Sarley: Making the most of a good nickname
I’ve never had a nickname in my entire life, I am sorry to say. I am jealous of those who are called cool and inventive nicknames.
The pages of this Sports section you are holding are filled with cool and imaginative nicknames. Was there ever a better nickname than Charles Barkley’s “The Round Mound of Rebound?” In hockey, Wayne Gretzky being called “The Great One” couldn’t have fit the man more accurately. “The Sultan of Swat” for Babe Ruth is a tad wordy but very apropos. Maybe it’s because I am such a Bears fan, but Walter Payton’s “Sweetness” is what I consider to be the perfect nickname.
Nicknames for fishermen don’t really have a lot of notoriety. My in-laws used to vacation in Hayward, Wis., and everybody told tales of a local old fellow who haunted the lakes, catching baskets of panfish. They all called him “Crappie Joe.” Every area has its own “Crappie Joe” or “Muskie Mike,” but that isn’t the same as being known as the “Great Bambino.”
Sometimes you have to wonder how a nickname sticks to a person. When I was hosting “The Great Outdoors” on CLTV, I was interviewing a local legend named Ed Bohn. I introduced him as “The Godfather of Smallmouth Bass Fishing in Northern Illinois.” The nickname stuck. Everyone referred to Eddie as “The Godfather.” He was proud of the moniker.
One time, a Wisconsin guide who specialized in panfish asked me if I thought it would be good if he called himself “Mr. Bluegill.” He was worried people might think he was too cocky. I told Kyle Peterson to register the name and run with it. It was perfect and memorable.
Some nicknames come from a person’s real name or his initials. Many people only know the pro bass angler by “MDJ” instead of Mark Daniels Jr. Is there a fisherman in the world who doesn’t know that “KVD” is the legendary Kevin Van Dam?
Some say Babe Winkelman is the greatest angler of all time. Most don’t know the Babe has “Donald” on his birth certificate.
Minnesota’s Gary Roach certainly earned the nickname “Mister Walleye.” Roach, one of the nicest guys in the sport, has caught more walleyes than anyone I can think of. He has represented an extensive line of tackle under the “Mister Walleye” name for decades.
Jim Saric, from the suburbs, is “The Muskie Hunter.” He deserves the nickname as he is the master of “the fish of 10,000 casts.” He has published a magazine of the same name and has brought 19 seasons of his “Musky Hunter” television show to the airwaves.
Wally Marshall is known to the world as “Mister Crappie.” He has won every crappie contest known to man and has a long line of products under his banner. I’m not sure about the nickname, though. There are a lot of folks, especially from the south, who call the fish a “crappy.” I don’t know how I’d like being called “Mister Crappy.”
“The Clown Prince of Bass Fishing” is the nickname for Tennessee pro angler Wesley Strader. This young man is indeed a hoot at weigh-ins and interviews.
Bassmaster Alex Davis is known as “The Spinnerbait Kid,” due to his prowess with that particular type of lure.
Legend Jimmy Houston's nickname is “America's Favorite Fisherman.” It’s hard to argue with that one. He is one of the all-time greats.
That’s my list and it doesn’t include fishing nicknames for athletes. How about Jim “Catfish” Hunter? Maybe I’ll earn a nickname someday. I hope so.
Daily Herald Outdoors columnist Steve Sarley can be reached at sarfishing@yahoo.com.