was subject to being monitored by sponsors . The camera catching a glimpse of a competing brand ’ s lure somewhere in the boat could provoke a phone call from corporate . Then there were the reservations about giving out true fishing secrets on such a public platform . Finally , full-time tournament pros simply did not have the time to film , edit , render and post videos to keep pace with those who were full-time influencers . In the beginning , there wasn ’ t exactly a whole lot of incentive for pros to get on YouTube and post their trade secrets for all to see .
Over the last few years , however , the tide has shifted substantially . Now more professional anglers than ever have cranked up their video game , raising the value of bass fishing information on YouTube to a higher level . I ’ ve been stunned at how many close-to-the-vest secrets of bass fishing have been disclosed on the platform in the last few years – by the pros themselves , no less .
The reasons for this shift towards stronger fishing content are numerous , starting with the COVID-19 pandemic . Half a year off in 2020 gave pros time to devise how they wanted to hone and present their content . Older pros , some with the help of their teenage kids , were able to get a better grasp of how to play the YouTube game . With that , bass professionals are now
ILLUSTRATION BY JOE MAHLER more aware that the audience is not into a 20-minute infomercial – there must be some real substance in the content for it to get traction .
Also , point-of-view cameras have become a way of life for most pros . On-board cams are now as much a part of the game as rods and reels . In fact , some tournament circuits require these cameras to be present during competition in the event of a rules dispute . If you ’ re going to run a camera all day during a tournament , you might as well turn those fish catches into content . While some pros have outsourced the filming and editing to those who are savvier in the technical end of the game , the angler is still generally very hands-on in the process and the finished product .
Above all , I think the biggest reason for this wave of better production value is that pros are extremely competitive by nature ; once the race to better content got started , it was game on . As it turns out , many pros make pretty darn good producers of fishing videos when given the freedom to narrate their own tournament experience or break down a technique . This evolution is quite a boon to viewers . Some of MLF ’ s top players in the tournament game are the ones posting their own content on YouTube . From tutorials to their own tournament coverage , the content is loaded with bass catching secrets that have been kept mum for years .
Top MLF performers like Jacob Wheeler , Edwin Evers , Ott DeFoe , Mark Daniels Jr ., Justin Lucas , Skeet Reese , Dustin Connell and David Dudley are just a few of the various names posting tournament coverage from their own boats after an event is over . This is where some of the best information is revealed in terms of equipment , lures , presentations , colors , pace , strategy , adjustments , weather windows , attacking cover , boat position , etc . They don ’ t always verbalize or point out the more subtle secrets , but I can assure you they are there for the viewing . In many cases , it ’ s raw footage during a national-level tournament : You see the baits , the casts and where the bites come from relative to the cover , while listening to the pro think through the process – it doesn ’ t get any better than that .
For example : Lucas ’ tournament videos are very candid in terms of his equipment and his ups and downs during each tournament day . DeFoe ’ s coverage of his Bass Pro Tour wins at Sam Rayburn and the Harris Chain both are chock-full of lessons , especially the importance of casting angles and lure sequences . Wheeler ’ s videos are money because he ’ s always thinking out loud with his strategy . Why is he so good ? Listen to the way he thinks all day while in competition .
It ’ s not just the young guys , either ; I like the way Evers and Reese break down their footage as they review the tournament , personally narrating their successes – and failures – during the event . The veteran pros are their own harshest critics , so listening to them “ review tape ” of their performance is excellent learning material .
Evers ’ Project E is a great example of how far pro fishing has come on YouTube in recent years . He ’ s always been pretty tight-lipped about his trade secrets , but lately he ’ s pulled back the curtain on some of his best tricks of the trade with his tutorials and tournament recaps . Professional bass fishing content on YouTube is strong – and far better than origami secrets .
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