Lindy’s Takasaki Named To Fishing Hall of Fame
Feb 3rd, 2010 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Feb 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 AM
Longtime Lindy ally and walleye fishing great Ted Takasaki has been inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Angler.
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Ted Takasaki
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“I’m deeply honored at recognition of this magnitude,” said Takasaki. “And I’m still amazed that a small-town kid like me could join an elite group of just 121 anglers in the Hall of Fame.”
Originally from Chatsworth, Illinois, Takasaki has at age 52 etched a name for himself in fishing history. His career is marked by a successful blend of fishing-related venues including high-level tournament competitions, TV appearances, how-to CDs and videos, seminar appearances and outdoor writing.
Takasaki’s love of fishing began at an early age, pursuing bluegills and bass at Dawson Lake, Illinois, with his father. His first competitive venture was a Masters Walleye Circuit tournament on the Illinois River in 1988. “Partner John Campbell and I didn’t weigh a single fish,” he laughs. “We called it the Mud Bowl, because the river was flooded and muddy. Out of 200 teams only 83 fish were caught.”
From those humble beginnings he went on to earn more than 30 top-10 finishes in major walleye tournaments, including first place in the FLW Outdoors Walleye Tour stop on the Mississippi River at Red Wing, Minnesota, in 2009 and the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) Championship on the Missouri River at Bismarck, North Dakota, in 1998.
“Lindy has been a part of my life for a long time,” he reflected. “Twenty-some years ago when I was living in the Chicago area, I attended Spence Petros’ fishing classes, back when Spence was a Lindy manufacturer’s rep, and he taught me a lot about fishing. Plus, Lindy was my first sponsor, I served as Lindy president from 1999 to 2009, and I won the PWT Championship on a Lindy Fuzz-E-Grub.”
Today, Takasaki resides in Brainerd, Minnesota, and remains a key part of the Lindy team. “Ted’s an amazing ambassador for the fishing industry,” says Lindy public relations manager Dan Johnson. “His love of the sport and his devotion to teaching anglers how to catch more fish and have more fun are second to none.”
Located in Hayward, Wisconsin, the Hall of Fame (www.freshwaterfishing.org) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation, fishing and the recognition of those who have made significant contributions to the sport.