2024 Inductees
Texas Saltwater Fishing Hall of FameBruce & Barbara Furlow
As a young man Bruce Furlow moved to Corpus Christi from Oklahoma. He had never seen open water before. While mowing his lawn, he would listen to the charter captains on a portable radio, and dream of someday joining them offshore, fishing for sailfish and marlin.
In the early ‘70s, as Bruce’s passion for the sport grew, he and wife Barbara sold their home in Corpus Christi and relocated to Port Aransas to live the island life. All their friends thought they were crazy leaving the country club life for the dirt roads of what was then a sleepy fishing village. But Bruce and Barbara knew what they were doing. Living in Port A meant they could fish every weekend. Barbara always said she would never be a “fishing widow”. If being a part of Bruce’s life meant going offshore every weekend, then that’s what she was determined to do.
Dee Wallace
Dee Wallace started working at Woody’s on the docks at Port Aransas at the young age of 12. At first, he was just working around the docks helping. Later, Dee got the chance to work on a head boat called “The Mustang”, where the captain brought him up to the wheelhouse and wanted him to drive. The Mustang was the first head boat in Pt. Aransas.
Dee worked for many of the legendary captains in Port Aransas, most notably Dole Merrick who all the young and upcoming fisherman call “Coach.” Fishing with Coach in 1983, Dee’s team is said to have won all the money in that year’s TIFT tournament.
Meredith McCord
Meredith McCord is a professional fly angler, trip host, speaker, humanitarian, and entrepreneur.
Based in Houston, Meredith travels the world hosting fly fishing trips for adventure-seeking anglers of all ages and skill levels — from the depths of the Amazon jungles and the rivers of Russia to the flats of the Seychelles Island and Louisiana marshes.
Meredith is a consultant to an array of international fishing lodges, she uses her own experiences as a professional angler, entrepreneur, and explorer to navigate life’s challenges. Always ready to explore and connect, Meredith lives life as the adventure it is — always ready for one more cast.
Patricia Hawn Wallace
Patricia Hawn Wallace started her lifelong love of fishing on the docks at Woody’s in Port Aransas as a child in the early 1960s. Her fishing mentor growing was fishing legend Barney Farley. Patt was like his other child. Patt said Barney always filled her with fishing stories and adventures.
Later, Patt moved from dock fishing to fishing from boats onboard her father George Hawn’s 19’ GeeBeeJay, that he operated with his friends Barney Farley and Jack Ryan. Patt learned to cast live and artificial bait, tie knots, clean reels, throw a cast net, and clean a boat – the right way!