Hillbilly Deluxe

How are BASS and FLW promoting the close thing?

In case anyone is interested, here's a link to an article I wrote for Yahoo! Sports last week on Kevin VanDam and the upcoming Bassmaster Classic. http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ycn-10916701

My Calendar Runneth Over By Brian Wright brian@outdoorguysradio.com Before the beginning of each year I work on my schedule for the upcoming seasons. First, I review the past year, evaluate my body of journalistic work, and determine if I accomplished what I set out to do. This helps with planning the year at hand. Seems as though this should be pretty easy. Since I primarily focus on angling and/or destinations, you would think planning the year would be easy. After all, look at all the opportunities that abound for outdoor enthusiasts in our region. In addition, I co-host The Outdoor Guys weekly radio show on ESPN Radio in Kansas City (www.outdoorguysradio.com), thus giving me an additional 52 weeks of opportunity to promote the great outdoors. But that’s exactly what makes developing a schedule so difficult. I typically write in the neighborhood of 12 outdoor articles in a given year — not counting editorial pieces such as this column. And with the weekly radio show, I spend more than 50 hours each year on live radio in a pretty big market. Given these numbers, and the plethora of story ideas bouncing around my cranium, therin lies the problem. A rough breakdown of the articles will include some 10-12 straight-up fishing articles (how to, or where to go type articles). Then there will be another six to eight destination articles focusing on great places to go and what to do when you get there. The radio show integrates nicely with the writing. My favorite articles to write, and radio interviews to conduct, are human interest stories. I love to sit down with people, ask them questions, and share their story. I could easily find enough interesting people within 250 miles to write at least a dozen of these stories each year, and do so for many years without repeat. However, time, money, and space dictate that I will probably write six to eight human interest stories in a given year. Do the math and you will begin to see the dilemma of an outdoor writer/radio host in the Midwest. I’ve already alloted enough editorial as outlined above to fill my quota for the year. And I haven’t even touched on boating, camping, turkey hunting, and black-powder guns — all of which have a high level of interest to me. I suspect many of you have equal difficulty finding time to follow all of your favorite pursuits. That’s exactly my point of planning. With the proper organization and planning I’ll be able to pack an enormous amount of outdoor activities within the next 12 months. You see, it doesn’t really matter if you are planning your outdoor activities in conjunction with your job, as I do, or just planning your outdoor activities. You must rely on your principles and goals to guide you. Although I spend a lot of time in the outdoors, I’m just like most of you. I have family, friends, a household, and other business interests which must all be planned for as well. And the better job I do of organizing my tasks, the more effective my actions are. In Stephen R. Covey’s exceptional book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Habit 2 is to “Begin With The End In Mind.” I’m certain — proven through personal experience and the actions of other effective people — that Covey, and others scholars, have identified the habits of success. For me, beginning with the end in mind is critical. To effectively organize and balance our lives, we need a plan that has a specific goal to be reached in a realistic timeframe. I have two key phrases that I continually tell myself. First, a saying from Thomas Edison which states, “genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” This reminds me that if I work smart, and hard, I’ll be successful. The second phrase I use to motivate myself is by the philosopher Goethe who states that “things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.” I have found a beautiful balance between work, family, and recreation by becoming organized and focused. Find your own motivational statements, and grab a pencil and 2012 planner/calendar. Develop a plan which is ruled by your principles and leads you where you want to go!

Come on now, you guys know you can't catch bass on them little tiny finesse baits!

Thanks, and Happy New Year!

Thanks, everyone. Keep 'em coming... and Merry Christmas!

I'm working on an editorial project to identify historic and significant bait & tackle shops of interest still operating. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. I am documenting shops across the country, but have special inetrest in Ozark shops. A significant amount of my focus is on older shops that have stood the test of time.... and look like a time capsule from days gone by (similar to the dying breed of old general stores, some of which are still operating in the Ozarks). Thanks in advance for suggestions! Please respond to post or e-mail me directly at brian@outdoorguysradio.com

I had similar pronblem with my 1990 Johnson 150 GT. Tried the bulb, in-line fuel filter, and new fuel. Finally took it over to Premier Marine in Kimberling City. Rebuilt carbs and have not had any problems since. Cost was very reasonable.

Make that 1 p.m. in the previous post!

Went out from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 a.m. today. Pretty windy but had a good bite on a 3/8 oz. jig with a Zoom super chunck jr trailer. Caught two really nice spotted bass that looked like footballs. Both over 16". Both fish came off chunk rock in 8' of water on Indian Point. Back out tomorrow for more fun!

Nope. I was on the other side of Indian Point near Rock Lane Marina, but I'll most likely be over by Indian Point this Saturday!

I went out Saturday afternoon around Indian Point and graphed a lot of fish on the chunk rock in 12' - 18' of water. Water temp was 62 degrees. Only fished for a couple of hours but caught a 17" LM and a some short smallmouth while fishing finesse baits on 8 lb. test. If you see a guy nitpicking chunk rock in an older blue/silver Ranger around Indian Point and the dam are over the next couple of weeks that will be me!

I apologize if I came across as having an attitude on this subject MIC. That post was not directed at yopur comments, rather to explain to all what the interview was to accomplish. I agree with you, and I'm sorry we didn't get to your question. Like I said in the beginning, I'm not a cheerleader for the Director. I am working on a print story that will go more into depth. I too want to know more details, especially about the black bears, but a radio show based on mainly entertainment isn't really the forum. We only have an hour each week, and the Director has assured me he will appear regularly on the show to answer our questions. Your issue with the stream access, as you know, is very complex. I appreciate your feedback and comments. I will make sure and include that in my print story. If there's one thing I've learned in 20 some years as a journalist, no matter what you do, someone loves it and someone hates it. In other words, I'm pretty thick-skinned.

The interview was not intended to explore political aspirations or personal agendas. Our show is intended to inform and entertain. Our focus was to allow listeners to gain general insight into the Director's responsibilities and the state budget. Director Ziehmer didn't ask to screen our questions or give any time constraints (many people in his position would not be so accommodating). It would be an insult to Director Ziehmer to suggest on air that he is "not conservation minded" based on heresay from unidentified sources. We apologize if you didn't get anything out of the interview (mic). I though Director Ziehmer provided adequent, and interesting, answers to our questions. I am willing to give him the opportunity to do his job and then judge him based on his performance. Director Ziehmer has spent many years of his life dedicated to conservation in the State of Missouri. I believe he is dedicated to conservation in Missouri at a level very few fear to tread. FYI - Director Ziehmer will again be a guest on The Outdoor Guys in the near future. If there are specific questions OA members would like us to ask, please e-mail me directly at brian@outdoorguysradio.com.

Thanks for looking out for all of us on the outside of the inner circle, Chief. I'll defer to your plenitude of knowledge on this matter. FYI - reporters get copy in news releases and press conferences. Crusty old journalists are pretty good and cutting through the bullshit!