The case for Jim Templin as the best fisherman in Illinois
From loyal reader and rabid fisherman Michael Sopocy: “I saw you were looking for the top fisherman from Illinois. Jim Templin is by far the best fisherman to hail from Illinois. He guides up north and competes regularly in tournaments on the Fox Chain O’ Lakes. He never did national stuff because he values his family and loves taking clients out to catch fish. I would strongly recommend doing a story on him.”
I have to say that I was completely underwhelmed by the response I received for nominations for “best fisherman,” but I know Templin, and I am glad that you threw his name into the hopper, Michael, because I believe he is worthy of the honor.
Templin, known as “Jimmy T,” is an accomplished guide, tournament angler and bait shop owner. He started guiding about the same time he began working behind the counter at the Ed Shirley tackle store in Morton Grove.
The store went belly up in 2007 and Jimmy T bought it.
“I didn’t have much of a choice,” he says. “College wasn’t for me, and I loved everything about fishing.”
Templin’s first foray into guiding was simply taking friends and bait shop customers out for an evening of fishing and fishing instruction. He wasn’t doing it as a profit generator. He’d ask the anglers to buy dinner and fill his boat’s gas tank.
As his reputation began to grow, he realized that he could charge a fee for putting clients on fish. He was always helping his clients to find fish and he was exceptional at teaching fishermen how to become better fishermen.
Teaching the average angler to become more proficient is the thing about guiding that Templin loves best. Unlike most every other guide on the water, if Templin has two clients in his boat, he hardly ever picks up a rod.
“You’ll find me sitting in the middle of the boat, just watching and teaching. Sure, I’ve had clients who want to watch me fish, but usually I do the watching while I am teaching. If I only have one client in the boat with me, I’ll fish, but it’s not about me catching the fish, it’s about me teaching the client,” Templin said.
The best fishermen in the business, in my humble opinion, are the ones who are the best teachers. They are the ones who make the sport more popular by teaching young or inexperienced fishermen how to be successful. This promotes the future of our sport. Jimmy Templin is one of those guys.
I used to think that if someone bought a bait shop because they thought it would allow them to fish more, they made a big mistake. Bait store owners hardly ever fish because they are in their stores for endless hours, counting worms and nightcrawlers. Bait store owners rarely guide and the ones who do are nowhere near as good a Templin is.
Templin, who has opened a second location of his Fishtech tackle store, has developed a pair of excellent managers for his Morton Grove and Southern Wisconsin locations. This has allowed him the freedom to guide.
In addition to guiding and retailing, Jimmy T is one of the legendary “Chain Rats,” who fish a heavy weekend and weeknight tournament schedule of 37 events a year. He finishes in the money more often than not.
Although he loves the competition, he feels that he learns a lot on the tournament scene and that knowledge makes him a better teacher for his guide customers and his tackle store customers. The bottom line is that Jimmy Templin believes the key to fishing is knowledge and education and that’s what makes him the best fisherman in Illinois.
• Daily Herald Outdoors columnist Steve Sarley can be reached at sarfishing@yahoo.com.