Doc Talks Fishing Podcast
Welcome to DOC TALKS FISHING, the podcast dedicated to exploring cutting-edge fisheries projects with renowned biologists from around the world. Join Liam Whetter and Gord Pyzer as they unravel the secrets that will help you reel in more and bigger walleye, bass, trout, salmon, muskies, pike and panfish.
Tune in every second week as we unveil breakthroughs in fisheries science that will elevate your fishing game to the next level. DOC TALKS FISHING is your gateway to success. Let's make every fishing trip an extraordinary adventure.
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Follow Liam Whetter:
https://linktr.ee/whetterfishing
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Intro song: Cold World by Jackson Klippenstein
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0aUhZMbG1nz102PvP9HKdW?si=bkcx3z_SQqebvK1WazBwFA
Episodes
56 episodes
#56 || Dr. Sean Landsman: Muskies in the Abyss - The Science Behind Open-Water Giants
For decades, we've cast muskies as shadows lurking in the weeds. Ambush predators waiting to pounce on our baits. But what if everything we thought we knew about these apex fish is only half the story? In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Sean Land...
#55 || Dr. Allison Roth: Dark Water, Big Changes - How Browning Lakes Are Rewriting Fishing
If you've been on the water lately and thought your favourite lake looks darker than it used to... you're not imagining things. Lakes are quietly "browning" as dissolved organic carbon turns clear water into a tea-stained mystery-and it's chang...
#54 || Mark Stiffel: The Brook Trout Code - Turning Science into Trophy Trout
In this episode of Doc Talks Fishing, master brook trout angler, Mark Stiffel joins us to explain how he turns cutting-edge trout biology into success on the water. Building on the fascinating science shared by Nipigon biologist Rob Swainson in...
#53 || Dr. Connor Elliott: The Secret Life of Tournament Bass - What Science Just Revealed
How old is the biggest bass you've ever caught?If you fish Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence River, the answer might surprise you. In this episode of Doc Talks Fishing, Dr. Connor Elliott from Queen's University reveals that some tourname...
#52 || Dr. Melanie Massey: Gold Fish Gone Wild
Most of us grew up thinking about goldfish as harmless pets — the kind we kept in a bowl in our bedrooms as kids. In this episode of Doc Talks Fishing, we sit down with Dr. Melanie Massey from the University of Toronto, whose research reveals a...
#51 || Rob Swainson: What Makes Brook Trout Tick? Inside the Mind of a Coldwater Icon
Brook trout inspire a level of devotion that few fish can match. In this episode of Doc Talks Fishing, we sit down once again with our good friend and legendary biologist, Rob Swainson to uncover why.Rob draws on his decades of research ...
#50 || Dr. Chris Therrien: The Fountain of Youth - The Fish That Never Get Old
What if we told you that some fish don't actually "get old" — but get better with age? In this jaw-dropping episode of Doc Talks Fishing, Dr. Chris Therrien returns with three more astonishing fish facts that challenge everything we thought we ...
#49 || Dr. Chris Therrien: Three Mind-Blowing Fish Facts You Absolutely Don't Know
We welcome back Dr. Chris Therrien for a jaw-dropping conversation that will change how you look at fish. Did you know that male bluegills will disguise themselves as females to sneak past aggressive males and steal fertilizations? Or that most...
#48 || Robert Pye & Melissa Dakers: No Habitat, No fish
Healthy fish populations start with healthy habitat. In this episode of Doc Talks Fishing, we talk with Robert Pye and Melissa Dakers from Watersheds Canada about why protecting and restoring fish habitat is the foundation of sustainable fisher...
#47 || Jason Smith: Noah's Ark for Whitefish - Rescuing a Great Lakes Legacy
Lake whitefish - the backbone of the Great Lakes fishery for centuries - are in trouble. Biologist Jason Smith joins us to explain why these iconic fish are disappearing, what's driving the collapse and the groundbreaking bold "Noah's Ark" proj...
#46 || Scott Smithers: Seasons, Limits and the Science That Keeps Fish Biting
We've all seen fishing regulations — seasons, size limits, daily and possession limits— but how are they actually set? The numbers aren't just pulled out of thin air. They're grounded in decades of science and driven by massive amounts of data ...
#45 || Dr. David Schiffman: Beyond JAWS - The Real Story of Sharks
Fifty years after JAWS terrified a generation, the fear of sharks still runs deep — but the truth about these ocean predators is far more fascinating than frightening.In this episode of Doc Talks Fishing, Dr. David Shiffman, author of Wh...
#44 || Julie Charbonneau: Hooked on Hyperstability - When Good Fishing Masks a Crisis
Catch rates may look good on paper—but what if they're lying to us? Julie Charbonneau is a member of the Earth to Ocean Research Group, in the Department of Biological Sciences at Simon Frazer University and she joins us today to explain how hi...
#43 || Dr. Steven Cooke: What New Bass Science Means for Anglers
What happens when the world's leading bass scientists gather to share their latest discoveries? The 2025 Black Bass Symposium brought together researchers, managers and anglers from across the globe — and the insights could change the future of...
#42 || Dr. David Philipp: Smallmouth Revival - Record Year Classes from a Bold New Strategy
Last year we sat down with renowned smallmouth bass researcher Dr. David Philipp to discuss what he described as a once-in-a-lifetime discovery on Opinicon Lake in southeastern Ontario.When COVID-19 restrictions limited angler access to ...
#41 || Haley Tomlin: Are Your Car Tires Killing Salmon and Trout?
Salmon and trout face a deadly threat that has nothing to do with overfishing or predators-it comes from our roads. In this week's episode of Doc Talks Fishing, British Columbia Fisheries Foundation biologist Haley Tomlin reveals how a hidden c...
#40 || Dr. Greg Sass: Walleyes at the Tipping Point
Walleye populations across the Midwest are in trouble and Dr. Greg Sass warns they may be nearing an ecological tipping point. As head of Wisconsin's Escanaba Lake Research Station, Greg is one of North America's leading experts on freshwater f...
#39 || Dave Chong, Part Two: Outsmarting Pressured Fish
In Part One, our good friend, pro angler Dave Chong, unpacked how fish— especially bass-are getting smarter, adapting to pressure, and avoiding our best lures. Now in Part Two, Dave reveals more advanced tactics that he uses to overcome the gro...
#38 || Dave Chong, Part One: Guide to Outsmarting Pressured Fish
In this week's episode of Doc Talks Fishing, we dig into the cutting-edge science of fish learning and conditioning with top tournament bass pro Dave Chong. Building on the jaw dropping research shared by Dr. Hal Schramm, who revealed that bass...
#37 || Emily Yeung: Saving a Ghost - The Fight to Keep Atlantic Whitefish Alive
In this episode of Doc Talks Fishing, we sit down with fisheries scientist Emily Yeung to uncover the incredible story of the Atlantic whitefish—a "living fossil" on the brink of extinction. These elusive fish have survived millions of years of...
#36 || Premek Hamr "Dr. Crayfish": How One Crayfish is Changing Freshwater Ecosystems
This week on Doc Talks Fishing, we crawl into the fascinating-and alarming-world of crayfish with renowned biologist Dr. Premek Hamr.From native species quietly working behind the scenes to the aggressive takeover by rusty crayfish, "Dr....
#35 || Pete Garnier: The Panfish Playbook - From Lab to Limits
If you love chasing crappies, bluegills and pumpkinseeds—this is the panfish masterclass you’ve been waiting for. In this episode of Doc Talks Fishing, we hand the mic to Pete Garnier—known far and beyond as the Panfish Professor
#34 || Dr. Hal Schramm: Too Cool to Fool - Why Your Best Lure Isn't Working Anymore
Can fish learn to outsmart us? In this fascinating episode of Doc Talks Fishing, we sit down with Dr. Hal Schramm-legendary bass biologist, pioneering researcher, and inductee into the National Fisheries Management Hall of Excellence— to explor...
#33 || Dr. Nigel Lester and Nick Baccante: Walleye Mysteries Solved - Your Questions, Expert Answers
Why did your go-to walleye lure stop working? Do big females "ghost" anglers after the spawn — and where do they go? Why are some lakes full of daytime biters and others go dead until dusk?In this jam-packed episode of Doc Talks Fishing,...
#32 || Paul Radomski: Author of "Walleye: A Beautiful Fish of the Dark"
What makes walleyes masters of low light, why do they seemingly vanish from some lakes but thrive in others, and what really drives their boom-and-bust cycles? In this eye-opening episode of Doc Talks Fishing, we sit down with fisheries scienti...
