Editorial-Opinion July 2018

I want you to come see me, and I want to come see you. Sound good? Sound like fun? Good.

So, what are we going to do?

That part in a minute, But first, a little set-up.

I remember thinking once that if I couldn’t do this job, the other job I would like was the one mastered by a man named Charles Kuralt on his television show called On the Road with Charles Kuralt.

This was a TV program that aired for about 25 years, with Charles and his crew just basically wandering around the country in the On The Road motor home, finding neat stories about people and what they do, or what they once did.

Charles was a North Carolina boy. He died about 20 years ago. While making his shows, he and his crew seemed to enjoy creating and telling the stories, and I enjoyed watching them. But Charles quit doing that job after only 25 years. Hummph. Hard to believe isn’t, it? Why would anyone quit doing something that was, at least to my mind, that much fun?

So, I looked back in on Charles and some of his episodes recently—you can do that online these days. And I noticed a few things.

For instance, Charles had a typewriter. He started doing On the Road in 1967. We started doing business here at GON in 1987, and we had a typewriter then; still have one today. One. Just one. And we have never used it for anything other than typing up shipping labels. We started business with the then “brand spanking new,” but now “classic, original,” Apple Macintosh. Two of them.

Charles started his journey in 1967 at the beginning of his career. I am starting mine now… nearer the end.

Back then, Charles needed someone to talk with, a story to tell, someone to film it (note, “film” means that long, flat piece of plastic with the little square holes along each side), someone else to record the sound of it, and then a place, and the people, to physically put all of those pieces together into a compelling slice of America for the rest of us to relish and consume each week.

It was complicated.…

Fast-forward to today, and most everything needed to put Charles on the air, from the road, except Charles and someone to talk with, is in a portable package called a phone. I’ll bet most of you have one.

Now, I have been angling toward this “new thing” as long as there has been a GON. And now, finally, I think we have what we need to begin.

Where to begin? That’s easy.

We begin on the road.

Which road?

How about we begin this trek on the road to the Enchanted Kingdom? Well, close. Orlando. Why Orlando, you ask?

Each year, the fishing industry has a  show, a coming-out party for all the latest and greatest fish-getters. They call it ICAST. Many of you do know about ICAST, and you probably know that you can’t get in. Just us professionals (yeah, right!).

But what if you could get in? Where would you go? What would you like to see? If you were on the road with me, what would you like for us to do together at ICAST, for me to bring to you through video? Just for beginners, I hear Shimano is going to introduce a Curado DC. Can you say computer chip in a baitcaster? Can anyone afford it? Inquiring anglers want to know!

We are going to go to ICAST and take a look, and we will let you know, online, with talking pictures, at www.gon.com. And some of this video will be live, real-time. But that is just one day. What about the next 3,000 days?

We are going to work on something that guys on our forum call “the empty seat.” Suppose you are going to do something interesting, maybe building a tower stand, or putting in a food plot, or fishing for gar with a rope. Invite me. If I can go, I will, and we’ll video it and post it.

And, if I am up to something, and I have an empty seat, maybe you can go along with me. We’ll work those details out as we get a little more experience, and likely announce details online at www.gon.com. Keep checking there.

Finally, I want you to come see me at the Blast this year. I will have my own spot this year, so you can see me and chat. I am going to be working on fishing reels. I rework old, used reels so they are serviceable and then make sure they wind up in the hands of a kid. I enjoy it. And I’d enjoy seeing and chatting with you.