Video of world record bluegill mount!

[Bruce Condello]

One of our valued Big Bluegill members wanted me to give a little better image of the world record bluegill replica mount.

Well, here it is....alongside a mount made by Big Bluegill member Cecil Baird of two 1.25 pound fish caught from my pond.

[Bruce Condello]

May we please, PLEASE see a digital image of these? I'll send you my personal email address. This is REALLY cool!

[Scott Hudson]

My fater died when I was 3 so I do not have much info for you. I do have the fish and the Field & Stream certificate. I guess the rumors "he ate the fish" are not true.

[Bruce Condello]

Please tell us more, Scott! Your father is famous in our eyes.

[Scott Hudson]

My name is Scott Hudson. I am the son of Thomas Hudson. My father passed away 1970. The Bluegill you refer to is mounted and I have it. I also have the Field & Stream documentation (fish not eaten).

[Bruce Condello]

You will definitely get to hear more---and it's gonna be good!

[Dave Willis]

Chrstine and Bruce -- are you just teasing us? Will we get to hear more?? :)

[Bruce Condello]

Looks like a really good story brewing here. :-)

[Bruce Condello]

PLEASE DO!!! I'd love to know more. You should be able to go to my profile and send me a personal message. I'd like to turn this into a feature story for this website if you would be so kind. We'd be absolutely honored!! I've heard and read as much as possible about your grandfather and the amazing fish he caught! At one point I tried to contact the person who wrote the story abouty the 'sneak-up' method. Now I'm glad that he never got back to me. It sounds like your story would be much more accurate and interesting.

[Christine Arnold]

My Grandpa was Coke McKenzie the holder of the world record before Mr. Hudson. His was the 4lb 10oz from Ketona. So far as anyone knows, Mr. Hudson's was never mounted and I do have a feeling that the 'template' you are referring to may have been one made from my grandfather's fish. Especially after talking to Mr. Richardson from Richardson's Hardware in Tarrant, copies of my grandfather's fish had been made without his consent.

But as for my grandpa, he loved to fish. I remember going with he and my cousins to East Lake before they drained it. I got to feed the ducks while they fished. But then something happened and my cousins didn't get to go anymore, so grandpa taught me. There wasn't anything sneaky about our fishing. He just knew where to go and what bait to use. Mostly, we used Catalpa worms, mealey worms (sp?), crickets, livers and biscuit dough. My favorite was cane pole fishing with a porcupine quill--it is harder to see, but easier to tell if a fish is on the line or just playing. I asked mom about the magazine articles on grandpa and what they meant about the 'sneak-up' method. Mom said grandpa never did that and it really aggravated him that it was written. After she told me that, it made a lot of sense as to why I never learned that method! Some of our regular fishing spots were Oak Mountain, East Lake, and a small pond in Pinson, AL. I believe he would have gone back to Ketona if it hadn't been posted. If you would like to know more, I can send you my email address.

[Bruce Condello]

Cecil Baird, who is a member of this group, was kind enough to donate to an auction for the Jesse West Foundation, a "mount of your choice". I was the winning bidder, and since I didn't have any ideas on what to get mounted, Cecil said that he knew where he could get a template (graphite, I assume) that would be a match in length and girth to T.S. Hudson's fish.

Can you tell me a little bit more about your grandpa? I'd be incredibly interested.