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[Sticky] Herb Goodman -The Florida Shark Fishing Pioneer

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william
(@william)
Member Admin

This man was the lejend who blazed trails for Florida land based shark fisherman.He fished mostly in the palm beach area and in particular the Boynton Inlet area.
Herb Goodman never wrote a book but he was a pioneer in land-based shark fishing from Lake Worth Florida and was featured in many a fishing magazine,local newspapers,and many books.He became famous not only because he was a consistent fisherman that caught big sharks but because he developed new techniques to help the shark fisherman deploy there baits out into deep water.I believe he single handedly did more to put land-based shark fishing in the spotlight than anyone else of his era.He became a celebrity and on any given Sunday could be found at the Boynton Inlet in Palm Beach fighting a shark.Along with men like Walter Maxwell and Frank Mundus he remains to this date as one of the major Icons in the sport of shark fishing.What Herb Goodman did in his 60's young men of half his age today can't hardly do because it's a different world or because they don't want it bad enough and are not willing to work for it.Herb never wrote a book but given the right circumstances with his expierience he could of wrote several books that would still today be used as a guide for the shore bound sharker.When I was a teenager in high school I checked out all the books in the library that had shark fishing in them and that's how i found out about Herb Goodman and then continued searching near and far for information about him;back then there was no internet so when I found out Herb owned a small hardware store in Lake worth me and Rene de Dios went and met the old man .It was an expierience to say the least he was a soft spoken man but willing to discuss his shark fishing adventures with us.His store had a collection of assorted shark fishing items including his Harnell w 12/0 and some big shark jaws that hung on the walls.The day I met him I got his autograph which i cherish to this day.I Wish I could of got to know him better
.

Mike Palmer on Herb Goodman
a customer of mine today was in a store down in south fla , and found a shark fishing book on shark fishing for sharks and it had herb in it . he said it had hundreds of photos of all the sharks he caugh in the 60-70's and he said next time hes down that way he'll pick it up for me . I READ THAT BOOK AND STUDYED it from 9th-12th grade and used to go down to his lock shop every weeked when i was old enuff to drive ! he was a grummpy old guy but he liked me, and i was the only one that he would talk to about sharken! a few years ago florida sportsman wanted to do a story on me about shark fishing from the jettys and the surf. i thought about it and would only do it IF I COULD do the whole story on how how herb done it in the early 60's, 70's use his photos and and pay homage to the man him self, and they way its evolved over the years and the way ALL OF US , not just me , use diffrent tackle , rigs , harness, bait deployment . just look on the internet all of us do it diffrent , but we get the same results . we catch them! herb is passed a way for some time now but i tracked down who has is pics and tackle amazingly . i told him who i was and was stoked because he said herb used to talk about me all the time! i wished i new that i would have stayed it touch! the guy that i contacted said i was very welcome to come down and see herbs rods , reels, tacke and pics any time , that i will do!
but as far as the story for the magizine , he felt that sharks are very exploted , i felt the same way. so i said no to doing the article for the mag
he expained it was a diffrent era back then, it was cool to kill them way before jaws hit the big screen. I FELT I HAD MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE! i think now with the internet with sites and groups like this one , we can all share info , tips and maybe hook-up and meet new freinds to fish with , all with the same passion . we are a small group of fisherman who enjoy and , we all work hard at it and put in a lotta time just to getta bite . not to mention its a pretty expensive sport , line , hooks rods +reels you guys in texas travel a long way just to fish! if i owned a ten gallon hat i would tip it for ya! i think ill keep this land based fishery to a small group of fisherman like us , besides if it got published you know how many gurus would be trying it and lord knows how many sharks would be killed!............besides ive be doing this for 30 years now , hope this doesnt come out wrong , let them do like i did put your time in and watch us thats how i learnd ! im 42 now and nobody and i mean nobody has taken any intrest in what our little
group does. all they want is a callcutta 700 with 80# power pro and they think they have a 80# rig . get a 12/0 thats a 80# reel ! i think they watch to many fishing shows on tv!
at our shop my boss has his own fishing show. a one hour program with all these top pro captians as guests. u see them on espn and trust me most of the guys that post pics on this site are a lot better anglers than them period
let them try doing what we do , they cant, they might get there hair wet!
and they will have no clue on how to rig or get a bait out, ......oh wait whats what the camera boats are for!.......sorry to get off base on this post
from herb to the tv captians , .......im babbleling again.......think ill go read websters .......if you havent noticed my spelling ..........sucks, ....later , mike

Fisherman from Lake Worth pier are lucky have deep pier fishing roots but you don't know the half of it .Palm beach fishing ,pier fishing, and shark fishing go together and go back a long time.It would take me many pages of posting old pics to insert just a fraction of that history.Here's a tidbit ,,,,the old Lake Worth pier ,the lake worth pier big game fishing club and Herb Goodman the shark fishing legend is on the top row fourth from right corner wearing his traditional old school fishing cap.Land based fishermen were respected more during that era and less stringent fishing and community laws in place. color]


Herb Goodman the Lake Worth Pier Big Game Fishing Club 1960's photo -top row 4th from rt side

SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger

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Topic starter Posted : 06/03/2008 6:40 pm
sharkmn42
(@sharkmn42)
Estimable Member

classic stuff!....mike ;)

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Posted : 06/03/2008 6:56 pm
bill
 bill
(@bill)
Active Member

Thank you for posting those pictures. I saw the one with the ray in either "The Miami Herald Fishing Guide" or "Fin" during the late 60s or early 70s and have wanted to see it again for many years.

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Posted : 07/31/2008 8:15 am
sharkmn42
(@sharkmn42)
Estimable Member

ive been going to the library looking up the books ive read on "ole herb "when i was a kid in school but cant find them ....i have heard that the Dade library has a bunch of books on Herb Goodman and sharks , maybe someone down that way can go and maybe scan some pics from them and post them up on here ....mike :idea:

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Posted : 10/29/2008 9:21 pm
william
(@william)
Member Admin

Herb Goodman newspaper archives search

Author Message
Team Shark Fever Post subject: Herb Goodman newspaper archives searchPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:49 am

Bull Shark

Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 6:56 pm
Posts: 191 MEET THE SHARK MAN . . .
$2.95 - Miami Herald - NewsBank - Mar 24, 1985
Meet Louis Goodman. Just call him Herb, the man who made headlines and ... to see this professional shark fisherman who caught the shark on the beach. ... Related web pages

1. Miami Herald - March 24, 1985 - 2PB PLM BCH

MEET THE SHARK MAN . . .
Run into Herb's Locksmith and Tackle Shop to get a set of keys made and you'll find a little old man and his blind poodle rummaging about the crowded store. But walk into Herb's with a few moments to spare, and you'll find a lively storyteller ready with a barrage of one- liners to punctuate his tales. You see, those shark jaws covering the windows at 805 Lake Ave. in Lake Worth aren't there simply for decoration. Meet Louis...
>> Purchase complete article, of 848 words

Herb Goodman died In June 1988,,,,,,gone but not forgotten.

TRAIN-CAR FATALITY IS COUNTY'S FOURTH THIS YEAR
$2.95 - Miami Herald - NewsBank - Jul 13, 1988
Last month, Louis "Herb" Goodman, 90, a well-known Lake Worth shark fisherman, died when his car got caught on the tracks in the path of an FEC train. ... Related web

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Zasik Post subject: Re: Herb Goodman newspaper archives searchPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 9:31 pm

Lemon Shark

Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2008 8:21 pm
Posts: 50
Location: Anna Maria Island FL. I just read a friends 'Shark Wanted Dead or Alive' by captain hal and mary scharp, it has a nice little section on him. I like the remote controlled bait deployment device!

_________________
We need a bigger hammer!

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Junochris Post subject: Re: Herb Goodman newspaper archives searchPosted: Tue May 05, 2009 10:32 pm

Black Tip Shark

Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2009 8:04 am
Posts: 47 Herb is the legend of shark fishing in Palm Beach County forever. My Dad was one of the firemen on the scene of the accident where Herb Goodman was killed. He was a hero of my dad's for his shark fishing and for his store. His store was loaded with things you couldnt find anywhere else within driving distance. I found a book called the history of sport fishing in palm beach county and it has a few really nice pictures of Herb's store.

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SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger

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Topic starter Posted : 02/19/2010 8:09 am
Anonymous
(@anonymous)
Prominent Member Guest

Herb Goodman newspaper archives search

Author Message
Team Shark Fever Post subject: Herb Goodman newspaper archives searchPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:49 am

Bull Shark

Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 6:56 pm
Posts: 191 MEET THE SHARK MAN . . .
$2.95 - Miami Herald - NewsBank - Mar 24, 1985
Meet Louis Goodman. Just call him Herb, the man who made headlines and ... to see this professional shark fisherman who caught the shark on the beach. ... Related web pages

1. Miami Herald - March 24, 1985 - 2PB PLM BCH

MEET THE SHARK MAN . . .
Run into Herb's Locksmith and Tackle Shop to get a set of keys made and you'll find a little old man and his blind poodle rummaging about the crowded store. But walk into Herb's with a few moments to spare, and you'll find a lively storyteller ready with a barrage of one- liners to punctuate his tales. You see, those shark jaws covering the windows at 805 Lake Ave. in Lake Worth aren't there simply for decoration. Meet Louis...
>> Purchase complete article, of 848 words

Herb Goodman died In June 1988,,,,,,gone but not forgotten.

TRAIN-CAR FATALITY IS COUNTY'S FOURTH THIS YEAR
$2.95 - Miami Herald - NewsBank - Jul 13, 1988
Last month, Louis "Herb" Goodman, 90, a well-known Lake Worth shark fisherman, died when his car got caught on the tracks in the path of an FEC train. ... Related web

Top

Zasik Post subject: Re: Herb Goodman newspaper archives searchPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 9:31 pm

Lemon Shark

Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2008 8:21 pm
Posts: 50
Location: Anna Maria Island FL. I just read a friends 'Shark Wanted Dead or Alive' by captain hal and mary scharp, it has a nice little section on him. I like the remote controlled bait deployment device!

_________________
We need a bigger hammer!

Top

Junochris Post subject: Re: Herb Goodman newspaper archives searchPosted: Tue May 05, 2009 10:32 pm

Black Tip Shark

Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2009 8:04 am
Posts: 47 Herb is the legend of shark fishing in Palm Beach County forever. My Dad was one of the firemen on the scene of the accident where Herb Goodman was killed. He was a hero of my dad's for his shark fishing and for his store. His store was loaded with things you couldnt find anywhere else within driving distance. I found a book called the history of sport fishing in palm beach county and it has a few really nice pictures of Herb's store.

Top

Heres a link to actually buy the book!
http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=9780738553863

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Posted : 02/19/2010 10:49 am
Anonymous
(@anonymous)
Prominent Member Guest

It's good to see you folks discussing Herb. Herb lived across the street from me when I was a kid, and I use to mow his yard and do various other odd jobs for him. Most don't know, but Herb was an inventor and builder. He had an old Chrysler (I think) that he painted green with a paint brush, and had a complete locksmith kit in the trunk, complete with key grinder. He had a motorized paddlewheel boat in the back of his shop that was part paddle, part jet powered. He invented a radio controlled boat that would take his bait and rig out as far as you could see, dump it in the water, and motor back, so even though he fished for sharks from shore, he was still out there a ways.

The funniest thing we ever did was at his shop in Lake Worth. Herb was upset because some bum was peeing in the back alley behind his shop so Herb and I rigged up a flywheel and magneto from a lawnmower engine and wired the electrode to where the guy always peed. When the guy was there one day, we ran back and spun the flywheel to shock the dude. He didn't know what hit him and never came back.

My dad told me back in 1988 Herb was killed by a train on 6th Street near the high school. Seems he was impatient to get to work and tried to go through the railroad arms and didn't make it. Not sure if that was true or not, but it would fit Herb. I miss the old guy, and thanks for the memories you have given me.

John Pearson

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Posted : 05/01/2010 8:59 am
Anonymous
(@anonymous)
Prominent Member Guest

Bumping this to the top for John Pearson, John please register so your posts can be seen properly. I fixed it for now ;)

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Posted : 05/12/2010 6:39 am
william
(@william)
Member Admin

Great insight into the life of one of the best land-based shark fishing pioneers ever,,,,,,,thanks John Pearson,oh and thanks Mojo for bumping it up I would of missed it if it was'nt for you.

SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger

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Topic starter Posted : 05/12/2010 7:31 am
pier-rat
(@pier-rat)
Estimable Member

I liked the fact that you said that land-based shark fishing is a relatively small compared to everything else. I wouldn't want it any other way!!! It is like unlike any other fishery out there. Compared to something like pro bass fishing, we are just a rag-tag group of people that get together and do it for the love of fishing. And, I also agree that us shark fisherman are the true sportsman. We release almost all we catch, we care about the sport AND the fishery. I just love it!! :D :D :D

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Posted : 04/08/2011 11:41 pm
timmyt
(@timmyt)
Honorable Member

'FOR SHARK FISHERMAN BY SHARK FISHERMAN'......The stories of the real GOOD OLD DAYS, minds in a better place when its in thoes times.......would love to here more stories :D :D :) 8-) ..

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Posted : 04/09/2011 8:21 pm
SurvivorMan
(@survivorman)
Trusted Member

Badass OG for real

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Posted : 04/12/2011 7:36 pm
timmyt
(@timmyt)
Honorable Member

how did he hold the rod when he caught a shark......?

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Posted : 04/13/2011 5:03 pm
timmyt
(@timmyt)
Honorable Member

Can WEST PALM BEACH have more of thoes shark days???

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Posted : 08/21/2011 9:28 am
Anonymous
(@anonymous)
Prominent Member Guest

My name is Jim Ower and I'm writing this post from Cerritos, Ca. I was amazed to find this article about Herb Goodman. Back in the late 1950's I lived with my grandparents on South M Street in Lake Worth Florida. As a young boy fishing was my only priority in life. I spent the best years of my early life fishing for snook under the Lake Worth Bridge and on the Lake Woth Pier for anything that would bite. Back then shark fishing from the pier was legal as was beach landing your shark. As a young boy I would walk up to Herbs Tackle shop every single day to gaze into the windows of his tackle shop. Never changed, but I seemed to always find something I hadn't seen the day before. Finally one day Herb invited me into the shop for a personal tour. Over time he taught me everything there was to know about the Penn 12/0 reel, how to clean it and what line to use. He eventually taught me how to make a bamboo Calcutta fishing rod. When I finished my daily talk with Herb I was off to the pier. I would watch the guys rig up their rods with Bonita, tie on their gallons and drift them out into the ocean. They would set the reels on free spool with the clicker set. Then the waiting game would begin. I was to young to handle a big shark, but I was there to offer all the support I could. So many times I was sent off all the down to the opposite end of the pier to get a harness and gimbal. I didn't mind at all. I loved Herb Goodman like an uncle and I thank God he gave me the opportunity to know this great man. I never had the opportunity to say good bye to Herb. After four years of living with my grandparents I had to go back to California. I was laying in bed this morning at 3:30AM, thinking about those great years hanging out with Herb at the shop. I came across this article and photos and to be honest my eyes got a bit watery. Thanks for posting this great story and photos about Herb Goodman. Jim Ower. championbb19@verizon.net

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Posted : 10/31/2011 6:15 am
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