Tread Carefully, Or You Might End Up In Water

Posted: September 20th, 2010 by Bill Dance

I want to drive until the map turns blue.

Now, what fisherman hasn’t felt like that? Man, let me tell you, it is something I want to do everyday—watch that GPS screen on my Chevy pickup suddenly start to show blue and lots of it. Talk about a feel-good feeling? Why, it’s then I know we are nearing Destination Bass.

But back to that great song lyric, it is from award-winning country music artist Brad Paisley’s No. 1 summer hit Water.

Brad is a co-writer of Water, and he made a cool video for it as well. Sure, as expected, there is lots of water in it and boats, swimmers, bikini-clad babes…and well, Bill Dance. Well, OK, I am not so sure that is something you ever expected to be combined in a sentence—Bill and bikini-clad babes—but a guy can dream, right?

And it wasn’t exactly a Bill and Brad’s Gone Wild video shoot, either. Heck, I did not even set foot on the set for the shoot (darn it). Basically, what happened was Brad called my office and wanted to know if he could use some of my blooper clips in the video. We said, sure, glad to, and sent them to him and his production crew.

Now, Brad is no stranger to bass fishing. Like all of us, he loves the sport as anyone can tell by listening to several of his songs. In fact, he shot another video featuring fishermen for one of his many Number 1 hits —I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishing Song). That video featured several celebrities including our mutual fishing buds Little Jimmy Dickens, Hank Parker and Forrest Wood. It’s now a classic, especially among those that fish.

In the Water video I am seen making a big splash, well…OK, really, I make several big splashes. Oh you know me; I fall in a few times. And personally, well, I think I look very good doing it, but then, I am a professional after all, right?

It’s not like I am a stranger to the field of fishing-related pratfalls by any stretch of the fishing line or imagination. My fishing mishaps and/or “misery” have certainly been documented elsewhere for everyone’s enjoyment. Such bloopers are for sale on DVD through Bass Pro Shops. And then some of the older ones seem to have found lots of life on youtube.com.

And as a result, I might have come close to being labeled the Clown Prince of Prank if not Crank baits. The Chevy Chase of Fishingdom, perhaps? Ah, oh well… I take it all in stride (carefully watching my step with that, too, whenever possible). And, hey, I know that kind of thing is bound to happen to all of y’all, as well. I just happen to have the fortune (good or otherwise) of always have the cameras rolling when it happens!

So, until next time, watch your step and catch one for me.