WEBVTT - Ep. 18: Dope Jams for Colonialist Flats Junkies 0:00:01.880 --> 0:00:04.840 Hot dish was once described to me as just every 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:08.360 leftover in the fridge dumped into a castrole dish and 0:00:08.400 --> 0:00:12.640 baked together. Not necessarily. Not necessarily, I just threw some 0:00:12.760 --> 0:00:15.000 names in the hat. I got a little toxic in 0:00:15.040 --> 0:00:18.200 that Jenny for a while, proving I was og metal 0:00:18.680 --> 0:00:26.360 and a virgin. Good morning, degenerate anglers, Welcome to Bent, 0:00:26.720 --> 0:00:28.640 the podcast that melted at the top of your mister 0:00:28.680 --> 0:00:31.360 buddy heater when we borrowed it last ice fishing season 0:00:31.680 --> 0:00:34.480 and still haven't bought you a new one. I'm Joe Surmelli, 0:00:35.280 --> 0:00:38.200 Miles Nulty, and straight up, man, you gotta be careful 0:00:38.320 --> 0:00:41.080 when you're toasting sandwiches on your mister buddy heaters. So 0:00:41.360 --> 0:00:43.800 that is an actual public service that we're offering you truth. 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:46.959 And if anybody out there is watching or has been 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:50.720 watching the fur Hat Ice Tour on our YouTube channel, 0:00:50.960 --> 0:00:54.320 you know that Janie and Mark Norquist had fun spearing 0:00:54.360 --> 0:00:56.880 whitefish and pike in Minnesota. But what you don't see 0:00:56.920 --> 0:01:00.440 is that is the behind the scenes carnage. We permanently 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:03.440 damaged a borrowed space heater when we put our foil 0:01:03.480 --> 0:01:06.679 wrap sandwiches on it, and the foil deflected the heat 0:01:06.800 --> 0:01:09.880 right up into the plastic frame on that heater. And yeah, 0:01:09.880 --> 0:01:11.600 I got a little toxic in that Jenny for a while, 0:01:11.640 --> 0:01:13.640 so I don't do that. I was not part of 0:01:13.640 --> 0:01:17.440 this production, but weren't. Weren't you the producer the producer 0:01:17.480 --> 0:01:19.920 of that episode? I was. I was the producer of 0:01:19.959 --> 0:01:22.280 the episode. I was the one who put the sandwiches 0:01:22.280 --> 0:01:25.600 on the heater. H Yeah, so entirely your fault, then, 0:01:26.360 --> 0:01:30.720 entirely my fault, guest, Well, that was a rookie move. 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:33.000 You should have known better. Any real hard water guy 0:01:33.280 --> 0:01:36.240 brings the aftermarket grill attachment for the heater. And I'm 0:01:36.280 --> 0:01:39.039 not a real hardwater guy, but even I know that 0:01:39.360 --> 0:01:43.319 it's standard ice fishing here these days. I know that now, 0:01:43.600 --> 0:01:46.920 all right, Like you learned, I learned my lesson, and 0:01:47.000 --> 0:01:50.080 I realized straight up, I have so much to learn. 0:01:50.160 --> 0:01:52.000 Still want to come to ice fishing. But the one 0:01:52.040 --> 0:01:54.520 thing I know for sure is that you absolutely cannot 0:01:54.560 --> 0:01:57.520 go out on the ice without a thermis of coffee. Ah, 0:01:57.560 --> 0:01:59.200 that is true. And if you're gonna drink coffee, you 0:01:59.240 --> 0:02:01.840 might as well drink good coffee. Okay. This podcast is 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:05.040 entirely fueled by black Rifle Coffee. Whether we're sitting over 0:02:05.080 --> 0:02:07.160 a hole staring at a flasher and willing one of 0:02:07.160 --> 0:02:09.720 those thick red lines to appear, or we're sitting in 0:02:09.720 --> 0:02:12.360 front of a computer pressing control ought delete because doom 0:02:12.400 --> 0:02:15.040 Froze made a shoot out again, We've probably got a 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:18.679 cup of Black Rifle in our hands right now. I 0:02:19.160 --> 0:02:21.280 kind of can't get enough of the just black roast, 0:02:21.520 --> 0:02:24.120 which I get delivered right to my door through Black 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:28.400 Rifle Coffee subscription service. Super convenient, and yeah, if you're 0:02:28.440 --> 0:02:31.960 coffee drinker, I highly recommend signing up. Yep, just go 0:02:32.000 --> 0:02:34.480 to Black Rifle Coffee dot com backslash meat Eater to 0:02:34.520 --> 0:02:36.600 get started, and if you use the promo code meat 0:02:36.639 --> 0:02:39.480 Eater at checkout, they'll give you a twenty percent discount 0:02:39.880 --> 0:02:43.200 just for having good taste in podcasts, Yes, indeed they will. 0:02:43.880 --> 0:02:46.360 All right, getting back to the show, it is time 0:02:46.440 --> 0:02:49.280 for trivia. But I do feel the need to publicly 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:52.040 admit that that story about melting the barred heater, like 0:02:52.440 --> 0:02:54.480 we were just making it up some shit to say 0:02:54.520 --> 0:02:58.239 that was completely true. All of that happened, and in fact, 0:02:58.680 --> 0:03:04.720 the heater in question actually belong to our trivia guest today. Okay, 0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:08.000 and yeah, I don't I don't know why she keeps 0:03:08.000 --> 0:03:10.440 agreeing to come on the show. Ah, this is why 0:03:10.480 --> 0:03:13.480 I can't have nice things. Yeah, we still haven't replaced 0:03:13.480 --> 0:03:15.960 the heat her. Just for the record, you gotta be 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:20.200 highly skilled for these shows. You understand that you're well 0:03:20.320 --> 0:03:25.080 versed there. You're very smart man. All right, So we've 0:03:25.080 --> 0:03:27.880 reached the part of the show where we call smart 0:03:27.919 --> 0:03:31.240 and talented people and ask them stupid questions. Joining us 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:36.720 today is angler hunter and biologist Mandy Yerick. Mandy, how's 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:40.600 it going? It's going, guys, Thanks for the call. Oh, 0:03:40.600 --> 0:03:43.200 you know, these are always fun for us. Are you 0:03:43.600 --> 0:03:45.760 Are you ready to play some trivia? I'm ready to 0:03:45.760 --> 0:03:48.680 play some trivia? All right, let's do it now. If 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:51.480 I remember correctly from a conversation you and I had 0:03:51.600 --> 0:03:54.960 in your garage, which is a better man cave than 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:56.800 any man cave I've ever been in. For the record, 0:03:58.320 --> 0:04:00.680 you had a hand in naming some of the soft 0:04:00.680 --> 0:04:08.200 plastic baits for thirteen fishing, right, yes, yes, so so 0:04:08.360 --> 0:04:11.480 like maybe say the bubble butt or the Chiro or 0:04:11.520 --> 0:04:14.160 the my name's Jeff, all infused with donkey sauce. You're 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:18.400 you're to blame for all that, not necessarily. Not necessarily, 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:21.280 I just threw some names in the hat. Oh all right, 0:04:21.680 --> 0:04:23.240 so you're not You're not going to own any of those, 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:28.400 at least not publicly. Nope, all right, Well, today I'm 0:04:28.480 --> 0:04:31.800 going to give you a list of ridiculously named soft 0:04:31.800 --> 0:04:35.279 plastic baits that are not made by thirteen Fishing. Your 0:04:35.360 --> 0:04:39.520 job is to correctly identify which one is fake. All right, 0:04:39.640 --> 0:04:42.719 So all of these except for one is an actual 0:04:42.839 --> 0:04:45.440 soft plastic bait, and you gotta figure out which one 0:04:45.560 --> 0:04:48.160 is is not real? You got it? I got it, 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:59.479 all right? So is it a vibra grub, B, shrill Pin, C, Jiggilator, D, 0:05:00.279 --> 0:05:10.400 Bearded crazy Legs, chigger craw or E Machette. I'm gonna 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:14.240 go with a You're gonna go with a. Yeah. I 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:17.120 think you think the vibra grub does not exist. No, 0:05:18.880 --> 0:05:22.119 I'm sorry, No, the vibra grub is a real bait. 0:05:22.920 --> 0:05:25.200 I'm gonna be in so much trouble for getting that wrong. 0:05:28.040 --> 0:05:30.880 All of those except for the jiggle Lator actually or 0:05:30.920 --> 0:05:33.400 real baits. And uh, I'm just gonna give everyone a 0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:35.719 hint out there. Don't look up jiggle Lator online. You 0:05:35.760 --> 0:05:39.159 won't like what you find. Mandy, thanks so much for 0:05:39.240 --> 0:05:43.680 being a good sporting plan. Always good to talk to you. Thanks, guys, 0:05:51.720 --> 0:05:55.479 gotta say man, Mandy remains our reigning smooth Moves champion. Yeah, 0:05:55.600 --> 0:05:59.000 with the best and by best, I mean worse guide 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:00.880 story we've gotten yet. If you haven't heard that one, 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:04.120 go check out episode six. I believe it was the podcast. 0:06:04.400 --> 0:06:06.159 Bring an extra bottle of bleach and a few rolls 0:06:06.160 --> 0:06:08.839 of Sharman though. Okay, so you know what we're talking about, 0:06:09.960 --> 0:06:12.240 and go watch the fur Hot Ice Tour on the 0:06:12.279 --> 0:06:14.599 Media YouTube channel. You can watch Mandy try to teach 0:06:14.640 --> 0:06:17.440 Jannis how to ice fish for wallet and explain once 0:06:17.440 --> 0:06:21.159 and for all the difference between hot dish and castroll. 0:06:22.040 --> 0:06:25.599 Inquiring minds want to know. Hot dish was once described 0:06:25.640 --> 0:06:29.719 to me as just every leftover in the fridge dumped 0:06:29.720 --> 0:06:34.880 into a castle dish and baked together from Hamburger, Helper 0:06:34.960 --> 0:06:38.200 kung pound chicken in it goes that may be true, 0:06:38.240 --> 0:06:40.760 but I, like Mande, will go to the mat with 0:06:40.800 --> 0:06:42.600 you and kick your ass and tell you that there's 0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:44.440 more to it than that and win because I really 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:47.240 don't know what I'm talking about anyway, We're gonna transition 0:06:47.279 --> 0:06:49.840 now from hot coffee, ice cleats, bibs, and tiny poles 0:06:49.839 --> 0:06:53.080 to cold beer, flip flops, board shorts, and long rods. 0:06:53.240 --> 0:06:57.400 And look, every year around this time, I personally start 0:06:57.480 --> 0:07:00.920 feeling the itch for some saltwater flats fishing and warm climes, 0:07:01.279 --> 0:07:03.880 and I inevitably think about the small island nation of 0:07:03.920 --> 0:07:06.400 the Bahamas. It's been so long since I've been there. 0:07:06.640 --> 0:07:11.400 I long for andros and adimony man Bimonys, the Sleeper, 0:07:11.600 --> 0:07:15.560 by the way, big bones. But the Bahamas defined saltwater 0:07:15.680 --> 0:07:18.400 flats fishing as we know it. The country controls the 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:20.800 largest expanse of saltwater flats in the world, and it's 0:07:20.840 --> 0:07:25.440 built an entire multi billion dollar industry around bonefish, a 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:28.240 species that, if you think about it, right, not so 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:33.880 long ago, was practically worthless totally. Locals caught them just 0:07:34.080 --> 0:07:37.400 to sell to big gamers, as Marlin bates like, that's 0:07:37.440 --> 0:07:39.880 what they back in the day. They trolled them from 0:07:39.880 --> 0:07:44.120 our imagine that, right. But also they're super flashy and reflective, 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:46.040 so I kind of get it. But that was in 0:07:46.360 --> 0:07:49.760 the not so distant past. Anyway. In this week's Freaking 0:07:49.840 --> 0:07:52.160 Philistine segment, where we encourage all of you to get 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:54.960 out there and read actual words that have been printed 0:07:55.080 --> 0:07:57.640 on actual paper. Miles is going to tell you about 0:07:57.640 --> 0:08:00.040 a book that traces the history of that fishery and 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:03.920 explains how it all came about. What's fasting. It's a 0:08:04.000 --> 0:08:06.840 guy who doesn't care about books or interesting films and things, 0:08:07.680 --> 0:08:14.000 an unfasting. The great thing about poetry is that sometimes 0:08:14.080 --> 0:08:16.800 you can get lost in it. When a poem works, 0:08:17.200 --> 0:08:21.040 it resonates past logic. You lose yourself in a chord 0:08:21.120 --> 0:08:24.880 of language, of a perfect economy of words that hits 0:08:25.440 --> 0:08:28.600 in a way that doesn't necessarily make sense, but it 0:08:28.720 --> 0:08:32.040 feels good. You might not understand what's going on, but 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:36.520 you enjoy it. The problem with poetry is sometimes you 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:40.559 can get lost in it. Without a story or characters 0:08:40.640 --> 0:08:44.360 to hold onto, a poem can feel like this chaotic jumble, 0:08:44.880 --> 0:08:48.319 a dartboard of language, a monkey with a dictionary, And 0:08:48.440 --> 0:08:52.600 when that happens, words that might make you feel something 0:08:52.960 --> 0:08:57.160 turn into ash and slip through your fingers. Chris Dombrowski 0:08:57.240 --> 0:09:01.360 primarily writes poetry, but his book Body of Water is 0:09:01.480 --> 0:09:05.160 narrative nonfiction. On its face, it's just a damn good 0:09:05.200 --> 0:09:08.199 fishing story, a Rocky Mountain fishing guide gets obsessed with 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:11.080 a certain saltwater fish and goes on to spend time 0:09:11.200 --> 0:09:14.880 and money that his young family just can't afford pursuing 0:09:14.960 --> 0:09:19.160 that fish. Of course, all of us who genuinely understand 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:22.800 pursuing fish know that it's never just about the fish, 0:09:23.360 --> 0:09:27.160 and as readers followed Dombrowski onto sun soaked flats, chasing 0:09:27.440 --> 0:09:31.200 another hook up, another banshee howling run, we get far 0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:34.320 more than we might have expected. This book provides an 0:09:34.440 --> 0:09:39.000 unauthoritative account of the Bahamian bonefish industry through the cataract 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:41.960 milked eyes of a man who arguably pioneered that industry. 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:46.640 It explores how these unpalatable and once reviled bottom feeders 0:09:46.720 --> 0:09:51.280 became silver bricks in the foundation of high end Bohemian tourism, 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:54.120 and the subsequent tussle over who gets to stand on 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:57.520 top of that structure. Body of water stands out not 0:09:57.720 --> 0:10:00.760 just as an engrossing fishing book with enough depth to 0:10:00.880 --> 0:10:03.720 feel worthy of your time, but as a sublime example 0:10:03.760 --> 0:10:06.720 of what happens when a poet turns his whittled phrasings 0:10:06.760 --> 0:10:09.760 into a long form narrative. It's just satisfying to read. 0:10:10.040 --> 0:10:13.440 Here's an example. I was about to enter my thirteenth 0:10:13.520 --> 0:10:15.520 year as a fly fishing guide in Montana, but would 0:10:15.520 --> 0:10:18.120 have to wait two months before my seasonal work began 0:10:18.440 --> 0:10:21.760 in Earnest, and wait twice that many months before I 0:10:21.800 --> 0:10:24.320 could begin to row my way out of five figure 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:28.560 deep debt, the product of some of my patented financial wizardry, 0:10:29.080 --> 0:10:32.560 which was itself largely a product of having indentured myself 0:10:32.880 --> 0:10:36.480 to the angling life at age sixteen, followed by sustained 0:10:36.520 --> 0:10:39.160 attempts to live like a sixteen year old for the 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:43.000 ensuing seventeen years. I think it's fair to say, now, 0:10:43.520 --> 0:10:46.959 with the perspective several years afford that I was at 0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:51.400 best clinically depressed, fatigued with indecision that boarded on dread, 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:54.720 and in need of professional help. My psychologist father would 0:10:54.720 --> 0:10:57.600 have referred me to any number of well qualified counselors, 0:10:57.679 --> 0:11:02.559 but out of some strange think or allegiance, I trusted 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:07.360 only waters treatments. Threadbare more than a bit benumbed, I 0:11:07.480 --> 0:11:09.959 hoped I might be able to fish myself out of 0:11:10.120 --> 0:11:15.079 my fret driven depression. I've done it before, each cast 0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:18.000 a pathway out of what I assumed was myself, I 0:11:18.120 --> 0:11:23.439 remembered vaguely, or perhaps it invented an apocryphal story in 0:11:23.559 --> 0:11:27.000 which doctors an ancient India tied mentally ill patients the 0:11:27.120 --> 0:11:30.360 trees beside the moving water, sequestered near the sound of 0:11:30.440 --> 0:11:34.719 water running over rocks, the mad were often cured. I 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:39.439 was hoping to fill such a prescription. Now, if that 0:11:39.640 --> 0:11:42.640 doesn't make you want to follow along, you just don't 0:11:42.679 --> 0:11:46.480 like good fishing stories. So do yourself a favor and 0:11:46.640 --> 0:11:54.480 pick up a copy of Body of Water. Dude, we 0:11:54.600 --> 0:11:57.480 need to get Nebraski on this show, aren't you? Aren't 0:11:57.480 --> 0:12:00.120 you two buddies? Like, why have we not heard he 0:12:00.200 --> 0:12:02.000 done this? Is he worried hanging out with us my 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:05.559 tarnish's brand or something? No, no, no, no, it's not 0:12:05.679 --> 0:12:07.960 like that. It's not like that. I mean, yes, Chris 0:12:08.160 --> 0:12:10.199 is a very well respected writer and a guy, but 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:12.719 he's not like one of those holier than now high 0:12:12.760 --> 0:12:16.679 and mighty kind of dudes. It's that is not on him, honestly, 0:12:16.880 --> 0:12:19.319 Like I am the problem. We he and I we 0:12:19.400 --> 0:12:20.800 just haven't had a chance to catch up, you know, 0:12:21.000 --> 0:12:23.400 And like I don't want to be I don't want 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:25.640 the first contact for me to be be asking him 0:12:25.679 --> 0:12:27.600 for a favor, you know, like I don't. I don't 0:12:27.600 --> 0:12:29.280 want to be that guy. Like we have'm talked in 0:12:29.400 --> 0:12:31.599 like ten months, but hey, I got something. Can you 0:12:31.679 --> 0:12:32.959 help me out with something? I just I don't want 0:12:32.960 --> 0:12:34.760 to do that, you know, so I gotta catch up 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:37.319 with him. Oh, it's it's that's totally fancy, like my buddy. 0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:39.480 It's like my buddy John Frasier at sim and be like, 0:12:39.520 --> 0:12:42.120 hey man here, waiters, how you being by the way, 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:45.280 shout out to John. That is fair, but you should 0:12:45.320 --> 0:12:47.240 get on that. And while we hope to have Nembraski 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:50.520 on the show sometime soon, we're not waiting around for him. 0:12:50.600 --> 0:12:52.959 This show, like the news, waits for no one, and 0:12:53.080 --> 0:13:01.200 it is time for fish news. Fish news. That escalated quickly. 0:13:01.960 --> 0:13:04.920 All right, let's fire up some housekeeping quickly. Kind of 0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:07.600 big news. I mean it's not really big. It's kind 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:11.599 of exciting news. At least it's not big news. We 0:13:11.720 --> 0:13:14.839 have stickers finally, and I'm such a I'm such a 0:13:14.880 --> 0:13:17.680 sticker nerd. Some of you guys have been asking about stickers, 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:19.280 and some of you may have seen Miles and I 0:13:19.440 --> 0:13:22.680 post these on our Instagram pages, last week. But quick 0:13:22.720 --> 0:13:25.920 sticker recap, we now have some super bad ass Meat 0:13:25.960 --> 0:13:29.200 Eater fishing stickers drawn by my good Bud and killer 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:31.560 artist Mike suit All, and they've got a wicked food 0:13:31.640 --> 0:13:36.480 chain Russian nesting doll sort of thing. One one listener 0:13:36.600 --> 0:13:39.200 even liking it to the human centipede. But he, I mean, 0:13:39.240 --> 0:13:41.920 he's just a sick of so like's not really can't 0:13:41.960 --> 0:13:46.160 go that way, but anyway, it's a muskie swallowing a bass, 0:13:46.240 --> 0:13:48.840 that's swallowing a trout that's swallowing a minner and it's 0:13:48.960 --> 0:13:52.439 damn cool. So those are now available to all in 0:13:52.480 --> 0:13:56.240 the Meat Eater's store, but strong possibility Miles and I 0:13:56.760 --> 0:13:59.000 might have a few stacks of those set aside to 0:13:59.120 --> 0:14:02.840 give away. That is highly likely a little secret stash 0:14:02.920 --> 0:14:06.800 maybe little see yeah you know, but we also have 0:14:07.600 --> 0:14:13.480 official degenerate Angler Bent stickers, which trained eyes might notice 0:14:13.679 --> 0:14:17.439 mirror the text segues used in the movie Clerks. So 0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:20.560 the burning question out there, how do you get some? 0:14:21.080 --> 0:14:23.440 I know all of you were wondering, Well, there are 0:14:23.440 --> 0:14:26.840 a few different options if we use anything that you 0:14:27.040 --> 0:14:30.480 send to our email Bent at the Meat Eater dot 0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:33.200 com on the show, whether it's an awkward photo or 0:14:33.240 --> 0:14:35.920 a salebin item, or a news story, or a question 0:14:36.040 --> 0:14:39.040 for Lance, a bar nomination, really really anything at all. 0:14:39.080 --> 0:14:40.800 Even if we just give you a shout out or 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:44.440 you correct us on something we screw up, you'll get 0:14:44.480 --> 0:14:46.920 a little sticker pack from us. We'll send it to you. However, 0:14:47.680 --> 0:14:50.600 we're also we're also keeping an eye on the hashtags 0:14:50.760 --> 0:14:54.800 Degenerate Angler and bent podcast on the Graham, So you know, 0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:58.200 if you impress us, like make us laugh, we'll probably 0:14:58.200 --> 0:15:00.800 throw some stickers your way. Yeah, at least for now, 0:15:00.880 --> 0:15:03.240 the only way to get yourself an official Degenerate Angler 0:15:03.320 --> 0:15:06.400 sticker is to somehow charm me or Miles, but a 0:15:06.520 --> 0:15:08.440 modicum of work involved. The I think about how much 0:15:08.440 --> 0:15:10.520 cool it will be to stick one of these ultimately 0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:13.480 valueless items on your lands Fee series tackle box because 0:15:13.520 --> 0:15:16.800 you got it directly from us. And I'll also add 0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:21.160 that we're not very difficult to charm. So yeah, simple people, 0:15:21.400 --> 0:15:24.360 it's time for you to represent. We appreciate it. All right, 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:26.920 It is time to get to fish news and a 0:15:27.000 --> 0:15:30.800 quick reminder, this is a competition. Joe and I do 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:33.440 not know which stories the others bringing to the table, 0:15:33.480 --> 0:15:38.359 and we are as always competing for the praise, the recognition, 0:15:38.560 --> 0:15:43.720 and the validation of our paternal podcast engineer Phil Joe. 0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:45.720 You're leading off, man, What do you I am? I 0:15:45.800 --> 0:15:47.640 am so I'll tell you what, dude, I'm about to 0:15:47.760 --> 0:15:52.000 make a very dedicated listener of this program, perhaps even 0:15:52.640 --> 0:15:54.160 may I go as far as as to say our 0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:57.720 number one fan very happy this week, Okay. And that 0:15:57.880 --> 0:16:06.440 person is mister Mike Stevens of the web turn Outdoor News. Oh, Mike, Mike, Yeah, dude, 0:16:06.480 --> 0:16:08.080 all right, I know. I'm sorry. I'm gonna I'm gonna 0:16:08.120 --> 0:16:10.200 jump in on you because you reminded me. You actually 0:16:10.200 --> 0:16:13.640 reminded me of some some housekeeping I should probably do too, 0:16:13.840 --> 0:16:17.080 because I totally forgot. I have a very important correction 0:16:17.160 --> 0:16:21.120 that needs to be addressed. Mike. Uh. He wrote in 0:16:21.240 --> 0:16:23.840 to tell me that I messed up in our recent 0:16:23.920 --> 0:16:26.480 interview that we did with Oliver and I and and 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:29.240 in that we asked Oliver to choose between Nike pumps 0:16:29.320 --> 0:16:34.000 and Rebok catapults, and Mike wrote he said, I'm pretty 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:37.960 sure it was La Gear, not Reebok that made the 0:16:38.000 --> 0:16:42.640 catapult a watchdog. That's a watchdog right there, And he 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:45.520 goes on to say, I only remember because I played 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:47.640 hoops in high school, and back then it was all 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:51.920 about whose shoe you wore. Carl Malone rock catapults, but 0:16:52.280 --> 0:16:56.120 LA gear was almost always in the lame category. So 0:16:57.200 --> 0:16:59.440 thank you for that, Mike. And since I wrote the question, 0:16:59.760 --> 0:17:03.240 I take full responsibility for that that egregious error. And 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:05.640 let's hope I don't mess up anything near that important 0:17:05.880 --> 0:17:09.119 in fish news here. Sorry, well back, No, no, no, no, no, no, 0:17:09.240 --> 0:17:11.200 that's great. I'm glad we worked that in. Mike gets 0:17:11.240 --> 0:17:13.840 double shouted out, But this is no joke. I didn't 0:17:13.840 --> 0:17:16.080 go look Mike up. This story of his in the 0:17:16.119 --> 0:17:19.680 Western Outdoor News genuinely popped up in my Google news feed, 0:17:20.040 --> 0:17:24.000 and it's very recent, and it resonated with me so much, 0:17:24.080 --> 0:17:25.639 and I'm betting it or resonate with a lot of 0:17:25.720 --> 0:17:27.520 other people out there. And it made me say, yes, 0:17:28.240 --> 0:17:33.119 damn right, you preach brother, Mike headline Lake Management stop 0:17:33.200 --> 0:17:37.919 publicizing stock days. So listen, yeah, I got I got 0:17:38.000 --> 0:17:40.359 a serious education from this piece. Because I'm not hip 0:17:40.480 --> 0:17:43.200 to the California truck trout scene. I don't know anything 0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:45.879 about it, and according to Mike's story, due to a 0:17:46.040 --> 0:17:50.480 mix of factors, which include some virus outbreaks at certain 0:17:50.520 --> 0:17:52.760 fish hatcheries, meaning the fish, not the people like that. 0:17:53.160 --> 0:17:55.040 I don't know what they got, but the fish got sick, 0:17:55.720 --> 0:17:59.320 plus COVID nineteen, budget shortfalls, misallocated funds, and as he 0:17:59.440 --> 0:18:03.439 put it, a deprioritizing of fishing at state and federal 0:18:03.560 --> 0:18:08.399 leadership levels. California had a shortage of trout this past season, 0:18:09.160 --> 0:18:12.360 and this is a big problem. And as in many 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:14.720 other states, it sounds like Callie has a mix of 0:18:14.840 --> 0:18:17.480 fish that you know, some come from state hatcheries and 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:20.440 some come from private hatcheries, which is important because I'll 0:18:20.760 --> 0:18:25.480 jump into a selection from Mike's story says lakes opting 0:18:25.560 --> 0:18:28.920 for private providers of hatchery rainbows are not immune either, 0:18:29.200 --> 0:18:32.399 because anglers frustrated at the lack of trout plants at 0:18:32.440 --> 0:18:35.720 their local holes are going to look elsewhere, and most 0:18:35.880 --> 0:18:38.680 are willing to get up earlier and burn some gas 0:18:38.840 --> 0:18:41.840 in order to find spots where putting five on a 0:18:41.960 --> 0:18:45.880 stringer is within the realm of possibility. Lake stock by private, 0:18:46.119 --> 0:18:49.480 non DFW hatcheries are no longer solely doing so for 0:18:49.560 --> 0:18:53.119 the benefit of local anglers, because those folks are the 0:18:53.200 --> 0:18:55.840 ones taking advantage of the best trout fishing a given 0:18:55.920 --> 0:18:58.680 lake has to offer, and most of that carnage is 0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:02.200 going down on the day a lake is stocked. Most 0:19:02.280 --> 0:19:05.280 anglers know the location that their favorite lakes are stocked, 0:19:05.400 --> 0:19:07.720 and even on an unfamiliar lake, it's easy to figure out, 0:19:08.080 --> 0:19:11.960 and there's not many practical workarounds there. But lake staffers 0:19:12.040 --> 0:19:15.959 or city personnel publicizing the day, if not the time 0:19:16.240 --> 0:19:19.119 of the plant on social media or their own websites 0:19:19.680 --> 0:19:22.280 is what creates that gauntlet, and that's what he's saying 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:25.040 needs to stop. And Mike goes on to say, there's 0:19:25.040 --> 0:19:28.480 an understandable benefit to posting those details because it results 0:19:28.520 --> 0:19:31.320 in cars lined up outside the gate hours before the 0:19:31.440 --> 0:19:33.159 lake area opens. And it sounds like a lot of 0:19:33.200 --> 0:19:35.240 these lakes, which is a little different from the East Coast, 0:19:35.760 --> 0:19:38.760 have concession stands that sell everything from coffee to worms, 0:19:38.840 --> 0:19:41.680 to fishing permits and hot dogs, and they make money 0:19:41.720 --> 0:19:43.760 off people showing up to catch these trout. But his 0:19:44.000 --> 0:19:48.040 argument is that that quick spike in cash right produced 0:19:48.080 --> 0:19:51.280 by posting these minute stocking details, it's kind of a 0:19:51.440 --> 0:19:54.359 bad win because what happens is the joint gets fished 0:19:54.359 --> 0:19:56.880 out in a day or two. Then there's this long 0:19:56.960 --> 0:19:59.760 ass lull in action between stockings during which these same 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:03.400 session stands aren't making any money. And meanwhile he's saying, 0:20:03.480 --> 0:20:06.280 all you see on social media, you know, as people 0:20:06.359 --> 0:20:08.879 crying about this spot's fished out, it's fished out, it's 0:20:08.880 --> 0:20:12.280 fished out over here, or berating people calling them truck 0:20:12.320 --> 0:20:16.600 trout chasers, you know. And yet, as Mike points out, 0:20:16.720 --> 0:20:20.080 the situation has sort of forced you to become a 0:20:20.119 --> 0:20:22.920 truck chaser, because if you want to experience a really 0:20:23.000 --> 0:20:26.080 good hot bite, you kind of sort of have to 0:20:26.160 --> 0:20:29.520 play this game. You have to be there when they're stocked. 0:20:30.119 --> 0:20:34.320 And Mike finishes with why not keep stock dates under wraps? 0:20:34.640 --> 0:20:37.840 You can still announce how many pounds will be stocked 0:20:37.880 --> 0:20:39.920 over the course of a season, or how many times 0:20:39.960 --> 0:20:42.560 within a given month trout will go in. And even 0:20:42.680 --> 0:20:46.960 DFW only publishes the weak trout planser schedule to happen, 0:20:47.560 --> 0:20:50.080 not the day. And he says, if we adopted that, 0:20:50.160 --> 0:20:52.800 if California adopted that, he says, the crowds will spread 0:20:52.840 --> 0:20:55.600 out over the rest of the month, making fishing more comfortable, 0:20:55.800 --> 0:20:59.440 and there will absolutely be more permits and worms and 0:20:59.560 --> 0:21:01.719 cups of Joe sold over the long run to all 0:21:01.760 --> 0:21:04.800 the new faces in the crowd. And dude, this hits 0:21:04.880 --> 0:21:07.240 so close to home for me, it's not even funny. 0:21:07.240 --> 0:21:10.679 I'll tell you, Like out here my entire life. Trout 0:21:10.840 --> 0:21:14.639 stock streams in Jersey closed two weeks before the season opened, 0:21:14.760 --> 0:21:17.480 and across the river in Pennsylvania one month before the 0:21:17.520 --> 0:21:20.840 season opened, and those rivers and lakes could be stocked 0:21:20.880 --> 0:21:24.520 anytime within that period, right and then after opening day 0:21:24.680 --> 0:21:27.480 you could find out the weak most bodies of water 0:21:27.560 --> 0:21:30.359 would be stocked, but not the day, and there were 0:21:30.359 --> 0:21:33.000 a few exceptions. There were a few places where you 0:21:33.040 --> 0:21:35.240 could find out the day, however, you weren't allowed to 0:21:35.400 --> 0:21:38.280 fish on that day, or you could fish like after 0:21:38.400 --> 0:21:41.040 six pm or something like that. But the bottom line 0:21:41.160 --> 0:21:45.280 is my entire life, the stockers would flush the system, 0:21:45.440 --> 0:21:47.160 you know what I mean. You could wade a couple 0:21:47.320 --> 0:21:50.879 miles of any given trout stream, well away from the 0:21:50.960 --> 0:21:54.359 easy access stock points and catch fish. And I don't 0:21:54.400 --> 0:21:56.240 do this as much as I did growing up, but 0:21:56.400 --> 0:21:58.960 per recent experiences over the last few years, that doesn't 0:21:59.000 --> 0:22:03.520 really seem to happen more. And you know now, is 0:22:03.560 --> 0:22:05.840 that because it's so easy to figure out the stock 0:22:05.920 --> 0:22:08.320 weeks and days, not entirely because it's always been that way. 0:22:08.760 --> 0:22:10.639 I think it's a combo there being a lot more 0:22:10.720 --> 0:22:13.119 people out there that want to chase stock trout now 0:22:13.280 --> 0:22:15.639 than you have the influence of social media, and I 0:22:15.680 --> 0:22:17.720 think since time is money for a lot of people, 0:22:17.840 --> 0:22:20.480 there's more effort to hit places as close to stocking 0:22:20.560 --> 0:22:23.520 as possible. And I swear these days, man like you 0:22:23.760 --> 0:22:27.520 only catch these fish where they're dumped, and they won't 0:22:27.560 --> 0:22:29.399