It was well known at Bomber Bait in Gainesville TX, and by everyone else who knew him that Clarence Turberville was a master practical joker who was always capable of anything. Among all I had heard he had pulled and along with those he had taught my son, Brad, this I’m about to reveal is the best of the lot. But to illustrate his devious working mind and my son, Brad’s willingness to follow up on his tricks, here is what ,happened. Brad’s grandfather, Ike Walker (who was also a Bomber Bait partner), Brad, and I were in downtown Gainesville for a cup of coffee.

On our way back to the car, on West California Street (the main drag) near the bank, we meet the owner of a prominent men’s clothing store. He knows Ike, greets us and there are handshakes all around with Brad being the last to shake his hand. Upon doing so, the gentleman jumps and yells, then laughs as he shakes his hand. Brad, who at the time wasn’t more than 5 or 6 years old had palmed a “buzzer” and given the man a shock when they shook hand! All at the prompting and coached of Turby!

Since Turby was both the business manager, and partner of Bomber Bait, he was the person whom all other company representatives called on. On occasion when a new representative would come to Gainesville to call on Bomber Bait, a premier southern bass lure manufacturer. Their business boomed after World War II, and the opening of a number of lakes throughout the South, including the Tennessee Valley Authority chain of lakes. They would ship out to the different sporting goods chains many dozen gross of assorted lures each spring.

If Turby wasn’t busy and since fishing was part of a lure manufacture’s business, he would invite the new person to go to one of the local lakes to fish. Because Bomber Bait Company was a prize customer for all its competing suppliers, being invited to go wishing with one of the partners was a prime moment. Seldom, if ever, did his invitation get refused since its owners were well known and expert fishermen.

In fact, there was one small, private club lake where the Bomber Bait partners were members, and where they would often take an unsuspecting visitor fishing. It was full of black bass, and each spring the young bass would be so plentiful it was almost impossible not to catch one on every cast! So, on the way to the lake, they would arrange a bet. If the guest was willing to pay them one dollar for each cast and he caught a bass, they would pay him one dollar each time he made a cast and missed catching one bass! It would only take a few casts with a bass caught each time for the unsuspecting guest to realize he had been snookered! Of course, they would refuse to collect the bet after a big laugh all around.

Before Turby and the new representative would leave to go to this lake, Turby would begin to feed the unsuspecting rep a line about the lake were they were going was filled with black bass, but not only bass, but a lot of alligators, too. Now this lake did have a lot of bass, but it did not have even one alligator. There were a lot of partially submerged tree stumps all along the shoreline which would take on the resemblance of alligators’ heads.

Later, after putting a small john boat in and beginning to fish, Turby would, along with his patter about the hungry alligators,not only point out distant stumps along the shoreline as alligators, but would begin to stand up in the boat, pretending to try to make a longer cast, but was really just rocking the boat for effect. The guest, by now already rattled, would often begin to beg for Turby to beach the boat and get off the lake for fear of being capsized into this lake full of alligators! Yes, it was a cruel hazing of the new salesman, but fun never the less!

So, a note for all you neophyte, wanna be fishermen, I have warned you to expect some practical jokers in your quest of becoming a seasoned fisherman. You have now been forewarned!!! Just sayin...RJS