RIP Thumper

greenbuttskunk · 03-06-2018, 10:10 PM

rest in peace Jack Mattice. you will be missed. I really loved your humor, wisdom and wit over the many years you graced Ifish. A class act in my book. So glad we could have you stay with us in alaska, and for all your generosity and support you gave me over the years.
God speed sir.

Gun Rod Bow · 03-07-2018, 03:49 AM

Ah man! I really liked Jack. Good guy

Splash · 03-07-2018, 04:54 AM

Sad news. Rest in peace Jack.

Joe Schwab · 03-07-2018, 04:58 AM

Very sad news. Jack was a gentleman all the way. I will miss him. His encouragement was contagious! Rest In Peace!

Stick'em · 03-07-2018, 05:07 AM

Very sad. I got to know him through his posts. Always good. R.I.P.

rowmanholiday · 03-07-2018, 05:43 AM

Sorry to hear this. I really enjoyed talking with him. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

Rest in peace, Jack.

Fishing Dude · 03-07-2018, 06:04 AM

Really was a great guy from reading his post, If I remember correct he really tried hard working on his health,, RIP Thumper

Bill Monroe · 03-07-2018, 06:07 AM

Nuts...very sorry to hear this. One of the thoughtful originals...

ampersat · 03-07-2018, 06:21 AM

Jack was a super nice guy. I'll miss his posts.

[email protected] · 03-07-2018, 07:09 AM

Just got this, and I'm just in shock.
Thumper... I can't say it. I love Thumper. (Jack). SO MUCH

I was going to post this on LIG, but this, darnit, IS fishing related, and so ifish related.

In my mail... More details to come from his son, Grass hopper. Look him up, if you don't want to miss his post. I sure don't.

Anyhow... In my mail, yesterday.

Quote:

Hi jenni, it's tom.
I wanted you to know dad passed quietly last night. I don't know my login anymore I have lost track in recent years but wanted to post to share his loss with his special friend. Please reach out dir ft and we will post details about his celebration of life... who knows a fishing derby may be in order!!!
All my best
Tom

Please post your memories of him, here. I want to read all about him. He's been so wonderful to me. So wonderful to ifish. Always fun, funny, loving.

I'm going to go find a picture of him.

Jen

Pete · 03-07-2018, 07:11 AM

Jack I'll miss your support and generosity. You were so good to me when I was between jobs. You were so much fun when we crabbed and salmon fished. You made the world a much better place. I am so sad.

[email protected] · 03-07-2018, 07:16 AM

I merged greenbutt skunk's post with mine.

Just in shock.

MsOutdrs · 03-07-2018, 07:22 AM

Dang it. One of the nicest guys. Met him at a CCA mtg. So gracious. Losing some great Ifishers. Big shoes to fill, Ifish Newbies.

Thinking of his family and their loss. So sorry and so sad.

slabhunter · 03-07-2018, 07:31 AM

Jack was a very kind guy. We chatted about fishing issues online but only met once. I believe it was at an Ifish Christmas event.

He will be missed.

Artwo · 03-07-2018, 07:36 AM

From one of the original guys to another, I'll miss your contributions to this wonderful site...................RIP Jack.

Prayers to your family..............

BillH · 03-07-2018, 07:37 AM

Very sad -----Knew him back to the days of Gary Krum. Great guy! Joe S (who also turns 77 next Tuesday) -- We've got to be really careful as Thumper was very close to our age!

WaterDog · 03-07-2018, 07:43 AM

Very sad news indeed. Class act and enjoyed his company at gatherings way back in the day. Condolences to Tom and the rest of the family.

God Speed Jack!

Fishfeet · 03-07-2018, 08:15 AM

Never met him! But certainly enjoyed talking to him and reading his posts over the years!
Seems like he almost ALWAYs found something humorous about most situations and subjects!
RIP Thumper! We'll all miss you!
Ff

DogZilla15 · 03-07-2018, 08:30 AM

Wow. Leave town for a few days and the bottom drops out. Always read his posts, one of the very best Ifish has to offer. Will miss him.

RichH · 03-07-2018, 08:43 AM

Horrible news, thoughts and prayers to his family.

freespool · 03-07-2018, 09:05 AM

RIP old friend.

Whethole · 03-07-2018, 09:07 AM

I'm sorry to those who are mourning the loss of an original ifisher. I remember seeing some of his posts, and he always seemed like a kind soul.

MsOutdrs, as a part of ifish's next generation, I will simply say this: we can never fill the shoes of those whom we've lost. We can only strive to follow in the footsteps that they have graciously laid before us. RIP, Jack/Thumper.

Pete · 03-07-2018, 09:08 AM

Dave G · 03-07-2018, 09:10 AM

What!!!! He just posted the other day. RIP Jack.

[email protected] · 03-07-2018, 09:19 AM

Love him so much.

(posted the wrong pics. Can't find the right one.)

slabhunter · 03-07-2018, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete

Thanks, pete. That is my visual of him as well.

Bait O Eggs · 03-07-2018, 11:00 AM

I might have missed this thread if I didnt get notice from another old time ifisher that Jack had passed

Jack was a class act, he will be missed. I picture him playing with his Jack Russells again.

Tinman · 03-07-2018, 11:04 AM

He's one of the originals on this board.

Joe C · 03-07-2018, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tinman

He's one of the originals on this board.

Bummer. He always came across as a friendly guy.

garyk · 03-07-2018, 11:22 AM

Darn. Very sorry to read this sad news.

While I didn't know Jack very well, me and a lot of others appreciated his willingness to share his fishing knowledge.

Just the other day mrsgaryk and I were discussed how it was him who gave us one of his special prawn spinner rigs and encouraged us to join the troll/hover fleet at the mouth of the Lewis River.

Thanks Jack!

Happy ours · 03-07-2018, 12:10 PM

Always liked his posts,He seemed like a great man to have as a Father and a friend. Hope the family is doing good.

John and Diane

Pete · 03-07-2018, 02:20 PM

He sure was a handsome guy ... it matched his personality.

Wreckless · 03-07-2018, 02:35 PM

DANG....Yup, one of the originals....RIP Thumper.

zipper · 03-07-2018, 02:53 PM

Sad news indeed. Class act and a real gentleman. RIP Thumper!

eyeFISH · 03-07-2018, 05:15 PM

Met Jack at an IfishStock gathering at a park by the Willamette more than a dozen years ago (met GBS, Pete, Jennie and several other pillars of the Ifish Community for the first time as well) and immediately realized he was a generously giving old-timer. I still have some of the funky spinner "blades" he gave me to try out. Sadly I never gave them enough of an opportunity in the spread to produce. Gonna have to change that this season in his memory. Go rest high on that mountain, Thumper! If anyone deserves to be there, it's you.

Shane Stewart · 03-07-2018, 05:20 PM

RIP Jack....a good guy for sure

sinkerhead · 03-07-2018, 05:23 PM

RIP Thumper. Thanks for being there for me. I'm going to miss you.

HuskyKMA · 03-07-2018, 06:06 PM

Terribly sad, RIP Thumper. You will be missed.

Queets30# · 03-07-2018, 06:12 PM

RIP.Prayers are with the family!

MsOutdrs · 03-07-2018, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whethole

MsOutdrs, as a part of ifish's next generation, I will simply say this: we can never fill the shoes of those whom we've lost. We can only strive to follow in the footsteps that they have graciously laid before us. RIP, Jack/Thumper.

Couldn't have said it better. You are absolutely right!

xstreme357 · 03-08-2018, 03:47 AM

Solid dude. This is sad news for sure... RIP Thumper!!

waterbobber · 03-08-2018, 04:54 AM

Sad deal, but I’m thankful for being able to bank some gems of his words and wisdom. Thus, he will live on a little bit in all of us.

RiverJohn · 03-08-2018, 06:43 AM

This is a tough one! Nicest guy one could ever meet.
RIP.

Cookieman · 03-08-2018, 09:19 AM

Lived 4 houses down from Jack, one of the best neighbors you could have. Great sense of humor and gave great advice on fishing, prince of a human being! Go on fishing in the great place my friend!

willametteriveroutlaw · 03-08-2018, 10:13 AM

I met jack a few times over the years, he'll be missed. He was one of the good ones.

Finn Mac · 03-08-2018, 12:10 PM

Jack moored in the slip right next to me for the last ten years, your fishing tales and knowledge shared will be missed! RIP Thumper!

skrimmy · 03-08-2018, 12:24 PM

Sorry to hear of this sad news. Always enjoyed Jack's posts. RIP sir.

Root Hog or Die · 03-08-2018, 04:30 PM

So long Thumper, wish could have met in person at some point.

[email protected] · 03-08-2018, 05:46 PM

Sorry to hear that. Didn’t know him but I think I chatted with him on the river a time or two . He definitely wrote up some good pieces. I do searches a lot of old archived threads and he was on a lot of them. Tons of good solid material by Thumper!!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Jerry Dove · 03-08-2018, 07:44 PM

OH Boy! This is sad news. Anybody know if he had been sick? Long time member of Tillamook Anglers. At one time we had a gray hat that Jack loved. He would send me a note, SEND ME 6 OF THOSE HATS AND I WILL PAY DOUBLE THE PRICE. RIP my friend.

Flatfish · 03-08-2018, 11:02 PM

One of the original crowd here. Was one of the good ones. Helped a lotta folks (Me included) catch more fish.

Seen him often on the river.

He fished the Swirl for a while. Caught a ton of fish on prawns. Spring summer or fall, he had a prawn on. He quit that a few years ago. Dunno if he was tired of working so hard for fish, or if the lack of fish in the NF had tanked so bad it finally made him seek out other options. Anchor fished near him many times for URBs in the last few years.

If I remember right, he built boats for a while (Steenson?)

He was never afraid of hp. Seen him on the NFL years ago in a 16-18' flattie with a 200 on it. I think NASA made him register it with them.

Sorry for the family and friends.

roosevelt · 03-08-2018, 11:07 PM

Sad to hear this.....

I never met him, but by his participation here, he was very obviously a quality person. Always liked reading his posts, he will be missed.

Rest in peace

luckyr · 03-09-2018, 07:06 AM

Jack owned Jetpace for a few years. The original Thumper boat was a 24’ center console boat with a big block. His son guided out of it for a few years if I remember right.

Great guy and sport fishing advocate. We will miss him trolling out on Catapilar this spring.

brshooter · 03-09-2018, 02:14 PM

Very sorry to hear this. Fond memories of Jack on the Columbia and at Ifishstocks in years past.
Prayers for all affected by Jack's passing.

Grass Hopper · 03-13-2018, 12:59 PM

THANK YOU ALL FOR SO MANY NICE WORDS>>> He would be honored and humbled... it was never about him!

I posted this up for others to read... Please enjoy.

It is with great sadness I announce the loss of my father Jack Mattice (THUMPER from Ifish.net)

He appears to have had a heart attack and passed quietly while getting a glass of water in the middle of the night.

We are having a celebration of life for my dad, Jack Mattice.
It will be at the Water Resource Center. The address is 4600 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver, WA 98668 the date is Saturday March 24 at 5-8 pm.

This is a potluck event for those it is convenient for and a party so please bring your pictures, stories, and a smile...

For those that do not know him... I am the youngest of three boys, Steve, Pat, and myself (Tom). We grew up in Vancouver Washington.

Dad was a bird hunter and fisherman deluxe. We hunted the Amity Oregon area for years before moving to a Sauvie's Island club around 1980.

While I was in high school dad decided to start a business so we could write off our fishing habit... we first started Angling Research. Our #1 product was the June Bug Spinner. We made and sold thousands of them over a few years... We always said no matter what was catching fish on the river that day... Dad would never use it... when you asked him what he was using he would always have some crazy lure... and you would say WHY? ANGLING RESEARCH MY SON...

We took fishing trips to Diamond Lake, and to Canada for summer trout... then at Age 13 I got my first taste of Alaska... fishing on the Situk in Yakutat... we fished San Diego, Cabo, PV, Kona, Florida and others... As well as the Kenai, Coffman Cove, Ketchikan, and Sitka... but Yakutat became our family home away from home... I spent more time in my adult life with my dad in Yakutat than in any other one location... It is truly the reason I live in Alaska today...

When I graduated from high school my father asked me what I was going to do for the summer. I said why work and save some more money for school... SUPRISE he said.. the boat is in the driveway... I bought you a fishing guides lisc for graduation... I am going to teach you how to market and run a business... On that day North Fork Guides and Outfitters was born... Our home... the Lewis primarily...

A year later Dad became partners with Jim Cowdry in Jetpace Boats... we built our second guide boat and for 2 seasons we guided together... But I had the Alaska bug and when I was 20 I went to work for Dave Duncan and Sons out of Quinhagak... Amazing fishing and times... I still have the backpack dad bought me for that summer... The following year I started a guide service in Yakutat guiding the Situk and on the Bay... I really enjoyed my 2 summers there... Every season ending with my family trip... but at age 22... I decided to go chase bikini's and I opened a rafting business up in White Salmon.

Well as an avid user of the outdoors dad always felt it was important to give back to the resources...

I remember going to Northwest Steelheader's Meetings as a boy... Then dad became the Vancouver Auction Chair for Ducks Unlimited where I am sure many of you remember him running the auctions for over a decade... When Gary Loomis started Fish First Dad jumped right in! and as CCA developed strength in the northwest dad became quite active with them as well... My niece eventually ended up running the auction series for CCA NW for a few years... and dad remained active in CCA to the end... his goal was to insure there would be fish for future generations...

When you go into the CCA office in Vancouver you will see a couple of our family mounts on the wall there... a beautiful 22lb steelhead and a 57lb king from Tillamook!

So, here is the story behind our boat and ifish.net names... when I turned 18 and graduated from High School... we had a 16' alumaweld center console flatbottom... and it had a 150 merc on it. I used to take my buddies water skiing all the time... for graduation we went to Shasta for a week of skiing and camping... when I showed up to get the boat dad said... notice anything? I said no its really clean buy no why? He said I took the boat to Stevens Marine and had them swap out the 150 for a 200hp... the boat runs out at 62mph now so be careful...

When dad asked Page Stevens to hang the 200 Page said its overpowered Jack... but I will do it on one condition... If you let me name the boat... Dad said ok Sure... Page said that boats a Grasshopper! all its going to need to stay on step is wet grass...

When dad built our second guide boat it was a Jetpace built out like the Duckworth Angler series... it was a 21' center console with the motor moved 2' forward and the console mounted on the motor... it was a 460 Kodiak with a 3 stage pump... I asked dad what we would name it... He said it was originally going to a 351... but since he decided to go with the 460... it was going to be a "Thumper" and Thumper and Grasshopper were born... 1987..

I could write stories for days... but I will leave it at this for now... since I cannot stop crying... but I will look forward to hearing YOUR stories... and hope to see some friendly faces at the Celebration of Life.
Dad was good friends to many, He was always in good spirits and always trying to help others...

Anyhow... thank you for listening!

Grasshopper!~ RIP POPS!

[email protected] · 03-14-2018, 07:16 AM

Encore! More stories! I loved reading this!
I just still can't believe that Thumper is gone.
Ifish will never be the same to me.

I love him so much!

FrogPond · 03-14-2018, 07:39 AM

Prayers for you and your family Grass Hopper.
Sounds like Thumper had a life well lived.
I really enjoyed his posts and your adventures.

rowmanholiday · 03-14-2018, 04:04 PM

My daughter and I sat next to Jack at the CCA recruitment drive at the Camas Golf course. We had a great conversation and he said he thought it was really cool that I was getting my daughter, then nine, involved in fishery issues.

Later on I actually picked up a nice console TV from him off Fishbaits "Free Passing it forward" thread.

After that, we, and others, met with the Clark/Vancouver Parks and Recreation department to try and convince them to keep the EFL at Daybreak fee free to launch. We were successful in that endeavor.

I always enjoyed my conversations with him. He will be missed!

Chris Nordling · 03-18-2018, 09:22 PM

Great guy ! Loved our conversations before high profile fisheries meetings back in the early 2000's. Such a thoughtful, insightful and encouraging man. He was always so positive in trying to help me get my guide business going back in those early days.

He will be missed by many !

Chris

Fossil · 03-19-2018, 08:40 PM

I never met Thumper but I have used his turkey recipe every year since joining ifish.