History of "Beyond Bait and Bobber"

     I have been a fisherman for as long as I can remember. I started fishing on The Long Island Sound in New York when I was very young. My father would take my family fishing almost every day in the spring, summer and fall. We would catch flounder, weakfish, blackfish, bluefish, stripers and many others that I can’t remember any longer. One of my favorite things to do when we weren’t out on the boat was to go to the Nissequogue River and fish for baby bluefish, they are called Snappers. All of this isn’t that important except to show you how deep my love of fishing actually runs. When I was in my teens my family moved from the shores of the Long Island Sound to the mountain lakes of Pennsylvania. Anyone who has fished saltwater and freshwater knows the difference and will understand that this was not an easy transition.

     After a while the differences didn’t matter any more, I was still hooked on fishing. The excitement of casting my bait or lure out, feeling the first nibble on the end of the line, setting the hook and anticipating the ensuing fight is what still brings me to the waters edge as often as I can get there. I now fish tournaments all over the north east. Most of the tournaments are for Bass, largemouth and smallmouth, but some are for Stripers, Walleye, Trout or Salmon. I also enjoy fishing the Florida Everglades and the Keys.

     When I am fishing I meet many different people. Some times it is a young fisherman looking for a tip on what the fish are biting on today and sometimes it is an adult looking for the same information. I always try to share as much as I can with these anglers because it is always fun to either catch or see another angler catching fish. I have a friend who is fond of saying “with each cast comes the hope of another bite”, the idea of that hope is pretty addicting. It is within this idea of sharing information and hope that the foundation of “Beyond Bait and Bobber” came from.

     A couple of years ago, 2004 I think it was, I started giving free seminars to kids and families on the basics of fishing. I expected a few kids at each seminar and hoped that out of these few kids I might be able to teach a couple of them the joys of fishing. Much to my surprise not only the children that signed up stayed for these first few shows but their parents and siblings also stayed. During these shows, that is what I call the seminars; I would teach basic water safety, boating safety, first aide, basic gear care and lure presentation. One of my most basic beliefs has always been if you don’t do the first four things right you may not ever get to the best part lure presentation. Again to my surprise the kids got that part right away, I would ask questions about the safety stuff that we went over and the kids would know the answers. The part of the shows that surprised me the most was that the parents had the most questions when it came time for the actual fishing or lure presentation part of the show. Many of the adults had either never been fishing or had very limited experience fishing, this was a big shocker to someone who had been fishing for most of his life. I realized quickly that not only had I made the right choice to start having these shows but it was a much needed service. Most of the stories the parents told were probably ones that you have heard before; the nightmares of packing the kids in the car, going to the bait store, the kids wanting everything they see, then packing all the kids back in the car and driving to the lake, the crying because you are putting a hook in the worm, one child chasing the other with the worm, and so on……. I am here to tell you that most of this can be avoided.

     After doing a few of these shows around my local area I realized that I was not reaching enough people. I tried to think of how I could get the information needed to the average family so they could have a better experience when attempting to go fishing. After all fishing is supposed to be wholesome, relaxing and stress reducing not some sort of stress induced war game. That is when the idea hit me to develop a web site that would be member based with instructions on how to be more productive when fishing. The site would have to avoid information overload so the average person would not get overwhelmed and give-up because it was too much information at one time. That is where “the lure of the month” idea comes from. I can provide one lure each month; teach the basics of fishing it through video and instructions, then build on that each month.

     I am so excited that you have considered the program for yourself or someone you love and look forward to providing you with the most up-to-date information possible in a format that you, your child or any angler can understand. There are membership programs for every angler from young anglers to adults so visit our “A’Luring Offers” area to see what membership would be right for you or your angler, gift packages are encouraged. Please feel free to use my Q & A area or e-mail me with your questions or better yet become a member today and start catching instead of just fishing.

     Tight Lines,

     Mike Lo Dolce Sr.

     Michael Lo Dolce Sr.
     CEO/Fisherman