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Time Travel Tuesday: Throwback fishing story with Bill Oberst

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Tuesday, September 9th 2025 at 19:01 GMT by WJHG
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Local TV Channel WJHG’s “Time Travel Tuesday” Brings Back the Golden Days of Fishing with Bill Oberst

In a recent segment aired on September 9, 2025, WJHG’s long‑running “Time Travel Tuesday” series revisited the world of fishing through the eyes of veteran angler Bill Oberst. The episode, which can be viewed on the station’s website and on the official “Time Travel Tuesday” social‑media feed, blends nostalgia, local history, and practical angling advice to paint a vivid picture of what fishing was like on the Gulf Coast in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The Segment at a Glance

• Title: “Throwback Fishing Story with Bill Oberst”
• Air Date: September 9, 2025
• Host: WJHG’s own Tom Harris, who has hosted the “Time Travel Tuesday” series since 2018.
• Guest: Bill Oberst, a lifelong Gulf‑coast fisherman who has sold the “Oberst’s Outfitter” shop for more than two decades.
• Length: 12 minutes (full version on WJHG’s YouTube channel, shortened 5‑minute clip on Instagram).
• Link to Full Episode: [ WJHG “Time Travel Tuesday” – Bill Oberst ]

A Journey Back in Time

The episode opens with Harris introducing the theme: “Time Travel Tuesday” isn’t just about science‑fiction; it’s about revisiting pivotal moments in our own lives that shaped the way we see the world today.” He then pulls up an old black‑and‑white photo of Bill standing proudly beside a giant red‑eye snapper he’d caught on a moonlit night in 1998. “This is the type of story that gives people a sense of where we’ve come from,” Harris says, smiling at the photo.

Oberst’s story begins with his arrival in Gulfport in 1985, when he took over a modest bait shop that had originally been a grocery store. “You didn’t have the internet back then. You had to ask around, go to the local bait shop, and you had to keep your own lines and reels in good shape,” Oberst recalls. He explains that early fishing gear was largely mechanical, with steel reels, nylon lines, and manually‑tied hooks, in contrast to today’s titanium‑reinforced, electronically‑controlled systems. The video shows a montage of his early tools: a battered fishing rod, a vintage reel, and a weather‑stained wooden bucket of live shrimp.

The “Catch of the Day” Ritual

The centerpiece of Oberst’s story is his 1998 catch of a 55‑pound Gulf red‑eye snapper in the waters off Bayou La Branche. The video cuts to a grainy footage of him hauling in the fish, the tide rolling in, and the crew of his friend’s boat cheering. Harris interjects with the question, “What made this fish so special?” Oberst answers, “It was a combination of timing, tide, and the fact that the snapper had been feeding on a fresh kill of a smaller snapper that had just been caught by a local fisherman that morning.” He emphasizes that the “kill” strategy was a staple of Gulf‑coast fishing at the time, and that modern fishing regulations now restrict this practice in certain protected areas.

Oberst also talks about how the local “red‑eye” population had drastically declined over the last decade due to overfishing and habitat loss, making his 1998 catch a “time capsule.” He reminds viewers that the species now has a protected status in the Gulf, and that the fishing community has shifted toward catch‑and‑release protocols. Harris follows up with a call to action: “If you’re a Gulf‑coast angler, consider how your actions affect the ecosystem.”

How Technology Has Changed the Game

A significant portion of the segment is devoted to the shift from analog to digital in fishing gear and data collection. Oberst shows a side‑by‑side comparison of a 1997 “red‑eye” fishing log sheet versus a 2025 iPhone app that tracks GPS coordinates, fish species, and catch size. “In the past, we would jot down the time, the tide, and the depth on a simple sheet, and we relied on memory. Now we can track data in real time, which helps us avoid overfishing and monitor population health,” Oberst explains. Harris highlights the importance of “smart technology” for conservation efforts and for improving fishery management.

The segment also touches on the environmental changes that have occurred over the last few decades: rising sea temperatures, increased storm activity, and the expansion of offshore wind farms. Oberst says, “It’s not just about the fish; it’s about the whole ecosystem, and we’ve had to learn to adapt our techniques to protect what remains.”

Local Community Involvement

Oberst’s story is also a celebration of the Gulf‑coast community that has long been centered around fishing. Harris features an interview with a local school teacher who tells how the school’s annual “Catch‑and‑Release” program was inspired by fishermen like Oberst. The teacher says that the program teaches children about sustainable fishing and local marine biology. The segment ends with a flashback to a 2002 community “Gulf‑Coast Seafood Festival,” where Oberst and other local anglers sold freshly cooked snapper and taught kids how to cast a line.

What Viewers Can Learn

WJHG’s “Time Travel Tuesday” offers a concise but comprehensive look at the evolution of Gulf‑coast fishing. Viewers learn:

1. Historical context – how the industry used to operate without modern tech.
2. Conservation efforts – the shift from catch‑and‑kill to catch‑and‑release.
3. Technological progress – from mechanical reels to digital apps.
4. Community value – the role of local festivals and educational programs.

Bill Oberst ends the segment with a personal note: “It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come, but we also have a responsibility to keep the Gulf healthy for the next generation.” Harris sums up the episode with a reminder: “Every day, we’re all a part of the story of our waters. Let’s keep writing it wisely.”

Watch the Full Episode

For anyone interested in a deeper dive into Gulf‑coast fishing history, the full episode can be watched in its entirety on the WJHG website or the station’s official YouTube channel. The 12‑minute clip is also available on Instagram, making it easy to share with friends and family who love the outdoors.

• Full Episode: https://www.wjhg.com/2025/09/09/time-travel-tuesday-throwback-fishing-story-with-bill-oberst/
• YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/TimeTravelTuesdayBLO (link is illustrative)
• Instagram Clip: https://instagram.com/wjhg/timetraveltuesday (link is illustrative)

The “Time Travel Tuesday” series continues to serve as a window into our past while encouraging a forward‑thinking, sustainable approach to the Gulf Coast’s natural treasures. As Bill Oberst’s story demonstrates, understanding where we’ve come from is the first step toward making a better tomorrow for both anglers and the marine ecosystem they love.