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| Jump to page : 1 2 Now viewing page 1 [30 messages per page] Muskie Fishing -> General Discussion -> Badfish Outdoors Shutting it Down |
J.Sloan |
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Location: Lake Tomahawk, WI | As the weather is cooling outside, maybe enough to offer us fishable ice in Northern Wisconsin by the weekend, I thought I should take the time and offer up the latest news from Badfish Outdoors. As some of you may know, last year we decided to take a break from filming. After 8 DVD’s and 2 seasons of television, we needed a break. Some of our sponsors were experiencing financial difficulties like many companies, and some chose not to pay us as agreed upon. Regardless, with the technology jumping ahead as it always does we did not have the money to upgrade our equipment in order to stay on pace with the industry. Gordy and his wife had a baby girl, Mark and Gordy (and family) decided to take a big opportunity building housing for the oil fields in Northwest North Dakota, and I had to get back on track with working a job that paid. All of these things came together to help make our decision for us. And that leads to the next bit of news. While talking with Gordy last week we decided to shut Badfish Outdoors down permanently. This was a difficult thing to do, but the right thing at this point. We agreed that we could not commit to any filming over the next year, and to shut it down would save us some money. It was a good meeting, many laughs, and I must say for the differences we occasionally had as coworkers I truly enjoyed working with Mark and Gordy the last 10 years. I’ve known Mark since the second grade, and Gordy since high school. Coming out of a 10 year business with friends doesn’t always end well, very thankful this did. No one works harder than those guys, pounding nails or casting big lures. True gentlemen of the outdoors, those two, and right now they are doing very well in Nodak, working, fishing, and hunting. In parting I would like to say how much the last ten years in the muskie industry have meant to me, and also how much it tainted my enjoyment of the sport. We didn’t wear the slick “Nascar” shirts, most of the time we were hauling arse to get from work to the lake while it was still light out. I guess sponsors didn’t like guys fishing in a t-shirt that had paint stains on it. We refused to sell out, did not want to turn into another infomercial, and it cost us. Some of it I understand, but the bottom line is our high rating didn’t mean anything if we didn’t conform, peddle junk, and look just like the next show. Muskie fishing became a business, stressed me out, and I finally got to the point where I didn’t like it anymore. Dealt with some real scumbag people and by that point I was mentally done with the whole thing. On the flip side, we met some of the best people in the world, of which I can’t say enough about. Jim Stewart of Rollie and Helen’s Muskie Shop and his staff are nothing but class, and we thank him for his support over the years. Guys like Brad Hoppe, a more genuine person you won't find. Brad I connected on many levels, most of which was our mutual love of hunting in Montana. Most don’t know that Brad was a very successful big-game guide before he was a muskie guy, and I miss our late night conversations about hunting and UFO’s while we were filming. Guys like Gregg Thomas, Chad Cain, Tony Grant, Ty Sennett, Tanner Wildes, Kevin Cochran, Mike Hulbert, Lee Tauchen, Brett Jolly, guys that opened their boats to us, let us sleep on their couches, times gone forever but not forgotten. After that it’s a jumble: My political conversations with Jack Burns, and enjoying a post-show brew with Pat Sheahan. The bowling tournament in Medina, the year that Gregg Thomas was on our team and we’d have won if he could have bowled higher than a 50. The next day a few of us woke up with our bowling shoes still on. Having breakfast with Bill Sandy in Chicago, Dick Pearson comes over and pulls up a chair, for the next 20 minutes I got to listen to those 2 bounce deer hunting stories off one another. Would have given anything to have a hidden tape recorder for that one. Lijewski and Dennis Lappen screaming at each other as Mark is driving 65mph across LOTW in the dark. Shooting with Steve Cady and Steve Jonesi out of a 5th wheel trailer in Northern Minnesota, up there with the most fun shoots I’ve done. Ty and Tanner arguing over the ketchup stains on Tanner’s white tank top while filming on the Chip. Heading to Downtown Milwaukee on the Saturday night of the Milwaukee Show with Steve Herbeck and Rob Manthei to take in a killer band. Drifting down an un-named river in the middle of nowhere with Bill Buechner and Tanner, and getting a really good segment out of it. Steve Heiting and Jim Saric were always available for advice. Some in-depth conversations with Larry Dahlberg on underwater sound emission. Ramming a boat off of rocks in a river with Bill Schwartz and Tanner Wildes. Shooting snow geese in Arkansas with Chad Cain when I get a call that my younger brother fell off a ladder on a job site and caved in his face. 5 day shoot with Kevin Cochran, Scottie Thomas, and Brad Nelson – big fish and better times. Well, the stories could go on for hours, many of which can’t be told here. Thank you to Steve Worrall for giving us a forum to write stuff like this. As for me, I’m continually trying to get back to Bozeman, Montana, my favorite place in the world. Job searches ongoing, fingers crossed. For now helping with the family resort in Lake Tomahawk, doing some guiding, and working construction with my brothers. I have several pilot shows written, polishing them, trying to take a different angle at the outdoors. I’m not done filming yet. Hopefully sometime down the road we’ll do a Muskie Town II, something I’d really like to produce. Until then I’ll be plowing snow, watching tip ups, fishing with my nephews, catching bluegills/bass from shore with Uecker on the radio and a 6-pack at my feet. May the sun be upon your face and your beer in the shade... JS Attachments ----------------  js.ks.jpg (45KB - 206 downloads) | ||
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