Bait Shop

Ok, I know it's not a classic but for me, but I've recently discovered MLF (Major League Fishing) and have to say, it's pretty freakin cool to watch! I've never been an avid fisherman but watching MLF on the Outdoor Network since I became disabled has become a huge pastime of mine, and it's inspired me to go out and get a new Abu Garcia Spinning Rod to go along with my old Cabela's Bait Caster and I'm spending a lot more time on the lake now since I've retired, and I have to say, it's absolutely Heaven. This movie may not be a classic, as I stated but it means alot to me, for the reasons I stated but also because I am born and bred from the Deep South (Charleston, SC) and I never really thought of myself as a redneck but these days I wear that badge with honor. I'm not prejudiced against anyone who's not prejudiced against me, I just love the things that remind me of growing up in South Carolina and Mississippi (where my grandparents lived) and those things are fishing, hunting, church, nascar- lol, respect your elders, and oh, yeah, some of the best food on the planet, I love me some good southern cooking! So that's what this movie does to me. It brings me to a place I don't get to spend as much time in as I'd like anymore, being as we moved out west and I grew up mostly here in Arizona (which also has some great points but that's another post lol). Anyway, this movie is a permanent addition to my iPad downloads as a movie to watch while I'm on the road, whether it's a 10/10 or not! I loved it and will watch it repeatedly for as long as I can!

I was told by a 10 year old girl (the one who sold it to me at the flea market) this was a real good film. This film is to bass fishing what Rocky is to boxing...almost. Bill Dugan (Bill Engvall) owns a bait shop on a lake. He has a cast of regulars in the shop which reminded my of the scenes by the fence in "King of the Hill" which include one man (Rus Blackwell) into conspiracy theories. Bill has a wonderful wife (Mary Rachel Dudley), a son (Vincent Martella) who needs some adjusting, a father-in-law (Harve Presnell) who is wealthy, and unfortunately a balloon payment on his shop. To make matters worse the flashy bass fisherman, Hot Rod Johnson (Billy Ray Cyrus) has opened a fish emporium store next to Bill's Bait Shop. Bill enters the local fishing tournament were the prize is $50,000 in order to save his shop. Bill uses his old fashion fishing methods, while Hot Rod uses the latest high tech fish finders. The comedy was simple. The story ignores the fact of any zoning discussions, or how one must legally land a fish in a tournament. While the movie creates characters, most of them were caricatures. A fairly good film for family night. Only very slight innuendos, such as when Bill and his wife wake up, he places his arm around her and she says, "No." Girls in bikinis.