It's a nice, cool morning and the fish are biting. Where should I fish today? California? South Carolina? New York? With Pro Bass Fishing 2003, you can go all over the country and experience some of the best fishing locations-- without leaving the house.

I am an avid fisher. I have fished from the Arctic to the Florida Keys. I rarely, however, get a chance to land the big ones without travel. It's frustrating, as I know what to do-- but do not get the chance to practice it. Our tiny local lake does not house the kind of line-pulling monsters available in this game. So, I can practice and pretend-- with great results. The realism is excellent, and the feel is quite good as well. Though I wish I had a fishing controller (like w/ my Dreamcast), using the mouse and keyboard are not too annoying. 

I have to say, if you do not like fishing in real life, this game will not thrill you at all. In fact, you have probably read farther than you should-- but keep reading, anyway. If, like me, you DO like to test the waters with your fishing prowess, you will find this game very satisfying and fun. It's also a great way to fish a variety of species without traveling the country to do so. I have personally never fished for Muskie or Walleye. Now I have landed several of each. There are  more than 20 different species to choose from. There are small sunfish, large catfish and a nice assortment of the "prized" Large Mouth Bass (you knew that because of the game's title!!). My first cast hooked a healthy catfish, which I promptly lost due to line breaking. My second cast snagged a Large Mouth Bass, which I again lost to zealous retrieve and break. Once I slowed down and listened to the audio tips provided to me, I was able to be more effective in my attempts. I did not lose another fish.

Again, I must stress that an interest in fishing is helpful, though not mandatory. You can pop around testing your skills in the casual "Fishing Trip" mode, try your hand at Tournament play, or go head to head in multi-player action online or in a LAN environment. I played a lot of "Trip" play as I like the sport more than making it a competition. However, if you like the pressure and challenge of playing against others (cyber or real), try one of the other playing modes and you will feel satisfaction. Landing big ones when it matters is quite a thrill. If I could do so well in real life, I'd make it a career! You can choose to catch and release, or keep them in your live well for later review and/or weigh-in for the Tourney. 

After inputting your name and selecting your lake of choice (I didn't like the Potomac River in Maryland), you're off in your boat to catch a few. You're provided a bass boat with live well and a trolling motor. You can use the outboard motor to get across the lake quickly, or troll along the water's edge slowly to get in just close enough for a tight cast against some structure. You can choose from Easy, Medium and Hard. Easy was too easy. Great for youngsters, or someone that wants to really get a lot of action with little mental investment. Hard was just that. It was quite challenging, and the most realistic for me. You really have to know you combos of reel, lure and conditions. Do you want a water skimming popper, or dance a Carolina rig on the bottom hoping to entice a bass out of its hiding place? If you're in Tournament or Hard mode, you need to know your lures and use them well. Unless you're playing in Easy mode, you will be required to know the lure, how it acts, and what kind of fish it attracts. Yes, you have to "jig" your lure for best results. If you're using a plastic worm, you must work your rod tip... bounce the worm and keep the like-like action going. Failure to do so will result in...  failure. 

That is one of the many nice little touches of the game. You have to use your mouse like you rod/reel combo. It's a constant effort to move the mouse and/or button to successfully land your fish. It's a very nice feature over other fishing games I have played in the past. As far as lures, you are given quite a selection. Jigs, spinners, plugs, spoons and etc are at your disposal. In addition, as one of the sweetest features of all, you can customize your lure colors. By editing a color in "MS Paint", you can create your own color combo to make your own lure. I prefer using a bright purple plastic worm in certain water conditions (learned that from Hank Parker), and was able to create a lure that looks like it was scanned from my own tackle box. This also worked great for spoons. 

There are some glitches, but the graphics are otherwise sharp and well done. One minor annoyance was the ability of your lure to be INSIDE an object during your retrieve. Yes, you can dangle your plastic worm INSIDE a rock. That was kind of funny to look at, but otherwise never caused me any known problems. It's just odd to see the "sword in the stone" effect with a fishing lure. The very bottom terrains were blurred and washed looking, but the upright objects (rocks, weeds, etc) were crisp and detailed. The fish looked great, and break the surface of the water with detail and enthusiasm. When a deep diving lure skips across the bottom, you see the mud stir and that is a nice touch. 

The music and sounds sounded good as well. The music was like something straight off a fishing show from TV. Not too annoying, and merely subtle and incidental. A well-placed accent that never seemed intrusive. I don't want heavy-metal music when I am peacefully trying to lure a bass from behind a structure. The reel sounds were authentic, and the other environmental sounds seemed natural. 

I did not play the online multiplayer mode, though it is available I would like to see more lakes added as a possible add on in the future. What they give you is enough, but I always want to explore new places. Still, you can spend days fishing the same lake with new challenges. Or, maybe you prefer a river setting such as the Potomac. There's a nice variety to choose from so far. The realism was nice, though getting the hang of manipulating the lures takes more skill than some gamers might appreciate. Fishing is not "as seen on TV". You really have to work at it, and know what you're doing-- if you want to get out of the Easy Leagues. Once there, you're HOOKED. 

Gameplay: 8
The game plays very well. It's a joy to see, and relaxing yet thrilling at the same time. Infogrames has done a good job bringing a sport to the PC that isn't easy to translate. Some things are hard to pull off, but they successfully capture the realism and enjoyment without taking liberties with the actual experience. 

Graphics: 8 
Very nice visuals with the exception of the lure-in-the-rock glitch. The fish look good, and the maps, terrains and lures stand out nicely. There are elemental challenges such as rain, which looked realistic. 

Sound: 7.5
A very nice soundtrack that, despite hours of continuous play, did not get on my nerves too bad like a lot of games. The action sounds were real, though sometimes the lure hitting water make a sterile, clinking noise. The reeling in process also sometimes made odd, unnatural sounds. 

Difficulty: Medium
There is no challenge to play this in Easy mode. You will easily snag one over and over. The work comes in the higher modes and tourney play. Knowledge of lures is crucial. If you don't know much about fishing, or have the patience to learn, it will test you and be unsatisfying. If you're patient (a must for fishing in real life) and work hard, you will be rewarded. 

Concept: 6.5 
Fishing games have been around since the Atari 2600, so it isn't too original. However, it makes good use of real life challenges and the ability to customize lures is rather nice. A nice touch missing from other fishing games. 

Multiplayer: 
You can play multiplayer, though I did not experience this. It should be quite fun, and a pleasant change of pace for someone tired of only being able to engage in "Frag-Fests" online. With a live well, nothing dies in this game!

Overall: 8
A very nice, family friendly game. Young and old can get something from this one. The young anglers can get a taste of the fishing experience without getting muddy. The seasoned angler will get some life like fun from the options and attention to detail. I really would love to try this with a fishing controller. It was so realistic without one, such a enhancement would really make it special. There is a lot of work to be done with the mouse, which makes it stand above some of the other types of fishing games. My hand became as sore as if playing more tense first person shooters for hours. This is nice thing, however. I recommend this for a wide range of gamers who want a break from the shoot-to-kill genre, and maybe want something with it's own unique challenges. It's nice to have a well-done game come along that you can sit down and enjoy with kids-- of all ages.