120 Outdoors Podcast

No book or written instructions exist for an individual angler’s ethical decisions. They are their own. Frequently, ethics in fishing have no uniform standards. Discussions may surface among anglers, with differing opinions. Today, we talk about fishing ethics with Tom Kirkman. Tom is the editor/publisher of RodMaker Magazine. He bings a view of someone in tune with the tackle industry. If you are...

Pymatuning Lake also referred to as  the “Big Tune” or “Pymie” is renowned as a Sportsmen’s paradise. The Pymatuning Lake Association is instrumental in maintaining this reputation. Today we are joined by Vice President, Katie Wickert.  Katie, shares the lakes captivating history and the rationale behind its formation.  She talks about the array of annual activities including the lake habitat prog...

Have you met anyone who has visited all of Ohio’s public lakes and streams? Our next guest, Tom Cross, did just that. He wrote the book “Fishing Ohio” published in 2008. Tom is an award-winning author, outdoor photographer, and avid angler. Tom recounts his experiences visiting each lake and river in the state, discussing those that surprised him and those that did not live up to the hype. While t...

The Ohio River is probably the most under utilizedfishing destination in our 120. Today, we interview Ohio River guide, Dale Broughton.  Dale has been featured in many national publications including InFisherman, Outdoor Life and Ohio Game and Fish. He specializes in trophy catfish. He gets into season movements and locations.  The use of planer boards and live bait setups are reviewed in detail....

Finding places to fish and hunt in your 120 can bedifficult. Recently, many of our listeners have asked how do we find places to fish and hunt in our 120. In this bonus episode,  Don and I share our ideas how we find placesclose to home.  We talk about a wide range of available resources. Lots of ideas are toss around in this conversation. If you are interested in finding a few overlooked places t...

If you have driven across the state of Pennsylvania, you crossed over the Clarion River. A tributary of the Allegheny River, it’s approximately 110 miles. In the 1970s, the river was considered a "dead river,” unable to sustain life. It’s now become a recreational Mecca. Our guest on today’s show is Dr. Andy Turner, a Professor at Penn West University. We discuss the history of the Clarion and it’...

If you fly fish the Great Lakes you probably have heard of our next guest. We interviewed Legendary Fly Angler, Jeff Laskey. He is the owner and operator of Great Lakes Fly Fishing. Today, we talked about Fly Fishing for the elusive North Coast Bone Fish “the Carp”. Jeff shares his thoughts on seasonal locations and overlooked techniques. We dive into fly rod setups, line types and leader material...

Chris and Don interview Walleye Pro, Ryan Buddy. Several years ago, Ryan started fishing the Great Lakes from his small aluminum boat. Today he is a tournament angler. We discuss how small boat anglers can enjoy the fantastic fishing on Lake Erie. He talks about easy to use tactics to improve your results. Planer boards, bait selection and boat control are just a few of the topics covered. If you...

Chris and Don interview Pro Walleye Anglers, Ted Takasaki and Sammy Cappelli. Ted and Sammy are great friends and share a similar fishing style. It’s not often you get to talk with two pro anglers at the same time. We get the inside scoop on one of their favorite techniques. Both have had great success slip bobber fishing for walleye. We touch on all the fine details of this much overlooked techni...

Chris and Don interview Legendary Muskie Angler, Pete Maina. Today, however we will not be talking about Muskie fishing instead we will be discussing Turkey hunting. Many people don’t know that Pete is an avid turkey hunter. He has chased birds all over the upper Midwest. Pete shares some of his favorite techniques for bagging a bird. We talk about scouting, types of decoys, his favorite calls and...

Chris and Don interview ODNR Upland Gamebird Specialist, Mark Wiley. Mark gives us an update on the current Turkey study in Ohio. This is year number two of the study and he shares some interesting findings . The ODNR will be banding another 50 hens in Southwest Ohio to expand the study. Also, Mark discusses the overall health of the Wild Turkey population in Ohio and the outlook for this spring s...

Many look forward to warmer weather and the early season crappie bite. Chris and Don interview Panfish Expert, Tyler Woak. We discuss early season tactics, the importance of water temperature and crappie location. We get into different floats, jig sizes, line weight and rod length. If the bite is slow, Tyler stresses the willingness to try different tactics and locations. This is a detailed interv...

Chris and Don interviewed John Jablonski who is an avid angler that has fished Chautauqua Lake his entire life. He is the co- founder and former executive director of the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy. He spoke to us as a fisherman, not as arepresentative of the Conservancy.   Aquatic plants are a part of the lake, and various efforts to control them arise yearly.  Many lakes and waterways in t...

Chris and Don interview Travis Hartman. Travis is the Lake Erie Fisheries Program Administrator for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. We discuss the latest walleye production report and Travis offers an overview. Excellent walleye fishing can be expected for the foreseeable future, with large numbers of fish found throughout the lake. We talk about the seasonal movement of Lake Erie walley...

Searching for Shed Antlers is a pastime enjoyed by whitetail deer hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. Chris and Don interview Erin Lewis from Buckeye Antler Dogs. Erin has six shed dogs, four of which earned elite titles and Hall Of Fame (HOF) status. According to the United Kennel Club (UKC) shed hunting with a dog has become very popular. We talk to Erin about what breeds are natural shed hunters a...

It’s no secret that women share and enjoy the outdoor opportunities we have around us.  If you’ve tuned in to our podcast before you know we acknowledge women in the outdoors. Many occupy important roles in the agencies that keep the outdoor, fisheries, and wildlife world functioning. Join us for a discussion with Fisheries Biologist, Beth Streifeneder of the New York DEC . She shares her perspect...

120 Outdoors Podcast trailer.

Chris and Don interview Cleveland Metroparks Wildlife Ecologist, Jonathon Cepek. In the late 90's Jon did his Grad Research project on Coyotes in the Cuyahoga Valley. Jon did participate in a National Research Study on Coyote behavior. We discuss everything from the home range of Coyote's to the impact they have on native wildlife. Jon shares some amazing findings about how adaptable Coyot...

Chris and Don discuss the wacky weather and how it has affected their fishing, hunting and habitat work. They break down all four season and how they adjusted to local weather conditions. For example, the lack of rain in early fall forced them to use the boat instead of a pair of waders. If you are an outdoorsmen and deal with the weather this podcast is for you.

Chris and Don interview Brian Pilarcik, the Watershed Specialist for Crawford County Pennsylvania Conservation District. Brian defines a watershed and the importance of knowing which one you live in. We discuss his role and responsibilities. He shares some interesting facts about watershed features in Crawford County. If you are interested in the great outdoors this podcast is for you.

Chris and Don interview Great Lakes Steelhead Expert, Roger Hinchcliff. Roger is a featured speaker, a popular blogger, rod designer and a successful author of many magazine articles. Also Roger has several instructional videos on his YouTube Channel, "Steelhead Manifesto". He is considered an authority on tributary steelhead fishing. This is a wide ranging interview. We discuss everything from th...

Chris and Don interview Legendary Outdoor Writer, D'Arcy Egan. D'Arcy worked at the Cleveland Plain Dealer for over 50 years and served an its outdoor writer for 45 years. Also, he hosted a weekly television show called "Outdoors with D'Arcy Egan and Joe Thomas". In 2023 D'Arcy was inducted into the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Hall of Fame recognizing the impact he had on Ohio's outdoors....

Chris and Don interview John Diez better known as the "Aquatic Matador". John's Favorite time of year to fish steelhead is the late season. John was a previous guest on episode 75 where he introduced us to fly rod basics. Today, John's focus is steelhead. He discusses everything from what gear he uses to his choice in waders. We get into fly rod setups and his favorite patterns. He discusses in de...

Chris and Don interview Taxidermist, Jim Lynch. Jim has been a taxidermist for over 40 years and is on the board of directors for the Ohio Taxidermist Association. Jim talks about how much Taxidermy has changed over the years. He offers tips on what you should and shouldn't do with your deer. We get into some of the craziest animals and the largest whitetail he ever mounted. If you are interested...

Chris and Don interview Beth Christopher. She is the ODNR Program Administrator for the Call Before you Cut Program. Beth is a forestry professional with over 9 years experience in natural resources management. Beth goes into detail about the Call Before you Cut Program. This program is free to landowners in Ohio. They offer services to help the landowner manage their forest areas. We talk about t...