"It's a
hobby for me" is how Ted Wondsel, owner of
Ted's Fishing Station, describes his business.
It's also his passion. Ted got his Safe Boating
Certificate at age 9, so that he could boat
from home, Oceanside, to his Grandmother
Feller's house in Point Lookout. After moving to
Point Lookout at age 14, he worked as a 'dock
boy' at Scotty's. There he learned to
rebuild boat motors, among other things. He was
also responsible for 'managing' the other dock boys - Chris
McGrath, Bob Burke, and Mark Donahue. Ted married
Point Lookout girl Sue Burkard almost 20 years
ago (on August 15, 1981 to be exact). They knew
each other for years as friends, then started
dating after a fun night at the Bay House. After
they married, they moved upstate to join the
Feller family business, which was building
scenery for Broadway shows. But they
always returned to Point Lookout in the summer.
The pool in the backyard upstate couldn't
replace the ocean and bay in Point Lookout!
In 1992, after
Ted started working at Radio City Music Hall,
the family returned to the Point. Ted's 'day job'
is Assistant Property Manager there.
 Together Ted
and Sue bought the Fishing Station in May 1999.
It's open every morning at 6:00 a.m. They sell gas at the dock and
bait, tackle and food at the snack bar. The big draw are the
great skiffs for rent. For Ted the best thing about the station is the customers.
"People have been coming here for years.
They came with their fathers, now they bring
their sons."
In the last two years Ted and Sue
have worked hard to improve the station, with help from friend
Greg Goldberg. The biggest improvement is the extended dock.
The whole
family contributes to running the Station. Sue
runs the store, Ted runs the dock, and Ted's Dad
supervises everyone. Ted's oldest TG
"wouldn't mind" running the business
some day.
Ted's favorite part of the
work day is the morning. The other day, at 6:00
a.m., "I saw porpoises swimming close to
the dock." But we all
know that the best time of day on the bay is the
evening when the sun is setting. At that time,
you can find Ted, at the station, sitting on his
dock just taking it all in.
For more
information about Ted's Fishing Station visit www.tedsfishingstation.com,
created by Glenn Wondsel
webmaster.
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