liquidate remaining stock for a much cheaper price?

And you mention some guy running it is when you had a problem. I find this curious because when I was doing my searches on this company I found this:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Fishin-Tackle-Wholesale-Outlet/-N-North-Fort-Myers-Florida-33903/Fishin-Tackle-Wholesale-Outlet-Fishing-tackle-outlet-Non-payment-of-services-rendered-s-893611

Report: #893611
Complaint Review: Fishin' Tackle Wholesale Outlet

Fishin' Tackle Wholesale Outlet Fishing tackle outlet Non payment of services rendered, screwed mom out of pay check N North Fort Myers, Florida

Submitted: Wed, June 06, 2012 Updated: Wed, June 06, 2012
Reported By: MotherSpider — Ft Myers Florida United States of America
Fishin' Tackle Wholesale Outlet
18461 North Tamiami Trail
N North Fort Myers, Florida
United States of America
Phone: 800-563-7637
Web: http://www.fish33.com
Category: Fishing

I was brought in as a contractor 3 years ago by Captain Skip Stafford to maintain the wholesale fishing tackle website.  We had a verbal contract that I would come into the office on Monday and use my home office for the remainder of the week.

Captain Skip passed away about 6 months later.  His daughter Katherine (Katy) Stafford/Frizzell was to take over the business, as I remember hearing him say his other daughter Kassandra (Kassy) Stafford/Battle would never be able to run the business as she did not have the business savy. 

Unfortunately, Katy Stafford became addicted to drugs.  She allowed the tackle business her grandfather had built run into the ground.  In her last couple of months she was repeatedly pulled over by police for reckless driving and even arrested.  Finally, in March of 2012, she had a head on collision after buying pills in the parking lot of the wholesale fishing tackle outlet.  She killed herself and another woman (mother of 5), plus put her own son in intensive care, to which it is still uncertain if he has brain damage. 

Now, Kassy Stafford has taken over the business.  I was asked to come in as a business adviser since I have a college degree in business management.  At that time it was apparent that I would need to be on site for more hours in order to try to put the business to right.  Unfortunately again, they did not take most of my advice and continued to run the business and undermine my decisions.

In April 2012 a new employee was brought in to manage and I went back to my job of maintaining the web site.  They decided that I needed to be on site to do my work and continually badgered me to be there even though all of my work is done over the internet.

Monday, May 28th, 2012, my pay was docked, as they said I was being warned for not working my hours on site.  I was told that it was only a warning and as long as I did my hours on site it would not happen again.  Monday, June 4th, 2012, they docked me again. 

Due to the fact that to be on a new schedule caused me to have to spend an additional $70 per week to perform these duties, plus docking my pay for 2 weeks and an additional week that was held back at commencement of services, they owe me a total of $1590. 

Over the years I have seen how they treat their employees, and I use the word employees loosely because they are true employees, yet this company does not pay employment taxes or even report having more than one employee.  Their head sales man, a 5.5% commission only staff member, known as Thomas (Mike Moreland) is actually the only reason their business is still open today.  He is the only person who has been making sales consistently for the last two years.  Yet, they constantly badger him, deduct money from his pay, call him names, yell at him, and threaten to let him go.  I was the reason he was raised from 4% commission to 5.5%, both of which are ridiculously
low, especially when considering he is the only one making sales there.

I know from seeing past employees let go that I will never recoup the $1590 they owe me, as they tend to not make sure to pay final week's pay.  I just would like the world to finally hear all that truly goes on in this business now that I no longer rely on the income.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 06/06/2012 08:08 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Fishin-Tackle-Wholesale-Outlet/-N-North-Fort-Myers-Florida-33903/Fishin-Tackle-Wholesale-Outlet-Fishing-tackle-outlet-Non-payment-of-services-rendered-s-893611.

[FloridaFishinFool]

So I did a little bit of digging in public records with the state of Florida dept of State concerning Florida corporations... and I am still digging through the information but will post the basics for now...

http://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResultDetail?inquirytype=EntityName&directionType=PreviousList&searchNameOrder=FISHINTACKLEOUTLET%20P010000727650&aggregateId=domp-p01000072765-b742ad72-7d8c-439c-a270-842c8ce523b1&searchTerm=Fishin%27%20Tackle%20Wholesale%20Outlet&listNameOrder=FISHINOFF%20P930000560800

Detail by Entity Name
Florida Profit Corporation
FISHIN' TACKLE OUTLET, INC.
Filing Information
Document Number
P01000072765
FEI/EIN Number
03-0404634
Date Filed
07/23/2001
Effective Date
08/01/2001
State
FL
Status
INACTIVE
Last Event
ADMIN DISSOLUTION FOR ANNUAL REPORT
Event Date Filed
09/25/2015
Event Effective Date
NONE
Principal Address
18441 U.S. HIGHWAY 41
NORTH FORT MYERS, FL 33903
Mailing Address
PO BOX 3877
NORTH FORT MYERS, FL 33918

Changed: 04/29/2004
Registered Agent Name & Address
Ramunni, Steven A
1533 Hendry Street, Suite 101
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Name Changed: 10/10/2013

Address Changed: 10/10/2013
Officer/Director Detail
Name & Address

Title PVPST

STAFFORD, KASSANDRA L
PO BOX 3328
NORTH FORT MYERS, FL 33918

Annual Reports
Report Year   Filed Date
2013   05/02/2013
2013   10/10/2013
2014   02/26/2014

Document Images
02/26/2014 -- ANNUAL REPORT   View image in PDF format
10/10/2013 -- AMENDED ANNUAL REPORT   View image in PDF format
05/02/2013 -- ANNUAL REPORT   View image in PDF format
07/30/2012 -- REINSTATEMENT   View image in PDF format
10/16/2006 -- REINSTATEMENT   View image in PDF format
05/02/2005 -- ANNUAL REPORT   View image in PDF format
04/29/2004 -- ANNUAL REPORT   View image in PDF format
05/02/2003 -- ANNUAL REPORT   View image in PDF format
05/15/2002 -- ANNUAL REPORT   View image in PDF format
07/23/2001 -- Domestic Profit   View image in PDF format


So it is clear that dad died in 2010, and his daughter Kathryn took it over until she died in 2012 and then another daughter Kassandra took it over and finally closed it down and went out of business in 2014.

The Stafford brand is now done and over with. But we can take a look back at the who and what and why of this interesting American story and drama that came to a screeching halt in 2014.

So let's start with Captain Skip...

[FloridaFishinFool]

So who is Captain Skip???

I will say one thing... he was a real character, but there is apparently quite a bit of myth and legend built up around this man and his fishing career. So as I plunged into this and delved through all the bits and pieces of information, a story began to emerge from it and I was then able to begin to separate some fact from all the fiction.

His name first... Bernard R. Stafford commonly called Captain Skip because he ran what appears to have been a successful charter fishing business for many years.

His story is basically an American boy living the American dream. A boy who loved fishing and grew up into a man who turned his fishing skills into a career and business and is even said to have acquired some 33 fishing records in his time. And upon this base of fishing knowledge, and fishing records, he started several businesses such as a private fishing charter business and his own bait and tackle shops. And from what I can tell he eventually made it onto his own fishing television show as a host or narrator. And Captain Skip traveled around the country doing seminars and fishing clinics too.

And, it does appear that he also got into making his own custom rods which would eventually develop into his own line and Stafford brand of rods and reels that from what I can tell happened very late in his life around 2005 to 2007.

His story begins up north in Indiana where he was born and raised and where he learned to fish and where he made his name in fishing, earning his records I have yet to uncover, and where the legend of Captain Skip was made as well as his TV shows.

But if this man died in 2010 and he lived in South Florida for 12 years before his death, then he relocated to Florida sometime around 1998.

By then his charter business was behind him, his TV show was gone, done and over with. So he came to Florida and apparently opened up his own fishing tackle wholesale outlet where he would peddle rods and reels to earn a living and this is where I think he developed the idea for his own brand of rods and reels. And this is where this story takes an interesting turn and I will let the current sales pages of ebay give us this interesting information some fact some fiction...

[FloridaFishinFool]

Well this is interesting... just yesterday I looked on ebay and found several Stafford brand reels for sale. Today I can not find a one of them listed, only the rods. A curious development to say the least. Maybe the auction pages simply ended and none have been relisted yet.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stafford-Conventional-Fishing-Reel-ST-C2000-New-In-Box-Rosewood-Handle-/172439439086?nma=true&si=DPoetxxzOgz6DE2PBhpDP07BVVc%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557



In any case, some of the information posted in the descriptions are interesting...

"This is an auction for a Stafford high quality bait cast reel for fresh or saltwater fishing. Great competitively priced alternative to the Abu Ambassador or Shakespeare 2000 SKP series.  Quality reel made for independent bait and tackle shops to compete with chain store brands."

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stafford-Strados-300-Fresh-water-spinning-reel-/192033095678?nma=true&si=DPoetxxzOgz6DE2PBhpDP07BVVc%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557



"This is a fixed price offer for a high quality Stafford Strados 300 fresh water spinning reel.  These were made for  select bait and tackle shops as a quality offering to their customers. Great features for a reel that would be twice the price."

[FloridaFishinFool]

Captain Skip was an owner of various independent small mom and pop type of bait and tackle shops. So it appears that if I am to take literally what is presently being posted on ebay as truth, that his brand and line of rods and reels were made for and targeted for sale in small mom and pop bait and tackle shops. Rods and reels they could buy wholesale cheap and make a decent profit from.

This type of information all by itself says China, China, China all over it as the source of manufacture for his low priced brand and line of rods and reels. Where else could he have them made so easily and so cheap if not China? And yet the source country of manufacture is hidden. Even the rod I recently acquired does not list a country of manufacture.

It should also be noted that one Stafford brand spinning reel is called the "Strados." This sounds very similar to Shimano's Stradic and I have to wonder if this name was chosen as a way of sort of confusing or blending a Stafford Strados with a Stradic in the mind of a potential buyer?

But it is clear that the market for this Stafford brand was not going to be found inside of WalMarts or Bass Pro shops so his only real market would be the mom and pop independent bait and tackle shops across America.

So he moved to South Florida and opened up his own fishin' tackle wholesale outlet store and then developed his own brand of rods and reels to distribute through his wholesale outlet.

When I did some searches in the Florida Dept. Of State public records for corporations I happened to do a search on the name Bernard Stafford and I may have found the company that he used for his brand of rods and reels:

http://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResultDetail?inquirytype=OfficerRegisteredAgentName&directionType=Initial&searchNameOrder=STAFFORDBERNARDR%20P070001096471&aggregateId=domp-p07000109647-b076f228-6c81-4be1-8ea2-f3c7474ca576&searchTerm=stafford%20bernard&listNameOrder=STAFFORDBERNARDR%20P070001096470

Detail by Officer/Registered Agent Name
Florida Profit Corporation
HYSUN, INC.
Filing Information
Document Number
P07000109647
FEI/EIN Number
NONE
Date Filed
10/03/2007
Effective Date
10/03/2007
State
FL
Status
INACTIVE
Last Event
ADMIN DISSOLUTION FOR ANNUAL REPORT
Event Date Filed
09/26/2008
Event Effective Date
NONE
Principal Address
2634 NE 9TH AVE.
CAPE CORAL, FL 33909
Mailing Address
PO BOX 3328
NORTH FORT MYERS, FL 33918
Registered Agent Name & Address
STAFFORD, BERNARD R
2634 NE 9TH AVE.
CAPE CORAL, FL 33909
Officer/Director Detail
Name & Address

Title P

STAFFORD, BERNARD R
PO BOX 3328
NORTH FORT MYERS, FL 33918

Annual Reports
No Annual Reports Filed

Document Images
10/03/2007 -- Domestic Profit   View image in PDF format

[FloridaFishinFool]

When I did some searches on Stafford rods one thing kept coming up over and over and over and that was that his brand, the Stafford brand of rods are called "custom" rods. It did not matter if the seller was in California, Florida, or New Jersey. They were just about all saying his brand of rods were custom made which in my opinion is patently untrue.

The rods that were saying this appeared to be made in quantity and appeared to all be of similar make and construction rather than what one would truly expect on custom rods to all be somewhat different and with unique construction characteristics.

While it may be true that Capt. Skip did at one time make custom rods, those being sold under his brand are clearly not custom rods.

And it also appears that his rods had quite a bit of markup too as his fly rods are listed at $150.00 and some of his spinning and baitcast rods were also priced retail well above $100 per rod. Even today on ebay these rods are priced at around $70 each with retail prices at $140 and $150.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STAFFORD-IMX-7-TROPHY-ANGLER-GRAPHITE-9-6-8-9-Wt-FLY-ROD-W-BAG-HARD-CASE-/361520789906?hash=item542c517992:g:gvAAAOxyVLNS5n3d



Notice the date on the retail price tags in the photo above? 2008. That is one year after the creation of his HySun Florida corporation in 2007, and 2 years prior to his death in 2010.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stafford-ST-AV-C701MH-Bait-Casting-Rod-Custom-Built-/321649187554?hash=item4ae3c91ae2:g:E7EAAOSw8d9UwtjV

Stafford ST-AV-C701MH Bait Casting Rod (Custom Built)











Does this look like a custom rod??? Not to me, but this is how they are being listed over and over...

[FloridaFishinFool]

Now for some of the myth of this man and his legend... the above baitcast rod I pointed out that was said to be custom made... here is the ebay description for that rod:

Stafford ST-AV-C701MH

Avengor

7' Baitcasting Rod

Action Medium Heavy

This is Custom Made by the late Capt Skip Stafford.  The special mix of Graphite and fiberglass that gives this rod incredilble strength.  The Capt was once offered a cool million Dollars for his formula for the blank.  This rod has IM7 Graphite/fiberglass composite Blank  Wrapped on the blank are SS Fyna Flow Guides with cushioned inserts.  The handle is very light but very strong premium grade cork.  A good rod for Buzzbaits, Spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, Swinging Jigs, Crank Baits, and dock skipping.  Comes with a very nice rod wrap made of Nylon Material

NEW high end, graphite, light in weight, yet strong bait casting rod.
- Plenty of backbone for the serious, in-shore fisherman, as well as medium to heavy freshwater action.

- Retails for $149.99

Item Specs :

IM7 Graphite rod ST-RAV-C701MH SS Dyna flow guides SS Hoods Cushioned inserts

7' One piece Medium-Heavy

Line weight 10-20 lb

Lure weight ¼-1 oz

Premium cork grip

--------------------------------------------

"This is Custom Made by the late Capt Skip Stafford.  The special mix of Graphite and fiberglass that gives this rod incredilble strength.  The Capt was once offered a cool million Dollars for his formula for the blank.  This rod has IM7 Graphite/fiberglass composite Blank"

A custom rod? I don't think so.

A special mix of graphite and fiberglass? Who knows. Maybe yes, maybe no. But to say this man was offered a cool million dollars for his formula for the blank??? Seriously?

This man was just a northern fisherman. He did not hold any patents. He was not a chemical engineer or composite genius. I checked for patents and trademarks and none were found under his name. So how could a regular Joe fisherman create some special formula that was not patented nor protected by any federal law I could find that would be worth one million dollars?

I just can not believe this one. It is too far fetched to even be considered as real or legitimate in any way.

To me this sounds more like a sales gimmick than anything else.

Such is the myth of Capt. Skip...

[analfisherman]

WOW, REMIND ME TO NEVER STRETCH THE TRUTH TO YOU, MY FRIEND.   

What a great job you have done. 

usually I have to do all that research on my own. (actually I had already started, for no reason except being anal) and now I don't have too.

Thanks for all your work!

It's funny, I know a local guy who has a son who has his own 'Custom Musky Bait and Rod Company'.
He's an idiot and his son is even a bigger idiot!
His baits are just parts boughten from MuD Hole and Barlows and pieced together in an old garage from a bunch of 'illegal' Mexicans.
He said his son is selling his siding company and going to do tackle full time (oh his son is the countries best siding guy and get's asked to do 'seminars all over the country, ya, OK  . We are talking house siding....it's done the same way EVERY WHERE IN THE COUNTRY. There are no true experts with 'secrets'.
He's basically a 'STORM CHASER', if an area get's hit heavy by hail, they pack up, hire a bunch of 'illegal' Mexicans and off they go.
So I met his son and the idiot didn't know the difference between Power and Action even.
The Rods are made in China with NO INPUT FROM THE IDIOT, AT ALL.
Just cheap a$$ China made crap.
He told me he sold 150 Musky Rods at a Musky Show in Northern WI.   Trust me, in WI., the Musky Funatics are crazier than us Bassers.
They know their stuff and there is no chance that at a show with the likes of St.Croix and other big name Musky retailers, that guys are buying a 150 Musky rods from a guy who hasn't ever even fished a Musky Tourn. and has only been fishing Musky for 7 years with the biggest being a measly 48" fish.   

[FloridaFishinFool]

You are welcome and I am just getting warmed up on this one! More to come!

My mother was involved with government and politics for a career. She was even elected a first woman mayor and re-elected for a second term and a campaign manager for various senators and representatives back in the 1970's and 1980's.

She was a public records expert researcher. If someone even farted in church she would find it! I remember how she was even connected to various newspapers and had investigative journalists and private detectives working for her. If you were a political opponent running for office against her or who she worked for look out. If there were any skeletons in their closet she would find them and then splatter it all over the news just days before the election and have her opponents on the defense as voters were walking into the voting booths they would have plenty of dirt fresh out and fresh on their minds when voting. She destroyed numerous "politicians" this way.

I learned a small fraction of her investigative skills from her. So that is where I get it from- dear old mom.

And what compelled me to dig up information on this brand was all because of one rod that fell into my hands- a brand new 7' MH baitcast rod that is actually well made. I tried looking it up by the information found on the rod and could not believe I had a brand new rod in my hands that did NOT even have the brand name of the rod anywhere on it! Say what??? No brand name on a rod?

Well that just made me more curious than ever. All I had was the name "stimulator" and a model number and come to find out Stimulator was just a name for one series of rods this company produced. It took me some digging to even find out it was a Stafford rod and even more digging to find who Stafford was. Once I dug in I had to find out.

Oh, and come to find out, they did put the brand name on their rods, but not printed on the rod blank like everyone else does. Down in the reel seat where you usually find "made by fuji" stickers is where the name "Stafford" was placed under the reel on a sticker. So if it fell off as was the case with my rod, then the name of Stafford was no where to be found on the rod period. But the brand logo and artwork is on the rod, but not the name. I wonder why??? I have never seen any rod manufacture do anything like this before. But, on some of the other Stafford brand rods I found they did print their company name on the rod blank. I wonder why it was left off the rod I got my hands on??? Is it possible the rod I got my hands on is maybe a production mistake or something???

In any case, since these Stafford rods are no longer in production and apparently quite rare now I have decided to keep mine and fish with it in memory of old Captain Skip. I hope he is smiling down from fishing heaven... 'cause now it is time to do him a little well deserved justice...

[FloridaFishinFool]

August 30, 1991

The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana · Page 26

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/106872187/

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. "There they are . . . right where they were supposed to be," Capt. Skip Stafford said, pointing to the screen on one of several fish-locating gadgets that rested on the console of his "Trophy Fishing" boat. We were 3 or 4 miles out from this beautiful little city on Lake Michigan's shores and if you can believe an electronic gadget, a huge school of yellow (ring) perch, the thing that had lured me there, was right below us. They were 57 feet below to be exact, smack on the bottom. While I took care of anchoring chores.

Skip was baiting up little spinning outfits with two-hook bottom fishing rigs for his two daughters, Katy, 7, and Kassy, 4. Live shiner minnows less than 1 V2 Inches were placed on plain hooks and the treble hooks of small spoons known as Arrowheads. If I had any doubts about the truthfulness of that electronic equipment, they were erased about the time I got back to the stern of the boat. For there was Katy, cranking the handle of her reel while the little rod throbbed and a "Jumbo" perch came to the surface.

In a matter of seconds I had a line In the water and headed for the bottom thanks to half an ounce of lead. Dave Mull, a freelance writer from Elkhart, and Greg Sand-qulst, the cameraman who films Capt. Skip's "Trophy Fishing" television shows, had moved in Just behind us, and they were after them, too. That was the way this whole thing got started. I had been at St. Joe earlier this summer, but that was for salmon and trout.

While there I was quizzing Skip about the Jumbo perch fishing and he had Invited me to come up when he made a perch-fishing By "BAYOU BILL" SCIFRES segment of his show later. He had expected cooler water temperatures to bring the perch In close by now, but the hot weather held and the perch remained far off shore.

Incidentally, If you want to see a 7-year-old girl work me over at perch fishing, Skip said this segment of his show, "Trophy Fishing," will be aired in January or February. At any rate, Skip said since the perch did not come In, we would go out after them. The two-hook bottom rig used for this kind of fishing Is nothing more than a strong length of monofilament line (about 18 Inches long) with a double-eyed swivel on one end and a snap swivel on the other. The line is tied to the free end of the double-eyed swivel and a bell sinker of the angler's choice is snapped on the other end. Between the two are either two hooks spaced so they cannot easily get together.

We modified the rig slightly by using the Vfe-ounce Arrowhead (Rebel Lures) on the bottom and It worked like magic. A slow, up-and-down motion with the rod tip seemed to bring best results, but the fish took the minnows even without motion. "How do smaller boats or those with less sophisticated electronics find the fish?" we asked during a lull. "Look around!" Skip said. There were eight or 10 smaller boats moving In on our spot. "They know we're on 'em," he said, adding that he was happy...

(rest of article missing and I have to pay for it to read it so not going to happen)

[FloridaFishinFool]

http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/515930.html?nav=5012

Bernard R. Stafford

April 12, 2010

Cape Coral Daily Breeze

Bernard R. Stafford, 67, of Cape Coral passed away Saturday, April 10, 2010, at Cape Coral Hospital in Cape Coral. He was born March 7, 1943, in South Bend, Ind., a son of Bernard and Emma Staeyert Stafford, now deceased. He was an outstanding and adventurous charter boat captain for 22 years, referred to as Capt. Skip. He was also a degreed architect. He was co-owner of the Fishing Tackle Outlet in North Fort Myers.

He was a veteran of the Vietnam War, serving proudly with the U.S. Marine Corps. Formerly of South Bend, Ind., he had resided in the Cape for the past 12 years.

He is survived by his wife, Laury Stafford; his daughters, Michelle Kay (Dan) Nagle, Kathryn Rene "Tater" Stafford and Kassandra Leigh "Kassy" Stafford; his grandchildren, Jacob Nagle, Mikayla Nagle, Emma Mackenzie Nagle and Matthew Nagle, Tavian Stafford and Victor "Tor" Stafford; and his sister, Nancy Stafford-Blossom.

Funeral services will be today, April 13, at 3 p.m., at Coral Ridge Funeral Home. Visitation will be held today from 1-3 p.m. prior to services.

Entombment with military honors

[FloridaFishinFool]

Can any member here identify the cross glued onto his tombstone??? Is it a secret society? A fraternity?

I found online where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, but none of the images for that fraternity match what I see on the cross.

If you click on the tombstone photo I posted above it will enlarge enough to see clearly the cross in greater detail.

I can see at the top of the cross are two crossed keys which is a common symbol:

"The Cross Keys is a very common sign around Great Britain and is related to Christian heraldry. The cross keys refer to Saint Peter, to whom Jesus said: "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven." It is not surprising therefore to find that the papal arms features the crossed keys."

I was just curious what was the meaning and significance of this cross glued onto his tombstone???

[analfisherman]

Well I checked to find out what the two Greek letters  meant.
Then checked  Fraternal organizations starting with Architecture, nothing....fishing nothing....on and on.

The letters are pronounced.....Sigma Chi......so I researched Sigma Chi Fraternity.......couldn't find the  Cross there.
Incidentally I started checking Christian Fraternities first because checking the meanings of Tombstone symbols found a cross symbolized 'Christianity". No luck there.

Continued for like an hour nothing! 
Was ready to throw in the towel...........and THEN.........
     I 'Googled' .........What does Sigma Chi in the MIDDLE of a CROSS  mean..........

https://www.sigmachi.org/badge

Can anyone say "ANAL"?

Skip....may you Rest in Peace!.

[FloridaFishinFool]

Change your screen name to analgenius! You did it! You found what it is! Thanks for doing this!

I doubt if any of his daughters would have glued this symbol on to his tombstone. So I am thinking that maybe one of his "brothers" did it.



https://www.sigmachi.org/values

Values

"One, and the main, aim and object of Sigma Chi has been, and is, to develop and train broad-minded men who can recognize the wholeness of things and who are not bound down to a contracted, eight-by-ten notion of exclusiveness. There is an absolute necessity for such men."
~Founder Benjamin P. Runkle, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857

What is Sigma Chi?

Sigma Chi is a brotherhood with roots in the collegiate experience that engenders a lifelong commitment to strive to achieve true friendship, equal justice and the fulfillment of learning as part of our overall responsibilities to the broader communities in which we live.

We achieve these ideals through the practice of character qualities embodied in our Ritual, and continuously reaffirm our purpose through the observance of Sigma Chi's Governing Laws and through adherence to the decisions of our legislative assemblies that empower and direct our leadership.

In addition to its 239 undergraduate chapters and 132 alumni chapters, Sigma Chi is comprised of four operational entities: The Sigma Chi International Fraternity, the Sigma Chi Foundation, the Risk Management Foundation and Constantine Capital Inc.

Fundamental Purpose

The fundamental purpose of the Sigma Chi International Fraternity is the cultivation, maintenance and accomplishment of the ideals of friendship, justice and learning within its membership.

The Fraternity best serves that purpose by developing, implementing and monitoring programs that foster leadership, build character and promote positive relationship skills, which in turn enable its members to become productive and caring participants in their families, colleges and communities.


Core Values, Vision and Mission

Sigma Chi's core values are friendship, justice and learning. Our vision is to become the preeminent collegiate leadership development organization — aligned, focused and living our core values. Our mission is to develop values-based leaders committed to the betterment of character, campus and community.

[analfisherman]

The pleasure was mine.

And YA, I read that link along with DOZENS of other Sigma Chi links. 
I just may know more about Sigma Chi  then the brothers in the group themselves do.

Grover Clevland was a member.
Woody Hayes, Drew Bries, Bob Griese, Mike Ditka, Merlin Olsen, Drew Bries, ....

and many more...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sigma_Chi_members

[FloridaFishinFool]

Thanks for that information! I wonder now how we can add Bernard R. Stafford to that list on wikipedia??? Surely he deserves to be listed among his brothers???


Capt. Bernard R. Stafford aka Capt. Skip along with his daughter Kathryn more than likely aboard one of Capt. Skip's charter fishing boats on the Great Lakes:


So what we are all learning here about Bernard R. Stafford, aka Capt. Skip, is that we are dealing with a man of intelligence and extremely high character. The man is an American hero, a war veteran who served with honor in the U.S. Marines during the Viet Nam war era.

We are all learning this man was a degreed architect and college graduate who was a member of at least 2 fraternities dealing with a man's code of conduct among his fellow humans.

We are learning about a man who did not follow his choice of college education and degree in architecture. Nope. This man followed his passion in life. He followed his dreams and made his living from his love of fishing and took it to many levels most of us will never see.

How many of us hold 33 awards and records in fishing?

How many of us owned and ran our own bait and tackle shops?

How many of us owned and ran our own charter fishing company?

How many of us became a host of a national television show for fishing?

How many of us traveled around the country doing seminars and clinics on fishing and tackle and safety on the water?

How many of us build custom rods?

How many of us own and run a fishing tackle wholesale outlet?

How many of us develop our own brand and line of fishing tackle?

How many of us have ever lived our dreams???

By all accounts just from what we know, I think we can all tell that this man Bernard R. Stafford truly lived the American dream simply by following his passion and a great desire within himself to share it with the world and especially to future generations. Capt. Skip taught others how to fish and made that his career and life.

Even though he died young at 67, he more than likely died a man fulfilled with no regrets and plenty to be happy about.

So take a read now of Capt. Skip in his own words from a rare newspaper article I was able to find online...

Westland Observer

Westland, Michigan

Thursday, February 28, 1991

Page 33:

FISHING CLINIC GIVES CHILDREN GUIDANCE

by Bill Parker Outdoors writer

Children are our future and with all the distractions facing them today, a little guidance and encouragement now and then goes a long way.

Captain Skip Stafford, host of the PASS television show "Trophy Fishin'" will provide some guidance at 1pm Saturday when he conducts a "Kids Klinic" at the Outdoorama Sport and Travel Show at the Michigan State Fairgrounds.

Fundamentals of fishing, safety, and fun will be the topics of discussion when Capt. Skip takes the floor.

"Fishing has to be a sport of choice for kids today," explained Stafford who owns 33 awards and records on the Great Lakes, "when I was growing up, kids started fishing because it was the only thing for them to do. Today, with computers and video games and things they have hundreds of activities to choose from. If fishing isn't fun they won't continue. It has to be fun."

Stafford stresses safety and fundamentals in his clinic, but fun is "probably the number one aspect."

If you're out fishing with a child and the fishing is real slow, the best thing you can do is to go home and try it again another day. With kids, you have to keep their interest," Stafford said. "When children are in the fundamental stages of fishing, the size of the fish is not important. What is important is that they have fun and they have fun by catching fish."

"My basic philosophy is this: Don't take kids on YOUR fishing trip, you go on THEIR fishing trip. I really try to encourage parents to make fishing fun and exciting for the kids."

Kids Klinic, sponsored by Polaroid, Rebel Lures, and Zebco rods and reels, offers prizes to the first 500 kids under 4. Participants can also have their picture taken with Capt. Skip free of charge.

--------------

You know, I can see why Capt. Skip did clinics on safety. He made his fishing career upon some of the most treacherous waters on the planet in those Great Lakes that have taken down many a man who sailed upon them. Safety is probably what kept him alive to tell the tales.

But what wisdom this man had as well as compassion and great care for children when he spoke these words to a newspaper writer back in 1991:

"My basic philosophy is this: Don't take kids on YOUR fishing trip, you go on THEIR fishing trip. I really try to encourage parents to make fishing fun and exciting for the kids."

Right now these words have hit home big time. I have 2 young sons ages 3 and 5 and I take them fishing all the time and I must admit I have failed at following this advice of Capt. Skip's. I have taken my boys on my fishing trips and I need to learn to turn it around when I take the boys and I need to make it their fishing trip, not mine.

So I will try and learn this lesson from Old Capt. Skip Stafford. I hope I will not be alone on this forum in learning this bit of wisdom...

[cojab]

FFF and Anal, are you guys possibly related!

[analfisherman]

Brothers from different Mothers!

[FloridaFishinFool]

FFF and Anal, are you guys possibly related!

Its possible! My mom has relatives in Wisconsin.

[BRADANGLERS]

Trophy Fishin' was the brand name of most of the gear sold by Capt. Skip when I worked for him in 1998- 1999
STAFFORD was to be the more PREMIUM brand
When Skip moved to Florida, his intent was to buy and sell fishing closeouts, but when he couldn't find enough rod closeouts, he started having them made in China under the Trophy Fishin' brand.
His main customers were small shops and Flea Marketers.
Skip had a large booth at the Big Ft. Myers Flea market for several years that his daughter "Tater" was usually in charge of.
I have a ton of memories, both good and sour, of my time with Capt. Skip