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Quite a catch for pros
With apologies to Julius Caesar, they came, they saw, they conquered.
While not exactly the literal embodiment of Caesar’s famous “Veni, vidi, vici” dispatch after a swift victory in a decisive battle, the words do describe the whirlwind competition featuring 24 of America’s best bass anglers who fished in Youngstown last July.
With no knowledge of where their competition was to be staged, the corps of bass pros were shuttled to four area lakes and allowed just 15 minutes to scout water they’d never seen. Six emerged victorious.
Their stories will be televised starting this afternoon on the Outdoor Channel, in Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Shops Challenge Select Series. Youngstown-area anglers won’t want to miss the exciting fishing, tense competition and proud moments featuring local lakes and landmarks.
Bass Pro Shops Challenge Select Executive Producer Randy White said Youngstown was a great venue for the popular TV tournament series. The competitions were at Mosquito, Milton, Evans and Pine lakes.
“We came up with a very good series of shows, for sure, and each episode was fun with some very exciting finishes,” White said. “Youngstown lived up to what we expected, with good competition, exciting catches and lots of adrenalin.”
Good TV needs some drama and White said there was no shortage of that during the fishing at Mosquito, Milton, Evans and Pine.
“We had several new elements in play in Youngstown. For instance, we’ve never had so much no-wake water, and that really added a new challenge. They had to decide whether to risk those long idles under strict time constraints. Another first in Youngstown was that two anglers qualified for permanent status in the Summit Cup,” White said.
In the Major League Fishing format, the pros were able to score every bass during the eight-hour tournaments. Each fish is weighed and immediately released. The winner is the angler who amasses the heaviest total weight.
“Youngstown also is the first series where private lakes came in play, so Evans and Pine were a real treat for the guys,” White said.
Youngstown’s series features popular bass pros Gerald Swindle, Randy Howell, Jason Christie, Todd Faircloth, Brent Chapman, Brandon Paluniak, Andy Montgomery, Jacob Wheeler and 16 others. During filming in July, they were headquartered at the Red Roof Inn in Boardman and enjoyed a variety of local eateries and attractions.
“We travel all over the country with this series and we definitely loved our time in Youngstown,” White said. “The people at the state parks were amazing and we definitely appreciate all of the great cooperation.”
Many of the pros and their families enjoyed the restaurants and shopping in Boardman. White praised the Mahoning County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
So how about our fishing?
“Lots of action!” White reported without revealing the outcomes. “We weren’t expecting a lot of big fish, but in our format where every fish counts, those 1- and 2-pounders really are big factors.”
Six tournaments will be aired, each starting at 2 p.m. on their broadcast dates. Tune in to the Outdoor Channel today as the series debuts at Mosquito, then continues April 9 at Milton, April 16 at Mosquito, April 23 at Milton, April 30 at Evans and May 7 at Pine. Rebroadcasts also are scheduled.