Classic

[Bill Babler]

Some of those guys sat in line for over 2 hrs. yesterday. That is After they got to TULSA. Just not right the way they are doing this. They froze their Butts all day and this is the way they and the fish get treated. Some of those fish were out of the lake for 13 hrs. yesterday.

They said today there was not a single death. Maybe, but common sense would dictate otherwise.

[Bill Babler]

I was totally wrong about Pace. Back to Back 7 pounders on Grand on these conditions is magnificent. Not going to win big bass two days in a row very often, I am impressed. and take my hat off to him. He is for sure on a Big Fish Deal.

Not so much with his Basstrakk saying 14 pounds however. Think they might have missed there guess abit, weighing in 21 pounds.

[Feathers and Fins]

Basstrakk is sandbagging weights, but expected

[jerry241]

Hey just a quick note.. New to ozark anglers. Stuck out here on the road working. Really enjoying the commentary on the classic.yall keep it up.

[Goggle-Eyed]

What an idiot. If I was Shimano I would get rid of him immediatly. Shimano used to be very hard to get product from. Guess they changed. If I had to represent a guy like that I'd go out of the tackle business. Frankly who cares about a reel that pretty much didn't catch a fish all day.

You guys can be pretty fickle sometimes!!! The fact that this guy is in the Classic and is paid by a sponsor to get the word out gives him the right, and I am sure that Shimano would fire him for NOT getting the word out.

Bringing up Nascar, I have watched them interview the "no name" crashed in the first 10 laps guys and they always thank their sponsors. It is what they are PAID to do.

If they are fishing in the Classic they have earned the right to promote their products however they want!!! When some of you are fishing in the Classic you can just walk up, weigh your fish and walk off the stage...

However, Bill if I am ever looking for a guide on the Rock you will be my first call! We just won't talk about sponsorships!!!

Joe

[Feathers and Fins]

There is a time for it and not a time for it. Ive been fishing Shimano all my life but im telling you this right now half the cheap product adds they have given are embarrassing even to a person who appreciates the product. There is a reason they have multiple takes in commercials and thats because some people really are not good at talking. Sorry but its cheesy promotion and even the comments on the Blog are backing that up.

Making the classic is a heck of a thing, it shows how good a fisherman you are and no taking that away from them. But there is a difference between being a fisherman and a spokesman.

[Jerry Rapp]

Google eye, 95% of the sponsorships are just for product. There are a few that get bucks from sponsors, but when they do they are probably travelling all around the country doing shows and seminars. Do you really think Tacklewarehouse pays someone 10,000 a year to wear their shirt?

[Goggle-Eyed]

Google eye, 95% of the sponsorships are just for product. There are a few that get bucks from sponsors, but when they do they are probably travelling all around the country doing shows and seminars. Do you really think Tacklewarehouse pays someone 10,000 a year to wear their shirt?

No Jerry, I was only referring to the guy standing on the Stage at the Classic not all the other guys.

[Bill Babler]

Joe no problem with peoples endorsements and speaking of a sponsor. Its just the lack of preparation that i'm concerned with.

That guy had had that merchandise and for some time knew he was going to get a chace to promote it on bass fishing biggest stage. He had all the time in the world to think of a very nice way to promote the equipment and should have done this with some thought and care. its important. Very important.

Instead he gets up and blerts out just about the dumbest endorsement for any equipment that I have ever heard.

Procrastination at its highest level.

Come on. If the folks at Shimano are willing to let you use promotional gear and give you a buck or two the least you can do is make a coherent endorsement of the product.

Really showed me he could care less about shimano or their product and was getting something out of the way just as easy as he possibly could.

Would have been really easy for him to say. " Hey, the bite was really tough for me out there and I struggled a plenty. The one bright spot in my day was my New Shimano Core. Just don't believe I would have put the fish I did catch today in the boat without it."

There were a million things he could have said, if he had cared. Was way aparent that he didn't.

Money and product are hard to get, even for these guys. You just need to be a little smarter about it.

Who knows, he may have done a great job. We are all for sure talking about shimano.

[Goggle-Eyed]

Earlier there was a reference to Nascar drivers. I guess I look at it a little different than some. I remember back in the 80's and 90's when Nascar was just getting wildly popular. The interviews of drivers were just as "bad" as this guys. Yes there were one or two that had the flair and came across perfect on camera, but most just blurted out whatever came to mind when they were being interviewed, whether it was for crashing on the second lap or winning the race...

I think BASS fisherman as well as sponsors are about where Nascar was in the 90's. Yes it is getting more popular but the importance of sponsors hasn't hit the level that Nascar drivers are at. Yes a few of the fisherman are "perfect" on camera, but as someone said Nascar drivers now have "training" on how to talk on camera. Very few BASS fisherman have that kind of training... Watch the interviews of Nationwide or Truck Series drivers, let alone ARCA and on down.

And back in the day these guys thanked sponsors that did nothing more than give them some free tools or oil to go in their car (Like the majority of today's BASS fisherman) they weren't paid much if anything by sponsors.

As my first post said, I just think some people were a little fickle with their criticism of a guy that was standing on the Stage at the Classic. Maybe he did practice his "lines" and just got "excited" and forgot his "lines". Unless you have stood on the Stage at the Classic and handled it perfectly, I don't feel you should criticize them.

NOW - Personally, I hate the sponsorship plugs that dominate interviews. I much preferred NASCAR before the sponsors took over the interview topics, whether the guys had public speaking training or not. I like the old days when Cale or Bobby would get up there and just tell you "facts" (at least as they saw it!!!!). As for BASS fisherman, I would really just rather hear them talk about the fishing and not get hung up on plugging the sponsors, but it is the world we live in and will only get worse as the sport continues to grow. It is probably headed down the same path as Nascar, just on a smaller scale.

Did this guy handle his sponsor plug appropriately, maybe not, again I just think it was unfair criticism, unless you have stood on stage at the Classic and handled it perfectly.... That stage is a lifelong dream for many fisherman, obtaining you life's dream can make you a little goofy when you are caught up in the moment.

Anyway, none of this is really important and I don't have any issues with you guys that posted the negative, just think it was a little fickle.