Angling Edge Buzz

2026 Show 3 | Mastering Big Water Walleyes with Jason Freed

Jason Freed of Leisure Outdoor Adventures shares big water walleye lessons learned from years of guiding on Minnesota's largest lakes. From finding fish with side imaging to fishing jigs, slip bobbers, live bait, reefs, weeds, sand, and structure, this conversation is packed with practical tips for catching walleyes on big lakes.

2026 Show 2 | Shallow Water Walleyes, Sturgeon & Lake Superior Tactics

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.

Leech Lake Muskie Study: What Researchers Are Learning About Movement & Survival

Jeremy Smith sits down with Baylor Short to discuss the Leech Lake Muskie Movement and Survival Study, a research project tracking how muskies move, what habitats they use, and how angling pressure may affect survival. Baylor shares early findings from acoustic-tagged muskies, including long-distance movement, seasonal habitat shifts, open-water behavior, forward-facing sonar concerns, and what anglers can do to help protect the future of Leech Lake muskies.

2026 Show 1 | Swimbait Fishing Secrets for Walleye, Bass, Crappie & More with Hooked Up Wisconsin

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.

Minnesota DNR Reveals the Truth About Walleye Stocking, Hatcheries & Better Fishing

What really goes into creating great fishing in Minnesota? In this episode, we sit down with a Minnesota DNR fisheries biologist, Scott MacKenthun, to break down how fish populations are managed and what anglers often misunderstand about stocking walleyes, pike, and muskies. We dive deep into the science behind hatcheries, including a massive new $24 million facility in Waterville that's set to modernize fish production in the state. From raising stronger fish to improving survival rates, this is the future of fisheries management. You'll also learn why some lakes thrive with natural reproduction while others rely heavily on stocking and why throwing more walleyes into a lake isn't always the answer.