What started as a passing thought FLW Tour angler Dave Lefebre had 6 years ago will come to life tonight as the Pro Web Live online seminar series makes its debut.
Bassmaster Elite Series angler Ott DeFoe will be the first PWL presenter with a presentation on getting the most out of electronics on the water.
BassFan was invited to participate in a sneak peek session Monday night with DeFoe, and while Lefebre said there was some scrambling behind-the-scenes, the end product came across smooth and well-organized.
There were 99 virtual seats, but Lefebre said the actual audience was more than 200 as several groups gathered to watch the presentation on large-screen televisions at various locations.
Attendees will be able to chat live with the host and other viewers while at the same time watching a live video feed of the host as he goes through the presentation, which is expected to last 90 minutes. Viewers can follow along with screen shots from the host and will have one-click shopping options related to the products mentioned during the session.
It's the culmination of years of ideas and planning for Lefebre.
"I had the initial thought maybe 6 years ago and it was enough of a thought that I talked about it with a few people," he said. "That's about the time social media was starting to infiltrate the bass fishing world.
"Three or four offseasons ago, I started to try to make it possible just because I started to be very busy with seminars and trying to be in two places one time. It was a very obvious solution for me and I began researching webinars."
He attempted to launch it 2 years ago, but financing became an obstacle. Last year, he brought additional people into the fold with technology and programming backgrounds, and they began to pull everything together.
DeFoe said he had some reservations about being involved because of his relative lack of computer IQ, but after a couple test sessions, he discovered how simple it was to participate. Now, he's just excited to share some of his knowledge and tips with fans.
"The coolest part of it is the fact that you can be at your house and I'm at my house and we'll be able to interact live and I can answer any questions people may have live," DeFoe said. "If you're looking for new information, hands down, PWL is the most efficient way to get it."
Lefebre will be involved mostly behind the scenes, working on musical and graphic elements, but he will be among the presenters as well. Other presenters include Jason Christie, Aaron Martens, Brent Ehrler, Shaw Grigsby, Mark Rose, Edwin Evers and Brandon Palaniuk.
"It's kind of like pulling all of my other loves into this," Lefebre said. "I have a music background and I had an art scholarship out of high school that I didn't take so I could go fishing. It's a combination of things I love to do in life."
Tonight's event starts at 8 p.m. EST. To learn more, click here.
