Sportsmen's Empire - Fishing

High school is a developmental time, you make some of your closest friends, you try new things, you learn a lot, and hopefully, you get to spend plenty of time fishing outside of school. But what if fishing could actually be part of school? Well thanks to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Fishing Association, that can be true!

This week we're talking all about the WIFA with Appleton North Coach, Josh Beaman, and Neenah Coach & WIFA Board Member, Bradley Gumtow. The guys kick things off hearing about how they got involved with WIFA, how tournaments work, the experiences that kids are able to have, the number of high schoolers who have achieved Master Angler Status, and of course, how you or your student can get involved by joining their school's club or starting one of their own! If this doesn't make you want to get out on the water, we're not sure what else will!

Also, you'll hear in the episode that after a terrible accident, one of the WIFA students, Brett Jedwabny has wound up in critical condition and is fighting for his life at the Milwaukee Children's Hospital. To raise money to support Brett and his family during this difficult time, the WIFA has organized the, "A Cast for Hope" fishing tournament that is open to anyone to participate through the Fish Donkey App. It's $25 to enter and 100% of the proceeds go to Brett & his family. 

You can also support Brett by donating to the GoFundMe set up in Brett's name by following this link:  https://gofund.me/6f07b407

Wishing you a strong and speedy recovery, Brett!

On this episode of the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John reveals a secret project he has been working on all spring. John grew up fishing and duck hunting on small farm ponds, so they have always held a special place in his heart. For the last couple of months, John has made it his goal to turn one particular pond into a fish and duck paradise. While growing a 10 pound plus bass in a 1 acre pond may not be realistic, John's goal is to simply maximise its potential and create a fun and exciting place for him and his friends and family to enjoy.

Almost anyone can gain access to a small farm pond, which is part of the reason John feels so passionately about this project. After a lot of research, John set out to make the best fishery possible out of a one and a half acre pond that has been in his family for about 50 years. John's other goal was to do it as cheaply as possible. Structure, water clarity, and overall fish population are the main concerns, as well as hopefully growing some edge vegetation that will make the pond more attractive for waterfowl. So if that little mud hole in the middle of a cattle pasture is all you have to work with, don't fret. Almost any water source can serve a purpose for an outdoors man or woman willing to put in a little work! 

June is here and hopefully by now that means you've already dusted off the rods, reels, and tackle boxes, greased up the axles on the boat trailer and charged up the batteries. If you haven't we need to have a serious talk, and if you have, what did you forget on that first trip of the year? What did you have to pop into a bait shop for? What could you have just simply done better? As fun as they can be, fishing trips can also be a source of nightmares if not done properly. That's why this week, we're talking all about how to plan and prepare for a fishing trip!

This week, Andrew Wolfe returns to the show after a big tournament up in Door County and Pierce is also coming off of a fishing trip not too far away from where Andrew was. After a week of chasing big smallies, the guys thought it would be a good idea to share their tips on how they prepare for a fishing trip. In this episode, the guys break down how they choose a place to go whether it be based off of a species, area, skill they hope to hone, or historic body of water, and then break down how they use their resources to figure out what the fish are doing before they go. Then the guys talk about gear essentials, what they never leave home without, what's overrated, and finally, how they prepare mentally for a trip. This episode is a fun one with plenty of entertaining tangents, but even more good info. Enjoy!

On this episode of The Nomadic Outdoorsman, Dan talks with Dave Stewart about his passion for fly fishing as well as sharing stories and opportunities with others.

Dave Stewart is the host of the Wet Fly Swing Podcast, one of the largest fly fishing focused podcasts in the US where guests join in to talk about fly fishing everything from small mouth bass to mako sharks. Dan and Dave talk about their adventure into podcasting as well as what fly fishing means to Dave. Dan discusses how he has dipped his toes in the water of fly fishing and how (time willing) he is ready to jump in. Dave shares stories from some of his most memorable trips and forecasts a few trips to Dan’s home state of Wisconsin.
 

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There are good ways of doing things and better ways of doing things, and when it comes to bass fishing, there are endless ways to become a better bass angler. One of those ways is to spend time with someone who really knows bass, has fished for them competitively for years, and is a heck of an all around outdoorsman. In other words, spend some time picking the brain of Wisconsin-native, Andrew Wolfe!

This week we're talking bass fishing and you do not want to miss this! Andrew is a lifelong bass fisherman who even represented the Badgers as a member of their college bass fishing team, and now spends his time fishing tournaments and for pleasure around the country. Heck, the guy even paid rent in grad school by winning tournaments! Throughout all that experience, he's become an incredible bass fisherman, and this week he's here to help us all level up our bass game to achieve more success on the water this year. The guys talk about the college bass fishing scene, lessons learned through fishing tournaments, scouting effectively, using the conditions to your advantage and much more. You can follow along with Andrew and his adventures on Instagram @heywolfe11 but fair warning, you will see some GIANT fish!

Spring is right around the corner, and for lots of anglers that means some of the best fishing of the year is nearly here! That's especially true if you like to target trout in Wisconsin's Driftless region and daydream about a cloud of Blue Winged Olives hovering over a bend pool with hungry trout rising beneath them. If that's the case, then this episode is for you! 

As we come off a year of extreme drought in most of the state, our trout streams have taken a hit with water levels lower, and significantly clearer than usual. This week, Pierce flies solo and breaks down the tactics he uses when guiding in the Driftess region, specifically when the trout are even spookier than usual! He talks through a trout's senses and what causes them to be so spooky under these conditions, what ideal conditions are, how to approach fish, how to build a stealthy leader, tips for casting success, what bugs are hatching and the flies you need in your box, and lots more in this week's episode! If you want to learn more, or even book a day on the water with him this spring, visit www.goodchanceflyfishing.com or follow and shoot him a message @goodchancflyfishing Enjoy!

In this episode, we take a break from thinking about deer as Pierce sits down with Erik Woll of Woll E. Bugger Fly Fishing Guide Service. Erik is a lifelong fly fisherman from central Illinois who found home in the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin, where he quickly discovered the giant brown trout that come into the Lake Michigan tributary rivers and streams every fall. In 2019 he founded Woll E. Bugger Fly Fishing Guide Service to guide others onto the world class fishing that can be found in the Southeast corner of the state. 

Pierce & Erik cover everything you need to know to target these fish from what gear you need, what the fish are doing, where to find them, and how to get them to eat. They also debate the ethics of targeting spawning fish and various schools of thought surrounding the issue. If you'd like to get in touch with Erik and book your trip, you can get in touch with him on Facebook or Instagram by searching Woll. E. Bugger Fly Fishing Guide Service

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On this episode of GOHUNT’s  Western Rookie Podcast, Brian talks with guest Rusty Smith about targeting giant elk, big deer, and Alaskan caribou.

Rusty is an avid hunter and has travelled all across North America chasing big game. Brian and Rusty talk about hunting big bodied Alberta Whitetails and what goes into hunting as a non-resident in Canada and also doing DIY drop camp hunts in Alaska for Caribou. Click on the link below to check out more of Rusty’s adventures and see some of the amazing animals from this podcast.

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Last episode of November on Michigan Wild this week. An episode all about fishing rivers for steelhead with Shane Rodenburg. Shane has dove into river fishing the last 4 years and is absolutely torn up with it. Nate being an avid hunter is still slightly perplexed why someone would purposely target fish instead of whitetails this time of year. 

However the more time Nate spends talking with people who have a passion for fishing the more enlightened he gets. Nate and Shane discuss the many parallels there are between chasing river fish along with whitetails throughout the fall. Scouting and having an adequate amount of time are some important factors that allow guys to be successful at a high level. 

You can follow Shane along at misteelheader on Instagram. 

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Tony Fellows hopped on Michigan Wild this week to share his experience river fishing. Tony's first memory of fishing was heading to the river with his dad where they targeted trout. Unlike Nate who grew up pond and small lake fishing and has very limited river fishing experience.

Through this episode Nate and Tony go over some of the basics of river fishing, including what to look for and tactics to use for certain fish. Fly fishing is really where Tony has settled over the years and shares different technics he uses throughout the year. Tony also goes into more detail of how he breaks down a river and how to do some river scouting. Which Nate realizes has similarities to breaking down a property for whitetails or other game animals.

Nate and his wife Ashley really hope to join Tony on a river this fall, and look forward to the adventure and the learning experience.

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