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TV Fishing Shows

4K views 30 replies 18 participants last post by  striblue 
#1 ·
I must still be in a bad mood and feel like gripping. I enjoy fishing shows because they are about fishing... I really don't watch much ,especially shows like Jimmy Houston, etc. BUT this morning I plugged in and have just about had it with the way these guys fish. Little Bass, little to me in a way... rods stuck firmly in their gut and setting the hook as though they were going to rip the lips off a fish... or trying to show the audience that these are BIG babies! You would think they should be showing the right way to set a hook... and all that arm and back arching and power yank to bring in a 12 inch bass is really rediculious. They teach nothing at all about the right way.. it is TOTALLY uneccessary to do what they are doing to hook a fish. I was sure that the "power yank" would have pull the fish up over their heads on the first yank!!!!!!!!!! Anyway that'd my grip... all was not lost since the last show I watched was Flip Paillot.... fishing for small tarpon and strip setting the hook and "a little Quick rod raise.... then his usual pleasant converstion about things, and his gentle handling of the fish... baby tarpon Bigger than the bass I saw earlier.:mad:
 
#2 ·
John, You forgot Bill Dance routine......how many times does the 12 inch bass make me swivel around in my chair and make my rod go from one side of the boat to the other repeatedly.....following by holding it up, out of the water with his Boca grip until the poor fish is not only exhausted but totally dry.....but I guess....."that's what it is all about folks!"
Can't wait to go to Wallmart and get a lure that brings the same excitement! Few if any of these shows are about information, even the fly shows. No comments on type of line/fly used, technique. Oh!!!!! and how about Competitive Fly Fishing.....in that one.....you got 30 minutes in each pool to catch a fish against other "flyfishers"......maybe competive yoga will be next......who can relax and lower their blood pressure first!
Don't tell Health Channel, I may have a winner here.
:devil:
Ron
PS: Sorry for the hostility, but I need to get out and fish!!!:)
Thanks John, now I feel better that I got it out of me.
 
#3 ·
tv shows

I have the same hostility after watching some shows. Just watch Larry Zonka fishing wogs for silvers in alaska.Cant cast,so always has leftover line at his side that his weak cast could not pull out.does not know how to strip and pop and tries to hook them with the rod rather than a hard strip set. why do they think we want to see a so-called celebrity fishing rather than someone who is a expert that can impart a few gems of wisdom learned after millions of hrs afield?Is that really the audience or is there room for a show that would appeal to "us".Beau
 
#4 ·
and how about all those freaking hooks! it would seem that for every hook in a lip, there are two in the eye;)
i think that the tourney guys have alot of $$$ riding on each fish and they can't afford to waist too much time on TLC. the "tarpon set" is probably to set the hook quickly, but it does look goofy.
i would love to see a mortality study done at bass tourniments:whoa:
 
#6 ·
It is the right way ...

Actually the method Bill Dance and others are using to set the hook on bass is "the right way".

First of all the angler has no way of knowing if the bass is 12" or 12#.

Secondly they often are using soft plastic baits. The Bass will suck the worm/lizard/crawfish into his mouth. You may have to set the hook through the bait several times before the hook point actually contacts the bass.

The bass has hold of the lure in his mouth. The only way to set the hook is to move the lure.

The line may also be anything but straight to the fish. It may have a lot of slack introduced to the system by weeds and wood in the water.

Every good FW bass fisherman I ever fished with, set the hook the same way - I believe the saying is to "Cross their Eyes".

PS- I like tourneys. They quickly separate the BS from what works!
 
#7 ·
Yup. I tend to ignore many of the non-flyfishing shows with few exceptions (Charlie Moore is a bit of a hoot,being a local and all...). Trevor Gowdy's show has the legacy of(and an occasional appearance by) his dad. TU TV is interesting, once you get past the host's corny lingo (heh, that's a corker!...did they clone this guy from Gomer Pyle?). Fly Fish TV also has some good spots, including some tying tips for those that do. As for the general freshwater shows, InFisherman takes the trophy for systematic,logical approach without alot of theatrics.

My two pesos.....

Jim Shepherd
 
#9 ·
MTV meets ESPN...

IMHO...
Charlie Moore, while he may be a "local boy", is little more than a gerbil on speed...I find his show and demeanor ALOT more than just annoying...He gives NE fisherfolks a bad name and has very few, if any, redeeming qualities.
Next on tap is "Caught Ya"...a knock off of the "Punked"...
WHAT A PILE OF JUNK!

Am I alone on this one?...or are these just sorry excuses for sports programming, an insult to one's intelligence, MTV creeping into ESPN...OR WHAT!!!?
:razz:
 
#10 ·
not alone

you are not alone!! I throwup when I see the listings on the program software.I also despise the attempts to make everything a competitive sport. why does everything have to be a competition. why does everything have to be so-called dramatic ,with loud yelling and body gyrations. the beauty of fishing and hunting is that they are all about you and the wonder of the game and your surroundings. no competition! just you vs your objective.Beau
 
#12 ·
My Hot Button

No offense intended toward a New Englander, but Charlie Moore missed his calling, he fits in well with the pro wrestling crowd. I predict one or more episodes of "Caught Ya" will have some very physical scenes. If they ever pulled some of that crap on a couple of my buddies, I know the end result.

ESPN appears to produce fishing shows for the lowest common denominator; however, I do like Flip Pallot, Jose Wajebe and John Barrett.

I'm not an elitist, but give me a break!

Simms
 
#13 ·
Charlie Moore is so annoying that...

He makes the Jerry Springer show look like a Discovery Channel documentary...
AND
He gives me an anxious (semi) colon!:whoa:
 
#14 ·
Yes, while Mr. Moore may be annoying to some and may mimic alot of the theatrics endemic to other bass shows, I find his antics entertaining at times. It's also nice to hear someone with a local accent after being bombarded by Dixie drawls on most of the shows. I look at most fishing shows as little more than a source of entertainment when there's nothing else to watch, not as any real source of information. Most are not flyfishing oriented and/or do not involve areas/species I am likely to be fishing at/for.

Another two yen in the bucket....

Jim Shepherd:hehe:
 
#15 · (Edited)
You guys need to find something to do on Saturday morning . I ain't gonna say no more. I stopped taking the wellebruten too soon and I've got this nasty hair across my butt. But Moore doesn't bother me too much. He plays up the loud mouth jerk role so at least he doesn't take himself too seriously.

I did see Jossy Wahjeebee fishing the rips off Nantucket this morning,,,pretty good show.:devil: ;)
 
#18 ·
My sentiments lie with those of the esteemed Penguin....some of these shows are circling the drain, and should soon join the rest of the refuse in the septic tank of television.

Cripes, I always know when Charlie Moore is on because I can hear him from several channels away. :rolleyes:

On the other hand, he has found out a way to get paid while he's fishing. :eek:
 
#21 ·
I whiled away many a Saturday morning this Winter watching some of those shows; it was the only way I could actually see some lucky sucker out on the water doing what I could only dream of at the time, regardless of when the show was taped. I will say, however, that ten minutes of Csonka's show was all that I could handle before I was embarassed for the guy and had to turn the channel. Yes, it was the casting, or rather the lack thereof. With all of the locations along the seaboards that forum members occupy, we ought to get a video library started! Heck, at least that would be better entertainment for the Winter!

I'm waiting to see some of those "pro" bass fisherman send themselves over the gunwale with the vicious hook sets; perhaps it's already happened and I missed it. Anyway, as obnoxious as it is, ******* TV was a break from watching some of the fly tying videos I have! Thank God warmer weather is finally back!
 
#22 ·
Along the lines of Striblue's orginal post, I was slightly disturbed watching a bass tourney on tv the other day when they gave out (verbal) awards for the "10 Best Sets" of the day. It looked like they were judging them by the speed of the power set and the amount they arced their backs and stood on their toes. I'm no FW bass fisherman, but it didn't seem right to me.
 
#24 ·
To their credit, bass tourney guys are the best fishermen I have seen. No one works harder/studies more than these guys. The fact that they can fish water all over the country and smoke the locals is amazing. Imagine some new guy from California fishing in your favorite spot for a week. On the same day you go out there, he catches twice as many fish as you. And does it the next day too. And could probably do it every day/anyday. If you watch them, and are not too dazzled and distracted by the logos as and glitter paint, you will see that these guys cast and fish...well...Like pros. They make it look easy. It's not.
I would not like to see the pro striper tour succeed, but it would definitely change the way we fish. Alot of money can do that.
 
#25 ·
The only shows I can take are Walkers Cay, Andy Mill's show and the Trevor Gowdy show. Good source of inspiration for the "trip of a lifetime." The TU show is good if you want to learn something about habitat restoration and protecting wild trout.

Even though the monster hookset is a little exaggerated by the bass pros, it is the right way to fish a texas rigged plastic. Bass fishing is fun but I hate fishing tournaments. They exploit our public natural resources for tv ratings/advertising bucks. Are we really supposed to beleive the BASS mortality rates aren't "skewed' just a tad bit?

Plus those shirts with all the patches are just plain silly :eyecrazy:
 
#26 ·
I have mixed feelings on the competitive scene too. I was into competitive trout fishing in a big way back in the UK during the 80s and its amazing how much the equipment and techniques evolved in such a short period of time. The downside was the associated 'horse manure' got so bad it almost drove me away from fishing.

I watched some of the Bassmasters coverage last year and was impressed by the way these guys deal with some very difficult situations. In general though, ESPN and OLN have gone downhill. Penguin summed it up very eloquently. I have to agree that "caught ya" is one of the worst pieces of junk dressed up as entertainment I've ever witnessed.
 
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