It was great meeting all of you guys. Sorry about my kids. After 5 hours of walking around the little one was getting really cranky but hey, this is his first fishing show... Now, here are some pictures...

Few more...

H20 couldn't keep himself from fishing lake ultimate as you can see.

Your kids were golden. What a nice family. 

Nice to see that they put a Ranger in the lake this year

I thought they had one in there last year as well? KVD always drives the Nitro because they sponsor him. Gerry Gosenick didn't get in the boats because he's sponsored by Triton.

They might have, but I don't think so.  They had a skeeter last year.  It's a bunch of crap that these guys won't get in another brand of boat.  I'm not going to buy a Nitro or Ranger because KVD stand in one on a 100,000 gallon puddle.

That Z-9 is a sweet a$$ boat though.

My buddy asked me towards the end of KVD's seminar if it was an infomercial for Strike King lures. Then he said, "I'm going to buy me some of those $20 Strike Kings once I get back to work".

Do you know that the boats used during the BASSMASTER CLASSIC are sold a year in advance, just because someone can claim the boat was in a BassMaster Classic and a ProAngler fished from it?
So just because you choose not to fall into the Pro on a Boat makes it better theory, there are a whole whack of anglers who do!

As for stepping onto a nonsponsored boat well its all economics...Once you get a check from a Sponsor Deal that company don't want to see you on something else. One day it will sink in to the weekend warrior anglers and sideliners that once you go Pro and sell yourself to the sponsors...your "OWNED" signed sealed delivered!

Well put Snagman. Money Talks. A whole lot of money btw.

h2o

I understand the economics of it, but once again, he's simply standing in it, not bragging about it or running it.  Personally I think it looks bad for the pro who won't get on the boat.  The appeal of Lake Ultimate is to see the guy on the pond with a rod in his hand.  I guess there may be a little too much money in the sport.

I would prefer to think its more about product and sponsor loyalty...but then in todays world and how some believe, its forgivable to throw our flag in the drink and gets fined loses sponsors for it and apologizes and still is recognized as a hero...but a Pro stands by his contract and obligations to the sponsors that support him and what feeds his family is viewed in a bad light. Anyway just some pondering of my late nite thoughts.

I see what you're saying and I guess I should make my point more clear.  I don't blame the fishermen, because I know they are doing this because of conractual obligations that help them make a living.  It's the boat company that I cannot understand.  By labeling their pros with the company name and then forcing them to do an inferior seminar makes the company look bad in my eyes.

Again economics fits in...Boat Companies pays a lot of money for their ProAnglers to be seen on their boats as this too is what pays their employees and feeds the families it is a viscious cycle in bizness. There are so many boats being produced and advertised its really more beneficial for them contractual wise.
As for a inferior seminar, hell I can remember back 30 years ago Billy Westmoreland stood on a chair in front of 200 people in Columbus Ohio and demonstrated the Manns Little Goerge and vertical Jigging...nobody noticed if it was a stadium chair or a lounge chair...it didn't matter Billy was devulging one of his secrets and techniques with a new lure!
The ones ya should be questioning is the show promoters, why not bring in the pros that are sponsored by the boat their displaying on Lake Ultimate? I think you will find again economics the boat company displayed payed em a lot of money for the show and the show promoters knows that KVD will draw a bigger crowd than say Skeet Reese or Joe Thomas...ya see they want yer $$$ at the door and you pay to see the stuff inside and a chance to hear a Pro talk.
More idle thoughts released midday.

I had a great time at the show on Friday...got to meet the legend himself (Bob Brunner) and bought my H2o Brunner Runner....can't wait to try it up north!!

Chrispy!