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THE CALLIS CHRONICLES

Another year is slipping away! Fall, the time of year when the leaves start to change colors and fall from the trees. The death of the foliage that fly through the air and settles onto the water. And for some, fall is the time of birth and birthdays.

But as we age, so many of us get set in our ways. Some of us accept change better than others. My generation grew up before all this technology. We knew computers, but they weren’t what we have now. The mainframe of the computer we carry around in our hand is a building. We grew up before Google. And we have embraced some things grudgingly.

Look at the electronics on our boats. Yes, we can go fishing and never turn them on. Why? Because we understand where bass go and what they do. We hit the shore and do what we know. But we still turn on the fish finder so we can see how deep it is, what the water temperature is, and anything simple. But electronics have changed over the years as well.

No longer do we see a flasher that will tell us the depth. Now we can see the contour of the bottom, what type of bottom is actually there, and with some certainty, what fish are there. As technology has gotten better, we can see more. With side scan came the ability to see what structure is actually out to the side of us. It was the devil when it first came out and it was going to ruin fishing. And then 360 with the ability to see all around us. And now it’s Forward Facing Sonar.

Let’s first say I do not own FFS. Secondly, unless it gets a lot cheaper (which it will), I will not be getting one just to have it. But even being old school, it has shown me a lot by watching others with it. It still doesn’t catch the bass, nor does it mean they will bite, but it does show us a lot about fishing for those suspended bass off shore. An area of the water where we hoped to find them when the bank wasn’t producing. But I want to learn more about doing what I love to do, fish for bass.

I am not as tech savvy as some and more than others. I can’t hold a candle to the younger generation who grew up with the new technology. They were playing games far advanced to what I played. They understand it better. And because of it, they understand FFS a lot better than I do. Their skill level with it far exceeds mine, and because of that, they are able to use it to their advantage far better than I can. Does it mean they are better anglers, in a way, yes. And that hurts my feelings. But does that mean that to even the field we need to outlaw it?

To me, that should drive me to want to understand it better so I can become better! With my skills, if I can master it, I should jump ahead of them. I’m never too old to learn! It is not fun to watch on television? That is another aspect of the problem.

It is not fun watching someone look at their screen all day. But let’s look at it differently. The angler looking at the screen is the man or woman at work. Should we put a camera on you as you do your job? Let’s say we watch you all day plucking away on your computer. It is going to be dull. Or on the grill, as you clean it, put burgers on it and flip them. It is dull, we aren’t going to want to watch it. The same is true with an angler, they are working to earn a living. They don’t get paid unless they catch a big bag of bass. And then they must do it better than the other guy.

Technology is the future, it always has been. We embraced it. We use it all around us every day. Why should it be any different within bass fishing? They have started showing the screen the angler is watching into the broadcast and with the angler helping to explain what he is doing and seeing, it should get better and help us to understand what the bass are doing!

Don’t get stuck thinking it will go away, it won’t. I don’t see the big trails banning it, that would be taking money out of their pocket. Will they make changes, I am confident that they will this off-season. Amount of screen size? Total screen amount, say 60 inches? The number of transducers per boat? I don’t know. Change the tournament schedule so a certain number of tournaments will not be a FFS style of tournament? Change needs to happen to help, just like we need to accept change within the industry! What do you think?

Bass Cast Radio News

Rising Tides: Rivers & Roads Buzz, Tech Talks, and Conservation Calls on Bass Cast Radio

On the latest episode of Bass Cast Radio, hosts Brian Carter and Bass Geek Thomas Arens, joined by special guests Steve Camp and David Miller, delve into the growing popularity of the Alpha series tournament, which now has a 70-person waiting list. Steve shares insights on the upcoming Rivers and Roads event and the top 25 boats advancing to the second day. The team highlights the need to promote anglers' achievements and expresses excitement for the event, urging listeners to visit the Hopwell Chamber website for more info. They also discuss the potential 2025 ban on forward-facing sonar due to co-anglers' complaints and the balance between technology and conservation in the MLF BFL series. 

Bass Geek vives into a poal that he created & gives us his insights on those that eith love or hate FFS. 

Environmental issues take center stage as they address the harmful effects of wake boats, carcinogenic herbicides in lakes, and fishing license system corruption. They advocate for an NRA-like organization for anglers to fight for cleaner water bodies.The episode masterfully weaves together modern fishing challenges, technological impacts, and urgent conservation needs.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Before the 1st Cast is Back with a New Host

THE WEEK AHEAD

Send us your Fall Schedule Today [email protected]

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Philosophy Behind iKon Boats

Do you ever wonder what modern technology and boats would look like? Well look no further, iKon boats bring new styles and unique features to the bass boat industry. I had the pleasure of being able to talk to Scott Womack, the President of Ikon Boats.  Let's jump in the boat buckle our life jackets and get to learning. 

Who had the idea for iKon Boats? Mr. Womack reports that their HydraSports legacy and tradition was founded in the bass boat market in 1973. Our leadership team recognizes that we are very strong in the Saltwater fishing sector, and it was time to get back our brand's traditional roots and provide a product and innovation to freshwater fishing. The company’s vision is to be in all categories of fishing both fresh and salt and this was the first step. In the next seven years, you will see iKon enter into more fishing spaces like multi-species,bay boats, and even skiffs. 

When people think about fishing, iKon wants them to think about the HCB Group of production solutions and this will enable our product and process intellect to leverage offerings to all fishermen. Mr. Womack reports there are a few pioneers of this brand launch that we will forever be indebted to, and while this list is not all of them, we would like to thank Brent Butler, Chuck Pippen, Jacob Wheeler, and the team of engineers led by Mike Myers, Senior VP of Engineering of HCB Group and the head of engineering for iKon- Andrew Clements for giving our company a start into the bass boat market.

What is the mindset behind iKon? Mr. Womack states it has been over 30 years since the market experienced a HydraSports bass fishing boat, and we wanted to bring something different to the market. We decided to create a new brand called iKon to send that message. There are generations of fishermen, and we wanted to make sure we connect with the new and traditional customers. The small “i” represents the future fisherman, and the capital “K” represents the traditional fisherman. 

Mr. Womack states we worked on this project for over 3 years from concept to design , and then to development. We had both proanglers and engineering fingerprints in this brand, and we wanted to make sure the brand was more than just another bass boat. We wanted to give the market innovations bigger storage, bigger machine rooms, bigger fishing decks, design for service, a new ride filled with stability, ease to operate, comfort, and built for calm and rough days, an entirely new livewell system centered on protecting the fish better for years to come, many more features, comfort, and convenience. We knew an entirely new brand name would catch the attention, and after working with an outside consultant, we narrowed the list of 80 names down to 1 iKon.

What are the future plans for Ikon? Mr. Womack reports that the next steps for the company is to expand its dealer network and grow their service for their customers. Mr. Womack states that today we offer 2 LX series models at 20 and 21 foot categories, 2 LX limited models, and now the recent VLX 20 and 21. We will take this start and listen to our customers and dealers over the next year to see where we can make advances in product innovation and enhancements for these models. Then, we will start to expand our portfolio growth plan outlined for the future. Mr. Womack states that we are working on new spaces of fishing such as bay boats and a multi-species boat, but we are not in a position to release the timing of that yet. As we grow our dealer network and partner with them to grow the customer base, we will make adjustments necessary that the market demands. The short term, we are focused on service and quality and partnering with current and new dealers.

I personally thank Scott Womack and Olivia Womack for the opportunity for me to speak with them. It was truly a pleasure. If you are in need of a boat, iKon and the Womacks are just a click away or a call away, so what are you waiting for? Go get your dream boat! 

By Carson Maddux

College Fishing : My thoughts after graduation

For those that don't know, I recently graduated from Auburn University where I did a little studying of marketing and a whole lot of bass fishing. Starting in the Fall of 2019 and ending August of this year, I was able to see the landscape change as the collegiate level of our sport became more popular. I am going to use this space to share some of what I learned and what I experienced as a college angler.

College fishing first became an organized sport about 20 years ago with only a few schools participating. While it started out slow, it has rapidly boomed into an industry of its own with over 200 different colleges and universities participating in 2024. The college fishing route has made names for several big name professionals such as Jordan and Matt Lee, Robert Gee, Cody Huff, John Garrett, Logan Parks, Drew Gill, just to name a few. That said, when the time to graduate high school started to approach, I knew that I wanted to both further my education and take the next step in my fishing career by joining a college fishing team. Auburn University provided a great education, outstanding campus life, and of course a legendary fishing team which made my college decision easier than most. While I may be biased towards AU, there are a ton of good fishing teams out there and each one has its own things to offer.

There are a lot of benefits of fishing in college but the diversity of experience is what stands out the most to me. During my time at Auburn, I was able to fish what was essentially a “mini” open schedule. We fished all the B.A.S.S., MLF, and Collegiate Bass events offered to us so there was no shortage of tournaments to attend. Getting to experience a lot of the same great bodies of water that touring professionals fish year after year gives you a leg up if you are looking to extend your career. Having a low entry fee event where, in most cases, the team covers the bulk of expenses; allows you to focus on the fishing and get a good grasp on how to break down a new body of water. Not only do these events fish the same fisheries as the Opens or Toyota series, they feature a similar size field. With an average of over 200 boats per event, the transition from college to the next level is a lot easier than someone who is used to 40 boat jackpot events.

I could go on for hours about the good times I had during my college career, but I wanted to shift my focus to what I think needs to be done as this level of the sport continues to progress. The biggest question that comes up is: “Why do I need a college degree if I want to fish?”. And the truth is you don't. While having a marketing degree certainly can help, having hands on experience in the fishing industry is what really matters. Getting the opportunity to build relationships with sponsors, attending industry trade shows like ICAST or the Classic, and growing your social media should be the top priority for college students looking to extend their fishing career. Likewise, the tournament organizations should offer more opportunities to promote the sport at this level. There are a lot of college events that gross far more in entry fees than their payout while still not providing any media coverage for the tournament. That should not be acceptable in my opinion. I understand that payouts are not going to be lucrative especially at the college level. But if you have to pay an entry fee at least let the kids have an outlet to promote their school and brand. Hiring a professional photographer at each big event should be non-negotiable if you want the sport to have any legitimacy.

All this said, I would be remorseful not to thank each organization for investing in the future of the sport through collegiate fishing. I challenge all the leagues to keep finding better ways to bring our sport to the level of other big name sports. We will continue to see the stars of our sport propel themselves from the college ranks for years to come. If you are a young angler debating whether this route is right for you, reach out to schools and their anglers for more information. Who knows, maybe you'll have your favorite team's colors on the front of your jersey one day.

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.

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