He was an avid history student, and at the age of eighteen graduated valedictorian of his one-room schoolhouse—despite his habit of skipping class to go fishing.

After completing school, he moved to Joplin, Missouri, where he was a Church of Christ minister, and had his own Christian radio show.

Once while attempting to sell advertisement slots during his radio program, a friend commented that he would buy an ad if Harold had a fishing show.

The weekly half-hour program, called The Sportsman's Friend, aired on KCMO-TV in Kansas City, and included segments on fishing, hunting and other outdoor adventures.

He did live shows weekly for 21 years, opposite such popular series as Peter Gunn and Ben Casey.

He would then hang his "Gone Fishin'" sign over the mantle of his "hunting lodge set" fireplace and exit as his theme song started to play.

Episodes covered topics from snow and water skiing, waterfowl and upland game bird hunting, hang gliding to horseback riding in the high country.

Extras on his show included his two dogs, Ben, an English Setter, and a pointer named after his red Country Squire, Ford station wagon.

In the 1950s he invented the "Reaper" lure, which played a seminal role in the growth of jig and soft-plastic fishing baits.

Ensley designed it for catching lake trout in Canada, but as Green made them in various sizes, it became a popular multispecies lure.

Harold Ensley's "Tiny Tots" jigs helped introduce and popularize ultralight spinning tackle for crappie and panfish.

These items included lures such as the soft plastic "puddle jumper" designed by Chuck Woods and Ted Green, fillet knives, tackle, and even fish fry coating mix, which bear his signature and often his image.

Harold Ensley instructed Jimmy Stewart how to cast a fishing rod at a motel swimming pool.

He loved major league baseball, and fished with Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Enos Slaughter, Stan Musial, Bobby Richardson, Tony Kubek, Roger Maris, and George Brett.

"I had a tarpon-fishing trip to Costa Rica planned, and I didn't want to miss it," Ensley told the Kansas City Star in 1997.

At 88, Ensley was forced to quit the show after a boating accident in Costa Rica, when he severely injured his spine.

[4] Reflecting on his earlier lifetime in a 2003 interview with the Wichita Eagle, Ensley said: "Back then, fishing and hunting were largely seen as a waste of time when you could be working."