COLUMN: Outdoor Type: Memorable outdoor TV shows
Last month was a discussion of televised outdoor shows and some famous names from fishing lore, such as Roland Martin, Bill Dance, Forrest Wood and Jerry McKinnis, of The Fishin' Hole fame, lure maker Tom Mann, and the original TV angler, Gadabout Gaddis, the Flying Fisherman.
If you remember Gad, you're an old dude like me. The winters can be long, and outdoor TV programs help fill the bill until warmer temps arrive.
Speaking of Jerry McKinnis, I recall his coming to a Jasper boat dealer for a seminar, maybe in the eighties. Patoka Lake was fairly new, but the honeymoon was over, and bass fishing had gotten more difficult. Jerry had previously aired an episode of fishing Patoka, and he made it look easy, landing nice bass right and left.
An audience member asked about how that great catch came about. McKinnis said something like, "Well, my camera guy and I were passing through the area on our way to another lake. We had heard about Patoka, we had a little time, so we gave it a try one afternoon. I looked around as we motored along, saw an island (the one visible from the beach), and thought there might be some bass around it. I just started casting and hit a nice school." He made it sound as if catching that kind of fish at Patoka was not really that big a deal.
Someone in the audience, maybe me, groaned. Sometimes you just get lucky. Regardless, Jerry produced and starred in a fine fishing program, a big step up from Gadabout in technical quality but still featuring Jerry's homespun narration.
One of the outstanding televised fishing shows today is the Bassmasters tournament program. Hosts Tommy Sanders and former pro Davy Hite and guests narrate the adventures of Elite anglers as they try to get the most bass weight in three or four days of grueling competition, vying for the $100,000 first place prize. The top anglers qualify for the Classic and its windfall of $300,000. The film work is outstanding, and the locales are diverse, from California, Florida, Alabama, Missouri, to New York State. The program's drama gets intense as the four days unfold. Consult the Bassmaster website for specific TV times.
The Bass Pro Major League Fishing show is also excellent and perhaps more interesting in that there's less time between catches. Of course, there are many other options out there to watch outdoor programs. Youtube is loaded with them, and many are available if you stream. For a good laugh, check out Bill Dance's flub videos. That guy is hilarious, and we fishermen can all relate to some of his misadventures.
In the winter it's nice to watch someone else land a fish or hunt game even if we can't, but take heart. Spring will arrive before you know it. Outdoor shows on television help January and February go by a little more quickly.
Happy watching.
