A grist mill reservoir dating back a few centuries, Kaler’s Pond gained unexpected fame when a determined angler named Dave Romeo set out to do something no one had done before: catch and release thousands of largemouth bass in a single season. With tireless focus and meticulous record-keeping, he hauled in 3,001 bass over 77 days, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records and turning a quiet community pond into a landmark in fishing history.
A 25‑year‑old tax consultant at the time, Romeo approached fishing with the strategic rigor of an analyst. To spot patterns, he kept detailed diaries—lures, times, weather conditions, and daily catches. By June, he’d caught 1,000 fish and set his sights on doubling it by season’s end. Kaler’s Pond, straddling the border between East and Center Moriches, provided the perfect terrain: accessible shoreline, forgiving wetlands, and abundant bass—a true local treasure enabling a world‑class stunt.
When the final bass, number 3,001, came in on an October afternoon, a crowd of media and residents looked on—and Romeo famously quipped “One more for good luck!” before releasing it, securing his place in the record books. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, along with Guiness, authenticated the effort through his fishing logs, 18 witnesses, and local media coverage.
After the record, Dave parlayed his fishing obsession into a broader career. Over 25 years (1982–2007), he caught, recorded, and released over 25,000 bass—averaging more than 1,000 per year—and built a brand around it. He wrote, “Better Bass Fishing, the Dave Romeo Way,” founded his own catch‑and‑release tournaments, and even designed his own line of lures and tackle. And he launched a side career as a motivational speaker and consultant, using lessons from fishing—tracking progress, persistence under pressure—to coach clients in sales, leadership, and personal growth.
Today, Dave hosts seminars and programs through his Romeo Network, where the fishing metaphor underpins messages about significance: success that benefits others, not just personal achievement.
In the world of serious bass anglers, Dave’s record has always invited a little criticism. Catching 3,001 fish in 77 days isn’t the elegant tournament angling one sees in Bassmaster Tour events. Purists might call it “quantity over challenge,” since it doesn’t emphasize big fish or refined skill, but sheer volume. It’s not a record most championship anglers covet—but it does underscore an iron self‑discipline and logistical coordination few could replicate.
Still, his record stands and remains unbroken to this day—a bronze plaque at the pond’s pavilion marks the achievement. It reminds us that records come in many flavors, and some, like Dave Romeo’s, come from relentless dedication and a deep respect for a community resource such as Kaler’s Pond.
He turned that local asset into a landmark—on maps, in Guinness annals, and in the lives of thousands he’s inspired. That 77‑day stretch in 1984 was more than a fishing marathon: it was the seed of all that Dave Romeo became—an angler, an entrepreneur, storyteller, and coach.