Cast and Spear: Daily Fishing & Spearfishing Tips

Today's guest is Ernie Gorham from California Fishing News, one of my new favorite YouTube/podcast that covers the latest in what's going on with California Fishing.

In this episode we cover:

• Ernies latest close encounter with a White Shark while spearfishing.
• Tips and tricks to party boat fishing.
• His new project called California Fishing News.
• Why it's fun to be a jack-of-all-trades type angler.

Tight lines everyone!

-Jon

P.S. I hope you all are staying safe out there during this unique time. Wishing you all the best.

Today's guest is Troy Lindner the host of AnglingBuzz and The Ontario Experience. He's also part of Lindner Media, one of the largest fishing media companies around.

Troy has won over 40 bass fishing competitions including the FLW Open and even became Angler of the Year.

I'm always trying to get people to start sharing their fishing journey on social media, so I picked Troy's brain on what it's like to get started and grow these channels. We even dive into what it's like to start a fishing TV Show.

In this episode we cover:

• What gear you need to fish around the world and other tips.
• What you need to know to start your own TV show.
• How to grow your social media channels.

For more information on Troy, check out his profile at http://anglingedge.com/team/troy-lindner/

Today's guest is Dr. Suzan Shahrestani the CEO and Founder of Minnotech, a company using machine learning and computer vision to see creatures in murky water.

If you're interested in potentially starting your own company, then this is a chat you need to listen to.

In this episode we cover:

• How artificial intelligence is changing what we think is possible in the aquaculture space.
• What it's like going through an incubator.
• How Minnowtech is helping shrimp farmers in Hawaii.

If you're interested in learning more about Minnowtech, be sure to check out their site at www.minnowtech.com.

Today's guest is Dennis Kuntz the owner of the popular YouTube channel called 2nd Chance Tackle.

Dennis has repaired thousands of reels and shows you step-by-step how to do it on his channel. This episode is a gem for anyone interested in maintaining their gear.

In this episode we cover:

• The proper way to maintain or fix your fishing reels.
• I pop-quiz him on the various reels I have that were given to me by my late uncle. I'm able to stump him on one!
• How the quality of reels and brands have changed over time.

If you're interested in learning from Dennis or using his reel fixing services, check out 2nd Chance Tackle.

Jump to what interests you:

01:12 - Introduction to Dennis and where he's located.

01:30 - How Dennis started his business and why social media is so important for his fishing repair business.

06:42 - How the craftsmanship of the reels has changed over time.

12:49 - Going through the different types of reels and what they are used for.

19:20 - The proper way to maintain your reels and the recommended set of tools. Grease and oil recommendations.

24:40 - The perfect sweet spot of grease. Specific drag system designs that Dennis likes.

32:11 - Dennis's recommendations to improve the innovation in reels.

38:42 - The TOP 10 things not to do with reels. We covered a bunch earlier, but there are a few more gems here.

44:34 - How you can get started looking for quality older reels at flea markets, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist. Maybe you can even start selling them with a quick repair.

49:58 - My pop-quiz with the reels that I own. We cover Newell, Abu, and many others.

1:14:15 - How you can find Dennis and learn from his videos. If you have a reel that's too difficult to fix yourself, then Dennis can help you repair it if you send it to him. Email him at 2ndchancetackle [at] gmail.com

1:16:50 - Why does Dennis fish?

Today's guest is Brad Thompson a Director of the OC Spearos a fast-growing spearfishing group in Southern California.

Brad is a seasoned business-owner who's taking the club to new heights. 

In this episode we cover:

• Common spearfishing club misconceptions
• Spearfishing safety and why he likes freediving training
• How he's expanding the palates of his group members (aka making them eat kelp and more of their catches)

If you're interested in checking out spearfishing, then visit a club meeting or the OC Spearos website.

Jump to what interests you:

00:41 - Introduction to Brad and how he got started into spearfishing.

04:32 - Safety. Why Brad originally dove by himself until he learned about freediver training. You can check out freediving training at http://www.freedivinginstructors.com/.

06:58 - Some freediver safety tips. The two major themes of FII training.

13:30 - What are some of the misconceptions of spearfishing clubs.

16:50 - Why each club should cherish their own club's culture.

18:06 - The mission of the OC Spearos. The three main driving goals: Safety, Education, and Conservation.

25:38 - How you can join one of their meetings even if you're not a member. 

28:27 - Why I think Brad has a direct connection to my brain. Why I got flack for shooting an opaleye.

29:09 - Thoughts around keeping the sport of spearfishing alive using a community. How he wants to create a federation of fishing and spearfishing people to keep the ocean prosperous. Why it's important to use the whole animal after you take it.

37:31 - What people thing people are doing when they say "spearfishing."

39:35 - Why kelp is an untapped culinary treasure here in California.

44:39 - Why "fish-porn" is overplayed and that each video should be more teaching.

50:03 - Why we shouldn't be a "dick" to new people who want to get into spearfishing. Why we need more people in the sport for it to stick around.

54:08 - How it's unhealthy to focus on a goal and not understanding it or the process.

57:35 - Why Brad spearfishes.

976-Tuna is the ESPN of Sportfishing in California. Over the past few decades, they have brought fishing reports from all of the local fishing captains to help make sense of the fish bite.

In this episode, we cover a bunch of topics including:

• Understanding the party boat culture here in California.
• Learn the best setups for your time on the water.
• A unique perspective from real-world data from boat captains coming in about our fishery.

1:00: Introduction to the owner of 976-Tuna, Terrence, and how it got started. How they have direct communication with 75% of the recreational fishing boats.

2:54: How 976-Tuna gets all of these different captains to give them awesome data. How it’s a small family vibe.

5:55: Why whenever you step on a boat you’re gambling and why every boat captain will do whatever they can to get you on fish.

7:29: What Terrence recommends for best rigs, gear, practices, and all things beginner tips for party boat fishing.

13:14: Why you should start out with monofilament first and a small tip of fluorocarbon. Uni-to-Uni for that knot. Why there are some downfalls to fluorocarbon.

16:43: Why he gave up spearfishing even though he’s a master diver. Why he doesn’t want to get close to monster leatherback turtles.

19:14: How he was on location to film for 976-Tuna back in the day. A brief history of how 976 transitioned from phone to the internet.

21:33: What Terrence would say to make the industry better, especially when fishing gets tough.

25:09: The seasons of local fishing. What it’s like to be a true fisherman.

29:38: The basic concept of cyclical fishing conditions.

33:09: What is Terrence’s gut feel of the state of our fisheries. The different aspects that’s affecting the fisheries.

38:01: The different mindsets of fishermen. The equitable stake of a fisherman when they buy a fishing license.

42:33: How the scientist might measure their fish species in the wrong locations, which affects the data and policies created. Why local fishermen should be responsible for our local resources.

50:05: Why he’s fishing deep lately.

55:02: Resources Terrence recommends.

For show notes: https://castandspear.com/976-tuna/

Today on the podcast we have Benjie Kim from Benjie Kim Fishing on YouTube. He's an up-and-coming light-line focused YouTuber who's recently been catching good-size White Seabass from shore using his trusty Lucky Craft.

If you're interested in light-line surf fishing then this episode is for you! Benjie covers who got him inspired to start, what he's caught, and how you can get started today.

For show notes: https://castandspear.com/benjie-kim/

In this podcast, we cover:

0:53: How Benjie started fishing with his Uncle and cousins. How he lost some of his drive to fish, but then started to find it later in life.

2:42: What it's like growing up as a Preacher's child.

4:38: Finding his love of surf fishing.

6:10: How his wife stuck with her entrepreneurial endeavor and how it's allowed him more time to fish. How he's exploring YouTube as a way to make a living.

10:18: What Benjie has learned while surf fishing. Why he love surf fishing so much.

14:28: All about California Surf Anglers Facebook Group that's help him get better at surf fishing. Now he's a moderator.

18:53: Some of Benjie's favorite surf fishing rigs for a variety of fish.

24:34: Why California Halibut has brought out his competitive side.

27:21: What it's like catching a white seabass from the surf.

34:22: Lessons-learned from starting a YouTube channel. Are there haters or has it been pretty easy?

38:03: How do you differentiate yourself from all the other fishing YouTubers out there?'

44:37: What it's like diving Baja versus Southern California.

45:09: What's Benjie's favorite fishing resources. Check out the Bill Varney book on light line surf fishing.

End: Why does Benjie fish?

Make sure you check out Benjie's YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQWO6OOSUkI9RFyQAF9xV8Q

Benjie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benjiekimfishing/

Luong Tam, is the owner of Tenkara Tanuki. He has an amazing story of how he came over from Vietnam to start working in Silicon Valley. After falling in love with fishing as a kid, he later fell in love with casting and developing the perfect rod.

Having frequented many of the top casting clubs in California, he took his ideas to Kickstarter to fund Tenkara Tanuki. Over the years he's developed novel ways to work with Chinese manufacturers to build top of the line products.

If you're interested in making your own products, then listen to this episode! It's a gem.

For show notes: https://castandspear.com/tenkara-tanuki/

In this podcast, we cover:

1:00: Who is Luong Tam? His origin story of how he started as a bait fisherman in Vietnam and his time during the USA-Vietnam War. Why it's rare in the Japanese culture to ask for anything.

7:00: What makes his rods stand out from the rest?

8:00: Beginner's introduction to Tenkara fishing. How Luong learned his technique from the top Tenkara Japanese master Masami Sakakibara.

16:00: An introduction to the various casting clubs and why they are important.

21:00: Various fly fishing presentation techniques and recommendations.

24:00: If you use more flies then you have more of an opportunity to catch fish.

36:00: The beauty and the simplicity of Tenkara for the beginner. Why it's nice to not have to worry about gear selection so you can just focus on fishing.

45:00: What it's like to build a product in fly fishing. Why he loves product development and how his childhood helped him with the manufacturers.

53:00: What he had to teach his factory workers so that they knew exactly how to make the best products on the market. GENIUS.

1:00:00: How do you compete with the competition back in the USA?

1:15:00: Why the internet is a game-changer for getting your products into people's hands.

"The act of giving is one of the best feelings you can have."

Say hi to Luong at Tenkara Tanuki. Be sure to check out his new Pocket Ninja.

Josh Leisen, is the owner of Lifelistfishing.com. He’s caught over 550 different species of fish and provides us a wealth of knowledge on how we can get started.

For show notes: https://castandspear.com/josh-leisen

In this podcast, we cover:

1:00 Meet Josh and how he got into lifelist fishing

2:20 How to plan to go after certain species and what resources he uses.

4:14 What gear Josh uses to catch these fish. How you can get 100s of species on a $5 rig

9:20: How long it took to get 400+ fish

22:00: The fishes that still torment Josh

23:50: Fishing in Thailand

27:13: Crazy story of Josh’s “Death March”

33:16: Hitchhiking on a freight train

42:34: What’s the best way to track catching all of these species.

46:18: What irk’s Josh about certain anglers.

Bryan Huskey, a freelance photographer and filmmaker, delves into why and how he started the #KeepEmWet Fishing movement.

Their ethos is "WE BELIEVE THAT AS WE LEARN MORE WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO EVOLVE OUR MINDSET AND PRACTICES."

In this podcast, we cover:

1:25: Who is Bryan Huskey and how he got started with his KeepEmWet Fishing movement.

2:16: Who influenced him to start fishing.

5:11: The 3 KeepEmWet Principles.

1. Minimize air exposure
2. Eliminate contact with dry surfaces
3. Reduce handling

18:13: 10 tips and best practices for releasing fish back into the water successfully.

1. Reduce angling duration
2. Follow local regulations
3. Hold fish over water
4. Fish barbless hooks
5. Fish with nets
6. Use only rubber nets
7. Carry hook removal devices
8. Photograph wet fish
9. Grip fish carefully
10. Carefully revive fish

• These tips should be mandatory for anyone who participates in catch and release fishing.

42:43: What KeepEmWet is NOT.

45:47: What grinds Bryan's gears in the fishing community.

50:30: Where you can find KeepEmWet Fishing on social media.

• Check out their site: https://keepemwetfishing.org
• Check out their Instagram