Laptew Productions 2007 Seminar – Feedback Please
 

Hi Everyone,

I just launched my 2007 seminar series at the East Bay Anglers annual show this week.

I would love feedback on my show as I’m tweaking it for the upcoming Jamestown, Worcester, Hartford, NY and NJ shows that I’ll be doing.

How did you like the short feature with five year old fishing phenomenon, Devon White?

I thought his performance was a priceless display of talent, enthusiasm and his hilarious comments certainly crack me up.

I tried to appeal to an audience that I felt was looking for good solid information that was presented in an entertaining manner. I tried to combine footage that would appeal to the live bait anglers with Capt. Blaine Anderson’s demonstration of how effective line lining bunker and hickory shad can be. At the same time I tried to show what several plugs look like underwater to give lure fisherman a better idea of what these offerings mimic.

I hope the section with Herb Reed, the inventor of the Slug-Go, was interesting.

DOA president, Mark Nichols catching that impressive snook on a tiny TerrorEyz gave good info on how to work bridges with a soft plastic jig – a technique that will work equally well on stripers. Did you find that usefull?

The short “black salty” video showed that stripers will eat anything…was that a worthwhile addition to the show?

Unfortunately the show was running over by the time I got up to speak and therefore I wasn’t able to show my closing footage on how to read the water and find great spots anywhere on the striper coast. I was going to share my methodology for finding fish long before I put my mask and fins on. I also had a segment explaining how striper vision works and how that should affect the color lures you choose.

Was there enough underwater footage? Was there enough time spent on useful techniques?

Did you enjoy the fluke footage? Would you like to see more fluke footage in the future?

Did you enjoy the tautog sequences or should I drop that?

What would you like to see added to the show? What should get the axe?

I really appreciate your feedback.

Mike

Mike, I really enjoyed the underwater sequences of plug action and the comparison to the baitfish that it is trying to represent - can't get enough of that. Add in bucktails around ledges and nasty rocks, coupled with cutbacks to the angler working the offering :drool:

If you are tight on time in the future, I would drop the Tog footage you had that night and keep in the footage on how to read the water, your methodology for finding fish long before you put your gear on, and the segment explaining how striper vision works with plug colors.

Hope this helps and good job as usual. See you at the Worcester show!

Just watches SGW and it was great. I was glued to my seat. Favorite part was the Striper's Boom. I am going to try and attend your Worcester Seminar so I will give some feedback after that one.

Mike, I'm planning on attending the Hartford one but I must say that SGW is nothing short of a masterpiece. I have been a divemaster for over 10 years and I have watched countless underwater films as well as having logged hundreds of dives in different places of the world and your film is just AWESOME. More feedback after the seminar, I'm sure.
Thank you for your work.:cheers:

when is the Worcester show? I'd love to see it!
edit: nevermind, I just saw it! it just happens to be on my ski weekend! that sucks, cause it sounds like a great seminar.

Hey Mike, I was at the show Tuesday. While that young kids was indeed cute, I could have used about 10 minutes less of him, especially now knowing that it cut into your time. I thought all of the presenters were great. I found it interesting that sometimes the speakers contradicted what another speaker would say. The inventor of the Slug-go fishes it entirely differt than McKenna does. Obviously they both have great success so my lesson would be to try different techniques. #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& gave great advice on fishing the snakes, very useful. Your fluke footage was great! Those eyeballs :shocked:
Interesting bit about the Black Salty, though frustrating cuz they are not legal in Mass.
I can say that I left the show wanting to someday catch a snook as well. Also learned how NOT to live line pogies (with two lines over) as that guy was amusing trying to handle both going off.
Overall, a great night. One question: Do you have any footage of Stripers hitting lures from underwater? Have you not ever had a fisherman pull a needle or popper over a school of bass that you were filming? That would be some incredible video.....

thanx again
Paul

I was aware that each presenter had a different take on how to fish a Slug-Go and that's why I made it a point to bring all those techniques to the audience...it is a very veristal lure and at certain times you have to vary your retrieve to lock into what the fish will react to.

Every season I work at trying to get that ultimate "money shot" of a hungry striper smacking an eel or taking a plug. The fact that these are wild fish (as opposed to the farm pond raised, corn fed, sissy bass with large mouths that seem to always warrant a kiss) that generally scoot when they see a diver blink (that's what makes SGW so very special -- the close up footage of stripers is so very hard to come by) never mind approaching them when they're about to dine. I'm waiting for a few good SAG stripers...those being card carrying members of the Stripers Acting Guild, that will take direction and eat on demand...to date I haven't found that school of fish. However, I won't stop until I get that on film, video, DVD, and finally on T-Shirts!

Thanks for your feedback.

Mike

I agree. The footage of the kid was WAY too long. Otherwise I really enjoyed the presentation. It left me wanting to buy the DVD. My favorite was the footage of fluke blending into the bottom and ambushing bait. Great stuff!

Mike,

The Devon White part was particularly good and enjoyable with the theme of the EBA to get kids fishing.

I think if your audience is a group of S-B guys, dropping the Devon White part and adding the film you didn't get to run would be appropriate.

The tog part, could be cut, but just too make up some time.

I thought the different tactics for the Sluggo's was great!
Your right, it does teach us to try diffeent things, which was a great point to make. And it came from the "Pro's"

Keep up the great work.