The Muskie Hunks Podcast

E99.5 - A Very Hunky New York Musky Expo Wishlist

In this episode we discuss our approach for purchasing gear at the upcoming New York Musky Expo this weekend. All of us talk about our gear wish list and want baits we want to target. When dad goes to bed, we discuss budgeting approaches and how we all fail miserably to stay on financial track. We are looking forward to this 2024 New York Musky Expo and cant wait to see all yinz at the show! 

E99 - Zach and Katia's Excellent 2024 New York Musky Expo Adventure

The Hunks are pleased to welcome none other than Katia Rivers and Zach Baker, both return guests and great friends of the pod, to talk all things New York Musky Expo! Get all the info you need as we talk show setup, updated vendor lists and speaker lineups, Lure Swap and Karaoke Saturday night, games and activities for kids and families and more! Also here what Zach has planned from his Baker Lures booth, his new Glow baits, the Big Boy Bubble Baits he’s been working on, $25 firetiger Sunday deal and even a special new color he did for the Hunks! It’s all here and it will all be available to you next weekend February 3 & 4 at Chautauqua Inn & Suites in Mayville, NY! Come Experience The NY Musky Expo

E98 - New York Musky Expo Spotlight - Adam Mueller and TopLine Baits

Ahead of the upcoming NY Musky Expo, the Hunks are joined by return guest and friend of the pod, Adam Mueller from Topline Baits. This episode focuses on Adam’s baits, which if you’ve listened to much of the Hunks you’ll know that they’re already fans of Adam’s work, so get a deep-dive into what he has new coming and what people can expect from his booth at the Expo! You’ll want to put some Toplines on your Wishlist after this one, check it out!

E97 - Life on the Musky Highway with Mike and Amy Keyes

Settle in for an amazing conversation between the hunks and none other than the First Family of Muskie Fishing, father/daughter duo Mike and Amy Keyes from Keyes Outdoors and KOTV. Hear all about how Mike got his start in the hunting industry and how that led him, organically, into the world of musky fishing. Hear about his career, how things used to be done back in the day as far as filming, editing and producing musky tv shows, and how his work has evolved into what it is today and the new arrangement for KOTV on ROKU streaming devices. Hear about his daughter Amy who followed in dad’s footsteps by getting involved with dad’s business, taking over on the creative side of things, editing and marketing, which led her to her current position as editor of Muskies Inc. and designer for the magazine and calendar! This episode is full of stories, insight and laughs, give it a listen and let us know what you think!

http://www.keyesoutdoors.com/

https://kotvchannel.com/video-on-demand/

 

E96 - A Wild and Wonderful Discussion with Chase Gibson

The Hunks have a full house on board for return guest Chase Gibson, who gives us a little life update and on his multiple business ventures (Muskie Bumper, 10k Casts with Musky Mayhem, Gibson Guide Services, etc) and then the talk turns to electronics, hot water release studies and the questionable results of the same, differences between fishing south (West Virginia, Ohio) and north (Minnesota) as it pertains to trying to pattern fish and learn new bodies of water. Lots of good personal insight from a young guy who spends all of his time in the business and someone who will be a staple in the Muskie world for years to come. Give it a listen!

E95 - Trolling 15mph for 3 Hours with Greg Jones and Lila Lures

Lila lures!!! Get comfortable and listen to the Hunks as they are joined by a very special guest from North of the Border, Greg Jones of Lila Lures! Time flies when you’re having fun, and 3 hours went by in a flash as Greg gives the details of how he got started fishing, muskie fishing the Kawarthas and Georgian Bay, trolling 15 mph, making baits and you get a real good feel for what he will have to offer at his booth at the NY Musky Expo in February! Greg makes some of the prettiest baits in the business, and also some of the BIGGEST crankbaits you can buy! Add Lila Lures as a “Must Stop” booth in NY, you won’t be disappointed!

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lilalures/

Facebook Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3077346525818687

 

E94 - THE Secret Hunk Lure Exchange - Merry Navidad and a Happy New Year!

Join the Hunks as they begin what will hopefully become a tradition…the Secret Hunk. Instead of secret Santa, which Scrooge er… Ryan Read hates, the gang decides to do a lure swap of sorts. Listen in as the guys open their gifts, try to guess who they’re from, and a little about why the Hunk that sent it, sent it! Feliz Christmas everyone, Merry Navidad and a Happy New Year!

E93 - THE Poorly Made Musky Podcast About Poorly Made Musky Memes

In this weeks episodes we sit down with (Redacted) to discuss a little bit of (Redacted) while going over the current (Redacted). We have some hearty laughs with (Redacted) while (Redacted) fills us in on (Redacted). This was allot of fun and we plan to have (Redacted) on again soon!

https://www.instagram.com/poorlymademuskymemes/

 

E92 - A Half Mexican Correspondent, Muskies Inc. Updates, Big Pikes, Secret Hunks and Upcoming Events

This week the hunks are joined by their half-Mexican/half-Hunk West Coast correspondent, Ryan Elizondo, to talk all things, muskies Inc. as well as an in-depth conversation regarding a listener question; how to prepare for a trophy pike trip in Canada as juxtaposed with Muskie fishing and Musky gear. There are lots of good takes, with the guys falling all over the spectrum from heavy spinning set ups to mid range Muskie set ups. Baits are a hot topic as well, give it a listen and let us know your take!

E91 - Bucking the Trend with Bucko’s Branded Baits

This week the Hunks are joined by a very, very special guest Bucko Muro, owner of Bucko's Branded Baits. We get a deep dive into Bucko's background, how he got started both fishing and making baits. The guys talk fishing, destination waters, guiding, lure building and more. Bucko gives us the lowdown on his bait lineup, as well as what folks can expect to see at the New York Musky Expo. Give it a listen and give Bucko a follow!

E90 - Tales of Tornados, Musky Lure Stealing Raccoons & 54 Inch Muskies Named Patricia with Josh and Amanda Monge

In episode 90, we welcome on Josh and Amanda Monge, a muskie fishing duet from Renshaw Minnesota. In this episode we learn more about how Josh and Amanda got into muskie fishing together as a couple, their trials and tribulations as new muskie anglers, lots of fishing stories and how they have grown as fisherman. The Monge's tell us all about fishing in tornado's , battling Muskie lure stealing raccoons and catching a 54 inch muskie named Patricia. We also get to hear about Amanda's experience sexing sturgeon while Josh gives us a great boat snack of choice. This was a fun discussion with an awesome couple who truly loves these fish.  Check out the Monge's on social media and follow their Muskie Fishing Journey. 

E89 - BAM BAM Muskies with Brady Martz

This week the Hunks are joined by a very, very special guest Brady Martz, owner of Bam Bam Bait Co. and accomplished local angler! We get a deep dive into Brady’s background, how he got started both fishing and making baits. The guys talk fishing, hunting, but no football, definitely no football. Brady gives us the lowdown on his bait, as well as what folks can expect to see at both the NY Musky Expo and Muskie Max, where Brady will have booths. Give it a listen and give Brady a follow!

E88 - Tournament Talk, Recent Fish Stories, ”Blackstone’d” Sausages, Legendary Folding Tables and a Broken Musky Curse

After another two week hiatus, the hunks are back to discuss fishing in the MI Chapter 69 BIG Baller tournament, the MI Three Rivers Chapter 16 Lake Arthur tournament, Donnie's Lil Muskies Jacket and his recent iPhone sacrifice to Pymie Muskies , Nate's chaotic recent excursion with Net Boy, and a wide variety of tangents and laughs all the way through. Nick still has not been fishing in case you were wondering. 

E87 - A Very Hunky Season Update

Hunks Roundtable - This week the Hunks are on their own, which as you can expect takes some twists and turns and tangents galore! We talk a little season update for those that have been fishing, including Ryan putting the hammer down recently aboard the Nauti Girl, including getting his beautiful wife Dee her fish Muskie! The talk delves into how parenthood changes your fishing habits, and life in general, and how to try to keep things in perspective during the tough years with young kids.

E86 - Chasing Cabbage Dragons with Kyle Friedges

After missing a week, the Hunks are back with a special guest, Kyle Friedges, who moonlights as Cabbage Dragon Media on the YouTube machine. We have a great discussion that covers all topics, from Kyle’s roots in Minnesota, his experiences fishing with his grandfather on the Canadian Shield, particular his connection to Eagle Lake. We hear about how he got started with the YouTube channel, how it has grown “organically” and how the video aspect of things can sometimes take the fun out of fishing. Hear about his destination trips to Eagle and LOTW, handling heartbreak on the water with your boat partner, and also his experiences at the past 2 Musky Battles. Also, hear about how Busch Light Peach has become the Beer of 10,000 casts on Kyle’s boat! Give it a listen!”

E85 - Westside Connection - Tigers n’at

This week the Hunks are joined by return guest/friend of the pod, Ryan Elizondo, as well as his fiancée Lynn Hotchkiss and their good friend Nick Granato. Ryan and Lynn talk about how they met and how Lynn has proven herself as a strong and confident Muskie angler in recent years, and the positive influence that strong female anglers can have in the industry. Nick Granato tells us about the state of the Tiger Muskie fishery out in Utah, where he fishes out of the Salt Lake City area. Nick talks about the stocking program, how the DNR decides where to stock them, and we talk about some of the basic biological, ecological and recreational reasonings behind stocking tiger Muskies in western lakes and reservoirs. Ryan, Lynn and Nick then tell us about their Muskies Inc Chapter tournament, which was held on Nick’s home waters in Utah, and the *3 Muskieteers* took home a big win. As always, there are many random spin-off discussions that you won’t want to miss!

E84 - Squatchin’ with Bigfoot Baits

This week a couple of the Hunks sit down with Ethan Greathouse, an exciting young bait-maker from the wilds of West Virginia. Hear his story; from how he got started fishing, to building Muskie baits, to the Hunks exposing a little secret of his during the interview! We had fun and it’s nice to see that the future of musky bait-making is in good hands!

E83 - A Three Hour Tour with Matt Gunkel and LLUNGEN LURES

In this episode we take the "Three Hour Tour" with Matt Gunkel and THE LLUNGEN LURES. We spend some time getting to know Matt better, the history of LLUNGEN LURES and we get into some really awesome discussions about baits, tactics , boats , musky trips and so much more. Donnie does give away the top secret fish catching bait in Ohio while Nick, Ryan and Owen all place LLUNGEN orders right afterwards. This was a really fun and informative episode talking to a really awesome human in Matt Gunkel. If you guys haven't yet, check out LLUNGEN LURES! 

https://www.llungenlures.com/

E82 - A Very Hunky Nip Trip Recap

In this episode, Owen, Nick and Donnie recap the hunks recent week long Lake Nipissing fishing trip. Hear the epic tale of Owen feeding the wildlife meatballs, the man named Lou, Kellen taking a 7/0 hook to the hand, hunks catching a few muskies and then a 50 minute argument on what a successful trip means to us. 

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E81 - Tales of Lake St. Clair, Nate Buds Nip Trip and Owen Joins TEAM TRACKER

In this episode, Ryan awakens from hibernation and tells tales from aboard Leo's Ranger from a recent trip to Lake St. Clair. Nate Bud gets called up from the miners and recaps his family Lake Nipissing outing with Big Dave and company. Finally Owen outlines how to acquire assets that are not liabilities and eventually talks about joining team tracker. Congratulations Owen on buying a new boat!!!! We end the discussion on trying to determine the greatest musky lure of all time , discussing yinzers versus yunzers, all while staying out of Na-Na's Yucca Plants.