The Muskie Hunks Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Mike Woelfel from HellBender Lures of wild and wonderful WV. Mike makes increasingly popular small-batch soft plastics in a huge variety of shapes and sizes. Mike tells us how he got started with fishing and lure making, shares some stories and some mishaps, and offers a little advice for beginner soft plastics makers. We share stories, talk fishing, and talk a li...

In this episode we talk to Josh Marshall who owns and operates Marshall Custom Tackle. Josh is a great musky fisherman and an awesome bait maker out of Ohio. He makes a variety of Musky baits that flat out catch fish! Check him out at Muskie Max this week!  https://www.facebook.com/marshalltackle/ https://www.muskiemax.com/  

In this episode , we highlight Andrew Eye and Spray Bomb Bait Company as well as well Ryan Painter and Ryan Painter Customs. Both Andrew and Ryan are from the hills of Virginia and they are making some really awesome Musky lures that have been putting tons of big fish in the boat. This spotlight really gives you an idea of what they are building and bringing to Muskie Max as well as the story on h...

In this episode we BS about all things Muskie MAX Plus with the MAX father himself, Shawn Leopardi. Shawn gives us a little history lesson, we take a walk down Muskie MAX memory lane and talk about the upcoming 2023 expo. Shawn tells some classic stories and we all discuss our favorite Muskie Max moments. Shawn gets all of us pumped up, so much so that Ryan is already standing in line. We cover al...

In this episode, Nick, Owen and Ryan hold the fort down with three guests\ Honorary Hunks\ Hunksverse Captains. We invite Craig Semrau, Nate Bud and Ryan Elizondo on the podcast to talk upcoming musky shows, recent events, fishing updates,  future plans, muskie lures and more. Owen gives us a little update on the Big O's booth, and Ryan talks about a recent fishing trip gone wrong. This was a true...

In this episode, we BS about what has been going on in the off-season lives of us five. We talk a little bit about beginner soft plastics, some ongoing boat setup and maintenance, and yet again (you already guessed it): musky expos. Ryan talks graph mounts. Owen talks boat covers. Tom talks litter cleanup. The Hunks give Donnie a Rorsharch test. 

In this episode we talk about the upcoming 2023 Musky show season. We talk about shows we plan to attend, gear that we are targeting and then the man and the myth and the legend, drunk Owen comes out to play.    Ohio Musky Show: Jan. 27, 28, 29 2023 Makoy Event Center 5462 Center St, Hilliard, OH 43026 606-776-6567 or 606-776-6729 http://www.ohiomuskyshow.com/   New York Musky Expo: February 4th(9...

In this episode we catchup with one of New York's premiere lure builders, Zach Baker. We talk about the upcoming 2023 New York Musky Expo, Baker Baits and updates from Chapter 69 of Muskies Inc.    Upcoming New York Musky Expo Information: The New York Musky Expo will be held February 4th(9am-5pm) and February 5th, 2023 (9am-1pm). It will be held at the Chautauqua Suites and Expo center located in...

In this episode, we talk to a local friend, breakfast sandwich guru, and budding musky fisherman, Ryan Chavara. Ryan owns and operates Thyme Machine, a highly sought-after breakfast sandwich cart in Bloomfield (a popular neighborhood in Pittsburgh for you non-yinzers). Ryan shares some of the history behind Thyme Machine, as well as an inspirational story about how and why he found fishing so late...

In this laid-back episode, we get a little science-y, as we dive into a strange psychological concept that often pops up in fishing: The Dunning-Kruger effect (Google it). We go down a hole discussing this interesting concept and talking about some of the ways we've seen it in fishing. We talk about some other "musky mindset" questions and ideas, and how we deal with some of the mental abuse that...

In this celebratory episode, we go back and reflect on our last 50 episodes. We revisit some highs, lows, favorite guests, topics, and hilarious moments from the last 150 hours of podcasting. We discuss why we do what we do, and what our plan is for the future. Donnie promises to get a mic if we make it to 100.

In this episode, we talk with Jake Latkovic of Latkovic Lures. Our chat was so enjoyable that it went the distance at three hours- so, maybe break this one up into a few sections. Jake’s baits recently received a glowing review from the Fat A.Z. Musky Podcast, and have started spreading throughout the PA musky community as fast as he’s able to make them. Jake, local to Pittsburgh, talks about his...

In this episode, we are rejoined by Ben Stone. Ben was one voice of many in the original Musky Battle podcast, and we finally got him back for a solo interview. Ben, a young content creator, tells us a little about how he got into fishing, and also how he got into filming and editing. He shares some funny stories from along the way, including a very "fishy" highschool project and the very frank wa...

In this Hunks-only mess of an episode, we let the wind take us and talk about a little bit of everything. A few of the guys talk about their plans for fall and winter fishing, while a few others talk about some oddball cold weather tactics that many don’t consider. This conversation leads to another conversation (and listener question) about the proper way to "just make it work” with your bass gea...

In this episode, we sit down with musky nut, guide, and previous WV record holder, Chase Gibson. Chase goes all the way back, and tells us how he got into fishing, guiding for muskies, boat ownership, and more. We discuss why Chase loves his home state, some other places he has visited, and some relationships he has forged in the industry. Chase talks about what he likes and dislikes about where t...

In this seven-man episode, we have all five regular Hunks, plus we call in two reinforcements for this beginner boating discussion. We invite back a name you all should know by now: Mark King, of Keystone King Musky Lures. We also call up Matt Fuchs, aka "Corn". Corn is a longtime friend of Tom, who was raised by the wrench and (allegedly) eats gasoline in his frosted flakes. We start off talking...

Owen, Donnie and Ryan just BS about recent events, Ryan's Boat Buying Woes and the good bad and the ugly of social media. We are all over the map on this one. Sometimes we just need to hang out , drink beers and shoot the $6#@ with the boys. 

In this episode, we recap Hunks Weekend 2022. We are joined by the whole gang in attendance that weekend- including Mark King of Keystone King Musky Lures, Nate Budziszewski, and the man, the myth, the legend: Don Senior. We go from start to finish talking about the fishing, the shenanigans, the food, and of course, the rescues. Ryan steals the belt (sort of?). Team Swink beats us to the lake from...

In this Hunks-only variety episode, we welcome yet another honorary guest Hunk, Kellen Campbell. We invite Kellen on to discuss their recent Canada trip. However, we start the episode on a more scandalous note, talking about what everyone else has already heard and talked about: the LEWT cheating debacle. We do our best to talk about this and what we think about the situation given our limited kno...

In this episode, we talk about the main reason why we pulled the original episode 40 off of the air.  Episode 40: In this Hunks-only variety episode, we welcome yet another honorary guest Hunk, Kellen Campbell. We invite Kellen on to discuss their recent Canada trip. However, we start the episode on a more scandalous note, talking about what everyone else has already heard and talked about: the LE...

In this extremely special episode, we have the privilege of sitting down with musky fishing’s grandfather and Hall of Famer, Joe Bucher. Joe tells us some of his history in fishing, filming, guiding, writing, speaking, bait making, and even mentoring. He shares stories of things he has seen change along the way, for both the better and worse. He tells us a little about the early versions of his lu...

Pull up a chair to this three-hour sideshow as we get to know the guys of Banging Bottom Outfitters. BBO, out of Western PA, guides primarily on Pymatuning, and consists of Doug Vanasco, Jesse Barnhart, Joel Morrow, and Brian Luffey. The eight of us talk about how the guys got their start, and of course how they got the name. We talk a little bit about what they believe in as far as their day-to-d...

In this episode, we welcome a name that anyone with the internet and a musky rod knows: Brian Skaife, or as you may know him, Angling Anarchy. We also welcome another honorary hunk as a sit-in cohost: Nate Budziszewski. With so many videos on so many topics, it's hard to cover anything that Brian hasn't; but, we do our best to keep it fresh while discussing his history in fishing, filming, and som...

In this episode, we sit down with Tyler Andrews (FKA "The Musky Guru"). Tyler tells us a little bit about how he got into fishing as a kid, and how that eventually led to his obsession with the musky. We talk about his relationship with some of the godfathers of musky fishing, some stories from spending time in the boat with them, and some fun facts we never knew. We eventually talk about how he e...

In this week's episode, we welcome Dave (in Minnesota), a name you've probably heard before if you listen. Dave (originally from PA, but now in Minnesota) is a longtime friend of Donnie (in Pennsylvania), and arguably the reason Donnie (in Pennsylvania) started chasing musky (in Pennsylvania, and Minnesota). Dave (in Minnesota) sits in as a guest co-host as we tell fish tales. Dave (in Minnesota)...