Life, Faith & Fishing | Josh Sutton | Below The Surface Podcast #3

Josh Sutton is one of the top speckled trout guides in North Carolina — but the journey to get there? Nothing short of wild. From racing go-karts up and down the East Coast, to a dirt bike wreck that changed everything, to finding his calling on the water — Josh keeps it real about all of it.
We talk racing, machining, faith, the pressure of being a guide, social media killing the fishing world, and what it actually takes to catch big trout. This one hits different.
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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Good morning. Welcome to Below the Surface Podcast where we talk about what winning really looks like. I have a special guest today. It's actually episode two for today, which is very rare. But you do special things for special people. I got Josh Sutton on this morning. Josh is uh one of the top speckled trout guides in North Carolina. Um heavy hitter, speckled trout winner, uh, tournament winner. And um I would say if you want to know anything about catching speckled trout, especially big ones, Josh Sutton is probably the guy to go to. So it's a pleasure to have you.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Thank you, Jared. It's a pleasure to be here, man.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

Absolutely. Um before we go into fishing, which I know we want to talk a lot about fishing. Um, I want to know a little bit. Well, I do know, you know, we've become friends over the years. Yes, sir. Um, pretty, pretty gross fans, and it's been um a pleasure to do that with you. Um but for everybody else, um how did Josh get where Josh is today? Let's let's let's back it up some um talk about some things that we've talked about on the boat, like the racing, yeah, that the the career, um and and how you got to where you are today.

SPEAKER_00 1:24

It's it's it's pretty wild, you know. It's a it's a good story to tell, but I've I've lived in North Carolina, you know, I'm 41 years old and I've lived here my whole life. But I grew up an hour and a half to the west around Smithfield. And you know, my dad had me under the hood of a car in diapers, you know, so that's where that comes from. Right. Hot rods, and just uh grew up going to swap meets and drag races and circle track races, and you know, dad and his friends rode three-wheelers, and he would, man, he said, you know, he would carry me along once I got big enough on those three-wheeler rides and all, and I would fall asleep, you know, just to the sound of that big old four-stroke pipe or whatever. And uh about you know, dad and mom, you know, we I ain't gonna say we struggled, but they didn't have you know, jobs with benefits and a lot of free time, and so you know, dad worked a lot of odd jobs and part-time things, and it wasn't until I was probably almost a teenager dad got a job at like a pharmaceutical plant, and and and life got a little a little better, and mom also got a state job. And um around that time, you know, with money you can do more things. Dad wanted to race go-karts. Yeah, I think he always had his eyes on that, and then I got a hold of one. And I was literally 11 years old, and I probably wasn't 70 pounds sucking wet. Right. And I got on a go-kart that somebody that was probably two hundred pounds was riding and geared for, and I got out there and was just wide open. Bye, bye bye, bye. Just wide open around the track as a kid, you know, riding something that was pretty souped up. Right. And I think they all were like, hey, this, you know, he might could, he might could handle this. And it it turned into, you know, the better part of 15 years of racing from Virginia to Georgia, South Carolina. You know, every track in North Carolina, we raced dirt, uh, some asphalt. We've raced concrete inside the Greensboro Coliseum. Um so me and my dad and my brother use that. And uh, you know, growing up, you know, when you're growing up, your parents are probably the last person you really want to spend much time with, especially as a boy being a teenager. And so it, you know, it kept me from running around any more than I did, right? You know, and uh kept me and dad and brother together. And now that I'm you know old enough to look back and realize, you know, the lessons that racing taught us on and off the track, the preparation, the it, you know, it was one of those things that prepared me for the lifestyle I live now. Um and it's cool, you know, it's cool to look back and see that. But um racing kind of ran its course, you know, it was very expensive and it was fun while we were teenagers, and then you know, I took a bad spill on a dirt bike. Um, people know about that if they know me, and changed my course, um, and that ended that racing stuff. And I, you know, in the moment I was mad about it, man, because I was, you know, I was 23, I was really starting to to really get good and and kind of thought I might could go somewhere with it, but I, you know, looking back now again, my name's not Gordon or Earnhardt or whatever, so that's pretty tough to do. And even now, looking back at go-kart racing today, the people that still do it, it's not the same. You're you're you're you're pulling up to a track with guys that have like a NASCAR hauler and have 10 chassis, and you, you know, you have leased a ride from this cat. And so you and your kids show up with your like you show up on a fishing trip with me. You show up with your bare minimum and your helmet, and you just rent a ride that weekend. Right. And it's tires prep, engine ready, geared. I mean, chassis, you just sit down and go. So it's not even a sport anymore. Right. Um, so uh the dirt bike wreck, that was tough for me and the whole family. Uh I'm not gonna get into it a whole lot because I will get emotional talking about that stuff. But uh, yeah. Um spinal fusion laid in the hospital for a week, um, changed everything at 23 for me. Um, so I went through two or three years of kind of a dark spot, and uh I had to find a new hobby to kind of get out of that. And I always loved to fish as a little boy anyway. You know, just you know, when I was younger, I get off the school bus and literally have fishing poles and tackle box bungee cord to a bicycle or a four-wheeler or something, and I was gonna hit some kind of farm pond and catch something before it got dark that day. Right. Hell or high water. And uh, so I always had that, I always had this fishing bug, you know, and we had church camp, you know, royal ambassadors, and those guys got permission to fish like the best ponds around. So it would be like once a year in the summer when we were out of school. I would look forward to that so much. And uh, because I knew I was gonna get to fish Friday afternoon, camp, catfish Friday night until I couldn't hold my eyes open. Right. As soon as I could get up Saturday morning, they had breakfast, a big old breakfast cooked, and we were on a John boat or on our feet fishing until the sun went down again, and then Sunday morning we got up and had service, and most people packed up and went home. But I was gonna fish a little bit more if I could, you know. So that's been deep, deep, deeply a part of me, you know, fishing in the outdoors and my love for being out there. Yeah. Um, so you know, finding a new hobby was one thing, you know. I got I ain't gonna say a new hobby, but it like it sparked my love for fishing again. And then I had time for it because I was, you know, we were we were spending 50 hours a week, you know, prepping and getting ready for racing, and then driving, you know, 10 to who knows how many hours to get to the track and spend all weekend, and then by the time we got back, I mean, we we didn't even have time to unload the trailer. Right. We'd go to work Monday and then come home and start over. So had no time to even think about fishing for a better part of probably 10, 12 years. But um the recovery process, you know, getting over surgeries, back surgeries, and the trauma uh, you know, just from a wreck. Um, yep, I got on the boat, you know. I had my grandpa had a little like 14-foot uh fiberglass boat with like a six and a half horse Johnson seahorse from like the 70s on it, man. Yep, but she still runs. And uh there's a lake called Buckhorn Reservoir in Wilson County. That's on the border of Wilson and Johnson County because half of us in one county, half of us in the other. And uh, so I grew up in Johnson County and fished Buckhorn uh in '94 or six. Sometime in that range, they expanded the lake and they built a big dam. And then it was '96 Hurricane Fran came through. And I even before they were done feeling like clearing the lake, they uh Fran flooded it, you know, and like flooded a lot of timber and things. And uh just as being out there so much as a kid fishing, I can still close my eyes now and see the old lake and the old bank line, and there used to be a bridge that we all catfished off of and stuff. So the next probably three years or so, um, I was not working, not you know, I was just recovering. Really? Um, I was applied for disability. If anybody's ever gone through that, you know it takes two or three years to get a check. So if you do go through the process though, you know, you get a back payment. So um I did that. I got on disability for like two years, and I went back to tech school. And I was, you know, by trade, just a mechanic, uh auto mechanic, and more of on the hot rod performance side. Um, so I couldn't do that anymore. Probably could, but it's just really hard on me with the back problems. So I went to school to be a machinist, and um that that was the career I really thought I wanted to be a part of, and and it was a good trade. Um and it's a trade that needs that needs skill, skilled labor. Um, it's just underpaid. So people like me, you know, you get up to producing and making a certain product and you expect a little bit more to carry home, right? You're not so yeah, I felt like I was being paid like an auto mechanic to produce aerospace quality CNC parts, you know, and it was like, you know, I know guys made$25 in the 90s, but it's it's 2020. Right. We're not making 25 bucks anymore. Right. So I started looking, I just wasn't happy, and I uh honestly, even at that time, I don't think fishing guide was even a thought. I thought, yeah. Um but um I jumped around to work different shops, two or three different situations I thought would would be good. Just I just you know, I like the work, but I couldn't fit in anywhere, I guess. And um so uh I pretty much jumped ship and said, screw it. My wife was working travel nurse, making really good money, thankfully. And she's like, baby, just let's just move down to the river. My my parents bought this house down here about you know a year before we moved here. And um they finally retired and now they're gonna get to start coming out and using it and stuff. But um my wife was like, let's just let's just get out of Johnson County, let's just go where you want to be, and uh we'll figure it out. And you know, five years have gone by and it goes by fast, right? But thankfully we we've been renting that house from my folks, and I've been able to focus on my business instead of building and getting all that going. And and now hopefully we can buy and get you know get our own home and land, and that's that's where we're headed. But um, the um, yeah, I mean, I honestly I jumped I jumped off the deep end, and I was like, I, you know, I came down here and I looked for machinists and fab jobs and stuff, and I I walked a couple places and I was like, man, I just God I get sick even thinking about it. Again, you know, like applying for jobs and stuff, and I was like, you know, I've had a lot of people blow smoke and tell me you could be you would be a really good fishing guide. You know, I taught and and and and I just always got a lot of joy out of showing people what I have found down here because I I mean I've lived here my whole life, and it took me 20 years to realize, man, our inshore fishery is like literally world class, like compared to any state in the country. And so um I think you know, I believe in in God and destiny, and uh I think like again with the racing, he was preparing me, you know, and then um when I was still working, and I'm jumping back and forth a little, but this is my whole absolutely deal, right? Um when I was working at the machine shops and stuff, I had already started getting pretty hooked on trout fishing. Yeah, right. This is probably 2010, somewhere around that range. I've right I got the bug, you know. And so, you know, every spare minute we were I was spending driving back and forth to, you know, down east from Smithfield, you know, two hours usually one way, and um man, it got to be a lot, but I I just I fell in love with it, and I would geek out and take all the pictures that I could. And and yeah, I would go back home and like I would just do a picture dump and just man, people people loved it, you know, and like a lot of people discovered through my pictures that we even have the things we have right here and the the possibilities to come and do that. And uh that that awoke, you know, some some thoughts in my head. I was like, man, people don't even know what's possible. Like if I if I could get my stuff straight and actually, you know, capture this energy in a bottle and and and actually use it and and promote it. Um and then like these guys from the Speck of Truth, I went on a charter down in in Mississippi, and uh I had already like got my captain's license and got started, but I'm a low confidence person and I second guess everything that I say and do. Yep. Um I just hold myself to a higher standard, right? Um so but I went down there and I fished with Kyle and I met those guys, and like, you know, to me on social media and you know, in that world, he just looked like some superstar and some somebody that had been doing it for his whole life. Well, he retired from the military and hadn't been doing it, you know, all that long either, and was like equally as impressed as what I was doing over here, and was like, just why haven't you gone professional? Why haven't you gone full time? You know, and really he blew my head up, man. And you know, I came home with a big I with a big, you know, head of steam, and and I mean, I took it serious finally. And uh I'm so blessed to say I've been running trips for five five years, man.

SPEAKER_02 14:56

Yeah, it's crazy, man. Yeah, yeah. It's nuts.

SPEAKER_00 14:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:00

It's nuts where your story is crazy, and that's you know, that's one reason I wanted you on here, and then also reason we built a good friendship. It's just we we think alike and you know, have a lot of the same personality. So let's go back to the racing. All right, because that was your childhood, right? Yeah, um, so I think that built a lot of the mindset, yeah. Competitive and so that made you very competitive. Um what did racing build you that still shows up today? What is one thing that says that you always can kind of relate it right back to racing when you to fishing?

SPEAKER_00 15:45

This is a big one too, man. Like I'm talented. So in in every aspect of life I can I can figure it out. And and people hate that. People people are jealous. And even as like a kid on that go-kart track, man, those those parents showed such ugly tendencies and stuff. So, you know, I had a guy that didn't even know me, that was watching me racing. He pulled me to the side one day and he said, Josh man, he said, dude, he said, if you don't get in your own head, if you don't let people tell you something, he said, you run away from everybody out there. He said, and and that like I don't know, man, that stuck in my head as like as like a nine, ten-year-old kid. And then I've had like since that day, I had just so many people come at me out of jealousy and and out of, you know, and and try to be friendly, try to be nice, but have motives, right? So um that then it wasn't, you know, I call that what life a life lesson it just happened at the racetrack. Right. Right. But that prepared me for if you're gonna do something right and do and do good in anything, just something good, you you know, um, people are gonna judge you and they're they're gonna, you know, you're you're gonna you're gonna have copycats, you're gonna you're gonna have just people that that want a piece of that energy that they can't they can't produce it theirself. Right. So they want to be a part of it and they'll do anything, you know. And I've helped a lot of people out and tried to give a some of my fire to people, and it usually ends up, you know, stabbing me in the back. But I believe, like I would never met you, you know. I I didn't know who you were, I didn't trust you when you first got on my boat, but I'm still a reasonable person and I'm a nice guy, and I'm not gonna miss out on some really good friendships and people in my life because some other people come at me sideways. So it's a great lesson. That all right, you know, that was kind of a life lesson, but you know, as far as like the actual racing and the doing and the duties of that, man, it really taught me the preparation that that helps me daily in life and to get out there on the water and drop the troll motor in and not have a second thought whether I I had that, you know, was it plugged in? Did it did I refuel? Did I did I do this to this rod and reel that I forgot from yesterday's trip? Does does this lure need hooks? Like I feel like I hit the ground pretty much running. And uh, you know, I'm getting older now, getting a little forgetful about things sometimes, and that that just almost obsessive, you know, planning. And I I just I have a method and a and a routine when I get off the water, and and I don't let myself go in the house until it's done. And I kind of, you know, I told you earlier, like we would get home on Sunday and we would let that trailer kind of stink up for a day or two before we unloaded it, and I saw, you know, we were behind. You know, we were we were behind on Wednesday if we started, you know, if we didn't get stuff out and at least wash the frames and get everything cleaned up Monday, you know, we were we were, you know, we were still catching up from the weekend before. Correct. So um the preparation, and that's my dad too. You know, my dad'll never admit that he's good at anything. You know, he'll but you know, we, you know, we had that trailer packed a certain way because we only had the money to buy a certain trailer anyway. So we had to have the water barrel right there. You know, we had to have the engines right there, the chassis in there, you know. We so it's neat, and you know, it's neat to look back and you know to all those trips and you know, because that's decades you know ago, and yeah, that stuff, those methods and routines. Oh, it it sticks with my head.

SPEAKER_02 19:57

A lot of that stuff from childhood stays with you forever, especially when it comes to that's why it's so important, like with raising kids and stuff. It's you know, it's just structure and it's a mindset of things. It's people overthink it. It's just the best thing you can do for your child is teach them structure. That if if that's the only thing you teach them, structure and respect, then that you've you've raised a good adult. Yep. Um, two things I think racing, in my opinion, is really transferred and made who you are and what's made you a good guide is one, it taught you obsession. And if any anybody that doesn't win thinks obsession is a bad thing. Yeah, people that are winning know obsession is a good thing, it can be a good thing. Um so I think that, and then also being a guide, in my opinion, is it's a lot of pressure.

SPEAKER_00 20:50

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 20:50

It's the same thing as racing. You only got one shot. That's right. Yeah, one shot at this. Yep. It's no reset button. Nope. So I think it taught you how to deal with being under pressure. Because I mean, I can't even imagine, you know, like I I I fish with you a lot, and I could never even imagine being a guide because for one, like I'm like you. I I think I suck at everything. So even if I became the best fisherman in the world, the pressure of like, hey, I gotta take these guys on the boat and actually find the fish and catch the fish when there's days when I go by myself and I don't catch fish. Right. So like that's a lot of pressure to to be under. But I thought I think your background in racing has really taught you to deal with that. You agree? Yes, sir. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 21:37

Yeah, just at all odds, no matter what, you know, if I got a fender left on it and three tires, I will win that race, you know. Right. I have, you know. And that's how I treat fishing trips. Until then people are begging mercy and say, I, you know, Josh, I just don't think it's gonna happen today. There is no fail in me.

SPEAKER_02 21:57

Well, and I can tell you truth, that's what it is. I mean, we're we're We're sunup, sundown. Yeah. Back hurting, feet hurting. Yeah, but making ourselves crush bottles of water just to stay awake and alive. Right. But that's what it takes. And that's, you know, that's that's business, that's life. And that's where a lot of people fail is they're not, they say they're giving it their all.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:20

But they're not.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

Nope. They can always do more. Oh, always. And that's definitely what this owning a business, especially as a fishing guide with so many moving parts, you you can't be prepared enough. No. You know, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:34

Because I've had people say, you know, especially growing a business, man, the people will tell you, especially when you start growing a really successful one, and it it's you've done enough. Yeah. It's slow down now.

SPEAKER_00 22:46

They don't get it, man. They that they don't get it. Like I understand what they're saying. Like, you know, you got it, but you already know this. You there's a line between family and and work, right? Obviously.

SPEAKER_02 22:56

But you know, it might be enough for you. That's right. But you don't know what's up here. That's and what I mean. People think I'm crazy because when I talk, I was like, I haven't even scratched the surface. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 23:09

Because uh what I'm envisioning, you can't even comprehend a Facebook post, and you do a a lot that stick with me, right? But it said that you know, most people aren't afraid of where they came from. Enough, you know, afraid enough of going back, I guess, to where they came from. Oh, that's it was to that point, right? And and I feel you because I get nauseous looking at my work boots from the machine shop. But I have never had a charter so bad, knock on wood, you know. Right. I mean, I've had some bad ones. The boats failed, everything has gone wrong, but I've never got home after a charter. I'm like, man, there ain't no way in hell I can pick myself up out of this bed and do that in the morning.

SPEAKER_02 23:54

Well, and I think that goes back to fear. Yep. People look at fear as a bad thing. Yep. Fear is not a bad thing, it can be a bad thing because it can keep you from doing what you should be doing. Yep. But also fear can keep you going. Because the fear of me going back where I was and where I came from freaking terrifies me. Same, bro. Like terrifies me. And do I know I'm the type of person if I went back, I can dig myself back out and get right back out of it? Yes. So, but at the end of the day, even the thought of it. So if I'm tired, I'm exhausted, I'm sick, or I've had enough, I I wake right back up and do this. My wife looks at me and she says, I have no idea how you do it. Because, like, I can go to bed one night, and it's the truth. And business owners will tell you, you can go to bed one night and say, Dude, I'm over it, I'm sick of it, I'm gonna sell everything. I'm done. And then you wake up in the morning and say, All right, we're we're we're growing, we're scaling. My wife's like, What? What do you mean? There's a lot going on up here when you sleep.

SPEAKER_01 24:57

Yeah, yesterday you said you were done.

SPEAKER_02 24:59

Yeah, you know, I was like, but you know, because at the end of the day, we're human and sometimes we let our emotions take over us in the moment, and that's a whole nother topic and a secret and a lesson that you have to learn is to control those emotions, and today is not going to destroy tomorrow.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 25:16

Like it's not.

SPEAKER_00 25:18

There's so many, you know, meltdowns that we've all had in the past, and now you look back and you're like, yeah, I had I was mad, you know, but I don't even know what sparked it. You know, and it's like, you know, I've got friends that have, you know, done the ultimate thing, and like now it's over. And, you know, so that that resonates too, you know, as far as like motivization and and fear as well, to uh, you know, we got one life, right? And guilt is a hell of a thing to live with. Um, I'd rather look back one day and say, man, I wore myself out rather than man, I I could have, you know, I could have done a lot more.

SPEAKER_02 25:54

Well, we can't take it lightly because it ain't ours. You you you think I built this? You think you became just good at a fisherman that you you think that was you? Nope.

SPEAKER_00 26:08

And I get on my knees, people might not see it. But yes, sir.

SPEAKER_02 26:12

And but the thing is, is you owe it to him. Yep. And I can tell you, if if you're not putting the work in, he will take it back.

SPEAKER_00 26:22

Yep. And I believe that fully.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

Oh, it could be gone tomorrow. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 26:26

I mean, no matter what, you can and and and and you know, that might be a little fear related, but also that like to know that he's let me get away with so much lets me know that I he's he's a little impressed with something, right? He he hasn't snatched a rug yet.

SPEAKER_02 26:44

Well, he lets you get away with things because he's teaching you. Yeah. You know, as long as you know he's teaching you, like Yeah. Yeah, I let you get away with it, but but you're aware that that wasn't good.

SPEAKER_00 26:55

And you know when he's I I know when I'm being tested.

SPEAKER_02 26:59

I I do. Yeah, yeah, every yeah, absolutely. You know, like that's the thing. Like, I should tell people, like, some people come to you and say, Um, I've had a bad spell, it's been it's been a bad week, it's been a bad day. I was like, I mean something good's happening. If you're doing the right things, if you're continually getting up, doing the right things and doing what you're supposed to and you're having a bad day, bad week, something good is happening because he is literally testing you how bad do you want it. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 27:26

And you know, those little challenges make it, make it, you know, for one, you're you're kind of proving that you deserve it, but it's you know, it makes you it's like anything else in life, if you don't work for it, you don't appreciate it. Right. And I know like I've had you know, knock on wood, these have been the two of the best weeks that you know, business-wise, and I prayed a lot during that cold stone because I sat around for about six weeks and didn't. Oh no, you're very you were very stressed, and then saw a lot of bad bad pictures and stuff, but um man.

SPEAKER_02 27:58

But here's the thing, Josh, you know you're calling. That's so that that really is enough stress right there that it don't matter. Yeah, other people might not be catching. But you know what you're doing is a purpose, yeah, and you know the purpose behind it, so it's not gonna affect you at all. And actually, it gives you a benefit because now you're gaining ground on others or not, because what a lot of fishermen are doing right now, they're not out there, they're not even trying. I was on a pongo Sunday and it was not a single boat. Did I catch anything? No, no, horrible. Yeah, am I out there trying? And I just fish for fun. I just fished for fun, and everybody told me not to go to the pongo, but I'm like, I'm gonna try it. But you don't know until you go. That's you know, that's what I told that's what I tell people.

SPEAKER_01 28:46

I was like, I don't know, I could go out there and find the honey hole of the honey hole because nobody's fishing it.

SPEAKER_02 28:51

That's right. But you know, but people aren't willing to do that, you know. Like I like I've seen it with the fish, and like literally, like people have literally just stopped.

SPEAKER_00 28:59

And I've even been, you know, I've been on some fish and I've seen people come in there on dude and then with live scopes and everything, and I don't know how they don't just buy like property there. And and because there's so many fish there, but they they come in and they, you know, whatever their buddy told them to throw didn't work. They're and I'm not talking crap. I I feel bad because I enjoy the hunt. I enjoy the the discovery of all right, today I know now, today there's gonna be something different that that makes this trip successful. And I sometimes even drive, you know, to the boat ramp. I'm like, what's it gonna be today? You know, what what's gonna be the magic switch? Because trout fishing, you know, some days you just go out there and catch and you think it's oh man, it's just that good, but no, there's there's an outside force, right? Like pressure, weather, there's some kind of outside force making those trout bite like so um to get out there and discover every day and see the nuances, and that's that's that's you know, that's the rewarding part. And I think social media and just the lifestyle we live has made everyone so comfortable with instant gratification and seeking like just I want to go fish for just a bare minimum time to catch and take a bunch of pictures and then just be able to go home and and scroll and doom scroll and post and and read comments and make comments and stuff. Yeah, there's a dopamine. I post for my business, and dude, yeah, sometimes I get hundreds of likes and and messages, and it's an over like it it it's an overload. Right. Like I I posted Sunday and then I had like trips four or five days in a row and I could not keep up with all of it, and that's not what fishing's about. If I didn't have a business to remote, I think I would probably disappear from the social media world completely. Um so if any anglers are listening right now, um I just I want I want y'all to enjoy what God intended for us, and it's not looking like a hero on social media, and I don't want y'all to think that I'm blowing myself up to look cool. I mean, I've got to show people that I'm that I'm catching fish, but I don't want people to think that y'all've got to do like me or other guides or these other celebrities and YouTube channels and stuff. Like, I I want I want the love to go back to um man, I'm looking forward to hanging out with my boy and getting a bag of ice and some gator raids and maybe a greasy biscuit and just catching up. And if we catch a fish or two, that's fine. And you know, that competitive side of us, we want to go catch all the fish. So yeah, you want to have a good time and fish. But like, you know, no matter how hard I go and try and how much that I think I know, um, you've got to still go out there and enjoy it, and in most, you know, you've got to immerse yourself fully into the experience to really take home what was intended. Yeah, you know, and um, and I I I I do like I get ahead of myself, and I ain't gonna say I don't appreciate it, but because I'm in a business, like I have to like, I kind of have to be a beast. You know, I have to really fish hard and like I have to push the limits and you know, I have to go way beyond what people see just to be able to show them something. Yeah, and um, I even, you know, like I, you know, I show people some baits and some techniques and stuff, and I just wonder, you know, if they ever really not appreciate me for showing it to them, but if they ever really think about, man, you know, they go in there and catch five citations, just get them back quick, handle them right, you know, think about the fish, you know, and and and you know, enjoy that moment for yourself because you earned it, but like, you know, man, just just think about more than freaking social media and and getting back home and posting and and looking cool. And I used to have the best trips and the best time, and I still do when I don't post, you know, and as far as guides go, I post the least, I think. You do? So yeah, as far as like we don't even take many pictures. And yeah. So like, man, in all aspects, not even just fishing. Like if you and your wife just go on a weekend trip to the beach and stuff, I mean, yeah, take some pictures to remember, but don't hoard out on social media.

SPEAKER_02 33:40

Well, you're getting you're you're you're talking about just enjoy life, just enjoy life, and that's one thing, like you tell me, like, because they're you know, you know, my mind said, like, I'm trying to be the best at everything that I do. So, like, you call me down when it comes to fishing, because we don't build a relationship now, like I can call you and you can tell me, hey, go here, go here, go here. Yep. And the thing you tell me every day, just enjoy. Just enjoy it, man. You text me on sat Sunday, how's it going? I was like, it's freaking horrible. Yeah, you're like, Well, enjoy the beautiful day. Yep, you know. Um, and at the end of the day, that's what it's about. When I go out on trips with you, just like our last trip. Care. That's right. You'll sit there and say sorry sometimes, dude. I don't care. What's the last thing when we went? I said, I don't know. We're not, let's just go scout for your trip. Let's go see. Let's go scout for your trip tomorrow. That's right, yeah. That's true. You know, because like I'm just there to to to hang out and have a good conversation more than anything. I mean, you know, I can go on my own boat and catch fish. The quality to catch fish with you, probably not, but I can still go catch fish. So it's not the whole purpose. That's right. And that's what I that's how I promote you when I talk about you to people, is you're gonna get a lot more than just catching fish. You're you're gonna get techniques, but also you're just gonna get some some good life lessons and have a good conversation that maybe that you know you needed to have with somebody. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:02

I don't try to, you know, I'm a Christian man and I don't I don't really, I don't, I'm you know, I haven't gone to church in a long time, and I don't try to witness to people. But if if God comes up, you know, cancer, some somebody lost something to cancer, you know, like a family member, and like I'm not afraid to put you know, my you know, specific situations in there because I wouldn't be sitting here talking to y'all if God didn't have this plan for me.

SPEAKER_03 35:31

Right.

SPEAKER_00 35:31

And I don't, you know, I don't think everybody has to believe in anything like that. But I that's your choice, right? But um like I don't know, man. It feels good, it feels good to me to to to give thanks and and to and I I've just seen too many things happen in my life that it's not coincidence anymore. Right. I'm 42 and I have seen too many little things happen for there not to be some kind of greater power or plan.

SPEAKER_02 36:03

Well, what I always say is you can believe what you want to believe in, but I know there's only one way. You can believe what you want to be, but I I know there's only one way. That's right. Um, and you know, we can talk about that if you want to talk about it or we don't want to talk about it. Um I want to go back to the machinist part now. All right, because I think that has a lot to do with fishing, yeah, for sure. Um did machining make you a sharper as an angler? As in a fact of how I would look at it is fishing is about patterns. Yeah, machinists is patterns. So did it being a machinist with patterns and all that stuff really transfer over to fishing?

SPEAKER_00 36:44

Yeah, I think that's uh you know, you're not gonna be perfect in anything in life. Right. Fishing is definitely one of those, but the machine shop is one place that I don't think I ever will have enough gray matter to be the best at, right? Right. I I mean, dude, that's that's a that's a kind of a scary world. Um but yes, um just just to keep all your digits, you gotta be pretty, pretty slick in a machine shop, you know. Um yes. Um, and I think, you know, just the degree I went into machining, like I everything else in life, I you know, I was competitive with myself to be the best at it, and I really went pretty far in that small amount of time. And um, yeah, man, uh the almost the obsession with making perfect parts, and there's a beauty, there's a beauty to that. There's an art in machining. Um and I missed parts of that, but I I got in there and realized that um that it was bad for me. But machine, you know, it was just you know, you're around a lot of unhealthy things, but the the super concentration, you know, the 12 hours, you know, getting your butt whooped mentally by this little thing. Oh man, yeah. Now I feel like if my body wouldn't run out, I could fish for two or three days at a time. Right. Like straight just be on the water and and take a nap, maybe. But if my whole body wasn't making me tired and and delirious, yeah. I I'm so yes the mental just I can block and this is good and bad now, but I can get Rick and put the blinders on and focus now with the best of them. And that's good or bad, you know. But with with this fishing stuff, you know, yes, I can yep.

SPEAKER_02 38:41

And we were saying that like with blue-collar trade people. Do you do you think those people see details differently than absolutely, absolutely, like you if you and I'm not talking crap about engineers at all, but this is just my example.

SPEAKER_00 38:57

I will in a machine shop. In a machine shop, and a lot of engineers come straight out of a four-year college, right, and they don't have any real world experience. As somebody, most machinists and mechanics grow up in it. You don't just, you know, at 18 decide, oh, I'm gonna be an auto mechanic. Right. You know, some people do, but uh, you know, that's a long road to hoe, right? Right. But uh, yeah, man, I think sorry, I'm I'm getting tired now. I'm I I'm off topic already. But what did you even ask me?

SPEAKER_02 39:33

No, I just said you know, and you pretty much already answered it. It's just the blue-collar thinking of the colour.

SPEAKER_00 39:39

Oh, yeah, yeah. Do you think differently? Yes. Yes, and I can in my opinion, it's just details. That's right, it's details. Um, and I'm sorry, I'm sorry, y'all. You're good, man. It's been a long couple days, but um, yes, you you see differently when it's just real-world experience, hands-on common sense, common sense things, right? And I'm not saying engineers aren't smart people, they obviously already got through college for it, and they can gain that, but like, yes, blue-collar people, you you usually come up a little more poor. You, you know, you have to see dad get the tools out and do things and hold the flashlight and get yelled at, you know. Right. So, and just you know, so yeah, you you I think you you hone uh a whole lot of life skills of growing up blue-collar. Yeah, and then as working blue collar, you know, you're always on the job or in some situation where you have a lot of judgment calls to make. Like you're usually, you know, you know, trusted to do this task that day, and you have a like in your case, you got guys that drive a van and and do service calls, and so you know, you leave a lot up to those guys to do it right, to show up, you know, talk right, you know, um, you know, act, act like you ought to to a customer, you know.

SPEAKER_02 41:04

So, you know Well, that's what I tell my customer all the time. You're my eyes and ears because I hire them, I try to hire the best, but at the end of the day, I don't know what they're doing. No. So I it takes a trust factor with my with me and my leadership team with my customers. We have to build a relationship with our customers, like a really good relationship, so the way they feel that they can trust us to come tell us the truth. That's right. Hey, so and so didn't do something right. Like it's hard to explain, is like as employees, you have to believe in the company standard, but your customers have to believe in your company standard too.

SPEAKER_00 41:40

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 41:41

You know, especially in our business because we're sending people out remotely.

SPEAKER_00 41:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:44

And if they feel like that technician is not up to the standard that we have, they should let me know.

SPEAKER_00 41:51

Yeah. Instead of, you know, and and I know this is, you know, if if you're a new company to them and something happens, and you know, it would be nice for them to let you know instead of getting on Google and leaving a review or some crap, right? Please. You know, like that, you know, it's a good thing. It's hard to get on a Google review, but it's real easy to make a phone call to the manager and say, hey man, this guy just didn't quite do this right. Can can you, you know, can we have it doctored up or can you know? Can you work with me, right? Right. But don't fly off the handle. And I'm you know, I'm waiting for today that somebody has a bad trip with me, and you know, I got a review up there. It's you know, it's bound to happen.

SPEAKER_02 42:26

Yeah, let's let's not get into the review. No turn into the wrong thing. Yeah, um, guys, anybody watching this, um, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. Um, yeah, you know, depth over image, our Instagram page, um, and then also our Facebook page. Um, please follow us for to get all the details into all our shows. Um, let's go into the fun stuff. Let's talk about fishing. All right. Um, at what point did fishing stop being something you love and become something you want it to master? Because I know we've had many conversations. Of course, yeah, at the end of the day, you would love to just go fishing every day just for yourself because that's how much you love fishing. But it's become a duty because of of your past and how God has blessed you in this. It's become more of a duty to share it with others. So when is it become when did it become something more than when you what we you started was going to be?

SPEAKER_00 43:27

I mean, when I took that leap, you know, and and and left, you know, I kind of burned a bridge a little bit when I left my last career. And you know, I knew I was. Right. And I I think I did it on purpose to to push can go back. To push myself, right? Yeah. So it was that. It was the push that I was like, all right, you know, I think I can do it. I have the equipment and and and I have interest from people. And so it was just that, you know, I had to had to make some money. I had to I had to at least I had to either do this captain thing or forget about it. You know, it was in and and I I went out down underwater and just I I could not live with myself if if and still today, you know, and that's what keeps me going. If I if I know if if I left something on the table every day and it it's the cause of the end of this, I'm never going to be able to live with myself. Right. So it was that moment where I was like, you know, my my wife she supported me to move down here and stuff, but I'm not going to live off I'm not going to be a sugar baby. You know? So I mean it'd be awesome. If she was making millions maybe I would be a sugar baby but no I'm not going to be so um yeah I wanted to be a man and and provide and and get our life started because yeah I mean you know I'm 40 now she's in her 30s and you know we she and I we have been postponing and putting a lot of things off for this lifestyle. You know so I feel like just you know I've jumped off the deep end now. So I if you know everything I can do good will will keep me going this direction and and I will be like I said I I won't be able to do it myself and I I would be really mad if all this the last getting 10 years now I've been guiding for five but it's you know since about 2020 it's been serious. Yeah I don't think it's going to be in guiding since then but yeah it was that push man I was like is there you know crapper get off the pot right and and just forget about it. And I I would have been okay living down here I feel like and just doing another job but I would not get to fish any more than I would if I lived back in Johnson County if I was working 60 hours a week for somebody else. And if even if I could I wouldn't feel like it. I'd get home and be tired and I'd still have to be a weekend warrior. Right.

SPEAKER_02 45:58

Yep so I just I had to get it I was yeah and I think you know what what makes something what really cool about you man is um I think you really get enjoyment of sharing it with others just outdoors.

SPEAKER_00 46:16

I love it man.

SPEAKER_02 46:17

Just outdoors because a lot of people don't even like I tell people all the time man like the people that even the people live here like like my wife for example she's lived here her whole life and they go to Atlanta beach in Emerald and I'm like this is probably one of this is one of the prettiest states that you could possibly go to. But it's places that people never go. Bellhaven all that stuff I mean Swan Quarter like I mean that stuff is absolutely manio. I mean you can't like paint a picture like we were out fishing the other day and you couldn't even paint something this beautiful especially when the sun's coming up and down. Yeah I mean um eastern North Carolina is you know it's I'm glad everybody don't know because then everything will look like Atlantic beach. That's right um and probably one day it will um but we're gonna enjoy it as long as we can for sure um what makes a good trout angler um what separates the average so let's like me what separates the average trout fisherman from guys like you you've got to love that just not only the fish but you you've got to love the adventure that that that fish is going to send you on.

SPEAKER_00 47:35

Right good or bad like you've got to be passionate not about like I said earlier about the social media all the jazz you've got to know that we're not living this crazy world is not how we were intended to live and fishing is one way you can get back to what you were created for and you can unplug if you want and but making you a really good trout angler in my opinion is the catch is secondary. It's the journey it's the love and the passion for the whole outdoors and everything but like you know the speckled trout specifically I don't know if she has some enzyme in her that makes us crazy like a like a a woman does but bro a big shiny purple 30 inch trout will it it does something to you and I am in love with meeting that fish yeah and I don't think I will ever catch enough of them right to say you know I'm getting tired of this like you really have you have you fooled one of God's smartest creatures. And I know sometimes they're just eating like they're just being a fish but man to repeatedly catch a big trout is something that like you know I made a lot of laps and a lot of fast go-karts and fast cool machines and I've done and been a lot of places like that man but just being out there and the only thing you hear is the osprey or the wind like that's what makes a good angler. Somebody that's able to appreciate every little aspect of the journey and not just catching that fish because I'm gonna tell you if you want to be a good trout angler especially a big trout angler you better get used to getting skunked on the regular more than you catch right and I I'll I'll tell everybody that yeah and so but that's the beauty right when you finally get the gold well that's what you tell me you're like you're doing the right thing it's it's coming. It's because you're you're you're you're good luck luck follows those who right you know put themselves in the in position for so so it pretty much is it's mindset and discipline pretty much absolutely it's a super disciplined thing and it's not like you know there's different kind of trout anglers but a a good big trout angler you got to you got to quit worrying about and getting back to social media this this will help but you got to stop worrying about you know catching 30 fish or a 30 inch fish and and stop posting before you go fishing. I'm telling y'all I learned this the hard way it's the worst thing you can do for that trip because now you've set all kinds of boundaries for what you're supposed to do and you've got 10 friends hey what you caught blah blah blah blah blah zero stop just just stop just go fishing and don't say a damn word for Josh do it for Josh one time and see what happens and see what happens.

SPEAKER_02 50:49

Yep yeah because I think it all matters I mean you have the mindset discipline time on water confidence reading conditions but I think you're right I think it's really just the whole mindset because like you can do all those stuff perfect. You can read the conditions you can be confident about it. You can spend a crap load of time on the water. I know plenty of people that fish all the time and still cannot catch fish. But they just don't have the right mindset about it. They're not appreciating what you know the true moment that they're that they're in and yeah they have these just worldly well it's like business. If you go into business just chasing money you're probably not gonna be very successful. That's right. Because you'll never have enough money. Yeah but if you you know you're going there chasing the purpose and the fishing the whole purpose is to um enjoy the experience in my opinion. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 51:44

And once you do that enough the fish find you and you you've shown me that the fish just find you I want people on my boat to be happy right yes but I see civilization crashing and I want to let people know that there's still a lot of happiness left in the world and it doesn't have to come from from something somebody tells you on Instagram or Facebook. Absolutely all right like I love people and I want people everywhere around me or not to be happy. Get off social media and and please thank you just get off social media and live an actual life. Because I tell people all the time you go on social media and you could think the world is coming to an end it's over it's done go outside go on a boat or even just go walk around town even if the world is going to crash and burn in six months at least you enjoyed the last six months. You're right you're right but just like Because this is a bad cycle I get trapped in it too the scrolling the the worrying the the trolling that they do to us the crap that they're from every side you just don't know what to believe in.

SPEAKER_02 52:54

Well you wonder what the weird thing is that's the only place you see it so like turn it off turn it off I mean that's like so like that's what I tell people like how true is it if that's the only place that you see it you know and and everything now is just massive news 30 years ago you have to watch the eight o'clock news and it had to be a major story yeah to even make it but now everybody has a phone so you know everything that's going on around you and you're not meant to you're not meant to know what's going on in a hundred people's lives no it's like five you're not wired for that no like you should have like your little small group in in your family and that's it.

SPEAKER_00 53:36

Um what's the number one thing that people misunderstand about speckle trout they misunderstand I think the worst thing that any angler in any kind of fishery can do is assume that what they did yesterday or anybody else did yesterday is going to work tomorrow.

SPEAKER_02 54:04

It's not it's not well you tell me don't ever go to the same spot unless you catch a bunch fish.

SPEAKER_00 54:09

I mean yeah like no something I ain't gonna say you don't ever go to the same spot but yeah don't ever if you have if you burn them down there one day you can almost believe you can bet your dollar that that ain't gonna happen there two days in a row. It's not not the same spot not the same bait it's as you know you you think you figured you think you know we all think we're God when we you know catch a hundred fish and we think we're oh we're gonna go back for a week and do that now bro and that's the beauty of it too again I've done it once yeah yeah so I'm still trying to catch that hunt a day again and I've had you know I've had a lot of people that I I feel like genuinely did try to help me with some knowledge and stuff um but like man now that I'm on the water every day and I see how much everything changes I even look back to things I used to believe and tell people and I was like man I mean yeah I was telling the truth but dude that was just a small pin drop in the grand scheme of what happened that day. Yep you know we got a little peanut brain and we're trying to figure out a a a fish that's been doing these patterns for millions of years you know and um I I think that's another thing too like you know we've been a little desensitized from our natural instincts and I think doing stuff like fishing and hunting I don't really like the and I'm I'm not a big hunter but just getting in the outdoors and you know hunting fishing hiking just getting on the water um kind of naturally just brings those senses back out of you after a while.

SPEAKER_02 55:53

You know we're you know we're if there if you just had to give somebody one piece of advice about trout fishing what would it be?

SPEAKER_00 56:04

What would you go in depth with them about would it be water temperature bait movement moon phase pressure system because you know it all matters it does just like from somebody starting out yeah was that one thing you you would say hey I want you to really this is I want you to focus on this man there's so many oh boy that's a good one I mean I want like I was getting back to the mushy stuff I want people to focus on enjoying your time out correctly but to be a good trout angler you gotta know the moving water I I'd say start with moving water. I I I mean I have caught fish in some some it looks stay still water myself this morning but you can guarantee it was it was some kind of current moving water so um yeah like from the coast all the way up the river whether you're in a tidal environment or up here in the wind tide uh I would say learn how to use the moving wind and how points of land and other things bend that water so you'll have current flowing straight across maybe a point here coming like across a big bay and then the backside of this point there'll be an eddy and a swirl and you need to know that the fish are always going to sit with their nose into the current so just imagine you need you need to be able to close your eyes and and pull up to a a spot and kind of imagine all right the wind's hitting it this way the fish are going to be sitting with their nose into the wind and then probably just tucked out of that current just a little bit. So if you present that bait downwind and right in front of their nose they're more apt to hit it than if you present it you know it comes across their tail first and it kind of spooks them when it finally gets in front of their face.

SPEAKER_02 58:02

Because it's so true like literally you can be on a spot on a creek and have your boat position one way not catch anything and you literally flip this the position of the boat and then you just start one after another.

SPEAKER_00 58:15

And and I got asked this question on the Fisherman's Post podcast and and similar and um if I can cast into the wind and present the bait upwind absolutely I try to but most of us you know if it gets above 10 miles an hour we're we're usually casting downwind and and even a lot of us just we're always you know used to casting downwind. So if you can't you know present it upwind like I'm talking about at least try to put put that bait at an angle in front of that fish's face to try not to ever present it to her back first. Because then if it comes over this way I mean they might hit it but you just see it they got their peripherals and they see that bait coming from the side and it it make it easy for them. Right. But I do you know that was my rule of thumb when I first got started I was like man we're in still water we're not going to catch any fish I remember saying that so many times. And there's just so much bait in North Carolina you know I could say yeah be on bait obviously you need to be on some life you need to be around some bait correct that that moving water is I think rule number one for trout fishing biggest lie about catching speckled trout fish. Biggest lie if you do it long enough you'll figure it out that's a lie. That's a lie. If you speckled trout fish long enough you will have it completely figured out that is the biggest line I have ever heard.

SPEAKER_02 59:43

So yeah I still joke today when somebody told me that uh speckled trout fishing was easy.

SPEAKER_00 59:48

Yeah like cheer buddy all right maybe yesterday yeah maybe yesterday but not today patient or confidence I mean damn if I had to pick one patient I knew you would say that this guy was sitting on a hole for five hours and I'm like Josh we're not catching anything we will they're here they're not here four hours and 45 minutes later they're there I'm like get the net that's one thing Josh really told me it's like just stay put if you know there's trout there stay put search right you know they're there they're they're just not eating right now whatever that may be it we don't know. I've burned a lot of gasoline saying oh let's go try there when they were just not biting at all locations and back and then I like we did the other day we made it finally back to where we started and oh they're ready to bite we now we catch fish. But I mean it's nice to get the breeze through your hair and and see the scenery while the fish ain't biting too just take a little break yeah yeah a boat ride.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:54

Yeah that's what I'm doing right now that kind of went to my next question. I think that's probably answered my next question what kills most anglers today I think would would you agree is patience.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:05

Yeah for sure and and then like you know I'm blessed to live here and to have a lot of time on the water my I would get in my own head and I would put myself in a time crunch you know when I was a weekend warrior so um this is huge and this is I I love like I say I love helping people um pick a spot and fish it right I've told you that don't don't try to don't try to fish this look this creek that creek all that and that gets back to talking to people and reports and all that stuff like go you know find Jared Creek and and make it that way for half a dozen trips if you can in in a certain I mean you you know fish are moving they're about to start leaving these some areas but like go somewhere that you're confident in that fits your style that you can launch at that you like and and go fish it repetitively and then branch out from there. Yep don't don't try to consume too much because we like even me being on the water I can be out here seven days a week um I can't get enough information correct even being out there that much and and I still I try not to fish too much water especially if I got you know I've got people that'll book a trip from six months from now and book two days and I just I want to be really dialed in right and have good plans close by at least but still to this day I I have to tell of myself don't you don't have to go searching that that much you know keep it keep it small keep a small plate for sure you can eat a big one.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:42

I had this as a question but and I think me and you agree on this so much so I'm more just going to say it is one thing I've hated what's happening to the fishing world it's and we and we talked to Tim about it too it's it's more image over skill anymore. Yeah you know like the social media thing it's more about like hey look what I did look what I caught rather than just focusing on you developing the skill to become a better fishman. So like that that's a very big pet peeve of mine and what the fishing world has turned into today.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:14

Yeah and and you know no I have nothing bad to say about Tim and Lambert and ECIC but um me fishing tournaments the last couple years has definitely added a little bit of strain to my relationship with trying to run trips so much. I'm gonna pick and choose you know my tournaments. Well it's tough for you because it's your career too. Yeah that's right. You know so um I still want to love trout fishing as much as I do and I don't want to I don't want to try to do try to get burned out at all. I'm gonna support you know their tournaments as much as I can for sure and then the other ones in the area you know but um well you kind of just walked into my next question.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:04

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:05

Do tournaments help the trout community more than they heard it I have seen both right um and it's all bad for the fish in my opinion though like the the the crazy tactics and the way we fish and the live scope I don't have live scope but the the amount of electronics and just the crazy technology that's going into lures and stuff like that. Like we have all in the last 10 years evolved as one trout catching being to be this beast and I I feel like you know I might be shooting myself in the toe man right now as a guide but like there you know it it puts a lot of pressure on the fish for sure. I've seen good and bad. Right I mean it we we need to you need to realize that you know we can't keep every damn fish we catch for one and um handling the fish it's the water starting to get warm like you know I think it put it brings a lot of people that know exactly what they're doing into a world that they probably shouldn't be in my opinion. Yeah and I I can s yeah I see what you're saying there for sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:25

Well just like with social media that's yeah that's like it makes everybody look like a child expert. Yeah yeah yep and it's very that's a very few yeah that are actually experts and it's a few that even care to be known as one.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:37

Like I you know I I've got to be known as a good fisherman so I can sell trips but like the ego thing escapes me, I think. People can probably paint and say, you know, that I've had one in certain situations and moments like everybody, but um I can't shake everybody's hand at a tournament weight in and stuff like that. You know but um Yeah, I I think I you know I hate to say that I'm just I'm a truthful guy. And you know, I I will put my foot in my own mouth and you know but I just I'm sorry, I just that's how I see things. Yeah, absolutely. I'm a I'm a I'm a purist to the to the fish instead of to the people.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:20

To the people. For sure. Yeah. And that's what I love about you. I mean, it's it's it's amazing to be around like with anybody in business or anything to be around people that truly have a love for what they do.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:31

Because I I can see way past being a guide. Yeah. Right. I mean, I want to and I will I cried earlier, said I'll I'd be really mad if I couldn't make this continue. And I will be, and I'm gonna keep trying really hard. But like even if you know, I lay down in bed at night, like I was talking about a minute ago, man. Should I have shown those people that? Are they gonna be respectful to the fish with that? You know, so I don't know. I I kind of walk a line and I'm not trying to separate myself, you know, publicly against any other guides or anything, but I I I hold myself to a higher standard with with what I do and show people in my mind and and in life and on that boat. I try to be like, you know, guys, this, you know, I know you're excited, but let me unhook her because I can do it faster. Let's put her in a live well. We'll we'll we'll regroup, get whatever camera you want, because I'm in this online tournament too. Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:32

Um Well you have the reps in.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:35

Say what?

SPEAKER_02 1:07:36

You have the reps in.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:37

Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:38

And that's what people don't understand.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:39

I mean, I I've seen it so many days, so I I can, yeah, I can I can see that, you know, just with a couple of little just a little bit of forethought, you can really take care of that fish and and send her back very much alive and not she's like, oh, you know, and I don't know if she's gonna make it or not.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:55

And that would come with fishing and anything else, because I've always said talent is not what makes you dangerous. It's the repetitions that you've put in over the years is what makes you dangerous. That's right. I always bring up a Kobe Bryant story. I mean, I mean, he he's always was the first one in the gym and the last one to leave every day. Yeah. Talented, yes. But without those reps, would it he be who he was? Probably not. Um as we close, Josh. I know a lot about you, man. I know who you are. Um and but I want other people to understand that too. So how do you want people to view Josh Sutton years from now?

SPEAKER_00 1:08:37

I want to be known like Bill Dance. You can walk up to Bill Dance and shake that man's hand. And you know, I I want to be looked up to as someone who's reasonable, not egotistical, and and did things for the right thing, for the right reason. Did things for the right reason and and actually did a little bit of good with the things I did in life, you know, and I I that's that's that's what I want. I I want I want to be remembered as somebody who was helpful and who was genuine and easy to talk to, and you know, and you know, the fishing, I just don't care. Right, you know, I did that for me, and I'm doing all this for me. I can I I'm not gonna lie. I'm doing all this guy stuff because this is what I want to do, this is how I want to walk on this earth um for the rest of my years. So I want to be a good example too. I I want, you know, for young and old, I just I know we all learn from each other. So that's all I can ask. It's just yep. Well, how can people um book with you? Um my website, uh www.pamlico, uh fish fishpamlico.com is my website. Um yep, 252-640-7561, phone number, call, text, anytime. Um might take me a minute to get back, obviously. Um, and I have Facebook and Instagram. They can check out pictures from you know past trips. And I'm trying to start doing a Sunday update, like a weekly update. So there'll be a fishing report on there with like you know, water temperature, kind of what kind of baits we're throwing, what we're focusing on, you know, what would what to look for. And on Facebook, it's such as Pamlico Guide Service. Uh Pamlico Point Guide Service.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:36

Yes, sir. Perfect. Um guys, if if you want to have a good time, please call Josh. Get in contact with him either way. If you want to catch big trout or you just want to have a good time on the water or just explore the beautiful scenery that we have in North Carolina.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:54

Yeah, a lot of people move here and have no idea what's out your back door. So if you don't even want to fish, man, we can go just see what what's here.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:02

And one thing about Josh, he'll pick you anywhere you want to go. So, um, which is pretty cool. It's been awesome, man. Thank you for having me, Jared.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:10

It's been really good to talk and get get some of this stuff out. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:14

Um, I appreciate our friendship and I do too. I wish you nothing but the best, and um, I'll see you soon. Yes, sir. All right, buddy.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:22

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