If you have fished at all in this town over the last century (almost), you have crossed paths at some point with Avram Kronsberg. He passed away last night and we all have to be thankful that an outdoorsman such as Avram lived in our area. He was a pioneer in the sportfishing industry and helped bring thousands of people to the sport. Always a fixture in tackle shops around town, Avram wasn’t happy unless he was hard at work helping customers or researching new tackle or techniques.
I am one of the blessed that spent a lot of time with him, and I learned so much…not just fishing, but life lessons. I remember a story he told us at the Angler one day about fishing offshore in the old days. He and his buddies would take out a single engine wooden skiff with just an extra fuel drum and a hand-held radio. The radio wasn’t for entertainment, it was for navigating back inshore. They would find AM1250 on the dial and follow the frequency back inshore. When the signal faded, they were getting off course. They were NUTS!!! Nowadays, people mess themselves without their SPOT when fishing at the jetties. I’m just saying, people in Avram’s generation are moving on, and we need to appreciate them, and learn from them, but most importantly let them know how much they mean to us…I wish I had that chance with “A-train.” I’m not sure when his funeral will be but listen out for it and try to attend it if you can, Avram’s life and accomplishments demand respect from ALL outdoorsman.