I know I haven’t posted much lately. I apologize for that, but I actually have a reason. I have a new TV show coming out later this year. It’ll have a multi-species approach and will concentrate in and around big cities, but not just those in the United States. We’re going to cover places all over the world.
So, instead of spending my time on my new boat and motor as well as getting all my tackle ready for the season, I’ve been trying to film as many episodes as possible. That way I can put most of the filming for show behind me and concentrate on doing better this year than I did last year.
Before I get into all of that, though, I want to remind everyone that The Ike Foundation 2018 Scholarship Benefit Dinner will be held on Feb. 2 of this year. Tickets are on sale now. Every penny of the money collected will go into the scholarship fund.
The criteria for earning one of these $1,500 scholarships is on our website at theikefoundation.org. The deadline for submission is April 1, 2018. If you’re a coach or have something to do with a high school team, make sure your seniors know about this opportunity. Last year we were able to award five scholarships. This year we hope to double that number.
My final filming before the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin presented by Econo Lodge will be this week and next. I’m going to Taiwan. I’m super excited about it, too. I’ve never been to that part of the world or had any experience with their customs or their culture. I’m thinking it’ll be really neat over there.
Even more than that, though, is the chance to fish for new species of fish and learn new techniques. I’ve talked in the past about going to Italy and Japan and all the new stuff I learned on those trips. They helped me grow as an angler and, hopefully, they help you grow as I share that information.
So anyway, I’m going to fish for a number of different species of fish. I’m not sure which will be my favorite but right now I’m looking at three options. The first is the giant snakehead. The current record (I think) is around 22 pounds, but there are stories of them growing into the 30 or even 40 pound range. I’m thinking that might be an urban legend, but you never know.
A couple of catfish species are candidates for my favorite, too. They have one they call the African catfish. I don’t know too much about them, but they look like interesting critters. Another one they call a suckermouth catfish. I don’t know anymore about them than I do the African version. At this point I’m not too worried about the details. They’re fish. That’s pretty much all I care about.
I’m saving the third candidate for next time. They are fabled creatures, the stuff of nautical lore and legend. I’m going to catch one. And, I’ll have pictures to prove I did!
Editor’s note: Read Part 2.
Mike Iaconelli’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter or visit his website at, mikeiaconelli.com.
