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Eating Wild
Hosted by three hunting and fishing buddies with a lifetime of culinary experience between them, Outdoor Journal Radio's Eating Wild podcast brings folks from all walks of life to the boat, tree stand, and kitchen to tell the stories and answer the questions around the pursuit and preparation of wild fish and game.
Eating Wild
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 eatingwild@odjradio.com
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Speaker 5:Hi everybody. I'm Angelo Viola and I'm Pete Bowman. Now you might know us as the hosts of Canada's favorite fishing show, but now we're hosting a podcast. That's right. Every Thursday, Ang, I will be right here in your ears bringing you a brand new episode of Outdoor Journal Radio. Hmm, Now, what are we going to talk about for two hours every week? Well, you know, there's going to be a lot of fishing.
Speaker 3:I knew exactly where those fish were going to be and how to catch them, and they were easy to catch.
Speaker 5:Yeah, but it's not just a fishing show.
Speaker 6:We're going to be talking to people from all facets of the outdoors, from athletes, all the other guys would go golfing Me and Garton Turk and all the Russians would go fishing To scientists. But now that we're reforesting and letting things freeze, it's the perfect transmission environment for life.
Speaker 3:To chefs If any game isn't cooked properly, marinated, you will taste it.
Speaker 5:And whoever else will pick up the phone Wherever you are. Outdoor Journal Radio seeks to answer the questions and tell the stories of all those who enjoy being outside. Find us on Spotify, apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts welcome.
Speaker 3:Welcome everybody to another episode of the eating wild podcast. I'm your host, antonio smash malecka that smash is a little emphasized there and I got my co-host, christopher Showtime Johnson, in studio again, folks. I am the co-host with the most what the hell is going on.
Speaker 2:You know how you're the host with the most. I'm the co-host with the most and I'm taking over this podcast today. I'm taking it over.
Speaker 3:Listen, man, we got a problem. You know why, Siege. What's your problem? Because I'm getting used to you coming here.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Every time you come here, the podcast room gets a little bit more dirty. You want to know why? Because it's like a celebration my friend, it is.
Speaker 2:I thought you were going to say the cigar smoke. I thought that's what. Every time I come, I apologize.
Speaker 3:Well, we installed a fan inside of our podcast room for a reason. So now we get to enjoy a nice dart, a nice drink, and we get to shoot the shit. Best friends in the whole world siege. We got an amazing show, exciting news. You said you're running the show today. Buddy, you got to tell everyone what's happening today?
Speaker 2: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 year history? How many times?
Speaker 3:say two, two times, not as important, not and and we got to mention one really important thing here what's that? One of the guests that we're having today. Not only is it his first time in our studio, but I think this is one of the first time we got to meet this guy live without seeing him through a camera.
Speaker 2:You know what? What did Dan Martin say about our guest? Is he AI?
Speaker 3:No, yeah, he thought he was AI. He did. Yeah, he thought he was AI. He's like. This guy doesn't even exist in real life. Right, okay, now we're not going to break the news yet, because I got to talk to you first, but I want to break the news.
Speaker 2:I know you want to break the news. But hold on, these guys are the pioneers. Hold on a second. They're like the Joe Rogans of Musk.
Speaker 3: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:Musk, but not going to be like Muskall. No Elon Musk. Do we have Elon Musk on today?
Speaker 3:Tom no we don't, we don't, but in the fishing world it's close, it is, the fishing world is close. Siege yes, please break the news. You're driving me nuts.
Speaker 2:We have the pioneers. Some people call them the goat of the muskie, greatest of all time podcasters.
Speaker 3:I would say gurus. But yeah, I say G-O-T, yeah, go ahead, we have.
Speaker 2:Frank and Chris from the Ugly Pike podcast Get the hell out of here. And, as everyone knows, we listen to these guys right from the get-go. They kind of planted a seed with us, right they?
Speaker 3:sure did. Well, here's my quick thing. And if Hook hooks at Martins was here and top dog they could defer.
Speaker 2:So we that's a big word for you.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean I'm, I've had a few drinks coming out of it. Um, we've been listening to podcasts going up to our hunting and fishing trips now for the past six, seven years Correct, and I'll never forget going down the 400. And Dan Martins looks at me and says 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 to country music. You guys are listening to podcasts and they said there's a podcast about musky. And I think the boys have already been a few episodes in from the first time I heard and it blew my mind because not only did it get us to our destination quicker, because we got to listen, and it was just like holy smokes.
Speaker 3:We couldn't believe that somebody was talking muskie because you got to admit six, seven years ago I don't think the trend of muskie is as popular as it is now. Being a muskie angler, you're a different breed, you're nuts. And the fact that these guys come in with the science, the guests, that they have the sticks from Ontario, from all over the world, and I'm just excited that we're part of their team with the Outdoor Journal Radio Podcast Network, but to have them here, to have Chris here, I'm so excited and, siege, I can't wait to pick their brain. 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 them drop the news, but the rumor is is that they got a brew that's circulating that's going to change the way you drink beers.
Speaker 2:Well, I'll tell you. The rumor is I might've had a couple of those drinks before this podcast. Let me just tell you this.
Speaker 3:You're ruining it, man. You're ruining the whole. We're trying to paint the picture for the guests here.
Speaker 2:Siege, I'm just telling you it is a taste test from Siege.
Speaker 3:And I loved it. Man, it's a flying Siege. Okay, I'm excited.
Speaker 2: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 eating wild fillet knives last week on the episode. Are we popping? I need to know we are man and thank you to everyone that reached out. We do have a very limited supplies left and they are going. They are going and the fact that is it's chef approved knife. Yeah, man, and we hear. We heard the story from the maker amazing.
Speaker 3:So so again, just quickly before we bring the boys into the room uh, how can people 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:so you just remind the people so right now we're just doing because we only have a limited supply. We're not going to do the e-commerce store or anything like that, we're just going instagram only. Drop into this, slide. What did the kids say?
Speaker 2:slide into the dm slide in slide into the dms and let us know what you want. We'll do an email money transfer. Next thing you know you're going to have a beautiful filet knife for the rest of the season of august. You're going to be popping walleye and you're going to be walters, walters, walters.
Speaker 3:I can't wait to clean. Listen again before we go to break 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 his hand. Yes, he told me me, we just destroyed him. It's almost like, uh, drinking your first ugly pike beer. You're ruined. And I'm going to tell you right now they are chef approved. Smash malecca approved. The cracker doesn't know how to use a knife, but his pops knows how. Did you just call me a cracker? No, I said you could put it on a cracker man.
Speaker 2:You're not listening to me, siege, you're not listening to me. You're gonna get canceled.
Speaker 3: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 on camera, yours looked like a quarter.
Speaker 2:Oh, you're saying mine was a 25 pounder.
Speaker 3:Bull rod texted me on the side, said that wasn't a nickel.
Speaker 2:You said it looked like a quarter, so it looked like like a 25 pounder.
Speaker 3:No, no, no, Two and a half pounder.
Speaker 2:We got great guests, let's go. Okay, listen, you're ruining it.
Speaker 3:Okay, siege, we're going to be right back. Folks Listen, get your knife, go on the Instagram. Talk to Showtime Johnson, get one in your hand. On the other side of this message, you are going to be welcomed by the gurus, by the goats of the Outdoor Journal Radio Podcast Network. The Ugly Pike Boys will be joining us right after these short messages.
Speaker 7:Stay tuned oh boy.
Speaker 6:Ciao. How did a small-town sheet metal mechanic come to build one of Canada's most iconic fishing lodges? I'm your host, steve Nitzwicky, and you'll find out about that and a whole lot more on the Outdoor Journal, radio Network's newest podcast, diaries of a Lodge Owner. But this podcast will be more than that. Every week on Diaries of a Lodge Owner, I'm going to introduce you to a ton of great people, share their stories of our trials, tribulations and inspirations, learn and have plenty of laughs along the way.
Speaker 5:Meanwhile we're sitting there bobbing along trying to figure out how to catch a bass and we both decided one day we were going to be on television doing a fishing show.
Speaker 6: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 Owner now on Spotify, apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 7:As the world gets louder and louder, the lessons of our natural world become harder and harder to hear, but they are still available to those who know where to listen. I'm Gerry Ouellette and I was honoured to serve as Ontario's Minister of Natural Resources. However, my journey into the woods didn't come from politics. Rather, it came from my time in the bush and a mushroom. In 2015, I was introduced to the birch-hungry fungus known as chaga, a tree conch with centuries of medicinal use by Indigenous peoples all over the globe.
Speaker 7:After nearly a decade of harvest use, testimonials and research, my skepticism has faded to obsession and I now spend my life dedicated to improving the lives of others through natural means. But that's not what the show is about. My pursuit of the strange mushroom and my passion for the outdoors has brought me to the places and around the people that are shaped by our natural world. Brought me to the places and around the people that are shaped by our natural world. On Outdoor Journal Radio's Under the Canopy podcast, I'm going to take you along with me to see the places, meet the people that will help you find your outdoor passion and help you live a life close to nature and under the canopy Find Under the Canopy now on Spotify, apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts.
Speaker 8:Go ahead, chris. See, I think you guys might have had me here just to prove I existed. You know what? You know like, okay, I'll let you go. But just let me get this one point out. I think, since I've been here, like the three or four or five people I've met with Frank, they they're, they're like oh, he exists. Yes, so you saw what I ate downstairs. Yes, you know, robots can't eat, right? You know what?
Speaker 2:nowadays with technology. I want to check the lift up your baseball hat to see if there's a chip in there. But it's so great to see you in person, my man. We we've heard so much about the. You know ai, chris and and what a pleasure, eh, antonio, I got to tell you something.
Speaker 3:I already know Chris. I knew he was human because we've been listening to Chris for years.
Speaker 2:Okay, You've been listening.
Speaker 3:We've been listening, but hold on. We got to sneak out and have a dinner. We did get to have a pre-dinner before we came here and we filled our bellies with some meat. We'll their bellies with some meat, we'll talk about it a great dinner.
Speaker 3:But uh, chris, I gotta say it was awesome meeting you and just meeting you in person. I know frank talks about you so much from the show, from we've had frank on our show a few times and to have you here in our studio right now. It's a celebration, brother. I don't know what else to say. It's a celebration, not even a podcast today we're popping bottles and we're eating meat man yeah, you know, the best part about this is when you meet people.
Speaker 8:It's just easy going and you feel like you've known them forever. I'm hugging you guys like we've been friends since we were kids and that speaks to our shared kind of passion and what we want to do with our shows. Yes, and I can see it just by your intro, like how much you absolutely love this and you know like the dynamic right away was like I don't need to. There's no like uh, within an hour we're best friends, it feels like. So I really appreciated that you guys are so welcoming and what you put, put together today before we even started this podcast.
Speaker 2:It just shows yeah, it's funny you say that because a lot of guests we've had on the show um, when you have this passion of the outdoors in common, they'll meet someone for five minutes and all of a sudden they're best friends. When you have that mutual thing, I don't know if it's like for golfers that are walking balls around.
Speaker 3:I know it's funny, because the first time I met Frank actually was at the ODJ studio Right, and it felt like I knew you.
Speaker 2:I felt like I already knew Frank Well. We've been listening to him for years.
Speaker 3:I know, but when you actually meet Frank in person, it's the same guy behind the mic.
Speaker 9:Yeah, you made me send Fishan Degagne some horrible messages, right? Where's this coming from?
Speaker 3:Fishan Degagne is texting me. He's like so I heard you like dudes. I'm like what? How does this guy know me? I'm like how does Frank know me? He's like I heard you like dudes man.
Speaker 2:He's like freaking guy was texting gags behind my back. Well, here's a funny story. I've been listening to Ugly Pike for a long time, right, and they always said if you ever know any guests that would be perfect for the podcast, slide in our DMs. So I slide in the Ugly Pike's DMs and I said you got to get on Fish, sean Degagne, that's right. You did.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, that was.
Speaker 2:Siege. I probably still have it saved on my. I'm fanboying right now.
Speaker 9:See our buddy, our buddy. Brian Kuzmanich was the one who hooked it all up. Brian from Sticky Hook, from.
Speaker 3:Sticky.
Speaker 8:Hook, yes, I remember you telling me someone else recommended.
Speaker 9:Sean Okay.
Speaker 3:So then that was Siege. I was the fan boy, I nerded out and I dropped into your DMs and I'm like Sean Degagne, fish on Degagne. We told gags about the Ugly Pike podcast.
Speaker 2:We were the ones that told them there's a podcast that talks only about musky and the same waters that we fish, which?
Speaker 3:is clutch, which was clutch, yeah. So, like I said, I felt like I knew Frank right away because how he is on the mic, how you both are Like I mean we've met Chris a few times now, but you know, just a few minutes I got to spend with Chris and as much time as I spent with Frank you guys are true man Like you guys are the real deal goats of the musky world and podcasting. We're just so happy that you guys are sitting here right now. We're having a cigar and some tequila. It doesn't feel real Siege.
Speaker 9:Listen, just so everybody knows we're not the goats of muskie fishing because we just got our butts kicked on.
Speaker 8:Georgia Bay. We're the goats of trying to learn how to muskie fish.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly yeah, but you guys are the goats of bringing the boat knowledge to the listeners. Like everyone knows, we're eating wild guys we like to. Best thing about muskie is they feed on walleye. And what do we do with walleye? We'll catch six or seven, throw them in live. Well, pop them, eat them later. But then we chase the musky. But you guys, we all know the chase and the grind with musky.
Speaker 3:Well, you said it, man, I'd like to jump into that. We could talk about the kitchens soon, because I'd love to talk about what I welcome the boys to, but that fishing trip. I guess, frank, what was that? I mean you mentioned, chris mentioned it was like 30 degrees outside. When was this? Was this?
Speaker 9:recent it was only 30.
Speaker 3:This was 10 days ago.
Speaker 8:Yeah 30, 35.
Speaker 3:30 plus, it was during the heat wave.
Speaker 8:It was during the heat wave and, ironically, two years ago we went to Georgian Bay and we literally, brian, we literally mirrored the exact fucking day, which was 35 degrees, blue skies and see nothing except the pike, oh minus one, not rockets will fight no, no, any time in port chris right, he only has
Speaker 2:so many times he's in canada, and we all know how mother nature doesn't give a fuck well, the pressure siege, the pressure that we always have.
Speaker 3:And here's the problem back in the day, when we first started listening to the Ugly Pike, we were musky lunatics. We were All we would do is fish mice. So I know exactly what they're talking about, because we've had those days on the French River when it was fucking 100 degrees outside, clear sky all day and we just spent. We barely made money. We were broke. Back then. We spent 250 beans, say, a lack here lodge to catch nothing other than snot, rockets, yeah, and lose a whole bunch of lures in those rocks in the west arm well, you guys were on nip not too long ago and it wasn't like right after you guys left.
Speaker 2:Uh, the winds died.
Speaker 9:Yeah, again, our second time, second year in a row, where we had these foreboding winds and then, like the, the preceding days were great and the days after we left were great, but Chris and I seem 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:Did you guys get one yeah?
Speaker 2:We got a few. Yeah, holy Christ, I love hearing that Because Nip, Nip this thing. Listen, three fish is a huge day Period.
Speaker 8:One of them was a beaner.
Speaker 3:Oh, you got a beaner. One was a beaner, yeah Was a beaner. You got to get those beaners out the hole, boys.
Speaker 8:I couldn't manipulate it with the photography. No, you couldn't, I couldn't do it Listen, Frank.
Speaker 9:It was so long you saw my arms. I can do it of a wish master. It was a wish master.
Speaker 8:It doesn't beat the one in, was it Sewell? No Eagle, eagle the 11., the 11.
Speaker 3:Yeah, eagle Lake. What Like Eagle? Are we talking? Eagle Lake like Kenora, eagle Lake or Eagle? Yeah, you went to Eagle Lake.
Speaker 9:Yeah, I caught an 11. It was fucking 11 inches.
Speaker 3:That's what you caught on Eagle Lake. It was an aquarium muskie. I love it. It was an aquarium.
Speaker 9:It was an aquarium muskie. I love it. It was an aquarium.
Speaker 8:It was literally an aquarium. It looked like a rainbow trout, like. The color was incredible.
Speaker 9:It was beautiful, oh my.
Speaker 2:God, this is beautiful. Do you guys find that? The smaller muskies? The pattern is unbelievable.
Speaker 9:Yeah, but I flew like three hours and drove six hours to catch it.
Speaker 2:I hate to laugh, but we all know that Grinding, we all know Andy.
Speaker 3:Meyer's lodge.
Speaker 9:Myers Lodge is my dream we were fishing on Andy Myers.
Speaker 3:No way, steve.
Speaker 9:Herback.
Speaker 3:Herbie.
Speaker 9:Oh, you guys had him on your show. What?
Speaker 2:am I talking about? I?
Speaker 8:heard him. That was one of our best episodes, man, steve is awesome.
Speaker 3:I love so. I've been all these years, before we started getting into the podcast, before we joined the network, we've been going to the shows.
Speaker 7:Yeah, obviously.
Speaker 3:So the only time time first of all, the people listening the only time I got to see cj was either on a fishing trip or at the fishing show. That was the only time we got to see each other. And, um, cj has two small girls, my girls, that we're both, uh, girl dads.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they're both the same age, so we kind of you know, girl dad, I'm a boy, so you get your nails painted too.
Speaker 9:Yeah, I draw the line. You got pink slippers. You know what, when you show up to a jujitsu academy with painted nails, you know it doesn't work.
Speaker 3:Nobody's going to say it.
Speaker 9:My line of work. You got to lay down the law, and when you're wearing dazzling nails, it it's not that good for business.
Speaker 3:Well, we get together, we go to the fishing show and I go by Andy Meyer's Lodge and I remember talking to Stevie Boy and at the time it was like 1100 bucks. Wait, you were there At the fishing show, I've never been to the fishing show.
Speaker 3:That's where I met Steve and her back and I used to tell these guys one day, boys, we're going, we're flying into their all-American plan, and what I heard and you guys can comment on this because you've had them on your show, you know but I heard they are musky crazy and they literally all the guides at night meet in the lodge with the guests and they literally will have dinner talking about their day and what they're looking at and where they're going the next day and what the weather, what's happening with the moon phase and blah, blah. I heard it's just musky insanity there and that's why I wanted to go so bad. And I really thought in my mind my first 50 would come out of Eagle Lake. I've never been. I've gotten two 50s. Yeah, you have, but you mentioned you've been on Eagle Lake.
Speaker 9:So I'm freaked out right at the lodge environment. What that's like, Sure.
Speaker 8:So you've been to Andy Meyers. Well, what you said was yeah, it's exactly right. It's almost like they give seminars.
Speaker 9:Well, they do. It's like a full-out seminar.
Speaker 8:Yeah, and you can approach them and ask anything you want and they'll sit down with you and you know, like, give you the lay of the land and give you like what they learned today applies for tomorrow. It's not like there's just a general list of, of, of, of, of strategies. It's like, day by day, they switch Right and they're sharing, like you said, between all the guides, they're sharing their information and then, wherever you're going, what your plan is tomorrow, what guide you're with, they all talk together and they come up with a strategy for you to put you on fish.
Speaker 9:So Steve, steve did a seminar when I was there it was a trip I went without you, my first trip there and he did a seminar on figure eights and I still do everything he said and it was amazing information. But I think the mark of any good lodge is how closely the guides are communicating with each other. And our guides, no matter if it was Steve or Mike or Danny, they're always, always texting each other throughout the day, because Eagle Lake is, you know, we always say five lakes in one. So if this region isn't firing and 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 really look after their guests. That's true spots nothing. It's like these guys really look after their guests.
Speaker 2:That's true intel. That's like navy seal shit.
Speaker 3:That's what I love that me and again, I remember you know, obviously, we get to listen to the ugly pike podcast every week now, so you're getting that information. Whether it's on georgian bay lake, nipissing or the canora, wherever it is, they're bringing you a story. But the one thing that I would say intrigued me and always, I always wanted to go there was because they say eagle lake, not only does it hold trophies, you're more likely to get hooked into a 50, and I think we had the wrong perception growing up siege that if we didn't catch catch a 50 inch fish, we we failed, would you? Would you say that was right with that?
Speaker 2:everyone's chasing the 50 right you know but how? About.
Speaker 3:We did have that you're right and and I think that ruined and that's why we kind of turned into multi-species fishermen for the last three years, because it was like we got our 50s, dan hasn't gotten his yet. Lou's been on the cusp he's like a quarter of an inch away, yeah. But it's like if we don't catch that 50 boys, we honestly feel like we failed and that was the pressure we felt every time we went musky.
Speaker 8: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 a shitload of those, you're like okay. And then when you touch the 50s and you're like this is what this is all about, right, and there's no argument that once you get above 50, 52, 53, and you get to that 55 class, you're in, you're in another world. Right, but fishing my whole life.
Speaker 8:Anytime you contact a fish, I'm happy. So, even if I'm putting in a low 40s, I'm not going to complain, I'm not going to like I'm ready to catch that fish. Right, because we're contacting muskie. We're out there to catch muskie. It just might not be the one we're looking for, but we know the fish are on, the fish are active. That's great, that's great for us. Maybe the next one will be 54. Right, but I'm looking for the big one. But I'm happy when I get sub 50s.
Speaker 2:I think we should take a trip. I think so too.
Speaker 9:Yeah, I think we should really take a trip next year.
Speaker 3:So let me ask you this that's a great question, Frank and you?
Speaker 9:can be the cook, because Cedric was telling us about how manic you are about the meal. So we would love to do a trip with you guys the meal. So we would love to do a trip with you guys. You know what we just picked out on boar ribs and bison flank. The creme fraiche was amazing. I can't thank you enough. I didn't even know if I was going to be able to pull that off.
Speaker 2:I was freaking out this morning.
Speaker 3:I knew JoJo was coming today.
Speaker 8:We have another special guest in the studio JoJo's here, JoJo Rocket.
Speaker 7:And he's here, so he's sitting back. He's a beautiful guy.
Speaker 3:He's having a dart he's having his.
Speaker 8:He's surveying. He's surveying.
Speaker 3:He's got the camera going, we get it. Jojo's here, so I had the pressure, I knew Jojo was coming. So here on Ginny and Georgia it's a TV series, netflix and I knew we had this meeting today. I was all excited, we planned this, we were pumped, we were pumped, we were talking about it all week and what happened was is I get my call sheet and what happens is Siege in the film industry. You know the director, first of all, actors and actors have to have a 12-hour turnaround. It's like the law. So in film industry, if they wrap 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 of rest. So the point being is is that if we film the day before and the director feels like he wants to film and take advantage of, let's say, that you know, we're in the summer so we don't get much darkness throughout the evenings and there's a lot of shows that film at night.
Speaker 3:Well, this particular show had a night scene last night, so they had to wait till 10 o'clock at night to do one shot. So what happened to me this morning is they pushed my call, so excuse me. So I was on set today. I cooked for like 300 plus people today on ginny and georgia and I knew the boys were coming today. You guys were all you were coming, were coming from London and the boys were going to St Catharines and Niagara. Anyways, jojo's, here it's a party and next thing you know, I'm looking at my call sheet. I'm like I might not be able to actually cook something for you guys. I've ordered the flat iron, the bison. I ordered the. I wanted to cook wild food for you guys because I know you didn't mention the boar.
Speaker 3:Well, I got the boar ribs, boar short ribs, and the thing too is is that you know we, we again everyone listening we, we have met. We, you know we met with Chris and Frank. We had dinner together with Jojo and you know he gave me some of the sorbets out there which I will give him a plug here Probably best I've ever had. You know, we we actually um plan for me to cook something for you guys and I got embarrassed. I had to call Frank at nine this morning.
Speaker 2: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, for sure, david Goggins.
Speaker 3:So I'm nervous and I call Frank, I'm like, listen, ben, I'm like I might get to the shop by 4 30, literally by 4 30, and it's not enough time, like I need time to prepare the food right, and anyways, I said, and then he's like listen, don't worry about it, we'll order something, don't worry. Don't worry, we're cool, we're cool, cool. And then, and all of a sudden it hit me, I'm like you know what fuck this? I gotta figure this out. Yeah, I'm smash.
Speaker 9:I knew you were a host because you said I'm gonna get. I said well, everybody here's a carnivore. And you said okay, I'll just make some flatbreads and I'm like I don't know if. Tony is really thinking straight here. I don't think that's going to work either.
Speaker 3:Everyone's on the carnivore diet. Yeah, you know and listen. And then I see Chris show up. He's chiseled.
Speaker 8:It doesn't look like that the gym is ripped man, they make those chips really I don't realize.
Speaker 3:The ai does muscles. That's good for you, man.
Speaker 2:So this guy's coming in must be the ugly meat. A lot of new programs.
Speaker 3:It must be that high protein ugly meat, heart and all bud, one of the best I've had too, and we'll talk about that. But so, anyways, I marinated the flank. I, uh, I sous vide the ribs like I we're talking about this at dinner, back sealed, put the special eating wild spices on it. I used the smoked maple on the ribs. You did it. Yeah, I used it just a touch. It was just a dry rub usually.
Speaker 9:I taste a little cumin in that, but I didn't taste that this time, and you know what?
Speaker 3:this guy knows too much about food, he tastes everything, so that's a good thing. I literally said to myself when I v, because I was rushing man, I was going crazy boys, I swear to you. I wanted to make sure it was perfectly rested for 5 pm and, anyways, I seared, I cooked 125, pulled out, rested, had some flatbread. I have the garden going in front of the Eating Wild podcast studio, which is Gourmet, craft and 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 parsley flatbread. We had the beautiful flank cut thin 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 Pike beer.
Speaker 8:And when you cut that steak down the middle and just spread it open and it was perfect. It was literally perfect. So I know you guys are big musky fishermen and I had the same mentality as you guys before.
Speaker 2:I was literally perfect. So I know you guys are big musky fishermen and I had the same mentality as you guys before. I was going on fishing trips, I didn't care about food. All I cared about was time on water. And then I started fishing with this guy and this guy is just like okay time. But when five o'clock comes around he starts getting anxiety. I'm like what's going on, man? What he goes? I want to go back and prepare this and this and this and I'm like, yeah, you're right.
Speaker 2:So we drop him off on the dock and he would just go and he's just in his element. We'd go back out fishing and come back and the food's right there. And he always says I'm rushing it. You know he's always worried about it, but he always. You guys know he knocked out of the park today it was amazing.
Speaker 9:But like home run, I bring my sous vide now on fishing trips because then I can just I bring my sous vide and I bring my cast iron right because, then you know what and maybe you know we'll throw, like the sides and stuff. It's tough to do a good side right because you need that, that's finesse. But you know what it's. It's better than a hot dog and hamburgers to get get a nice ribeye or a nice new york strip or something like that.
Speaker 9:You know we're not quite in your level where it comes to that, but it's so so wait, so wait.
Speaker 8:How do you set up your accommodation and you're in your kind of cooking infrastructure to accommodate your needs? Yep, when you're on a remote fishing something tells me he brings everything.
Speaker 3:No, you know what I uh? So we have our hunt camp, that I got to design the kitchen.
Speaker 2:I hate to interrupt. You should say hunt camp, but you should see the stoves that are in this hunt camp.
Speaker 3:Here's the problem with the hunt camp. I only got one. I got one job with the hunt camp, so I'm partners with Fishon, degagne and his two cousins, and our good friend Balzer Is Degagne and his two cousins. And our good friend Balzer Is that Coach, one of the cousins, coach, yeah, Coach, degagne, you hear our song at the end of each episode. And his brother, pierre, he's just had heart surgery.
Speaker 1:I heard he's up, he's up, he's doing well.
Speaker 3:So, uncle Pete, congrats. I hope everything went well with your surgery. But we purchased this property and it's when we first started. Getting into hunting was probably about what? Eight years ago now. And the reason why we got into hunting 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:So what are we gonna do if we can't get out? We've spent time in in play cards, we play cards and look at each other and we're just like and we're like why not get our hunting license, and that's how it all started, from Nipissing I got my license.
Speaker 9:If someone gets sick, eh oh, buddy, you're more than welcome. We got lots of room, brother.
Speaker 3:So back to the story about the camp. So Gags calls me. One day I'll never forget I'm on the set of Heroes Reborn, I'll never forget it. And he calls me. He's like there's an opportunity to purchase some property. Just, I'd say north, not north, south, southeast of Calendar Bay, yeah. And he's like it's 170 acres and I know you guys are just getting into hunting and this and that. And he's like this is like a once in a lifetime purchase. Right, we got to do it. I purchase, we got to do it.
Speaker 3:I drove down, I got to, I met gags 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're casting musky, we're cat, whatever. Anyways, my falls, our falls, have looked a lot different lately. Oh yeah, and it's more action-packed. And sometimes it's funny boys, because we actually don't have enough time. We can go for a week and it's like 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 fish tonight, okay.
Speaker 3:Oh, we're gonna go hit the smallie drift, we're gonna go cast whatever there's so much shit to do now that we have this property and and and and deer. It's either you're hunting deer from 4 30 PM till sundown.
Speaker 2:And any hunter and angler knows like your logger last light. We, you know that's the time when you that's the same with ducks, yeah. So what are we going to do you?
Speaker 3:got to be. You got to be in the blind. If you're not in, we're screwed.
Speaker 2:Are you?
Speaker 8:flipping coins for this.
Speaker 2:Paper rocks scissors a lot of times because we don't know what to do. We split up a lot we do, and that's a good thing. We have a large group. Some will go for the muskie last light and then some will go for duck, and it's a good problem to be in Sure, yeah.
Speaker 3:But having that hunt camp. So we purchased the property and, 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 nail looks like.
Speaker 8:What are you talking about? You're a tech wizard. Listen, man, I can hold a knife.
Speaker 3:I'll cut up some sushi for you. It's super precision. But the moment that somebody asked me, hey, can you pass me the Phillips, I'm looking around. I'm like, hey, anybody see Phil. They're like can somebody pass me the? What's the star one called the fucking, I can't remember what it's called. Anyways, give me the square screwdriver one. I'm like what's this guy talking about? So I have no, I can't. You know me, I can't build a box. So you got gags, you got coach, you got all the boys. They're building this beautiful hunt camp, okay, and they, I got one job. My one job was the kitchen, and they have no idea what they asked. They asked the wrong guy. They asked the wrong guy. They asked me to build a hunt kitchen and I did, and, siege, you could tell the boys was running in that because, needless to say, you could probably cater for a thousand people in the middle of the bush in that kitchen we get get so spoiled.
Speaker 2:We get so spoiled having Antonio and then these Northern guys like Coach and Gags, Like I mean they just they put us in the best I know I'm going off topic, but the best thing about listening to your guys' podcasts. Back in the day you guys were always promoting guides and that's one thing we never really did as anglers. We never did the guide thing. And then after listening to your podcast, we're like, why not? We got some money now let's get some guides and like guys like that if they're in the north it can be a hunting guide, it could be a fishing guide.
Speaker 3:yeah, they just they pave the way for well, you're helping out them, you're helping out the community and you're looking at it like an asset.
Speaker 8:It's like, it's like going to school, almost like you're taking.
Speaker 8:You're taking your notes and you're learning from them, because who's going to? You're not going to know more than them, no, if you're there for 10 years and you're doing what they're doing, then you don't need a guide, right. But if you're showing up on a body of water, you cut your learning curve Right and they're going to be more than happy to share stuff with you, because every guide that we talk to, um, their mission is to put you on fish or put you on whatever you're hunting, and that that's what makes them happy, right. So it's a win-win, right, right?
Speaker 3:it's worth the investment. It's totally so. Would you say, chris, that every time so you guys have fished eagle lake, you fish nippus and you guys have your spots? Would you say that you're still open to going out with guides, even presently, to this day, even on bodies of water? You've already?
Speaker 8:fished Absolutely. When we were on Eagle we had guides and then we had several days without guides. We caught fish based on the knowledge.
Speaker 1:they gave us.
Speaker 8:We almost died a few times from rock piles.
Speaker 9:I'm laughing at the comment that you yelled when you caught that fish. That little talk about off the air.
Speaker 8:I cannot say that on air, we'll never say that on the air, but it's a different experience, and and the fact that we can go out on a body of water that we barely know and land musky is is exhilarating. Like I'm so happy we could do that, 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 in terms of like, but having that information and having that advice led the way for us. So guess what? Two days later, we're like let's get a guide again. Oh yeah, we want to finish this off with a guide to get more info so we know when we come back. And I couldn't imagine our experience on Sewell without Ben. At the end of the day, he made an incredible.
Speaker 9:There's no doubt about it. You talk about getting lucky, though. When Dave and I went for that first trip in 2012, and we had a little tin can and I caught a mid-50s- almost by accident, like on a top raider doing a figure eight.
Speaker 9:We didn't have a guide, we didn't even know what we were doing. It was my first time ever fishing for musky in my life and we just got a giant. But, that being said, I wouldn't be able to replicate that. And if it wasn't for ben, not only would we not have had the fish that we've had out of that lake certainly not you, yeah, um but we wouldn't have the great times too, like we. Ben is on our wavelength, like sense of humor, wise, like it's very important to to get with a guy that is like you are, so you can have great times even during the slow times, right?
Speaker 8:We're having breaks and we're talking South Park and we're oh yeah, we're busting our guts laughing so hard just because we did like a four or five hour straight run. We need to get some food in us. You know, take at least a half an hour break and we're just cracking you. We're just like cracking jokes and having having the best time. So you know. And the other thing is it pairs exactly with our vision of the podcast. Right, it's always been about learning. It's always been about going on a journey. Yes, and saying hey, we're not like, as I said before, I fished since I was a kid and I do it on my own because it's just in me, but I've never said I know more than anybody. Right, and when you come into this sport, especially muskie, you realize you know there's a lot to learn and the conditions and the calculation that you make in terms of how you can put yourself on fish, it's very complex. It can be complex. It can be Every guide we fish with we learn more about what we don't know.
Speaker 9:Like Pete Bossman was amazing, amazing.
Speaker 2:That's great. You guys say that Even when I fish with someone that I've never fished before with, it's great because they have a different technique than me. The four of us, the four skins myself, 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 the table that we don't 100%. And another thing I really like hazards. I'm calling you out Top Dog Pereira.
Speaker 3:He's been through three lower ends on the French River just because he doesn't know the water. And G-Bay it's happening on G-Bay too.
Speaker 9:French is famous for it, though there's a rock they call a can opener.
Speaker 8:Those hazards scare me Out. On G-Bay there's rock piles like 12 inches underneath the surface. If there's, if there's a little bit of chop, you can't even see it.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's what scares you?
Speaker 8:can't even see it. And you see guys ripping by and like if you don't know the waters.
Speaker 2:I've seen pictures on instagram where there's people standing on these rock piles right, right, and they're like pictures like look at me and kind of look like jesus walking on the water, right, but it just scares me. And that's another great thing about the guides is they know that water, they know the hazards and we all know lower ends on boats.
Speaker 3:I would say I probably would have never fished for walleye with planer boards like we did this year for the first time. And first of all, me and you never 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:Detroit River Detroit River.
Speaker 3:And you know, he introduced us to.
Speaker 2:Simon.
Speaker 3:Berth, and it was amazing fishing with those guys, because we learned a totally different technique of fishing we've never done in our lives. And I know these guys are big musky guys as well and they, you know they'll hit the St Clair and fish those planer boards with.
Speaker 9:You know the handlebars guys and all those cow mocks and they're always there we see them every year we were using them on the bay, the planer boards.
Speaker 3:We were using them on the bay.
Speaker 8:The planer boards yeah, we were using them.
Speaker 3:No, on NIP, on NIP, on NIP, we didn't use them on the bay Really On NIP, and that's something I don't think I've ever watched.
Speaker 8:Nico, nico, we were planer boarding everything. Why can't I make a?
Speaker 9:distinction. See, I told you I got brain damage. You get punched too many times in the Chris is.
Speaker 2:a lot is planar boards on Nipissing. I always see it down south.
Speaker 8:I always see it on St Clair For whatever reason, we had a departure from the previous years.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 8:And he was keen on trolling for most of our trip and obviously the wind and the conditions dictated and we were planar boarding everything, so we had our lines spread out. Was that new for you guys?
Speaker 2:It's not new, but we've used it before, but never. It took us 15 minutes. It's pretty cool though, to see that that planer board when, when you have the fish, it's something that antonio and I uh we didn't get any fish on the planers.
Speaker 9:Everything hit the, the tuesy, the close rod the tuesy you missed the biggest fish rod.
Speaker 2:Why is? It always the close rod.
Speaker 9:We had not onlyosie the close rod, the twosie, you missed the biggest fish rod.
Speaker 2:Why is it?
Speaker 9: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 my truck.
Speaker 3:I should show you guys that we missed so many fish because we didn't know what a planer boy to hit. A planer board hit. Look like okay, yeah. And and the first time he lost the biggest fish of the day was at the top of the morning because Siege didn't see it in time and Simon Bursey's a nut job, by the way shout out to Simon because you guys want to fish with this guy. He's absolutely insane. But you know, he put out these planter boards and it almost looked like you're watching a bobber on the surface getting hit on an angle.
Speaker 2:Now, mind you, these are Walters, Walters, and you know when you're doing musky, you guys know that click.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the click goes off the Walters. It's like you see this bobber just going like this, Is that a fish? Oh you're using them for walleye. It was for Walters yeah, but these guys musky fish all like Andrew Walker and all those guys. They all musky fish. They guide and again they got their guiding. Those guys are proper guides.
Speaker 2:They're proper guides.
Speaker 3:We've had them on our show before and they can't talk enough about how important it is of being a professional guide. The difference between there's guys out there that say they're guides but they don't really have their captain's license.
Speaker 1:They don't have their guiding's license. So we've different podcasts.
Speaker 3:You know we've talked to these guys before and then we got a real just on. Just on the subject of guys here, siege, I'm just I know I'm going off topic here, but we have a different respect for these guys. And back to your original question. You were asking these guys about guides. How do you feel about you know, even to this day, going out with a guide? I think it's a game changer for us because I've learned more this year having Taro fishing with Taro for Crappie fishing with Taro for Muskie, with the Champ Cody Kavon check, which Frank knows about. But you know, how different do you approach all those species now, siege, yeah, think about it. I think I've changed the way I fish, even for muskie. Here's a question for you, chris. I'd love to ask you this question. Frank can chime in on this too after.
Speaker 3:But you know your go-to baits. You know your baits whatever water you're fishing, and I hear you guys talking about it all the time. Bait selection is such a big topic you guys have. But I find and Taro was talking a lot about this smaller baits, bringing back those smaller baits, and I feel like, um, the response was more, um, we were getting more of a response with smaller baits and we were bigger baits. I don't know what's your opinion on that. You guys, you guys talk to everybody. I mean you guys know. Would you say you know you have your baits, you have your, say, shadzillas. Would you bring that out a junior, if you're fishing in different types of water, or you have to use just a regular shadzilla, or even those, the, the magnum, the magnums, right? Is it always big for you?
Speaker 8:uh, that's a good question because we've had so many guides on that. Say don't be afraid to go smaller, you can still catch john.
Speaker 9:John Jarvis all about the. Was that his name, john Jarvis? John Jarvis, yeah, all about the small baits.
Speaker 8:Going down to like six blade, eight blade maximum Meps number five.
Speaker 9:Meps number five yeah, no way.
Speaker 8:Yeah, so I wouldn't be afraid to throw it. What I will say is what I've learned is I can pull up on an A musky spot and I can have five A plus guides in the boat and every one of them will give me a will have a different confidence lure on that spot that produces for them. So what it comes down to is just whatever you think is going to get you that fish throw it.
Speaker 3:It's confidence right.
Speaker 8:If you tell me that a blade works here and then he tells me, or she tells me, that she just landed a 54 on a shadzilla and I nailed a 54 on a top water and and you know, then you're like what's the pattern? Did you have to throw the exact right bait at the exact right time? That's what worked. I think it's a matter of just you feel the confidence, your rhythm, your cadence. Everything works with your confidence bait. So you just go with that. So don't be afraid to throw that, that, that uh short or the smaller bait if you think that's gonna work for you.
Speaker 3: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:Right, yeah, fishing for a while. Look, I. We did a lot of interviews recently where we talked about early season and the guide said downsize. We had a lot of guides say downsize.
Speaker 9:So I go on my opener trip. I'm with my buddy, alex from rec saint pierre, from barbarian braid. I'm with johnny dadson, who's one of the best musky anglers you're ever going to find. He taught me so much about you know this and I I'm thinking you know what I? This is another season of me fishing with these guys. I'm not the same guy I was last year. We got you know. You know what. This is another season of me fishing with these guys. I'm not the same guy I was last year.
Speaker 9:We got you know, however many shows under our belt that last year I'm going to show these guys I'm going to bring all my small baits and blah, blah, blah. First thing we do is throw double 13s on no way and it starts getting smashed. So I'm like I got these small baits. It's like no, no, big baits. We threw big baits first week of 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 be like I'm going to harness the knowledge of all these guides and we get in the boat and they're like no, and we crushed, we did great. So I think Chris is right when he says you know your confidence, whatever you want, I think the bottom line is, when these fish want to strike, they're gonna strike if you get it, if you get it near them.
Speaker 3:I really think that everybody overthinks this yeah, it's true here, all these different opinions, hear them all. Right, okay, we I mean we fished with some really cool guides this year and they all did have different opinions and approaches, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 9:We even did a show, like we did a show with somebody I won't even mention and this happens more than you think. Then I got other guides from the area sending me messages saying I want to come on the show.
Speaker 8:To refute that? Yeah, because what he said wasn't right and what he said I got something to add to this right and what he said.
Speaker 9:I got something to add to this. That happens a lot, but it happened recently, uh, with a couple guides, and it's just like I'm like okay, you know, you know, we'll get you back on the show, you know whatever I get that a lot about food too.
Speaker 3:Eh, you do, I bet you do, he does, I run the socials for uh eating wild podcast, and that's the number one thing.
Speaker 9:Send your dick pics to see.
Speaker 2: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:I am not nodding my head.
Speaker 2: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 ninja nowadays and they just I don't know what it is Like criticize.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like I can do it better. This is not how you do it.
Speaker 2:This is how I was taught. And like I mean, we're eating wild pie because you guys are ugly pike. Obviously you're not harvesting musky. But people say, chirp us all the time for harvesting pike, and pike is a sleeper out there. Like I mean, if you know how to flay a pike properly, dynamite, and you have a guy like Antonio, you can just pop. It's so good. But that's the number one thing. Why?
Speaker 7:are you guys?
Speaker 2:eating pike Cold, deep water though.
Speaker 9:Cold deep water 100%. You don't want to quarrel with pike and not.
Speaker 3:You know, you want 17 to 18 inch pike. You don't need to keep a 35 inch pike, you could clean it. But the one thing I will say and it doesn't even have to be fishing or hunting or anything it's cooking in general, everyone is a chef, everyone's a chef in their own opinion. Everyone has a nonna or a grandmother. I should say that was the best cook in their lives, right, and I get it.
Speaker 3:I understand my kids to this day will say they will only pasta with Nona's tomato sauce. I get it, man, I'm a chef, I cook for. You know, I could make a hundred pounds of sauce a day, but you know, at the end of the day, boys, the way I look at it is this when you're in the kitchen and you're in your own element and I do this professionally it's what I do for a living, right? It's like Frank being at his in his MMA gym and or or whatever went in their own careers. Here's the thing. I don't mind your opinion, because I learn every day too, right, I learn like if, if, if Pete 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 treadmill right now listening and he shows me how to fillet, let's say, a smallmouth bass, and I know that's a big topic for people. They freak out. We talked about this on the last episode filleting bass and this and that.
Speaker 3:Listen, you said it yourself the bass was delicious. Are we promoting eating bass? No, I don't go out there and look for bass to fill my live wall, but you know there's guys out there that eat and it's delicious.
Speaker 8:I love bass. You love bass. Right, Really, Chris, there's nothing wrong with it. There's nothing wrong with it. Taro and I used to fish together and fillet bass up in Ottawa.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know we had on our podcast recently and we shared a picture of one of our listeners that made a beautiful bass dish side. So much about it, ripped and ripped. But like I mean, this is a listener that prepared it properly. Now I'm hoping he was doing it like cold water bass, like you were mentioning with the pike, and it's just there's so many people that hate on it. But like I mean, they have limits, they have sizes. I it's just so crazy, but I don't want anyone eating a muskie. No, you know. No, it's gross. Why would you it?
Speaker 3:is gross, well. Well, here's the thing I'm telling you back to the original story, siege. If, if frank caught a fish and you know let's say it's a walter, perfect walter, and he posts on the ugly pike socials how he cleaned that that walter, somebody will have something negative to say. I will friggin guarantee it. And and I would love anybody challenging frank, you know, to his face saying that he did it wrong first of all, they get murdered and wrapped up like a pencil.
Speaker 3:You don't care, I don't care but here's the problem, frank, because I'm in this industry, right, I get told to my face every day that somebody can make it better. And listen, I, I'm all for it. I'm not a professional, well you are. Well, listen, I'll make you a steak. Yeah, if 100 people in one room all eat that steak medium rare like we had downstairs today.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:It's almost impossible because I'll tell you right, there's one person that's going to want it well done. Yeah, there's five people that are going to want it medium Get that's going to want it.
Speaker 1:Well done.
Speaker 9:There's five people that are going to want it medium, get that person out of the room.
Speaker 2:Listen, there's three ways of having a steak Medium rare, medium rare, medium rare.
Speaker 3:If you don't eat it medium rare, then you got a problem. That's my opinion. It's a frigging opinion, but I'm telling you whether it's fishing. This all goes from the original question we started talking about. Somebody is always going to do it better and somebody always has a keyboard and has an opinion. And it hurts, brother, it bothers me and I know people always say smash it. Gordon Ramsay. Rule number three JoJo, your brother knows this rule 100%. Jojo's brother's a chef, by the way. Listen. Fantastic chef, fantastic chef Can't wait to meet him. We're going to eat, we're going to drink wine. I want to tell you this right now. Rule number three take it professionally, not personally. I've never gotten over rule number three Siege.
Speaker 2:Oh, I don't blame you, man.
Speaker 3:I can't do it. I can't do it. Listen, you know your kids, you know Nona cooks from the heart, first of all. That's why it tastes so good. Just going back, I had to mention that. You know we're talking about the way people prepare their food, the way your father did. That, walter, is the way you grew up eating it, and I'll tell you right now I can't replicate that. Siege, you might call me a professional. I can't replicate that because that's what you grew up eating and your father cooks from the heart. He's not a professional. He doesn't get paid to make that, walter. But hey, at the end of the day, siege, you love it. It puts a smile on your face and that's all that matters to me. I don't care that people have a problem with the way I fillet a pike.
Speaker 9:Screw them. I don't care. You know what I want to try. I heard like if you crush Miss Vicky's chips.
Speaker 8:Oh, yes, I told you that Was that you, yeah, so we tried to do that on nip Dill pickle. So we tried to do that on nipissing, but we couldn't catch a wall, a walleye between chris myself and that's how taro and I used to do that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that sounds, miss vicky chips, so phenomenal, that's what, uh, antonio put me on 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's gonna taste pretty good.
Speaker 3: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 we weren't hunting at the time. You just were leading the trail and all of a sudden all you hear is boom. We're like what the hell's?
Speaker 2:going on. Joe Time's popping his gun, my brand new gun I just got and I got it out of my trunk of my car. I'm going to meet these guys.
Speaker 2:I'm walking five feet and a grouse 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 of your best friends as a chef so he can tell you what he did with that so we bring the gross back to the hunt camp camp which is dressed up like my kitchen.
Speaker 3:downstairs you got a 24-inch charbroiler American range hood vent.
Speaker 9:You're using the wrong terms because if a hunt camp is anything like a fishing camp, no, our hunt camp isn't a hunt camp, brother, it's a mix of rusket it's a mix of rusket.
Speaker 3:We're all do well in our careers. I think we can enjoy ourselves pretty well, but I'll tell you what. Jesus. Sorry boys, I got to interrupt this message to bring you this picture brought to you by Chris.
Speaker 2:That's what I wanted to tell you.
Speaker 3:Oh my God, you showed me these bass fillets.
Speaker 2:That's beautiful. That's the number one question we have on the Eating Wild podcast.
Speaker 9:Those are the pictures.
Speaker 8:I'm thinking right chris, yeah, my kids, my kids, when they ate that bass they've been talking about it for 10 years cook, catch bass and cook it for me again.
Speaker 2:That's the number one question we have on the eating wild podcast is about the ugly pike boys. Now, have you guys always been like just strictly musky? Because I've heard that you guys are, uh, a stick like I heard you guys.
Speaker 9:Chris is an unbelievable multi-species angler, a lot better than I am. I can fish for certain species pretty well, but I'm not in his.
Speaker 2:That's what I've heard.
Speaker 8: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 completely different. I think every angler goes through that Right Um, being being blessed with being close to the Niagara river. Yes, I grew up just fishing the shores of the Niagara river Right and you have, you know, you have lake trout, rainbows, 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 down there every day, and then I I transitioned into float fishing oh wow, and then into, uh uh, fly fishing started brother who would have thought we got the ugly pike skies on and chris is the stick.
Speaker 8:I thought he was just a musky guy brawny creek, credit river, bowmanville, gany yeah, we got to talk A beaver, the pretty river and he just showed us a picture of a beautiful shore launch.
Speaker 2:I think that's going to be. We just started a new podcast that we had at Eagle Lake.
Speaker 3:Me and Chris are starting our own podcast.
Speaker 9:I hate to break the news.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's called.
Speaker 3:Centerpin Fishing with Chris and Smash.
Speaker 2:Sorry boys.
Speaker 3:My name's chris. No, no, no, not you chris. Okay, ai chris is just ai chris.
Speaker 8:A ai chris with smash, I'm alive, we're on the river ciao, that's what it's called.
Speaker 3:I just named it over man.
Speaker 2:But this picture that I just saw, that chris's shore launch is gonna be for this episode, for the eating wild, it is gonna be the recipe of the day. No, not the recipe of the day.
Speaker 8:No, not the recipe of the day but the cover for this episode. And you can give it like a middle finger, the middle finger anybody's complaining about.
Speaker 2:Yes, it looks delicious. And it's just so crazy to hear these guys' story because you would always just think you guys are just started with a musky rod and born with a musky rod, and to hear the multi-species and it's fantastic.
Speaker 3:We got to take a quick break because I got to go to the washroom.
Speaker 3:It's one of those last light loggers getting through me. But listen, let's take a break because when we come back, a couple things I'd like to talk about with you guys is one, now that I know that Chris is a fellow center pin fisherman, what the hell is going on here? Angling specialties, and we're going to talk the river. We're going to talk fishing. We're going to talk food Questions too. 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:I got to pack.
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Speaker 8:Back in 2016,. Frank and I had a vision to amass the single largest database of muskie angling education material anywhere in the world Our dream was to harness the knowledge of this amazing community and share it with passionate anglers just like you. Thus the Ugly Pike podcast was born and quickly grew to become one of the top fishing podcasts in North America.
Speaker 9:Step into the world of angling adventures and embrace the thrill of the catch with the Ugly Pike podcast. Join us on our quest to understand what makes us different as anglers and to uncover what it takes to go after the infamous fish of 10,000 casts.
Speaker 8:The Ugly Pike podcast isn't just about fishing. It's about creating a tight-knit community of passionate anglers who share the same love for the sport. Through laughter, through camaraderie and an unwavering spirit of adventure. This podcast will bring people together.
Speaker 9:Subscribe now and never miss a moment of our angling adventures. Tight lines everyone.
Speaker 8:Find Ugly Pike now on Spotify, on spotify apple podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts hey guys, this is smash malecka here.
Speaker 3:Um. We sat down with frank and chris um in studio for the first time and it was awesome that we had to make this a two part episode. We talked and, honestly, folks, we could have been in here for three or four hours, so we decided to make this a two part. So this was just the end of part one. Tune in next week to hear part two of the eating wild podcast collab with the ugly pike podcast and you know we're looking forward for you guys tuning back in. Have a great day and listen. Coach, get that tune started. We're going to be back right next week, tuesday. Catch us live. Ciao, ciao, we'll be right back.