REVIEW COMMENTS
"If anyone can do justice to the weird and wonderful world of professional bass fishing, it's veteran fishing journalist and longtime Field & Stream columnist Schultz....The book should appeal to both pro-fishing fans and readers whose minds boggle at the whole idea." – David Pitt, Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association, Oct. 2006
"There's no better place to witness what has transformed this sport than...Bass Madness." – Ken Moran, New York Post, Oct. 6, 2006
"This book is incredible....Bass Madness is a pulsing read, a real in-your-face-this-is-what-is-really-going-on-now take of the Classic." – Tom Pagliaroli, Rack & Fin Radio, South Jersey, Oct. 7, 2006
"This is a book that I’ve been waiting for....Very interesting....A terrific book." – Alex Langer, Outdoors This Week, USA & National Radio Networks, Oct. 7, 2006
"What you see from the stands, or watch on your plasma wide-screen TV, doesn’t provide the whole story. Bass Madness does....Everything Schultz describes is right on the money. Even if you’re not into tournament bass fishing you’re going to love this book." – Dick Nelson, Hudson Valley Newspapers, Oct. 8, 2006
"The writing is very good." – Gary Giudice, BASSZONE radio, Oct. 9, 2006
"It’s a riveting book....A great read....I highly recommend it. I endorse the book 100 percent." – Steve Sarley, The Outdoors Experience, WIND, Chicago, Oct. 14, 2006
"A glimpse of life at the highest level of competitive bass fishing." – Gary Fallesen, Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester, NY, Oct. 22, 2006
"I’ve been to tournaments, but I’ve never felt as much there as I did while reading your book....You really hit a home run." – Mike Buck, Go Fish, KHVH, Honolulu, Oct. 28, 2006
"This book has blown the lid off the Bassmaster Classic, and in large part blown the lid off of professional fishing and said some things that people have always wanted to say but didn’t know how." – Chris Lawrence, West Virginia Outdoors, West Virginia Radio Network, Oct. 28, 2006
"Ken Schultz’s Bass Madness is about these changes [at the Bassmaster Classic], and the civil war they’ve provoked within the ranks of pro bass fishing....Bass Madness is an entertaining picaresque." – Field Maloney, New York Times Sunday Book Review, Nov. 5, 2006
"Just a tremendous book. Very nicely done." – Jim Slinsky, Outdoor Talk Network, Nov. 11, 2006
"Ken, you’re going to have a scandal book soon, I’m telling you, once this kind of money gets into a sport." – Jay Thomas, The Jay Thomas Show, Sirius Satellite Radio, Nov. 14, 2006
"I certainly recommend all BassFans read Bass Madness – it’s packed with info, and at certain moments, provides the best-ever inside look at the ESPN era of BASS." – Jon Storm, BassFan Opinion, BassFan.com, Nov. 16, 2006 Read the full review.
"[The Bassmaster Classic has] got that kind of wild NASCAR or monster truck-arena element to it now. TV cameras are there, lights go on, the catch comes in before roaring crowds, and suddenly we’re up there in NASCAR-madness kind of territory....We’re talking about the American cult and culture of bass fishing and the wild rise of the professional bass fishing tournament." – Tom Ashbrook – On Point, National Public Radio, Nov. 16, 2006 Listen to the NPR interview.
"Not since Bass Wars has any writer had the temerity to actually tell it straight about what actually goes on at the so-called 'Super Bowl' of bass fishing. Take it from someone who was there: This book peels back the hype and the carefully crafted public-relations smokescreen that keeps the average angler from seeing the intrigue, the corporate battles, the petty jealousies, the real drama, the manufactured version and, yes, the madness of the Bassmaster Classic. While Bass Madness is not a tell-all, leering view, it tells most of what should be told in an even-handed analysis of what makes a Classic tick. Even if you've been to a dozen Classics, Schultz unveils a lot you didn't know about the forces at work, without dodging a single issue." – Michael Jones, Big Bass Zone, BassFan.com, Nov. 16, 2006 Read the full commentary.
"Those lazy, hazy days of contemplative fishing for a bass fry over a cheery campfire hard by the old farm pond are lost on today’s hype-em and hook-em made for TV sports craze. And nowhere will you find a better history detailing the change from "contemplative’ to something about as relaxing an endeavor as the sacking of Rome than in Bass Madness. It is, other than excellent reporting by a qualified journalist, a fun read and a hoot to boot." – Rick Methot, The Trentonian, Nov. 19, 2006
"Schultz focuses on the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing, as he gives "bassheads" an inside look at their heroes and their struggles for fame and glory." – D'Arcy Egan, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Dec. 9, 2006
"With Bass Madness we get an insider’s tour of the Classic experience from the point of both the angler and the audience....Truth is, I read it and couldn’t put it down. Schultz delivers a refreshingly honest look at competitive bass-fishing madness and how it got that way." – David Dirks, Times Herald-Record, Jan. 9, 2007
"I soon found myself decidedly engaged in this thoroughly researched and carefully written volume....Bass Madness is an honest evaluation of competitive bass fishing." – Justin Askins, The Roanoke Times, Jan. 14, 2007
"This is a spectacular book....This book stands alone in fishing journalism. It’s a must read. I guarantee you’ll be glued to the pages like I was....Schultz is one of the sharpest tacks in the box. God bless him, that’s how it is." – Mike Jackson, WSBC & WCFJ, Chicago, Feb. 4, 2007
"A fascinating review of what of what drives the competitors, manufacturers, sponsors, and an adoring public....With unbiased reporting, Ken takes the lid off this ‘can of worms’ and lets the reader decide for himself whether tournament fishing is good for the sport. It’s a fun read." – Pete Barrett, The Fisherman, Mar. 15, 2007
"This is the first piece of journalism about the world of bass fishing....This is the first fishing book that I’ve seen someone in a suit and tie reading....so detailed....not sugar coated...." – Alex Langer, Outdoors This Week, National Radio Network, Mar. 25, 2007
"Bass Madness is a must read for those of us who are fans of competitive bass fishing, if for no other reason than to hear about the negatives from a well-heeled critic....Schultz provides an insider’s view of how political influence and television are turning the selection of tournament sites and the tournaments themselves into big." – Mary Anne Magiera, The Telegram, Worcester, MA, July 3, 2007
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