Tom Rowland Podcast

Bouncer Smith is one of the true legends of South Florida fishing — a charter captain, author, conservationist, and storyteller with over six decades on the water. He's written five books, guided thousands of anglers, and pioneered techniques that changed the way we rig lures and release fish. And now, in retirement, he's catching some of the best fish of his life. In this conversation, we get into Bouncer's recent adventures — from bass fishing in the headwaters to landing two 100-pound tarpon in one afternoon on 80-pound braid in Biscayne Bay. We talk about the five biggest changes in fishing over the last 60 years, from depth finders to forward-facing sonar, from monofilament to braid, from J hooks to circle hooks. We get into his genius circle-hook-in-front-of-the-lure rigging method, solunar tables and how to use them, and Project CSafe — the massive conservation and fishing event happening April 17–26 in Grant, Florida, presented by Star Brite. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conve

Nick Cheskey is the host of Saltwater Underground, now in its sixth season on ESPN2, Discovery Channel, Sportsman's Channel, and Waypoint TV. He's one of the most versatile anglers in the country — a guy who grew up fishing, surfing, and ice skating on frozen Jersey swamps, and who pioneered surf shark fishing on the Northeast coast before anyone else was even trying. In this conversation, Nick and I catch up after three years and cover a lot of ground — from saltwater rivers freezing over in central Jersey to thresher sharks hunting with their tails to prehistoric megalodon teeth in freshwater streams. This one goes everywhere, and I loved every minute of it. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation: - Nick describing the first night he ever tried surf shark fishing in 1998 — paddling bunker bait out on a surfboard in the dark, alone, and having a thresher tail come whipping out of the water right next to him - How thresher sharks actually hunt — corr

Texas outdoorsman Kyle Gemas shares raw lessons from his Alaska mountain hunts—from crawling through claustrophobic alders in the Wrangells to covering 85 miles over 10 days in the Brooks Range for Dall sheep. Kyle breaks down his Leukotape foot care system, how 15+ tarpon tournaments prepared him for backcountry suffering, and why he's pursuing the North American Grand Slam of wild sheep. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro: From Arapaima to Mountain Hunting 01:24 - Getting Hardcore Into Mountain Hunting 04:01 - Why Start With Mountain Goats vs Sheep 06:32 - The Seven Day Wrangell Mountains Meat Grinder 08:51 - Flying Into McCarthy, Alaska via Piper Super Cub 11:02 - Water and Food Strategy for Backcountry Hunts 14:52 - Crawling Through Claustrophobic Alders 19:38 - Mental Limitations vs Physical Limitations 22:43 - Guide Ben and Packer Spencer 25:45 - The Goat Float: Glassing From a Raft 27:30 - Northern Lights and a Day Six Ram 32:36 - Mountain Goats: Easy to Find, Hard to Kill 41:18 - 15+ Tarpon Tournaments and

Monty Burke writes about the best of the best — college football coaches, saltwater fly fishing legends, and the obsessed individuals who reach the top of whatever they pursue. In this episode of the Tom Rowland Podcast, Monty breaks down what Pete Carroll got right at USC that he couldn't pull off in the NFL, why Steve Huff at 80 years old is still one of the most fascinating people in fly fishing, and what the relationship between a great guide and an elite angler has in common with a great coach and his players. They also get into AI and why Monty thinks the removal of friction — of doing hard things — is one of the worst things that could happen to a generation trying to find purpose. Honest, wide-ranging, and the kind of conversation you'll still be thinking about the next time you're on the water.

George Poveromo — host of "George Poveromo's World of Saltwater Fishing" (26 seasons), Saltwater Sportsman columnist since 1983, and founder of the longest-running fishing seminar series in the country (39 years) — joins Tom for a conversation about building a career in the fishing industry from the ground up. George shares the story of how buying a Mako instead of an Aqua Sport changed the trajectory of his entire life, the three-piece suit that landed him the Saltwater Sportsman gig, Mark Sosin's career advice that still holds up 40 years later, getting speared in the rear end by a sailfish, the shark population crisis in South Florida, and why AI-powered fishing forecasts are already here. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Introduction 1:30 - George's First Industry Job: The Miami Billfish Tournament 3:30 - First Story Sold to Outdoor Life for $300 4:10 - Joining Saltwater Sportsman in 1983 5:00 - Mark Sosin as Mentor 6:50 - The Embarrassing Boat Show Seminars That Started It All 7:55 - Launching George Po

Mike Holland is the creator of the MINDBODY Energy Movement — a daily practice that blends movement, breathwork, and mindset into a simple system you can do anywhere, with zero equipment. In just 8 months, Mike went from posting on a personal account to building an audience of nearly 900,000 people, all around one mission: help people take control of their health and live life on their own terms. In this conversation, we talk about why movement is medicine, why breath is the bridge between mind and body, and how discipline compounds the same way money does — one small decision at a time. We also get into what Mike’s doing with ManyChat, why he wasn’t charging anyone while it was blowing up, and how he’s building an app to turn this into a real community. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: The simplest reframe that changes everything: you don’t have to do it — you get to do it. Why breathwork can unlock performance (and how it keeps you calm even when your heart

Fish Like Mike — is a former PE teacher and varsity hockey coach from Buffalo, New York who built a massive audience by doing what he genuinely loves: getting outside, learning the woods, and telling the story like a buddy would. He started fishing in high school with a cheap kayak and a GoPro duct-taped to a hockey stick… and years later, he made the big call to step away from a “safe” career to go all-in on content, travel, and the freedom to fish on a Tuesday when nobody’s around. In this conversation, we get into the real stuff: the grind of teaching + coaching + building content on weekends, the moment he knew it was time to rip the band-aid off, why Instagram views don’t pay like people think, and why those “little creeks” in New York might be one of the most underrated fisheries in the country. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: How he built his entire audience with almost no “fancy” gear — just consistency, curiosity, and telling the truth on camera. Th

As saltwater anglers, we've all dealt with the ugly reality of bottom paint. You spend six figures on a beautiful boat, only to have someone slap what looks like an "ugly wig" on the hull. Then you're paying divers constantly to scrape it clean, dealing with toxic chemicals leaching into our fishing waters, and repeating this expensive, environmentally damaging cycle every single year. But what if I told you there's a game-changing technology that could eliminate bottom paint forever while actually protecting our marine environment? That's exactly what Dan Dillon from Aquaphobix has developed, and it's unlike anything I've seen in 30+ years of saltwater fishing. All of my other socials can be found here : https://linktr.ee/TomRowlandPodcast The Tom Rowland Podcast is presented by Star brite! Clean and protect with Star brite, a leading manufacturer of appearance, maintenance, and performance chemicals and accessories, serving the marine, RV, automotive, powersports, hardware, and home care industries for

Sam Root is a content creator in the fishing industry and a key part of the team at Pure Fishing — one of the biggest fishing companies on the planet. We go way back (forums, early DSLR days, the first years of Saltwater Experience), and in this conversation we get into what’s actually changed in fishing media… and what hasn’t. We talk about the death of gatekeeping, why attention spans are getting weird (3 seconds or 3 hours), why polished “commercial-looking” videos often underperform, how AI is already changing photo/video work, and the wild travel stories that remind you fishing is fishing — whether you’re in the Everglades or 30 hours from the nearest runway. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: The gatekeeping is gone — and that’s a blessing and a whole new kind of grind. High-end production can actually hurt performance because people can smell an ad in half a second. New product hype sells… until it doesn’t — credibility is what carries the long gam

When I started the Tom Rowland Podcast, I never imagined we’d hit this milestone… and definitely not with a lineup like this. To celebrate 1,000 episodes, we put together a best-of conversation reel featuring some of the most impactful guests to ever sit down with me: Bill Dance – The legend himself. We talk about joy, longevity, and why fishing is still fun after a lifetime on the water. Michael Chandler – UFC superstar. Discipline, doubt, and what it really means to bet on yourself when the lights are brightest. Monte Burke – Author of Lords of the Fly. The obsession, history, and culture behind chasing truly giant fish. Michael Waddell – “Bone Collector.” Family, faith, hunting culture, and how to stay grounded when the cameras turn on. Chris Fischer – Founder of OCEARCH. Great white sharks, conservation, and why wild places still matter. These aren’t just highlight clips. They’re the moments that stuck with me long after we stopped recording – the stories, one-liners, and

Chris James is a self-taught holistic wellness coach and the creator of A Healthy Alternative, a fasting-based wellness community that’s helped thousands of people lose 100+ pounds, reverse disease symptoms, and feel at home in their body again. A Healthy Alternative+1 In this conversation, we get into how Chris helped his brother lose 100 pounds in just 90 days without loose skin, how his own mysterious infection disappeared when nothing else worked, and why strategic fasting and hydration might be the most underrated tools for getting truly healthy — not just “less sick.” Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: When Chris broke down how his brother went from 420 pounds to losing 100 pounds in 90 days — and what they learned about autophagy, plateaus, and that “shrink week” in a long fast. His story of battling a 10-year infection doctors couldn’t diagnose, trying every pill and test, and finally seeing it disappear when he changed his diet and started water fastin

What happens when you give an oceanographer a pile of ROFFS® fishing reports, decades of ocean data, and access to Simrad® electronics? You get FishCast® — an AI-powered offshore fishing forecast that can highlight high-probability zones days before you ever leave the dock. In this conversation, Dr. Taylor Shropshire from Fathom Science and I break down how FishCast works on Simrad MFDs, how 3-day, 3-hour forecasts help you plan offshore trips, and why AI should be a tool that makes fishing more fun rather than a shortcut that replaces hard-earned experience. We also talk about ocean models, hurricane prediction, safety, and what better forecasting might mean for anyone who lives and fishes on the coast. If you liked this episode, share it with a friend, rate the show, and stay tuned for more unfiltered conversations.

Joe Simons is the co-founder of Salt Strong, one of the largest fishing communities in America — built from scratch with his brother Luke to teach the world how to fish. Over 600 podcast episodes later, Joe joins me to talk about the journey from startup to acquisition, what it means to stay true to your mission, and how community, content, and faith built something much bigger than a business. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: The early days of Salt Strong — from t-shirts to teaching anglers How Joe and Luke grew to 60,000+ members without investors The inside story behind Salt Strong’s acquisition by Sportsman’s Guide What it takes to stay authentic after a sale Why building community will always beat chasing followers The vision for a Fishing Theme Park and the next five years Lessons from selling a company, leadership, and family legacy

Dan Dillon is the founder behind Aquaphobix, a heat-applied, non-ablative marine coating that started in swimming pools and is now being tested on fiberglass boats. In this conversation, we dig into the torch-on application, why copper-based bottom paint is still everywhere, and how certifications like Marine Life Safe and Drinking Water Safe translate from pools to marinas and beyond. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: How a pool coating ended up on boats — and why the blowtorch is part of the magic The honest breakdown of copper paints, “ablative” flakes, and microplastics in our water and fish Certifications that actually matter (not greenwashing): marine life and drinking-water safe Real-world cases: SeaWorld exhibits, a 102-year-old public pool, and what marinas care about (hint: sanding revenue) The ROI angle for anglers: fewer haul-outs, better performance, less mess — and where this could go (buoys to cruise ships) Timestamps 00:00

Captain Scott Moore is a West Coast Florida legend — 50+ years on the water, a conservation bulldog, and the namesake of Manatee County’s finest public boat ramp. He’s guided through countless cycles of boom-and-bust fisheries, fought for preserves, and helped push pivotal policy from the snook/redfish era to today’s water-quality battles. We talk hurricanes and recovery on Anna Maria Island, why mangroves are the best windbreak on earth, the real “groceries” fish need, and how law, science, and local knowledge collide on the water. We also get into gear evolution (from nylon cast nets to braid), guiding as the entertainment business, snook lights, canal aeration, aquaculture at Mote Marine, and why respectful advocacy beats shouting every time. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: The community response after four feet of storm surge — and how a true island steps up. Why trimmed mangroves often fare better in storms, and what black mangroves need to survive.

Carey Chen is a world-traveled marine artist and lifelong fisherman who turned a passion for blue water into a career—painting billfish from memory and chasing giants with some of the best crews on earth. Born in Los Angeles to Jamaican parents, raised in Jamaica, and later based in Miami, Carey went from motorcycles and video stores to fishing tournaments across the Caribbean, licensing deals, and live painting at world-class events. In this conversation, we get into how a first sailfish on a kite lit the fuse, why sonar is changing offshore fishing (and why he thinks it’ll soon be on every boat), what it’s like to fish with the Bad Company program, and how a lifetime of travel turned into 3,000+ paintings “stuck in his head.” Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: The first sailfish on a kite off Miami—and how one fish can change your life From fisherman to painter: leaving retail, painting live, and getting “discovered” at boat shows Fishing the world with

Shane Reynolds is an award-winning producer, explorer, and storyteller who’s worked on Discovery Channel, Nat Geo, and Travel Channel shows in more than 65 countries. You might know him as Color Earth on Instagram, where his camera drops reveal the hidden world under piers, bridges, and reefs. In this conversation, we dive into: How a simple 360 camera drop turned into viral content. The wildest behind-the-scenes stories from Nat Geo and Discovery expeditions. Sharks, aggregations, and what’s really happening under Florida’s waters. Survival in the Guyana jungle while filming “Shane Untamed.”

At 16, Jordan Thomas lost both legs in a Keys boating accident—and turned it into purpose. He launched the Jordan Thomas Foundation to help kids get the prosthetics and community they need through age 18, and he’s now a top adaptive golfer competing at the US Adaptive Open in Pinehurst. We get into mindset and trauma, why running blades aren’t covered, real talk on water safety, community beats hardware, and pushing policy so access is affordable and durable. Big heart, big mission—tons of practical takeaways. Connect with Jordan Instagram — @jordanthomasfoundation Website — https://www.jordanthomasfoundation.org Free Resources Saltwater Knot Guide — https://bit.ly/3UnAeIP Tom Rowland Podcast — https://bit.ly/3O4lgn0 Subscribe for More Unfiltered Conversationshttps://www.youtube.com/saltwaterexperience?sub_confirmation=1 Follow the Show Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/saltwater_experience/ TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@saltwaterexperience Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/tvswe

Conway Bowman is a legendary San Diego fly-fishing guide and pioneer of sight-fishing mako sharks from a 24’ bay boat. He’s a former wetlands manager who grew up in San Diego, spent summers in Idaho, and built a career around putting anglers eye-to-eye with apex predators—and sending them home safely. In this conversation, we talk about why makos have gotten so big, the exact conditions he looks for, and the discipline it takes to keep people safe when a 400- to 800-pound shark turns on the afterburners.

Captain Jimmy Armel is an Army Ranger veteran, founder of Knot Lucky Veteran Fishing, and a man on a mission to heal others through the ocean. After 11 years in the military—including brutal combat deployments—Jimmy faced the battles of PTSD, brain injuries, and addiction. Through fishing, plant medicine, and service, he found a path back to purpose. In this conversation, we go deep on combat, trauma, forgiveness, psychedelic therapy, shark tagging, and how fishing changes lives. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: How fishing gave Jimmy purpose when everything else was falling apart. The raw truth about combat, concussions, and what veterans really experience. Jimmy’s near-death experience — and how it changed his outlook forever. The power of psychedelic therapy (Ibogaine & Ayahuasca) in healing trauma. Why helping veterans isn’t about pity — it’s about purpose, community, and action.