As of mid-week, Fish Fishburne still didn't know quite what his exact onstage/backstage role will be at the 2010 Bassmaster Classic weigh-ins. But even if he has to make things up as he goes, he plans to do the job that BASS is paying him for.

"It's all about entertainment," said the former tour pro who became a wildly popular stage presence for the organization before an acrimonious parting of the ways in late 2004. "I just hope everybody has a bunch of fun and goes away with more information than they had before.



"I do know that ESPN has a very creative staff working on the Classic this year, and they understand that it doesn't always have to be the same old thing. Change is good, as long as it's viewed as positive from all the different sources you're working with, and everybody wants to make this thing fun."

Glad to be Back

Fishburne said he was contacted by ESPN representatives about a month ago regarding the Classic proposal.

"They said they wanted to spice things up a bit and asked if I'd be interested in coming back and helping them," he said. "I said, 'Sure, I'd love to work with you guys.'''

He'll be sharing the stage with Keith Alan, the emcee who replaced him, and the legendary Hank Parker. How it's all going to work is still somewhat up in the air because everything revolves around time.

"That's the part of it that the public might not really understand, is how everything is based on the clock. It's the nemesis that we all fight. Every angler has to be on and off the stage in a certain amount of time, and that specific time element has to be maintained not only for the live event, but in producing the TV show.

"It's a two-part process and the more players you have, the more time it seems to take."

He doesn't know yet whether his role with BASS will extend beyond the Classic, but he hinted that it might.

"That's something else that hasn't been determined – is there room for something else, or what? It might take a little time to figure out which direction that goes, as far as how many events we're talking about and which ones."

He speaks highly of Alan, whom he got to know briefly in 2003 when the latter was hired on to be Fishburne's backup.

"He didn't have a fishing background, but we hung out at several different events so he could kind of learn the ropes. Then after I left, he took the role. I haven't spoken with him in quite awhile, but he's a super-nice young man and he's come a long way since he first started because I think he's really become interested in the sport.

"You see people on TV doing football (color) analysis and they're all previous players or coaches, and that's why it works. It's a weird role, and you need to have a passion for the sport for the public to understand what it is you're doing."

What Else is Happening?

Fishburne has spent the previous several years primarily doing promotional work for a handful of sponsors. He's also done some TV stuff that hasn't hit the airwaves yet, and he's discovered that he loves that medium.

"My passion has always been fishing – whether it's fresh- or saltwater, I love it all," he said. "And I love combining that with the crazy TV stuff, where entertainment is the No. 1 priority. The nuts and bolts of fishing on TV has all been done, it hasn't changed and it's relatively boring."

Fans of Ultimate Match Fishing on the Outdoor Channel will be happy to learn that he'll serve as Joe Thomas' co-host during the upcoming season, which will begin airing in mid-summer.

"That show is good now, and we're working on ways for it to potentially be better. We've been tossing and twisting some ideas around and (the production people) have been all ears.

"We think it's going to be a hoot."