JOHN passed away last night in his sleep. The surfcasting community has lost one of the BEST. Info on arrangements will follow as they become available.

Oh my God. That is terrible! I just saw it on SOL....I couldn't believe it. Very, very sad. John was a true gentleman and a class act. Condolences to his family and his friends for the loss. So young. RIP John Habs!:bc:

:(

words fail me as I just got the call and am in utter shock...

Rest in Peace, John...

Go Large all the time now my friend.

You will be sorely missed

wow...stunned...we just lost one of the good ones...RIP Johnny. condolences to his family and many, many freinds. he will be missed be many..., afterhours crew.

Still in shock, Rest in peace friend

Rest in peace John, you were one of the good ones.

Truely a sad day.

:(

I have no words.....other than my condolences to his friends and family.

Rest in peace..condolences.

Speechless, my condolences to his family and crew.

Mike, Felicia and I along with many others will greatly miss John. Our thoughts, prayer, and Love go out to Jessie and the rest of his family.

Godbless you John and rest in peace. May your crossing over bring something wonderful to you. My condolences to all his family and friends.

Your life as a fisherman and plug maker has given so much to the fishing community. Many, in their sadness for your passing, will remember you for many many years to come for your contributions.

So sad......

Was shocked when I got the word from a friend this morning. My condolences to him and his family.:bc:

One of the true staples in this community, a true character and good man. My prayers to his family and friends.

Too young, my thoughts and prayers are offered. I'm shocked...

I would like to express my sincerest condolences to family of Mr.Habs.John was one of the sweetest and nicest man I had a pleasure to meet.This is tremendous loss for the surf fishing community and all of those who knew him.A dedicated plug builder ,surfcaster and a family man ,John has touched many lives over the years including mine.
We lost one of the best ambassadors of our sport

He will sorely be missed

Zeno Hromin & Family

:(

Very sad news
Not sure what to say
VB

sucs.... RIP John

RIP John .. T&P's for his family .. very traggic ,,will be missed by us all for years to come ..

What a shame. So sorry for all.

rip john

I have no words right now.

Very sad :(

Very sad news
RIP Habs

Rest in Peace John Habs.....

Wow...Thoughts and prayers to John's family...RIP John

RIP John:(

I don't even know what to say right now. John will be sorely missed.

sad news, a talented and very nice guy, always a pleasure to talk to.
Our thoughts and prayers for his family.
The Links
.

What a shame, such a nice guy, a true class act; my thoughts are with his family and friends.

Sad news..... gonna miss him on BI....

A real character indeed. My thoughts to his family. RIP.

-spence

RIP John. :(

R.I.P. John -

Just got word coming in from fishing.Too young I know many will miss him,but even on this sad occaision I have to relate a verry funny story about Hab's.
We have an annual striper tournament out on Block Island, and john came out with us for a couple years [won it one year] as you may have guessed he allways came out bearing plugs for all and would not take a dime from anyone.
Well the fishing was slow this paticular year and we were down at south west point for first light.We went to the point,Habs went towards #^&#^&#^&#^&ens.
After catching no fish we were standing around talking and observed Hab's coming towards us dragging a fish in the 35#to 40# class.As he drew closer you could tell by the strain on his face the fished weighed.Untill he got close enough and we could see daylight thru the fishes eyeballs!Man did it stink.You all know what he did,He found this rotting fish on the beach and had us fooled.We laughed our asses off!What a great sense of humor.Rest in Peace,John.

unbelievably sad news :(

Rest in peace, John

Condolences to family and friends

You have left a lasting legacy, one that will be remembered forever.
May you rest in peace. God bless your family, in this time of sorrow.

John will be greatly missed. He was a class act, wether it was fishing or not fishing. My condolences to his family and friends.

Deepest Sympathy,
Billy

I keep these hanging on my shop...I always have a Gibbs, I added the George Carlezon after he passed away.......and now I will keep the Habs hanging closeby with the others who came before. To remember those who came before and for all they did. Hopefully they are all leaning back on a tight rod and landing large on every cast....up around the bend.

Sad news.

Sad news and a great loss to our humble comunity

This is a total shock. I can't believe it. John was always so full of life. My prayers and condolences to his family.

OMG,.... :(
RIP John

to a man who followed his dreams RIP John

He was one of the best on the RI shores! this is so sad to here.

I can't believe it...I just called him the other day...I wish he had answered and not gotten just his voice mail, would've been nice to talk to him one last time.
I'll miss ya habs,
Rick

RIP John

very,very sad news what a lost:(

Rest in peace. My prayers are with his family.

Eric

I'm truely speechless right now.. RIP John :(

Thoughts and prayers to his friends and family. RIP.

Very sad...John was a great guy. Rest in peace.

oh man.
what a shock.
RIP John. There will never be another!

My condolences go out to his wife, son and the rest of the family!!!

Very sad news.......

RIP!

Sad news indeed.

Go in peace, Habs.

Never had the pleasure of meeting Habs. Its amazing how much an online forum can tell you about a person, and make you feel like you do know them. Great guy.

Thoughts and prayers for family and friends.

just plain hard to believe. a good man.

they are no words to describe,way to young.

RIP John...
what a great guy. lost more than a few hours BS'ing with him when I ran into him somewhere...

time to put the eels away and fish a few needles the next few nights!

WOW
I cant believe this ! so sad . John was a good friend to many .

May he rest in peace. My condolensces to his friends and family, Dave Collins

Just heard this very sad news. What a shock.
My sincerest condolences to his wife, son and entire family.

Wow is this shocking. My condolences to his family. He will surely be missed.

Rest in Peace .tight lines forever

WOW......a big loss to our fishing community. He will be remembered by all. My condolences go out to his family and friends.

What a great guy. He will be missed. Thoughts and prayers to his family and RIP

I've known John for 20 years. Field tested plugs for him before he went commercial with the Habs needle.
I am beyong grief over this. Had the pleasure of meeting his son at my house during some construction. great guy, great family and a great friend to me. for oh so many years.

wow, this is a shock I had just bought reel off of him on friday morning. My condolonces go out to his family and friends, for the short amount of time I knew him he seemed to be a great guy.

i sadly never got the chance to run into him. nor had the pleasure of getting my hands on one of his plugs. but i enjoyed all of his posts. heck picked up quite a few tips from him on here. and i know many many fishermen have had much enjoyment, thanks to his creations.
this truly bums me out. the striper community has lost a another great.

but on a positive note. how many people can say " i made a bunch of complete strangers really really happy." Habs is one of those few.
Hopefully people won't decide to retire his plugs. And continue to fish them as he would have wanted.

God Bless John Haberek

REST IN PEACE
I will miss talking to you and fishing with you. the true king of the wooden needle fish. your legacy will live on in the surfcasting community.

Speechless. Thoughts and prayers to John's family and friends. Too many have been taken too soon.
ET

I met and fished with John 5-6 years back. A real gentleman surf fisher and a lot of fun to be around. My condolences to his family.

john and I talked often , me bugging him for plugs...he always had time to deliver my small orders ..Im am shocked...sad. rip john

Sad news. Made a personal commitment to begin using his plugs this year and purchased quite a few. Always heard he was a wonderful man. Sorry I never met him. His legend will live on.

never talked to him, but have fished around here long enough to know what a loss this is to our little community. Couldn't believe the news when I logged on. I would like his family to know that they are in my thoughts. RIP John

I am stunned to hear this. My deepest and most sincere sympathies to his family. IMO he really added something significant to this sport. I will miss him.

So sorry to hear. :( Thoughts and prayers sent for his family.

I was so shocked and saddened to hear about this. What a terrible shame and a horrible loss.

This is indeed a sad day for all in the fishing community.My best to his family.

R.I.P John....shocking isn't the word..wth...was he ok before he retired for the nite,I mean was/had he been sick at all???? anyone know??

he was a great guy to me and my son always a good word...if I wasn't with my son, he would always ask how he's doing...just seen him a couple weeks ago at W.L.gun culb, he looked fine...r.i.p. he will not be forgetton

John You will be missed. thiughts and prayers to Johns Family.

RIP JOHN. :(

Some night this fall, under a cloud covered moon, into the face of a chill wind, waves breaking over a boulder field, a needle will be driven into the darkness, then start its slow journey back towards the beach, only to stopped by an unyielding force, heavy, alive, and stong, and the rod will bow, and the drag give way, and the spool start to empty, and a heart start to pound,........ and his spirit will again be with us. RIP, Habs.

I really thought when I clicked on the thread it was about a plug that got destroyed or something. Never met him, but my sincere condolences go out to his family and friends. Rest in peace.

A man who was certainly one of the best at his trade.

horrible news,just plain shock.RIP JOHN

RIP - t & p to family and friends.

Mike laptew called me today with the shocking news....John was a good friend and very proud to be...I always enjoyed being around John during our fishing and filming ventures. I watched him progress, from producing his very first lure to becoming one of the best quality lure maker's and productive fishing lures made on this side of the globe. A true legend that will never be forgotten. My condolences and prayers go out to his family and friends.

We are Diminished.

Al

BETTER TO HAVE HABBED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:tooth:

i will never forget u John ur the man, a class act, friend to all! i treasure now more then ever the random ferry meetings and getting to treat u and joe to lunch what feels like only a week ago.

thank god i spent so much money on ur damn plugs that i can keep fishing them, feel sorry for the guys that have to retire their only one as i know thats not what u would want, u didnt make them for the wall in life or death and im damn sure not gonna intervene!

allways in my hearty and in our minds

Simply, I am shocked at this news. I remember first meeting John at a MSBA show in Braintree at the old armory. He had a table and an old turnstyle like they have in department stores and his lures hanging from it. I was working for the Gibbs guys at thier booth and went to see his stuff, I remember him saying someday he hoped to be as well known as Gibbs for his plugs.....


John we may have disagreed over the years on a lot of things but you made good on that statement, many, many times over and you will be remebered as a master plug builder by all of us.

May you be at peace and god bless you and be with your family at this time.

SVS:(

Rest In Peace Habs. Your plugs will ride the waves and currents of the Atlantic long after your gone.

Rest in peace. Most sincerest condolences to the Habs family.

Rest in peace Polski .It was with great pleasure to call you friend.My condolences to his family.

I am in shock :( God bless we will miss you John.

RIP

R.I.P. we will all miss you

I am absolutely stunned, speechless..........

I'm speechless.
I have lost one of my invisible Internet friends.
http://forums.spodesabode.com/images/smiles/icon_cry.gif

"Wow" John was a true sportsman, I will miss seeing him on Race point or in the fog at SW Point BI, I wish the best for his family and his closest friend in this time of sadness. He was one of the best and will be missed.

Thoughts and Prayers, Bob

I'm shocked.....John was the best.....My heart goes out to his family.....The world fell silent for a moment with John passing.

So young! My condolences to his family.

I'm so sorry to hear that. John was a people person, I enjoyed his company. My prayers go to his family.

I can't believe this. R.I.P. John.
His family will be in my Thoughts and Prayers.
We lost a Truly NICE guy here..Very sad.

Many of you know me as ripopper on this board. I haven't been here in a long time. But I felt it necessary to come and share my most sincere condolenses with you all. Many people here were very close to Habs. He was a wonderful person who although seemed rough and tough on the outside was kind hearted and easy to talk to. I had many conversations with John and did think of him as a friend and it is a great loss. God bless his wife, son and many friends in this time of loss.

Tight Lines for eternity John

Sincerely,

Armand, Iris and the Tetreault children

Truely a sad day in the fishing world. My condolences to Habs' family.
I will toss one of his needlefish next time out.:(

Goodbye John. You'll surely be missed.

Very sad news. I am glad I got to meet him at Asbury and e-mail back and forth a few times always took the time to help me out.

Rest in Peace John and Godspeed to his family

was terribly shocked when i woke up and read this on sol.

too bad, he was so young. my condolences to him AND his family

RIP john

Sitting hear in tears as we just found out, SO SAD, Great guy and we will miss him alot. May god be with his family and our condolences to all. His Memory will live forever in this world of striper fishing!!!

Peace and strength to all of John’s friends and family members. Rest in peace John, you will truly be missed by so many.

:(:(:( I am totally shocked and deeply saddened with the news of the passing of a such a truly kind,generous wonderful man. :( John always had such a great outlook and a great sense of humor. I can't believe this. My sincerest sympathy and condolences go to his wife and son and family and friends :( God Bless John
I first met John back in 2000 I think at Weakapaug bait shop, he was there with his son and we all had a barbeque. I'll never forget catching my first bass on one of my own plugs with him, he knew so much about fishing and life also. I am a better person for knowing him. He will be sorely missed by the fishing community :(

rip :[

I still can't believe this. Striped bass fishing will never be the same.

R.I.P. Hab's.

I just got the sad news of John's passing. I felt like I got punched in the stomach, as I cant draw a breath to express the sadness of this news, and the impact that his life had on all of us. John will be sadly missed, as he truly was a gentleman, and a legendary plug builder. His legacy will remain with all of us for a very long time. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, and those who were close to him who feel the weight of this tremendous loss. John touched many lives, and he will be sorely missed. He truly had a heart of gold, and has helped so many people in the fishing community including myself.

Goodbye John, we will never forget you!

Sincerely,

Bliz

sad news - god bless ...

Couldn't believe the call from AH Don this a.m. A good friend and great plug builder probably the best, gone. The surfcasting community has taken a big time hit and I will mourn this loss.

May God watch over his family and buddies at this hard time.

speechless

I will miss you john:(

His family will be in My Family's Thoughts and Prayers....God Bless

Rest in peace.Sincerest condolences to the Habs family.

Sincere Condolences to Johns family. I am shocked - too young.

CRUSHED...

Grade-A guy... I miss him already.

...whether you knew him for 40 years or if you met him just once, you'll feel like you've lost a friend tonight.


:(
Thanks John

Walking off the Cutty water taxi,cell phone rings. Hear the news about John. Shocked and speechless. On behalf of the Ct. Surfcasters, our sincere condolences to the family. Rest in peace.

Rest in Peace, John

My sincere condolences to his family.

Wow, this is a shock.

Like Slip the first time I met John was at the get together in 01. I fished next to him once or twice, and shot the breeze with him while taking a break. He was very easy going, and he liked to teach you things. The last time I saw John, it was shooting pheasants with him and his dog,, his friend Warren, and Chris Kelly. I was so looking forward to another bird hunt this year, and I know he too was looking forward to working his dogs in the field.

Thought, Prayers and Deepest sympathies to the Habs family.

Rest in Peace. I'm very sad to hear this.

R.I.P.
Along with the passing of John from Capt. Dons earlier this year RI surf wont be the same.

:(

I can't say that I knew him well,
but of the two times I spoke with him he was a class act, funny as hell, and a gentleman through and through!! He even offered to take me fishing "anytime", as he said. Dummy me, I was gonna call him next week to set something up for OCT.

And that waz one of the truly amazing things about Him. It was only the second time we had ever talked, face to face, but he could see the LOVE I have for our beloved quarry and the HUNGER I crave for becoming a better surfcaster everytime I venture into the moonlit nights. His sincerity as a man and his LOVE for our sport was what made him one of the pillars of our community, but here was this living legend ~not knowing me from Adam, save for my burning obssession that we surfrats share~ answering all my googanic questions, giving me his primer on how to retrieve his plugs and why he made them the way he did, and inviting me to join HIM at one of his RI Spots!!

:hs: :( A VERRRRY SAD DAY INDEED :( :hs:

My prayers and condolences to his entire family and also to his Surfcasting bretheren. Li'l Rhody is a pretty small campus and she has truly lost one of her BIG MEN on that campus. His Legacy will long outlive his grandchildren's grandchildren!!!

Only the GOOD die young, and clearly he was one of the Good Guys!!
Rest well, HABS, and may God Speed your passing on the wings of 10,000 angels. You will be sorely missed by us ALL........................

BTW, save us some of the BIG GURLS from the Big Surf in the sky :bl::bl:!!

Life is so short. How can he be gone? He once at a RISAA show spent 10 minutes explaining to my then 11 year old son how to retrieve a needlefish. He gave that same kid years later a signed Habs plug that he still has in his room.

I have to work less and fish more. Peace if possible to his family and may his memory be a blessing to his family and to all of us. I wish here was something I could do. Rob Cohn

can't sleep thinking about this.
we are all lucky to have known john.
he was one of a kind.
i can't imagine how difficult this must be for his family. I will be thinking and praying for them.
RIP HABS
http://www.jms101.btinternet.co.uk/basic_sets/gold/circular_bold_std/cry.gif

John you will be missed as a craftsman and great natured human being. You were always willing to share your knowledge. My sympathies to his family.

Oh my God ... I just read the news and I am just shocked.

Speechless.

RIP John.

You will be missed John.

R.I.P. gone to a better place but not forgotten.

rest in peace habs. thanks for all you did for our sport. you'll be missed

Sincere Condolences to Johns family and friends.

This is real sad news. You will be sorely missed by many.

Friend-Sportsman-Innovator.

at first i thought it was bad joke
or that a habs plug broke off and had..drifted away

may the good lord find a great spot for john to rest
as he is now in good hands.

This is a sad moment in the Fishing community
far and wide.

My Condolences from the Sutherland family.

What a shock. Never met john but his family is in my thought. His legacy will live for ever.

Wow, I was away this weekend and just logged on to see this. What horrible news. RIP Hab's.:(

My condolances to John's family.

I was waiting for the punchline, thinking this was a joke thread. That is terrible news and my thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Thoughts and prayers for the Habs family!

:(

Vic, that picture brought a tear to my eye

Rest in peace John...T & P's go out to his family :(

Rest in Peace John. You will be missed......

My condolences to his family. A fine man and plugbuilder was lost. May he rest in peace. Thank you for what you have contributed.

My condolences. RIP

My condolences to John's family, friends and all people whose lives he touched. He will be sorely missed and thought of every time I tie on one of his needles. RIP

Boy, what a loss. Habs was always happy to provide advice, insight and support for any charity or person was in need ... never hesitated. Tops in every way.

My Thoughts and Prayers to his family and friends.

Just saw this... my condolences to his family and friends. As others, I am truly shocked.

what a shock indeed. I only met him a couple of times at the shows, he was such a nice and welcoming guy. RIP and condolences to his family

Sorry to hear that. I met him at River's edge a few years ago and he was a very nice guy to talk to.

Sad news. RIP Habs.

Very sad news. My prayers are with him and his family.

Janette and I are in total shock.
RIP friend.
T&P's.

Very sorry to hear this. I never met hab's but he did answer a PM or 2 of mine even though he didn't know me.

RIP

Still don't know what to say, GOD BLESS. Will be missed greatly.

Sad, sad, sad day! One of our best is gone way too soon! :hs: :bc:

Wow, this is a shock.

Like Slip the first time I met John was at the get together in 01. I fished next to him once or twice, and shot the breeze with him while taking a break. He was very easy going, and he liked to teach you things. The last time I saw John, it was shooting pheasants with him and his dog,, his friend Warren, and Chris Kelly. I was so looking forward to another bird hunt this year, and I know he too was looking forward to working his dogs in the field.

Thought, Prayers and Deepest sympathies to the Habs family.

That was a great day. I really can't wrap my head around the fact that we'll never be able to do it again.

John had an amazing dry sense of humor and was just plain fun to be around.

Very tough news.

good bye john, you made one heck of a plug. I'll miss seeing you at the lighthouse. :(

I never had the chance to make John's acquaintance, but it was always clear to me from the respect, admiration, and friendship shown to him here that he was a special man.

Thoughts and prayers to John's family first and foremost, as well as to all of those those who've clearly lost a great friend. :(

R.I.P. My prayers are with him and his family.

God Bless You Habs!

This is very, very sad news in so many ways.......

Thoughts & Prayers to John's family and friends

We had met once, but I never knew him, I only knew of him and that was enough. Deeply saddened by this news. T&P for John and his family.

wow. hits close to home. lost my pops in a similar fashion at a similar age. My thoughts are with john's family.
Only new him from the boards but his humor and personality echoed in his posts... On more than one occasion his posts took me out of a foul mood.
RIP, Habs. I hope you find peace.

God Bless :(J Habs is a great guy

I saw John once at a show somewhere and he was more than intent on discussing working his lures than selling them. A true sportsman in every way. He will be missed. May he be at a better place, with Large fish rippin' off the drag, the sun coming up over his shoulder and the seas calm. May God bless and thoughts and Prayers go out to his family and close friends

My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.
I only met him a few times, so I didn't really know him compared to most here,
but way to young to pass on !

I never met him but he was always a legend in my eyes.Sad to hear about this my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.His legend will live on forever. RIP Habs.

u know john.... lived hard ,, he was lucky to die in his sleep....

My condolences to John's family, one of the nicest people this sport has allowed me to meet, John always saw the humor in things, and always offered to help when he could, I will miss him.

RIP,jonh will be missed

My deepest condolences to the family.

he was a nice man to many people..RIP...we've said a prayer or two for him

Our heart goes out to John's Family and his greater family across the miles.
He was well liked and respected in his field.

God and Jesus are getting lessons on casting and 'swimming' plugs now.

I am as sad for all of his friends here as I am for his family. T & P's to all.

My condolences. RIP.

Such a shock, such a loss. Prayers for family and friends.

R.I.P. mr Habs. my condolences to your family and closest friends.

Only met John a few times . My deepest condolences to his family and close friends on this board and elsewhere. My next time out I will be throwing one of his needles in his honor. R.I.P. John

Rest In Peace

youll be sadly missed my condolences to his family

My sincerest condolences to the family

One of the best people Ive had the honor to call friends in the surfcasting community, his is a loss to all.
I have many memories with Habs, he will be missed.
My heart goes out to his family and friends

I'm still in shock as I read all the post's. I was in Montauk when I got the news.
I am at a loss for words.My condolences to all who loved him..

habs is pretty much the reason i got into plug building, back when i was like 15. i learned so much from the time we talked. i remember him giving me his buisness card and holding onto it like it was gold 5 years ago. my first 50 will go back for you.

I'm still pretty much shocked and in denial. He was so full of life and just an all around great guy. When I was new to building, I was chatting with him in Mike's booth at the MSBA show just talking to him. He was giving me pointers and just being...well..social. Then on the boards, he was seemed to have a great heart as evident by him sending plugs to people and giving more pointers. Great stories and great guy. A true loss to us all.

RIP, Hab's. My condolences to the family and you will be in our prayers

Johnny, three years :( .

Miss you bud.

RIP Johnny...

I have a bunch of pre-commercial days Habs plugs that he had me field testing. About once a month I see the plugs and think of John. We use to grab coffee in Greenville.

The last time I saw John was at Home Depot in Greenville. I was fighting with a pre-hung door that weighed a ton. As usual, Habs comes over to my truck, called me a &*^$# idiot for trying to move the door by myself, and then proceeds to push me out of the way and gets the door in my truck.

I truly miss the guy! He was the best!

The Theve is coming up on Block in a couple weeks,,, The Blueberry shots will be flowing,,,, :uhuh: We Miss Ya...

Good times on the Block with the Theve gang.In the Habratory too.Shots of Blooberry in remembrance of the moustache man.What a huge loss....one day we were laughing and the next day he was no longer with us.

Eleven years


Godspeed, Johnny

Wow eleven years without John already.

I fished one of his needles last night actually.
He sure was one of the best
Miss him for sure
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I enjoyed fishing the HABS tourny.

*Habs stubby needle was my top producer on a recent night of fishing

Sixteen Years


Johnny Habs

Thinking of all the others too - Crafty, Steve, Joe, Johnny Pollock, Saltheart, Jim, Big Pimpin' Eddie, Bernzy

Habs is up there farting and laughing.

Gosh 16yrs. Remember exactly where & when I heard of his passing.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Gosh 16yrs. Remember exactly where & when I heard of his passing.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device


Same. Got home 7am after fishing all night, asleep before head hit the pillow, Point Jude Joe calls me half hour/hour later later

Gosh 16yrs. Remember exactly where & when I heard of his passing.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Me too. Coming off RT37 headed to my boat.