How Would You Improve Fishing Shows?? 2024
Bass Dude reply :
I think they spend too much time on lure presentation in fishing shows. For me, that's the easiest part of the equation. It's totally dictated by location, then you just experiment with retrieve. How many times can they show you the different ways to fish a jig or crankbait, etc. I wish they would show more of what they're looking for on the map, then what that spot looks like on the sonar, and how they go about looking and finding that proverbial 'spot on a spot.' They always show them idling for 10 seconds and saying this is the spot, then they drop the trolling motor and start fishing. Most of the time they don't even show the sonar, unless they are trying to do a commercial for Hummingbird or Lowrance.
How do you think they should improve on fishing shows....other than not making them commercials!
38 Super Fan reply :
I'd cut out all the trying to sell you you stuff, trash talk, and guys trying to be funny, but I'm afraid that wouldn't leave much with most of the current shows.
Gangley reply :
Quit trying so hard to sell something. If you look like a salesman and act like a salesman, the door is gonna get shut in your face like a salesman, or in this case the channel is gonna get switched. I've quit watching several shows because of that alone. It gets to the point where you dont even want to watch the show because its not a fishing show any more, its a 30 minute infomercial on Brand X
Dont get me wrong, I know you have to make your sponsors happy but JEEEEEZ, be real for 5 minutes.
If the product is good it will sell itself. The last thing I want to hear is "This lure seperated me from the pack and allowed me to win so-and-so tournament, ITS MONEY IN THE BANK!". To me, thats garbage advertising. The equipment I want is the equipment the pro will use when he's not busy trying to sell something, when he is actually out fishing.
When watching a fishing show, I want to see you catch fish, and I want to see how you catch those fish, and that will sell me on your product. The proof is in the results, not in the talk.
outdoorsman110 reply :
Make everything like Iaconelli.. Entertainment.
shady oaks reply :
I was just talking about this with my wife last yesterday. I agree with the sales pitch, makes me go from liking someone to thinking they'll say anything for a sponsor. I personally would love to see them spend more time on explaining WHY they are using certain equipment, the benefits of this rod and reel combo versus another for example. They could cover each topic to help a complete novice to a seasoned pro. Trust me, it's possible.
basscatcher8 reply :
I'd like a show to be like the old In-Fisherman shows. They were nothing but explaining and applying the FLP system that they taught. There were a couple plugs here and there but not a ton like those guys do today with the angling edge. But the more you look at it the more it looks like that is what is demanded by the economics of TV today.
Quillback reply :
I like shows that fish public lakes, and name the lake. I like to see the lure that's being used and the presentation. Give an expalantion why that lure is working. Talk about water temps/time of year/weather and it's effect on the fish.
If they're going to fish a sponsor's lure I have no problem with that as long as it's a named public lake. Shows where a guy is fishing in his private pond have no crediblity with me, and it won't lead me to buy whatever lure you're tossing.
And please, no screaming and yelling. As they say in football, don't act like it's the first time you've been in the end zone.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 5/8/2012 at 12:51 AM, outdoorsman110 said:Make everything like Iaconelli.. Entertainment.
That's NOT entertainment ! Just ask my granddaughter, a ten year old, she'll tell you and I quote "that man has a problem"
End of story...
WookieeJedi reply :
One thing got me to stop watching fishing shows: the Color-C-Lector. About the same time, the helicopter lure showed up. That was it. I haven't watched many shows since. Some of my favorite shows were Jerry McGinnis, and Bill Dance. I still remember Bill Dance hammering big smallmouth on Pickwick. That was a great show. Jerry McGinnis' show was more about just enjoying the sport, with a little technique thrown in.
slonezp reply :
Bass Dude, I think the problem with your theory is most average anglers want to see guys catch big fish. I also think thry would be alienating a huge part of the audience. I would guess the majority of the audience do not have boats to fish out of. If you spend 15 minutes teaching the viewers to find the spot on the spot with your electronics, and 5 minutes catching those fish(10 minutes for commercials 
), those viewers will surely tune into another program that adds entertainment value. I also like the local lake concept. We have a couple local shows in northern IL and southern WI that do just that. One is a multi species show with a new episode every week. The entire show is a "Promote the sponser" plug. The second one is a bass fishing show, but all the guy fishes with is senkos and spinnerbaits. He catches average sized bass which makes me depressed 
I would like to see Jimmy Houston give a largemouth bass a tongue bath like Joe Bucher's dog gives to a smallmouth.(FYI Joe Bucher is a smallmouth and musky fisherman from up north. His dog slobbers all over every bass he brings into the boat)
Traveler2586 reply :
I'm down to one TV show, Hook n' Look, and no longer go to the traveling fishing shows/expo's.
I like the way Hook n' Look show the sonar, how to rig and fish the bait, and how it runs under water. I most enjoy the underwater portion of the show where they show the fish in it's habitat and how it reacts to the structure, cover, and bait. They not only tell you where their fishing, but also give a tip on where to stay (OK, it's an ad too)
I would like to see them use something other than Strike King though.
During the last show I got to see "Big O" and his Space Monkey in action. 
j.bruno reply :
How about just plain old more fishing less bs ?
outdoorsman110 reply :
Haha I know.. I just like him and his yelling.On 5/8/2012 at 7:56 AM, Traveler2586 said:
That's NOT entertainment ! Just ask my granddaughter, a ten year old, she'll tell you and I quote "that man has a problem"
End of story...
basscrusher reply :
This is exactly why some of us love Lunkerville so much. No BS, just a guy who loves to fish, humbly trying to soak up as much info as possible. And that show isn't just for the newbies and bank beaters, either. Not all of us tournament fanatics need a 30 minute infomercial, or a technique seminar that's old news to those in the know. At this point, there isn't a whole lot I'm going to learn from TV shows...so I just watch for the pleasure of it. And Lunkerville does the best job (in my mind) of applying the correct philosophical perspective to the hobby.
So to answer the original question...get back to the basics.
NCLifetimer reply :
Information, that isn't about products. patterns, why exactly the angler is doing what he is doing on that day(bc of this weather condition, this time of year, this temperature, etc...), general tips and tricks.
Michael DiNardo reply :
In my opinion In-Fisherman , Anglers Edge, The Bass Pros and Joe Bucher have the best shows. My ears bleed when they tell me about catching bass in the winter when they are fishing in Mexico in short sleeves and getting a sunburn. Excuse me, I live in PA, that AIN'T winter. If they don't give water temp, depth and month they are fishing, the rest is useless. Just like with everything else a baseline is needed.
I also like the tournament coverage shows, but I don't group them the same as informational shows. I may have left out good shows that my cable system doesn't carry.
Mike
tomustang reply :
On 5/8/2012 at 10:49 AM, Michael DiNardo said:In my opinion In-Fisherman , Anglers Edge, The Bass Pros and Joe Bucher have the best shows. My ears bleed when they tell me about catching bass in the winter when they are fishing in Mexico in short sleeves and getting a sunburn. Excuse me, I live in PA, that AIN'T winter. If they don't give water temp, depth and month they are fishing, the rest is useless. Just like with everything else a baseline is needed.
I also like the tournament coverage shows, but I don't group them the same as informational shows. I may have left out good shows that my cable system doesn't carry.
Mike
Reminds me when I lived in california, winter to them was sunny 70F+
I'll repeat but in better wording: Better hosts on many of the shows. Not lying about fish weights would help too.
grimlin reply :
On 5/8/2012 at 8:10 AM, Traveler2586 said:I'm down to one TV show, Hook n' Look, and no longer go to the traveling fishing shows/expo's.
I like the way Hook n' Look show the sonar, how to rig and fish the bait, and how it runs under water. I most enjoy the underwater portion of the show where they show the fish in it's habitat and how it reacts to the structure, cover, and bait. They not only tell you where their fishing, but also give a tip on where to stay (OK, it's an ad too)
I would like to see them use something other than Strike King though.
During the last show I got to see "Big O" and his Space Monkey in action.
I really like Hook n look too.I can still tolerate bass pro.Lately I've been watching River monsters.I also like Larry Dahlberg's Hunt for big fish.
Lunkerville is just too slow for me.....I cannot watch for more than 10 minutes before I feel like changing the channel. Although I love the concept he put into the show.
Fish Chris reply :
Show me some BIG bass ! Heck, even the 5 to 8 lb'ers Bill Dance catches at the private stock ponds are not "real trophys".... well, for a lot of other states maybe, but most of the time, I wouldn't even break out a camera for fish that size, unless their was something cool about the catch, to offset the "not so huge" size.
I can probably count on two hands, the number of actual DD bass I have seen on TV fishing programs......
Have Butch Brown, Mike Long, Bill Sementiel, etc, do a show, where they don't even bother showing you the ones under 13 lbs 
And then throw in a 90lb Blue Cat for the bonus fish
^ That, would be a fishing show worth watching.
Peace,
Fish
QuoteLately I've been watching River monsters.I also like Larry Dahlberg's Hunt for big fish
X's 2
Those Bassmaster shows, catching 2 to 5 lb fish just bore me to death.
Glenn reply :
I'm not defending anyone here, just offering up some insight.
Producing and airing a fishing show costs money, and lots of it. The sponsors know that, and know people producing fishing shows are hurting for funding. So their sponsorship packages now come with a ton of strings. And it's more than just "mention our product name X times in each show." It's "Produce a direct and measurable increase in sales of our product by at least (insert a really high number here) percent, or we won't sponsor you."
And all of them are doing that. It's the economic situation we're in now.
But you can't blame the sponsors - they're struggling just to keep their heads above water, so they MUST make every dollar they spend count as much as possible. They can't afford to make mistakes. It's a viscous cycle.
Frog Turds reply :
I really liked City Limits with Ike, it was pretty down to earth. sometimes he got the limit sometimes not but I always enjoyed the show. It was a bummer when I heard he was no longer the host. Also thats my mind set each time I'm on the water, figure out the pattern, try to get that limit, thats my goal every outing at minimum...
Just as others stated, more average joe style real fishin, not on private lakes constantly selling crap...
basscatcher8 reply :
I use to like that show that ESPN had on called Day on the Lake was modeled right after the articles in the bassmaster magazine. Follow a couple pros around a lake for a day and listen to how they are breaking down the conditions.
I know alot of people dont like him but I have been getting into Iaconelli's instructional stuff he has done. He is real good a breaking down presentations and strategies. I bought his finesse fishing dvd and it has gone up to my favorites with the lindners dvd set I have as well.
flippin and pitchin reply :
It's hard to find any fishing show that has balance, entertainment and instruction. I kind of liked the recent Major League Fishing series just aired. Each angler had to run the same boat, electronics and just go figure them out. That was good stuff. The Lessons show was the best. Each angler described their thought processes and described their techniques in detail. Did they show their sponser's stuff ? Heck yes but it was done in good taste. Glenn is spot on. Fishing is a business. The producers of MLF did a great job. I'm not a big fan of Marty Stone, but he did a great job as well. Kudos to him. I hope they repeat it next year.
Bankbeater reply :
I agree with an earlier post about fishing in public lakes.
I would like to see if one of these pros could catch his limit in a heavily pressured lake that get hit close to 24/7.
grampa1114 reply :
I have to agree with Flippin and Pitchin...Major League Fishing put a little realism back into the tournament scene. Everybody was running an affordable boat, like us, and the deal was "no practice", just like the guys who don't have time to practice for the monthly club tourney.....and....they were all of approximately the same skill level, again much like an average local club.... x10...This was also the beginning of a very interesting scoring format. Fun to watch and some good tips were there if you paid attention. JMHO
Grampa
Nosoup4u reply :
I know that this is a bass board, but I would like to see a little more variety, kind of like the articles in InFisherman. I'd like to see someone fishing for two pound bluegills and red ears, crappie, big carp, hybrid striped bass whatever. Like someone said constantly watching someone catch 2 to 5 pound largemouth bass bores me to death.
stkbassn reply :
On 5/8/2012 at 8:10 AM, Traveler2586 said:I'm down to one TV show, Hook n' Look, and no longer go to the traveling fishing shows/expo's.
I like the way Hook n' Look show the sonar, how to rig and fish the bait, and how it runs under water. I most enjoy the underwater portion of the show where they show the fish in it's habitat and how it reacts to the structure, cover, and bait. They not only tell you where their fishing, but also give a tip on where to stay (OK, it's an ad too)
I would like to see them use something other than Strike King though.
During the last show I got to see "Big O" and his Space Monkey in action.
X2 on Hook N' Look, those guys are great.
I'm still a fan of the format of the Bass Pro's show and can't help loving FLW Outdoors for their Pro and College tournament coverage.
I do get sick of the sales pitch...I like Shaw Grigsby but man if he doesn't mention Strike King or Dicks in every sentence then he isn't talking at all.....
WookieeJedi reply :
I'm happy someone started this thread, I'm going to check out Hook and Look, and Lunkerville. My wife may not be too happy with y'all though...
jignfule reply :
put a scale to the bigger fish.
loodkop reply :
I believe most shows could be improved by having a "well rounded" host. I can easily put on another 10 or so pounds.
brian smith reply :
At the risk of being ripped to shreds, tell me what you think. My brother and I document our fishing trips with a video. It's less than 10 minutes.
WookieeJedi reply :
I like the video, except for the jackfish! And tell your bro not to ever lean back in a canoe or kayak when going under any obstruction, even a bridge.
BassAssassin726 reply :
I havent seen someone using a spincast reel since i was like 5. lol I liked the vid though.
lou304 reply :
When it was on, I actually like Mark Zona's show. He seemed to mix it up a lot, didn't fish private waters(at least not all the time)and I think he's got a pretty good on air personality.
lou304 reply :
On 5/11/2012 at 3:07 AM, brian smith said:At the risk of being ripped to shreds, tell me what you think. My brother and I document our fishing trips with a video. It's less than 10 minutes.
[media=]
I like it! Do you post any anywhere else?
brian smith reply :
If you search "Fishing Wednesday" on YouTube, there are a couple more on there. We'll do them all summer.
outdoorsman110 reply :
More of these would make the shows better.
bigbassctchr101 reply :
I would love to see a fishing show that explains 5-10 viewer questions each episode. Why pick a chart/white over chart/blue? Buzzbait over a pop r, where and when? Summertime patterns, why would you choose back coves over mainlake points? Things like that.
bigbill reply :
Put some on in the evenings after all most of us fish in the mornings so we miss them.
I'm old school and grew up with gada about gaddis the flying fisherman and Jerry Mc Kinnis being the only TV fishing shows.
I like watching the "In Fisherman" , "Dime Store Fisherman", Hank Parker, Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston and Woo Daves and the pro tips when i can catch them.
Diablos reply :
teaching people how to fish based on reading and understanding your sonar.
Deadeye-1 reply :
I too would like to see more shows based on instruction and less on "buy lure X". Back in the day when I was trying to learn how to hunt Spring Gobblers there were few vidoes available. The ones that were were all about call in and shoot, much like the throw and catch fishing shows today. I found a guy named Denny Gulvas that did videos where he called in the birds, but didn't kill them. He explained what he did and why, what to look for and how to adjust your calling to the gobbler's mood. Taught me a ton and made be a better hunter.
Wish there was a fishing show that did the same. Explain how to read your fish finder, not only the $3000 ones but ones like the Hummingird 150 & 170 that so many guys use. What rod weight/action to use for different lures and why. How to rig different baits and how/when to use them. How to select line, the properties of each and why this one is better for this situation. When to fish a type of lure and why. How to select colors for different situations and why.
In other words, try to teach the viewer how to be a better fisherman and not just a "look at me catch fish" type of show.
Recently I've found a show called Lost Lake where they do some of this. Put a guy on a lake, let him figure it out, and explain what he did and why.
birdy reply :
Agree with Glen, spot on. the economics drive the show. I've seen a couple of decent shows, like most TV there is about 5 minutes of quality in a 30 minute show. The great thing about shows today is the DVR, tape it, blow through the rubish and get the information if any there that is useful.
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