Author: Jerry Esten

Editor’s Note: We are saddened to hear about the passing of Jerry Esten and wanted to offer condolences to his family and friends.  I had the pleasure of working with Jerry while getting his articles on BD and I was lucky enough to meet him in person at The Fred Hall Show.  I can truly say he was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about fishing in SoCal, especially the history of it because he was a big part of the story.  He will be missed, though I’m sure his famous jigs will continue to catch fish for those lucky enough to…

Catching fish on a lure has always been fascinating and a challenge to me, so when I discovered jig fishing in California, I was delighted. It was in the early 1950s when a group of pals and I headed for San Diego.  The fish reports from San Diego said, ”The fishing was excellent.” The reports were accurate and we all did well on nice sized yellowtail. Much to my friend Bob’s consternation I kept borrowing and losing his lures. A good jig was only $2.50 in those days, but nevertheless, that was big bucks to us youngsters. It occurred to me…