Chippewa Hosts North American Fishing Show

North American Fishing Show films on the Chippewa during our centennial year.

Lights, Camera, Action…. Those were words heard on the Chippewa National Forest in August when the Fox Sports television show "North American Fishing" came to film on the Chippewa during our centennial year.

While working with the Urban Connections program at the MN State Fish Art Day, Todd Tisler, Chippewa Fish and Wildlife Program Manager, met Steve Pennaz host of the North American Fishing Show. Todd casually invited him to film on the Chippewa and when a cancellation occurred, the crew packed up and headed north!

At an undisclosed "area lake" on the Chippewa National Forest, several scenes were filmed for a program to be aired around April 2009. It's not about advertising a lake, the producers said, Its about encouraging the outdoor experience. The catch of the day was largemouth bass, along with a few northern pike and some panfish. Filming the fishing, said wildlife biologist Todd Tisler, was a lot more work than you'd think. Scenes needed several angles, underwater shots, background information, and of course, everyone showing their sponsor or Forest logo at the right time. The show's host, Steve Pennaz thought it was enjoyable and productive to film at a national forest. Reflecting on the experience, he noted that if all trips went as well as this one he would have the best job on the planet. Todd did a great job on camera, especially when it came to talking about the National Forest and its many facilities/features.

The show features a favorite species each week with nationally-known experts Steve Pennaz, Karen Savik, Buzz Ramsey and George Liddle. It also focuses on how to and where to fish, but likes to emphasize story-telling about an area so the show appeals to a wider audience.

The film crew also gathered information on Chippewa National Forest facts and during filming discussed the Chippewa's extensive water resources, concern for invasive species, and abundant recreation opportunities. There were plenty of out-takes that have made for great story telling around the office and everyone is anxious to see the final product.

The North American Fishing Show is picked up by several networks (Versus, Fox Sports, Lonestar Cable and Comcast) and airs nationally. They will also use information from the show in the North American Fisherman magazine which is distributed to 450,000 people. The Chippewa National Forest episode should be shown around April 2009 and you should, as they say in the fishing world, be sure to Catch It!