Sportsmen's Empire - Fishing

Jesse Wiggins, a professional bass angler from Addison, Alabama, joins Brad Bowen to talk about turning a love of fishing into a career. He shares how he worked his way up to the highest levels of tournament fishing, and how winning an early tournament gave him the confidence to believe he belonged.

Jesse explains why the shaky head helped launch his fishing career and why the chatterbait remains one of his favorite all-around baits. He recounts catching a 10-pound, 1-ounce bass at Lake Guntersville and offers practical advice on keeping fish hooked, choosing line, and knowing when to move on from a fish you see on sonar. 

The conversation also explores how Jesse balances professional fishing with hunting and family life. He describes taking his young son fishing, talks about turkey and deer hunting, and shares stories of frog gigging, bow fishing, and growing up in North Alabama’s outdoor culture.

From childhood memories of dog hunting to the early tournaments that opened the door to a pro career, Jesse reflects on the experiences that shaped him. His story offers encouragement to young anglers: build experience step by step, make the most of opportunities, and keep pursuing what you love.

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This episode features Pete Kaple of The Skiff Wanderer, a saltwater fly fishing guide and skiff expert, talking about his journey from South Carolina to Texas and how he got into guiding. The conversation focuses on inshore fishing, especially redfish, and covers beginner-friendly fly fishing gear, casting practice, sight fishing, wading, and how to move stealthily in shallow water.

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Join us as we welcome Sawyer to the show and Captain Pat from Ugly Fishing shares his expert tips on fishing Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound. From the best spots and seasonal patterns to gear advice, bait choices, and memorable catches, this episode is packed with practical insight for anglers of every level.Learn how weather changes affect fishing conditions, why certain areas are better depending on wind and tide, and what it takes to land redfish, speckled trout, flounder, and more. Captain Pat also shares stories from the water, advice on protecting your gear from salt and sand, and the importance of conservation and catch-and-release.Whether you're planning a family trip, a beach vacation, or just want to fish smarter, this episode will help you make the most of your time on the water.

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On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Jim Crowley to dive into tips, tricks, and strategies to catch more bass this summer! Jim has been a professional angler for over thirty years, and is the host of Jim Crowley Outdoors, Wired to Fish TV, and Slick Fish Radio. In the episode, the guys discuss Jim's early days as a tournament angler and how it led to him hosting his shows, essential boat electronics he relies on, how he uses onX Fish, understanding a fishery's forage base, lure setups he always has in his boat, the importance of differentiating structure vs cover, and the importance of the 'pause'. If you want to become a better bass angler, this episode is for you!

Huge thanks to Jim for coming on the show and sharing his knowledge! To check out all of his awesome shows, visit jimcrowleyoutdoors.com, tune in to Wired2FishTV, and listen to Slick Fish Radio wherever you listen to podcasts, and be sure to follow along with Jim and his adventures @jimcrowleyoutdoors on social media!

Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

Lone Wolf Custom Gear: www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

TAKE ACTION THROUGH BACKCOUNTRY HUNTERS & ANGLERS

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On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Tony Peterson to dive into the world of Mississippi River smallmouth fishing! Tony is an outdoor writer, public land hunter, and Minnesota-native who grew up hunting and fishing around the Mississippi River, since then he's competed in countless bass tournaments both on the river and around the Midwest. In this episode, the guys dive into finding big trout in unclassified waters, how to break down the Mississippi into manageable chunks, fish consciousness, types of structure smallmouth are likely to relate to, different lures for different types of water, the importance of non-intrusive fishing, and much more. If you're ready for a new kind of fishing adventure this summer, this episode is for you!

Huge thanks to Tony for coming on the show! Check out the great podcasts he's putting out over on the Wired to Hunt: Foundations podcast, and if you're looking for a great summer read, pick up a copy of his book, Bowhunting Public Land Whitetails to gear up for fall!

Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

Lone Wolf Custom Gear: www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

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On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce sits down with Chris Firkus of Sandhill Fly Fishing to dive learn all about fly fishing for big trout in the Central Sands region of Wisconsin! 

Chris grew up fishing the sand streams of central Wisconsin and has spent the better part of his life learning and exploring these secluded waters in search of big trout! The guys dive into Chris's early years of commercial fly tying, how these streams differ from Driftless Streams, the importance of frogs in a trout's diet, streamer color theory, necessary tackle and gear for these streams, night fishing tactics, capitalizing on the hex hatch, and the importance of community in the outdoor space. All that and more in this week's episode!

A massive thanks to Chris for coming on the show and sharing his knowledge! To book a day with Chris or any of the other great guides over at Sandhill Fly Fishing, visit sandhillflyfishing.com which is where you can also find info on joining the Cutbank Collective. Be sure to follow along with Chris and his adventures on social media @riparian.life

Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

Lone Wolf Custom Gear: www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

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On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce dives back into the world of Driftless Trout to share his thoughts on essential skills to help you all catch more trout this season! Pierce kicks things off with the story of a close call on a stubborn public land turkey, before diving into some essential skills for targeting small stream trout in Wisconsin's Driftless region. He explains the importance of properly positioning yourself before even making a cast, why and how small stream casting is different than traditional big-water casting technique, the importance of reading the streambed before looking at the surface of the water, focusing on what your fly is doing below the surface, and some tips to avoid snags and lose fewer flies. If you want to level up your Driftless fly fishing, this episode is for you!

If you want to put some of these skills to use in-person, head on over to goodchanceflyfishing.com to book your trip today!

Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

Lone Wolf Custom Gear: www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

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On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Kirk Olson, to dive into the intricacies of our Driftless trout streams! Kirk is a Wisconsin DNR Inland Waters Fisheries Biologist covering Crawford, La Crosse, Monroe, & Vernon counties. The guys discuss what makes the water quality so good in these streams, why types of data Kirk and his team try to gather and how, how streams are chosen to have restoration work done on them, the importance of conservation groups like Trout Unlimited, biggest fish found while electrofishing and the types of habitat they're found, future trout research projects, and lots more! If you want to learn more about the inner workings of our trout streams, this episode is for you!

Huge thanks to Kirk for coming on the show! If you have questions or want to get in contact with him, send him an email at [email protected]

Want to learn more about the past research they've conducted? Check out some fishery's data here: dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/trout/TroutSurveys

Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

Lone Wolf Custom Gear: www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

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In this episode, Nick recount their thrilling ice fishing adventure targeting trophy lake trout. They share their journey from the marina to the fishing spot, detailing their setup, techniques, and the excitement of catching their first lake trout. The conversation highlights the camaraderie among friends, the challenges of fishing, and the joy of experiencing nature together. Nick reflects on the significance of their catch and the memories created during this adventure, emphasizing the importance of outdoor activities and the bonds formed through shared experiences.

Takeaways

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On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Matthew Mendini from the onX Fish team to learn more about the latest member of the onX family, and how to use it to catch more fish! Matthew is a Wisconsin-native who found himself as one of the OGs of the TroutRoutes team, and is now shifting his focus towards onX Fish. Matthew shares how he reached his current position through being an avid angler and outdoorsman, and then the guys dive into the key features of onX Fish, what sets it apart from other fishing apps, why technology seems to be more easily accepted in the lake-fishing community, Matthew's approach to e-scouting lakes for different species, where the app's data comes from, and how you can use onX Fish to explore more water this year! All that and more in this week's episode!

Huge thanks to Matthew for coming on the show! To learn more about onX Fish, head on over to onxmaps.com/fish to set up a 7-day free trial, and follow along with Matthew's adventures @matthewkmendini on social media

Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

Lone Wolf Custom Gear: www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

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