2nd Year as BPS Local Pro!

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Some have seen my thread last year that I am the local pro for the newest BPS here in Cary NC. (Discounts, speak at seminars, tv commercials for the store, entry fees covered, free gear, foot in the door to be a true BPS pro one day :-), etc)

 

Anyway, NC is having our big fishing expo in Raleigh next weekend. I am working the event both days. I will be doing the usual talks on lures, patterns, local waters, etc.

 

One of the seminars I am doing will encompass "the culture of bass fishing". I need some help from you all on this one. This is to include the benefits of child fishing, family fun fishing days, and other "cultural" benefits of the bass fishing world. 

 

What are some points I should hit on?  

I was thinking about the history, some cool facts, iconic names, etc.

 

I will spend about 30 minutes on this part.

Thanks!

 

Joe

[GetBent]

Talk about how bass fishing has grown, the high school teams and college teams for bass fishing. Time in general while fishing for bass and making memories. How easy it is to target other species to get younger kids into fishing. Like panfish and channel cat fishing. How as kids grow there skills and love of the outdoors do also. Gives them goals to focus on and healthy activity to do with other friends.  Plus the smack talking that comes with a good day on the water. 

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

I love it!!  Good point on adding the other species too. It is relatively simple for kids to have a rig with a bobber and some grubs for a TON of pan fish. And perhaps a hungry bass. :-)

[scaleface]

Fishing is real.  Video games are not . 

[collinfiske_RFC]

You could talk about how you don't necessarily need all the fancy gear to get up at dawn with your dad or grandfather and go and catch some fish. Explain some very basic techniques that would work to catch fish in any conditions, but keep it more about spending time with families and creating moments. Some of my favorite fishing moments are with my grandfather eating PB+J and catching sunfish.

[ward131]

Talk about stewardship. Being responsible on the water and shoreline. What clubs do for cleanups and awareness of Invasive species

[FloridaFishinFool]

Going along with good stewardship, I'd bring up old Ray Scott founder of B.A.S.S. He is the one who really brought about the catch and release mindset a lot of us follow through with to this day. We are taking his cue, and making sure that we pass it on to others especially our children.

http://www.rayscott.net/rayscott/

Bass fishing connects generations together. Grandfathers, fathers, sons, and grandsons and yes, even include the gals in this too, but we all know fishing is by percentage more of a guy thing. My grandmother was a seamstress and she passed that down to my mother and together they passed it down to my sister, so I suppose besides cooking that is one of the girl's things they do while fishing is a major connection some of us have to our fathers and grandfathers and our own sons.

Another issue of good stewardship is how we handle bass. I can not tell you how many photos I see of fish laying on the ground or allowed to flop around in the dirt. We release a still living fish, but many of us may not be aware that how we handle the fish can determine whether it will survive or not. Disturbing the mucoprotein coating, or slime, can be deadly to the fish even though we think we released it live and in good health, we may have actually killed that fish but will never know.

And another issue of good stewardship I don't hear a lot about is how much poison some of our fishing equipment is putting out and accumulating in our waters we fish. One prime example is power pro braid line coated with teflon as a lubricant. Teflon does not break down over time. It accumulates in our waters as it wears off the line from use. Teflon is a neuro-toxin. It is a poison. And yet many of us buy it as the greatest addition to our braid line many of use without a care in the world for the poison we pay for to dump into our lakes and rivers. We are suppose to leave a better cleaner world to our posterity, but that is not what some of us are really doing when we buy teflon coated braid line or use other poisons to fish with.

To me it is a shame how commercialized bass fishing has now become. Money seems to drive the engine. Corporate sponsors are spending money to control professional bass fishing. Today we are bombarded with brand name overload- an optical nightmare! We watch professional fishermen try and tell us how to fish while they are locked into contracts demanding they use only certain products and then the professional fishermen are used to sell these things to us.

Gone are the days of free fishermen who pick and choose whatever brand or product they so choose. Our culture has changed. It is no longer about pure fishing, but more about who has the most money to shove their products down our throats the most.

Pro bass fishing needs a man in black! A rebel. A renegade who can afford to fish professionally without hawking the optical nightmare of brand name overload abusing us with it. I'd like to see such a man win the classic! The culture of bass fishing should be about bass fishing and handling the fish correctly, not flopping around the boat, and not polluting the world we live in and call it fishing so mindlessly, and passing on a fishing legacy of pure fun to our children, not a culture of big money running the show for us.

 

[soflabasser]

41 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

 

 

[soflabasser]

I  agree with you that Bass fishing has become to commercialized to say the least.

[flyfisher]

Commercialization isn't a bad thing.  It has given all of us tons of rods and reels and lures to choose from.  Just because it is all about the brand names doesn't mean it has to be for you.  When i first started fly fishing there were only a few heavy hitters in the market which limited your choices.  Now there are tons of good rods and reels to use.  Also the same can be said about kayaks.  My first kayak I used for fishing was an old sit inside model that was not good for fishing but i made it work.  Fast forward 10+ years and you can have anything you want.

That makes me think that maybe some talk about alternative vessels to get you on the water and they don't have to be big motor fiberglass boats either.  

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Good ideas guys!!!  I will definitely incorporate these points especially the stewardship part. :-)

[buzzed bait]

you could talk about the culture or how so many want to be sponsored or a pro-staffer and how that's not really the name of the game....

[herbu]

How about making it a bit more specific to your audience?  Before Jordan, Harris and Falls, what was the culture in this area?  Mostly ponds and rivers, with a very special day-trip to Kerr or the coast.  How have the big lakes changed the local fishing culture?  What does it mean when one or more of them go away, like the current Jordan flooding?

And how about those @$#%& ski boats, jet skis, and especially the wake board boats?  How "should" we act to share the lake with them?

What about the people we call "nature lovers"?  I mean boats with stereos loud enough to hear for MILES across the water.  Loud, obnoxious, destroyers of the peace.  How do they fit into our culture?

I'll be at the expo this weekend with my fishing partner.  And I'm sorry, but if I wander by and hear somebody talking about the environment or take-a-kid-fishing, I'll keep walking.  Have heard it a million times already.  But a discussion about how the fishing culture can deal with the recreational boating/skiing/wakeboarding culture?  Or how the fishing culture evolved w/ our "big" lakes, and where it's likely to go from here?  I'd probably stick around and listen to that.

Just my .02

[WRB]

Joe, I don't recall you participating on this site, sharing your knowledge and skills.

Know your audiance and remember what you are sponsored for...promoting BPS sales. The majority of your audiance are already outdoor folks and more than likely knowledgible regarding the history of B.A.S.S.

With most public speaking forums you will have the opportunity to get 2 points across, choose those wisely remembering why you are there. Ask yourself what is the culture of bass fishing? Almost every bass angler started off fishing from the bank trying to catch fish of any kind and didn't become a bass angler until some event focused them on catching bass. Topic #1) What event focused you? That should be something you know well and can talk about.

Ray Scott doesn't own bass fishing, Johnny Morris owns BPS, topic #2) what has Morris done for bass fishing?

Tom

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

On January 8, 2016 at 9:32 AM, WRB said:

Joe, I don't recall you participating on this site, sharing your knowledge and skills.

Know your audiance and remember what you are sponsored for...promoting BPS sales. The majority of your audiance are already outdoor folks and more than likely knowledgible regarding the history of B.A.S.S.

With most public speaking forums you will have the opportunity to get 2 points across, choose those wisely remembering why you are there. Ask yourself what is the culture of bass fishing? Almost every bass angler started off fishing from the bank trying to catch fish of any kind and didn't become a bass angler until some event focused them on catching bass. Topic #1) What event focused you? That should be something you know well and can talk about.

Ray Scott doesn't own bass fishing, Johnny Morris owns BPS, topic #2) what has Morris done for bass fishing?

Tom

Just curious,. What does your first sentence of your reply to this topic mean????

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

If it implies that I do not input a lot of my knowledge and skills here, it is because I do not utilize this site for that. I enjoy the pictures, videos, and some other smaller advise portions to partake in.

 

As for the truly deeper skills and knowledge I have, I humbly choose to share them with live audiences and my personal fishing website as I imploy various Q and A as well as other local events. Such as this recent one  (my third event seminar since 2014).

Many people here do not know my tournament winnings, sponsors, accomplishments, or other contractual endeavors.  I simply don't care to put my main bass fishing input in an internet forum. 

 

Joe 

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

On January 4, 2016 at 9:20 AM, buzzed bait said:

you could talk about the culture or how so many want to be sponsored or a pro-staffer and how that's not really the name of the game....

It's only the name of the game that each individual names it. Like Ott Defoe told me just today. "not everyone wants to go pro, but those who do want it bad enough and are willing to make that dream a reality."

 

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

The event was s HUGE three day hit!  I covered the topics we discussed in this thread at our BPS booth and some other areas (especially from smaller Q&A groups). 

 

Some people really wanted to know how to be a pro one day, Ott took care of many of those questions. As did Scott Martin in his seminar at the Bass Tub area. 

 

I enjoyed a lot lot of the conversations about winter and spring transitions, some culture, and a little bit of tech info. 

Mostly I enjoyed hearing the stories from the people who visited our booth. Seeing the passion of young kids and their excitement was a great part!

Thanks for the input!

Joe 

 

[WRB]

41 minutes ago, 5 Dollar Fishing Game said:

If it implies that I do not input a lot of my knowledge and skills here, it is because I do not utilize this site for that. I enjoy the pictures, videos, and some other smaller advise portions to partake in.

 

As for the truly deeper skills and knowledge I have, I humbly choose to share them with live audiences and my personal fishing website as I imploy various Q and A as well as other local events. Such as this recent one  (my third event seminar since 2014).

Many people here do not know my tournament winnings, sponsors, accomplishments, or other contractual endeavors.  I simply don't care to put my main bass fishing input in an internet forum. 

 

Joe 

The sentence doesn't imply you don't share your knowledge on this site...I said I don't recall you doing this and you just confirmed my statement.

Glad to read your seminar was well received, good luck with your career, if you need any free advice just ask, we are happy to share what little we know.

Tom

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

8 minutes ago, WRB said:

The sentence doesn't imply you don't share your knowledge on this site...I said I don't recall you doing this and you just confirmed my statement.

Glad to read your seminar was well received, good luck with your career, if you need any free advice just ask, we are happy to share what little we know.

Tom

You're wrong about one thing Tom, you and the others on this site don't know "little", we all share A LOT of valuable knowledge to the sport. :-).

 

I enjoy seeing your posts and stories as well as your experience with fishing. 

 

I love learning and this event was an eye opener for me. 

 

Reason I say this is that I saw so many new people, young and not that young coming to hear the seminars, buy discounted tackle, but most of all......talk. 

 

Yes, talk. About fishing and how they started. 

 

I I went in there with excitement anxiety but it was quickly quelled when I was able to hear so many stories of fishing passion from people. 

 

There were folks ALL OVER with cell phones out showing off pictures. 

 

It was like three day family reunion of fishing friends eating TONS of barbecue. 

 

Thanks Tom!  :-)

[Senko lover]

25 minutes ago, 5 Dollar Fishing Game said:

The event was s HUGE three day hit!  I covered the topics we discussed in this thread at our BPS booth and some other areas (especially from smaller Q&A groups). 

 

Some people really wanted to know how to be a pro one day, Ott took care of many of those questions. As did Scott Martin in his seminar at the Bass Tub area. 

 

I enjoyed a lot lot of the conversations about winter and spring transitions, some culture, and a little bit of tech info. 

Mostly I enjoyed hearing the stories from the people who visited our booth. Seeing the passion of young kids and their excitement was a great part!

Thanks for the input!

Joe 

 

I wish I had read this thread, I would have introduced myself. Were you in the buildings when all the light went out? I was in Scott's seminar lol.

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

3 minutes ago, Senko lover said:

I wish I had read this thread, I would have introduced myself. Were you in the buildings when all the light went out? I was in Scott's seminar lol.

I didn't know they went out lol!

 

Yesterday I was in the building that sold mostly tackle and they flickered a little. Maybe it was the same time. 

 

I bet when the lights went out security held the doors shut lol. 

[Senko lover]

1 hour ago, 5 Dollar Fishing Game said:

I didn't know they went out lol!

 

Yesterday I was in the building that sold mostly tackle and they flickered a little. Maybe it was the same time. 

 

I bet when the lights went out security held the doors shut lol. 

 

They went completely out in the boat building and pretty dim in the tackle one. 

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

2 minutes ago, Senko lover said:

 

They went completely out in the boat building and pretty dim in the tackle one. 

Yep. Probably then lol

[WRB]

Turnout the lights the party is over...