NAIFC

Bob Cunningham

Ice fishing legend Bob Cunningham passed away on October 10, 2008. He had been battling cancer. I’m sure Bob was more than an ice fishing legend, but I met him through the Ice Team fishing tournaments. He gave me and my partner (and probably others) a map of the lake we were about to fish. My first thought was why is he helping us? After all, we are the competition. But that’s what Bob Cunningham was all about - helping others. He was always helping out with the Ice Team and the North American Ice Fishing Circuit (NAIFC) kids clinics. Last winter in Antioch, IL he helped organize the perfect kids ice fishing clinic despite battling cancer. He was constantly on the Ice Team Forum and later the NAIFC Forum answering questions for people who were new to the tournament circuit. Or simply helping people become better ice fishermen. Bob was a power stick for the Ice Team and a member of the NAIFC pro-staff. He was constantly coming up with new ideas for rigging his ATV to better serve his ice fishing needs.

On December 5, 2007 Bob Cunningham started a discussion on the forum pages of www.thefishyspot.com. It is entitled - Prayer Machine. Even though Bob was already battling cancer, he started the prayer machine for the troops and for others having health problems. There are now 13 pages and 126 responses. If you visit this discussion be sure to check out the link to www.theinterviewwithgod.com for the thought provoking words and the beautiful photography. Page twelve of the prayer machine discussion has Bob’s obituary. It was posted October 14, 2008. There is a link there to view and sign the guest book.

Here are some of the phrases that others have used to describe Bob Cunningham. “He was always friendly.” “He was a mentor.” “He always spoke the truth.” “He would always jump in and help the kids.” “A genuine guy, he loved fishing in all seasons.” “He truly cared about the people in our sport.” “He was a fixture on Channel Lake, he would always give us the lowdown on the conditions and the bite.” “He was a gentleman.” “He put everyone else ahead of himself.” “He was a class act.”

My fishing partner and I will be dedicating our 2009 NAIFC tournament season to the memory of Bob Cunningham. As long as Bob is with us in our thoughts and in our hearts he will never be gone. Bob led by example; he gave us a lesson in how to be better human beings. Now it’s our turn to pick up where he left off. Bob Cunningham, may you Rest In Peace.

by Bob Esbensen