Angler takes on all comers

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While we're in the deep freeze for the next several days, you might as well skip fishing and read about one of the smartest gimmicks a cable TV network has ever devised to attract more viewers.

ESPN2 found a brash New England fisherman who is willing to bet he can whip you in a one-on-one fishing contest -- even in water that he's never been to before. When the contest is done, ESPN2 will telecast it.

Think about it. Win or lose, people will be watching by the numbers, hoping he gets his just desserts or admiring his skill. Either way, ESPN2 is the winner. How's that for panache?

"Beat Charlie Moore" will be telecast Sundays at 10:30 a.m. The show features the Bostonian fishing against challengers on their home waters. The only thing the challengers will have in common is their love of fishing. But there also will be immediate resentment toward the trash-talking, confident Moore. The nerve of that guy!

The show's challenges range from largemouth bass fishing on a pond in Pennsylvania to a cod fishing free-for-all near Boston. It even has one segment that features billiards for the rights to a trolling motor.

"They call me the 'Mad Fisherman,'" said Moore. "I like to think I am a good fisherman, but I think everyone can enjoy the sport -- it's just a matter of how much time you devote to being good at it."

Upcoming shows include this Sunday's segment in which Moore fishes against his sister, reputed to be quite an angler. They'll go after flounder in the waters around Cape May, N.J. On Jan.18, Moore will go up against a writer for the Boston Herald, Ted Ancher. There's also a Jan.25 program on which Moore takes on former New England Patriots offensive lineman Todd Rucci. The two want to fish in a river, seeking smallmouth bass, but then decide they'd battle it out on the first body of water they see -- a farm pond.

If you must go fishing -- If you don't mind the arctic blanket we're under, the best bet in town continues to be the Potomac stretch between the Blue Plains waste treatment plant and the Fox Ferry rocks, as well as the insides and outsides of the Spoils Cove. The only lures you'll need are Mann's Sting Ray grubs (or other beaver-tailed 3-inch grubs in dark green), as well as some fish attractant that can be applied to the plastic baits. The Silver Buddy, as well as any other silver or gold blade bait, is always recommended, but be prepared to lose some of the treble-hooked wonders while hunting for perch, crappies and bass.

No wonder they left -- Regarding those cable TV fishermen leaving the network formerly known as TNN to move to OLN (Outdoor Life Network), it's no wonder. Bill Dance, Shaw Grigsby, Roland Martin, Al Lindner and Hank Parker left pretty quick when TNN changed owners and became Spike TV. Jay Kumar, the president of BassFan.com, along with a number of alert readers who saw an item that mentioned some of the movements in our column last Sunday, informed us of the ownership change and the new company's apparent dislike for fishing shows.