Angler: Steven Avakian
Hometown: Paramus, N.J.
Bait: Doll Top Secret
"The lure shown here has many memories – or should I say hooked bass? – attached to it. I have since placed it in retirement. It was made by Zebco and was called a Doll Top Secret and was purchased in the early 1970s and even had rattles in it – I believe it was one of the first to start incorporating them.
"I was 15 years old at the time and me and my dad would fish out of a 12-foot Sears rowboat with a 10-pound thrust Ted Williams electric motor. Going 2 mph with the motor with no wind to fight was fast back in the day. My dad and I would fish in New York's Harriman State Park whenever his work would allow and I treasure those memories still today.
"Back in 1975, they lowered the lake about 12 feet to fix the dam, which exposed the rock wall formation seen at the bottom of the photo. The significance of this was that day I caught two big bass on back-to-back casts, one at 6 pounds and the next 5 1/2, off this rock wall. I’m now 59 and can remember it like it was yesterday.
"The lake still produces good bass and I still catch fish off this same rock wall covered in about 12 feet of water to this day, but have not duplicated that day of many years ago."
Do you own a lure that carries a great deal of sentimental value? If so, please snap a photo of it, write up a few paragraphs and send us an email at editorial@bassfan.com.
