Bass University attendees blown away by interaction, information
Bass University attendees blown away by interaction, information
By Alan Clemons
Like many fathers, Jerry Rosenzweig saw the Bass University-Philadelphia workshop as a way to spend time with his 12-year old son and possibly pick up a few good bits of information from some of the top professional anglers in the country.
Little did he know the inaugural Bass University events would yield as much fun and knowledge as it did in two days. Rosenzweig attended with his son, Ari, and several other members of their New Jersey TBF club
“I typed up all my handwritten notes and then boiled it down, and I still had 10 pages of notes,” Rosenzweig said. “I was blown away at the level of information being presented and the way it was presented, because it was very informal with a lot of interaction. I gave Ari a notebook and like a lot of kids, I noticed he doodled some
and didn’t take as many notes as I did. But the things he recalled from the event have blown me away.
“If you’d have told me that when I signed up I wouldn’t have believed it,” Rosenzweig added. “It was a great father-son experience … how do you beat a father-son experience like that, along with the value for the dollar, the fun and the camaraderie? You can’t.”
That’s the kind of results Bass University founders Pete Gluzek and Mike Iaconelli envisioned when they began planning the project last year. The two longtime pros from New Jersey compete on the PAA, FLW Tour and Bassmaster Elite Series circuits. They believed there was a need to reach grassroots and tournament anglers who desired some instructional sessions but were unsure if the reception would be strong.
Based on the Philadelphia event, Gluzek said upcoming Bass University weekends in Sacramento, Nashville and Dallas should have similar results. Top pros and local anglers will be at each event to provide insights and answer questions, one of the favorite parts of the workshops.
“We were very pleased for many reasons,” Gluzek said. “Number one, we had a great event and it was run well. We were thinking worst-case for things, but all the flights came in on time, the speakers brought their A-game and students were as enthusiastic as you could imagine.
“One of the other things that pleased us, and we knew this going in, was the turnout despite the ongoing deer season in Pennsylvania. Schools and towns close down for it because they’re fanatical about deer season, plus we were in the holiday season. We were told we couldn’t draw a crowd but we had 110 people. It was a cool weekend.”
Speakers in Philly included Gluzek and Iaconelli, Gerald Swindle of Alabama, Dave Wolak of North Carolina, Dave Mansue of Pennsylvania and Greg Hackney of Louisiana. All have won championships, tour-level events or individual honors, such as Angler of the Year, yet brought a diversity based on their experiences and ability to relate to the crowd.
“We did try to strategize about who we wanted to have and had a couple of criteria: We wanted to have a couple of guys in each place who are strong locally, and for Philly we had a host in Dave Mansue,” Gluzek said. “He just won on the Upper Chesapeake, and Ike and I have won up here, so we had a great local representation.
“We also wanted guys who are winning tournaments right now. Not trying to crack on anyone or be negative, but one mission for us is to provide the most cutting edge and advanced techniques right now. And there’s no question, Mike and I are friends and know who the entertainers are who can deliver high-level information.”
Rosenzweig agreed, saying “Ike is Ike” and “Swindle had me in tears” due to his down-home comedic wit. But their ability to relate information in a way that was understandable and provide insights the pros use every day was beneficial. Additionally, there was great interaction with the attendees.
“They treated the kids like kings,” Rosenzweig said, noting about seven or eight of his club’s young members attended. “They were able to get photos and autographs, have lunch with the pros … where does a kid get the opportunity to get that kind of experience to learn on an adult level from the pros, which they’ll learn better than from parents, but also the advanced techniques? The time they spent with everyone was incredible.
“Some of the most interesting facts weren’t the most direct things they were speaking about. They were the side-comments someone asked about away from the presentation. Mansue talked about boat position in the current, keeping it at a 45-degree angle so your bait will stay in contact in the current. Wolak discussed reading the grass for things like slime or “fresh” grass being indicators. Things like that in an informal discussion are highly informative and fun.”
Gluzek said plans for future events already are being considered, and he and Iaconelli will continue working the PAA members to help ensure quality Bass University events are held.
“We’re hiring the vast majority of our seminar speakers who are PAA members and we’re 100 percent behind that organization,” he said. “We’re doing what we can to fill our seminar speaker pool with PAA members. We were overwhelmed with the enthusiasm and positive remarks.”
Rosenzweig said he’s looking forward to future Bass University events.
“It was absolutely phenomenal,” he said. “I had no expectations having never done it before and I learned a lot.”
Bass University Schedule
Sacramento, Calif.
Dates: Jan. 9–10
Times: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Registration begins 7 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5.
Location: Doubletree Hotel, Sacramento
Address: 2001 Point West Way, Sacramento
Location phone: (916) 924-4923
Instructors: Ish Monroe, Mike Benett. Brent Ehrler
Hosts: Mike Iaconelli, Pete Gluszek
Nashville, Tenn.
Dates: January 23–24
Time: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Registration begins 70 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5.
Location: Radisson Hotel at Opryland
Address: 2401 Music Valley Drive
Location phone: (916) 924-4923
Instructors: Dave Wolak, Gerald Swindle, John Crews, Randy Howell
Hosts: Mike Iaconelli, Pete Gluszek
Dallas, Texas
Dates: February 6–7
Times: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Registration begins 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6
Location: Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center
Address: 1800 Hwy. 26 East, Dallas
Location phone: (817) 481-8444
Instructors: Ish Monroe, Byron Velvick. Fred Roumbanis.
Hosts: Mike Iaconelli, Pete Gluszek
Room information: Special room rates are available for Bass University students. Limited block of rooms available.
For more information on rooms, other guest speakers or registration, visit www.thebassuniversity.com . For questions, call (856) 521-0046, or email to
BassUniversity@gmail.com
