Episode 61: Eating Wild 'Meats' Ugly Pike Pt. 1

Join us on this unforgettable episode of the Eating Wild Podcast, where we, Antonio 'Smash' Meleca and Christopher 'Showtime' Johnson, celebrate our friendship and dive into the world of muskie fishing with none other than Frank and Chris from the Ugly Pike podcast. These legends of the muskie community share their incredible journey and the groundbreaking impact their podcast has had on our fishing adventures. From our collaboration with the Outdoor Journal Radio Podcast Network to the upcoming Ugly Pike brew, you're in for a treat packed with stories, laughter, and insider insights.

As we reminisce about our fishing escapades, we transport you to Eagle Lake's famous Andy Meyers Lodge. Experience the unique environment where guides and guests gather nightly, strategizing for the next day's fishing. We also unravel the relentless pursuit of the elusive 50-inch musky and the sheer joy of all musky catches.

Finally, we turn our attention to the art of hosting carnivorous feasts and the invaluable role of hiring guides. Imagine marinated flank steak and sous vide ribs prepared with fresh garden ingredients, and the joy that gourmet meals bring to fishing trips. Discover the benefits of hiring professional guides, whose local knowledge and expertise can transform your outdoor adventures. With personal anecdotes highlighting the importance of guides, this episode promises a treasure trove of practical tips, heartfelt stories, and a genuine love for the outdoors that every enthusiast will appreciate. Don’t miss out on this rich tapestry of fishing, food, and friendship!

Follow Eating Wild on Instagram! To reach out to the boys, drop us a line at [e-mail]

Episode Transcript

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Speaker 5 (00:52):
Hi everybody.
I'm Angelo Viola and I'm PeteBowman.
Now you might know us as thehosts of Canada's favorite
fishing show, but now we'rehosting a podcast.
That's right.
Every Thursday, Ang, I will beright here in your ears bringing
you a brand new episode ofOutdoor Journal Radio.
Hmm, Now, what are we going totalk about for two hours every
week?
Well, you know, there's goingto be a lot of fishing.

Speaker 3 (01:13):
I knew exactly where those fish were going to be and
how to catch them, and they wereeasy to catch.

Speaker 5 (01:19):
Yeah, but it's not just a fishing show.

Speaker 6 (01:20):
We're going to be talking to people from all
facets of the outdoors, fromathletes, all the other guys
would go golfing Me and GartonTurk and all the Russians would
go fishing To scientists.
But now that we're reforestingand letting things freeze, it's
the perfect transmissionenvironment for life.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
To chefs If any game isn't cooked properly, marinated
, you will taste it.

Speaker 5 (01:45):
And whoever else will pick up the phone Wherever you
are.
Outdoor Journal Radio seeks toanswer the questions and tell
the stories of all those whoenjoy being outside.
Find us on Spotify, applePodcasts or wherever you get
your podcasts welcome.

Speaker 3 (02:14):
Welcome everybody to another episode of the eating
wild podcast.
I'm your host, antonio smashmalecka that smash is a little
emphasized there and I got myco-host, christopher Showtime
Johnson, in studio again, folks.
I am the co-host with the mostwhat the hell is going on.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
You know how you're the host with the most.
I'm the co-host with the mostand I'm taking over this podcast
today.
I'm taking it over.

Speaker 3 (02:37):
Listen, man, we got a problem.
You know why, Siege.
What's your problem?
Because I'm getting used to youcoming here.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
Every time you come here, the podcast room gets a
little bit more dirty.
You want to know why?
Because it's like a celebrationmy friend, it is.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
I thought you were going to say the cigar smoke.
I thought that's what.
Every time I come, I apologize.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
Well, we installed a fan inside of our podcast room
for a reason.
So now we get to enjoy a nicedart, a nice drink, and we get
to shoot the shit.
Best friends in the whole worldsiege.
We got an amazing show,exciting news.
You said you're running theshow today.
Buddy, you got to tell everyonewhat's happening today?

Speaker 2 (03:08):
today we have a huge.
We got in studio guests.
Get the hell out of here.
That's only happened.
What in the eating wild yearhistory?
How many times?

Speaker 3 (03:15):
say two, two times, not as important, not and and we
got to mention one reallyimportant thing here what's that
?
One of the guests that we'rehaving today.
Not only is it his first timein our studio, but I think this
is one of the first time we gotto meet this guy live without
seeing him through a camera.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
You know what?
What did Dan Martin say aboutour guest?
Is he AI?

Speaker 3 (03:37):
No, yeah, he thought he was AI.
He did.
Yeah, he thought he was AI.
He's like.
This guy doesn't even exist inreal life.
Right, okay, now we're notgoing to break the news yet,
because I got to talk to youfirst, but I want to break the
news.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
I know you want to break the news.
But hold on, these guys are thepioneers.
Hold on a second.
They're like the Joe Rogans ofMusk.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
Oh, you just ruined the whole day possibly the whole
week Okay.
So you just broke the news.
I heard the word Musk.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Musk, but not going to be like Muskall.
No Elon Musk.
Do we have Elon Musk on today?

Speaker 3 (04:10):
Tom no we don't, we don't, but in the fishing world
it's close, it is, the fishingworld is close.
Siege yes, please break thenews.
You're driving me nuts.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
We have the pioneers.
Some people call them the goatof the muskie, greatest of all
time podcasters.

Speaker 3 (04:23):
I would say gurus.
But yeah, I say G-O-T, yeah, goahead, we have.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
Frank and Chris from the Ugly Pike podcast Get the
hell out of here.
And, as everyone knows, welisten to these guys right from
the get-go.
They kind of planted a seedwith us, right they?

Speaker 3 (04:41):
sure did.
Well, here's my quick thing.
And if Hook hooks at Martinswas here and top dog they could
defer.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
So we that's a big word for you.

Speaker 3 (04:52):
Well, I mean I'm, I've had a few drinks coming out
of it.
Um, we've been listening topodcasts going up to our hunting
and fishing trips now for thepast six, seven years Correct,
and I'll never forget going downthe 400.
And Dan Martins looks at me andsays boys, there's a podcast.
I'm like what's a podcast?
He's like no, I had no idea.
I mean, I'm listening tocountry music.
You guys are listening topodcasts and they said there's a

(05:14):
podcast about musky.
And I think the boys havealready been a few episodes in
from the first time I heard andit blew my mind because not only
did it get us to ourdestination quicker, because we
got to listen, and it was justlike holy smokes.
We couldn't believe thatsomebody was talking muskie
because you got to admit six,seven years ago I don't think

(05:36):
the trend of muskie is aspopular as it is now.
Being a muskie angler, you're adifferent breed, you're nuts.
And the fact that these guyscome in with the science, the
guests, that they have thesticks from Ontario, from all
over the world, and I'm justexcited that we're part of their
team with the Outdoor JournalRadio Podcast Network, but to
have them here, to have Chrishere, I'm so excited and, siege,

(06:00):
I can't wait to pick theirbrain.
We're going to talk fishing.
We're going to talk food.
We're going to talk fishing.
We're going to talk food.
We're going to talk booze.
What Ugly.
Listen, I'm going to let themdrop the news, but the rumor is
is that they got a brew that'scirculating that's going to
change the way you drink beers.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
Well, I'll tell you.
The rumor is I might've had acouple of those drinks before
this podcast.
Let me just tell you this.

Speaker 3 (06:20):
You're ruining it, man.
You're ruining the whole.
We're trying to paint thepicture for the guests here.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
Siege, I'm just telling you it is a taste test
from Siege.

Speaker 3 (06:28):
And I loved it.
Man, it's a flying Siege.
Okay, I'm excited.

Speaker 2 (06:31):
I gotta calm down, tone, you do the thing.
I'm not the co-host of the most, you're the host with the most.
Take it Okay, buddy.
Well, listen before quick thing.
Yes, uh, we launched the eatingwild fillet knives last week on
the episode.
Are we popping?
I need to know we are man andthank you to everyone that
reached out.
We do have a very limitedsupplies left and they are going

(06:55):
.
They are going and the factthat is it's chef approved knife
.
Yeah, man, and we hear.
We heard the story from themaker amazing.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
So so again, just quickly before we bring the boys
into the room uh, how canpeople get their eco?
How can people get their?
Uh, the fishermen's?
Um, can they get it through?
Uh, instagram, how's it work?

Speaker 2 (07:16):
so you just remind the people so right now we're
just doing because we only havea limited supply.
We're not going to do thee-commerce store or anything
like that, we're just goinginstagram only.
Drop into this, slide.
What did the kids say?
slide into the dm slide in slideinto the dms and let us know
what you want.
We'll do an email moneytransfer.
Next thing you know you'regoing to have a beautiful filet

(07:37):
knife for the rest of the seasonof august.
You're going to be poppingwalleye and you're going to be
walters, walters, walters.

Speaker 3 (07:43):
I can't wait to clean .
Listen again before we go tobreak here and bring the boys
into the studio.
When you said chef approved,I'm going to tell you right now
I've had three of my best chefs.
Chef Craig Baxter, new Zealand,one of the best chefs I've ever
worked with in my life.
This guy, we put a knife in hishand.
Yes, he told me me, we justdestroyed him.

(08:06):
It's almost like, uh, drinkingyour first ugly pike beer.
You're ruined.
And I'm going to tell you rightnow they are chef approved.
Smash malecca approved.
The cracker doesn't know how touse a knife, but his pops knows
how.
Did you just call me a cracker?
No, I said you could put it ona cracker man.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
You're not listening to me, siege, you're not
listening to me.
You're gonna get canceled.

Speaker 3 (08:22):
That's his cancel concert listen the bull, bull
rod's got a problem with you.
The last text message he threw,you know, listen, you caught a
nickel.
He caught a nickel.
His looked like a nickel oncamera, yours looked like a
quarter.

Speaker 2 (08:34):
Oh, you're saying mine was a 25 pounder.

Speaker 3 (08:36):
Bull rod texted me on the side, said that wasn't a
nickel.

Speaker 2 (08:38):
You said it looked like a quarter, so it looked
like like a 25 pounder.

Speaker 3 (08:41):
No, no, no, Two and a half pounder.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
We got great guests, let's go.
Okay, listen, you're ruining it.

Speaker 3 (08:45):
Okay, siege, we're going to be right back.
Folks Listen, get your knife,go on the Instagram.
Talk to Showtime Johnson, getone in your hand.
On the other side of thismessage, you are going to be
welcomed by the gurus, by thegoats of the Outdoor Journal
Radio Podcast Network.
The Ugly Pike Boys will bejoining us right after these

(09:05):
short messages.

Speaker 7 (09:05):
Stay tuned oh boy.

Speaker 6 (09:15):
Ciao.
How did a small-town sheetmetal mechanic come to build one
of Canada's most iconic fishinglodges?
I'm your host, steve Nitzwicky,and you'll find out about that
and a whole lot more on theOutdoor Journal, radio Network's
newest podcast, diaries of aLodge Owner.
But this podcast will be morethan that.
Every week on Diaries of aLodge Owner, I'm going to

(09:37):
introduce you to a ton of greatpeople, share their stories of
our trials, tribulations andinspirations, learn and have
plenty of laughs along the way.

Speaker 5 (09:48):
Meanwhile we're sitting there bobbing along
trying to figure out how tocatch a bass and we both decided
one day we were going to be ontelevision doing a fishing show.

Speaker 6 (09:58):
My hands get sore a little bit when I'm reeling in
all those bass in the summertime, but that might be for more
fishing than it was.
Punching you so confidently,you said hey, pat, have you ever
eaten a drum?
Find Diaries of a Lodge Ownernow on Spotify, apple Podcasts
or wherever you get your podcast.

Speaker 7 (10:20):
As the world gets louder and louder, the lessons
of our natural world becomeharder and harder to hear, but
they are still available tothose who know where to listen.
I'm Gerry Ouellette and I washonoured to serve as Ontario's
Minister of Natural Resources.
However, my journey into thewoods didn't come from politics.

(10:42):
Rather, it came from my time inthe bush and a mushroom.
In 2015, I was introduced tothe birch-hungry fungus known as
chaga, a tree conch withcenturies of medicinal use by
Indigenous peoples all over theglobe.
After nearly a decade of harvestuse, testimonials and research,

(11:04):
my skepticism has faded toobsession and I now spend my
life dedicated to improving thelives of others through natural
means.
But that's not what the show isabout.
My pursuit of the strangemushroom and my passion for the
outdoors has brought me to theplaces and around the people
that are shaped by our naturalworld.
Brought me to the places andaround the people that are

(11:25):
shaped by our natural world.
On Outdoor Journal Radio'sUnder the Canopy podcast, I'm
going to take you along with meto see the places, meet the
people that will help you findyour outdoor passion and help
you live a life close to natureand under the canopy Find Under
the Canopy now on Spotify, applePodcasts or wherever else you
get your podcasts.

Speaker 8 (11:48):
Go ahead, chris.
See, I think you guys mighthave had me here just to prove I
existed.
You know what?
You know like, okay, I'll letyou go.
But just let me get this onepoint out.
I think, since I've been here,like the three or four or five
people I've met with Frank, theythey're, they're like oh, he
exists.
Yes, so you saw what I atedownstairs.
Yes, you know, robots can't eat, right?

(12:10):
You know what?

Speaker 2 (12:11):
nowadays with technology.
I want to check the lift upyour baseball hat to see if
there's a chip in there.
But it's so great to see you inperson, my man.
We we've heard so much aboutthe.
You know ai, chris and and whata pleasure, eh, antonio, I got
to tell you something.

Speaker 3 (12:26):
I already know Chris.
I knew he was human becausewe've been listening to Chris
for years.

Speaker 2 (12:31):
Okay, You've been listening.

Speaker 3 (12:32):
We've been listening, but hold on.
We got to sneak out and have adinner.
We did get to have a pre-dinnerbefore we came here and we
filled our bellies with somemeat.
We'll their bellies with somemeat, we'll talk about it a
great dinner.
But uh, chris, I gotta say itwas awesome meeting you and just
meeting you in person.
I know frank talks about you somuch from the show, from we've
had frank on our show a fewtimes and to have you here in

(12:53):
our studio right now.
It's a celebration, brother.
I don't know what else to say.
It's a celebration, not even apodcast today we're popping
bottles and we're eating meatman yeah, you know, the best
part about this is when you meetpeople.

Speaker 8 (13:03):
It's just easy going and you feel like you've known
them forever.
I'm hugging you guys like we'vebeen friends since we were kids
and that speaks to our sharedkind of passion and what we want
to do with our shows.
Yes, and I can see it just byyour intro, like how much you
absolutely love this and youknow like the dynamic right away

(13:24):
was like I don't need to.
There's no like uh, within anhour we're best friends, it
feels like.
So I really appreciated thatyou guys are so welcoming and
what you put, put together todaybefore we even started this
podcast.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
It just shows yeah, it's funny you say that because
a lot of guests we've had on theshow um, when you have this
passion of the outdoors incommon, they'll meet someone for
five minutes and all of asudden they're best friends.
When you have that mutual thing, I don't know if it's like for
golfers that are walking ballsaround.

Speaker 3 (13:55):
I know it's funny, because the first time I met
Frank actually was at the ODJstudio Right, and it felt like I
knew you.

Speaker 2 (14:02):
I felt like I already knew Frank Well.
We've been listening to him foryears.

Speaker 3 (14:04):
I know, but when you actually meet Frank in person,
it's the same guy behind the mic.

Speaker 9 (14:09):
Yeah, you made me send Fishan Degagne some
horrible messages, right?
Where's this coming from?

Speaker 3 (14:15):
Fishan Degagne is texting me.
He's like so I heard you likedudes.
I'm like what?
How does this guy know me?
I'm like how does Frank know me?
He's like I heard you likedudes man.

Speaker 2 (14:24):
He's like freaking guy was texting gags behind my
back.
Well, here's a funny story.
I've been listening to UglyPike for a long time, right, and
they always said if you everknow any guests that would be
perfect for the podcast, slidein our DMs.
So I slide in the Ugly Pike'sDMs and I said you got to get on
Fish, sean Degagne, that'sright.
You did.

Speaker 3 (14:43):
Yes, yes, that was.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
Siege.
I probably still have it savedon my.
I'm fanboying right now.

Speaker 9 (14:49):
See our buddy, our buddy.
Brian Kuzmanich was the one whohooked it all up.
Brian from Sticky Hook, from.

Speaker 3 (14:53):
Sticky.

Speaker 8 (14:54):
Hook, yes, I remember you telling me someone else
recommended.

Speaker 9 (14:58):
Sean Okay.

Speaker 3 (15:06):
So then that was Siege.
I was the fan boy, I nerded outand I dropped into your DMs and
I'm like Sean Degagne, fish onDegagne.
We told gags about the UglyPike podcast.

Speaker 2 (15:09):
We were the ones that told them there's a podcast
that talks only about musky andthe same waters that we fish,
which?

Speaker 3 (15:16):
is clutch, which was clutch, yeah.
So, like I said, I felt like Iknew Frank right away because
how he is on the mic, how youboth are Like I mean we've met
Chris a few times now, but youknow, just a few minutes I got
to spend with Chris and as muchtime as I spent with Frank you
guys are true man Like you guysare the real deal goats of the
musky world and podcasting.

(15:37):
We're just so happy that youguys are sitting here right now.
We're having a cigar and sometequila.
It doesn't feel real Siege.

Speaker 9 (15:42):
Listen, just so everybody knows we're not the
goats of muskie fishing becausewe just got our butts kicked on.

Speaker 8 (15:48):
Georgia Bay.
We're the goats of trying tolearn how to muskie fish.

Speaker 2 (15:52):
Yeah, exactly yeah, but you guys are the goats of
bringing the boat knowledge tothe listeners.
Like everyone knows, we'reeating wild guys we like to.
Best thing about muskie is theyfeed on walleye.
And what do we do with walleye?
We'll catch six or seven, throwthem in live.
Well, pop them, eat them later.
But then we chase the musky.
But you guys, we all know thechase and the grind with musky.

Speaker 3 (16:15):
Well, you said it, man, I'd like to jump into that.
We could talk about thekitchens soon, because I'd love
to talk about what I welcome theboys to, but that fishing trip.
I guess, frank, what was that?
I mean you mentioned, chrismentioned it was like 30 degrees
outside.
When was this?
Was this?

Speaker 9 (16:30):
recent it was only 30 .

Speaker 3 (16:31):
This was 10 days ago.

Speaker 8 (16:33):
Yeah 30, 35.

Speaker 3 (16:35):
30 plus, it was during the heat wave.

Speaker 8 (16:36):
It was during the heat wave and, ironically, two
years ago we went to GeorgianBay and we literally, brian, we
literally mirrored the exactfucking day, which was 35
degrees, blue skies and seenothing except the pike, oh
minus one, not rockets willfight no, no, any time in port
chris right, he only has

Speaker 2 (16:54):
so many times he's in canada, and we all know how
mother nature doesn't give afuck well, the pressure siege,
the pressure that we always have.

Speaker 3 (17:02):
And here's the problem back in the day, when we
first started listening to theUgly Pike, we were musky
lunatics.
We were All we would do is fishmice.
So I know exactly what they'retalking about, because we've had
those days on the French Riverwhen it was fucking 100 degrees
outside, clear sky all day andwe just spent.
We barely made money.
We were broke.
Back then.
We spent 250 beans, say, a lackhere lodge to catch nothing

(17:24):
other than snot, rockets, yeah,and lose a whole bunch of lures
in those rocks in the west armwell, you guys were on nip not
too long ago and it wasn't likeright after you guys left.

Speaker 2 (17:34):
Uh, the winds died.

Speaker 9 (17:35):
Yeah, again, our second time, second year in a
row, where we had theseforeboding winds and then, like
the, the preceding days weregreat and the days after we left
were great, but Chris and Iseem to be bringing the bad
weather everywhere we go.
But you know what?
We got the job done on Nip.
We did, we did.

Speaker 3 (17:53):
Did you guys get one yeah?

Speaker 2 (17:56):
We got a few.
Yeah, holy Christ, I lovehearing that Because Nip, Nip
this thing.
Listen, three fish is a hugeday Period.

Speaker 8 (18:03):
One of them was a beaner.

Speaker 3 (18:05):
Oh, you got a beaner.
One was a beaner, yeah Was abeaner.
You got to get those beanersout the hole, boys.

Speaker 8 (18:10):
I couldn't manipulate it with the photography.
No, you couldn't, I couldn't doit Listen, Frank.

Speaker 9 (18:20):
It was so long you saw my arms.
I can do it of a wish master.
It was a wish master.

Speaker 8 (18:23):
It doesn't beat the one in, was it Sewell?
No Eagle, eagle the 11.
, the 11.

Speaker 3 (18:27):
Yeah, eagle Lake.
What Like Eagle?
Are we talking?
Eagle Lake like Kenora, eagleLake or Eagle?
Yeah, you went to Eagle Lake.

Speaker 9 (18:34):
Yeah, I caught an 11.
It was fucking 11 inches.

Speaker 3 (18:38):
That's what you caught on Eagle Lake.
It was an aquarium muskie.
I love it.
It was an aquarium.

Speaker 9 (18:41):
It was an aquarium muskie.
I love it.
It was an aquarium.

Speaker 8 (18:42):
It was literally an aquarium.
It looked like a rainbow trout,like.
The color was incredible.

Speaker 9 (18:45):
It was beautiful, oh my.

Speaker 2 (18:46):
God, this is beautiful.
Do you guys find that?
The smaller muskies?
The pattern is unbelievable.

Speaker 9 (18:52):
Yeah, but I flew like three hours and drove six hours
to catch it.

Speaker 2 (18:56):
I hate to laugh, but we all know that Grinding, we
all know Andy.

Speaker 3 (19:00):
Meyer's lodge.

Speaker 9 (19:00):
Myers Lodge is my dream we were fishing on Andy
Myers.

Speaker 3 (19:02):
No way, steve.

Speaker 9 (19:05):
Herback.

Speaker 3 (19:08):
Herbie.

Speaker 9 (19:08):
Oh, you guys had him on your show.
What?

Speaker 2 (19:09):
am I talking about?
I?

Speaker 8 (19:10):
heard him.
That was one of our bestepisodes, man, steve is awesome.

Speaker 3 (19:15):
I love so.
I've been all these years,before we started getting into
the podcast, before we joinedthe network, we've been going to
the shows.

Speaker 7 (19:22):
Yeah, obviously.

Speaker 3 (19:30):
So the only time time first of all, the people
listening the only time I got tosee cj was either on a fishing
trip or at the fishing show.
That was the only time we gotto see each other.
And, um, cj has two small girls, my girls, that we're both, uh,
girl dads.

Speaker 2 (19:39):
Yeah, they're both the same age, so we kind of you
know, girl dad, I'm a boy, soyou get your nails painted too.

Speaker 9 (19:46):
Yeah, I draw the line .
You got pink slippers.
You know what, when you show upto a jujitsu academy with
painted nails, you know itdoesn't work.

Speaker 3 (19:52):
Nobody's going to say it.

Speaker 9 (19:56):
My line of work.
You got to lay down the law,and when you're wearing dazzling
nails, it it's not that goodfor business.

Speaker 3 (20:02):
Well, we get together , we go to the fishing show and
I go by Andy Meyer's Lodge and Iremember talking to Stevie Boy
and at the time it was like 1100bucks.
Wait, you were there At thefishing show, I've never been to
the fishing show.
That's where I met Steve and herback and I used to tell these
guys one day, boys, we're going,we're flying into their
all-American plan, and what Iheard and you guys can comment

(20:26):
on this because you've had themon your show, you know but I
heard they are musky crazy andthey literally all the guides at
night meet in the lodge withthe guests and they literally
will have dinner talking abouttheir day and what they're
looking at and where they'regoing the next day and what the
weather, what's happening withthe moon phase and blah, blah.
I heard it's just muskyinsanity there and that's why I

(20:47):
wanted to go so bad.
And I really thought in my mindmy first 50 would come out of
Eagle Lake.
I've never been.
I've gotten two 50s.
Yeah, you have, but youmentioned you've been on Eagle
Lake.

Speaker 9 (21:00):
So I'm freaked out right at the lodge environment.
What that's like, Sure.

Speaker 8 (21:06):
So you've been to Andy Meyers.
Well, what you said was yeah,it's exactly right.
It's almost like they giveseminars.

Speaker 9 (21:11):
Well, they do.
It's like a full-out seminar.

Speaker 8 (21:13):
Yeah, and you can approach them and ask anything
you want and they'll sit downwith you and you know, like,
give you the lay of the land andgive you like what they learned
today applies for tomorrow.
It's not like there's just ageneral list of, of, of, of, of
strategies.
It's like, day by day, theyswitch Right and they're sharing

(21:33):
, like you said, between all theguides, they're sharing their
information and then, whereveryou're going, what your plan is
tomorrow, what guide you're with, they all talk together and
they come up with a strategy foryou to put you on fish.

Speaker 9 (21:44):
So Steve, steve did a seminar when I was there it was
a trip I went without you, myfirst trip there and he did a
seminar on figure eights and Istill do everything he said and
it was amazing information.
But I think the mark of anygood lodge is how closely the
guides are communicating witheach other.
And our guides, no matter if itwas Steve or Mike or Danny,

(22:06):
they're always, always textingeach other throughout the day,
because Eagle Lake is, you know,we always say five lakes in one
.
So if this region isn't firingand that region's firing,
everybody needs to know.
And there's no team aspect,there's no hiding spots, nothing
.
It's like these guys reallylook after their guests.
That's true spots nothing.
It's like these guys reallylook after their guests.

Speaker 2 (22:25):
That's true intel.
That's like navy seal shit.

Speaker 3 (22:27):
That's what I love that me and again, I remember
you know, obviously, we get tolisten to the ugly pike podcast
every week now, so you'regetting that information.
Whether it's on georgian baylake, nipissing or the canora,
wherever it is, they're bringingyou a story.
But the one thing that I wouldsay intrigued me and always, I
always wanted to go there wasbecause they say eagle lake, not

(22:49):
only does it hold trophies,you're more likely to get hooked
into a 50, and I think we hadthe wrong perception growing up
siege that if we didn't catchcatch a 50 inch fish, we we
failed, would you?
Would you say that was rightwith that?

Speaker 2 (23:02):
everyone's chasing the 50 right you know but how?
About.

Speaker 3 (23:05):
We did have that you're right and and I think
that ruined and that's why wekind of turned into
multi-species fishermen for thelast three years, because it was
like we got our 50s, dan hasn'tgotten his yet.
Lou's been on the cusp he'slike a quarter of an inch away,
yeah.
But it's like if we don't catchthat 50 boys, we honestly feel
like we failed and that was thepressure we felt every time we
went musky.

Speaker 8 (23:24):
I think you should disregard that and I have a
different opinion.
Like I know, once you get like,what happens when you jump in
any musky is great for you,right, right.
Start like low 40s, mid 40s,high 40s, you're happy, you're
happy, you're happy.
Then when you get like ashitload of those, you're like
okay.
And then when you touch the 50sand you're like this is what

(23:45):
this is all about, right, andthere's no argument that once
you get above 50, 52, 53, andyou get to that 55 class, you're
in, you're in another world.
Right, but fishing my wholelife.
Anytime you contact a fish, I'mhappy.
So, even if I'm putting in alow 40s, I'm not going to
complain, I'm not going to likeI'm ready to catch that fish.
Right, because we're contactingmuskie.

(24:05):
We're out there to catch muskie.
It just might not be the onewe're looking for, but we know
the fish are on, the fish areactive.
That's great, that's great forus.
Maybe the next one will be 54.
Right, but I'm looking for thebig one.
But I'm happy when I get sub50s.

Speaker 2 (24:20):
I think we should take a trip.
I think so too.

Speaker 9 (24:23):
Yeah, I think we should really take a trip next
year.

Speaker 3 (24:25):
So let me ask you this that's a great question,
Frank and you?

Speaker 9 (24:27):
can be the cook, because Cedric was telling us
about how manic you are aboutthe meal.
So we would love to do a tripwith you guys the meal.
So we would love to do a tripwith you guys.
You know what we just pickedout on boar ribs and bison flank
.
The creme fraiche was amazing.
I can't thank you enough.
I didn't even know if I wasgoing to be able to pull that

(24:50):
off.

Speaker 2 (24:51):
I was freaking out this morning.

Speaker 3 (24:53):
I knew JoJo was coming today.

Speaker 8 (24:54):
We have another special guest in the studio
JoJo's here, JoJo Rocket.

Speaker 7 (24:59):
And he's here, so he's sitting back.
He's a beautiful guy.

Speaker 3 (25:01):
He's having a dart he's having his.

Speaker 8 (25:03):
He's surveying.
He's surveying.

Speaker 3 (25:07):
He's got the camera going, we get it.
Jojo's here, so I had thepressure, I knew Jojo was coming
.
So here on Ginny and Georgiait's a TV series, netflix and I
knew we had this meeting today.
I was all excited, we plannedthis, we were pumped, we were
pumped, we were talking about itall week and what happened was
is I get my call sheet and whathappens is Siege in the film
industry.

(25:27):
You know the director, first ofall, actors and actors have to
have a 12-hour turnaround.
It's like the law.
So in film industry, if theywrap at midnight, technically
they can't start the next day,or that actor can't be there the
next day till 12.
Right, they need 12 hours ofrest.
So the point being is is thatif we film the day before and

(25:48):
the director feels like he wantsto film and take advantage of,
let's say, that you know, we'rein the summer so we don't get
much darkness throughout theevenings and there's a lot of
shows that film at night.
Well, this particular show had anight scene last night, so they
had to wait till 10 o'clock atnight to do one shot.
So what happened to me thismorning is they pushed my call,
so excuse me.
So I was on set today.

(26:10):
I cooked for like 300 pluspeople today on ginny and
georgia and I knew the boys werecoming today.
You guys were all you werecoming, were coming from London
and the boys were going to StCatharines and Niagara.
Anyways, jojo's, here it's aparty and next thing you know,
I'm looking at my call sheet.
I'm like I might not be able toactually cook something for you
guys.
I've ordered the flat iron, thebison.

(26:31):
I ordered the.
I wanted to cook wild food foryou guys because I know you
didn't mention the boar.
Well, I got the boar ribs, boarshort ribs, and the thing too is
is that you know we, we againeveryone listening we, we have
met.
We, you know we met with Chrisand Frank.
We had dinner together withJojo and you know he gave me
some of the sorbets out therewhich I will give him a plug
here Probably best I've ever had.

(26:51):
You know, we we actually umplan for me to cook something
for you guys and I gotembarrassed.
I had to call Frank at ninethis morning.

Speaker 2 (27:03):
I called him earlier but I went to your voicemail.
You're sleeping 100%, I'm not,so I'm up early.
I get up at five o'clock.
He was on the other line, forsure, david Goggins.

Speaker 3 (27:11):
So I'm nervous and I call Frank, I'm like, listen,
ben, I'm like I might get to theshop by 4 30, literally by 4 30
, and it's not enough time, likeI need time to prepare the food
right, and anyways, I said, andthen he's like listen, don't
worry about it, we'll ordersomething, don't worry.
Don't worry, we're cool, we'recool, cool.
And then, and all of a suddenit hit me, I'm like you know
what fuck this?
I gotta figure this out.
Yeah, I'm smash.

Speaker 9 (27:32):
I knew you were a host because you said I'm gonna
get.
I said well, everybody here's acarnivore.
And you said okay, I'll justmake some flatbreads and I'm
like I don't know if.
Tony is really thinkingstraight here.
I don't think that's going towork either.

Speaker 3 (27:44):
Everyone's on the carnivore diet.
Yeah, you know and listen.
And then I see Chris show up.
He's chiseled.

Speaker 8 (27:50):
It doesn't look like that the gym is ripped man, they
make those chips really I don'trealize.

Speaker 3 (27:59):
The ai does muscles.
That's good for you, man.

Speaker 2 (28:01):
So this guy's coming in must be the ugly meat.
A lot of new programs.

Speaker 3 (28:03):
It must be that high protein ugly meat, heart and all
bud, one of the best I've hadtoo, and we'll talk about that.
But so, anyways, I marinatedthe flank.
I, uh, I sous vide the ribslike I we're talking about this
at dinner, back sealed, put thespecial eating wild spices on it
.
I used the smoked maple on theribs.

(28:23):
You did it.
Yeah, I used it just a touch.
It was just a dry rub usually.

Speaker 9 (28:28):
I taste a little cumin in that, but I didn't
taste that this time, and youknow what?

Speaker 3 (28:32):
this guy knows too much about food, he tastes
everything, so that's a goodthing.
I literally said to myself whenI v, because I was rushing man,
I was going crazy boys, I swearto you.
I wanted to make sure it wasperfectly rested for 5 pm and,
anyways, I seared, I cooked 125,pulled out, rested, had some
flatbread.
I have the garden going infront of the Eating Wild podcast

(28:54):
studio, which is Gourmet, craftand Catering Studios, and I'm
growing poblanos, jalapenos,parsley, lemon, thyme.
I got my fresh spring onions.
Anyways, I made a chimichurri,I made a jalapeno creme fraiche
with some of the poblano peppers, charred poblano pepper, fresh

(29:15):
parsley flatbread.
We had the beautiful flank cutthin and I had some of the ribs
going three racks and then,needless to say, we got to wash
that down with a Nike Leak Pikebeer.

Speaker 8 (29:27):
And when you cut that steak down the middle and just
spread it open and it wasperfect.
It was literally perfect.
So I know you guys are bigmusky fishermen and I had the
same mentality as you guysbefore.

Speaker 2 (29:37):
I was literally perfect.
So I know you guys are bigmusky fishermen and I had the
same mentality as you guysbefore.
I was going on fishing trips, Ididn't care about food.
All I cared about was time onwater.
And then I started fishing withthis guy and this guy is just
like okay time.
But when five o'clock comesaround he starts getting anxiety
.
I'm like what's going on, man?
What he goes?
I want to go back and preparethis and this and this and I'm

(30:00):
like, yeah, you're right.
So we drop him off on the dockand he would just go and he's
just in his element.
We'd go back out fishing andcome back and the food's right
there.
And he always says I'm rushingit.
You know he's always worriedabout it, but he always.
You guys know he knocked out ofthe park today it was amazing.

Speaker 9 (30:17):
But like home run, I bring my sous vide now on
fishing trips because then I canjust I bring my sous vide and I
bring my cast iron rightbecause, then you know what and
maybe you know we'll throw, likethe sides and stuff.
It's tough to do a good sideright because you need that,
that's finesse.
But you know what it's.
It's better than a hot dog andhamburgers to get get a nice
ribeye or a nice new york stripor something like that.

(30:40):
You know we're not quite in yourlevel where it comes to that,
but it's so so wait, so wait.

Speaker 8 (30:44):
How do you set up your accommodation and you're in
your kind of cookinginfrastructure to accommodate
your needs?
Yep, when you're on a remotefishing something tells me he
brings everything.

Speaker 3 (30:55):
No, you know what I uh?
So we have our hunt camp, thatI got to design the kitchen.

Speaker 2 (31:01):
I hate to interrupt.
You should say hunt camp, butyou should see the stoves that
are in this hunt camp.

Speaker 3 (31:07):
Here's the problem with the hunt camp.
I only got one.
I got one job with the huntcamp, so I'm partners with
Fishon, degagne and his twocousins, and our good friend
Balzer Is Degagne and his twocousins.
And our good friend Balzer Isthat Coach, one of the cousins,
coach, yeah, Coach, degagne, youhear our song at the end of
each episode.
And his brother, pierre, he'sjust had heart surgery.

Speaker 1 (31:25):
I heard he's up, he's up, he's doing well.

Speaker 3 (31:28):
So, uncle Pete, congrats.
I hope everything went wellwith your surgery.
But we purchased this propertyand it's when we first started.
Getting into hunting wasprobably about what?
Eight years ago now.
And the reason why we got intohunting was particularly because
of siege right, coach and gags,because you were always into
guns early but, as you guys know, nipissing blows up, yeah.

Speaker 2 (31:50):
So what are we gonna do if we can't get out?
We've spent time in in playcards, we play cards and look at
each other and we're just likeand we're like why not get our
hunting license, and that's howit all started, from Nipissing I
got my license.

Speaker 9 (32:04):
If someone gets sick, eh oh, buddy, you're more than
welcome.
We got lots of room, brother.

Speaker 3 (32:09):
So back to the story about the camp.
So Gags calls me.
One day I'll never forget I'mon the set of Heroes Reborn,
I'll never forget it.
And he calls me.
He's like there's anopportunity to purchase some
property.
Just, I'd say north, not north,south, southeast of Calendar
Bay, yeah.
And he's like it's 170 acresand I know you guys are just
getting into hunting and thisand that.

(32:30):
And he's like this is like aonce in a lifetime purchase.
Right, we got to do it.
I purchase, we got to do it.
I drove down, I got to, I metgags and he took me for a walk
and right away it hit me.
I was like this is what I love,this is the outdoors, this is
10 minutes from nipissing.
So we're popping guns, we'recasting musky, we're cat,
whatever.
Anyways, my falls, our falls,have looked a lot different

(32:53):
lately.
Oh yeah, and it's moreaction-packed.
And sometimes it's funny boys,because we actually don't have
enough time.
We can go for a week and it'slike we don't even have enough
time to do everything.
Say we're duck hunting okay,let's look at the weather.
Oh, we have to musky fishtonight, okay.
Oh, we're gonna go hit thesmallie drift, we're gonna go
cast whatever there's so muchshit to do now that we have this

(33:15):
property and and and and deer.
It's either you're hunting deerfrom 4 30 PM till sundown.

Speaker 2 (33:21):
And any hunter and angler knows like your logger
last light.
We, you know that's the timewhen you that's the same with
ducks, yeah.
So what are we going to do you?

Speaker 3 (33:30):
got to be.
You got to be in the blind.
If you're not in, we're screwed.

Speaker 2 (33:33):
Are you?

Speaker 8 (33:34):
flipping coins for this.

Speaker 2 (33:37):
Paper rocks scissors a lot of times because we don't
know what to do.
We split up a lot we do, andthat's a good thing.
We have a large group.
Some will go for the muskielast light and then some will go
for duck, and it's a goodproblem to be in Sure, yeah.

Speaker 3 (33:52):
But having that hunt camp.
So we purchased the propertyand, needless to say, Gags and
Coach and all those guys,they're very handy.
Oh, northern guys.
I can't hold a hammer.
I don't even know what a naillooks like.

Speaker 8 (34:05):
What are you talking about?
You're a tech wizard.
Listen, man, I can hold a knife.

Speaker 3 (34:09):
I'll cut up some sushi for you.
It's super precision.
But the moment that somebodyasked me, hey, can you pass me
the Phillips, I'm looking around.
I'm like, hey, anybody see Phil.
They're like can somebody passme the?
What's the star one called thefucking, I can't remember what
it's called.
Anyways, give me the squarescrewdriver one.
I'm like what's this guytalking about?
So I have no, I can't.

(34:32):
You know me, I can't build abox.
So you got gags, you got coach,you got all the boys.
They're building this beautifulhunt camp, okay, and they, I
got one job.
My one job was the kitchen, andthey have no idea what they
asked.
They asked the wrong guy.
They asked the wrong guy.
They asked me to build a huntkitchen and I did, and, siege,
you could tell the boys wasrunning in that because,
needless to say, you couldprobably cater for a thousand

(34:52):
people in the middle of the bushin that kitchen we get get so
spoiled.

Speaker 2 (34:55):
We get so spoiled having Antonio and then these
Northern guys like Coach andGags, Like I mean they just they
put us in the best I know I'mgoing off topic, but the best
thing about listening to yourguys' podcasts.
Back in the day you guys werealways promoting guides and
that's one thing we never reallydid as anglers.
We never did the guide thing.

(35:16):
And then after listening toyour podcast, we're like, why
not?
We got some money now let's getsome guides and like guys like
that if they're in the north itcan be a hunting guide, it could
be a fishing guide.

Speaker 3 (35:27):
yeah, they just they pave the way for well, you're
helping out them, you're helpingout the community and you're
looking at it like an asset.

Speaker 8 (35:34):
It's like, it's like going to school, almost like
you're taking.
You're taking your notes andyou're learning from them,
because who's going to?
You're not going to know morethan them, no, if you're there
for 10 years and you're doingwhat they're doing, then you
don't need a guide, right.
But if you're showing up on abody of water, you cut your
learning curve Right and they'regoing to be more than happy to
share stuff with you, becauseevery guide that we talk to, um,

(35:56):
their mission is to put you onfish or put you on whatever
you're hunting, and that that'swhat makes them happy, right.
So it's a win-win, right, right?

Speaker 3 (36:04):
it's worth the investment.
It's totally so.
Would you say, chris, thatevery time so you guys have
fished eagle lake, you fishnippus and you guys have your
spots?
Would you say that you're stillopen to going out with guides,
even presently, to this day,even on bodies of water?
You've already?

Speaker 8 (36:18):
fished Absolutely.
When we were on Eagle we hadguides and then we had several
days without guides.
We caught fish based on theknowledge.

Speaker 1 (36:27):
they gave us.

Speaker 8 (36:29):
We almost died a few times from rock piles.

Speaker 9 (36:32):
I'm laughing at the comment that you yelled when you
caught that fish.
That little talk about off theair.

Speaker 8 (36:37):
I cannot say that on air, we'll never say that on the
air, but it's a differentexperience, and and the fact
that we can go out on a body ofwater that we barely know and
land musky is is exhilarating.
Like I'm so happy we could dothat, but we would have never
been able to do it.
It would have been pure luck,just from our experience.
Right, we're not experts interms of like, but having that

(37:01):
information and having thatadvice led the way for us.
So guess what?
Two days later, we're likelet's get a guide again.
Oh yeah, we want to finish thisoff with a guide to get more
info so we know when we comeback.
And I couldn't imagine ourexperience on Sewell without Ben
.
At the end of the day, he madean incredible.

Speaker 9 (37:19):
There's no doubt about it.
You talk about getting lucky,though.
When Dave and I went for thatfirst trip in 2012, and we had a
little tin can and I caught amid-50s- almost by accident,
like on a top raider doing afigure eight.
We didn't have a guide, wedidn't even know what we were
doing.
It was my first time everfishing for musky in my life and

(37:44):
we just got a giant.
But, that being said, Iwouldn't be able to replicate
that.
And if it wasn't for ben, notonly would we not have had the
fish that we've had out of thatlake certainly not you, yeah, um
but we wouldn't have the greattimes too, like we.
Ben is on our wavelength, likesense of humor, wise, like it's
very important to to get with aguy that is like you are, so you
can have great times evenduring the slow times, right?

Speaker 8 (38:02):
We're having breaks and we're talking South Park and
we're oh yeah, we're bustingour guts laughing so hard just
because we did like a four orfive hour straight run.
We need to get some food in us.
You know, take at least a halfan hour break and we're just
cracking you.
We're just like cracking jokesand having having the best time.
So you know.
And the other thing is it pairsexactly with our vision of the

(38:23):
podcast.
Right, it's always been aboutlearning.
It's always been about going ona journey.
Yes, and saying hey, we're notlike, as I said before, I fished
since I was a kid and I do iton my own because it's just in
me, but I've never said I knowmore than anybody.
Right, and when you come intothis sport, especially muskie,
you realize you know there's alot to learn and the conditions
and the calculation that youmake in terms of how you can put

(38:45):
yourself on fish, it's verycomplex.
It can be complex.
It can be Every guide we fishwith we learn more about what we
don't know.

Speaker 9 (38:52):
Like Pete Bossman was amazing, amazing.

Speaker 2 (38:58):
That's great.
You guys say that Even when Ifish with someone that I've
never fished before with, it'sgreat because they have a
different technique than me.
The four of us, the four skinsmyself, antonio, luis and Daniel
we fish very similar.
So I think if we fish with you,frank and Chris, you guys are
bringing something else to thetable that we don't 100%.

(39:18):
And another thing I really likehazards.
I'm calling you out Top DogPereira.

Speaker 3 (39:26):
He's been through three lower ends on the French
River just because he doesn'tknow the water.
And G-Bay it's happening onG-Bay too.

Speaker 9 (39:34):
French is famous for it, though there's a rock they
call a can opener.

Speaker 8 (39:40):
Those hazards scare me Out.
On G-Bay there's rock pileslike 12 inches underneath the
surface.
If there's, if there's a littlebit of chop, you can't even see
it.

Speaker 2 (39:49):
Oh, that's what scares you?

Speaker 8 (39:50):
can't even see it.
And you see guys ripping by andlike if you don't know the
waters.

Speaker 2 (39:54):
I've seen pictures on instagram where there's people
standing on these rock pilesright, right, and they're like
pictures like look at me andkind of look like jesus walking
on the water, right, but it justscares me.
And that's another great thingabout the guides is they know
that water, they know thehazards and we all know lower
ends on boats.

Speaker 3 (40:15):
I would say I probably would have never fished
for walleye with planer boardslike we did this year for the
first time.
And first of all, me and younever done that before.
See, lewis was with us.
Dan's never done that before.
No, we went up to the.
We went to see Kyle Moxon.

Speaker 9 (40:37):
Detroit River Detroit River.

Speaker 3 (40:39):
And you know, he introduced us to.

Speaker 2 (40:43):
Simon.

Speaker 3 (40:43):
Berth, and it was amazing fishing with those guys,
because we learned a totallydifferent technique of fishing
we've never done in our lives.
And I know these guys are bigmusky guys as well and they, you
know they'll hit the St Clairand fish those planer boards
with.

Speaker 9 (40:57):
You know the handlebars guys and all those
cow mocks and they're alwaysthere we see them every year we
were using them on the bay, theplaner boards.

Speaker 3 (41:05):
We were using them on the bay.

Speaker 8 (41:06):
The planer boards yeah, we were using them.

Speaker 3 (41:07):
No, on NIP, on NIP, on NIP, we didn't use them on
the bay Really On NIP, andthat's something I don't think
I've ever watched.

Speaker 8 (41:13):
Nico, nico, we were planer boarding everything.
Why can't I make a?

Speaker 9 (41:17):
distinction.
See, I told you I got braindamage.
You get punched too many timesin the Chris is.

Speaker 2 (41:22):
a lot is planar boards on Nipissing.
I always see it down south.

Speaker 8 (41:26):
I always see it on St Clair For whatever reason, we
had a departure from theprevious years.

Speaker 2 (41:32):
Okay.

Speaker 8 (41:32):
And he was keen on trolling for most of our trip
and obviously the wind and theconditions dictated and we were
planar boarding everything, sowe had our lines spread out.
Was that new for you guys?

Speaker 2 (41:53):
It's not new, but we've used it before, but never.
It took us 15 minutes.
It's pretty cool though, to seethat that planer board when,
when you have the fish, it'ssomething that antonio and I uh
we didn't get any fish on theplaners.

Speaker 9 (42:02):
Everything hit the, the tuesy, the close rod the
tuesy you missed the biggestfish rod.

Speaker 2 (42:06):
Why is?
It always the close rod.

Speaker 9 (42:07):
We had not onlyosie the close rod, the twosie, you
missed the biggest fish rod.

Speaker 2 (42:08):
Why is it?

Speaker 9 (42:08):
always the close rod we had.
Not only was it the close rod,it was the same rod in the same
bait.
Three out of four fish, really.
Yeah, my twosie it's in mytruck.

Speaker 3 (42:15):
I should show you guys that we missed so many fish
because we didn't know what aplaner boy to hit.
A planer board hit.
Look like okay, yeah.
And and the first time he lostthe biggest fish of the day was
at the top of the morningbecause Siege didn't see it in
time and Simon Bursey's a nutjob, by the way shout out to
Simon because you guys want tofish with this guy.
He's absolutely insane.
But you know, he put out theseplanter boards and it almost

(42:37):
looked like you're watching abobber on the surface getting
hit on an angle.

Speaker 2 (42:44):
Now, mind you, these are Walters, Walters, and you
know when you're doing musky,you guys know that click.

Speaker 3 (42:50):
Yeah, the click goes off the Walters.
It's like you see this bobberjust going like this, Is that a
fish?
Oh you're using them forwalleye.
It was for Walters yeah, butthese guys musky fish all like
Andrew Walker and all those guys.
They all musky fish.
They guide and again they gottheir guiding.

(43:12):
Those guys are proper guides.

Speaker 2 (43:14):
They're proper guides .

Speaker 3 (43:15):
We've had them on our show before and they can't talk
enough about how important itis of being a professional guide
.
The difference between there'sguys out there that say they're
guides but they don't reallyhave their captain's license.

Speaker 1 (43:26):
They don't have their guiding's license.
So we've different podcasts.

Speaker 3 (43:28):
You know we've talked to these guys before and then
we got a real just on.
Just on the subject of guyshere, siege, I'm just I know I'm
going off topic here, but wehave a different respect for
these guys.
And back to your originalquestion.
You were asking these guysabout guides.
How do you feel about you know,even to this day, going out
with a guide?
I think it's a game changer forus because I've learned more
this year having Taro fishingwith Taro for Crappie fishing

(43:51):
with Taro for Muskie, with theChamp Cody Kavon check, which
Frank knows about.
But you know, how different doyou approach all those species
now, siege, yeah, think about it.
I think I've changed the way Ifish, even for muskie.
Here's a question for you,chris.
I'd love to ask you thisquestion.

(44:12):
Frank can chime in on this tooafter.
But you know your go-to baits.
You know your baits whateverwater you're fishing, and I hear
you guys talking about it allthe time.
Bait selection is such a bigtopic you guys have.
But I find and Taro was talkinga lot about this smaller baits,
bringing back those smallerbaits, and I feel like, um, the

(44:34):
response was more, um, we weregetting more of a response with
smaller baits and we were biggerbaits.
I don't know what's youropinion on that.
You guys, you guys talk toeverybody.
I mean you guys know.
Would you say you know you haveyour baits, you have your, say,
shadzillas.
Would you bring that out ajunior, if you're fishing in
different types of water, or youhave to use just a regular

(44:54):
shadzilla, or even those, the,the magnum, the magnums, right?
Is it always big for you?

Speaker 8 (44:59):
uh, that's a good question because we've had so
many guides on that.
Say don't be afraid to gosmaller, you can still catch
john.

Speaker 9 (45:06):
John Jarvis all about the.
Was that his name, john Jarvis?
John Jarvis, yeah, all aboutthe small baits.

Speaker 8 (45:11):
Going down to like six blade, eight blade maximum
Meps number five.

Speaker 9 (45:15):
Meps number five yeah , no way.

Speaker 8 (45:17):
Yeah, so I wouldn't be afraid to throw it.
What I will say is what I'velearned is I can pull up on an A
musky spot and I can have fiveA plus guides in the boat and
every one of them will give me awill have a different
confidence lure on that spotthat produces for them.
So what it comes down to isjust whatever you think is going

(45:39):
to get you that fish throw it.

Speaker 3 (45:40):
It's confidence right .

Speaker 8 (45:41):
If you tell me that a blade works here and then he
tells me, or she tells me, thatshe just landed a 54 on a
shadzilla and I nailed a 54 on atop water and and you know,
then you're like what's thepattern?
Did you have to throw the exactright bait at the exact right
time?
That's what worked.
I think it's a matter of justyou feel the confidence, your

(46:02):
rhythm, your cadence.
Everything works with yourconfidence bait.
So you just go with that.
So don't be afraid to throwthat, that, that uh short or the
smaller bait if you thinkthat's gonna work for you.

Speaker 3 (46:13):
You get a lot of guys talking about we went bass
fishing and next thing you know,we hooked into a 47 10 o'brien.

Speaker 9 (46:18):
Right, yeah, fishing for a while.
Look, I.
We did a lot of interviewsrecently where we talked about
early season and the guide saiddownsize.
We had a lot of guides saydownsize.
So I go on my opener trip.
I'm with my buddy, alex fromrec saint pierre, from barbarian
braid.
I'm with johnny dadson, who'sone of the best musky anglers

(46:39):
you're ever going to find.
He taught me so much about youknow this and I I'm thinking you
know what I?
This is another season of mefishing with these guys.
I'm not the same guy I was lastyear.
We got you know.
You know what.
This is another season of mefishing with these guys.
I'm not the same guy I was lastyear.
We got you know, however manyshows under our belt that last
year I'm going to show theseguys I'm going to bring all my
small baits and blah, blah, blah.
First thing we do is throwdouble 13s on no way and it

(47:00):
starts getting smashed.
So I'm like I got these smallbaits.
It's like no, no, big baits.
We threw big baits first weekof the season.
First three days of the season,early season, big baits, yeah,
and we caught fish.
Holy smokes, we, yeah.
So I thought I was going to belike I'm going to harness the
knowledge of all these guidesand we get in the boat and

(47:22):
they're like no, and we crushed,we did great.
So I think Chris is right whenhe says you know your confidence
, whatever you want, I think thebottom line is, when these fish
want to strike, they're gonnastrike if you get it, if you get
it near them.

Speaker 3 (47:35):
I really think that everybody overthinks this yeah,
it's true here, all thesedifferent opinions, hear them
all.
Right, okay, we I mean wefished with some really cool
guides this year and they alldid have different opinions and
approaches, right.

Speaker 2 (47:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (47:48):
We even did a show, like we did a show with somebody
I won't even mention and thishappens more than you think.
Then I got other guides fromthe area sending me messages
saying I want to come on theshow.

Speaker 8 (48:00):
To refute that?
Yeah, because what he saidwasn't right and what he said I
got something to add to thisright and what he said.

Speaker 9 (48:07):
I got something to add to this.
That happens a lot, but ithappened recently, uh, with a
couple guides, and it's justlike I'm like okay, you know,
you know, we'll get you back onthe show, you know whatever I
get that a lot about food too.

Speaker 3 (48:15):
Eh, you do, I bet you do, he does, I run the socials
for uh eating wild podcast, andthat's the number one thing.

Speaker 9 (48:23):
Send your dick pics to see.

Speaker 2 (48:24):
Please, don't Please don't.
Delete right away.
He's nodding his head, no.
I am not, we're going live,let's go live.

Speaker 1 (48:36):
I am not nodding my head.

Speaker 2 (48:38):
Do not send me those pictures, but that's the number.
One thing is like when Antonio,we put a clip out and Antonio
is flaying a fish or whatever.
Everyone is a keyboard ninjanowadays and they just I don't
know what it is Like criticize.

Speaker 3 (48:51):
Yeah, it's like I can do it better.
This is not how you do it.

Speaker 2 (48:54):
This is how I was taught.
And like I mean, we're eatingwild pie because you guys are
ugly pike.
Obviously you're not harvestingmusky.
But people say, chirp us allthe time for harvesting pike,
and pike is a sleeper out there.
Like I mean, if you know how toflay a pike properly, dynamite,
and you have a guy like Antonio, you can just pop.

(49:17):
It's so good.
But that's the number one thing.
Why?

Speaker 7 (49:20):
are you guys?

Speaker 2 (49:20):
eating pike Cold, deep water though.

Speaker 9 (49:22):
Cold deep water 100%.
You don't want to quarrel withpike and not.

Speaker 3 (49:25):
You know, you want 17 to 18 inch pike.
You don't need to keep a 35inch pike, you could clean it.
But the one thing I will sayand it doesn't even have to be
fishing or hunting or anythingit's cooking in general,
everyone is a chef, everyone's achef in their own opinion.
Everyone has a nonna or agrandmother.
I should say that was the bestcook in their lives, right, and

(49:48):
I get it.
I understand my kids to this daywill say they will only pasta
with Nona's tomato sauce.
I get it, man, I'm a chef, Icook for.
You know, I could make ahundred pounds of sauce a day,
but you know, at the end of theday, boys, the way I look at it
is this when you're in thekitchen and you're in your own
element and I do thisprofessionally it's what I do
for a living, right?
It's like Frank being at his inhis MMA gym and or or whatever
went in their own careers.

(50:09):
Here's the thing.
I don't mind your opinion,because I learn every day too,
right, I learn like if, if, ifPete Bowman comes up on our boat
one day which will never happen, why not?
I'm calling you out, bo Rudd.
Come on, pete, just a quick,quick one.
There he's on the treadmillright now listening and he shows
me how to fillet, let's say, asmallmouth bass, and I know

(50:30):
that's a big topic for people.
They freak out.
We talked about this on thelast episode filleting bass and
this and that.
Listen, you said it yourself thebass was delicious.
Are we promoting eating bass?
No, I don't go out there andlook for bass to fill my live
wall, but you know there's guysout there that eat and it's
delicious.

Speaker 8 (50:46):
I love bass.
You love bass.
Right, Really, Chris, there'snothing wrong with it.
There's nothing wrong with it.
Taro and I used to fishtogether and fillet bass up in
Ottawa.

Speaker 2 (50:52):
Yeah, you know we had on our podcast recently and we
shared a picture of one of ourlisteners that made a beautiful
bass dish side.
So much about it, ripped andripped.
But like I mean, this is alistener that prepared it
properly.
Now I'm hoping he was doing itlike cold water bass, like you
were mentioning with the pike,and it's just there's so many

(51:14):
people that hate on it.
But like I mean, they havelimits, they have sizes.
I it's just so crazy, but Idon't want anyone eating a
muskie.
No, you know.
No, it's gross.
Why would you it?

Speaker 3 (51:25):
is gross, well.
Well, here's the thing I'mtelling you back to the original
story, siege.
If, if frank caught a fish andyou know let's say it's a walter
, perfect walter, and he postson the ugly pike socials how he
cleaned that that walter,somebody will have something
negative to say.
I will friggin guarantee it.

(51:45):
And and I would love anybodychallenging frank, you know, to
his face saying that he did itwrong first of all, they get
murdered and wrapped up like apencil.
You don't care, I don't care buthere's the problem, frank,
because I'm in this industry,right, I get told to my face
every day that somebody can makeit better.
And listen, I, I'm all for it.

(52:06):
I'm not a professional, wellyou are.
Well, listen, I'll make you asteak.
Yeah, if 100 people in one roomall eat that steak medium rare
like we had downstairs today.

Speaker 2 (52:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (52:19):
It's almost impossible because I'll tell you
right, there's one personthat's going to want it well
done.
Yeah, there's five people thatare going to want it medium Get
that's going to want it.

Speaker 1 (52:26):
Well done.

Speaker 9 (52:26):
There's five people that are going to want it medium
, get that person out of theroom.

Speaker 2 (52:28):
Listen, there's three ways of having a steak Medium
rare, medium rare, medium rare.

Speaker 3 (52:31):
If you don't eat it medium rare, then you got a
problem.
That's my opinion.
It's a frigging opinion, butI'm telling you whether it's
fishing.
This all goes from the originalquestion we started talking
about.
Somebody is always going to doit better and somebody always
has a keyboard and has anopinion.
And it hurts, brother, itbothers me and I know people
always say smash it.

(52:52):
Gordon Ramsay.
Rule number three JoJo, yourbrother knows this rule 100%.
Jojo's brother's a chef, by theway.
Listen.
Fantastic chef, fantastic chefCan't wait to meet him.
We're going to eat, we're goingto drink wine.
I want to tell you this rightnow.
Rule number three take itprofessionally, not personally.
I've never gotten over rulenumber three Siege.

Speaker 2 (53:10):
Oh, I don't blame you , man.

Speaker 3 (53:11):
I can't do it.
I can't do it.
Listen, you know your kids, youknow Nona cooks from the heart,
first of all.
That's why it tastes so good.
Just going back, I had tomention that.
You know we're talking aboutthe way people prepare their
food, the way your father did.
That, walter, is the way yougrew up eating it, and I'll tell
you right now I can't replicatethat.
Siege, you might call me aprofessional.

(53:32):
I can't replicate that becausethat's what you grew up eating
and your father cooks from theheart.
He's not a professional.
He doesn't get paid to makethat, walter.
But hey, at the end of the day,siege, you love it.
It puts a smile on your faceand that's all that matters to
me.
I don't care that people have aproblem with the way I fillet a
pike.

Speaker 9 (53:49):
Screw them.
I don't care.
You know what I want to try.
I heard like if you crush MissVicky's chips.

Speaker 8 (53:55):
Oh, yes, I told you that Was that you, yeah, so we
tried to do that on nip Dillpickle.
So we tried to do that onnipissing, but we couldn't catch
a wall, a walleye between chrismyself and that's how taro and
I used to do that.

Speaker 2 (54:10):
Yeah, that sounds, miss vicky chips, so phenomenal,
that's what, uh, antonio put meon that it wasn't with fish, it
was with part, or grouse,grouse oh, fair enough, and
martin's, it was me and martin's, and so here's the thing we can
do that to a turd and it'sgonna taste pretty good.

Speaker 3 (54:25):
Put it on that, on a cracker.
I'll tell you we shot a grouse.
Actually, you shot the grouse.
We were actually.
You went up the trail and weweren't hunting at the time.
You just were leading the trailand all of a sudden all you
hear is boom.
We're like what the hell's?

Speaker 2 (54:41):
going on.
Joe Time's popping his gun, mybrand new gun I just got and I
got it out of my trunk of my car.
I'm going to meet these guys.
I'm walking five feet and agrouse just lands on, uh, on a
branch right in front of me boom, boom and the like I said to
you guys many a times before,the best thing is being an
outdoorsman and having one ofyour best friends as a chef so

(55:03):
he can tell you what he did withthat so we bring the gross back
to the hunt camp camp which isdressed up like my kitchen.

Speaker 3 (55:08):
downstairs you got a 24-inch charbroiler American
range hood vent.

Speaker 9 (55:12):
You're using the wrong terms because if a hunt
camp is anything like a fishingcamp, no, our hunt camp isn't a
hunt camp, brother, it's a mixof rusket it's a mix of rusket.

Speaker 3 (55:24):
We're all do well in our careers.
I think we can enjoy ourselvespretty well, but I'll tell you
what.
Jesus.
Sorry boys, I got to interruptthis message to bring you this
picture brought to you by Chris.

Speaker 2 (55:37):
That's what I wanted to tell you.

Speaker 3 (55:38):
Oh my God, you showed me these bass fillets.

Speaker 2 (55:40):
That's beautiful.
That's the number one questionwe have on the Eating Wild
podcast.

Speaker 9 (55:44):
Those are the pictures.

Speaker 8 (55:45):
I'm thinking right chris, yeah, my kids, my kids,
when they ate that bass they'vebeen talking about it for 10
years cook, catch bass and cookit for me again.

Speaker 2 (55:53):
That's the number one question we have on the eating
wild podcast is about the uglypike boys.
Now, have you guys always beenlike just strictly musky?
Because I've heard that youguys are, uh, a stick like I
heard you guys.

Speaker 9 (56:07):
Chris is an unbelievable multi-species
angler, a lot better than I am.
I can fish for certain speciespretty well, but I'm not in his.

Speaker 2 (56:17):
That's what I've heard.

Speaker 8 (56:18):
Frank's being nice.
He's a great angler.
I've been fishing my whole life, but what I started with and
where I am now, it's completelydifferent.
I think every angler goesthrough that Right Um, being
being blessed with being closeto the Niagara river.
Yes, I grew up just fishing theshores of the Niagara river
Right and you have, you know,you have lake trout, rainbows,

(56:39):
brown salmon, bass, pike, musky,everything you could think of.
Yeah, she sheep head like yeah,15 pound sheep head right, and
I had just my life going downthere every day, and then I I
transitioned into float fishingoh wow, and then into, uh uh,
fly fishing started brother whowould have thought we got the
ugly pike skies on and chris isthe stick.

(57:01):
I thought he was just a muskyguy brawny creek, credit river,
bowmanville, gany yeah, we gotto talk A beaver, the pretty
river and he just showed us apicture of a beautiful shore
launch.

Speaker 2 (57:13):
I think that's going to be.
We just started a new podcastthat we had at Eagle Lake.

Speaker 3 (57:17):
Me and Chris are starting our own podcast.

Speaker 9 (57:19):
I hate to break the news.

Speaker 2 (57:20):
Yeah, it's called.

Speaker 3 (57:20):
Centerpin Fishing with Chris and Smash.

Speaker 2 (57:23):
Sorry boys.

Speaker 3 (57:24):
My name's chris.
No, no, no, not you chris.
Okay, ai chris is just ai chris.

Speaker 8 (57:28):
A ai chris with smash , I'm alive, we're on the river
ciao, that's what it's called.

Speaker 3 (57:34):
I just named it over man.

Speaker 2 (57:36):
But this picture that I just saw, that chris's shore
launch is gonna be for thisepisode, for the eating wild, it
is gonna be the recipe of theday.
No, not the recipe of the day.

Speaker 8 (57:46):
No, not the recipe of the day but the cover for this
episode.
And you can give it like amiddle finger, the middle finger
anybody's complaining about.

Speaker 2 (57:53):
Yes, it looks delicious.
And it's just so crazy to hearthese guys' story because you
would always just think you guysare just started with a musky
rod and born with a musky rod,and to hear the multi-species
and it's fantastic.

Speaker 3 (58:08):
We got to take a quick break because I got to go
to the washroom.
It's one of those last lightloggers getting through me.
But listen, let's take a breakbecause when we come back, a
couple things I'd like to talkabout with you guys is one, now
that I know that Chris is afellow center pin fisherman,
what the hell is going on here?
Angling specialties, and we'regoing to talk the river.
We're going to talk fishing.
We're going to talk foodQuestions too.

(58:28):
We got questions, man.
We have questions for you guys.
Good, good, good, let's do it.
All right, take us away, folks.

Speaker 1 (58:42):
I got to pack.

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Speaker 8 (59:31):
Back in 2016,.
Frank and I had a vision toamass the single largest
database of muskie anglingeducation material anywhere in
the world Our dream was toharness the knowledge of this
amazing community and share itwith passionate anglers just
like you.
Thus the Ugly Pike podcast wasborn and quickly grew to become
one of the top fishing podcastsin North America.

Speaker 9 (59:53):
Step into the world of angling adventures and
embrace the thrill of the catchwith the Ugly Pike podcast.
Join us on our quest tounderstand what makes us
different as anglers and touncover what it takes to go
after the infamous fish of10,000 casts.

Speaker 8 (01:00:07):
The Ugly Pike podcast isn't just about fishing.
It's about creating atight-knit community of
passionate anglers who share thesame love for the sport.
Through laughter, throughcamaraderie and an unwavering
spirit of adventure.
This podcast will bring peopletogether.

Speaker 9 (01:00:22):
Subscribe now and never miss a moment of our
angling adventures.
Tight lines everyone.

Speaker 8 (01:00:27):
Find Ugly Pike now on Spotify, on spotify apple
podcasts or wherever else youget your podcasts hey guys, this
is smash malecka here.

Speaker 3 (01:00:37):
Um.
We sat down with frank andchris um in studio for the first
time and it was awesome that wehad to make this a two part
episode.
We talked and, honestly, folks,we could have been in here for
three or four hours, so wedecided to make this a two part.
So this was just the end ofpart one.
Tune in next week to hear parttwo of the eating wild podcast

(01:01:01):
collab with the ugly pikepodcast and you know we're
looking forward for you guystuning back in.
Have a great day and listen.
Coach, get that tune started.
We're going to be back rightnext week, tuesday.
Catch us live.
Ciao, ciao, we'll be right back.