IDA is thrilled to announce the recent additions of some new field staff members that come to us with a wide range of skills and interests.
Please welcome, in no particular order…
Jason “AnchorMan” Howland,
Mike “AMWatson” Watson,
Jason Sullivan,
Michael “AlvinMack” Cayford,
Captain James Hirt
Andy Craig
A bit more about Jason Howland, in his own words…
I am 32 years old and work as a news anchor at KAAL-TV, the ABC affiliate in Austin, MN. I’ve been at the station for ten years, recently making the switch from sports to news.
I own a bass boat and get out on the water during the week on many of the lakes in southern minnesota, like Fountain Lake in Albert Lea, where I live. I also regularly fish bass tournaments on the weekends. My father and I finished as Team Supreme MN division champs in 2004 and ’05. My biggest win as a pro fisherman was in 2004 at Lake Pepin on the Mississippi River when I took first place at the Gander Mountain Pro/Am, winning $10,000!
While my expertise might be with bass, I also enjoy fishing for all kinds of species and I get to feature that during the news in a segment called “Howland’s Headin’ Outdoors.”
My goal with In-Depthangling.com is to share some of my knowledge when it comes to fishing and also show off some of the lunkers that lakes in Minnesota can hold!
A bit more about Mike Watson, in his own words…
I enjoy spending as much time as possible on the water and in the woods. My passion is predator hunting, with an emphasis on coyotes. I have been hunting coyotes for 15 years,mostly in Wyoming and Colorado. Fishing is also a favorite hobby of mine. I don’t really have a specific species I prefer. I believe fishing for all species make a person a better all around angler. I consider the IDA site to be the best on the internet with its exceptional staff and members. I would like to be on the team so that I may help others in the pursuit of predators and fishing alike.
A bit more about Jason Sullivan, in his own words…
I live on the lake (Lake Wissota, WI) and consider myself an avid angler. My motivation is not visibility, but rather to help enhance the IDA member experience. IDA is my favorite site and I want to help to grow the community. The more members we attract the more information that is shared, which creates a richer experience for everyone.
I fish over 100 days a year both open water and hard water. I tend to spend myself thin as I fish a lot of different water. I like to follow the hot bite. Most of my weekend fishing is spent in MN, where I have lived nearly all my life. One year ago I moved to Lake Wissota.
A bit more about Michael Cayford, in his own words…
My passion is the Smallmouth Bass. Not to be mistaken as a “Bass” fisherman however. I often let folks know that right away. If I am out chasing smallies you’ll rarely find me with a frown upon my face. My house is filled with books, videos, tackle, and now a boat that was designed to chase them. One of the things that brought me to IDA was I wanted to broaden my knowledge base about chasing these fish that “never give up”. I have learned quite a bit since my arrival and would like to think that maybe someone learned something new at one point in time about the way I target smallies.
I’m not much of a ice fisherman so I spend my winter’s usually in front of the workbench working on gunstocks from fine walnut. I’ve spent the last 7 years understanding the art of stockmaking. Would I call myself a gunsmith even though I can perform about %70 of the functions that most gunsmiths do? Nope, I’m a gunstock maker!
One thing I would like to be able to do is to be able to share what I know about about firearms/shooting sports and fishing (obviously). I was blessed to have been mentored by some extremely talented people and I hope to be able to share that.
A bit more about Cpt. Jim Hirt, in his own words…
I am an outdoor writer for several publications and numerous websites. I’m a Master Guide with a rich lifetime of fishing and backcountry experiences and has been fishing Lake Michigan and operating Blue Max Charters for over 20 years.
I enjoy working with people and passing on my skills to my customers and friends. I love the great outdoors, its wonders, and wants to share this world with you.
A bit more about Andy Craig, in his own words…
I am 26 years old. I live in Iowa City, IA. I recieved a bachelors in civil engineering in 2003 from the university of iowa and a master’s degree in 2005 from the UofI. I now work at the University of Iowa’s Institute for Hydraulic Research (IIHR Hydroscience and Engineering)doing research in groundwater hydraulics. I have been fishing my whole life. I probably fish at least an hour or two 200 days a year. For the last 10 years or so I’ve been focusing more and more on walleye fishing although i still chase bass, crappies, gills, white bass and cats if there is a hot bite going! I’ve caught a lot of big walleyes in iowa with my biggest coming from downtown iowa city at 9.5 lbs. I do most of my fishing during the week on the Iowa River in and around Iowa City and on the weekends I fish the Mississippi and the Wapsipinicon mostly. This year I got a 26 inch eye and my dad got 31 incher that went 13 lbs on the Wapsi. I have only fished one tournament which was an ice fishing tournament and got the 2nd place gill. However, I plan to get into tournament fishing this year with at least one MWC tourney (probably Lake City) and a few smaller ones on the Mississippi. As far as goals that I have for my relationship with In-Depthangling.com – I would just like to provide others with good information on what patterns and successes I have at my home waters so they can get out and enjoy our resources.
