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On this episode of In Pursuit with Rich Froning, Rich sits down with Todd Anderson and Scott Vandersloot to talk recovery the way it actually works in real life—sauna, cold plunge, sleep, and being intentional with all of it. They get into why cold is one of the most misused tools (and why it’s more of a “when” than a “yes or no”), why heat before bed can be a game-changer for sleep, and how temperature, consistency, and stress management play a bigger role than most people want to admit. The conversation bounces from hunting trips and terrible sleep in cold tents to nasal breathing, snoring, and the simple truth: you can’t out-tough bad sleep when decision-making, recovery, and performance are on the line.

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This week on the show I’m joined by Tony Peterson to discuss the science of doing hard things, how our brain changes when we do that, and the implications for hunting and much more.

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Ice fishing has always made me feel nostalgic. As a guide, I spend most of my time rigging equipment and finding fish for clients. It can be hard to simply enjoy time on the water when you’re focused on giving your clients a successful fishing trip. But when I go ice fishing, all of that goes away.

On the ice, I’m reminded of simpler fishing days. Back then, I didn’t use complicated electronics or fancy equipment; just me, the hole, and some sort of bait.

I still keep it simple on the ice. My biggest dilemma is deciding whether to use live or dead bait. I’ve caught a lot of fish through the ice with this bare bones mentality. In fact, there are plenty of easy methods for fishing live and dead baits that can almost guarantee you to catch more fish.

Rigging both live and dead baits can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. Most anglers prefer to keep things simple by sticking a live minnow or a chunk of cut bait on the hook and then lowering it into the water. However, a few baiting techniques can increase your catch rates for certain species.

When you’re targeting meat-eating panfish like crappie or yellow or white perch, the gold standard is to hook a small minnow through its lip so it can swim freely. Instead of doing this, hook that same minnow through the base of its tail so that it hangs head down in the water, and you’ll often get more strikes.

When you hook a minnow through its tail, it will naturally try to escape. This tension causes the minnow to surge forward and struggle harder, which creates more action. Fish like crappie, perch, and even pickerel prefer to eat bait headfirst, so there’s less chance of a fish dropping the bait before you set the hook.

If you’re targeting predatory fish like northern pike, lake trout, or muskie, use large live or dead baits, such as whole suckers or gold shiners. Anglers usually attach these big baits to their tip-ups or jigging rods with a single hook through the back, but you’ll often have more hook-ups on these big baits using a quick strike rig.

Quick strike rigs are double treble hook bait rigs that you can purchase online or make yourself. Simply tie a large snap swivel to the end of your tip-up line or leader. Then, attach two 12- to 18-inch wire leaders to the swivel and add a pair of large 2/0 to 4/0 treble hooks to each wire leader. Then, hook the quick strike rig to your bait by passing one treble hook through the bait's nostril and the other hook to the base of its tail, just behind its dorsal fin.

With a hook on either end of the bait, you’ll increase your chances of setting the hook. Even if the fish T-bones the bait in the middle and runs with it, the quick strike rig will hook the fish in the mouth as soon as it turns the bait to swallow it.

Most anglers who fish dead baits or cut chunks allow them to sink and rest on the bottom. This is an excellent way to catch bottom-hunting fish such as burbot, catfish, and even sturgeon, but I’ve had more luck catching these species, as well as other fish like pike, walleye, and lake trout, by suspending my dead baits just above the bottom.

Scent from dead bait on the bottom only emanates upwards, but suspended dead bait can distribute 360 degrees around the bait. This allows the scent to travel further in underwater currents and attract more fish. Suspended bait can also visually appeal to more fish, rather than just bottom feeders. As you keep the bait at the right height, bottom feeders will take a suspended bait.

To ensure your dead or cut bait is suspended properly, lower it until the line goes completely slack so you know it’s on the bottom. Then, slowly wind the excess slack back onto your tip-up spool or wind the line onto your reel until the slack is gone and you feel the bait lift off the bottom. Add a few more turns to make sure your bait sits at least 3 to 5 inches above the bottom. Now, set your rig on the ice and wait for a strike.

Most ice anglers will use jigs and spoons and even tip their lures with a chunk of worm, maggot, or cut-up minnow. These are good tactics, but you can also tip your lures with whole live baits if you want to increase your odds. It’s the best of both worlds.

The lure provides all of the action and noise, while the live bait adds natural movement and scent. Tipping your lures with live bait is a fantastic ice fishing tactic for perch, walleye, panfish, bass, and trout, and will even work for larger predators like lake trout, pike, and pickerel if you rig it right.

You’ll want to tip your lure with a bait roughly half the size of the lure. This ensures your bait is the right size for your target species and also controls the action. For smaller jigs and spoons used to target panfish and perch, I prefer small fathead minnows or emerald shiners that are less than two inches long. For larger fish like walleye, bass, or pike, I’ll use bigger lures like the Jigging Rap and Rattle Spoon, tipped with a 3- to 4-inch emerald shiner or even a larger 5- to 6-inch gold shiner when targeting big ones.

When you tip a lure with a live bait, hook it through the strongest part of the bait's lips. This will allow it to create natural movement and prevent it from falling off while you work the lure. With smaller minnows, push the hook through the center of the bait's bottom jaw and then up and out through its top lip just in front of its nostrils. With larger shiners, you’ll get better results by opening their mouth and threading the hook through their nostril. This way will hold the bait in place with the bone rather than its softer lips.

Where legal, fishing with multiple live and dead baits or a combination can be incredibly effective. This tactic allows you to offer two types of bait in two different areas of the water column when targeting schooling or suspending fish like walleye and white perch. It also allows you to target two different species simultaneously.

To double up, tie a barrel swivel to the end of your jigging rod or tip-up line. Next, tie 18 to 24 inches of additional line to the bottom of the swivel and leave a long 6- to 10-inch tag end off the knot. Finally, tie on two hooks to the rig; one to the end of the additional line and one to the tag end of the knot.

You can bait this double hook rig any way you want, but my favorite way is to add a chunk of cut bait or a smallish dead bait to the bottom hook and then a live minnow hooked through the lips to the tag end. This allows the dead bait to act as both an attractant and a weight that suspends just above the bottom, while the live minnow swims and circles above it. The live minnow will draw attention from its movement to your rig.

Ice fishing can be as simple as baiting your rig and waiting for a bite. It’s the type of angling that reminds you that anything can happen. That kind of suspense is what makes fishing so thrilling, and a good reminder that fishing doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective.

This week Tony explains how we often have a false-read on our dogs, and ourselves as trainers, and how we should try to accept reality to improve both during the off-season.

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In this episode of the Bear Grease Podcast, host Clay Newcomb sits down with Teddy Villines, father to Cody Villines and uncle to Caylon Villines featured in the last episode.  He is a lifelong Ozark logger shaped by generations of hard work, handshake deals, and respect for the land. Teddy shares stories from a life spent in the woods, including close calls, brutal injuries, and a terrifying runaway log-truck wreck that forced him to confront who is truly in control.

More than a logging story, this episode is about character, faith, and legacy. What it means to provide for your family, keep your word, and face life’s dangers with humility.

Thank you to our sponsor, Tecovas.

If you have comments on the show, send us a note to [email protected]

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Spencer Neuharth hosts the Final Round of Championship MeatEater Trivia with Steven Rinella, Janis Putelis, Brody Henderson, Randall Williams, Seth Morris, and Cory Calkins.

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If you spend enough time chasing game, exploring river accesses before daylight, or driving down two-tracks that barely qualify as roads, you’ll eventually realize that your truck isn’t just transportation, it’s a critical part of your gear system.

Over a few articles, we’re going to dive into practical truck upgrades that actually matter for outdoorsmen. Not the flashy stuff you see on YouTube or cruising main street on Friday nights, but upgrades that can help you get to your spot and back out safely. Our canvas for this series is a 2024 Silverado 1500 RST, sourced from our friends at Ressler Chevrolet.

Most hunters like to hit the road well before sunrise and get home well after shooting light. Factory headlights, while much better than they used to be, only shine so far. Add in some dust, rain, snow, and an unlit back road, then suddenly, visibility becomes a real limitation. That’s where aftermarket lighting comes in.

I’ve personally avoided hitting at least a dozen deer in the past year thanks to better lighting. Good auxiliary lighting isn’t about turning night into day; it’s about seeing obstacles early, picking better lines, and reducing fatigue when you’re already running on little sleep and too much gas-station coffee. And it goes without saying, but these lights should never be used for spotlighting animals.

Now, if you’re sitting there telling yourself, “What the heck is this guy talking about? The lights on my new truck are great!” Then I’d tell you this: upgraded lights are sort of like having heated seats when you live in a cold climate. You never know how much you use or like them until you’ve tried them. Once you do, it’s hard to go back to not having them. Similarly, once you drive at night with some truly good lights, you won’t want to go without them.

For this upgrade, we kept it simple with a 2-light a-pillar setup paired with a clean switch or control box. A-pillar lights, or “ditch lights,” are a great entry point because they’re relatively easy to install and sit high enough to throw light where you actually need it—down the road, into corners, and off into the ditches. But there’s one important thing to note about installing lights in this location: light spill. I’ve run a wide array of lighting setups over the years, and one of the most common problems is light spill bouncing off the hood and blinding you, washing out your vision, and making it harder to see what’s ahead.

That’s where beam pattern and optics matter more than raw brightness. After using a number of different lights on the market, I prefer Diode Dynamics lights, specifically their SS3 pods. Their lens technology keeps light focused forward rather than bleeding everywhere, which means less hood glare and more usable light where your eyes are actually looking. When you’re navigating a narrow road with drop-offs, animals, or deadfall lurking just beyond the headlights, that control makes a noticeable difference.

Good lighting won’t make you a better driver, or help you dodge every deer that jumps out in front of you, but it will give you better information—and on long, dark, desolate roads in the middle of nowhere, that’s everything. This setup is a simple, effective, and budget-minded starting point that pays off whether you’re creeping into a trailhead at 4 a.m. or heading out long after the day’s work is done.

Not everyone wants—or needs—to pay a shop to install a simple lighting setup. The good news is that most two-light kits are well within reach for anyone with basic hand tools and the ability to follow instructions.

If you can turn a wrench, crimp a connector, and take your time, you can install a basic two-wire off-road light setup in your driveway in an afternoon. These systems are intentionally simple. Two wires. A power source. A ground. A switch. That’s it. Below is a simplified, universal guide for most auxiliary off-road lights with a positive and negative lead.

1. Mount the lights securely. Install the lights on your brackets or mounting location and leave them slightly loose so you can aim them later.

2. Disconnect the battery. Remove the negative battery terminal before doing any wiring.

3. Ground the negative wire. Attach the light’s negative wire to a clean metal ground point or directly to the negative battery terminal.

4. Run the positive wire to power through a fuse and switch. Connect the positive wire to a fused 12V power source, routing it through your switch (and relay if included).

5. Reconnect, test, and aim. Reconnect the battery, test the lights, then aim and tighten everything down once you’re satisfied.

Installing a simple two-light setup really is one of the most approachable upgrades you can do at home. Take your time, follow the instructions that come with your specific kit, and don’t rush it—this is well within reach for most DIY’ers with basic tools and a little patience.

That said, electricity can be dangerous, and working on your vehicle always comes with risk. This guide is meant to be a general, simplified overview—every truck, lighting kit, and wiring harness is a little different. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific product, and if you’re unsure about any step, consult a qualified professional.

MeatEater assumes no responsibility for installation errors, vehicle damage, injury, or other harm resulting from the use of this guide. Work carefully, use common sense, and proceed at your own risk.

One of the funniest bits in the 90’s TV show “Home Improvement” is Tim Taylor’s ongoing campaign to add horsepower to everyday objects. In the very first episode, he installs what is basically a car engine in his dishwasher, and the result is pretty much what you’d expect (hint: the dishes don’t survive).

I felt a little like The Toolman going from a hand-crank case trimmer to the new RCBS MatchMaster Precision Trimmer, but I was much happier with the outcome.

Designed in partnership with Henderson Precision, the MatchMaster trimmer uses an 115v electric motor to spin a set of carbide blades that trim, chamfer, and deburr cartridge cases in one motion. It’s among the most expensive case trimmers, but it’s also one of the most time-saving upgrades you can make to your single-stage reloading bench. It speeds up what I think is the most onerous part of the case prep process, and saves your arm from tennis elbow, to boot.

Here’s how it works.

Before you consider investing in a motorized trimmer, you should make sure you reload cartridges that actually need to be trimmed between firings. As a general rule, bottleneck rifle cartridges should be trimmed regularly while lower-pressure pistol cartridges can be fired many times without needing a trim.

That’s because when gunpowder ignites within a case, the case expands. Then, when that case is sized back down to its original dimensions, the case material is mushed (technical term) forward, increasing the length. The extent to which the case expands depends on the pressure within the chamber, which is why rifle cartridges grow much more than pistol cartridges do.

I’ve reloaded thousands of rounds of 9mm, and I don’t recall ever seeing a case grow beyond the maximum recommended length. On the other hand, bottleneck rifle cases can exceed that length after one or two firings. For example, the 6.5 Creedmoor cases I loaded for this test measured 1.912 inches after being fired once. But after a full-length resize, they grew to 1.922 inches, beyond the maximum recommended length. If the cases are allowed to grow too long, the chamber pressure can spike and cause a significant (and life-threatening) malfunction.

Your reloading manual will include a maximum overall case length and a recommended trim-to length. I usually aim for that trim-to length. This usually keeps the cases in the safe zone even if I forget to trim between firing. I also think ensuring that each case is the exact same length promotes consistency and accuracy. If all the bullets are contacting the same amount of case neck, it stands to reason they’d hit more consistent velocities (this is especially true if you crimp the cases to the bullet).

TLDR? If you primarily reload pistol ammo, you can probably take a pass on the MatchMaster Precision Trimmer. But if you roll your own rifle cartridges, keep reading.

If you’ve been in the market for a high-end case trimmer, the MatchMaster will look familiar. Henderson Precision was the first to release this design, and RCBS worked closely with their engineers to create the MatchMaster.

There are a few differences. The RCBS model includes a micrometer length adjustment that allows you to tweak the trim length without any tools. It’s a huge time-saver during the setup process, and in my experience the adjustments are extremely accurate. The MatchMaster also uses a 360-degree shield that traps the brass shavings, and a plastic bin that allows the user to drop the cases rather than pulling them out of the shell holder.

The basic functionality, however, mirrors Henderson’s product. Cases are fitted into the handle by turning it counterclockwise, which loosens the internal collet. The base of the case can then be inserted into the collet and tightened by turning the handle clockwise. The collet that comes with the MatchMaster (#1) fits a huge array of cartridges in the .223 Rem., .308 Win., and magnum families, but other collet sizes are available.

The cutters are spun via the motor, and they’re secured inside an ingeniously designed three-way cutting head. The cutting head is tapered, so it doesn’t take a tremendous amount of force to secure tightly. But it also includes three set screws that allow the cutters and pilot to be adjusted and removed.

The pilot simply guides the case mouth towards the cutters to help ensure a straight cut. The box comes with a set of pilots that fit .22 to .30 caliber cartridges, and they can be swapped out by loosening the set screw in the cutting head.

The cutters can also be adjusted and removed by loosening the set screws. One cutter trims and chamfers the outside of the case while the other trims and deburrs the inside. Setting up the MatchMaster trimmer was remarkably easy, but this is probably the trickiest part. The cutters have to be reset each time you switch calibers, and they have to be adjusted so that both make contact with the case mouth. It’s not difficult, but I made sure to check and recheck I was following the instructions before I started trimming.

Once the cutters are set and the correct pilot is installed, you can adjust the trim length using the micrometer. This worked exactly as advertised. I inserted a case into the collet in the handle, and with the motor off, pushed it forward until it was just resting on the cutters. I then adjusted the micrometer thimble until it was resting on the micrometer stop. I fired up the motor (uhharrhh aahh aahh!), pushed the handle forward, and watched as the cutters trimmed, chamfered, and deburred the case. Finally, I measured the case, made the adjustment to the micrometer, and trimmed the case to appropriate length.

Setup takes a few minutes, but once you get the trimmer set to the correct length, it’s remarkably consistent.

I was aiming for 1.910 inches on this set of 50 6.5 Creedmoor cases. Whether they ended up being 1.915 inches or 1.905 didn’t make much difference–I just wanted to make sure they were all close to the same length.

I cut about ten cases as a practice run, then cut another 50 to test the consistency of the unit. I measured all 50, and here were my results.

RCBS says the MatchMaster Precision Trimmer is repeatable down to .001, and I’d say that’s spot on–once you get the hang of it. If you use a lot of force to press the handle forward, the cases can be one or two thousands of an inch shorter than if you use a lighter touch. You also have to make sure the case is fully seated in the collet. If it’s not, you might end up with a case that’s shorter than you want it. It takes some practice, but once you get the feel for it, it’s easy to be super consistent.

The brass catcher also helped me to get into a nice rhythm. All I had to do was turn the handle counterclockwise, and each trimmed, chamfered, and deburred case dropped cleanly into the bin.

I didn’t time myself, but I estimate that the Precision Trimmer cut my trimming time by 75%, and gave me more consistent lengths, better chamfer/deburrs, and a whole lot less wear and tear on the ol’ elbow.

The RCBS MatchMaster Precision Trimmer will set you back about $700. That’s the cost of a new rifle, so I understand if you’d rather prioritize other gun-related gear. But for a competitive shooter, ammo stockpiler, or other high-volume reloader, this thing is worth a look.

It saves time and increases consistency, but more than anything, it makes the reloading process more enjoyable. I’ve been known to resize a bunch of brass only to let it sit on the bench for weeks as I steel myself to go 12 rounds against the hand-crank trimmer. I no longer have that excuse. That means more reloading, more practice rounds, more range time, and hopefully, more confidence and consistency behind the trigger.

This week Tony talks about how whitetail hunters seem to have largely split into two different factions according their hunting styles, but in reality most hunters fall squarely in the middle.

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The Frontier and the freedom it afforded was the shaping influence of the 19th century American West, but life in the Modern West has been formed just as powerfully by the presence of a public lands system American visionaries established a century ago. This is why they did it.

Thank you to our sponsor Velvet Buck.

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Check out more MeatEater's American History audio originals "The Long Hunters" and "Mountain Men"

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