While in Vermont with the Backwoods Angler TV crew, we persisted through many obstacles.  Funny thing is, as I'm writing about what happend up there, I'm chuckling to myself!  It seemed like huge, almost "quittable" circumstances at the times these things occurred.  Now, not so much!  

While filming one afternoon, we were pretty excited about the morning shoot, how we had filmed a bunch of 3 and 4+ pound smallmouth coming to my thumb after locating a hump with my Garmin sonar.  We were celebrating, so to speak, having some fun and goofing around.  We "had" an underwater camera that locked to a boom with a tripod lock so the camera could be extended several feet further underwater.  That morning we had captured some cool footage of a bass spawning, several really clear underwater releases and the like.  In a moment of, shall I say, folly on our part, we found out the hard way why we should have fastened a lanyard or some sort of chord for the camera to be securely attached to the boom.  The tripod lock failed and splash, down went the camera....down went the footage of the spawning bass.....down went the releases of the bass we caught.....down went underwater footage from a previous shoot...... 

"What's the use in going further now?!!!  I quit!  Never gonna work!"  That is what my head exclaimed.  Lies.  I have been taught to focus on the facts, not the lies fed to me through negative thinking.  Yes, we made a crucial mistake, or should I say we just went through a big learning experience, the hard way!  Yes we lost the footage.  We got other footage on our other underwater camera.  Yes it will be costly.  We'll deal with that one.  No we will not quit!  What else would I do anyway?

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."  That truth is a fact in my life.  We talked about what we needed to do differently, and we'll do it.  And I have faith that God will turn it into good.  

We filmed enough footage after that debacle to produce at least 1, maybe 2 shows.  We persisted through our "goof-up" and created a learning experience out of it by focusing on the facts.  We grew as partners......as people.

Not what the lies wanted to accomplish, I'm sure.  Stay tuned as the footage from this shoot will be produced into :30 episodes to air next season.  And please make sure all of you mark your calendars for our NBC Sports/VERSUS premiere on July 25!

Good fishin!

Blaine