Episode 129: Lenny Berg - Fishing Florida In The 1950's

Over the years, as I’ve participated in various fishing
tournaments, I’ve often noticed the names etched on the trophies
from past events. One name that always stood out to me was Lenny
Berg. He made history by winning the first inaugural Don Hawley
Tarpon Tournament in 1976, with the legendary Billy Knowles as his
guide. Lenny also triumphed in the Fall Fly Bonefish Tournament
three times, alongside his guide, Steve Huff. One of his most
remarkable feats was landing a 128-pound tarpon on 10-pound test,
setting a world record that was later invalidated when the IGFA
removed the 10-pound tippet category for world records, erasing
those catches from the record books. Lenny’s fishing journey also
had him alongside some of the sport’s most influential pioneers,
including Woody Sexton, Eddie Wightman, Hank Brown, Stu Apte, Guy
de Valdene, Jimmy Lopez, Hal Chittum, and John Emory, just to name
a few. In today’s podcast, we not only explore Lenny’s incredible
life in fishing, but we’re also joined by his son, Elliot Berg.
Like his father, Elliot is an outstanding angler, but he’s also an
ingenious boat designer in his own right. We discuss both Lenny’s
legacy and Elliot’s work in pushing the boundaries of boat design,
including his contributions to the Maverick Boat Company, which
revolutionized flats skiffs and became one of the most successful
brands in the industry for decades.