Local fishing icon Berman dies at 81

It was Bill Miller who dubbed fellow captain Mel Berman "The Voice of Tampa Bay."

"He was a fishing icon," Miller said of his friend.

Berman, 81, died Friday of complications following heart surgery.

He combined his radio background with his love of fishing to create what is believed to be the state's first fishing talk show, on 970 AM. He also wrote about fishing as a columnist for The Tampa Tribune and operated his Web site.

"He loved what he did," said his wife, Ginny. "He looked forward to it every day."

Miller, who hosts a fishing show on cable television, said Berman had an unmatchable style.

"Everyone loved him. He was like your father or grandfather," he said. "He made everyone feel special, like he was listening to their every word.

"He had this soothing voice and soothing personality."

Richard Seward knew Berman for 35 years. He said he will always remember his warmth.

"You could really be friends with him," Seward said. "It is a terrible loss."

Frank Sargeant, the Tribune's former Outdoors editor, recalled Berman's sense of humor.

"No matter what happened, he had a joke for it," he said. "He had a great and fast wit."

Seward said Berman's impact can't be understated.

"He was the greatest conservationist we had in the area," he said.

Sargeant said it went further:

"He also was a voice for the rights of fishermen and boaters."

Berman grew up in Philadelphia. His broadcast career began in news, covering the United Nations and interviewing John F. Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt, among others.

He was a pioneer rock 'n' roll disc jockey and in the field of talk radio.

He moved to the Bay area in 1969. But shortly after his wife and children followed him here, the station switched to a religious format and Berman was out of a job.

He was always an avid angler, but his wife said living here rekindled his enthusiasm.

"He really got into fishing and was able to turn it into his own fishing show," Ginny Berman said.

She said her husband will be cremated, and the family will hold a ceremony celebrating his life in about a month.

Berman is also survived by his son Ron, daughter Debbie Arkin and three grandchildren.

"With him gone, there is a huge hole in the fishing community," Miller said. "He was like the driver, the captain of the ship.

"It is going to be strange to turn the radio on on Saturday mornings and not to hear him."