If your like me you love to watch the fishing shows such as The Bassmaster Elite
Series, Linder's Angling Edge, The Bass Pros, and the many other television
shows out there. For most of us, watching these shows are a form of relaxation
and a way to cure cabin fever. However, there are a lot of things one can learn
from watching the shows that go unnoticed in my opinion from many anglers!
Fishing shows gives us quick access to information about new products, lakes,
techniques. For me a fishing show is another form of information that I feel
will give me the edge in competition.
First, many people watch one episode one time and that's it. That's a huge
mistake! When you watch a movie that you like over and over again I'm willing to
bet that you notice more details in a scene than the first time you saw it. Same
thing applies in fishing shows. I record every fishing show I watch for this
purpose. I have accumulated an untold number of video tapes that I watch over
and over again on a constant basis. While I watch the episodes over and over I'm
constantly taking notes, writing down anything I think will help me gain an edge
over my tournament competitors in a notebook.
Some of the shows out there can be really misleading unfortunately. I don't like
watching shows where the scene cuts to the host/hostess setting the hook on a
big fish. I just can't help but figure that the fish was staged. That it was
caught earlier on a different lure than the lure that is being advertised. Then
it was released and the host/hostess let line out to so the fish could roam out
farther away to only have the hook set on them again. Shows like Linder's
Angling Edge, The Elite Series, The Bass Pros etc. that have virtual maps,
virtual lure presentations, don't cut to the instant the hook is set, and the
like are ones that I prefer. Not only does it help me understand what they are
fishing or how the host/hostess is fishing it also makes them seem more
creditable.
Fishing shows are out their to sell new products from the sponsoring companies.
This is the one aspect of the television show that everyone gets. They see a new
lure, new type of line, etc. and they go away from the show feeling like they
need that product. This is certainly helpful to most of us. An example of this
would be the episode of "Fishing with Roland Martin" in which he introduced the
Senko and caught huge smallmouth from docks on a lake in Wisconsin. After
watching that episode I immediately went out and bought a few bags.
Most creditable fishing shows will tell you where they are fishing. The
Bassmaster Elite Series is a good example. These types of shows are very helpful
if you are planning are taking a fishing trip or have a tournament on that lake.
The Bassmaster Elite Series usually shows the area on a lake map and where the
tournament anglers have traveled to fish. This allows you, the competitor or fun
fishing angler, the opportunity to find fish quickly and easily on that lake. I
like to print off a map of the lake from the Internet and write in and draw the
areas where the competitors fished. I also write down the lure and presentation
the angler was using in that area.
Techniques are probably the one aspect of the show that is the most overlooked.
A lot of the television shows don't really share much about how they are
presenting a lure. The exception of this would be Linder's Angling Edge, The
Bass Pros, and the Elite Series as well as a few others. However, if you pay
enough attention to how the host/hostess is holding their rod, how fast they are
reeling, how long of a pause they have in between jerks, and the many other
variables it all starts too come together. I recommend that you write in as many
of these details as possible into the notebook so that when you go fishing you
have more options or perhaps a new way to fish a lure.
This type of accessing information isn't for everybody. Its really easy to get
distracted during the show such as when the host/hostess catches a really big
fish. But if you can learn to put away those distractions you will find that you
have just accessed information that many people overlooked.
David Bromenshenkel
classicbass.com Field Staff
