Montauk Pioneer - March 27, 2009

"How could life get any more exciting for Frank Mundus?" people used to asked. By 1986 Mundus had it all. He was recognized as the pioneer of shark fishing. He caught a 4,500-pound great white by harpoon in 1964 off Montauk and a 3,427-pound shark in 1986 on a rod and reel. He was summoned to Saudi Arabia to teach Arab royalty how to fish for sharks and he became the world's most recognized shark hunter.

The very boat Mundus convinced Virginia boat builder Tiffany Cockrell to build for him in 1947, and which he sailed to Montauk on in 1951, began one of the most colorful and dramatic fishing careers in the world. Isn't it ironic that in February of 2009, five months after he passed away, Jon Dodd, a long time trusted friend who always felt that Mundus and his Cricket II were one in the same, would end up purchasing and owning it?

The fabled Cricket II, a 39' 6" boat with a 14' beam and a 3' 9" draft, has seen some interesting days. Legendary Montauk Captain Michael Potts of the Blue Fin IV describes it as, "A slow, strong stable boat, perfect for what Mundus did." Potts also feels that, "Frank carved out his own niche and his success did not hurt anyone."

Indeed the Cricket II chopped through the deep, dark, cold Atlantic waters with Mundus, exploring his limits and the limits of the huge fish he caught. Author Richard Prince in his novel, Montauk The Disappearances, describes the famed shark hunter as one who, "Maintained his free spirit and easy style. He was a wonderously strange, stand alone maverick, who sophisticated the 'new fish' catching contraptions and developed a practical, hard earned knowledge of shark behavior."

Clearly, Mundus' gold earring, harpoon dart belt buckle, a shark-toothed dagger-shaped necklace and red and green socks (for port and starboard) were a fascinating part of his charismatic persona. A showman, a risk taker, a teacher, a visionary, a prankster, an author, an entrepreneur, a conservationist and the boat captain we all associate with Captain Quint of the film "Jaws," Mundus the most celebrated shark fisherman in the world. Indeed, Frank Mundus did not follow a path; he went out and left his own tracks.

Little did Frank know that the 1984 invitation he received from a good customer who lived in Hawaii to come for a visit would be the trigger that eventually led him to move to Hawaii; a land Mark Twain called, "The lovliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean," permanently. With the island's many cultures, its beaches fringed with palm trees, its pure air and clear seawater, its exotic vegetation and especially its high elevations was a paradise too marvelous to resist. Soon Frank shark fished here in the winters and returned to Montauk in the summers.

After the world-wide publicity that the monster man and the Cricket II received for catching the 3,427 lb great white in 1986, Mundus received letters from people all over the globe. One letter, received in April 1998, was written by Jeanette Hughes, a young British woman. Hughes was quite interested and knowledgeable about sharks and Frank responded with a one page letter. Hughes replied with a two page letter and after mutual five page letters zipping across the Atlantic, Hughes decided to use audio tapes and then invited Hughes to Montauk.

When Hughes visited Frank in Montauk a few months later it wasn't long before Frank Mundus caught his (BIGGEST CATCH OF ALL!) The larger than life 6 foot Mundus and his petite and pretty, 5'4" bride with the ever sparkling eyes were married on November 13, 1988 at his Montauk house.

Soon after, Frank decided to sell the Cricket II.

By 1991 the couple decided that Hawaii should be their permanent home. After all, as Mundus said, "I always wanted to find the time to play in the dirt."

They both agreed the harsh, cold Montauk winters played havoc with Mundus' arthritis. They finally found a 20-acre property, 2,000 feet above sea level as far away from the ocean as possible in the southern most little village of Naalehu, where they raised a herd of 45 sheep, gardened, cared for their fruit trees and enjoyed their dogs Joe, Martha and Arnold, their wild pet boar who was as small as a tiny kitten when they found him 13 years ago, and who now weighs a hefty 500 lbs.

Working together as a team in their idyllic sanctuary, and watching DVDs for relaxation and going for drives were usual routines. After Jenny received her B.A. from the University of Hawaii, she was ready to co-author, Fifty Years a Hooker with Frank. "It was like a husband and wife taking driving lessons from each other!" She told me.

Their book is a treasure!

"Our life together was unpredictable, zany, funny, highly frustrating at times, never boring, and the best thing that ever happened to me," She explained. It's ironic that she and I as widows share so many thoughts and have become friends across the many, many miles of a truly small world via email and the telephone. With trepidation I can almost picture Jenny Mundus today shepherding her sheep, some of which are 160 lbs. "They would come barreling down toward me in an attempt to escape their de-worming medicine."

For many years the future of the Cricket II was not certain. Miraculously and for all the right reasons, Jon Dodd, a true friend of the Mundus', has just become its new owner. In a letter 12 year old Dodd wrote to Frank, "I'll wash the decks, clean the boat...just let me take a trip and catch a shark," began what became a 35 year friendship.

Now a recreational fisherman living in Rhode Island, Dodd's favorite species has always been the shark. Yet after he restores the Cricket II to its original beauty, (an 18-month process most likely to be done in Montauk) he will use it as his family boat. He plans several trips to Montauk for it is here he believes the Cricket II should be shared and enjoyed.

Jenny Mundus and Dodd encourage and support every effort to create a monument to Frank and the Cricket II in Montauk, for it is he who played one of the biggest roles in creating Montauk as the Sports Fishing Capital of the World, drawing people from all over the planet to Montauk. As Dodd put it, "A monument to Frank Mundus would be a wonderful tribute and the perfect thank you to Frank and his lifelong fishing partner, the Cricket II."

Jod Dodd would like to create "The Definitive Collection of Cricket II/Frank Mundus" with pictures and videos. If you have any you would like to share, please contact Jon at jdodd@afford.com.