Angling Edge Buzz

Crappies get a lot harder after the spawn, but if you understand the process, they're still predictable. In this episode, Blake breaks lays out the approach to consistently find and catch summer crappies on northern lakes. This is a practical look at location, timing, and presentation, focused on what actually works without relying on technology, while still acknowledging how things have changed.

The difference between good anglers and great ones comes down to details. In this episode, Frank Weeda gives great detail into the subtle adjustments that consistently produce walleyes, drawing from years of tournament experience while balancing a full-time career. This is a practical, no-nonsense look at what actually moves the needle on the water.

In this episode, Ryan DeChaine provides insight on how gear, organization, and system-based thinking separate average anglers from highly efficient ones. Drawing from his experience working with top brands, rigging boats, and learning directly from some of the best anglers in the world, Ryan shares a practical framework that holds up on the water.

Jarrid Houston joins the Angling Buzz crew to break down one of the most unique fisheries in the Midwest: the St. Louis River Estuary and Lake Superior's South Shore. From shallow-water walleye trolling and jigging tactics to sturgeon, muskies, cohos, current, boat control, and changing walleye regulations, this episode is packed with insight from a guide who knows the system inside and out.

Paddle tail swimbaits might be one of the most versatile lures in freshwater fishing. In this episode, we sit down with Caleb Wistad of hookedupwi to break down how he fishes swimbaits for walleye, bass, crappie, pike, trout, lake trout, salmon, and just about anything else that eats baitfish. Caleb shares how he got started in fishing media, how hookedupwi grew from Instagram into a full-time YouTube channel, and why attention to detail makes such a big difference on the water. From there, we dive deep into soft plastic paddle tail swimbaits, including body shape, tail action, jig head selection, hook size, line choice, rod setups, retrieve styles, and color selection. We cover when to use subtle swimming action versus heavy thump, how water clarity affects swimbait choice, why many anglers fish swimbaits too light, and how heavier jig heads can help keep your bait in the strike zone. Caleb also explains his favorite retrieve for blind-casting swimbaits for walleye, plus how he rigs them for weeds, wood, deep water, trolling, drop shotting, and even line-through setups. Whether you are chasing walleyes on weed edges, crappies in open water, bass around cover, trout in streams, or lake trout on big water, this conversation is packed with practical swimbait fishing tips you can use right away.

Where does your Minnesota fishing license money actually go? How are fisheries, hatcheries, public accesses, and conservation work funded? And how does all of that connect to the proposed 4-fish walleye limit? In this episode, we sit down with Mark Holsten, former Minnesota legislator, former DNR commissioner, and current executive director of MN-Fish, for a deep dive into how natural resource funding and fisheries management really work in Minnesota. Learn more at: https://mn-fish.com/

In this episode, the Walleye Alliance and the Minnesota DNR break down new creel survey results from the Brainerd Lakes area. Covering angler effort, forward-facing sonar usage, catch vs. harvest trends, and what anglers are saying about Minnesota's proposed 4-fish walleye bag limit. We also discuss why social data matters, how technology and pressure intersect, and why public comments help shape future fisheries management.

JKolo is back in the studio, and we go from wild fishing stories to the biggest tech conversations in the sport. We cover his "Marathon Man" legacy (including his Guinness World Record 2,143 fish in 24 hours) and how fishing has shaped his mission to give back. Then we break down modern marine tech: Humminbird XPLORE, LakeMaster, Side Imaging/360, Mega Live (live sonar), and how it all connects with Minn Kota through the One-Boat Network to find fish faster and stay on them. We also tackle the hot-button debate: is live/forward-facing sonar "cheating," and what responsibility anglers (and agencies) have as technology continues to accelerate.

Jeremy Smith is joined by electronics expert Jason Halfen who helps anglers understand the science and strategy behind Humminbird's Imaging Technology.

Rapala's Dan Quinn sits down with Jeremy Smith to talk about developing and testing new and better Rapala baits and how he works with the expert Rapala Pro staff to drive innovation.

Jeremy Smith sits down with walleye pro Dylan Maki to talk current walleye trends and techniques on the tournamnet trail.

Old-School Tactics, New-School Toys: A Candid Conversation on Fishing, Gear, and Fishing Industry Trends. Join Jeremy Smith and fishing industy insider Pete Przepiora as they talk about all that's new and notewothy in fishing today.

Jeremy Smith hosts OnX Fish's Joel Nelson, a passionate angler and seasoned GIS (Geographic Information Systems) expert who has turned his love for mapping and fishing into a unique, fulfilling career. Joel details of some of OnX Fish's applications, talks hot bites on the upper Mississippi and outlines his favorite technique for summer Crappies.