Rest in Peace Walker Holcomb

[blackfin29]

Just got the sad news this morn.Me and Joyce spent some time with him when we were fla. back in march.We will miss him very much, Rest in Peace my Friend

[PurpleCedarPlug]

Thanks for all the comments.. Walker would be just a grinnin right now. I meet him many yrs ago and had the pleasure of becomming very close personal friends with him along with fishing several WMO's etc. with him.

This is a great loss for anyone who ever wanted to learn from one of the truly "Great Masters of the Sport".

On of my favorite quotes he would always tell people: "I'm no better than the next Guy, ... I just Love it more than they do". And he certinly did.

He will be missed dearly..

[NJPete]

Walker Holcomb

By Dave Ferrell

This was supposed to be a funny blog post about a disastrous trip I had taken to Harbour Island, Bahamas, to fish in the Bahamas Billfish Championship. Cabo Yachts’ people were generous enough to let me borrow their new 44 Hardtop to fish the tournament, and I promptly hit something on the first day of the tournament and blew the starboard prop all to pieces. It turned into a bit of a fiasco, but it was all overshadowed by a tragic incident once the boys got the boat back home.
As they were tying up the boat in Fort Pierce, my good friend Walker Holcomb suffered a stroke or some sort of seizure on the dock, and the captain had to call 911 for an ambulance. They got him to the hospital on Wednesday night and started treating him. On Thursday, Walker suffered a heart attack in his hospital bed, and he never woke up, passing away around 1 a.m. Monday morning on June 6th.
Walker Holcomb often called himself the “world’s worst mate,” but there are few fellows who could keep a crew upbeat and laughing on a slow day of fishing like Walker could. He had thousands of jokes on the tip of his tongue, and he seemed to fidget constantly in an effort to keep them all in and ready for the right moment. Most of them could never be uttered in mixed company — but that didn’t stop him from uttering.
On our very first Marlin U together — he went to almost every one — when Walker was served a whole fried corvina snapper at our first night’s dinner, he promptly picked the entire fish up off his plate with his bare hand and hurled it over his head into the bushes. Then he went on to explain in a very loud voice that he wasn’t eating any “bloated, bug-eyed beach mullet.” He promptly took over the restaurant at the hotel — he was an excellent cook, having served as kitchen manager for the upscale Bubble Room in a past life — and served some of the best fish dinners over the course of that week that we had ever eaten. To this very day, the first thing out the mouths of every staff member I see at the Hotel Guanamar is “Where’s señor Walker?” But that’s how Walker was — everyone just loved him.
He could be rude, late, inappropriate, defiant and crass — all at the same time — and still make you laugh. I’ve never met a man more full of drama — or with a bigger heart. I can’t tell you how many crusty street animals he befriended around the world — the nastier they were, the more he swooned over them.
You often hear it said about a person who has just passed away that “There will never be another one like him.” Well, in Walker’s case, this is one time for sure when that’s not ********. Rest in peace, Walkie Talkie — you deserve a little R&R, brother. I will miss you every time I see the ocean.

[Brett1]

I gotta tell you... I am pretty broke up about Walkers passing. I met Walker at the Fishing Store in NSB years ago. I was new to fishing and he was a wealth of info and also gave me great hook ups on tackle. By the time the first year was over I had a full room of tackle and some of the trickest rigs. Walker would spend the time to make teasers, squid chains and even take scissors and give islanders custom haircuts. The guy was nuts but I started catching more fish. I followed him from the Fishin Store to his employement in Deland with Buddy where he rigged my Yellowfin in the parking lot, to his work in the Port. The last time that I saw Walker was at my house rigging my newest YF. He spent three days working on the boat....... part of the time actually rigging, part of the time monkeying with my tackle and part of the time wandering around spray painting my yard lights and catching bait off my dock. My wife kept the doors locked and asked me when "that crazy guy would be gone.."... I told her that he was'nt crazy just very focused, on may things at once! I also had the pleasure of representing Walker in some of his legal scuffles. We managed to get him extricated with little or no damage and had many laughs.

You either loved Walker or hated him. I loved the guy. His intensity is was unmatched and when things got slow he would work his *** off to change things up to make something happen. He was good... real good. I am sure that George and Tina Pisula will miss him greatly as he was a fixture on the Double G. There are many more like myself that will feel a void because of his untimely death.

[rarhomes]

Walker will be missed fore sure. I have met many many great fishermen in my time but none as generous and as knowledgeable as Walker.

Walker was one of those guys that you could not wait to see again, didn't matter where it was, in the store, in the street, or in a boat - you knew you were in for a special treat.

I'm sure he's already teaching someone in the heavens above how to tie some super duper Walker knot as only he could do.

RIP Walker

[Feeding Frenzy Sportfishing]

[QUOTE=NJPete;1938295]Walker Holcomb

By Dave Ferrell

He could be rude, late, inappropriate, defiant and crass — all at the same time — and still make you laugh. I’ve never met a man more full of drama — or with a bigger heart. I can’t tell you how many crusty street animals he befriended around the world — the nastier they were, the more he swooned over them.

[Chuck Pitman]

I had the distinct pleasure of introducing Walker to offshore fishing. When I met Walker, he was an advid and accomplished snook fisherman. I took him offshore fishing in the Postscript many years ago. My wife, September taught him to rig his first ballyhoo. To say he had outpaced my rigging abilities would be an understatement. I found that Walker was an intense and eager student of all things offshore. I also found him to be very literal. One morning at the Cape, we had not arrived the night before for rigging as usual. I knew only one tackle shop open that early. I told Walker to run down to this shop and put five dozen assorted size ballyhoo on my account. This store was only a five minute drive from our marina. When Walker had not returned in 30 minutes, I called the store and was told he had left 10 minutes ago. When he showed up 10 minutes later very winded, I asked what the delay was. He said that was a long way to "run". I asked why he had not taken the car, he replied, "you said to 'run'!" Another funny story was when he head-butted another Captain, but that's for another time. Walker will be greatly missed by many. Our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

Chuck Pitman, Capt Postscript

P.S. for my friend and confidant, i loved you brother. we had many awesome fishing trips together. we laughed together, cried together. besides being a good head butter, when walker was your friend you never had to watch your back, he always had it for you. i'm so proud of walker and his ambition that took him to where he was. i will miss him dearly. i loved when he learned to rig a bait. i didn't have to do it when he was on board. but, he still cound'nt beat me to the rod. FISH ONNNNN!!!!! i will miss my friend and brother. prayers to your family.

September Pitman 1st mate, Postscript

[hadenuff]

I was saddened to hear of Walkers passing, he worked for me for over 2 years as mate on my boat Hadenuff, and at my old tackle store Gulfstream Custom Tackle, Walker was an absolute fanatic about billfishing and between him my captain and myself we caught a lot of blue marlin in the Bahamas.. I learned soo much from him and he had a eerily calm demeanor when we had a fish on. I will miss the guy and the entire fishing world lost a great champion for our sport....
Tite lines walker!!

[gottaflylee]

Wow, this is a shocker to hear of Walker's passing, the name didn't ring a bell till I saw his picture. RIP walker.