Big Reds, Blue Marbles and Campin' out

This week, I've got another story for ya from our trip to Corpus Christi, Texas. Saturday we were there at DICK'S and a woman was looking for a new tackle set up.  She was tired of the bull reds breaking her rods at the Pier.  I showed her the strength of the Flats Blue rod, did my very own rod demo for her and she walked out to go fishing "cautiously optimistic".  We got back into DICK'S on Sunday morning, and the Lodge Manager there hands me a note with a photo on his phone.  The photo was this woman I had sold the rod to the day before, holding a 40 3/4" bull red. Here's the note she left at the store before I got there. Love stories like this . . . they make what I do even better!  

A couple of weekends ago I got to experience something awesome.  I got to see a hard-working awesome young man become an Eagle Scout.  I met Kenny years ago as a kid and he's grown up to be a fine young man. Kenny DiBiase of Scout Troop 101 in Sanibel, FL received his Eagle Scout badge on November 9th and I was there to see it, and to present him with the Blue Marble (from the Blue Marbles Project) for his outstanding environmental achievement. 

Kenny developed a program called Protect Our Waters because of his lifelong love of his home waters in Sanibel, and fishing, combined with is desire to help others and protect our fragile environment.  We have a lot in common, but I sure learned a lot from him.  This 17 year old sure has a bright future.  Nice work with the Protect Our Waters program Kenny and keep it up!   

Last weekend I came over to see some old friends, meet new fans and camp out for a night at Ft. DeSoto Park in St. Petersburg, Florida.  We had a little get together called - Mogan Maniac West Coast Campout.  It was a lot of fun catching fish, cutting up and telling stories around the campfire.  

There was a little camper there, her name was Lexi and she lit the place up! What a doll.  She is only 2 1/2 years old, but could hold a conversation with ya like she was 7.  She knew my name when I walked up and put a big smile on my face.  

Thanks to everyone who joined us.  A big shout out to Jody from Minnesota who drove his big rig down to meet me. His dad's a big fan, but for health reasons couldn't make it to see us.  Lounge Member Rich Leber took Jody out on his boat and hooked him into his first cobia.  He'll never forget it and we'll never forget how much fun it is to reminisce with our fans that have been around for so very long. Thank you!

I think I'm staying put for . . . oh, wait . . . nope, I'm heading back to Tampa Bay to shoot an episode on the water with Skeeter Pro, Capt. Chad Manning.  Then off to the woods for some hunting and then I'm home for Turkey Day.  Hope I wake up from that big meal because I'll be in 2 Dick's Sporting Goods stores on Black Friday to help y'all pick out the perfect Christmas fishing gift.  That's right, I will be in Clearwater and in Brandon at DICK'S on Black Friday.  I'll let you know which store at what time later, but if you're one of those shoppers that makes it out the day after Thanksgiving . . . I'll be there as your personal shopper with a big tackle sale!  

Until next week . . . tight lines,

Blair

2014 Season on Sportsman Channel

Moving to the Sportsman Channel this week, so if you haven't been able to see the 2014 season of Addictive Fishing yet, here's your chance! Check all of your local listings for the Sportsman Channel and get ready for another season of rod bendin' drag screamin' television. We start on Sunday, October 5th at 10 a.m. with "Canaveral Slam." I'm fishing with Capt. Jim Ross right off of Cape Canaveral and hooking into cobia, triple tail and flounder. Great time on the water with one of my favorite captains. Don't miss episode #1 this week! Check out the AF website for replay details. 

I'm heading to Savannah, GA tomorrow to celebrate the opening of a new Dick's Sporting Goods store! Come out and spend some time with me after you get off work. I'll be there from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. and can help ya pick out the perfect rod/reel combo, the right lures, line and everything you need to catch your next Mogan! They always have killer grand opening deals going on throughout the store, so no matter what you need get on in here! Make sure you stop by the Lodge at Dick's and say hello to me. 

After that, I think I'm going to take some time to do some hunting. Bow season is open and I'm in Georgia, so I need to get my hunt on! I spend so much time on the road, shooting shows and doing appearances that sometimes it's just nice to unplug, unwind and listen to the wind blow. Before long, I'll be back on the water shooting next season's episodes. If I'm not fishing, I like to be hunting. How many of you feel the same way? 

Our new Skeeter Boats will be here when I get back. They're on their way from Kilgore, TX and heading into Skeeter dealer, Central Marine in St. Petersburg, FL. Can't wait to pick 'em up. They're sweet fishing machines rigged with the top equipment in the industry. This year I've got a new Skeeter SX240 coming, but without the tower and another SX220 as well. Got Yamaha engines on the back, Minn Kota iPilot, Humminbird Onix and 360 imaging, Talons, Atlas Jackplates, and Engel coolers. New color schemes to keep things fresh on camera. Stay tuned, I'll have photos for you soon. Stay in touch with us. We love to hear from ya! Check out our Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channel. Got fishing questions, share your photos or just say hey! 

Until next week . . . tight lines,

Blair

That's a wrap!

Just shot the Season Finale of Addictive Fishing 2014! Had a great time last night shooting it, sitting around with the Mogan Music Boys, crew and a few of the 4-legged staff members. It was a tough season, one of the toughest we've had in the history of AF, but we made it through and we're not looking back. I think we put in all our dues to Mother Nature this season, so the 2015 season will be smooth sailing, right? Achem . . . right? 

I say it every year and mean it every time I say it, THANK YOU to our sponsors for supporting us, without them we couldn't bring you rod bendin' drag screamin' television like we do. I've just gotta call 'em all out too . . . thanks to:  Dick's Sporting Goods, Skeeter, Star Brite, Wright & McGill, Trokar, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Talon, DOA Lures, Mirrolure, FINS Braid, Seaguar, Engel Coolers, Altas Jackplates, Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, and Florida's Spacecoast. Proud to be part of such a fantastic team! 

THANK YOU to all of the Mogan Maniacs out there who continue to tune in whether it's on television or online . . . we appreciate you and look forward to having more fun in the future!

Speaking of 2015 season, we're heading out next week to start shooting in North Carolina. I'm going to be fishing with an old friend from my FLW Redfish / Kingfish days and can't wait. The reason we're up there in the first place is to kick off the week in Cary, NC at the grand opening of the new Field & Stream store. Field & Stream is a new specialty retail concept that'll be carrying all the best brands that hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts could ever want/need. You've probably seen me this past season wearing those cool lookin' Field & Stream shirts in all the "Rig it Right" segments, well you can pick those up there too! Me and the AF crew will be celebrating the opening of its new store in Cary, NC on Sunday, September 7th from noon - 4 p.m. (Parkside Town Commons 1048 Parkside Main Street, Cary, NC 27519 - O'Kelly Chapel Road/Exit 66B)

Then we'll be heading South to North Myrtle Beach, SC on Saturday, September 13th to celebrate the opening of a new Dick's Sporting Goods store (Coastal North Town Center, 1536 Highway 17 North, N. Myrtle Bch, SC 29582). Me and the AF Crew will be there from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. and trust me . . . get in, get shopping and save big! There will be some sweet deals happening and you don't want to miss it.

Cheers to "that's a wrap" for the 2014 season, we're already fishin' for 2015! I'll keep you posted on new things to come.

Until next week . . . tight lines,
Blair

Hog tied!

In 2010 we celebrated 10 years of Addictive Fishing at our annual Mogan Mania event. Back then I remember thinking, "I can't believe it's been 10 years" . . . now, I can't believe we're on our 15th season of AF. We'll have to celebrate it nice and big coming up at the next Mogan Mania. Big news to share for all y'all who have joined us in the past at Mogan Mania events, and for those who haven't, this will be the year to start! 

Tune in this week to an encore presentation of "Hogs in the Fog." One of my favorite episodes yet this season (maybe from all seasons). I got to do something I'd never done before - catch hogfish on hook and line. I've only ever spearfished for hogfish in the Keys and off of reefs, but this was Capt. Ryan's specialty and so off we went! It was a really, eerie, foggy start to the day that day. Our guest guide, Skeeter Pro Capt. Ryan Farner had his buddy "escort" us out to the spot because his big offshore boat had radar. I was excited though because I was about to do something new in a fishery I really don't know much about. I've got to say it was a great day, super cool looking fish and probably one of the tastiest I've had too. 

Tune in tomorrow (Friday, May 9th) at 10:30 a.m., Sunday at 9:30 p.m. and Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. on Fox Sun Sports to see "Hogs in the Fog." Set your DVR's if you can't tune in on time, or go to YouTube for the full length episode.  Click here for a preview.

We're shooting a lot this month, getting shows in the can and fish on my line! Tomorrow I'm going out to film with a television and industry legend. I think I'll leave you with that tease and tell ya who it is later. Bah!

Happy Mother's Day to my mom Linda and my wife, Cari. So lucky to have such great women in my life. A special Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful Mother's out there. You don't have an easy job, you often don't get any glory, but we appreciate you and we love you!

Until next week . . . tight lines,
Blair

That's a hawg!

Have you ever been out on the water in fog so thick you can't see the bow of the boat from where you stand at the console? Well, that's how foggy it was the day we went out in Tampa Bay to shoot this episode. Our guest guide, Skeeter Pro Capt. Ryan Farner had his buddy "escort" us out to the spot because his big offshore boat had radar. It was a scene from "The Fog" really, eerily quiet and a little strange. I was excited though because I was about to do something new in a fishery I really don't know much about . . . hogfish on hook and line. I've only ever spearfished for hogfish in the Keys and off of reefs, this was Capt. Ryan's specialty and so here we go! I've got to say it was a great day, super cool looking fish and probably one of the tastiest I've had too. 

Tune in tomorrow (Friday, April 11th) at 10:30 a.m., Sunday at 9:30 p.m. and Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. on Fox Sun Sports to see "Hogs in the Fog." Set your DVR's if you can't tune in on time, or check back sometime next week online, Mr. Producerman will have the full length episode up on YouTube for y'all to watch soon! Click here for a preview.

We just got back this week from Chokoloskee shooting another episode with Capt. Brian Sanders. We caravaned down to the Everglades with both Skeeters (SX220 and SX240) to shoot this episode just in time before the latest weather front moved in on Tuesday with rain, WIND and cool weather. Man, the wind sure does blow! Anyway, we got a snook episode, fishing with the Mirrodine. Can't wait to show y'all this pretty 28 inch snook I caught and released. I said I wouldn't keep another snook for at least 5 years since our freeze of 2010 that killed so much of the population. It's nice to see them making a comeback, but it's a slow process. Glad we have the folks at Mote Aquaculture Park and Project Snook doing their thing.  

We're heading to Destin to shoot a couple of episodes next week and also fish a cool Cobia tournament with some of my favorite Skeeter folks from Legendary Marine. If you're in the panhandle, you should come see us and check it out!

After Destin, I'll be heading back South to Tampa for a weekend of fun on Saturday, April 26th and Sunday, April 27th. Lots to tell you about, but can't get to it right now. Tampa Bay just mark it on your calendars to come out and see me, the AF crew, our new Skeeter boats, Capt. Chad Manning and Capt. Ryan Farner from the AF episodes, and lots, lots more. Details coming soon!!

I'm heading out to wash the boat, re-rig and get ready for more fishing!!

Until next week . . . tight lines,
Blair

Flounder, Cobia and Tripletail - oh my!

I still can't believe we're starting the 15th season of Addictive Fishing Television! Tomorrow marks 15 years of producing shows and I still get butterflies thinking about this week's premiere. Ha!  Tune in tomorrow for episode #1 of the 2014 season - "Canaveral Slam." We shot this episode in my backyard, on the Space Coast with Capt. Jim Ross. We knew we were going wreck fishing off of Cape Canaveral, but just weren't sure what we'd be hooking into, so we had to be prepared for anything. Good thing we were . . . we hooked into cobia, triple tail and some serious flatties - flounder. 

We had a blast and it was the first time we'd taken the new Skeeter tower boat out (SX240) and shot a show with it. The 240 rigged with the Humminbird 360 and Minn Kota iPilot Spot-Lock, sure put us in the perfect spot and held us there so we could hook one Mogan Flounder after another. I say it when I do my seminars and I say it again on the show, if you know you're going wreck fishin' make sure you're rigged and prepared for anything. Have a big stick (Flats Blue) rigged with heavy line (Seaguar/FINS), have some light tackle for those fun fights, back up rigs, hooks (Trokar), and lures (Mirrolure/DOA) so you are ready for anything. We didn't think we would see cobia since it was still technically winter, but one of my cameramen spotted a big manta ray off the side of the boat, and since we had the right rig ready, it was game on! 

Tune in tomorrow (Friday, April 4th) at 10:30 a.m., Sunday at 9:30 p.m. and Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. on Fox Sun Sports to see the start of Addictive Fishing's 2014 season - "Canaveral Slam." Set your DVR's if you can't tune in on time, or check back sometime next week online, Mr. Producerman will have the full length episode up on YouTube for y'all to watch soon!  

Click here for a preview of this week's episode:"Canaveral Slam" 

We're heading down South to the Everglades next week and then straight back up to the Panhandle to Destin the week after. It's that time of year again of towin' boats, riggin' lines and fishin' our butts off. I ain't complaining . . . oh no, it's my favorite time of year! 

In the words of Producerman, "Let's Go Now!!"

Until next week . . . tight lines,

Blair