What seminar speakers would you guys like to see on the schedule?

[LennyB]

I started this thread because the last few years I have looked forward to the Ultimate Fishing Shows arrival and have been disappointed with the lack of Lake St. Clair smallmouth experts as speakers. I don't won't to take away from or offend anyone but I wish they would get the guys that are really experts on the Lake to do the seminars. I wish they would get FULL TIME GUIDES like Bondy, Garza, Gostenik and Veenstra to do seminars. These guys are out there EVERY DAY and know whats going on. Even the leading tournament guys like Dobson or Modarek would be great. The anglers mentioned above are well known in the Lake St. Clair bass community for a reason. They are the best, most experienced, and most successful. The last thing I want to do is listen to a tackle salesmean talk about his products and guides who only guide during the spawn when anyone can catch them. If the seminar is about Lake St. Clair Smallmouth Fishing, have a Lake St. Clair Smallmouth Professional give it. Again, I don't want to offend anyone but for me other than Vandam and Zona talking about fishing in general and the NBAA guys who fish here regularly, there is no real Lake St. Clair Smallmouth seminars going on this year. I'm hoping Ultimate Fishing Show management will read the post of the bass guys that attend and get the speakers that the attendees really want to here. Just my opinion.

[gmetime24]

I like that idea. It would be pretty interesting to hear a couple of the guides talk about St Clair and see what kind of differences in opinions they have

[Genie]

A St Clair round table ...

[markgoetsch]

I know gostenik has done them in the past but I would love to hear what Modarek or Dobson would be willing to share.  As for Zona or KVD they are both great speakers and fisherman but I'm with you listening to them give there regular seminar doesn't help me become any better.

[djkimmel]

I don't know if Mark Modrak or Scott Dobson have any interest in seminars? Scott has been fairly willing to share some information in our videos. I'm not sure how much he wants to share though? The competition is pretty tough out there for the tournament guys.

[Mojo]

Have any of the regular Guides ever been asked or approached ? I agree with you that the UFS management would draw more people if these smallmouth Guides were speakers. Good topic.

Unfortunately, I also agree with DKs post. Unless approached, the big St Clair sticks (Mark and Scott and others) would have more to lose than gain. The difference between 1st and 2nd is more than $10,000 in some tournaments, and an ounce of information can be a pound at the scales.

Your overall post - is a good one, so I dont want to lose that thought. The fishing shows NEEDS some top sticks to come in - maybe a Larry Nixon ? Maybe KVD could spend some time on a topic ?

I would surely be near the front row with 100s of other guys. DK, can you inquire or PM me the names of the UFS management ?

[djkimmel]

They do read these posts from time to time because I hear about it. The seminar line up is not something that can be changed quickly or at this point for 2013. Gostenik has done seminars at the UFS in the past several times. I don't know why he hasn't for the past year or two (I actually can't remember the last time for sure?). Often, it comes down to partnerships, scheduling, cost/benefit and similar decisions.

One thing to point out, names like KVD and Zona bring in a lot more people than just us 'hardcore' bass anglers. We are smaller in number than the general mass of outdoors people. What I like about Z and KVD is that they can provide something for every angler - the beginner to the expert AND people do tend to pay attention when they speak.

We 'hardcore' seem to be pickier and harder to make happy... I do not mean that in a negative way. We just have different expectations. Part of the reason Showspan has partnered with GreatLakesBass.com is because they do want to try to meet your expectations. It is an evolving process. There will always be some balance too of trying to meet a broad range of expectations mixed in.

I never discount Wayne Carpenter because I know how much observation and time he has put in out on St. Clair from the tournament and non-tournament perspective. He has also garnered information from fishing with other anglers who do well out there whether they compete in tournaments or not.

[markgoetsch]

I don't know if Mark Modrak or Scott Dobson have any interest in seminars? Scott has been fairly willing to share some information in our videos. I'm not sure how much he wants to share though? The competition is pretty tough out there for the tournament guys.

You're right Dan. Dobson shared ALOT of information in the video he did for you.  I'm actually shocked at the detail on location and presentation.  And unfortunately it doesn't pay for local tourney people to give the details I would like to learn and I totally respect that.

[LennyB]

Some of these guys are personal friends and/or acquaintances and I have heard first hand that most like doing the seminars and sharing general information. For sure, none are going to hand out GPS points and no one expects them to, but most if not all have no problem giving honest information as to seasonal patterns and techniques, so guys can find there own fish. A good example was Dan and Dobson's video. It didn't give Dobson's coordinates but it did give enough information to were if a guy spent a little time at it, he could find his own fish. Hopefully they can rethink who the bass anglers look up to, respect, an want to here from for next year.

[fiker]

I'm pretty sure that Gostenik was there last year.  Some of our club members went out to dinner with him afterwords.  I could be wrong though, it may have been the year before. 

What I'd like to see from presenters is pretty specific information regarding locating fish during the various seasonal patterns.  How I should react to moon phases, and weather patterns.   That kind of thing. 

I don't want to go to a seminar and watch a video. 

I don't expect anybody to give me spots.  I don't want their spots.  I want to know how to find my own spots.

Seminars that include audience questions are always good too. 

For some of the top guys around like Leonard mentioned they could actually do a great presentation without much preparation because they know so much. 

One of the best guys I ever saw was Marcel Veenstra at Wonderland.  It was a small audience so Marcel sat in a chair and just conversed with us.  He talked about lipless crank baits.  What to use, when to use it, and how to fish it.  I think of what I learned from him every time I use those crank baits on the water. 

[bassmandan]

Veenstra has done seminars at the UFS, at least 3 maybe 4 yrs ago

[djkimmel]

You're right Dan. Dobson shared ALOT of information in the video he did for you.  I'm actually shocked at the detail on location and presentation.  And unfortunately it doesn't pay for local tourney people to give the details I would like to learn and I totally respect that.

The funny thing, I keep getting people asking me for more specific information about that type of fishing when frankly, I think Dobson gave away everything you need to go out and figure that type of fishing out pretty easy without ever having been there that time of year before.

I honestly believe that just giving people everything won't make most anglers better anglers. I've seen it too many times. Sure, someone may get a specific good spot, but too many get stuck on that spot and the minute things change, they're scrambling for someone to give them another spot instead of figuring out why the fish moved and to where. Just my personal opinion.

Dobson and the other consistently good anglers don't have any incentive to give out specific information considering the competition and the way some people 'find' spots I'm glad he, and others are still willing to help out sometimes.

I've been appreciative of Scott ever since he offered to help me out big-time during a BFL Regional years ago. He and a few other Michigan anglers went out of their way to give me confidence I was going to get to my fish on day two after I was in the top 6 day one and then risked not getting to fish on day two due to a motor that was acting up. Scott also offered to wait for me at the lock to give me a ride back down the rest of the river if I ran up and my motor couldn't make it all the way back. I've forgotten many things, but I haven't forgotten that.

[djkimmel]

I'm pretty sure that Gostenik was there last year.  Some of our club members went out to dinner with him afterwords.  I could be wrong though, it may have been the year before.

One of the best guys I ever saw was Marcel Veenstra at Wonderland.  It was a small audience so Marcel sat in a chair and just conversed with us.  He talked about lipless crank baits.  What to use, when to use it, and how to fish it.  I think of what I learned from him every time I use those crank baits on the water. 

I'll go with your memory over mine anytime. I get who, what, when, where confused all the time. I forget that most of the UFS last year is a fog because I was supposed to be with Dobson on the Amazon River instead of sitting in a frozen airport in Detroit finding out the biggest airline in the world can't get a guy from Detroit to Miami in 15 hours... I had kind of forgotten about that until just now... 

It is nice to hear you liked Marcel's seminar. I like Marcel. Might even go fishing with him one of these days. He usually has guide clients! When he first popped up in Michigan, he was having a hot streak on some national events. That's how he got on my radar quick.

[djkimmel]

I don't know why some of the guys aren't doing seminars this year? Not sure if Dobson or Modrak have indicated they would do them, but I would think any of them probably could have maybe gotten into, say, the NBAA lineup. They could take my spot. Someone listed my name but no one remembered to ask me! I haven't fished enough the past couple years to share any hot, new tips so I don't plan on doing any seminars. I will talk about fishing a lot. I might even challenge Z to a trout fishing contest!?!

I guess one suggestion would be, since Ben Nielsen is a Showspan employee and VIP, AND a bass tournament angler, and a member of GreatLakesBass.com, if you spot him at the UFS - he will be there at all times - make some suggestions to him. He's friendly and open to listening whenever he isn't putting out a booth fire or something. I know I was pretty happy to see one of us go to work for Showspan.

[fiker]

I've been told that all really good fisherman keep a log. 

I'd be really interested in log keeping and analysis.  Recording data would not be difficult.  What data to record, and how to analyze it in the future would be beneficial. 

Dan (or whom ever) even if you haven't been fishing much, perhaps this is a topic you could speak to?

[Skulley]

I've been to a lot of seminars and what stands out most is the common message all these bassfishing professors send. That message is "time on the water". Everyone of them says that at every seminar given. You will learn more doing that. The number 2 message is the keeping of a log book. I have been keeping a log for years. I actually have it automated now in my home PC so that all I have to do is enter the data collected for the day. From there I can take that raw data and turn it into useful information. It's helped me figure out seasonal patterns and taught me how the bass migrate in a body of water pertaining to length if day, water temp, etc. How to use your electronics is also a great seminar topic. Lance Valentine's seminar is great for the basics. I went to an Electronics seminar given by KVD many years ago and he opened more doors for me on how to get the most out of my electronics. Valentine's seminar along with KVD's really opened my eyes and helped me reach the next level.



BD.                   

[djkimmel]

I've been told that all really good fisherman keep a log. 

I'd be really interested in log keeping and analysis.  Recording data would not be difficult.  What data to record, and how to analyze it in the future would be beneficial. 

Dan (or whom ever) even if you haven't been fishing much, perhaps this is a topic you could speak to?

I could talk about it... but my 'log' is a decade or two behind!!! Maybe that is why I'm running websites instead of fishing tournaments...?!?

I started several times. Paper in the old, old days. Then a Paradox database. Then MS Access... I can use GenieLogs now which makes it easier. I just have to go fishing a little more now. I have a pretty good idea what should be recorded. GenieLogs covers it all and has reports that are already setup to search by all the variables you might want to find fishing advice with. I wonder if Genie will do some seminars on fishing logs and include how GenieLogs.com can cover all the good stuff.

I know I recently got some really good waypoints back through it from the Fall MadWags on Skeg. I marked some old spots I never marked (no GPS when I found them) and also marked those September big fish 'bed' spots I found, but I forgot to get them off Genie's GPS on his boat. He pulled them all off by date and sent them to me through GenieLogs. I imported them into my account (as private ) and downloaded a copy. Worked pretty good.

Wayne Carpenter has covered fishing logs before and he uses that type of process extensively. He would be a great resource. He was selling a book fishing log that I used years ago. I don't recall if he still has any of those? I used to take it in the book so I could note some stuff as it happened rather than trust my known-to-be-suspect memory later.

[fiker]

Like everything else on smart phones these days I'm sure there's an ap for this as well.

[Skulley]

Like everything else on smart phones these days I'm sure there's an ap for this as well.

There are apps for logging on smart phones. I have an iPhone 4S so I know there are for those.


BD.                     

[Genie]

GenieLogs has the mobile app for Android right now that interfaces back to the GenieLogs "mother ship".