Tom Rowland Podcast

The best Captains control the controllable.  One of the most controllable factors in fishing is knot strength.  We can practice our knots off the water and test them on a Force Tester or Scale to get accurate data on which knot consistently tests higher than another.  This not only allows you to tie the strongest knots possible but also to have confidence in your abilities and know exactly how har...

In this installment of Physical Friday, I go over the ways that I was able to progress towards the full lie back quad stretch. This is one of the more difficult stretches from Joe Hippensteel’s Ultimate Human Performance. Achieving the full lie back position was very difficult for me but the work was worth it as my knee pain from Patellar tendinitis has disappeared.  We can get very tight in the q...

Michael Chandler joins the podcast this week to talk about mindset, parenting, and his incredible recent win at UFC 274 over Tony Ferguson. Mike has an incredible amount of knowledge and real life experience choosing to walk on at the University of Missouri rather than taking a Division 3 scholarship. This move paid off as he became an All-American college wrestler who transitioned to multiple tim...

This year there have been an increasing number of shark attacks on tarpon in the Florida Keys. In this episode, I break down five important steps to avoid your tarpon falling prey to bull sharks or hammerheads. We have unfortunately seen a number of shark attacks recently, and all responsible anglers should try to do everything they can do to prevent tarpon from being eaten by the tax man. Breakin...

Summer is coming! Its time to shed the Dad bod and get ready for the beach! I am celebrating today because I met my goal this morning for my own weight loss. I have lost 17 pounds since March 10, 2022 going from 191 pounds down to 174 pounds. After a winter of trying to increase my weightlifting strength (and not being very disciplined in my diet) I want to weigh less so that I can focus more on r...

Rich Vanek and Donnie Connor joined the podcast this week to tell us about a new product they have that is helping to dramatically improve the water quality in the Florida Keys, and all over the world. They have developed a technology that can prevent sewer leaks from happening. This is especially important in the Florida Keys with all of the bridges and the amount of sewer waste that travels dire...

Zach McAllister is back on the podcast to tell us all about how zinc works and when it is time to replace it on your boat. We go into the details of how the water acts as a conductor for metals and why the corrosion is more attracted to zinc. We also discuss how you can look at a zinc and determine whether it is still protecting your boat, or if it is time for a new one. Also, how docking next to...

I often get asked how to eat healthy and stay in good shape while traveling. We have gone over this a few times on the podcast, but I get a little more specific in this episode with a chicken salad recipe that I often turn to when I’m traveling. If I am able to make this, I can avoid just eating whatever is around or overeating. Do you have any specific meals that you use when traveling to help yo...

This year I had an unbelievable experience with elk hunting which has made me a passionate newcomer. In search of knowledge I have found Elk Shape and Dan Staton.  Dan joins the podcast this week to talk about all things elk hunting. Dan started Elk Shape as a resource for elk hunters to learn and it has grown into many things, including a podcast. I had the amazing opportunity to help my son Kill...

Zach McAllister of Salts Gone comes on the podcast this week to talk about ceramic coating. We go over how it works, how to protect it, how to prevent damage to it, and more. Ceramic coating is an expensive investment, and if you are putting the money into your boat you want to make sure that you are cleaning it correctly and preventing damage. Zach is an expert in understanding chemical reactions...

This week we answer a listener question about how to get in shape for poling a skiff. We go over specific workouts and movements, as well as workouts and stretches that you can do to prevent injury. If you are a guide, you might be poling 300+ days a year, and it is extremely important to be in shape, and prevent injury that could keep you off the water, or permanently injure you long term. Do you...

Nick Honachefsky joins the podcast this week to talk all things saltwater fishing in the northeast. Nick has a show called Saltwater Underground that focuses on these northeast fisheries, so we talk about that, striped bass, how he recovered from a direct hit from a hurricane, and more. If you like what Nick had to say, be sure to check out his show on Waypoint!  This podcast is presented by Black...

With more and more research being done on fish, we are quickly learning how much we can help the fish by giving them a safe release. Richard Black is one of the best guides in the keys and he recently posted a video on using a dehooker, usually used for offshore bait fishing. In this episode we break down why this is such a good tool to release inshore gamefish. If you want a dehooker like Richard...

The hardest part of anybody’s fitness journey is usually getting started. It takes motivation to go to the gym for the first time, to go for your first run, or do push ups for the first time. But I can tell you from personal experience that once you take that leap and just start, it always comes together. You can apply this to many things in life as well. In fact, that’s exactly how I started this...

Capt. Jimmy Armel joins the podcast this week to tell us his incredible story and how he got to where he is today. Jimmy walks us through his life story in this episode, going from the military, to struggling with major PTSD and suicide issues, and how fishing was able to save him from all of that. Jimmy is extremely open and honest in this episode, and he is now using his story to help others. Al...

The Atlantic Palolo Worm hatch is upon us! Many questions come in about how to predict when it is going to happen. In this episode I go back on my notes from the past 30 years and give you all my best observations about how to predict when this hatch is going to happen. Some anglers are trying to hit it and others are trying to avoid it. What do you think about the Palolo worm hatch? Do you have a...

This week we are talking about one of my biggest motivators for my fitness journey. The group that I work out with is a huge part of why I am so passionate about fitness. They hold me accountable and we always have a great time together. I guarantee you that there is a good group around you that you can get involved with. If there isn’t, do what I did and start your own. We started small but now w...

Two employees of the FWC join my podcast this week to go over the new regulations that have been put into place for harvesting Goliath grouper. Dr. Bob Ellis and Erica Burgess walk us through every detail of these new regulations. We talk about why this specific number of 200 fish was chosen, how they came to the conclusion of the permit price, and how these harvests will help to better understand...

Dr. Mike Larkin is back on the podcast to tell us about how you can have a great day on the water by taking your kids to public sea walls to fish. This requires no boat and is a great and inexpensive way to introduce your kids to the sport. In this episode we go over where to find public sea walls, what to bring, and what you can expect to catch. If you liked this episode, be sure to check out our...

Last week we talked about a fitness game using the Masters golf tournament. This week we are talking about a game that goes off of march madness. Basically we use a bracket and instead of teams, there are workout options. In this episode I go through exactly how it works and how you can make this as easy or as hard of a workout as you want. This is a great one to do especially in groups. Do you ha...

Ray Cash Care is a former Navy Seal, Actor, Lead Instructor at the Modern Day Knight Project with Bedros Keuilian and PUSHUP MASTER who does 1320 pushups in an hour! Ray joins me on today’s podcast to discuss the mindset of an elite military operator both in and out of service. Ray goes through many of his acronyms that he lives by which lead to his success and how we can all apply some or all of...

Dr. Mike Larkin is back on the podcast to help us better be able to estimate the weight of tarpon that we catch. Many people have been using “the woods equation” for a long time, but that equation can actually under estimate the weight of your tarpon by up to 15 percent. Mike explains an improved formula that more accurately estimates the weight of a tarpon. If you like this episode, be sure to su...

This week on Physical Friday we are talking about creating games to make your workouts more interesting. We have used a deck of cards and dice to create awesome workouts but could we take inspiration from recent sporting events to create others? How about Golf or maybe March Madness? Yep… sure can! We go over one that my friend Rick Hart gave me that about recently that uses the concept of golf to...

This week’s podcast is about all things tarpon. My guest is Dr. Mike Larkin and he goes over so much information on tarpon and there is a TON to learn. Mike is a fisheries biologist and has a ton of knowledge about why tarpon behave the way that they do. We go over the research he has done which includes tracking tarpon and how we can use that information to become better anglers. We learn why tar...

Anthony Randazzo owns Paradise - Plus lodge in Venice LA. Today, he joins the podcast to show us some new uses for an old standby knot. The Palomar knot has always been considered one of the strongest ways to tie a hook or lure to the end of the line. But today, Anthony shows us how to tie it on a bare spinning reel spool. This is a really good trick because it eliminates the need to spool monofil...