It's been crazy around the Iaconelli household the last few weeks. After practicing on Lay Lake, and in between enjoying the holidays with Becky, I've been busy with The Bass University and my TV show, City Limits.
We have two Bass University seminars down and two more to go. The one in Philadelphia was out of this world and the one in Sacramento was strong. Next week we'll be in Nashville and then it's off to Dallas the first week in February.
I'm really pumped about it, and so are the instructors. We couldn't have asked for much more. Several people told us we were making a mistake doing the school, that the economy wasn't right. I'm glad they were wrong.
Most gratifying of all, however, has been the response of our students. They're really happy with what we're doing. That's what we really care about. Next year we'll start our advertising a little earlier so guys have more time to schedule. That, along with word of mouth recommendations, should make for a big expansion. I hope so, anyway.
Teaching fishing is almost as much fun as doing it. It's a great feeling to send a man or a woman out knowing that you've given them the knowledge to help them catch more bass and have more fun on the water. That's the best way — maybe the only way — for fishing to survive and grow into the future.
I've also been doing voice-overs for City Limits. You know, there's more to a fishing show than just catching fish. You have to make sure everything is perfect before the show airs so that the viewers get the most out of what we've done. The first show of the new season will air on February 12.
We've got some good stuff coming up on the blog, too. Next week we'll start a two-parter on winter fishing. Too many anglers think that the only way to catch cold water bass is with finesse techniques. We'll talk about how to get them on reaction baits, sometimes in water as cold as 38 or 39 degrees.
And then we're going to discuss the value of smart work. You don't have to be the best natural angler on the planet to catch bass. Smart work — efficient practice, proper record keeping and a positive mental attitude — will make all the difference in the world in your catch.
After that, just before the Classic starts, we're going to talk about the upcoming Elite Series schedule. I think BASS has done one heck of a good job scheduling us on the best venues at the best times. We're going to see some heavy weights and serious competition this year.
Last, but not least, I'll be blogging every day from The Classic. I'm pretty sure the first one will go up on Monday, February 15.
