Ever Watch Lunkerville?

[Glenn]

Hey folks, are you getting tired of the "infomercials" on TV disguised as "fishing shows"? Ya, me too. I mean, I know they gotta make a buck, but it's getting so bad these days that it's less and less fishing information and more and more commercials. What to do?

Well a refreshing change from the constant product hawking is Lunkerville. It's a reality show that's about real anglers like you and I, just fishing and enjoying the great outdoors. And when I say "reality", I mean fishing the way most of us know it - and that means it's not always from the fanciest bass boat, or even from a boat at all. Some of the best shows are filmed from car-toppers or when fishing from the shore!

But most of all, the show captures the essence of fishing, and that's why I enjoy watching it every week!

I could go on, but I think the blurb from their website says it best:

When film director Michael de Avila hooked up his passion for storytelling onto his love of bass fishing, he spawned an award-winning reality television show, Lunkerville. While other fishing shows rely on face-paced pro-tournament competition, host "Mike D" casts his line at every day, recreational bass fishermen, traveling to their secret spots and sharing their special techniques. In his signature laid-back manner, he reels in the camaraderie, the banter and the bass. There's never a dull moment on Lunkerville, the show that catches real people with real fishing stories.

All their shows are on WFN and the NBC Sports Network as well as online at their website. Check them out at http://lunkerville.com/

[NBR]

I think is s a good show and maybe a cut above most of the rest. But I don't have any issue with the infomercial part. TV prorams are costly and if the money part does not turn up in the black we can always watch reruns of General Hospital.

[wnybassman]

I like the episode "The Curse Of Lunkerville" :whistle:

[SudburyBasser]

Hey folks, are you getting tired of the "infomercials" on TV disguised as "fishing shows"? Ya, me too. I mean, I know they gotta make a buck, but it's getting so bad these days that it's less and less fishing information and more and more commercials. What to do?

If it were only television programs. The level of sponsor whoring by television programs, magazines and web sites devoted to the fishing pastime and industry is so egregious that I rarely even consider what I'm reading or watching to be credible information. About the only people I have any trust with are the members of forums like this one or Ultimate Bass -- they have no economic stake in a company (usually, anyway) and they tend to promote what actually works for them.

A bit off topic, I will confess, but I was actually thinking about this last night while I was reading a popular bass fishing magazine and laughing out loud at the obvious advertorial nature of the articles.

At any rate, I don't mind Lunkerville.

[thehooligan]

I like lunkerville alot, i watch all the episodes on the website.

[Christian M]

I really like Lunkerville, it definitely is a "reality" show. There are other shows like "Facts of Fishing" and "Getting Schooled" that I really like, but when I watch the shows that have bigtime sponsors I filter out all the brand names and concentrate on the information being given (eg. hook size, line type/lb test, rod action, ect). When I watch Lunkerville there is no filter to turn on, the show really does capture the purity and essence of fishing.

[bassin is addicting]

i watch it every chance i get. i really like the laid back feeling and they always tell the "real story" of how they do. very refreshing..

[A-Jay]

I'm a fan of Mike and his Lunkerville show.

No ones sell anything and there's no agenda.

The mood on the show, which is certainly laid-back, combined with the camaraderie and mellow banter makes me believe that I am indeed - just watching two guys go fishing.

It might not be everyones cup of tea - but I enjoy it.

A-Jay

[J Francho]

I like the episode "The Curse Of Lunkerville" :whistle:

Big fan of Shannon and your father?

Curse is a good episode, very funny: http://www.lunkerville.com/lunkerville1/curseoflunkerville.html

My personal all time favorites are the Lunkerville on Ice series: http://www.lunkerville.com/lunkerville1/episode3ice.html

[wnybassman]

Big fan of Shannon and your father?

Curse is a good episode, very funny: http://www.lunkervil...unkerville.html

The story behind that is...............I had caught a couple fish on a particular drop, but couldn't get bit again. So I dropped a buoy and moved off the spot giving it a rest. Soon we hear hootin' and hollerin' and look back and they had moved onto my buoy and were whacking fish! lol Made for a good show anyway.

[J Francho]

I actually heard the full story yesterday at the seminar. Some of the off camera stuff could make a great show.

(null)

[bowhunter63]

Its a good watch for sure.

[wnybassman]

I actually heard the full story yesterday at the seminar. Some of the off camera stuff could make a great show.

(null)

Did you happen to catch the one shot where the console is on the wrong side of my boat? lol

[Brian Needham]

I didnt know they put it online...........looks like I know what I am doing next few nights!

[J Francho]

Did you happen to catch the one shot where the console is on the wrong side of my boat? lol

No?!? I'll have to look closer. It's all in the editing!

[Ratherbfishing]

I believe I've watched all the lunkerville episodes (and some of them twice or three times). If there were new ones, I'd watch them too. This is an "every man's" show.

[riskkid 2]

I really like this show. Used to watch it on WFN but got rid of the cable package that included it, now catch it online. I didn't know it is on NBC Sports, I'll have to find it there.

[wnybassman]

No?!? I'll have to look closer. It's all in the editing!

This is another really funny editing quirk as well, but I'd rather not say it here. lol

[LgMouthGambler]

Anybody else get a kick out of the dentist? LOL.

[J Francho]

Anybody else get a kick out of the dentist? LOL.

John is something else. He runs NYBASS forums, and is a super guy.

[0119]

NBC only shows old episodes, or at least did last season. No episodes have aired in quite awhile on that channel. Got to see a few episodes during a free month of WFN. They showed the same episode the entire month, Porgy fishing with his new sponsor South Bends out of the package combos. Gave me a taste that the show might have changed some, hope not.

[wnybassman]

John is something else. He runs NYBASS forums, and is a super guy.

John spent a half a day in the back of my boat back in 2001 during a get together on Keuka Lake. You will not find anybody that fishes a Slider Worm as good as he. He was plucking largemouth out of areas I wouldn't have even bothered casting to. Just deep plain looking nothingness.

[J Francho]

He did a great presentation on blade baits this past weekend....not that you need any help there, lol.

[Mike D from Lunkerville]

Hey guys. Thanks for the kind words. Just to clear a few things up: Lunkerville airs on NBC Sports from January-June. Last year we aired re-edited re-runs from season 4 and 5. This January, we're airing an all new season 7, which is currently airing on WFN. Our WFN airings are 6 times a week, all year. We'll also be airing on Mountain Lake PBS and expanding to more PBS stations this year.

Yes, we do a bit of creative editing in the shows sometimes, but that's our creative license. What we don't do is "fake catch" fish like some other shows. What you see is basically how the day went. It's real people with real fish stories.

We start filming again very soon and will now be more of a multi-species show, with about 1/2 bass and 1/2 other freshwater species (with a pinch of salt thrown in).

We're also revamping our website and will eventually offer past season's shows in full HD off your computer. The new season's shows will show up online after our NBC Sports airings. So, this current season will be available in July.

Now, we do have a new title sponsor: South Bend, and it's a big deal for us. But the show is staying the same and we won't be hawking goods left and right like the other shows. You will see their product and logo quite a bit, but we are not changing the format of the show.

If anyone has any questions, ask away. And thanks everyone for watching the show!

PS. Thanks John and Paul for your terrific kayak presentation at the NYBASS seminar. TOP NOTCH!

[J Francho]

Mike, it was an honor! I've got some ideas for the next one - totally off the wall. We'll discuss it soon.