Outdoor Journal Radio: The Podcast

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 conversation covers trolling versus jigging, when to ma...

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 the fishing conditions we think it does?

The conversation also takes us insi...

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 changing conditions threw at them.

The result was...

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 for the adventure. We talk Peacock Bass, the lures they rely on...

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 happened on camera, how Ryan introduced his city-raised cousin to wi...

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 Georgian Bay’s most overlooked fi...

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 to get their hands on, with some selling for hundreds of dollars onli...

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, 120 aircraft and crews from across Canada begin to contain something this massive?

The Minister also reveals what Ontario is sp...

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 overhaul?

The boys also discuss Garmin’s new LiveScope 2 HD and Sp...

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 stories are unlike anything we’ve had on the podcast before.

The guys talk to Dr. Cliff ab...

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 of the weirdest behaviour anglers are now seeing...

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 broken rods and missed fish on day one to big smallmouth and a ful...

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 walleye, regular walleye, smallmouth bass, pike, and one seriously...

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 the show to discuss the growing popularity of muskie fishing, early-season tactics, custom lure cu...

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 for the future of our fisheries.

Also in this episode:

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 why the guys don’t always measure every fish they catch.

Topics include: Timmins Walley...

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 invasive carp, pharmaceuticals showing up in Ontario...

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 attempting to track another competitor during a major tournament… and...

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-awaited return of the Northlander train, a ma...

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 YouTuber who...