Here are just a couple of Frank's books.He was a prolific big striper hunter, writer andlecturer. He had a profound affect on surf fishing for striped bass that carries on to this day.It is with sadness that I report the passing of Frank Daignault, a legend and pioneer of saltwater surf fishing. Frank was someone who many consider the Godfather of Surf Fishing. He was a prolific big striper hunter, and he popularized striped bass surf fishing in the hundreds of articles that he wrote for publications like The Fisherman magazine, On the Water and Saltwater Sportsman to name a few. He also authored 6 books on the topic. In addition, he was a major lecturer and conducted seminars at many of the big fishing shows and many club gatherings.
When I was a young man just getting into writing about fishing for various magazines, Frank was my favorite fishing writer. The first thing I would do when the Fisherman magazine arrived in the mail was to look at the table of contents and hope I would find a Frank Daignault article. When it came to writing and fishing, he was the guy I looked up to, much like a mentor, more than anyone. He had a writing style, I’ll call a New England Salty style, that was unique, and I could not get enough of it. Much of my fishing in the early days was patterned after what he wrote about. And, his photos were simply the best. Back then Frank and other writers were taking mostly black and white photos, no easy task. His many photos were simply stunning as they frequently graced the covers of countless magazines and books. I will never forget that he told me to take as many photos as you can. You never have enough!’
It was back in 1981 that I actually met Frank, and from then on we became good friends. I was trout fishing at the time, and I went after school to a place called Lake Pearl in Wrentham. As I stepped into the water, there, right in front of me was the legend. I was in awe. I introduced myself and Frank mentioned that he had read many of my magazine articles. That started a friendship that lasted decades. In fact, Frank sponsored me on my application to the New England Outdoor Writers’ Association, an elite organization of outdoor writers and photographers here in NE. Later in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. I was fortunate to share the stage with Frank at many big shows doing seminars on striped bass fishing.
After getting to know Frank through our conversations and fishing together in salt and fresh water, I discovered a man that was so, so passionate about what he was doing. He had a drive about him when it came to any kind of fishing be it stripers, trout, steelhead, etc. that was unparalleled. That compete dedication to the sport came out in his writings and his catches. He often told me about stunning big catches of cows as he called them. The specific numbers were out of this world. Frank himself would often admit he was fishing in the heydays of striped bass where monster fish were around the surf in huge numbers if you knew where to look.
I’m guessing that many of the middle age and older surf fishermen around today got their starts after reading many of Frank’s articles and books. He has had a profound influence on the sport that carries on to this day.
I want to offer my condolences to his wife, Joyce, and to his family. Know that Frank lived a great life, and his legacy lives on in the fishing world.
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