A GO PRO DOESN'T MAKE YOU A FISHING STAR

Post by **WB Staff** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 12:13 am

Driving a Chevy, doesn't make you Tony Stewart, playing a guitar, doesn't make you part of Lynyrd Skynyrd, throwin' a football doesn't make you Kurt Warner and buying a video camera doesn't make you a fishing show star.
DISCLAIMER: If after reading this article and you are butt hurt, you may be "that guy".

Read the rest here.. http://www.westernbass.com/shared/mag_w ... index.html

reddog · Post by **reddog** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 11:11 am

Great article. At one point we all need to remember the fishing is supposed to be FUN otherwise it will just become another job.

Chris N · Post by **Chris N** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 5:42 pm

What if I can throw a football over a mountain?

Phil Burgess · Post by **Phil Burgess** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 3:08 am

UMMMMMMM I THINK THERE ARE A S)&! LOAD OF PEOPLE THAT NEED TO SEE THIS THREAD.............. BWHAHAHAHAHAH

BEST POST OF THE YEAR............. THE JOBBERS ARE EVERYWHERE!!!!!

medfish · Post by **medfish** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 7:01 am

What about if you have your own jersey and a few YouTube views ✌

george · Post by **george** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 2:45 pm

Well I can say this "if it makes you a fishing star in your own eyes have at it"! I dont post videos to Youtube or the website but I have two GoPros that I keep running when I am fishing and have found that I can go back and see exactly what I was doing and at what time I was doing it when I caught the pig of the day or how and why I started getting bit all the sudden and see the change I made first hand.

You can gather and gain so much more information when you get a chance to rewind and replay the footage and really break it down.
I have also gained a lot of insite of fishing different waters from going to Youtube and watching some GoPro footage of people fishing these lakes. Most of it is unedited and not staged so you are watching footage of some guy that is probably more like you the average Joe than the "Fishing Star" that is telling you about the products he is paid to push on a thirty minute show that took them three days to shoot.

So, to put it short "You dont have to be a star baby, to be in my show? Most of us will never get paid to fish and most of us will never have our picture on a bait package saying we just won the BassMasters Classic or Forest Wood Cup, but most of us can still go fish at a local tournament and make a check once in a while that is big enough to go buy another fishing rod, reel or GoPro camera and put it our archives for our kids, grandkids or our ulogy at our funeral.

If you dont like em then dont watch em! But everyone of them is a star in their own universe...

George

Fishaholic68 · Post by **Fishaholic68** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 9:16 pm

Well said George!

Lets not crush everybody's dreams here..

If the sponsors are handing out baits or paying guys to promote how can you blame a guy for representing a company that is actually supporting his fishing.

Andy Lippert · Post by **Andy Lippert** » Fri Oct 09, 2015 7:09 am

Perfect article to read after reading a go-pro all star's article on how to win the FLW at Clear Lake...from someone who has never won an FLW(or any tournament for that matter, that I know of), or tips on how to win the r2c tourney from a guy "sponsored" by a cr@p paper company--who weighed 5 and 6 lbs at the delta last week.

I still don't agree that it's cool to hold a fish for a publication that you haven't caught--but you and I have already beat that horse, Kent.

Personally I think where new-age bass fisherman get it wrong is not realizing that bass fishing is a dorky hobby. We geek out over baits, rods, reels etc, all to hook a little green thing that swims in the water. We stand on our boats in the middle of winter, and in the 100 degree heat sweating our cajones off, when wakeboard boats are goin' by with chicks in bikinis, music blasting etc--all to hook a little green thing that swims. No matter how many flat brimmed hats, white sunglasses and tournament jerseys you buy, and no matter how many edits you make and filters you use on your photos and video--we're all a buncha dorks, and I'm ok with that--but some people just can't come to grips with it.

For the most part though, great article Kent--glad to see someone actually publicize your sentiment, as it is spoken of frequently but hasn't been written about...until now.

bass king · Post by **bass king** » Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:15 pm

I think YOU are a dork.

What you perceive is "cool" doesn't mean that's what's "cool" to everyone. End of story.

The Jerk 936 · Post by **The Jerk 936** » Tue Oct 13, 2015 8:47 am

Chris N wrote:What if I can throw a football over a mountain?

Hahahahahaha, uncle Rico is the original vcr recorder hero!

The Jerk 936 · Post by **The Jerk 936** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 9:27 am

Just a thought Kent, maybe some competitors understand that by only obtaining sponsor support from within the industry, only gets most of us a small discount on product, which is only a way to spend more money on an already expensive sport. By going to outside of the industry companies, you get more "cash" towards travel fees, hotels, gas, entries, that actually help your chances of competing in more events, which should be the common goal. Especially with the addition of Wraps to the sport, you can possibly advertise to 10-30 thousand eyes a day just trailering a wrapped boat down the highway for one day. It is not always about seminars, as most of us amateur don't get asked to perform seminars like the top pros.... Just a thought...

Criley · Post by **Criley** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:48 pm

I agree and disagree with his opinions in this article. There are those goofballs on youtube that should be easy enough to spot, but it is still somewhat entertaining to watch them be a goofball. But, there are plenty of short clips and videos where the entertainment is coming from bass catching action and high-quality information. Almost all of the "fishing shows" on public television come off as extended advertisements with more advertisements during commercial breaks. I mean come on, sometimes I can't tell the difference between the commercials and the actual show, I'm talking about balls-deep in ads. There is better bass catching action and info on youtube than public televsion nowadays, sorry skeet.

P.S. It is ironic that he would promote this article when there appears to be a large amount of "devastating" legislations and other b.s. that are putting fishing at risk in his home state of California...but nothing about that in a mainstream article.

mark poulson · Post by **mark poulson** » Fri Oct 16, 2015 5:20 am

medfish wrote:What about if you have your own jersey and a few YouTube views ✌

I..HAVE..A..JERSEY..SO..I..MUST..BE..A..PRO!

dtacker · Post by **dtacker** » Fri Oct 16, 2015 7:06 am

bass king wrote:

I think YOU are a dork.

What you perceive is "cool" doesn't mean that's what's "cool" to everyone. End of story.

He actually said he is a dork in what he typed... "we're all a buncha dorks, and I'm ok with that". He used the word we, which means he is including himself and that he is ok with that. So the fact that you think he is a dork... probably doesn't bother him since he already went over the fact he is ok with it.

I'm 100% with Andrew, one of the dorkiest hobbies there are. I'm not sure why people are trying to turn it into motocross and act like people are going to think they're the smoothest dude on the block because they can catch a little green fish or drive a boat mildly fast. Before you go around calling me a dork, I know I am one. Don't care. All of my friends all know I'm a dork and they are also. Fishing is a completely dorky hobby, it doesn't make me love it any less.

Kent isn't crushing any dreams here, he isn't telling anyone they can't fish or that you can't promote. Just please, don't act surprised or too offended when you don't get the reaction that you want from your new videos or jersey.

Obviously Kent did a great job with the article as it has been read so many times and even got a little chatter going! I loved the article personally. Also, in regards to Kent not caring about the sport... Might want to either listen to sports 1140 on Saturday mornings where he goes over issues on his show and usually part of the show after his, or you can go to one of the multiple rallies he has been at to defend our rights to do what we love.

Dustin Tacker

george · Post by **george** » Fri Oct 16, 2015 11:43 am

Hey Criley, Thanks for the input and post! We all must know that Kent Brown is one of the reasons bass fishing is one of the fastest growing outdoor sports in the west. In my book he is one of the most influential anglers out there in the bass fishing world as he has more then a true passion for the sport.
The article was done as much in fun as it was in an attack on the wanna be Pro Bass Guy who owns a Go Pro and post twenty minutes of video catching a two pounder out of a golf course.

I will always hold the highest respect for Kent Brown and everything he does for (our passion) of bass fishing as well as I will always put up a debate on anything that I may have a different view of that he writes!

Take the artical for what it is worth as I can guarantee that the Shaw Grigsbys, Skeet Reeses, Denny Brauers, Roland Martins, Bill Dances, Jimmy Houstons and Orlando Wilsons have all put in a million more hours of fishing for the passion of the sport then they ever did filming a show or commercial. If I could make my living doing that you may not ever hear from me again!

Common denominator; You, me and them, we all love Bass Fishing!
We should be saying thank you to guys like Kent Brown who may have a little extra love for it!

George

SacRtrain · Post by **SacRtrain** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 7:49 pm

Most professional fishing shows are irrelevant to western anglers. They are filmed almost exclusively in the south and are glorified info-mercials. I didn't get "butthurt" from the article but I do think it was a bias opinion from someone who demonstrated he is loosing touch with a younger fishing generation, despite using the term "butthurt" in the description. Social media is now a part of everyday life. The line is becoming blurrier than ever. YouTube is turning into a moving version of Instagram. Guys enjoy filming and making videos. I enjoy watching them because you can see exactly what you desire. An example would be searching "delta frog fishing." You'll get 100 vids that blow Scott Martin's lame Okuma show out of the water. So where is the problem? I can actually pick up a tip or two that applies to the exact body of water I fish. That sounds pretty good. Oh, the guys curse. Who gives a $#!+. Times have changed. Everyone sounds like a sailor now. It is what it is. At least the guys in their own videos don't sound like they're going to offer you two Sham-wows for the price of one.
To the guys making the videos, I say thanks for the applicable tips and entertainment. Keep it up and if you get a free bait or rod in the process, good for you. But if you start hocking goods and get beat-up by a hooker, you went too far.

Mike Rios

Andy Lippert · Post by **Andy Lippert** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 8:11 pm

SacRtrain wrote: At least the guys in their own videos don't sound like they're going to offer you two Sham-wows for the price of one.

...But if you start hocking goods and get beat-up by a hooker, you went too far.

Mike Rios

Classic.

Sorry for the "white sunglass" comment, Mike. You're the only dude I know who wears them that is actually worth knowing, haha! Love yah buddy!

And Dustin--I wanted to point out the fact that he was just reiterating what I had already said buuuuuut I figure it'd be lost on him. Other than that, great post sir!