Raw Saltwater Stories - The Aclassic Podcast - Season 3 coming soon!

On this episode of the podcast, I sit down with Lance Clinton—a kayak fishing machine based in Costa Rica. Lance shares how he turned his life around, found purpose in fishing, and became one of the top offshore kayak anglers in the game. We dive into his journey from Louisiana to Costa Rica, the unique inshore and offshore fisheries he calls home, and what it’s like competing on an international...

Welcome to the very first pre-trip episode of Aclassic Strike Missions — a raw, unfiltered series where we chase the fish of a lifetime and show you what really goes down. For this mission, we’re heading across the ditch to New Zealand to fish with Churchy from Churchy’s Charters , one of the most dialled-in kingfish operators on the planet. It's a 72-hour whirlwind — fly in, travel across the...

South Coast madman Shane Ackerman joins us to talk about his life chasing some of the heaviest waves on earth. From a brutal wipeout at The Right that nearly ended it all, to scoring at Skeleton Bay, Shane opens up on what it takes to surf slabs at the edge of possibility. We dive into his upbringing on the South Coast of NSW, how the local scene shaped him, and what drives him to keep pushing lim...

Theophile Gonet jumps on the podcast to talk about his obsession with chasing giant fish across the globe. From bluefin tuna on spin gear in the Canary Islands to solo sturgeon missions in icy Canadian rivers, Theo breaks down the moments, gear, and grind behind it all. He talks about growing up fishing with his dad in France, the tight regulations around bluefin there, and how he’s built a life a...

In this episode, we catch up with Tasmanian surfer Harry Hollmer-Cross as he shares his intense experience at Shipstern's Bluff. At just 18 years old, Harry endured a severe wipeout resulting in a serious brain injury, which kept him out of the water for two years. Harry openly discusses the details of his accident, the tough road of recovery, and the support from his family and the local surf...

Billy Hayes and James Kuhl—aka the Tuna Junkies—jump on the podcast to talk all things bluefin, and it’s full chaos from the start. They break down how they went from backyard pond fishing to hunting 800lb bluefin on spin gear, what it’s really like fighting monsters solo, and how they’ve nearly sunk their boat trying to land them. From busted gear and wild hookups to sketchy storms and last-secon...

Today, Jason Breen joins us to share the wild story behind one of the most watched ocean encounters on social media for the year 2023/2024—a day a breaching humpback whale collided with him while wingfoiling. From a regular session to fighting for his life in an instant—Jason details the terrifying moment, the incredible luck that kept him alive, and how everything unfolded in this intense encount...

Luke O’Connor is one of the driving forces behind the return of the Shark Island Challenge. If you grew up bodyboarding in Australia, this comp was sacred—and after years off the map, it’s back in all its glory. Luke jumped on to chat about the wild ride it took to bring the event back, what makes Shark Island one of the heaviest slabs in the world, and how the scene has evolved since the old days...

In our first Raw Story, Matt jumps on to tell us how he and a mate towed into some absolutely wild Sydney waves on foilboards—massive waves, heavy wipeouts, and pure chaos. It was a five-hour surf session packed with big moments, close calls, and clips that’ll blow your mind. We kept this one tight—just the raw, exciting stuff straight from the source. Big thanks to Matt for jumping on and giving...

Captain Chris Weiner is a straight-up machine when it comes to chasing giant bluefin. He’s one of the few blokes still out there harpooning these beasts the old-school way—spotting them from the tower, lining up the shot, and nailing them. We sat down to talk about the bluefin fishery in Maine, how it works, what makes it so unique, and what it takes to actually harpoon one of the ocean’s most pow...

Breakwall Bonanza! Jewfish by the Ton! Whacko! This legendary catch has gone by many names in fishing magazines over the years—and for good reason! Today we head back to 1973 on Australia’s East Coast, where Geoff Doig, Alex Julius, Kevin Eckles, and Barry Oxford landed an epic haul of Jewfish. Hear Geoff’s never-before-told, first-hand account of this incredible day that’s still yet to be beaten....

Captain JP Samuelson is a die-hard fisho and straight-up waterman who’s made the South Pacific his playground. From chasing big fish in New Zealand’s anglers’ El Dorado to surfing world-class waves and fishing with chiefs on remote Fijian islands, JP’s lived it all—and he tells his stories like they happened yesterday. He’s got too many wild stories for one podcast, so he’ll be back soon. Got ques...

Capt. Brandon Hagopian is a commercial Bluefin fisherman known for regularly landing massive tuna - solo, with one even coming in over 1,000 pounds. In this episode, we talk about his battles with these giants, his work as a charter captain, and how his lifelong love for fishing has shaped his life. From giant tuna to personal growth, this is the story of a fisherman who’s truly mastered his craft...

At just 20 years old, Jake Maki is already making waves on the big wave surfing scene! With two Eddie Invitational appearances and a spot at the Pipe Masters under his belt already, his resume is already nothing short of impressive! In this episode, we dive into Jake’s life and experiences: from heavy wipeouts and epic rides to life in Hawaii, earning his place in the legendary Pipe lineup, and sh...

Breakwall Bonanza! Jewfish by the Ton! Whacko! This legendary catch has gone by many names in fishing magazines over the years—and for good reason! Today we head back to 1973 on Australia’s East Coast, where Geoff Doig, Alex Julius, Kevin Eckles, and Barry Oxford landed an epic haul of Jewfish. Hear Geoff’s never-before-told, first-hand account of this incredible day that’s still yet to be beaten....

Marti Para is a local Tassie Surfer, world renowned slab charger, author and all round good bloke! Today we chat about Marti's early life in Tassie and a few key moments that shaped him into the man he is today. Then we dive into his new book which is EPIC! Hands down the best adventure/ ocean book we have EVER read! Find it here ⁠⁠https://whentheoceanawakens.com/⁠⁠ before the first limited print...

Andrew Lester is one of the best riders to ever jump on a bodyboard, and today he walks us through some of that die hard obsession that saw him reach the peak of bodyboarding at its Pinnacle time of existence! Calling the Sutherland Shire home, Lester was never far from the beach and his local slabs. Honing his craft religiously, he was a permanent face in the lineup - 2 foot or 10! He has tackled...

Joel Barry is a big wave charger and all round good bloke! Today he walks us through his background and a few wild stories he has from the infamous Shipsterns, Fiji and a pretty sick trip to Hawaii where he had the opportunity to stay in the Volcom house, his now sponsor! He is inspiring not only his own generation but older generations as well! His resilience, positive attitude and love for surfi...

Matt Davies is a wild big wave Foilboarder who calls the Northern Beaches of Sydney home. He has some lofty goals, with the biggest one being that he wants to ride the biggest wave EVER on a foilboard, and he is well on the way to achieving it! Not only does he charge all incoming swells that hit Sydney, slabs and deep water, but also goes it international, taking on the biggest of the big at Naza...

Today's guest is an absolute maniac in the world of spearfishing! Jose Liccardo. We chat about it all today: - Fighting a Sealion for 24 minutes - How to deal with sharks and a few horror stories - Getting lost at sea - Landing Giant Bluefin - How he became who he is - Tips for up and coming Spearos -Plenty more! For more on Jose, check out his instagram below: https://www.instagram.com/joserl...

In this episode Dan chats with Bailey Gore. A die hard fisherman with an epic tale! Bailey was fishing in the 'Big Rock Blue Marlin' tournament that has a 3.5 Million dollar first prize. In the final 45 minutes of the 6 day competition Bailey found himself on the rod with a prize winning fish! Thinking they had first place in the bag, they headed back to the dock to find out the official w...

Today is an important podcast for all the Shippy's surfers, bodyboarders and anyone else out there wanting to ride those wild Shipstern's Bluff waves! Richie Hassett is one of the men behind the Shippy's Safety Initiative which was started along with the Tassie surf community to raise awareness and support each other in the ocean around Tasmania. Today he runs Jack through a few wild S...

Today Jack speaks with Polly Ralda. A big wave surfer from Guatemala who's story is nothing short of inspirational! From the day Polly saw her first big wave event, she just knew she wanted to be a big wave surfer! She dedicated her life to it without ever actually having ridden any waves bigger than 5 feet! she backed herself every step of the way, even when everyone around her doubted her. P...

This episode is a must listen for all watermen and women out there at all levels. Zane is truly something special when it comes to being skilled on and off the water. He is a multi time world champion waterman, olympic pan am gold medallist, published author and environmental activist. Today he passes on some of the knowledge that he has learnt over the years directly from some of the biggest name...

In this episode Jack speaks with Italian born big wave CHARGER Rudy Ghiara. They dive deep into Rudy's life and how he came from a town called Varazze in Italy with virtually no big waves, to surfing monsters at Nazare. Rudy then walks us through a few of his standout stories and what his plans are moving forward on the hunt for big waves! It is a great chat and we appreciate Rudy taking the t...