Written by : Dwayne Shamburger of Texas

     This past November I watched as my favorite childhood memory 

was demolished and the land cleared to make way for lakefront homes.  

Cypress Springs Marina stood on the northern shore of Lake Cypress Springs

 near Mt. Vernon, Texas, for over thirty years. It was a home away 

from home to many anglers who spent countless hours fishing from 

its crappie barge.  

 

 

 

    It was on this crappie barge that I learned most of what I know

 

about fishing. Since the age of 8 I frequented the barge on a

 

monthly basis..sometimes several times a month and even then,

 

sometimes for days at a time.  This barge truly became an intricate

 

part of my fabric as a fisherman. Not only did I learn how to

 

fish for bass, crappie, catfish and sunfish off all kinds, I also

 

learned about people.  I made many friends along the way. 

 

I literally grew up on that old fishing barge and in some ways,

 

grew old on it as well.

 

 

    It came as a shock to me when I learned the property

 

had been sold and the marina which stood for thirty plus

 

years would soon be no more.  Even as an adult, now

 

a BASS Federation Nation tournament angler I would still

 

frequent the barge.  It's a place of reflection when times

 

get tough, and a place of deep thought. Most of all, it was a place

 

where I could refocus my priorities and be reminded of the

 

simple things that make fishing the sport I love with all

 

my heart. In many ways it's been a shelter and one

 

of the few consistent things in a world that changes so

 

from day to day.

 

 

     I knew that upon the marina's demise I'd want, no,

 

need a piece of it to take with me once it was gone. 

 

I'm a better fisherman with Cypress Springs Marina

 

on my mind.I'm a better person.  I now know that

 

when Ray Charles sang of "Georgia on my Mind"

 

that it wasn't only about a woman.it was about a place

 

and a state of mind.  That was my frame of mind when

 

I was "at home" fishing off the walkway of the ol' crappie barge.

 

 

   After much thought and contemplation on the proper way to

 

memorialize my beloved fishing hole - the thought hit me like

 

a ton of bricks when my original "Frog Skinz" Save Phace Fish Hedz mask broke

 

on Broken Bow Lake during an October tournament. 

 

Why not personalize my next Fish Hedz? Why not fashion it after my

 

 personality as a fisherman? 

 

 

    I possess less artistic ability than a chimp wielding a paintbrush and

 

in order to make this dream a reality, I'd have to bring someone

 

into the fold that I could truly trust to convey such thoughts

 

and feelings onto such a unique canvas.  So, the search began

 

for the one artist who could forever etch this memory in

 

a way that I could display it for all to see.

 

 

    

     Upon talking to the owner of Save Phace, Jerry Wright,

 

he recommended Kelly Barefoot - the genius behind

 

Custom Lures Unlimited.  After visiting the CLU

 

website, Kelly's talent as a designer of custom baits

 

was blatantly obvious.  His love of fishing, work ethic,

 

and his mind-blowing grasp of artistic detail shown

 

through on each and every bait he showcased.  I knew

 

right then I had found the right man for the job.

 

 

      In the coming days Kelly and I discussed several concepts to

 

be used on the mask memorializing my favorite childhood

 

fishing hole.  The main ingredient was a photo I took of the

 

barge many years ago.  It was a dark, still, summer night

 

and the barge stood on glass like water illuminated only

 

by the warm glow of its yellow lights. It was as if she was leading you

 

down the walkway and coaxing you through her front doors. 

 

 

   The inclusion of this picture was a must. It would be a

 

tombstone of sorts.  Cypress Springs Marina: Fall 1973 - Fall 2006.

 

   

  I had my ideas laid out and ready as Kelly walked

 

me through a plethora of color choices. It was when he

 

pointed me to his World Class Crackle Series that I

 

knew I found exactly what I was looking for. Kelly

 

expressed a desire to create a mask in the image of his

 

World Class Crackle baits. I was honored he

 

considered this project worthy enough of such

 

a compliment. 

 

 

    The mask would be a greenish "army craw" of

 

sorts. The image of the barge appearing on the

 

cheek as if to be a constant memory always held

 

close by.  The words "If one goes, they

 

all go!!" would also be attached.  It's a catch phrase

 

of sorts, born from an inside joke amongst

 

close friends years ago...,one of which is an Army Captain

 

who just arrived home from his second tour of duty in

 

Iraq with the 4^th Infantry Division.

 

 

       "Streak-Breaker" is what I'm known as by many. 

 

The nickname was given to me after having spent 18

 

years fishing the same annual trout derby in search

 

of one particular tagged trout. After 18 years of

 

perseverance, I finally caught him. The 18 year

 

drought...streak, if you will, was over.  The gill tag

 

accompanies me in my wallet, everywhere I go.

 

      In addition, two strips painted to look like duct tape would

 

be covering the mouth as if to desperately

 

hold it shut. After talking with me for two minutes

 

I promise you'll come to the following conclusion: 

 

1) I'm a talker and 2) I'm opinionated. I grew

 

up hearing everyone say that if you talked, you

 

scare off the fish. It's kind of funny, that never

 

applied to me. This way, if my fishing partner

 

wants me to shut up, he can simply tell me to

 

 put my mask back on.

 

 

     In the end, the concept was detailed and the

 

number of variables almost countless. It was a

 

task of monumental proportion. At first, Kelly and

 

I both feared the scene would be too "cluttered"

 

or "busy". I knew I was asking a lot of Kelly but

 

at the same time, I knew if anyone could pull it off, it'd

 

be him.  I had complete faith in him. After grinding away

 

at the details in his head, on January 24 2007, Kelly

 

found his inspiration."The World Class Crackle StreakBreaker"

 

mask was born.

 

 

    He called me that morning after having been at work

 

 for two hours on the mask, and I could hear the excitement

 

in his voice. Perhaps the greatest compliment I've ever

 

received is when he mentioned that the more work he

 

did, the more he felt like he'd been to the old barge

 

too and shared in the memories. I knew in that moment

 

the mask would be exactly what it was meant to be. 

 

It truly had a life of its own and was in the hands of an artist

 

who knew and understood the importance of the project.

 

 

     In the end, it was everything I'd ever hoped for and

 

more. It's not just a mask to me, it's a piece of armor,

 

a shield...it's a beloved memory kept close by. It's my most prized

 

piece of gear, protecting me at 65 mph in-route to my next hole in

 

search of that last fish to complete my limit. In that mask

 

I feel I can take on the world and if I lose, I have my

 

home - Cypress Springs Marina - right there to remind me of what

 

fishing is all about, the simple things! I thank the Lord I was led

 

to Kelly's door. Not only was this project simply meant to be, it's a

 

fitting tribute to a fishing hole many a fisherman once called "home".