Fish Like a GIRL

So far this winter has been pretty okay for ice fisherman. Although I fish avidly in the summer, it seems the older I get, the less ice fishing I do. I think that is true for many of us who are not die hard “hard water” anglers. So, with the lack of snow, some of us find ourselves wondering what to do with some of our free time.

Now, that said, the lack of snow does make for great hiking opportunities as well as biking. I have also seen some new, cool ice skating opportunities on social media, and I will be hoping to check in with those folks making those ice trails and have more information here in the Outdoors section on that opportunity to get out and enjoy the Northwoods in a pretty unique and fun way.

One way that I have found to pass some time in recent years is by ferreting out podcasts that I decide to follow. I have dipped my toes into the podcasting arena myself in recent years, and listening to other people’s podcasts has been a learning experience in that endeavor, as well. So my reasoning for finding good podcasts has been moved along for several reasons: entertainment, learning and research on what makes a good podcast.

An interesting note about my somewhat new-found affinity for podcasts is that I have never been a “talk radio” kind of person. When I am driving, which I do a ton of throughout the year, I much prefer to be jamming to tunes than listening to someone talk — at least that has been the case historically. But every now and then, as I am spending my requisite “windshield” time, I will fire up a podcast and listen while I am on the road. More often than not, though, I am listening while doing other things at home. 

My early morning hours, mostly from 4 to 7 a.m., depending on what time I get up in the morning, are usually used to find a way to expand my horizons or to learn new things. I will be either reading, doing some internet research on one topic or another or listening to podcasts.

There are a ton of podcasts out there today. I would venture to guess there is no subject about which there is not at least one or two podcasts.

When I worked in the office at The Lakeland Times all the time, back when I first started, I used to listen to the Sporting Journal Podcast every Monday morning when I got to the office. I was usually the first or second one in, and the office was pretty quiet. I found the Sporting Journal Podcast about the same time I started working at the Times, so it became an early ritual of mine. As I planned my week, I would listen to this podcast out of Minnesota that covered all types of hunting and fishing issues, many of which resonated here in Wisconsin as well. The podcast is hosted by Bret Amundson and is now produced by Dan Amundson.

Most who know me would understand that the podcast Bass Talk Live was a no-brainer. The host is Matt Pangrac. He fishes some professional tournaments and basically covers all things professional bass fishing. This may not always be the type of podcast for anglers who are looking to learn about techniques and finding fish and all of those things, but for me, it is an interesting look into the upper levels of my favorite sport — bass fishing. It is great to hear Pangrac talk with professional anglers about the changes the sport is undergoing and all of the inside type of stuff as well as how they did well in a recent tournament, what lures they used and what tactics they employed. All of those things are interesting to me as a bass angler.

There are plenty of other fishing podcasts out there. Orvis, not surprisingly, has a great fly fishing podcast. The Newb and the Knower Podcast is a good one for those fly fishing basics, but there are so many I have listened to at least a few episodes of: Casting Across, Fly Fishing Food, The Backcountry Fly Fishing Podcast, Tackle Talk and The Mend are some of the other good ones. I think the big thing is finding a host who could be your buddy that you meet at the local watering hole to talk fishing with, and that could be extrapolated out to any other area of interest. It can be difficult sometimes to find that “friend” in a podcast that makes a person want to come back for episode after episode, but once I find those, I add them quickly to my list.

The Concealed Carry Podcast is another favorite of mine, obviously, being a concealed carry and home defense instructor. That podcast, as the name implies, covers every aspect of concealed carry, incidents that have happened, keeping yourself and your family safe as a concealed carrier and all of those sorts of things. For me, it is always informative and has made me a better instructor as well. I do want to give a word of warning here, however. Simply because there is a podcast and the guy/gal who is hosting that podcast believes themselves to be smart and reputable in a certain subject — to some extent, podcasts need to be treated like anything else on the internet. A listener needs to do their own research and figure out for themselves if what they are listening to tracks for them. This podcast, though, is one of my favorites for a reason. They are simply reputable and knowledgeable people.

Enter Joe Rogan. I have never listened to him, as most of his content does not interest me. That said, a friend told me about an episode where he interviewed Diane Boyd. She recently released her book “A Woman Among Wolves,” which chronicles her 40+ years of wolf research and living, basically, out in the bush. I read the book and it was a worthy read, so I listened to this one episode of Rogan’s podcast. As I said, most of his content is of little interest to me, but this one was well worthwhile. So it may be worth looking through episodes of a podcast to which one would not normally listen.

Now I will turn to hunting podcasts. These are somewhat difficult for me to find favorites in. I enjoy hunting, even though I do not do as much of it as I should or as I used to. The thing with hunting podcasts is how some of those hosts come off or portray themselves. Maybe there is simply too much testosterone or braggadocios in many of them for me to really get interested in them. But there are those more “mainstream” sorts of podcasts such as Hornady and Outdoor Life, that usually provide some good information in an approachable way.

There are also a good number of podcasts out there covering environmental issues, climate change and those types of categories. Again, it is about finding good information that is presented by people that seem knowledgable, but also that I, as a listener, could get along with in a real life setting. I have also noticed that some of these podcasts, just like many YouTube Channels I used to like, can go off the rails at some point, if you will. Some of them can seem great for a long duration and then suddenly seem super “out there,” and never really come back to center. 

A new-to-me podcast I recently found and enjoyed several episodes of was The Practical Prepper. Now, before readers roll their eyes at me, hear me out. The episodes I have listened to thus far have been about sustainability and homesteading. Obviously, I am not in a place to create a homestead where I am living now and, let us be honest, at my age that may not be in my future. However, the concepts are definitely interesting to me, and I try to be as self-sufficient as possible through gardening, foraging, hunting and even some fishing (although we are not allowed to keep fish during a tournament). I look to do things to increase biodiversity on my little piece of this planet. So, those sorts of episodes intrigue me.

Along those lines, the Permaculture of the Future Podcast has some really good information about permaculture, too. Homesteading Family has a cool podcast called Pantry Chat that looks to help basically anyone, anywhere to create a homesteading atmosphere for themselves and their family. 

Sustainable World Radio is another one I have listened to here and there. This podcast seems a bit more quiet, I guess is the right word for the overall feeling of the show. Some podcasts are super upbeat with hard hitting music and a flashy intro and outro, and then there are podcasts like Sustainable World Radio that are just quiet and calm. Again, what plays well to one person’s mind may not play well to another person’s.

For me, spending a morning listening to podcasts of my choice is a better option than many other things I might do, such as watching national news. I keep abreast of things, but I would rather put my time into learning more about the things that interest me. I hope not only that readers can find a new favorite podcast in my list here, but that they will also share their favorite podcasts with me via email.

Beckie Gaskill may be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].