This Sunday marked the One Year Anniversary of Nuts & Bolts Television on Fox Sports Network.  And it's been a great year.  Along the way, I've had the good fortune to meet so many wonderful people who like the concept of providing practical, real-world information viewers can use the next time they're on the water.  Through this newsletter, our website and our TV series, we've taken you to interesting destinations, cooked excellent recipes, introduced new products, and shared fishing tips from the Nuts & Bolts Pro's.   This formula has proven to be one that folks all across the country continue to embrace, and it's one we will strive to carry forward in 2010.

 

In early 2009, we kicked off the first in a series of Getaway Giveaway campaigns.  The Great Grouper Getaway and The Backyards and Bayous Getaway were resounding successes, engaging people at a grass roots level and spreading virally throughout the country.  The newest Cast & Blast Getaway is well underway and we expect it to far exceed our initial expectations. 

 

We launched Nuts & Bolts Television during a time when a lot of other outdoor programs were feeling the pinch of a declining economy. Our hopes were high, but we kept our expectations at a realistic level.  After all, this was a new show, with no track record, competing for viewers against well-known and highly rated programs.  But by mid-2009, our television ratings were tracking alongside programs that had been on the air for many years.  The Nuts & Bolts audience was growing each week, as evidenced by the amount of emails, newsletter subscriptions and web traffic for us and our sponsors.  And last quarter, Nuts & Bolts moved to the head of the class as one of the highest rated outdoor programs in the southeast.  Remarkable? Yes.   But when you consider the relevant, timely content of the shows and the depth of knowledge shared by our expert guests, it's easy to see why so many people continue to set aside 30 minutes each week to watch the adventures.

 

2009 also saw a partnership evolve with MyOutdoorTV.com and it is one we are proud to proclaim.  MOTV allows folks to watch Nuts & Bolts programs any time of day, right from their desktop.  And MOTV has helped to extend our presence well beyond the southeastern broadcast footprint. 

 

The Nuts & Bolts Pro Staff got a big boost in a small package adding Louie Echols as our first Junior Pro Staffer.  We launched a new tackle company - Whoop Ass Tackle, introduced you to a whole new way of fishing with the Twin Troller X10 electric boat.  And we gave away close to $30,000.00 in gear, trips, and more.

 

What A Year!!!

 

Looking forward to 2010, Nuts & Bolts plans to raise the bar even higher, by increasing both its broadcast and web presence.  We'll still maintain the principles that got us here...honesty, integrity, and producing programs that warrant the investment of your time with us.

 

2009 was filled with first's, and all of us here on the Nuts & Bolts team have our sights set on many more first's in 2010.

 

Thank you all for being an integral part of this success.

 

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't predict what the weather will be several months in advance.   You do all your planning, make the trip to your favorite fishing destination and when you get there...the weather changes.   And it doesn't have to be a tremendous change to affect the fishing.  A cold front comes in, or one just went through, or maybe the wind is howling.  Whatever the circumstances, it's not the most desirable of conditions.

 

On this week's Nuts & Bolts adventure that's exactly what happened.  Yep, even we get caught with unfavorable conditions from time to time.  But that doesn't mean you have to completely scrap your fishing trip.  You just have to implement Plan B.  In this case, a front was approaching...bringing colder weather, wind and the forecast for rain.  But Capt. Dan Utley, the Fishin' Coach, had an alternative plan that would at least let us get a little time on the water.   The offshore forecast was bad, so we moved our fishing mission to the calmer, more protected creeks around Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and gave it a shot.   And we turned lemons into lemonade.   The fish were still there, and they were hungry.  

 

Having a Plan B is something everyone should consider when planning a trip, especially if it's a few months in advance.   Of course you should always check the weather, and never go if inclement conditions are nearby.   In this case, it was just going to be a gray, overcast, dreary day with a wildly changing barometer.   But with a little patience and some expert local knowledge we were able to get a great fishing trip.  In fact, we managed an inshore slam, and got to see how the adult redfish tagging program works.

 

So, join the Nuts & Bolts gang this Sunday morning and see just how well Plan B can pay off.   It's a lot of fun, and you'll get some tips on how you can do the same thing.