Facebook YouTube Tacklewarehouse.com
Printer-friendly copy Email this topic to a friend
Top Calfishing.com Trophy Fishing Forum topic #11363
View in linear mode

Subject: "The aftermath" Previous topic | Next topic
Capt. GSat Jul-04-09 05:12 AM
Member since Mar 24th 2008
53 posts
Click to send email to this author Click to send private message to this authorClick to view this author's profileClick to add this author to your buddy list
#11363, "The aftermath"


  

          

Having been in the Japanese media business for over 10 years, and being published exponentially more than any other non-Japanese (ie round eye American) , I still maintain contacts/friends with even the publications that I currently do no work for.
That said, I heard about this fish even before it was weighted. Several of my crew were fishing at the lake as well, so in addition to the press release that anyone in the media can get, a had a whole file full of info on the fish, where, and what it was caught on, and even cross reference witnesses that had seen much or part of the historical event. Me being a "cog in the wheel", I was asked, and I also thought it was prudent to release the info the way the people directly involved wanted it released.

I was asked by the inner circle to inform the bass guys (loose term) in America with the confirmed data they provided me with.
So, I put together a short info release, and decided where to send it.
It went to some individuals in the USA tackle industry, who share info/data with me, and I thought California, being a player in the WR hunt, should be specifically notified. So, I sent the info to Bloodydecks, specifically the Bass Forum. I was quite amazed to find that in one day there were over 13,000 views, and several dozen comments. The other web site I sent it to, at the same time as Bloodydecks was Calfishing.

I was really surprised that my account had not been deleted/banned.
I was also surprised that after posting, and the first several hundred views, there was not a single comment! Hell, you can post about an new hunk of plastic that barely swims, and the first one hundred views will draw several comments. Also, at in the same time frame, I got some great (makes me laugh!)@hate mail, saying that my post (did not specifically say which site) would be locked, or deleted for outright lies. Another said that I should not be "funny" by starting a hoax. Remember, the first info that I posted was only the place caught, and weight and length. I did not even list Mr. Karita's name because it was mysteriously absent from on of the press releases. I figured this was because Mr. Kurita wanted to be the first to release this, so I respected that.

To continue, the was a "problem" with the last time I posted a year or so ago on Calfishing. Something about posting incorrect (ie lies) for the sole benefit of some undetermined reason.
So, rather than cause a problem for my friend Rob Belloni's site, I bowed out, even though I had not posted a single "lie" in the aforementioned post, or ever, on this site.

You see, if you are caught writing (posting) any "lies" in the public forum (newspapers, magazines, websites, etc.) you are pretty much done. Not to mention the libel (pls. google this, as many do not know the REAL meaning) legal issues.
Also, I have been in the Japanese media industry, and tackle industry for twelve years. I get paid really nice fees from my writing, photo shoots, and a stupid sum of money on the back-end.

I get nothing (and expect nothing) for writing anything for Calfishing. I write things on here to educate/give back to the big game we call "Bass Fishing" and all love so much.

So, I came back after a year to inform you all of something that was to rock the bass fishing world--a pending WR Largemouth Black Bass, because I truly believe that MOST of you on this site@want and deserve to know

Good fishing to all of you,

Capt. Greg Vella:-)

"Known as the person who introduced swimbait fishing to Japan"

  

Alert Printer-friendly copy | Reply | Reply with quote | Top

Replies to this topic

swimbaitMon Jul-06-09 08:42 AM
Charter member
9890 posts
Click to send email to this author Click to send private message to this authorClick to view this author's profileClick to add this author to your buddy list
#11368, "RE: The aftermath"
In response to Reply # 0


  

          

Hey Greg, sorry it’s taken a while to write back here. I spent 15 hours this weekend moving websites to a new server to save a few bucks on hosting. Summer got laid off so we’re doing what everyone else is doing these days and trying to save money. Its life and in any case:

I wouldn’t focus too much on the number of replies your post got here. People who follow my site have watched all the other world record rumors come and go and I’m sure viewed your post with a measure of skepticism. Unlike other sites where the immediate response was to discredit the catch, toss out bad information, or make snide racist remarks (go read the Texas forums), I thought the response here reflected the high caliber of fishermen who visit this site on a regular basis.

I would imagine that deep down that is why you chose to post here, though you may have your own reasons.

When I look at the web stats for calfishing.com, one thing that always jumps out to me is the fact that 20% of the people who come to the site in an average month come at least once a day. 10% of all visitors come 200+ times per month! That’s the core audience that I write for and work for day in and day out and I can assure you that group includes most of the best trophy bass anglers in the world – whether they post or not.

So whether people replied or not, I am confident you got the message in front of the people most interested.

As far as not disabling your account, I don’t know what to tell you other than what I wrote to you on email the last time we talked.

You have to understand that the downside to attracting the best trophy bass fishermen and the best lure makers in the world to this site is that those same people have a habit of using the site to communicate instead of using direct communication methods.

When my site (a public forum) is used to communicate what should be a personal message - people have a tendency to associate what some individual contributor wrote on the forum with me. As if I was the one who wrote the message or somehow condoned it, advocated it, or approved it.

What happens next is that I start getting the phone calls and the emails from both sides as if I am supposed to be a proxy for other people’s fights. As if I should stand in the middle and arbitrate because I own the web site. Having gone through this situation say … a couple dozen times I’ve realized that I don’t have the time or energy in my life to deal with it.

So I draw a very strong line when I see these kinds of situations evolving on the forums. It’s just not why I am here, devoting countless hours to this web site. And though some people would love nothing more than to entertain themselves with watching other people fighting online, if they want to do that they will have to find somewhere else to do it. There’s plenty of real estate for that in cyberspace, just not here.

Now, back to the world record!

How about the fact that Bassfan.com hasn’t even put it on the home page? Holy smokes. I like Bassfan and read it daily. But this is the biggest story in trophy bass in ages and it’s off in Dock Talk?

How about the fact that there’s been more info here than on Bassmaster.com? I know they need to be more cautious in their reporting but man, make some phone calls here gang. At least they’re carrying it on the home page.

My prediction is still that IGFA will rule this to be a tie for the record. They’ll list Manabu Kurita’s fish first, but it will be a tie. And like I said in my other post, I think this creates an even more interesting chase for the world record. Now record chasers in the US and in Japan will be chasing a record shared between the two countries, and trying to establish an uncontested record.

Oh, and if they call this fish 22-5, does the new record have to go 22-7? No one has talked about it yet. Could be yet another interesting twist :9

  

Alert Printer-friendly copy | Reply | Reply with quote | Top

Top Calfishing.com Trophy Fishing Forum topic #11363 Previous topic | Next topic
Powered by DCForum+
© Copyright Robert Belloni 1997-2012. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without express written consent.