I've just modernized my Bill Dance T.V. experience. I DVR the episodes. I fast forward every time he catches a fish and push play when he's letting it go. This is when he talks and gives tips. I realize he's on private waters and the bass I fish for are much, much more educated than the ones he's fishing for. But the tips are the same, when he's talking about seasonal patterns and how fish relate to structure. The show wouldn't be near as informative or entertaining if he was on a public body of water and caught 2 or 3 'average' size fish or worse yet none at all. It's a T.V. show that knows what it's audience wants. Big Fish and lots of them.....

The only thing I don't like about Ol' Bill is his hat. SEC stinks, lol.....

Wave of the future..fishing shows where they don't catch any fish. I'm sure it will be a hit. There are also tons of companies out there that will pay big money to sponsor a show and NOT expect their baits to get mentioned.

Like I said... I don't disrespect Bill Dance, he is just easy to poke fun at. He is a legend, and I personally feel that he sort of sold out, but I certainly wish I was half the angler he is.

I'm sure it takes multiple days to film his show as well as all of the other shows. But it is just my personal opinion that I would rather see two guys on the boat, talking about what they are doing, having fun, catching fish on public waters. They don't always catch a lot of fish, and they don't always catch huge fish, but I find it more informative.

Still don't get how he "sold out" for promoting his sponsors products....I guess all the pros are sell outs...

I think the "he has sold out" theory comes as a result of some people thinking he is fishing baits that are really not good baits at all on public waters. They may only work in private ponds.

They may be right. I don't know. Only the bass really know. But that seems to be one line of argument.

txwhitetail,

Its an age discrimination thing. It is ok to bash the old guys like Bill about what he does, but it is a major sin to say anything negative about any of the young pros like KVD, Ike, Skeet, etc. Just part of the punishment for getting old.

Bill Dance is an icon, he can flat out fish on lake x. Most of the fishing shows are infomercials, that is unfortunate. But without the sponsors pushing their product we would not have many fishing shows on tv. my .02

really nice guy when i met him, he is pretty funny, especially for you more seasoned individuals... but some of the baits he promotes are wack. and its not that hard to catch 8#ers out of a pond stocked with florida strain bass that chew on big bluegill all day...

Love me some Bill Dance. I find him an agreeable character...someone I would want to fish with. And when I was kid and just learning to fish, I used to find all of his little nuggets of information highly useful. And staged or not, who doesn't like to see BD take an accidental swan dive off his boat?

In a perfect world, we'd all like to NOT be inundated with marketing ploys trying to get us to buy the latest and "greatest"....but it ain't gonna happen. Bill does what he has to do in order to make a living at what he is passionate about...fishing. I do not fault him one bit for it. The pros make their living doing the same thing....and people on this very forum do it all the time.

Without all those sponsorships and relentless plugging of baits, equipment, boats, motors, etcetera, the television networks like WFN and OLN would have no funds to pay all the employees(including the scuba diver under his boat) that work to broadcast Bill Dance and friends catching fish.

Bill Dance is a good spokesperson because he is an accomplished and wildly famous fisherman, he sells the sport and the networks love him for it because he brings in the bucks and has for many years.

i like bill dance bloopers. the rest, kinda bores me. it was great and informative when I was learing- and that is what he does... teaches the basics.

How could anyone not like Bill Dance? Bill Dance is American as Apple Pie when it comes to fishing. I have never heard anything bad about him but I expect fisherman that don't like him do so for the same reason as chefs don't like Rachel Ray. Bill Dance fishes private lakes where anyone could catch 3-4 pounders all day long. Wouldn't matter what they were throwin'.

If you are having a bad day watch some Bill Dance bloopers, you cant help but laugh.

Dancin eel, Jerkin Sam, that stupid Booyah buzzbait....

And yes, I know other pros endorse stupid lures... Like that one that Ike is endorsing right now, the stupid lazer lure or whatever it is. And I will make fun of all of them just as much, but the topic doesn't come up as much.

He does a great job catching big fish in stocked ponds with any lure that is willing to pay money.....
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BS_FISHER

I concur!