[Striperjim]

Boston Globe article on his passing

Stan Gibbs at 89;
Created a fishing lure, Built a business.

By Tom Long - Boston Globe Staff
The Boston Globe, Thursday, February 5, 2004

As the founder of a fishing lure company, Stan Gibbs lived a recreational fishermans dream; he actually figured out a way to make a living angling.
"Originally the lures were an excuse for him to fish, but eventually he had to go fishing to promote the business," Bruce gibbs of chatham said yesterday. "But it wasn't always fun."
His father, 89, the developer of Stan Gibbs Lures, died Tuesday in Liberty Common Nursing home in Chatham.
Mr. Gibbs was born in Easton where he first angled for sunfish and trout in local lakess and ponds. he soon was lured to bigger quarry: bluefish and striped bass landed from the banks of the cape cod Canal.
Fifty-nine years ago the call of the gamefish became so intense that he left his job with the easton Tree Department and moved his family to a small cottage in sagamore, for which he paid about $4,500.
"We moved down lock, stock and barrel, and he began fishing commercially," said bruce, who often accompanied his father when the fish were running. "Some nights there were hundreds of fishermen, about 10 or 12 feet apart on both sides of the canal, and the water was alive with fish."
Mr. Gibbs a championship caster, was a tall, muscular man who also trapped muskrat, mink, and racoons in the marshes of the cape. "He was always a go-getter," said his son. Sometimes he fished so many hours, he would sleep standing up."
But he was unhappy with the lures available: freshwater plugs couldn't endure the rigors of surfcasting, and the hooks were too weak for the beefy stripers and bluefish. Mr Gibbs began carving out his own out of Pine.
One night he landed 125 fish on the cape cod canal; on another memorable trip to Pleasant bay in orleans he caught 1,100 pounds of fish.
Of course the other fishermen noticed, and ecause mr. Gibbs was primarily a surf caster, other anglers could easily check out his gear.
"They kept hounding him for his lures, his son said. "He made one, then three, then half a dozen; soon tackle shops were asking for them."
With the help of his sons, Mr. Gibbs began turning them out in the cellar of his cottage. "He had a little lathe in the root cellar. He'd pass them out the window and we'd paint them in a little shanty out back," his son said.
Mr. Gibbs opened his lure business in 1948 and ran it for 26 years, before selling the company. Gibbs lures is now located in Cumberland Rhode Island where stann Gibbs poppers are still turned out.
Besides his son Bruce, Mr. gibbs leaves two other sons, John of Florida and Wompisik Unnoken of Sgamore; a brother, Kenneth of westwood; and 11 grandchildren.
There will be no funeral. In accordance with Mr. Gibbs's wishes, his remains will be cremated and scattered in the Cape Cod canal.