I get where you’re coming from, Pug, but lets keep in mind that there isn’t really a whole lot of new, ground-breaking information about open water bass/walley/panfish fishing being developed. The basics like location and presentation are the same as they have always been. The basics that were being spouted by Buck Perry, the Lindners, and others 20 years ago still apply.
What is new is the new lures being developed and how to apply them to these certain situations. As with fishing magazines, almost every article is just a rehash of something that was written a year ago when it the seasonal knowledge was pertinent. The only way to keep show or magazine or show fresh and interesting is to show how these new gadgets fit into the current base of knowledge.
I understand where you’re coming from and it does get a little old hearing Al say ‘Dis iss da best ting ta happen ta fishingk in a longk time” about every lure Rapala gives him, but the guy’s done so many fishing shows that going over the same thing again and again has to get old. I will say that the camera work for Angling Edge is far and above that of any other fishing show.
There are a few areas in fishing that could use some attention in shows, like how to use your electronics to their full potential, but there really aren’t a whole lot of topics that haven’t been covered to exhaustion when you’re talking about the more common species like bass, walleye, etc.
What I especially like about IDO is that James gives up to date info on fish patterns that actually helps people catch fish. Sure, he pimps products (gotta pay the bills), but not at the expense of the important information regarding catching fish.