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Kona, Hawaii is the birthplace of the skirted trolling lure as we know it today. Nestled in the lee of huge volcanic mountains, its calm, deep waters and abundance of blue marlin provide the perfect environment for mastering the art of skirted lure trolling. For me, one man in particular stands out in the crowd as a true master of this art – Captain Chip Van Mols. His attention to detail (some may say anal retentive) when it comes to all things lures combined with his work ethic has resulted in a career that would be the envy of any professional in this sport. With a record four Pacific blue marlin granders to his name here in Kona, he is on the hunt for number five! In this episode we hear the stories of encounters with giant blue marlin on the Kona coast and get in depth with the evolution of lure design and rigging. Hope you guys enjoy it! Get in contact with Chip at bvanmols@rod-bender.com This episode of the podcast is proudly brought to you by TANTRUM Lures.

In this episode our guest is a character whose career has captured my imagination since my earliest years in this sport. As a Captain he has lead his teams to over seven million in tournament winnings including an incredible 3.9 million dollar payout in one tournament. His commercial fishing background has lead to a knowledge of electronics that is second to none and I haven’t come across anybody who has been able to turn this often mysterious sport in to so much of an exact science. It was an absolute pleasure for me to be able to hear the story of this true legend of our sport and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. This episode of the podcast is proudly brought to you by TANTRUM Lures.

Pannawonnica, Amokura, Inkwazi, Kamari, Mauna Kea, Shakara… If you’ve spent any amount of time in the Australian game fishing scene then you’ll know all these names. For our overseas listeners, these are the names of some of Australia’s most famous and successful sport fishing vessels and they’ve all been designed and/or built by Mr David Pleysier. I traveled to the Gold Coast to sit down with David for a chat and discovered, as you will, a man that has an incredible story and is extremely passionate about his craft. This episode of the podcast is proudly brought to you by TANTRUM Lures.

In Part A of our chat with Bill we got an insight in to his early years and the journey that got him to the bridge of a legendary boat on the Great Barrier Reef, which is where we start today’s episode. You can also look forward to some incredible big fish stories, Bill’s thoughts on where our sport is headed and some great advice for the young up and comers!

Legend. It’s a term that get’s thrown around a lot in this industry, probably a little bit recklessly to be honest. Thankfully, the man I’m sitting with today fits the definition in every possible way. He’s achieved about all there is to achieve in this game – countless tournament wins, records and multiple certified grander marlin captures, not to mention the incredible memories he’s created for his clients over nearly forty years in this industry. He’s a larger than life character with incredible stories to tell! The best part about them? They’re all true! Ladies and gentlemen, Captain Bill Billson! In this first of a two part series with Bill, we take a walk down memory lane and chat about his childhood and early days in the industry.