I’ve been fishing for bass as early as I can remember. My father, John, was an avid angler and I can remember Canadian Pike trips and bass fishing when I was 4 or 5 years old, with him and my brother Tom.

Although John passed away very young his passion lives on and I have always considered fishing an integral part of my life. So much so that wherever I lived, I was happiest with rod and reel in hand. 

I grew up in Massachusetts fishing BASS. I spent 5 years in Colorado chasing trout. After fishing the Rockies I went to San Diego  with one thing in mind – FISHING. And yes, I had been to Florida and Hawaii. San Diego is hands down the most serious sportfishing destination for offshore excitement. I spent 4 years working as a deck hand and ultimately working trips as the engineer of the world famous Excel. This long range vessel is billed as the worlds’ largest most luxurious sportfisher. Although the passengers were accommodated with luxury; 7 full heads; fully air conditioned vessel with 18 private double bed state rooms with sink, vanity, closet, drawers etc. , the crew  was accustomed to long work days (no assigned break times, and very little sleep (the usual off shore crew requirements). It was the norm to work 25-35 days in a row before receiving a trip off. This long range 125’, 32’beam, 350 ton steel vessel is a working machine and does not sit still. With the exception of haul out – boat work (where the crew is

expected to be 7 days a week for 4-7 weeks grinding, painting, degreasing, cleaning and much more) the boat may only sit 2 or 3 days the entire year. The short trips; 5,6,7,8,10 days all turn around in a matter of hours, with new linens, a full cleaning inside and out, restocking of food and beverage, bait and fuel and an entirely new group of passengers all expecting the “trip of a lifetime” or for some regulars “another” phenomenal trip on the Excel.

When I walked the docks looking for a job, the first question the captain, a young but extremely experienced, Captain Pat Cavanaugh asked me was “Can you tie a bimini twist?”  I said yes. And he asked me how many wraps in a bimini? I said “20”. He replied “21 is better”. Fortunately they needed someone to replace an injured or tired crew member, and my first trip (with no assurance of being hired full-time) was on the trip of the year.   “The Ralph Mikkelsen Big Fish Special”, a 19 day long odyssey that departed San Diego for the Revia Gigedos Archipelago, some 850 miles south and hundreds of miles offshore west of Cabo San Lucas where the world record yellow fin tuna and Wahoo abound. There were no “coffee grinders” (spinning reels) on board.

In the four years I spent on Bill Poole’s Excel I worked my way up in seniority (turnover was very high because the hard work, “top gun” crew hazing, and lack of sleep drove many to crack.)  I was very fortunate to work under two brothers, Captains Pat and Bill Cavanaugh, and the amazing chef, Ed LaCombe and met some real “mad fisherman”- all who crewed this boat for any time. 

The shorter trips, 5-6 days in the summer, saw countless tallies of 500 fish days among 30-33 anglers. Ever see 30 guys (and ladies) rods bent at the same time on tuna with 6 or 7 crew able to sort it out, hardly lose any to tangle/sawoffs, gaff’em, tag’em, put ‘em down (the fish holds) and keep ‘em going (throwing bait and chum) in a frenzy ??

I can’t count the times. How about another 200 bluefin mixed and 500 albacore all in the same day, and your back can feel it.  From what I saw on the Excel, although a sizeable investment because the trips are long range multi day (almost always 5 or more days long) it is the best value (on a per day cost average) in the saltwater fishing world if you are a bent rod addict. I cannot say enough about the vessel, crew, chefs, captains, management, and owner. They are the best in the world.

The fishing was incredible (El Nino water years) while I was there 1997-2001 and I am hard pressed to think of what I did not see out there. During that time I became an accomplished and respected crewmen and I attained a USCG 100 ton Masters Captains License.   I had learned from the best, on the best.  I worked for the legendary Bill Poole, pioneer of Baja Mexico’s warm water tuna fishing. The Excel was his newest and greatest vessel.  I worked many trips with the likes of some very well known fishermen; Dennis Braid; Ralph Mikkelsen, aka  the” Long Ranger”; Milt Sheed of AFTCO and many others.  No loin shots with the gaff; the sound of the screaming reel’s drag told the story if it was set correctly.

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After my teeth were cut, really cut, on the Excel I decided to explore other fishing opportunities and spent two months as deckhand/wireman in Koa, Hawaii with the reputable Scott Pruner, fishing for tuna and marlin. Scott and I became friends on the Excel where he was also a crew member. Although we never hooked up to a grander “Big Julie”, the action was good and the crew work was far less demanding than on the Excel. However, it was too easy with lots of trolling and too much of a paradise.  Being 5,000 miles away from home seemed too far removed for me. But it was hard to leave paradise. I was very impressed with the Hawaiian fishermen – they are people of the sea. I missed my home and went back to the east coast. After a thorough stroll of 3 months down the Florida coast to the Keys, carefully weighing options and exploring opportunity in the sportfishing arena, and making a few trips with local captains, I began to miss what I had experienced in CA.

A few years ago TROUTMAN SWIMBAITS was born. I caught the first glimpse into a little known world of swimbaits here on the east coast and it opened up a whole new world of BASS fishing for me.  Soon thereafter I set out to combine my areas of expertise; fishing and wood crafting. Mindful of “bigbait”/swimbait theory I set out to build the best with commitment to and focus on quality and performance.

Back in Massachusetts I’ve worked as a tradesman, carpenter and painter, and more interestingly a commercial fisherman. The commercial fishing brought me that intensity seen before as daily routine on the Excel. However if you have never done it, or been really close to it with family members, you have no idea what insanity it can be. In-shore lobster boats in Maine are hard work, but off-shore multi-day trips out of Gloucester will really open your eyes.

Cod and monkfish gillnetters are no picnic either. However, if the insanity of danger doesn’t get you, no rest, no sleep, and very physical work will.  It makes you think when you have time on your hands back on land. Danger, no rest and no sleep are the norm. When you take 16 Advil each and every day, with your arms swollen and asleep from the shoulder down, requiring a nocturnal wind mill rotation to get some blood back into the tingling appendages, you will know what I do – Respect the commercial fisherman!  They are hardworking and brave people.