What Is Your Idea Of A Good Fishing Show/video?

[Clay Goforth]

Yeah I think I heard some language on one that may not make it to TV .

So how did the attempt at the line class records turn out? Felt really bad for Jeff, he had a bad day.

Oh, yea there may have been a few slips...

Jeff did have a bad day...He has the craziest luck, both good and bad but it is never just okay.

The line class records turned out great. I set two of them, one at 4lb and one at 6lb. They are catch and release line class records and they are not IGFA, just National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. They share some, but some are different. It is kind of like Pope and Young vs. Boone and Crockett. Steve, the other guy fishing with us, broke the 12lb test catch and release record. All of them for King Salmon.

We were back up there just a couple of weeks ago filming another show. I was going to try for 2lb test but the opportunity never presented itself...Instead we caught tons of chums on a 7 wt flyrod.

[Al Agnew]

This is great feedback guys! I don't know how to do this without it acting like a show plug so I just have to say it. I host a TV show on DirecTV on the Pursuit Channel and completely understand your frustration with TV shows being a 30 minute infommercial on the "Latest and Greatest." Unfortunately, with the way airtime purchasing works, TV shows HAVE to do the shameless plugs, product showcases, and other garbage because that is how you pull in the sponsor money. The airtime on the networks is incredibly expensive and unless you have someone who is independently wealthy that just wants to fund the show with no returns or you can convince sponsors that simple product placement is enough for them to give you $50k, outdoor programming will forever have product pushing.

It is actually very annoying, as someone who got into the business to fish for a living, to have to waste valuable fishing time using a lure that doesn't work half as well as another because you are required to fish that lure because they pay the bills.

I understand the frustration but don't think it is the total fault of the shows. The networks are responsible for making the airtime so expensive that you have to go solicit all those sponsorships which you then have to plug.

Now, having said all that, in my mind what makes a good show is someone who comes across very passionate about what they are doing, very respectful of the fish they are catching, very cool/different/artsy camera angles, good description of what is being used (techniques, baits, flys, etc), as Dano said, reading the water, fantastic scenery, humor and good interaction between the people on the show.

I would really love if the same people who are commenting on this thread would watch an episode or two of our TV show and give us some of this same type feedback. Don't worry about hurting my feelings in the feedback because most likely, I will agree with you. I simply work for the show, and have no control over the way the show gets put together so, I give the owners of the show my feedback all the time. I have fought tooth and nail against being a "gear whore" for them because I don't want my name on anything I don't think is a good product.

Anyway, our show times are below.

DirecTV Channel 608 (The Pursuit Channel)

Thursdays 3pm

Saturdays 10pm

Sundays 6:30am

Thanks in advance for those of you that catch the show and offer feedback. I think you will be pleased with some of what we are doing.

Phil, if you have any questions for me about filming or anything, please let me know.

Clay, I know what you mean about sponsors and having to push their products. I realize the realities, but was just saying what I'd LIKE to see. I have run into the same thing in doing fish art. Much of my fish art is originally done for Bass Pro Shop catalog covers, and they send me the lure they want in the art. It's always a BPS brand lure, and while BPS does some pretty decent, reasonably-priced lures, it's often a lure or a color that I wouldn't personally use. It makes me uneasy enough that, if the painting ends up being in print other than the catalog, I often change the lure to something I WOULD use between the time it appears on the catalog and the time it appears in non-BPS print. (On the other hand, I wish they'd have me do some covers with BPS brand reels in them, since I'd need a reel for a model--and I really like some of the BPS reels ).

[Clay Goforth]

Oh, yea, I understand...I just thought people, if they didn't, should know the reason behind the product plugs (pun intended). I would also LIKE to see a show that left the fishing propaganda out of it. This is why I have encouraged our show owners to go after sponsors like Coca-cola, Miller Brewing, and Chevrolet. This way, we drink Coca-Cola throughout the show, we have a celebratory beer at the end of the day, and we drive off in our Chevrolets. The fishing gets to be the star of the show rather than the supporting cast. (again, pun intended)

[BredMan]

I have vivid memories of Virgil Ward demonstrating his jigging techniques in his studio fish tank at the end of each show. That was a few decades ago and always the same week after week but you got the idea how to work a jig or plastic worm. Hank Parker always seem to do a pretty good job with his fishing shows if you liked using spinner baits or heavy jigs.

Never cared for high marketed shows that pushed a specific product by showing how wonderful a certain product caught fish. That stuff usually ended up as additional clutter in my tackle box. Shows that capture and edit video over a week of fishing and make it appear as a good afternoon on the fish pond don't do much for me. I don't need a video shot from an underwater camera of a hugh fish taking that flashy bait sold at BPS or Cabela's for $10.95 or that I need to be in a $40K bass boat to catch fish.

Show me the 'what to use' and 'how to use it' stuff. We all have plenty of rods and reels. Plain and simple good quality instructional video of the how-to's (techniques, presentation, and hook setting) works for me.

[flyfshn]

Fly Fishing the World, Fly Rod Chronicles with Curtis Fleming, Fly Fishing Profiles, but my two favorites are Trout Unlimited and Angling in America's National Parks. I record all of them on my DVR so I do not miss them