I had several interesting experiences last weekend. First experience was the Atlanta Boat Show, put on by Discover Boating. Now, I have been to a many various boat shows before, including the Atlanta show. This, however, was my first time working at a boat show. The second experience was to be on the new Epic Outdoors Radio Show on WSB Saturday morning. I have to say it was worth getting up at 5 a.m.

However, this is the first of the year and this is the state of the outdoor industry report for you, guys and gals. Both, to which, play a part in my outlook. In the past few months, we have seen an unprecedented amount of hate fueled by social media warriors and irrelevant loudmouths over electronics, boats, payouts, sponsorships, etc. I have seen people say the world is heading to war or the economy and society are collapsing. Yet here we are. The world is still spinning, and the same people are predicting another end.

In fishing, I got news for you. Livescope ain’t the end of the world. Everyone running around wringing their hands and complaining about the change from nothing to the flasher… and folks, I’m old enough to have dropped a spoon over a ledge with a flasher running! And I remember the change from paper graphs to sonar. Everyone called it video game fishing and said it was the death of fishing as we know it. No one needed any talent to fish like that. For Pete’s sake folks. Change is inevitable, and the march of time, taxesand death are three things you can absolutely count on. Technology is just another form of change. It helps and hurts. I like livescope and sonar; I hate my phone and wish I didn’t have a social media addiction. It cuts as well as heals. Learn it, use it, or don’t. Gotta tell you, it doesn’t make you any bettera person or worsea person either way. The whining though is what we remember so just stop that.

For those of you who don’t know, the legendary O’Neill Williams hosted O’Neill Outside every Saturday morning for as long as I remember. My good friend, Capt. Mack Farr, has now taken over the show since O’Neill retired at the beginning of this year. Well, this past Saturday morning Capt. Mack got me up early to call in to his show (and that was a feat initself because I had already spent two days on my feet talking with people at the Atlanta Boat Show). I have to say it was a great privilege and an honor when Mack called to ask me to be on the show. I hope you all will get up early and listen on 95.5 WSB or the internet to Capt. Mack and all his fishing and hunting buddies that are just trying to continue the tradition.

So, where might you ask, can you find me in the upcoming month? HA!I’ll tell you! Jan. 25^th through the 28^th I will be in Greenville, South Carolina at the Upstate of SC Boat Show with the Eclipse Marine Group. On Feb. 3 I will be at Jim Ellis Mall of Georgia GMC for the Spring Classic with Capt. Mack Farr giving a seminar this year! On what you might ask… Well. You just might have to wait and see, but there might also be some entertaining stories told as well! I am so incredibly lucky to get to spend my life in and around the outdoor industry. Whether I am writing, hunting, fishing, or selling boats at my marina I get to be around the life I love so much. So, the state of the outdoor industry is this. Man, if you make your living doing this stuff consider yourself lucky!

Tight lines and following seas y’all!

– Outdoors columnist James Pressley can be reached at jameskpressley@gmail.com