Outdoor Journal Radio: The Podcast

Some salmon populations are showing signs of recovery. Others remain in serious trouble. What’s actually happening on Canada’s West Coast? This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Ang and Pete welcome Dr. Katrina Connors from the Pacific Salmon Foundation to break down the state of wild salmon in British Columbia and the Yukon. Katrina explains why strong fishing in one area doesn’t tell the whole story, how researchers track fish across an enormous ocean, and what the numbers reveal about Chinook...

Two fertile grass carp were caught in Ontario’s Welland River. How worried should anglers be, and what do those captures actually tell us? This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Ang and Pete welcome back Fisheries and Oceans Canada aquatic biologist Trisiah Tugade to get the facts on grass carp in Canadian waters. Trisiah breaks down the confirmed captures, explains the difference between fertile and sterile fish, and clarifies why finding individual fish doesn’t mean an established population h...

For more than five years, this fishing lodge sat empty. Animals moved into the cabins, trees took over the property, and a once-thriving destination fell into disrepair. Now, Ang and Pete have returned from a visit—and they can’t stop talking about it. This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, the boys welcome Two Rivers Lodge owner Will Pulowski to share how he brought the former Tetu Island Lodge back to life. Located where the English and Winnipeg rivers meet in northwestern Ontario, the propert...

Crocodile surgery, a close call with a rabid dog, and a veterinary clinic shaking as bombs land nearby. Saving animals has taken Dr. Cliff Redford a long way from his practice in Markham. This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Ang and Pete welcome back The Worldwide Vet for another round of stories from his rescue missions around the world. Cliff explains how a morning of snorkeling turned into a fish rescue, what it takes to operate on a crocodile, and why he volunteered to help animals in wart...

You don't need a boat to make great fishing memories, and you might be driving past water worth fishing. This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Ang and Pete head back to the bank to talk overlooked shore-fishing spots, finding access to the water, and the childhood fishing trips that started it all. From Brook Trout creeks to bass along the shoreline and big walleye off docks, the crew explores why fishing with your feet on solid ground deserves another look. Plus: peacock bass and piranhas, o...

Are you putting your boat away before the best walleye fishing of the year? This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Ang and Pete break down their approach to fall walleye fishing after a listener asks whether it’s worth keeping his boat out past September. From big-water migrations on the Bay of Quinte to green weed beds on smaller lakes, the boys explain where they look as temperatures drop, how baitfish dictate their search, and what makes fall such a good opportunity to catch a personal best. ...

The forest is burning, but what’s happening beneath the water? This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Ang and Pete welcome back Dr. Steven Cooke to explore how wildfires affect fish—and why the damage can continue long after the flames are out. From disappearing shade and changing food sources to ash-filled runoff and algae blooms, the Doc breaks down what fires mean for our lakes and rivers, how recovery happens, and why some fisheries may eventually benefit. Plus, does wildfire smoke create th...

This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Pete is away, leaving Ang behind the desk with Nik and Dean to break down one of the most unusual Fish’n Canada shoots of the season. During a recent trip to Timberwolf Lodge on Nagagami Lake, Ang decided to remove the crew’s usual fishing safety net. The guys drew straws to determine who would be restricted to live bait, soft plastics, or hard baits, then had to make their assigned presentation work regardless of what the fish, weather, and constantly chan...

This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, we’re going somewhere we’ve never gone before... LIVE into the Amazon. Ang and Pete are joined by Brazilian anglers Bruno Fernandez and Thiago Fantini, who we first met at ICAST. The catch? Bruno and Thiago aren’t sitting in a studio. They’re calling us directly from the Amazon River in Brazil while hunting down some absolutely massive Peacock Bass. With a very questionable internet connection and the jungle surrounding them, Bruno and Thiago take us along ...

One cousin grew up in the city. The other grew up hunting, fishing and living off the land. Together, Joel and Ryan Primus created Finding Nowhere, a raw Canadian adventure series that climbed all the way to #4 on Prime Video. On Episode 235 of Outdoor Journal Radio, Angelo Viola and Pete Bowman sit down with Joel and Ryan to uncover how Finding Nowhere began almost by accident and became one of the most compelling new outdoor productions in Canada. They discuss why Joel’s first hunt happen...

How small is too small for the Great Lakes? This week, Ang and Pete answer a listener who wants to take his 16-foot aluminum boat onto Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. The crew gives a blunt breakdown of where a smaller boat belongs, how fast calm water can become dangerous, and why even an experienced boater can get trapped when the wind turns. The guys also return from Key Harbour Lodge at the mouth of the Key River, where they battled heavy rain, rough water, hidden granite, and some of Geor...

Why do bass crush lures that look absolutely nothing like anything they would naturally eat? This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Pete and Angelo are joined once again by Fish’n Canada’s resident fish scientist, Dr. Steven Cooke, to break down the science behind modern fishing baits and one of the strangest lure crazes to hit the fishing world in years. Fresh off ICAST, the guys dive into the exploding popularity of the bizarre urchin-style and Koike-inspired baits that anglers are scrambling ...

Nearly 200 wildfires. Thousands forced from their homes. Fishing camps already lost. Water bombers being grounded because people keep flying drones into active fire zones. Ontario’s Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Mike Harris Jr., joins Angelo Viola for a blunt breakdown of the wildfire emergency unfolding across Northern Ontario. How dangerous is the situation? Should anglers cancel upcoming trips? What happens to remote lodges caught in the fire zone? And how do 700 firefighters...

Angelo is joined by Nik and Dean Taylor to break down everything they saw at ICAST 2026, and the future of the fishing industry might not be looking as healthy as everyone thinks. The world’s biggest fishing trade show felt noticeably smaller this year. Major brands were missing, attendance was down, entire award categories lacked competition, and a wine and champagne cooler somehow walked away as one of the show’s top fishing products. Is ICAST dying, or does the event simply need a serious ...

This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Ang and Pete are joined by Canadian veterinarian, world traveller, author, and animal rescue volunteer Dr. Cliff Redford, better known as Dr. Cliff Worldwide Vet. Dr. Cliff owns Wellington Veterinary Hospital in Markham, Ontario, but his work has taken him far beyond the clinic. From helping street dogs in Jamaica and Egypt, to volunteering in India, performing veterinary work in Panama, and assisting animals and refugees near the Ukraine war zone, his stor...

This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Ang and Pete are joined once again by Dr. Steven Cooke, the Fish Doc, to answer some of the strangest questions in fishing. After a recent trip where the crew caught an unusually high number of blue walleye, the boys ask Dr. Cooke what actually causes a walleye to turn blue, whether blue walleye are a different species, and why many of them seem to look smaller, thinner, or less healthy than their yellow counterparts. The conversation also dives into some o...

This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, the boys are back from La Réserve Beauchêne, one of Quebec’s most unique private fishing destinations. With 50,000 acres, dozens of lakes, luxury accommodations, incredible food, and fish-filled water everywhere you look, Beauchêne is the kind of place most anglers dream about. But this trip came with a twist: instead of Ang and Pete doing the fishing, they coached a group of novice anglers through their first real taste of Canadian Shield fishing. From bro...

This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, the boys head back to Northern Ontario for a wild recap of their trip to Red Pine Lodge on Ivanhoe Lake, just outside of Timmins. What started as a post-spawn walleye mission turned into a 34-mile shallow river run through skinny water, tight channels, and a few moments where the boat probably had no business being where it was. With the help of Garmin electronics, the crew pushed deep into the river system and found exactly what they were looking for: blue...

An Ontario seafood company has pleaded guilty to attempting to sell an angler-caught muskie, receiving a fine of just $2,000. Was the punishment enough, and how does a protected sport fish end up on the commercial market in the first place? This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Angelo Viola breaks down the bizarre case and the serious questions it raises about illegal fish sales, enforcement, and the future of Ontario’s muskie populations. Later, Frank Ungaro from the Ugly Pike Podcast joins th...

Is there really more than one species of smallmouth bass? This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, the crew dives into groundbreaking research suggesting the fish we all know may actually be made up of four distinct evolutionary lineages. Plus, University of Victoria PhD candidate Wesley Greenree joins the show to explain how everyday anglers are helping scientists study Chinook salmon by collecting stomach samples, revealing surprising changes in the Pacific food chain and what they could mean fo...

Outdoor Journal Radio hits the road to Timmins, Ontario for the Timmins Walleye Championship and the NOWT finals. Ang, Nik, and Dean break down the tournament, the Princecraft boat prizes, the difference between the championship and sportsman divisions, and what makes J&B Cycle and Marine such a hub for Northern Ontario anglers. The crew also talks about their latest Fish’n Canada shoot, Nik’s brand-new iPhone taking a 13-foot swim, invasive grass carp, lone star ticks in Ontario, and wh...

This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Ang and Pete take the show on the road to the Franklin Club in Mount Albert, Ontario, one of the most unique private trout fishing clubs in the province. Joined by Chad Davenport, hatchery and grounds manager at the club, the crew gets a behind-the-scenes look at how Franklin raises and stocks its own rainbow trout and brook trout, manages predation, protects fish health, and maintains one of the most pristine private fisheries around. Plus, the boys talk i...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! A Bassmaster Open angler has been banned for life after allegedly att...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! Vic Fedeli joins Outdoor Journal Radio to talk about the long-await...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, we’re joined by Jay Legere, the ...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! In this episode of Outdoor Journal Radio, we dive deep into the grow...

What’s really happening under your boat? After 40 years of fishing, we finally got a look beneath the surface and what we saw completely changed how we think about fish, water clarity, and behavior. In this episode, we sit down with the team behind some of the most advanced underwater filming ever done in the Great Lakes. Using cutting-edge drones and sonar, they’re capturing fish in ways anglers have never seen before. From spawning battles to feeding patterns in dirty water, this is the clo...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! What happens when the guy behind the camera is suddenly forced into...

A fishing school that sells out in under 2 hours? That’s exactly what’s happening. John Anderson, Muskie’s Canada Hall of Famer, created the Ottawa Fish School to teach kids how to fish, tie knots, handle fish safely, and become stewards of the outdoors. What started with 14 kids has exploded to 216… and every spot disappears almost instantly. In this episode of Outdoor Journal Radio, we talk about: • The fishing school selling out every year • Teaching kids to be self-sufficient ...

What would it take for you to walk away from everything… and start over in the middle of nowhere? That’s exactly what Shawn Trudel from Cabin River Outdoors did. He had no experience and no real plan. Just a piece of land deep in the wilderness and a camera. Now he’s sitting on over 16 million views. In this episode, we break down: Why he left his old life behind What off-grid living in Canada is actually like How his YouTube channel blew up The reality ...

Garmin just dropped one of the biggest fishing technology updates we’ve ever seen… and it might completely change how we fish moving forward. In this episode of Outdoor Journal Radio, we break down Garmin’s brand new 360 sonar system and the game-changing Spy Pole, a motorized turret that lets you lock onto structure, and scan water like never before. We go deep into: • What this new tech actually does • How it compares to LiveScope • Why this could be the biggest leap...

What REALLY goes on behind the scenes of the Toronto Sportsman Show? In this episode of Outdoor Journal Radio, we sit down with show manager Mike Blake to break down how one of Canada’s biggest outdoor events has evolved, what’s new this year, and why it still matters to anglers, hunters, and outdoor families. But that’s not all… We also dive into a bizarre real-life story of a man caught stealing over $1,000 worth of fishing lures from a Canadian Tire, and discuss what it says about the fish...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Angelo Viola, Pete Bowman, Dean...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! After our two-part Bluefin Tuna series in Wedgeport and Canso, one qu...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! A brand-new tournament series promises massive payouts, Bitcoin prize...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! Is “micro fishing” the next big thing in angling? In this episode o...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! In this episode of Outdoor Journal Radio, our scheduled guest cance...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! In this episode of Outdoor Journal Radio, Ontario Minister of Natur...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! In this special episode of Outdoor Journal Radio, we sit down with ...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! In this episode of Outdoor Journal Radio, the guys sit down with Rob ...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! The Toronto Boat Show is here, and this week on Outdoor Journal Radio...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! How do you really know if the ice is safe before you step onto it? ...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! - Silverwax: Proudly Canadian since 1999 It is the Outdoor Journal ...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! - Silverwax: Proudly Canadian since 1999 On today’s episode of Outd...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! - Silverwax: Proudly Canadian since 1999 On this episode of Outdoor...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! - Silverwax: Proudly Canadian since 1999 This week on Outdoor Journal...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! - Silverwax: Proudly Canadian since 1999 A recent kayak bass tourname...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! - Silverwax: Proudly Canadian since 1999 Great white shark sighting...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! - Silverwax: Proudly Canadian since 1999 What if the biggest change...

Thank you to today's sponsors! - The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species - SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures - J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment - Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories - Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts! - Silverwax: Proudly Canadian since 1999 The Outdoor Journal Radio cr...