Show Host Bios

John "Hop-Along" Cassidy (www.AnglersArsenal.com), JJCJR on Facebook

John Cassidy is a well-known and respected name in the Southern California Fishing Community.  He owns and operates Angler's Arsenal, a tackle store in La Mesa, CA known for its family-type relationship with its customers.  Also at Angler's Arsenal is Western Plastics, where custom plastic lures of all colors and shapes are produced and can be made to order. John Cassidy has been the host of Rod and Reel Radio since Bill's passing. He served as Co-Host of Rod and Reel Radio for over 6 years along with Big Tuna Bill, helping to get the best fishing information out to our listeners.  John has an unmistakable voice and a wealth of knowledge from his many years of fishing both at sea and on lakes.  Plus, he has access to the newest products hitting the market thanks to his store, and he loves to share the details on all the new stuff! John has also served as Tournament Director for many Fishing Tournaments, including the El Cajon Tournament Series in 2011.  John is seemingly everywhere, but still finds time to fish when he can.  Always an advocate for fishing, John is always encouraging people to get out and fish, and support our rights to do so. 

Stan Vanderburg: Large Mouth Bass.

Just the word "bass" causes a tingle up the spine of any fresh water angler. Say it in Stan's company and you're in for a long conversation. "The Tingle... Yeah, I get it, then it goes to my arm, as I think of the shiver of a rod when a big one's shaking it's head that really gets me going. I love catching Bass." Large Mouth Bass are Stan's passion and specialty. Stan sits among the elite in Southern California's professional Bass fishing Community. Stan's insight and knowledge have been built over 23 years of Professional Tournament Fishing and as a consultant to many companies who specialize in Freshwater Bass Angling. The list of Stan's Sponsors and Professional & Civic Associations is impressive and supports his well-deserved reputation as a top-class Freshwater Bass Angler. Stan is a resident of Southern California, where the man-made reservoirs and lakes hold wonderful populations of healthy Large Mouth Bass. Today Stan fishes selected local and regional tournaments, but most enjoys the work he does with various tackle companies, helping to develop better ways for every angler to be more successful, and especially the work he does on Rod and Reel radio, sharing his knowledge with the recreational fisherman, and of course, spending his time on the water, with his friends. Stan Vanderburg: "I spent years fishing tournaments. I reached the point where It wasn't about catching fish any more, but about beating the other guy. I didn't like that. So, now I may fish a selected tournament, but I enjoy spending my days out on the water with my friends, just having fun, catching Bass."

Wendy Tochihara (www.WendyTochi.com), Wendy Tochihara on Facebook

Wendy began her professional career at a very young age when she and her twin sister became child actresses. You may have seen her in various TV commercials or possibly as guest star on Kung Fu, Medical Center or the Roseanne Show. She was a regular cast member of the CBS series The King and I with Yul Brynner and Samantha Eggar and also performed on stage in Anna and the King, with Ricardo Monteblan and Sally Anne Howes. As a child, she was kept very busy with her acting career but still managed to find time to participate in many sports like basketball and softball. The times she looked forward to the most however were the family camping and fishing trips. The love of fishing and the outdoors has never left, only grown into a new career. Today Wendy is the National Sales Manager for Izorline International and she can be found in the Southern California area competing in fishing tournaments both in fresh and salt water throughout the year. As a tournament angler, Wendy has many impressive sponsors including: Daiwa, Triton Boats, Owner Hooks, G-Loomis Fishing Rods, Coast Lures, Pro-Cure, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits and Stanton Marine. She has appeared in a number of TV fishing programs, including ESPN2's Destination Outdoors and Randy Jones' Strike Zone seen on the Outdoor Channel. Since 1998 her voice has been heard on the radio in Southern California.

Big Tuna Bill Ghiselin: It was a small tournament at the Hotel Buena Vista Beach Resort several years ago that "Big Tuna Bill" won with a 151 pound yellowfin tuna. The angler with the 2nd place tuna, just 5 pounds lighter than the winning fish grudgingly acknowledged the catch by saying "That's a big tuna!" and looking at Bill he said, "From now on, I'm calling you Big Tuna Bill!"
But, that's not the only big tuna Bill has landed. The largest was a 350 pound bluefin tuna caught within ten miles of Morehead City, NC a few days before Christmas in 2004. The second largest was a 252 pound fish taken outside of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. "We were at a spot called the Ocho-Ocho or 88 bank by Cerralvo Island on a private yacht and this fish was in a school of much smaller tuna. He ate a marlin lure and it didn't take long to bring him to the boat. One of my favorite big tuna was caught at four o'clock in the morning on the Red Rooster III. I dropped a blue and chrome fluorescent Tady 15 heavy jig straight down over the side and at about 30 feet, as it was dropping down I got bit. An hour later, I had a 189 pound yellowfin on the boat." On another Red Rooster III trip in November 2004 Bill caught a yellowfin tuna thast weighed over 200 pounds. Since then BTB has landed several more 200 lb plus yellowfin including one weighing 235 lbs. (BTB lifetime over 200 lb tuna: 5 yellowfin 202 - 252 lbs & 1 bluefin at 350 lbs)

Big Tuna Bill is a fan of "long range" fishing out of San Diego. These trips are the ultimate in tuna fishing. Living for fifteen days or more aboard 100 foot + luxury fishing boats designed to provide the ultimate in fishing comfort for 20 to 30 anglers, they travel and fish for huge yellowfin tuna and wahoo at legendary locations such as the Hurricane Bank, almost 1,000 miles south of San Diego. "The boats, Red Rooster III and the Independence, are like floating hotels. They have stateroom accommodations and provide everything you need to prepare you for the fishing experience of a lifetime. I'm hooked!"

It has been a lifetime of fishing for Bill and his first big tuna was caught off Southern California near Catalina at the legendary tuna spot, the Tanner Bank. "I was just 16 years old and we were fishing for albacore. In those days we fished with 36# braided nylon line with a wire "live bait" leader. I don't know how I got bit using that set up but I was lucky enough to land a 180 pound Allison Tuna. Well, that's what they called the big yellowfin with the sickle fins back in those days." But it's not only tuna that "Big Tuna Bill" hunts. At the age of 16 he was one of the youngest marlin captains in the Newport Beach private yacht fleet. Right after that, Bill started a love affair with Baja, California. He has caught Totuava in San Felipe; Yellowtail, Dorado and Sailfish in Loreto; Black Marlin, Blue Marlin and Striped Marlin along with Tuna, Wahoo, Roosterfish and other inshore species in La Paz, East Cape and Cabo San Lucas. As host of Rod and Reel Radio, Bill fished from Cabo to Alaska with groups of Rod and Reel Radio listeners.

Unfortunately, Bill lost his battle with cancer on August 17, 2011.  Thank you to Western outdoor news for publishing an article written by John Cassidy. Also, thank you to sdfish.com for following the story and keeping the community informed. Thank you to everyone for your support and love.  Thank you to the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant and Catherine Miller for hosting the memorial services. Special thanks to Chuck Taft from Sea Adventure Sportfishing for taking Bill out to where he loved to be one more time. Bill laid a foundation for the show, bringing Southern California the best in fishing talk that everyone has enjoyed for over 10 years.  We want to let our audience know that the show will carry on in his honor, using that foundation he laid for us.