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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks to outdoor reporter, writer and Hunting and Conservation Editor for Outdoor Life, Andrew McKean. Andrew wrote a wonderful article for the 2025 March/April edition of Montana Outdoors Magazine. The title of the article is Double Bacon Cheeseburger with Fins. This fascinating article covers the history and the effect of the introduction of the Cisco into Fort Peck Reservoir over 40 years ago and the effects this amazing forge fish continues to have on the sport fish that live in the Reservoir. Of course, most avid Fort Peck Anglers are aware of the Cisco, but they may not be aware of how the Cisco continues to grow the population of world class sport fish in the reservoir and how they are changing the behavior of the larger of the Walleye, Pike, Lake Trout, of course the Chinook or King Salmon and maybe even the larger Catfish. Now, many of you reading this may be asking what do you mean? Well when you listen to this Podcast you will hear Andrew talk about why more and more anglers are catching for example large Walleye and Pike suspended in deep water, often when they are fishing for the King Salmon! In fact, during the podcast Andrew even gives a stunning prediction that one of these days soon there will a new record Pike caught deep that will exceed...wait until you hear that weight! He also talks about other positive things about this amazing forge fish that you will for sure find VERY interesting. Yeah, you will learn that the story of the Cisco is a rare success story for a nonnative forge fish. So, mash that play button and listen to this fascinating podcast about the Double Bacon Cheeseburger with Fins.

Links:

• For more information about the Cisco click here.
• To learn about all the articles you can find in the March/April edition of Montana Outdoors Magazine click here.
• Click here to read the article Double Bacon Cheeseburger with Fins.
• Questions for Andrew McKean? Click here to email him.
• Your host Downrigger Dale would love to hear what you thought of this Podcast and what your ideas are for future ones! Click here to email Rigger.

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale has a blast talking with Kathy and Jody Goodman. Think about it, how many husband and wives do you see out fishing together? Sure, a lot of couples fish together now and then but you really don't see many that go fishing together a lot. But this couple sure does, and they are living proof that in their case a couple that fishes together stays together. When you listen to this podcast you will have a great time hearing about their first date out fishing. Jody had fished since he was a little boy but Kathy had never really fished. Wait until you hear this story. Let's just say that not warning your date that when they pull a Ling (also known as a Burbot) out of the water they will wrap around their arm, that could just end the date pretty fast! So what happened? Listen to the podcast and find out! Even though that happened their relationship, obviously, continued and it has turned into a wonderful story you will have a blast listening to. Kathy and Jody also talk to Rigger about how they learned together how to fish for the mighty King Salmon in Fort Peck Reservoir and how they now have become really good at it. Kathy also talks about the business she started that makes some great outerwear that fishermen and women love to wear while out fishing or just having fun in Montana's outdoors. Yup this is for sure the feel-good podcast of the year that you will have fun listening to and you might just learn a thing or two from this dynamic fishing duo. So mash that play button and go fishing with Kathy and Jody Goodman!

Links:

• Click here to learn more about Silver Threads Outerwear!
• To learn more about Fort Peck Reservoir and the fish you can catch in that huge lake click here.
• If you would like to ask Kathy or Jody any questions about fishing or about Silver Threads Outerwear, just click here to send them an email.
• Questions for Downrigger Dale? He would also love to hear your thoughts about this podcast or ideas for future podcasts too, just click here to email him.

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks with Shaun Jeszenka owner of Frontier Anglers. Shaun and his incredible group of guides cover some of the most famous trout waterways in the world! Rivers like the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Jefferson and more across Southwest Montana. These are rivers and streams that people from all over the world, who love to fly fish, dream of coming to for a once in a lifetime fly fishing experience. In addition to the rivers and streams in Southwest Montana Shaun and his crew also cover the amazing Clark Canyon Reservior. Why is Southwest Montana such a special place? When you listen to this podcast Shaun will tell you about a few stretches of river where it is entirely possible to catch a Whitefish, a Grayling, a Brook Trout, a Rainbow, a Cutthroat and a Brown Trout all in the same day? Have you ever done that before? Well, you are about to learn how. This Podcast is going to have you chomping at the bit to get to Southwest Montana to meet up with Shaun and his staff at his tackle shop in Dillon Montana. Shaun is an incredible source of knowledge. He has fished and indeed guided all around the world so get ready to learn a ton and plan out your once in a lifetime fishing experience! So click that play button and get to listening, your gonna love this one!

Links:

• To learn more about Shaun, his guides and Frontier Anglers and click here.
• To learn more about the Beaverhead River click here.
• Click here to learn more about the Big Hole River.
• To learn more about the Jefferson River click here.
• Click here to learn more about Clark Canyon Reservoir.
• To review the Montana Fishing Regulations click here.
• Questions for Shaun? Click here to email him.
• Questions for your old buddy Downrigger Dale? Click here.

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks to Fishing Guide Josh Parrow about fishing for Walleye on Tiber Reservoir this Spring. Tiber is located about an hour or so north of Great Falls Montana. As far as we know Josh is the only one that guides on this legendary Walleye hot spot. In fact, Tiber is the former home of Montana's State Record Walleye and Josh is ready to take you out to find the next State Record which is no doubt out swimming around in Tiber Reservoir somewhere right now. When you listen to this Podcast Josh will tell you where you can find the Walleye in Tiber this Spring and some great ideas of what you can use to catch them! Josh and Rigger also talk about how Josh can help you a great deal if you have never tried walleye fishing before at all or have just never tried it on Tiber Reservoir. The ice will be off Tiber soon so now is the time to listen to this Podcast, so you are ready to get out there and catch some Walleye and just maybe find the next State Record!

Links:

• Click here to learn more about Tiber Reservoir.
• Check out Josh's Facebook page, just click here!
• Josh talked about Lawrance electronics that he likes to use. Click here to learn more about the different models.
• Click here to take a look at the live cameras on Tiber Reservoir!
• To learn more about Montana Walleyes Unlimited and a chapter near you, click here.
• Questions for Josh or do you want to book a fishing trip with him? Click here to email him or text him at ‭‭(406) 491-6851‬. 
• Your buddy Downrigger would love to hear what you thought of this podcast or let him know your ideas for future podcast topics. Click here to email him.

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks with the founder of the now 31st Annual Jerry Johnston Memorial Tough Guy Walleye Tournament, Joe Herbold. For those of you that fish the Walleye Tournament Circuit in Montana you'll likely recognize that name. In addition to starting the Tough Guy Tournament, for many years Joe was also the MC of the Super Bowl of Montana Walleye Tournaments, The Montana Governor's Cup. Of course, the Jerry Johnston Memorial Tough Guy Tournament is still very special to Joe and you will hear that when you listen to this Podcast. You'll also hear Joe talk about the history of the tournament like, how it got its name, what the first one was like all those years ago, where some of the "go to" hot spots are to find fish during the tournament, ideas on what to use and how to use it to catch Walleyes this early in the season and oh so much more! Joe also talks a bit about the history of the Hell Creek Campground and Marina, where the Jerry Johnston Memorial Tough Guy Tournament is based out of and also about the wonderful town of Jordan where Joe still lives today which is not far from the Hell Creek area and is the the town that most everyone goes through to get to Hell Creek and is also where the Jordan Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited holds their annual banquet which takes place on April 25th the night before the Tournament on the 26th. Don't miss that banquet folks! It's a blast, and you will dine on some of the best prime rib around and you can buy one of just 600 tickets to try to win the, get this, $10,000 cash prize! Click here for more info on that. But of course, first you are going to want to mash that play button and listen to all the other great info that Rigger and Joe give you during this fun podcast!

Links:

• Click here to go to the Jordan Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited Facebook page to get updates on the Jerry Johnston Memorial Tough Guy Walleye Tournament.
• Click here to get info on this and other Walleye Tournaments around Montana.
• To get more info about the Hell Creek Campground and to reserve a campsite click here. 
• Click here to get more info about the Hell Creek Marina. 
• You can get more info about Jordan Montana by clicking here.
• Click here go to our Montana Outdoor webpage to get all kinds of fishing reports, outdoor news, weather forecasts and of course updates about the Jerry Johnston Memorial Tough Guy Walleye Tournament. 
• Questions? Click here to email Downrigger and he will get you answers!

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week your Host Downrigger Dale talks with Mack Days Tournament Manager Cindy Benson and her husband Mike Benson who has fished the Mack Days tourneys for many years! Cindy will give you all the details about this incredible Tournament which gets underway on March 13th and goes through May 10th on Flathead Lake in Northwest Montana. Downrigger referrs to the Mack Days Tournaments as the most unique fishing tournaments you will ever fish in and are the richest Tournaments in Montana and for Lake Trout tournaments, likely the richest in the world! Just wait until you hear Mike talk about how much money he won in Spring Mack Days just a few years ago. It is in the 5-digit range and the winner of last year's Spring Mack Days won quite a bit more than  that! How much? Click that play button above and find out. Mike will also give you great advice about how to fish for the Lake Trout, also known as Mackinaw or Macks. It's all explained in the Podcast from what lures to use, where to go on the lake and much more. So, click that play button and get to listening! 

Links:

• Click here to go to the Spring Mack Days website!
• Know how to identify the fish in Flathead Lake. The website above has that info or use the Fishes of Montana App. Click here to get that on Google Play. Or click here to get it for Apple. 
• Lures that Mike talked about:
  • Leadagator
  • Rattle-d-Zastor
  • Glowing Jigs
  • Paul's Jigs - Call 309-678-6160 to order.
  • PlugIt Tackle
  • Or talk to local tackle shops in area.
• Campgrounds Cindy talked about.
  • Blue Bay
  • Wayfarers
  • Big Arm
• Flathead Lake Map
• Montana Fishing Regulations
• Flathead Indian Reservation Fishing Regulations (South Half of Flathead Lake)
• To email Cindy and Mike click here.
• To email Downrigger click here

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale takes you way up to the Mountains of Northwest Montana to a lake that stretches for 94 miles all the way across the Canadian border into the Province of British Columbia. The lake was created when the dam was put across the Kootenay River north of Libby Montana. As manmade lakes go Koocanusa is not that old. It was created in 1972 but boy is it ever a special place. Downrigger caught up with Randy Burch the owner of the Koocanusa Resort & Marina. When you listen to this podcast likely one of the first things you will notice is Randy is an amazing wealth of information. Rigger of course asked him all about the amazing fishing that Lake Koocanusa has to offer like huge rainbow Trout, Bull Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Burbot and list goes on and on. In fact, you will find the Gerrard Rainbow Trout also known as the Kamloops Rainbow in the lake as well. These are BIG fish! Another great thing about this podcast is that Randy tells you all about where to find and how to catch all the popular fish in Lake Koocanusa. Plus, you will learn a TON about the area as well. Rigger also asked Randy about his wonderful resort and marina and wow does that place sound awesome. In fact, Rigger is making plans to head up there this summer. So what are you waiting for? Mash that Play Button and get to listening, you are gonna love all the great info!  

Links:

• Click here to learn more about Lake Koocanusa, including fish stocking information, list of fish species and much more!
• To learn more about the Randy Burch's Koocanusa Resort & Marina, click here!
• Rigger and Randy also talked about the Koocanusa Resort & Marina Fishing Derby. Click here to get all the info!
•  Click here to download the Montana fishing Regs.
• It is important to be able to identify the fish you catch in Koocanusa there is a handy app that will help with that called the Fishes of Montana. Click here to get it for android on Google Play. Or click here to get it for Apple. 
• Questions for Randy Burch? Click here to email him.
• Questions for your host Downrigger Dale? Click here to email him!

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks to Dave Chichester of Plugit Tackle. Dave talks about how he got into the tackle business when he started making lures for himself when the quality of his favorite lures that he used to buy started going downhill. Course little did he know that would turn into a thriving specialty lure company called Plugit Tackle. Why "Plugit"? Well, when you listen to this Podcast you will learn that Plugit makes wooden plug lures using a bit of s high tech lathe. Another thing that surprised Rigger and will likely you as well is the type of wood that Dave uses. So give this podcast a listen to find out what kind of wood that is and why Dave uses it. What kind of fish go after Plugit Tackle? Dave loved to go after the Gerrard Rainbow Trout also known as the Kamloops Rainbow Trout. These are the biggest Rainbows you will ever find. Dave often fishes for them sometimes in Lake Pend Oreille in the panhandle of Idaho but most of the time you can find Dave trolling his Plugit Tackle Plugs after those monsters in Northwest Montana. Now where would that be? Give the podcast a listen and you will not only find that out, but you’ll also learn how fast to troll, how to use planer boards and a few other techniques that are amazing. But Plugit Tackle is not just a giant Rainbow catcher, Dave talks about the other species of fish in Montana that can't seem to resist going after his plugs, like Walleye, Pike, Salmon and the list goes on. This is a super interesting podcast full of great techniques and much more. So click the play button and get to listening so you can start to put some Montana Monsters of your own in the boat!

Links:

• Click here to go to the Plugit Tackle website to learn more about Plugit Tackle.
• If you would like to see all the different sizes, colors and designs of the plugs that Rigger and Dave talk about click here. Make sure you click on each style so you can see all the different colors. BTW Dave hand paints each one!
• Dave talked about how he sets up his planer boards and how he can put out multiple lines while trolling. Click here to see the diagram he talked about and other pictures in the podcast article on our website!
• Questions for Dave Chichester of Plugit Tackle? Click here to send him an email.
• Tell Downrigger what you thought of this Podcast and also let him know your ideas for future Podcasts. Click here to send him an email. 

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks to Brian Olson about Region 6's incredible ponds located in Northeast Montana. All across Montana's Hi-Line there is an unbelievable number of ponds that can be found if you know where to look. The amazing thing is they are full of huge fish! And even more amazing is the fact that very few folks fish these wonderful waterbodies! Brian goes through the different species that can be found in these ponds ranging from huge, beautiful Trout, monster Walleye, jumbo Perch, and even Tiger Muskie to name a few. Brian even talks about the lures, jigs and baits that work best! So how did he find this treasure trove of finned wonders? Well, all that info had been sitting there online all organized by pond, location species and even stocking data in a book Brian ran across called the Region 6 Pond Fishing Guide! Now, there are some important facts that you need to know about getting into this little-known waterbodies and Brian has learned those things from fishing those ponds for the last 20 years! So, this is important info that you likely are only going to learn by listening to this Podcast. So, whether you want to go now and catch these lunkers through the ice or head out this spring. So, what are you waiting for? Get to listening to this Podcast now!

Links:

• Click here to get a copy of the Region 6 Pond Fishing Guide!
• You can click here to look up even more info from current stocking info and more.
• Click here for a online version of the Montana Fishing Regulations. Some of these ponds are in areas that may have different Regs so best to look them up just in case.
• Do you have questions for Brian Olson. He travels a lot, but your old buddy Downrigger Dale knows how to track him down so click here to send your questions to Rigger and he will make sure you get the answers your looking for! 

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your Host Downrigger Dale sits down with the head football coach of the Montana Grizzlies, Bobby Hauck for an exclusive interview about a side of the Big Sky Conference's most winningest head coach that you have likely never seen or heard from before. Coach Hauck talks about how fishing is therapy to him and can relive the incredible stresses of being a head coach and all that comes with that responsibility. So do you know what kind of fishing Bobby prefers? Does he like river or lake fishing? You will also learn how fishing can get him centered for another ultra competitive season of pre, regular and post season football. Who do you suppose first taught Coach Hauck how to fish? He also sets the same goal for fishing every year. That is to catch at least one fish in every month of the year. Has he every pulled that off, especially given his demanding schedule. You will learn the answers to all those questions and a whole lot more. So, what are you waiting for? Click that play button and get to listening. You are going absolutely love this podcast. And you will learn not only learn about a side of Coach Hauck that you have never seen before but you may just learn a little more about yourself along the way.

Do you have questions for Coach Bobby Hauck about this podcast? Click here to send him an email.

Questions for your old buddy Downrigger Dale? Click here to send Rigger your email.

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.