There has been a major slump in fishing video games lately - the old saying "They don't make 'em like they used too" comes to mind. Never fear! I'm here to help you find that perfect mix of fun and fishing realism! Before I was all over this fishing gig, I worked on a few video games... Nothing great - in fact, they completely sucked - but I'm not on trial here! I did feel pretty proud of myself when I saw people were pirating a crappy game I worked on (FIGHT THE MAN!), but I digress...

Yeah, I had to go back to 1996 to find a good fishing game - sad isn't it. This is an absolute gem though! I had the game for my SNES (Still do) and now I have the ROM and a SNES emulator on my Droid. I can't get enough of this game. Where it shines is in it's difficulty. You actually have to adapt to the conditions and use the right equipment. You can't just toss out a crankbait and start ripping in fish like you can with todays games. You also have a TON of different lures and rigging options in your arsenal. Texas rigging, Carolina rigging, Split shot rigging, weightless rigging... It has it all! Just watch this video and it will show you the total awesomeness that is The Fishing Master!

Another gem from my childhood and another game that banked on realism to make it fun. I can remember spending hours trying to get through the ranks and win all the tournaments. I still play it thanks to the emulators available to us and it is still as frustrating as it was when I was a little tike. While the lure selection in this game isn't as robust as Mark Davis' game, the overall presentation of this game is more fun. It makes you feel like you have more control over casting and fighting the fish. Jimmy and Mark's game should have had a love child - THAT would have been the 'be all, end all' fishing game of it's time... and it would still rule today. Below is the only video I could find of the gameplay:

If any game developers are reading this... PLAY THESE GAMES! This is how fishing games should play today. If you took these two games and modernized them, people would actually like it! Don't get me wrong - there are a few good games out today - Bass Pro Shops: The Strike and Rapala Pro Bass Fishing 2010 are OK games, but it's the same old crap we have been getting since games went 3D. Any idiot and any lure can catch the fish! I realize they do this to make 'gamers' like these games, but give us angler's a more realistic mode to challenge us.

Before we end this nostalgic voyage I would like to send a message to whoever was involved in the creation of this masterpiece:  

Kevin (I know you're not reading this) why!? WHY?! I expect better from you! This game is the complete opposite of fishing! Did Zoo Games threaten you in anyway? I have the utmost respect for you Kevin and I know this wasn't your doing... I won't hold it against you! If I were you, I would buy any and all copies left of this game and put them in a landfill somewhere. Atari could help you, they know all about getting rid of video games (anyone remember ET for Atari? Didn't think so). Maybe you should grow a mustache and change your name... Whatever it takes to distance yourself from this train wreck!

Well we finally got our first decent snowfall here in Central Pa. What does that mean? Time to take care of the tackle! I always like to do an inventory, inspection and cleaning at the beginning of the year. You'd be surprised at how much stuff you can lose in 1 season. Here's a rundown of my winter rituals:

Keep the lures and terminal tackle in check:

- Empty the tackle boxes and bags and lay everything out. I usually lay out lures by type (cranks - shallow, mid, deep; jerkbaits, lipless cranks, etc...) and see how many I have. While they are in their piles, I'll check for any rust or any components that need replaced. They ALL get a wipe down with water and a scentless soap to get any oils off of them. 
- Soft plastics are the next things to be 'dumped'. These are checked for tears, counted and cleaned (usually I just wipe them off with water). Any tore plastic is either melted back together or put in the junk pile. I save them in case one day I get around to pouring. Next, any stickbait or soft swimbait is checked to make sure they aren't bent - If they are, they get dipped into boiling water for 10 seconds and straightened out. Before everything goes back into their storage compartments, they get a hefty dose of scent. I also put a small piece of paper towel in the boxes to hold the scent all season long. 
- All of my terminal tackle is next. I'm terrible about keeping hooks together. Whenever I am fishing, I pull the hook off and throw it in the first hook compartment I see... I know, it's a bad habit, but I'm in the zone when I'm fishing. I don't have time to keep things pretty! My bullet weights also end up in 1 compartment and need sorted by size and color. I will also sharpen hooks if needed, but I'm pretty good about keeping them sharp throughout the season. 

Can't forget the flies:

- I usually go through my fly boxes around this time too. They will be the first lures to be used in the new year, so they get the most attention. All the flies get cleaned off, trimmed or repaired. The dries then get a trip in some form of dry fly treatment (I'm really liking the powder lately) then they are all organized by type and size. 

Time to tend to the rods and reels:

- All reels come off the rods and all line comes off the reels. Some of the line that is still good gets put onto spools, sprayed with line conditioner, then put back on the reel. I reverse my line when I put it back on my reels (used end goes on first). You'll get a lot more use of your line if you do this. 
- The reels are all cleaned and then lubricated. Pretty easy thing to do once you have one apart (baitcasters can be a little difficult, so make sure you find schematics or take photos as you remove parts!) 
- All my rods are inspected for any damage. Check each guide and make sure there are no nicks, these can cause stress on your line and that's never a good thing! I then wipe down all the rods with soap and water. Any cork is just wiped off with water. Some soaps and cleaners can actually destroy cork overtime, so it's best to just use water. 

Who has time to shovel when all of the above needs to be done? The snow will eventually melt itself, so just let it sit!

What a great year 2010 was! We got the site started, we got the hard baits designed and into production... well almost into production... and we also did well on the fishing end of things too. I hope 2011 will be even better, so here is what I want to see happen in 2011!


- More smallmouth fishing, especially on the Susquehanna! - I spent most of 2010 following largemouth and I miss my little bronzeback buddies! I hope to nail a few 20+ inch smallies in 2011.
- Kayak fishing - I have to give this one to Juan from KayakFishPa.com. I spent a day on the Juniata with him and I must say, Kayak fishing is the only way to really fish a river. You have so much more mobility and stealth and it shows when your pulling in 2x the amount of fish! No more will I fight the shallows with the 'V' bottom!
- Muskies and Pike - Ok, I started this one already, but I really want to start targeting those toothy critters. I see Muskies on the Juniata all the time and it's about time I get my picture with one!
- Get my lures out for sale - I've been sitting on a ton of hard and soft plastic bait designs for years. I finally started making some hard baits and hope to have them for sale soon. If those go well, then you'll be seeing the soft plastics too!
- Tie my own flies - Doesn't every fly angler want to do this? I know I could save myself a ton of money if I learn how to do it!
- Take more trips to salt water - I've only fished in salt maybe 2 or 3 times and all I came up with was a flounder. Unacceptable! Maybe I'll even take the kayak in the salt... but let's not get ahead of ourselves...
- Videos on the site - Videos are the way to go anymore, especially when you're running a site like this one. We hope to bring you some great videos in the coming months. 
- More content - Videos aside, we need to have more content! I'll admit I have been slow with getting updates out, but I'm spreading myself a little thin with all our projects!


What do you think 2011 will bring for you? Is there anything you'd like US to do in 2011? Leave us a comment!

Here's my quick rundown of the products I want this year for Christmas. 

Quantum Smoke rod and reel - Who wouldn't want such an amazing set up? Lightweight, sensitive and just plain awesome looking! 

Temple Fork Outfitters Clouser Series Rod and Prism Cast Large Arbor Reel - The rod has Bob Clouser's name on it... What more of an explanation do you need?

NuCanoe 12' Solo Ultimate Adventurer, Minn Kota Endura C2 50lb. Thrust and an NRS Chinook PFD - Why this and not a kayak? Because I can customize the way I want it laid out and they are wider for more stability. Not to mention I can slap the trolling motor on the back and zip around without having to paddle.

What are some gifts YOU want this year?

Lot's of people have bucket lists, you know, things you want to do before you die. I have 10 fishing related things I'd like to complete before I pass and here they are:

1. Make and sell my own lures.
2. Take someone less fortunate than myself fishing - anywhere they want to go.
3. Catch a fish/shark that's the same size as me (either in length or weight).
4. Catch a "Grand Slam" - Walleye, Pike, Lake Trout and Arctic Greyling.
5. Place in the top 10 in a Bassmasters Open or FLW tournament.
6. Fish with a professional angler. (Dave Wolak, Greg Hackney, Dave Mercer, Ike... Give me a call). 
7. Give a random angler a bunch of tackle (rods, reels, lures, a whole outfit). 
8. Buy a brand new completely custom Ranger Boat.
9. Fly fish in salt water.
10. Kayak fish a Louisiana marsh for Redfish and Speckled Trout.

What are some things you want to do before you go?