Top Five Favorite Freshwater Fishing Shows (any type of media)

So many to choose from these days. Few to get excited about. There are some that do. For me…

#1 Uncut Angling – No one is doing what Aaron is doing.

#2 IDO – Great guys and great fisherman teaching the upper mid-west how and where to fish. I’ve had fishing experiences I couldn’t have ever even dreamed about because of this show and owe a debt of gratitude to James and his crew.

#3 Keyes Outdoors – The musky nut in me is showing. Fresh content, with great cinematography and oozing with passion for the fish.

#4 Bassmasters – No one covers tournament bass fishing as well. Really well done coverage with fun and knowledgeable hosts. I can’t help but laugh every time Zona refers to Ike as the space monkey.

#5 King of the River – And I’ve never fish salmon in my life. The unbelievably beauty of where they film, the cinematography, background music, and the passion the host has for the fish just makes for a great viewing experience.

What are your favorites? Which shows might I/we be missing?

Being we have antenna TV our choices are limited. However with access to Uncut Angling that’s all we need.

WS

1. Uncut Angling (YouTube)
2. IDO
3. Angling Edge (Lindners)
4. Fish Ed (Jon Thelen)
5. Tom Boley (YouTube)

1- uncut angling- doesn’t relate to me as much but Aaron does some ridiculous and awesome stuff. So entertaining!

2- IDO- awesome show every week. Up to date scenarios. Wish the would do the spot on the spot id every week still.

3- Fish Ed- very realistic show.

4- The Next Bite- very good explanation on tactics and gear.

5- Larry Smith Outdoors- kinda goofy but relates most to me.

Uncut is great but his shows are sporadic and well, he’s way up in freakin Canada egh! Style points for sure but if it wasn’t for his personality I don’t care to watch all that much guys in prime fishing waters of the world showing how to fish.

With that said 39hrs was probably one of the coolest things ever

IDO and Keyes. IDO for content, timing and being on waters i am able to go fish on a weekend.

Agreed, Keyes passion you feel right through the screen. Awesome.

Really like next bite too. Although they’re starting to get a lil Gillespie on it, omfg what a great 21″ eye!!!!!!

Agreed on the 39 hours!

Also agreed on the Gillespe factor in the next bite. What’s with the cackling laughs and the mass hysteria when a fish enters the net?

nhamm wrote:

Agreed, Keyes passion you feel right through the screen. Awesome.

I had the honor attending a seminar where Mike was speaking. Great guy and you can feel his passion when you shake his hand.
IDO, Uncut angling, Fish Ed, Keys Outdoors, and North Woods Angling.
I had to toss North Woods Angling in there because I want to learn more about sturgeon and cat fishing and I don’t know of another show that does that in MN (the live feed shows are ok). I just started watching Tom Boley and he is also very good.

1) Lindners Angling Edge
2) Northwoods Angling (YouTube)
3) Catfish and Carp (YouTube)
4) Uncut Angling (YouTube
5) Keyes Outdoors

IDO would be in the top 5 for sure if they did more open water shows as I like the info and style the present but I don’t ice fish.

1) John Gillespie
2) IDO w/James Holst
3) Lindner’s Angling Edge
4) Larry Smith
5) Keyes Outdoors
6) Babe Winkelman
7) Musky Hunter TV

More later on the whys…

Gillespie, because as annoying as he seems to most is the first one to format a show fishing the week of the Saturday show. Its an incredible format and he’s been doing it longer than anyone.

IDO, because James does shows that continue to follow the same week format and are generally Midwest fishing related and I’ve been following him since .’02.

Uncle Al has been doing fishing tv for a long time, starting In-Fisherman and following up with Angling Edge. I’ve been following Al since the mid-70’s when he and Ron started the magazine. We’ve all probably learned more from this guy than maybe anyone else in fishing.

Larry Smith, was one of Gillespie’s guides for almost all of John’s years. His format and corniness make him worth watching, although he is not always the most well liked guy according to peeps who have fished around him.

The next two were kind of a toss-up… Babe’s been in tv longer and does a good show although he’s sneaks to Canada a bit much for me, but the more local WI/MN musky fishing from Keyes got my vote. And finally, even thought we’re beyond the top 5, is Musky Hunter for their musky chasing efforts and my love of muskies. They do tend to go to more exotic places and film the year before like the two ahead of Saric/Heiting.

Mark

mbenson wrote:

1) John Gillespie

You must own stock in Frabill?

#1 Scott Martin/SMC
#2 Uncut Angling
#3 IDO
#4 The Babe
#5 Bill Dance of course

Mookie Blaylock wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mbenson wrote:</div>
1) John Gillespie

You must own stock in Frabill?

Haha

This is by far the best thing that’s ever been on that show.

Mookie Blaylock wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mbenson wrote:</div>
1) John Gillespie

You must own stock in Frabill?

Or Johnsonville Brats… That show it is worst for my hunger cravings for those.

I have antenna TV so most of my outdoor TV comes from YouTube. My top 5(6) in no particular order would be.

-IDO
-Uncut Angling
-Tactical Bassin
-SmallmouthCrush
-Michiana Outdoors
-Wired2Fish

Why? Because they all take the time to teach and explain the details. How they got to a certain conclusion of a pattern, color, location, etc.

1- Northwoods Angling
2- Steve Douglas Catfish Dude
3- Dieter Melhorn Fishing
4- Chris Souders
5- IDO

No love for Jason Mitchell?

Virgil Ward because of the song-love a good song.

Linders angling edge
IDO
Jason Mitchell
Fishing ED
Un Cut

Today’s shows are fun and there are many. And the modern day versions can fill a Saturday or Sunday morning with plenty of vicarious entertainment.

A few of you mentioned some vintage TV fishing personalities. Babe Winkleman, Virgil Ward, Lindner’s Angling Edge which isn’t so vintage but was the next generation of In-Fisherman.

Back in those earlier days of outdoor and fishing related TV programing was very impressionable on a young lad fascinated with fishing and the outdoors. It was very inspiring to watch these “fishing heroes” and how it fueled our passion.

Vintage Al Lindner…worth the minute or so to watch.

And Babe Winkelman…

Attachments:

1. 

   BW.jpg
   

I don’t have cable so I am stuck with Midwest Outdoors and Minnesota Bound. They fix my appetite for at least escaping into the world of fishing and the northwoods for a half hour, but not my favorite. And I don’t watch a lot of shows on Youtube. I wish Kent Hrbek’s show was still on. I was away from MN when that aired but I would’ve liked to have seen that.

When I had cable, I liked The Next Bite and Babe Winkelman. I liked Babe’s show not because I learned anything, but it was more about how I was able to escape into the experience. It wasn’t so clinical and just about technique. It was more about the excitement of being out there with his contest winners, family, etc. It was as close as it gets for me to emulate my own fishing experiences.

Linder’s Angling Edge was hit or miss for me. So many times I was like how many times can I watch Al and Jim pitch for smallmouths? The episodes I liked most were when the others like Jeremy would go off and do sturgeon or catfish or spend a day floating down the Mississippi catching whatever bit. This show also bugs me because they are constantly advertising the latest lure or jig. All shows pitch products, but for some reason I found it more annoying on this show. I like the Linders for all they have done in their empire, but I just cannot get into their shows. Maybe some of it is their accents too that just rub me the wrong way.

1. IDO
2. JG
3. Larry Smith
4. Lindner’s
5. Keyes

I love IDO. The top 3 because 95% of their shows are current and local enough and current enough for most of us Midwestern guys can get to the locations. I am not a Musky guy but Mike Keyes is a great personality on TV and in person.

In no particular order

IDO
Northwoods Angling (youtube)
Hook N Look
Jason Mitchell Outdoors
Major League Fishing

The only time I watch Gillespie is when Pete Maina is on because he spends the whole half hour ragging on John.

Uncut angling and The next bite are my top choices. IDO isnt far behind. Also agree with Mookie, Tom Boley puts out some quality content, especially if you fish the Hayward area lakes as often as I do. If you’re into some dry humor, Another Fishing Show is kinda funny (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NlzRXLa2dM). A lot of us on this site can relate this link, its worth a few chuckles.

I get a years worth of church service in just one episode of Linders angling edge, so thats about all I watch of that show. Cant take much more

My favorite was from days gone by… Tony Dean. That said, someone reminded me of him when I first saw his show… James Holst. They only hype when hype is warranted… not on every catch or sponsor ad. I don’t watch many fishing shows anymore… but when I do it’s usually IDO.

Keyes Outdoors… Interestingly, the episode from this past season that I remember most – the one in which he goes on an exploratory adventure camping and musky fishing on a small wilderness river – he didn’t even catch a fish! I’d watch it all over again… So good.

-Uncut Angling Entertaining, informative and not off the wall. Always doing something different. Who the heck decides to fish with jimmy rigged you tube medal and catch MA fish..
-IDO James is great at explaining what they’re doing, the camera work is great and the fact that its filmed the same week is a plus.
-The Next Bite also great at explaining tactics, the video is good, and they’re for the most part showing different stuff as well.
-Jason Mitchel Outdoors – I think for me Jason is a guy I would like to fish with. What also makes this show is I feel it has that Tony Dean feeling to it. Its informative but its not crazy. Tony Dean had that voice and I think Jason isn’t far off. One thing that does drive me nuts is I feel there editing is dark. Meaning they need to brighten up the edit when they put it out.
-Fish Ed Jon Thielen is another guy that’s well detailed, he seems to fish a lot of lakes I fish so I can always try what he is doing and learn something.

I would agree with the comment about Jason Mitchell… spent an afternoon with him and his film crew in Northern Manitoba at the float plane airport a couple years back. He is like talking to an old friend.

mbenson wrote:

1) John Gillespie

It is such an awful show that it is funny at times, but I have a hard time watching a full episode.

I’ll watch anything on youtube as long as it’s not 90% go pro footage. I don’t mind the occasional window/rail/net mounted go pro B-roll shot, but I can’t stand the wide angle view for more than a few minutes.

Looking at my youtube subscriptions, I’d say Jason Mitchell, Fish Ed, Linder’s, IDO, are the 4 I watch the most, then NWT, Larry Smith, The next bite, and a host of others I’ll check out occasionally.

#1 Uncut Angling
#2 Northwoods Angling
#3 Jay Siemens
#4 Steve Douglas
#5 IDO