For those who visit ALLNORTHWOODS.COM, most of you know I work in the bait shop at BENTS CAMP a few days a week. So, I talk to many anglers that come in to buy bait for their day on the water. I’m here to tell you I could definitely write a book on the conversations that have occurred along with many boat ramp incidences. I won’t get into the crazy boat ramp issues (for now) but there is one angler story about an older gentleman that came in last year but didn’t buy anything. Within a half hour of this man, maybe in his early 80s, I learned what he did for a living, when he retired, his wife had passed, he didn’t have children, and it’s been 25 years since he had fished.

I was told he got the urge to fish again from watching BASS fishing shows on TV. When I asked if he needed any bait he said “no, I bought everything I need two weeks ago. I then asked, then what can I do for you? He replied, “I’ve been fishing for 2 days and haven’t caught a Bass and wanted to know if you could give me some spots to try”. I showed him a few areas on a map and started to suggest what to use BUT I was informed he bought lures the host on TV were using.

I didn’t have the heart to tell the old timer, those fishing shows are not televised to teach you how to fish, but to sell products for the companies that sponsors the shows. Does anyone really believe these pro fishermen catch fish every 2 to 3 minutes? Or the Bass that are caught are all over 3 pounds?  WELL, THEY DO NOT. These show on outdoor channels are basically entertainment and for selling fishing products.

HERE ARE A FEW THINGS A RETIRED PRODUCER SAID ABOUT ONE OF THOSE OUTDOOR FISHING SHOW. Viewers see at best 5% of footage filmed because it could take three or more days to film a half hour show. If the camera men (in separate boats) miss the pro angler reeling in a fish or the angle wasn’t right, they would leave the Bass on the hook and another boat would bring the fish back to where it was caught.

Also, if the TV host wasn’t catching fish, the guide (YEP, THERE’S ONE IN THE BOAT) would catch a fish and hand the rod to the host as if he caught it. And here’s one that I was shocked at. The retired outdoors show producer also said, there are times weather can be an issue (cold fronts), so before shooting an episode, guides would catch BASS and keep them in a tank for backup. If they couldn’t find big fish when filming the Bass that was caught earlier would be hooked and placed away from the boat.

If you watch these fishing shows, you WILL hear the pro angler (host) tell the viewers he is fishing in four feet of water over weeds or maybe casting into the shoreline rocks. When casting, this is when the host starts selling all the product for the sponsors that are paying him and the cost of the show.

Some shows start at the dock and before backing into the water, the Pro Angler tells the viewers all about his X brand boat, powered by the X brand 4 stroke outboard motor. When the fishing starts, at some point he will say he loves his new X brand reel that is positioned on his X brand rod and couldn’t land these monster fish without the X brand 10-pound test fishing line. But it’s all about the new X brand top water lure that catches so many fish it should be illegal. Then you know he wouldn’t be able to find these fishing spots without the new X brand locator. But he wouldn’t be able to see these big bass in the water if he wasn’t wearing the new X brand UV sunglasses.

If you don’t believe all of this, watch and listen to some of these fishing shows. I will say, there are a few shows that WILL cover the finer points of fishing locations, fishing techniques and are not only targeting bass but other species too.

I never saw the old timer that came into the bait shop last year again. But I hope the lures he bought after seeing them on TV caught a couple of bass on the spots, I gave him so his first fishing trip in 25 years was a great one.