Just my 2 cents:
As I watched this weekends "Hooked on Utah" show they were fishing Strawberry (host, wife, & father-in-law) on a bass boat tossing crankbaits, etc.
It was making me just shake my head how they needlessly handled all the fish they were releasing away. They netted the fish with a nylon net instead of a rubber net or put them on the boat deck , grabbed & handle the fish (cutthroat & rainbows) for the camera and finally release them. The fish did swim away but not in they same condition.
My style of release is to leave the fish in the water and take needle nose pilers and grab the hook and flick the fish off, never touching or removing the fish from the water. I realize the show has to "show" the fish but I believe they should promote "safe & propper" fish handling to "show" people the correct way to release fish.
These shows should raise the bar and teach the right way to handle fish - just preaching to the chior.... [:/]
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I don't watch Hooked on Utah now because the host is full of himself, imo and it is all about him but I agree with you, on all of the shows I have watched, when he first started, he needs to learn better fish handling technique.
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Ya I watched that show when it was on youtube only when he started. Now it bores me to death watching his videos. He might need a lesson or 2 how to release a fish.
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I don't know the man, I do appreciate that he's on TV showing fishing and hunting in a positive light. We need much more of this today, with all of the anti's boisterous opinions getting lots of air time. To awfully hard to know anything about a guy from TV. If he's handling fish poorly, I hope he changes that.
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Never seen it.
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saw the hooked on utah rig fly by me in the canyon on the way to DC last saturday early. I enjoy the show but i definitely hear what you're saying!
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I have watched many fishing programs (mostly Fly) but have notice many of the host have no idea on C&R handling....except the Canadian programs.
It is enlightening that they do tell HOW they are fishing and show what is working. That is always a bonus.
I do wish they would just stop filming on the release and get on to the next fish which is their goal.
Keeping in mind, what looks like a smoking hot day can also be several hours, we don't know.
I like the programs that are educational and have some beauty to see.
The HEY LOOK AT ME, I can do without.[
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[#0000FF]Have you ever watched any of his programs with a clicker/counter...to record how many times he says "AWESOME" during any given show?
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I don't watch it, in fact I don't watch much tv anyway.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]I’m not a big fan. I record it and watch it when I have a few minutes to kill. I never make it through the whole show because his persona just drives me up the wall after about 10 minutes. I just want to know where, what, and how and can determine that early on. Then I hit the delete.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]It’s odd that Channel 2 picked him up after he showed an illegal act on a show on another network while filming a goose hunt in Idaho in 2010. It showed one hunter CLEARLY firing 4 shots without reloading. I have to assume his coverage is edited before airing and yet this slipped through and was broadcast. And yet here he is a spokesman for Ch 2 Outdoors. Strange.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]So, yea, I’m not surprised at all by poor fish handling techniques.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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A few years ago they showed a husband/wife doing a ranch hunt for elk.
The wife took a few shots at an elk and hit it in the butt and started crying. The husband told her to keep going and she took it down finally after 5 more shots.
I could not believe they aired the footage. [unimpressed]
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Mistakes happen but it paints hunters in a bad image when they broadcast a poor shot like that on TV. IMO, they could have edited out the poor shots and just shown the shot that finished it off.
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Sounds like all you people have to find something to bitch about not everyone can hurt as perfect as you and not everyone can handle fish so perfectly as all you... Were all human andake mistakes and we learn from those. for you people to try to publicly humiliate this man and his family I feel is wrong why don't you grow a pair and contact him about your issues. Probably because you are so unhappy with yourself that you hide behind a website.
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I don't think you get it, even if mistakes are made, where do you draw the line on what is OK and what isn't OK? Theses shows are not made by people like you and I they are people that many folks look up to, as role models. If we don't hold them to higher standards what does that say about us. Since you brought it up, what makes you think no one has contacted him or KSL about these problems with his show? Some people use boards like this to judge what the general public think before going to the source, just because we have strong opinions about a subject like this, it does no mean everyone feels the same. It speaks volumes that you are the first in this thread to come out in this man's favor. So, let me get this straight, you do not think what he did was ok, just that no one should speak about what he did wrong, is that right? Even if this man has poor knowledge about the proper handling of fish, it is disappointing that KSL did not catch it. Bottom line, anyone that puts themselves in the public eye can expect others to take a hard look at their actions.
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I really like Hooked on Utah. I record it and it is one of the only tv shows I watch. I also like Gary although I have never met him. Many fisherman go to great lengths and take great pride in the way they handle the fish they release. This is good, it makes them feel good and no doubt it is good for the fish to be treated so careful. I personally think some people go a little overboard. Most fish that don't make it are the result of conditions. Like right now releasing a trout caught in a lake in deeper cold water and released in warm surface water is very hard on them. Made worse by light tackle and fighting fish to exhaustion. People still fish these conditions that I know are harder on fish than a cheap net or a quick unhook and flip back in the water. I personally don't think bait fishermen should be allowed to practice catch and release. I totally agree that they need to be careful what they show on TV and not fuel the antis or activists or the flag wavers. This will always be a problem, anyone that is not exactly like you needs attacked it seems. I would like to see hooked on Utah mention and show examples of being careful with resources. I still think it's a "quality"and "awesome" fishing show.
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Hooked on Utah, claims to be the number one Outdoors show in Utah. If that is the case, it does not surprise me that a lot of folks like his show. Nothing wrong with that, I just don't care for it myself. There will always be people that disagree on just about any subject, nothing wrong with that, our world would be a boring place if we all agreed on every subject.
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[#0000FF]I almost always record the show. I watch the opening introduction to see what it is about and determine whether or not I want to watch. Then I might watch it up to the point that I begin snoozing or retching. When my "awesome" count clicker starts smoking I have usually had enough.
Good informative media coverage on Utah fishing and hunting spots is both good and bad. It helps the newbies and serious students of the outdoors to broaden their knowledge base. But for folks who have progressed beyond needing to know where a certain lake is and how to knot a lure on their line it can be tedious. And...as evidenced by the OPs original complaint...there are some negative images and misinformation in some programs.
I think my opinions might be influenced by input I have received from others I know and respect. I'm talking about DWR personnel, State Parks staff and others who have "interacted" with Gary. He has ruffled some feathers and been downright overbearing while trying to set up or produce some of his shows. That is not necessary and goes a long way in establishing or demolishing a reputation.
One thing that seems universal among outdoor show hosts is the need to say everything twice. "Good fish...good fish". "Fish on...fish on". "Reel, reel, reel, reel" (double double). "Hold his head up...hold his head up". "He came off...he came off".
"Bleep...bleep".
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Agreed on all counts except I don't record his shows. Once in a while, I'll catch some of his shows on Sunday afternoon. In general, I like Outdoors shows but IMO Adam Ekgle does a better show. After meeting Gary in person at one of the Cisco Disco's a few years back I wasn't impressed but Reelfast was there as well and talked to him for a while a thought he was ok.
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[#0000FF]I also like Adam...and his shows...a lot better. I have never personally met Gary but I have fished with Adam and have gotten to know him fairly well. We all have our own little quirks and personality glitches but Adam is pretty likeable by most folks.
Next time you talk to Scott (Bear Lake) you can ask for his input on Gary.
I almost quit watching outdoor shows after enduring a few Bill Dunce programs. Some of the others are almost as bad. How stupid do they think their viewing audience is? They fish a private lake full of huge bass and imply that any old angler can catch fish after fish...just like they do...if they buy their sponsors' products, etc.
As a float tuber I hoot and holler when I see some outdoor show host showing folks how to fish out of a float tube. They usually launch with the craft only partially inflated and almost kill themselves trying to walk in fins. Then they are never equipped with rod holders, appropriate fish handling equipment or any of the necessities. I really had to chortle and guffaw when I watched Bill Dunce go butt over teakettle down a grassy bank while trying to get launched.
It is interesting that we have two "outdoor experts" vying for top dog position in the TV show market in Utah. Not sure whether it is a blessing or a curse. It has been worse...when Doug Miller and/or Reese Stein competed to see who could ruin the most fishing holes by overexposure.
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