Bass Fishing on TV???

[Goose52]

And, speaking of old timers, how many know that Ted Williams was an avid fisherman, quite accomplished at fly fishing, but also enjoyed fishing for Stripers, and just about anything else that swam.

I knew - I fish his gear! Regarding bass fishing in TV - I get the shows on ESPN2 but that's about it...

[90x]

one more cast, shaw grigsby

roland martin

North American Fisherman

Babe Winkleman

Fishing University

Check ESPN and ESPN 2 for bassmaster elite series as well as the classic next month.

Now is the time for the return of alot of fishing shows.

City Limits rocks! Versus

[A-Rob]

'bass edge' is my favorite

[stew6371]

Bill Dance is by far the most knowledgable bass fisherman alive. Yes he fishes his own private lake and they only show him catching the big ones, but he explains all the details of fishing. The wheres, whys and hows of different fishing senarios. I personally, do not even pay attention to the type of bait he uses. Mainly just where he is fishing and why.

[kikstand454]

bill may fish in stocked or unpressured ponds mostly... but not always.

ive seen shows where he was in the everglades and out fished his "guide" 2 to 1.

bill still owns all of us. dont fool yourself. who cares if hes catching fish in a pond? hes still catching them. the technique hes trying to teach is the point of the program. the fish are just to show what the technique with the proper presentation can do.

like catching all big fish is a bad thing!?

[jdw174]

Up until the last couple of years, I followed Bill D's shows all the time.  I think his shows were more enjoyable when he traveled around to various lakes/rivers.  I remember when he would open his CB box and it was nothing but Bagley's.  On top of his bass fishing, he did some very good shows on crappie.

I always enjoyed Billy Westmoreland's show as well.

[Crestliner2008]

Hook N' Look really missed the boat, in my opinion. I was hoping for a show that would demonstrate how you can change/improve your presentations, by actually seeing how they act and affect fish underwater. Maybe it just can't be done? I don't know.

Occasionally they show a tube bouncing along the bottom, that's about all. When I first saw this show, my expectations just went through the roof. Now....Blaaaah! It's a shame.

[jaymc]

First bass TV show I can remember was a local show in Shreveport La in the mid-50's.  It was on Friday nights and the guy would do roundup of the local fishing conditions, which was mainly Bistineau.  I remember he was the first guy I ever saw using a Creme worm.  THey fished them on a three hook harness with a little propeller in the front. The bait was so hot that local sporting gods stores were renting them for $5 a day with a $20 deposit.  Creme worms were as tough as bungee cord.

When we moved back to NYS I had two or tree that weren't in a harness. I used to hook them through the head with a regular bait hook and throw them with no weight.  Most of these guys who think they invented finesse fishing weren't even alive then.  I can't remeber when Mann's Jelly worms first became availabkle because it seems like I've fished them forever.  But those soft worms sure were an improvement. 

Of couse bass tv is commercial.  What do you think allows those guys to fish for a living when you're sitting in a cubicle waiting for Saturday.  The upside is that anything that attracts money will be protected, which means more conservation.  You can learn more on these boards than from all the fishing shows ever made. 

[SlateTundra]

I like Lindner's Fishing Edge, North American Fisherman, and Classic Pattern.  I learn more about fishing from these shows than other shows that's more like..."Hey, watch me catch a ton of fish...or...look at this neat bait I got here."

I can't stand Roland Martin..."SON...btw...what do you think about this Power-Pole?"

[jaymc]

I like Lindner's Fishing Edge, North American Fisherman, and Classic Pattern. I learn more about fishing from these shows than other shows that's more like..."Hey, watch me catch a ton of fish...or...look at this neat bait I got here."

I can't stand Roland Martin..."SON...btw...what do you think about this Power-Pole?"

Linder does more stuff with weedy northern lakes which makes him relevant to me.  But they don't do enough of it. 

Martin lost me when he blew off the Make a Wish kid. 

[bassinbob54]

theres that wfn..world fishing network on verses its awesome

[Luke at Gouldsboro]

I get the Vs. channel here. Every Saturday morning is fishing programs from 7am until about 1 or 2 pm.

[Indiana Bass1]

Does anyone know what happened tp the bass fishing show called True Bass? It was on a fox sports network out of California.

[Phranchise1213]

Some of My Favs in No Particular Order (All on WFN)

- Scott Martin Challenge

- Bass Edge

- Facts of Fishing (When Mercer is bass fishing)

- Gettin School'd

- Fish PAA TV

- Classic Patterns

- Lunkerville

[CAdeltaLipRipper]

yes on outdoor channel i have Pro team journal and fish tv, versus i have fishing with roland martin,bill dance,jimmy houston, and i have others like north american fisherman and hunt for big fish and hook n look

[Central Standard]

There was a fellow in Chicago back in the late '50's, early sixties, something Thomas I think. He was sponsored by the late LaSalle Bank. Saturdays at 6:00 pm on WGN. That had to be one of the early outdoor programs, too. It featured both fishing and hunting.

I find most fishing programs boring because they either are a couple of guys in a boat who say nothing except, "Hey Bob, that a nice (insert species)" or the are a poorly disguised informercial for a lodge or piece of equipment. Often they don't explain the season, water temperature, conditions etc.

[CAdeltaLipRipper]

There was a fellow in Chicago back in the late '50's, early sixties, something Thomas I think. He was sponsored by the late LaSalle Bank. Saturdays at 6:00 pm on WGN. That had to be one of the early outdoor programs, too. It featured both fishing and hunting.

I find most fishing programs boring because they either are a couple of guys in a boat who say nothing except, "Hey Bob, that a nice (insert species)" or the are a poorly disguised informercial for a lodge or piece of equipment. Often they don't explain the season, water temperature, conditions etc.

Would his name happen to be Dee Thomas?inventor of flippin and the biggest delta rat ever?

[CAdeltaLipRipper]

I like Lindner's Fishing Edge, North American Fisherman, and Classic Pattern. I learn more about fishing from these shows than other shows that's more like..."Hey, watch me catch a ton of fish...or...look at this neat bait I got here."

I can't stand Roland Martin..."SON...btw...what do you think about this Power-Pole?"

Hahaha Roland always blabs about his sponsors..

"Hey Judy what do u think about this power pole? (takes a sip of his sponser energy drink) I got him!SOn!hes a big one!hes a big one!hes a big one!oh what a big one!nice bass!big nice bass!see i caught him on that YAMAMOTO TUBE.

Lol gets annoying

[CAdeltaLipRipper]

Does anyone know what happened tp the bass fishing show called True Bass? It was on a fox sports network out of California.

Yea i used to watch it and record it i think it got cancelled. they hardly ever caught anything

[CAdeltaLipRipper]

The point of bill dance is mostly to inform u.Best informative fishing show, and i do enjoy watching him,even though it gets old watching him do his same exact hookset every time and reeling up a 5 plus pounder

[A-Rob]

I like "hookin' up" It's starring Bob Izumi's neice or something........I don't even think there's much fishing in it. THe reasons why I like it are personal.... hahaha

[nboucher]

Goose 52, what's the story behind that Ted Williams reel? I love it.

Ted Williams is in both the baseball and sport fishing halls of fame. Check out It's Only Me: The Ted Williams We Hardly Knew. (http://bit.ly/9q8jgy) In it, John Underwood, a sports reporter and longtime Williams friend and fishing companion, tells a few great Williams fishing stories. Even better, the book comes with a CD of Williams telling Underwood a bunch stories about baseball, his experiences as a military pilot crash landing in Korea, and fishing. Williams could spin a yarn like few others, and because he knew Underwood so well he really opened up to him. Williams was always was blunt, direct, and profane in his storytelling. I've listened to that CD a bunch of times and always enjoy it. They say Ted Williams was the man John Wayne tried to be in his acting.

As for fishing shows, I think the Bass Pros is the best of the bunch. IMO, most fishing shows suffer from too much host personality and not enough actual demonstration of techniques, tackle, etc. I also enjoyed ESPN's A Day on the Lake a lot, because it showed anglers trying to figure out a water body the angler never fished before. But that series didn't last long, it seems.

[NOVA Angler]

Scott Martin Challenge is definetly one of my favorites. Scott is not painful to watch like his Dad.

Another show that I haven't heard brought up is Jarett Edwards Outdoors. Not necessarily one of my favorites though.

[Goose52]

Goose 52, what's the story behind that Ted Williams reel? I love it.

Ted's reputation as an outdoorsman was well known in the '50s and '60s. Sears had a marketing arrangement with Ted and used the "Ted Williams" logo on a lot of Sears sporting goods, including fishing reels. I've had that Ted Wiliams reel since the late '50s/early '60s and it was my only reel for about 6-7 years until I saved up enough to get a Garcia Mitchell 408 spinning reel (which I also still have and fish...).

[Central Standard]

There was a fellow in Chicago back in the late '50's, early sixties, something Thomas I think. He was sponsored by the late LaSalle Bank. Saturdays at 6:00 pm on WGN. That had to be one of the early outdoor programs, too. It featured both fishing and hunting.

I find most fishing programs boring because they either are a couple of guys in a boat who say nothing except, "Hey Bob, that a nice (insert species)" or the are a poorly disguised informercial for a lodge or piece of equipment. Often they don't explain the season, water temperature, conditions etc.

Would his name happen to be Dee Thomas?inventor of flippin and the biggest delta rat ever?

No. Since I made that post I remember his first name as Jim Thomas.