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On The Line

THE CALLIS CHRONICLES - Staying Safe

How much do you value your life or the others that may be in the boat with you? How ready are you in case there is an accident? What do you have in your boat for those times? Are you ready?

We know that the state has requirements on boater safety. Everyone on the boat must have a life jacket. The operator must have the killswitch attached to them when the big motor engages. You must have a throw cushion and you must have a signal device such as a whistle or other type device. That is in addition to requiring a boater safety course to operate the boat. And a fire extinguisher. But is that all you need?

A first aid kit is a must for any boat. The basic can be enough with bandages, band-aids, antibiotic cream, etc., and that would be a great start. Will that be enough in a small emergency? Yes. Will it be enough for a major accident, probably not. Everyone will need to judge how much of a first aid kit they want to have with them.

And the throw cushion is a must, but what happens if you throw it and miss? My buddy has a rope attached to his for that reason. You can pull it back and try again or you can use the rope to pull someone back to the boat. It isn’t required, but it makes sense.

How about if you get a hook in you? Do you carry a heavy-duty pair of cutters that will cut the biggest hook you will be using? Smaller hooks don’t require as much, but if you are using 7/0 or 8/0 hooks, will it cut them? You need to think about it and get a good pair. Don’t skimp because of price.

How about other things? Like protective eyewear? Are your sunglasses able to protect you if a weight comes flying back at you? I’ve had them hit me on my body, and it hurts. Have you checked your sunglasses rating? Do you value your eyes?

What about the big motor on the back? What happens if you are in an accident and the motor comes loose? God forbid we never want it to happen, but it can. Wes Logan was the last person to have this happen to them. He came off a wave while fishing in the Bassmaster Elite Tournament on Lake Champlain and a submerged dock that had broken loose in the storm the day before. He was thrown out of his seat into the passenger seat and hit his head. The motor came off the back of the boat. This could have cost him his life!

But thank God he had three things going for him. He had on his life jacket, his killswitch was attached to it, and he had The Leash https://precisionsonar.com/products/the-leash on his motor. A simple little device that is made to do just what it did, keep the motor from coming up and into the boat. Wes is thankful for that one little device because he fully believes that it saved his life. Do you have one on your motor?

Safety on the water starts with us being prepared for the worse. Are you prepared for that emergency? Don’t think it won’t happen to you. When was the last time you checked your boat? Don’t wait until it’s too late!

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Philosophy Behind Bass Cat Boats

Have you ever been sitting down watching your favorite show or reading your favorite magazine, and there is an advertisement that catches your eye? How about if you go into your favorite tackle store and you see that flier for that brand new bass boat. Has the question ever popped in your head? I wonder what is the mindset behind this new boat? Well in this article I was able to have a conversation with Rick Pierce from Bass Cat Boat to understand what thought process goes into making that brand new bass boat.  

The Bass Cat Brand was started by Ron Pierce in 1971. Rick stated “that his father loved to build kite boats in high school and his father would take his grandfather's wooden boat sometimes without his father knowing it”. Rick's father's love for creating and the love for the outdoors would open the doors to what is now BassCat Boats. I asked Rick what is the mindset behind the brand? Rick replied “building a better product at the time, though they revisited that in 1982”. In my conversation with Mr. Pierce in 1982 he had to sit his father down and had to have a heart to heart with him about the mindset of Bass Cat. 

During the conversation with his father it was determined to continue to make the best product possible, but it was also determined that Bass Cat Boats would become more about their  consumers. At this point the creation of the Bass Cat owners tournaments began. Mr. Pierce stated “ the tournaments started out as a small tournament usually along the Bass federation, but has grown to a 700 plus boat event on bigger bodies of water”. Bass Cat has a 94% customer loyalty, which means that customers buy a Bass Cat and they return when it is time to buy another boat. Bass Cat has several JD Power awards there has only been one time where Bass Cat has been second in a JD Power and Mr. Pierce reports that was one time and one time only.

So I bet you are wondering what makes Bass Cat different from everyone else? Well it is the way the boat is made. Bass Cat uses the highest quality material from everything as the carpet to the last switch on the panel. Mr. Pierce states “No company builds their boat out of better raw materials products. Resin, glass, Gelcoat,Carpeting, vinyling and more. Mr. Pierce was telling me of a story that the screws he uses today dates back to when the company began back in 1971. I asked Mr. Pierce, what does Bass Cat have for future plans? Mr. Pierce reports “ the market dictates that”. 

I want to give a big thank you to Rick Pierce of Bass Cat Boats for taking the time out to speak with me. It was an honor and a pleasure. If you are in the market for a boat give Rick a call or head over to Bass Cat Boats website.

August Giveaway

If you have never entered one of our giveaway you missing out on some really great product from some amazing sponsors.

This month’s giveaway sponsors are Missile Baits & Wild Wear America

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On the latest episode of Bass Cast Radio, Brian and Thomas talked about the Basscast.com radio team's successes, new technology in kayaking and bass fishing, and the future of the sport. They discussed professional anglers, the rising influence of social media, and potential changes in fishing tournaments due to new tech. They shared experiences from fishing events, expressed concerns about the state of fisheries, and talked about creating a nonprofit for fishing initiatives. They also discussed podcasting challenges, like editing and live streaming, and highlighted the importance of keeping content engaging and real.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

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Are there too many “professional” fishing leagues?

By Carson Maddux

Are there too many “professional” fishing leagues?

As we enter the middle of August, most professional fishing leagues are closing down for the season. The MLF Invitationals just finished up on the Detroit River where Alec Morrison closed out on a historic season winning AOY in his rookie year. Likewise, the MLF BPT saw Jacob Wheeler winning his third AOY in four seasons. On the Bassmaster side of things, the capstone event on the St. Lawrence River is set to take place August 15-18th. There is a tight AOY race to watch with multiple anglers in the hunt as well as Justin Hamner having the opportunity to become only the third angler to win AOY and the Bassmaster Classic in the same season. This time of year is an exciting time to be a fishing fan, but is it too much to process?

The landscape of professional fishing was forever changed in September of 2018 when many anglers fled B.A.S.S. and the then FLW to join a new league, the Bass Pro Tour (BPT). Six years later, we are left in an unusual time in fishing where no one really knows what big change will happen next. Following the creation of the BPT, Major League Fishing (MLF) eventually absorbed the FLW tour. FLW anglers who were once at the highest level of fishing, were then demoted to a step below the BPT status in what is now called the Invitationals. Anglers were forced to either try and qualify for the BPT through the Invitationals or hop ship to another league. After a few years of this shaking out, the number of “professional fisherman” grew in order to fill all three professional leagues.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we saw an influx of interest in outdoor recreation and tournament fishing was no exception. People had more time to spend on the water and the participation in the sport increased drastically. This prompted the birth of a new tournament organization, The National Professional Fishing League (NPFL). The NPFL was established to provide another high entry, high reward tournament trail for devoted anglers. With a tempting $100 thousand dollar payout, anglers were given yet another platform to have a career in tournament fishing. While this all sounds good in dandy, it creates confusion for the fans and anglers alike.

Don’t get me wrong, I love watching bass fishing and the more opportunities I can do so, the better. That said, there comes a point where I think the division is hurting the sport. In other big sports, all the best athletes compete against each other to show who is really the best. In fishing, there are talented anglers in each league with no real way to prove who is the best. Jacob Wheeler has been on a dominating run the past few years, but wouldn’t it be cool to watch him fish against the Johnston brothers for a change? I am not sure what the solution is, but I do feel like the sport needs some realignment.

As someone who fishes at a competitive level and follows the sport closely, even I get confused trying to differentiate different tours and tournaments that are going on. That said, the real problem lies in trying to explain all of this to an outsider of the sport. Trying to lay out the different levels of competition and different ways to qualify is just too much to comprehend. It will be hard to invest in the validity of a sport when it is fractionated out in a large plethora of leagues. A big conversation right now is payouts in professional fishing and when sponsor money is spread out across multiple different entities, the payouts become diluted. This leads to less money in the hands of the anglers, when in reality, it is the anglers who are funding the sport. As a fan, I hope something gets figured out soon. I do not think the current atmosphere is sustainable and I am curious to see what the future of professional fishing holds.

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The October 19th event has been moved to the 5th of October same place same time

You can now register for each even online
So what does that get you?
  1. An early boat number
  2. Pay by Credit card

Don't forget to fill out your release form & pay your one time Registration Fee.  Mandatory for all Anglers.

CLICK HERE TO GET REGISTERED

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