BassFan Paul Strege wrote in to share thoughts about his recent Bass University experience. Here's what he had to say:
Since first joining a B.A.S.S. Federation club in 1994, I've attended well over a dozen seminars. Those seminars have taken place in tackle shops, restaurants and even a community college, as was the case with the old Bassmaster University classes. In nearly every case, I walked away with a better understanding of the topics discussed, but wanting to learn more. While attending The Bass University last week in Chicago, I discovered firsthand how co-founders Pete Gluszek and Mike Iaconelli take bass-fishing study to the next level. And unlike previous seminars, I left with my education craving finally satisfied.
At first glance, The Bass University (BU) offers a diverse menu of session topics that'll whet the palate of even the most discerning bass-fishing connoisseur. The real value of the "meal," however, comes with the hands-on session breakouts and question/answer roundtables. Don't be intimidated by the food metaphor, though. The Bass University's the opposite of a stuffy, overpriced French restaurant. Liken it to a friendly, downtown boxcar diner filled to capacity on a busy Monday morning in a blue-collar neighborhood.
The small-group format of the session breakouts at the Chicago class allowed for anglers to ask direct questions of touring pros and obtain honest answers without commercial bias or influence. Discussions often germinated within each small group too – between veterans and anglers new to the sport. The room was abuzz with activity, laughter, demonstrations and PowerPoint and video presentations. Attendees passed around tackle boxes, tied knots and pitched lures.
The Bass University also offered unprecedented access to fishing's most talented professionals. Whether it was Mark Zona discussing Great Lakes smallmouth fishing, Greg Hackney talking about shallow-water crankbaiting, Byron Velvick recounting his personal discovery of swimbait fishing, or Brent Ehrler sharing insight into finesse-fishing rigs, Chicago attendees had multiple opportunities to delve further into the formal presentations – kind of like being able to ask the Chef about the secret ingredients in his most popular soup. Seasonal, site-specific and other situational applications were common follow-up discussions between individual attendees and pros.
One example: While magazines and videos provide a satisfactory overview of the jig-stroking technique, there's no substitute for watching Ike slap the blank of a flipping stick, subsequently launching a half-ounce football jig through the air with enough velocity to knock down most airborne raptors. (For the record, it came oh-so-dangerously close to punching a hole through the wall-mounted fire alarm.)
While "never stop learning" may the official motto of BU, "learning through camaraderie" might as well be. What I realized is that regardless of experience level, anglers attend BU with the primary objective to learn. With this common goal already established, anglers naturally teach one another – young and old, professional and amateur – throughout the course of the weekend. Bass fishing newcomers often ask questions that many veterans take for granted. One high-school sophomore questioned Brent Ehrler about which type of dropshot weight he relies on. Expecting his answer to be an expensive, tungsten Japanese import, I was surprised to learn that he prefers common lead weights. (Without that bit of information, I may have continued to expand my already-too-large financial investment in tungsten for yet another year.) Like stepping into a boxcar diner, camaraderie's impossible to miss here.
While the benefits of camaraderie, access to the pros, and hands-on instruction may not appear on the BU syllabus, they're certainly the greatest, most effective methods to satisfy your bass-fishing education appetite. Pete and Mike wouldn't have it any other way. -- Paul Strege, The Bass University - Chicago, Class of 2010
