I'm ashamed to say I just found out a few months ago that Mr. Murphy died...I have a dog eared copy of his book and enjoy it very much. Is there any obituary or other info regarding his life?
Thanks,
Cotton

Look around bassmaster.com or ncbf.com. I know there was an article written, but I don't remember if it was published on paper or the internet?

I too am a Bill murphy fan,he was the man and didnt have to fish closed sections of the lake to get his big fish.

Bill Murphy loses his battle against melanoma at 65

By Ed Zieralski
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

May 18, 2004





Perhaps the truest testament to Bill Murphy is the area at Lake Wohlford simply known as Murphy's Rocks.

Jack Murphy once had a stadium named after him. "Lunker" Bill Murphy had his rockpile, where the fishing legend once caught the huge bass that earned him his celebrated nickname.

Murphy, who owned and operated a dental lab in Santee, died Sunday at his home in El Cajon after a courageous battle with melanoma. He was 65 and was at home with his wife and family when he died.

"He was unconscious, in a coma, but he suddenly woke up and looked at me before he died," Carole Murphy said. "It was like a blessing. He turned and looked at me as he was dying."

Murphy's last fishing trip was in December at Wohlford with his good friend Gene Dupras, a man Murphy always praised for catching that 20-pound, 4-ounce bass in 1985 at Lake Hodges, a nontrout lake. Murphy's best bass was a 17-pound, 1-ounce largemouth from San Vicente, but he spent his fishing career searching for a world-record bass.

"Bill Murphy was a legend, and he'll be sorely missed here," said Jay Cowan, supervising ranger at Lake Wohlford. "He had such a unique way of fishing, more like a scientist than a fisherman. I've been here 30 years, and I've never seen anyone approach fishing the way he did. He was old school. He never showboated his catches. He didn't have a fancy bass boat. He just knew how to catch bass."

Longtime friend Don Smith of Point Loma said Murphy "is the guy who made San Diego lakes famous."

"Bill's influence on bass fishermen all over the world is incalculable," Smith said.

Smith said Murphy's book, "In Pursuit of Giant Bass," recruited devoted disciples to big-bass fishing. Murphy poured all of his fishing secrets learned over a lifetime into what is considered today as the Bible for big-bass angling.

The late Henry "Red" DeZeeuw, a mentor of Murphy's, once said Murphy had the two qualities necessary to be a big-bass fisherman – "patience and consistency."

Jim Brown, who retired last year as city lakes manager, said Murphy learned his bass-fishing lessons well from the likes of Brown's father, Mike, along with DeZeeuw and Bill "Pappy" Wade.

"There was a huge period of time there from the 1960s to the 1980s when Bill Murphy was recognized as the most dominant big-bass fisherman in the country," Brown said.

Larry Bottroff, who recently retired as the city lakes fisheries biologist, said: "He was one of the best fishermen I can remember. There was a time when every time he came in, he had a 7-, 8-, or 9-pound bass. It was amazing. He was fishing structure and spots before there were graphs. He just really knew the lakes and the fish."

Carole and Bill Murphy celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary on May 5. He is survived by his wife and four children, Suzi (Murphy) Sardina, 42, of Santee; Gary Murphy, 33, of San Diego; Linda Saffer, 41, El Cajon; and Kristi Murphy, 19, El Cajon.

Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Chapel of Roses at Glen Abbey Mortuary and Memorial Park, 3838 Bonita Road in Bonita. A Navy veteran, Murphy will be buried with full military honors at a site near the Lake of Dreams, Carole Murphy said.

"He never showboated his catches."........Unlike this piece of .... below.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0553804456.01._PE32_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

I dont see how writing a book is showboating. Plus, the two anglers were/are trying to accomplish very different things, you cant compare the two.

Ike is trying to make money, and to criticize him for writing a book just doesnt seem fair. His book is also meant to show how someone can start with nothing and accomplish their dreams, its meant for inspiration for people like me. Ikes abilities are amazing, hes damn good. Why people have to criticize him for being excitable is beyond me. If I were in his shoes i would be pretty darn stoked myself which likely would include some hooting and hollering.

Give the guy a break. I have always treated people the way they treat me, regardless of what others tell me about an individual. Sooo many people who have never met him think they know him enough to criticize him. I cant stand people who formulate opinions of people based on what they hear (you probably believe everything you read in the papers and hear on CNN as well). Thats the most extreme case of being close minded that I can think of. I almost guarantee you that every one of us would really like the guy if we got to know him.

I really hope the guy wins the Classic, he deserves it.

Slow down, Urban. Dan didn't mention Iaconelli's book, he just used the picture from the cover. If you've seen any of the BASS/FLW tournament shows on ESPN or FoxSportsNet then you have to admit that Ike does indeed showboat his catches. The guy goes nuts and puts on a huge show for the camera when he catches a "giant" 2 pound bass. However, I do like Ike and think he has to be a favorite to win the Classic. Love him or hate him, he has brought a lot of attention to the sport. The real reason Dan doesn't like Ike is that he is a yankee from New Jersey, kinda like somebody else I know... :P

Doug

Well, to be honest, the yankee thing was the first reason I suspected Dan didnt like Ike, but I didnt say anything. I remember going to college in North Carolina and being called a yankee for the first time. I had to have the girl who called me that explain to me exactly what a yankee was! She politely explained and then added that I was not only a yankee, but a damn yankee! Ill leave it up to y'all to figure out what a damn yankee is (and no, its not a rock band).

I apologize for getting off the theme of this forum. Doug, I heard you stuck a toad this year at the pond, is that true?

Nope. Not yet anyway. I went out there several times this spring but didn't see or catch any big ones. I don't have the secret bait yet!

Doug

heres a lure bill murphy made himself that his wife is selling.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7171245398&category=31693&rd=1

brian

Look's a lot like the Little George:

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=15454&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

Dan

If I'm not mistaken, a damn yankee is one that goes to the south and doesn't go back home? :7 (I happen to be one too).
Kevin