Faith, Multi‑Species Guiding, and the Heart Behind the Water

In this episode of the Black Speck Fishing Podcast, JD sits down with Corbett Ross — a multi‑species guide who chases bass, crappie, and catfish, competes in tournaments, and brings a grounded, faith‑driven approach to life on and off the water.

Corbett shares the story behind his journey as an angler: how faith shaped his foundation, how family influenced his love for the outdoors, and how fishing became a calling rather than just a pastime. His honesty and humility set the tone for a conversation that blends real‑life challenges, spiritual growth, and the lessons learned through guiding and competition.

As a guide who works across three species, Corbett breaks down the mindset and methods that help him adapt to different fish, different lakes, and different clients. He dives into how he reads water, how he teaches beginners versus seasoned anglers, and how tournament fishing sharpens his instincts and discipline. He also shared some of his experiences and stories on the water with some legendary fishermen.

Faith, Imperfection, and Crappie Fishing Without Livescope

In this episode of the Black Speck Fishing Podcast, JD sits down with Caleb Hensley of 903 Fishing — a man whose story is rooted in faith, humility, and a commitment to fishing the right way, not the easy way.

Caleb opens up about the role faith plays in his life and how he strives to live with purpose, even while acknowledging he’s far from perfect. His honesty sets the tone for a conversation that blends real‑life struggles, spiritual growth, and the lessons learned on the water.

As one of the few guides and content creators who does not use Livescope, Caleb breaks down why he chose a different path — and how fundamentals, patience, and understanding your electronics can still put big crappie in the boat. He dives deep into his approach using side scan, down scan, and 2‑D sonar, explaining how he reads structure, identifies schools, and makes decisions that consistently lead to success.

Caleb also shares his methods for:

• Tracking crappie on new lakes
• Knowing when to stay or move
• Bank fishing strategy and shoreline clues
• How bass fishing sharpens his instincts
• Teaching others through guiding and YouTube

This episode is a reminder that fishing is more than gear — it’s about discipline, humility, and trusting the process. Caleb’s perspective brings encouragement to anglers who feel behind the curve or overwhelmed by technology.

Whether you’re a crappie fisherman, a Livescope user, or someone trying to grow in faith and skill, this conversation will challenge you, inspire you, and give you practical tools to become a better angler.

We go back in time four years ago and talked faith, fishing, life, and overcoming some of life's toughest challenges. A heart warming story and also, what is the Christian faith all about? Can Jesus play a role in your life? Also we talk Power Brakes before they really jumped on the scene and how to fish using them. 

On this episode of the Black Speck Fishing Podcast, JD sits down with an angler just a step ahead of him in skill level — the perfect setup for an honest, real‑world conversation about the learning curve we all face in fishing.

Together, they break down what it actually looks like to grow as an angler: the frustrations, the breakthroughs, the humbling moments, and the small wins that keep you coming back. From missed fish to “aha!” moments, this episode is packed with relatable stories every fisherman will recognize.

A big part of the conversation centers around Livescope — the good, the bad, and the ugly. JD and his guest talk openly about the struggles of learning forward‑facing sonar, the mistakes they made early on, and the techniques that finally started clicking. They compare different Livescope generations, discuss what’s changed, and dive into the newly released Garmin LVS42 — including how it differs from previous transducers, what’s actually better, and who will benefit most from the upgrade.

If you’ve ever felt behind the curve with Livescope… or wondered whether the LVS42 is worth it… or just enjoy hearing two anglers talk honestly about getting better — this episode is for you.

Before he was a full‑time guide or a tournament hammer, Daniel Goldman Jr. was an Army Ranger — and the discipline, mental toughness, and decision‑making he learned in the military now shape every moment he spends on the water. In this episode, Daniel breaks down how Ranger training prepared him for guiding, tournament pressure, and the chaos of big‑water crappie fishing.

JD sits down with Daniel, the owner of Drop Down Fishing in Norfolk, Virginia, to unpack his journey from military service to becoming one of the most respected guides on the East Coast. Daniel shares how he teaches clients, how he reads fish behavior, and how he stays calm and analytical when conditions shift.

We also dive deep into his 6th‑place finish at Crappie Masters on Kentucky Lake, including how he broke down one of the largest lakes in the country, what patterns he unlocked, and the key decisions that separated him from the field.

From Livescope mastery to seasonal behavior, from guiding stories to tournament strategy, this episode is packed with insight — but it’s Daniel’s Ranger mindset that ties it all together.

On this show young Pro Crappie Fisherman Matthew Rogers talks the pressures of tournament fishing and how to strategize going out there to catch the Big crappie. He also talks a few techniques he uses and gives out some great crappie tips using livescope as a tool and how to combine your instincts to become a better fisherman.

From the Archives we re-released an awesome episode with Crappie Pro Angler Lamar Bunting who really shared a wealth of information In this episode he talked Garmin Live-scope and settings in great detail. Lamar is a very successful pro crappie fisherman on the tournament trail competing at the highest levels.

Out of the archives of All Angles Craig Nichols went into detail about Spring, summer, and fall transitions of crappie and where to find fish. He talked about bait types, length, and what baits do big crappie like and dialing in what type of bait the fish want and when to use spinners on jigs. Also touched on live-scope and setting up your transducer on the trolling motor. Information filled episode with a National Champions expertise.  

 In this episode of the Black Speck Fishing Podcast, JD sits down with Central Illinois guide Jeremy Stoddard of Heartland Guide Service. Jeremy shares how he got started fishing, why he guides for both crappie and bass, and the lessons he learned on Clinton Lake and Lake Shelbyville long before Livescope changed the game. 

In this episode of the Black Speck Fishing Podcast, we sit down with Robert Bain, the newly crowned Oklahoma Crappie Anglers Club Champion — a title he earned through grit, consistency, and one perfectly timed piece of advice from the person who knows him best.

Robert didn’t start as a tournament hammer. He started like most of us: a weekend warrior with a passion for chasing crappie whenever life allowed. But this season, everything changed. Lake after lake, challenge after challenge, Robert kept finding a way to stay in the fight. And when the pressure peaked in the final two days of the championship race, it was his wife’s simple, steady advice that flipped the switch and carried him across the finish line.