Season 8 behind us… planning for next fall

We’re in the process of celebrating a bit over the recent completion of season #8 here at IDO HQ. We all hope everyone got as much out of it as we did and we’re starting laying plans for season #9.

We’ve got the IDO brain trust of Ben Larson, Ben Brettingen, Pat McSharry, Joel Nelson and myself at the table trying to plan for next season.

Right now we’re hung on one point in particular and we’d like to hear from our viewers.

So here’s the scenario we want feedback on… as part of our broadcast season next year we want to include more shows covering open water bass, pike and muskie.

The issue we face is our broadcast season runs from mid-November to the second week of May. None of the aforementioned species are open for fishing during our broadcast season… that’s a complication if we’re going to continue broadcasting our shows in the same week they’re filmed.

We’re NOT going to go away from doing most of our shows in real-time as we do them now. We’re talking about 3 or 4 shows that we run at the end of the ice season and before we can get the boat on the water to shoot current episodes on the river.

So we’re faced with two choices.

1 – never do any open water shows that cover bass, pike or muskie.

2 – shoot some non-current shows that feature those species and air them at the start of our open water season to spice up the barrage of river walleye shows we’re going to do season after season.

Thanks for the input guys.

FYI – we put all the adult beverages on the floor for the pic. We’re thoughtful like that.

I’m all for including non-currant info. Technique and the know how will translate to the waters we fish.

By the way to your self and the staff. You guys just keep getting better!!

I would say to do option 2 so if you have any issues with weather or travel you can insert a prerecorded show.

It’s nice to take a week off once in a while too.

Keep up the good work fellas!

More IDO = Better

My vote is to extend the number of shows to 30 or 36. I’m already bummed out that there won’t be a show this Saturday.

I would like to see more open water shows. I value the timeliness of this last season, but think it would be well worthwhile to deviate and pre-record a few open water shows.

Great job this year! Yours is the one fishing show that I never miss.

Quote:

---

I would say to do option 2 so if you have any issues with weather or travel you can insert a prerecorded show.

It’s nice to take a week off once in a while too.

Keep up the good work fellas!

---

Precisely what I was going to say. You guys persevered this season but you put on a lot of miles and cut it pretty close too. It might be fun to have a non-current show “in the bank” that you can air out of you need too. For example, it’s 33 below zero with white out conditions and the roads are all closed, you could bring out the Hot July Afternoon Bass show.

OR……We’re all dying to see the BLOOPER show. Admit it, you have the film

Y’all need to do a show on sturgeon and flatheads…

St Croix and rainy for sturgeon
Miss and Minnesota or Croix for flats

If ya need some shad

Any chance you can convince fsn to give you a full hour block for the first episode and do a ‘best of the summer’ combo show? Maybe break it into 3 segments to give 20 minutes to each segment.

It is great that you can shoot a show and get it on TV so quickly but it would be nice to have more open water. I honestly was burned out on the ice fishing shows (sorry) but maybe that is because I still barely catch any and grew tired of watching you guys pull in fish after fish!!

Perhaps you can run 3-4 taped multi-specie shows during late ice/too early for open water timeframe? That way, you can feature summer and fall pattern fishing, too.

Or, if budget/sponsors allow, you could run an hour block during March and have 1/2 hour ice and 1/2 hour taped open water shows.

I agree with much that has been said… add some more open water. Even if you were out shooting it right now, that would be cool seeing as we all get ready for a new season to kick off. It is even “sort” of timely. Temps, and time of the year would be approaching yet, and what is on everyone’s minds in the late stages of winter.

I love the WI based shows you had the last few weeks… as mentioned before, they really got me out to try new waters I always wanted to be on.

Whatever you do… keep the detail of presentation, experimenting, and technique. The reasons why you do what you do is your bread and butter.

Would be fantastic to have a 4-6 week summer season special… getting ver the heat of summer, and how to do it sort of thing, if you could actually add even more IDO.

Keep up the excellent work, and enjoy a little down time!

Quote:

---

Y’all need to do a show on sturgeon and flatheads…

St Croix and rainy for sturgeon
Miss and Minnesota or Croix for flats

If ya need some shad

---

So, you made this post but your “Fishbucks” balance is still at $12.44 … This can only mean one thing; BK HASN’T PAID UP YET

Why, does Brian know where to catch those fish?

At that time of year, a VAST majority if your audience cannot even fish open water walleye. No need for 3-5 shows in a row covering something only a small percentage of your audience can use. Might as well add in some bass/pike/panfish shows from open water. I think it would appeal to more people at that transition period between ice and open seasons.

Anything but catfish!

YES! DOG FISH!! Thanks for reminding me Sinister!!

I for one would like to see a 4-6 week mid-summer special season like previously mentioned, or weekly/semi-weekly webisodes even. I can’t see how previously recorded content would be a bad thing though; when the time comes, I can rewatch the show on youtube and put any tips to good use!

You should think about dragging a camera man, and one lucky IDO fan, to a sunny tropical local for a mid winter get a way.

I say do not break your format. That is something special. Perhaps you could travel to other states with open seasons if you want to show bass, musky, etc.

Quote:

---

I for one would like to see a 4-6 week mid-summer special season like previously mentioned, or weekly/semi-weekly webisodes even. I can’t see how previously recorded content would be a bad thing though; when the time comes, I can rewatch the show on youtube and put any tips to good use!

---

I back this 100% it would be nice to have webisodes mid week to tie us over tell the next current show or like it was stated before to fill in for those nasty days no one wants to be a part of im all for diehard fishing I loved the tips on how to fish the -40 temps believe me I used them but I completely understand if you guys used a filler show that still has some tech tips and things to look forward to using in the upcoming months either way ya slice it I love your show and look forward to more to come good luck guys and don’t work to hard

i agree with wade b, your show is unique. if we want to watch linders or midwest, we’ll tune in to them too. if you wander too far from your roots you risk turning in to their shows. in general discussion james spoke of the details and nuances of jigging the jigging rap, would like to see and hear more of that on the shows, details details details. keep up the great work

Quote:

---

At that time of year, a VAST majority if your audience cannot even fish open water walleye. No need for 3-5 shows in a row covering something only a small percentage of your audience can use. Might as well add in some bass/pike/panfish shows from open water. I think it would appeal to more people at that transition period between ice and open seasons.

---

That’s not correct. The VAST majority of our viewership lives within 2 hours of a river system where walleye fishing is open in the spring.

I voted for the additional not as fresh coverage but in all reality if I were in your shoes, I’d probably slant it in the direction of the majority of your sponsors or revenue sources if it’s a half a dozen of one, six of another thing for you. Just saying.

Quote:

---

My vote is to extend the number of shows to 30 or 36. I’m already bummed out that there won’t be a show this Saturday.

---

Unfortunately extending our season isn’t an option unless the money tree I’ve got growing in the backyard starts to bear fruit. Just the broadcast costs alone for an extended season would run into tens of thousands of dollars. Add in travel expenses and labor and things pile up pretty quickly. So for the time being we’re limited to our 26 week broadcast season.

So that’s why we brought this question to the people. We love our current format but we need to get more diversity into that format. Decisions, decisions.

Despite whining about not having a bass episode (which I was corrected on), I wouldn’t want to see the real time format broken.

Also someone mentioned having a sturgeon episode, which they did attempt either last week or the week before.

You could always have a real time bass show from Central Florida. I can keep my ear to the ground and point you to some resources.

I’m thinking the vast majority have their boats winterized.

Although any day in Late Feb/Mar, that statement could be argued.

Many shows film a year prior, then air just before prime time of fishing the species. It seems to get people wound up for the fish they are going after in the next few weeks.

For me, it’s a bit of a turn off to see an show based on a species or more, a technique that can’t be used for months.
Weeks would be another story.

Variety is the spice of life (not paprika). This time of year people are planning summer trips and seeing what the patterns are throughout the season would be helpful.
Basicly it’s just broadening your program and how can that be bad?

Another thought if you’re looking to broaden topics vs. getting repetitive is to take a little extra time and devote an episode or two on technique, tech/gear that you’re using and why. I’m willing to bet not all are using the kit they have to its greatest potential.