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Recent News:
January 6, 2009
Check
out this video!
Hand Feeding Smallmouth!
December 22, 2008
MCB
will be sponsoring the kids casting contest at the 2009 Philadelphia Sportsmans Show located at The Valley Forge
Convention Center. Show dates are January 15-18, 2009.
2009 Philadelphia Sportsman Show
November 24, 2008
FLW goes to Pittsburgh
November 14, 2008
Frogging.
Abandoning Ship
October 30, 2008
Fall Turnover
October 10, 2008
Lake Trunover
September 15, 2008
Oneida 2008
August 4, 2008
Flappin' Hog
New Frog Lures.
July 9, 2008
Bass Boat Business Bad!
June 18, 2008
Put more crankbait fish in the boat!
June 9, 2008
Froggy, Froggy, Fat Froggy!
May 30, 2008
New Fluorocarbon Line.
Spiderwire
May 15, 2008
We can all relate!
Clothes Make the ManMay 12, 2008 As we
flew to the 2006 Bassmaster Classic outside Orlando, my wife observed that everything I wore that day was either free fishing
stuff or from Wal-Mart. The following analysis proves her to have been wrong: Jacket: came
with the boat Hat: free Shirt: tackle company Jeans: Wal-Mart Skivvies: Wal-Mart Socks: Wal-Mart But the shoes were from Payless. Your immediate conclusion is probably that
I'm a cheap SOB, and you would be at least partially right. The other part is that like most fishermen, I love free
stuff. I suppose that enjoyment is related to my "thriftiness" (which, surprisingly, doesn't apply to
high end crankbaits, fishing rods and fluorocarbon line), but somehow not exactly on point. Whether it's a distinction
without a difference is anybody's guess. But the bottom line is that I have two drawers full
of t-shirts from various tackle companies and tournament organizations. Anyone who has been around the game for even
a few years can probably say the same. I'm also pretty sure that I haven't paid for a new hat in at least three
years, yet somehow have 10 in the back seat of the truck and another 10 on my dresser (having thrown away the unluckiest and
rattiest members of the club last year). If I'm dressed even semi-casually, then there's likely a fishing-related
item somewhere in my ensemble. Unfortunately, I have to wear a suit to my day job, and have
not yet found a way to integrate industry attire into that outfit. When is Yamamoto going to come out with boxer shorts
or a necktie? Or is there something obscene about the concept of a GYCB tie, kind of like my confusion over the Jerry Garcia-designed
ties. You wouldn't buy a jockstrap from a bikini model, would you, so why would you buy a tie from someone who never
wore one? (Dead fans, if indeed there's something about Jerry I don't know, and he did indeed wear a tie semi-regularly,
there's no need to stop your Volkswagen vans long enough to write me nasty emails.) What makes
my clothing accumulation so incredible (to me, at least) is that I have no sponsorships with any company. I bought my
boat retail, which was good because it enabled me to get the "promotional" items that came with such a purchase
– hats, shirts, jacket and two rods. When the rods arrived unexpectedly, my wife asked why they sent them and
how much they were worth. I told her they came with the boat and retailed for about $150 each. She then asked
why they couldn't have just taken $300 off the price of the boat. That so misses the point. I
suppose I have some form of informal association with Yamamoto, but it's a matter of them giving me space to write and
me more than filling it. I do have a lot of GYCB clothing and I wear it proudly and frequently, but I don't think
my tournament catches provide a measurable boost to GYCB's sales. Which brings me to the Patch
Pirate question: The holy grail of low-level fishing is not improving one's fishing skills or winning more tournaments.
Instead, everyone cares only about "sponsorship" (lower case "s" means that it could be anything from
discounted product to a small monthly stipend, so long as it comes with some sartorial evidence of one's corporate affiliation).
I just don’t get the excitement – guys would rather give up time on the water to look like pros than actually
become better fishermen. I'd rather fish in a non-descript t-shirt and surprise everyone by
doing well than come in wearing the full-on clown suit and be noticed for doing poorly. I may be talking out of turn
because I own a full closet of these shirts – the fruits of buying certain products, making teams, qualifying for events,
etc. – but I'm greatly uncomfortable whenever I do wear one. At some point, those of you who know me will
probably see me in one, and this column will seem like a load of crap, but you have to believe me, it's greatly embarrassing
for a hack like me to fly the colors. Apparently others are not so bogged down by such feelings. I
see them all the time at Federation level and fruit jar tournaments. Guys with patches all over (The "Woo Daves
Starter Set," I call it), stickers on their truck, etc. At the last regional Federation tournament I fished (under
50 boats, under $1,000 top prize), there was an angler with a full-on tournament shirt with a mix-and-match collection of
logos from all across the fishing industry spectrum. One was GYCB. I checked the guy's name and didn't
recognize it, which seemed odd, because I'm on this site just about every day and I thought I had met or emailed most
of the staffers in my region…so I checked the site when I got home and couldn't find a connection. Maybe
he has some sort of deal through a distributor or a tackle shop, but I think he was just happy to look like a big shot.
The whole sponsorship thing is a mystery to me. As noted above, I'm very much in favor
of free stuff, but the idea of hauling boats to shows in exchange for a few packs of worms seems like someone skipped economics
class a bit too often. I also don't like the idea of being forced to use certain products simply because I've
affiliated with the company. I have plenty of friends in the tackle business and I'm happy to accept their largesse,
but there are certainly no expectations either way – they don't have to give me anything to maintain the friendship
and I'll never write positively about their products simply because I know them. But
in case they're wondering, I wear an XL t-shirt and prefer dark hats. …Just kidding
guys.
May 14, 2008
BFL Potomac results of 5-10-08.
BFL Potomac
April 29, 2008
Photo's of your catch can make memories live forever.
Take a read.
How to create lifetime memories of your catch.
April 27, 2008
Pete Yas and Penn Fishing Reels are members of the Pure Fishing family. Check out
some new products.
Berkley, ABU Garcia, Fenwick, Stren.
April 22, 2008
Check out our friend at Fishing Butlers.
Fishing Butler
April 15, 2008
Fishing tidal waters.
Tidal water tactics.
April 11, 2008
Check out the new swim bait by Berkley.
Berkley Hollow Belly Swimbait.
April 6, 2008
Congrats to Gary Woomer for his first place and lunker finish at Marsh
Creek in cold, windy, miserable conditions.
March 27, 2008
Check out Mike Iaconelli's new show "City Limits"!
March 26, 2008
The 2008 club warm up tournament will be held on Saturday March 29, 2008
at Haws Ave. from 9 AM to 1 PM. Make sure everyone has a PA fishing license.
March 12, 2008
The season is upon us so make sure your boat and motor are in tip top shape. Practice safety on the water at
all times. Club rules state when the big motor is running, life jackets and the kill switch must be on. http://www.flwoutdoors.com/article.cfm?id=148095
The club warm up and start of the season is right around the corner.
Make sure you have the appropriate fishing license when the time comes. Also, don't forget to contact Dave Brown if you plan
to fish any tournament.
Let's have a great 2008 season!
January 22, 2008
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