This week on Doc Talks Fishing, we crawl into the fascinating-and alarming-world of crayfish with renowned biologist Dr. Premek Hamr. From native species quietly working behind the scenes to the aggressive takeover by rusty crayfish, "Dr. Crayfish" pulls back the curtain on one of the most under-appreciated but ecologically powerful players in our lakes and rivers. What makes rusty crayfish such effective invaders? How do they displace native species-and what does it mean for our favorite gamefi...
Jun 17, 2025•1 hr 26 min
If you love chasing crappies, bluegills and pumpkinseeds—this is the panfish masterclass you’ve been waiting for. In this episode of Doc Talks Fishing , we hand the mic to Pete Garnier—known far and beyond as the Panfish Professor —to show us how he turns science into success. Pete doesn’t just fish—he studies his quarry like a true tactician. From breaking down key panfish behaviours to revealing his go-to seasonal locations, he bridges the gap between lab and lake. You’ll hear exactly how he u...
Jun 03, 2025•1 hr 38 min
Can fish learn to outsmart us? In this fascinating episode of Doc Talks Fishing, we sit down with Dr. Hal Schramm-legendary bass biologist, pioneering researcher, and inductee into the National Fisheries Management Hall of Excellence— to explore the cutting-edge science of fish learning and conditioning. Hal shares eye-opening research showing that bass—and likely other species— can actually learn to avoid lures, boats and fishing pressure after being caught and released. It's a provocative twis...
May 20, 2025•1 hr 10 min
Why did your go-to walleye lure stop working? Do big females "ghost" anglers after the spawn — and where do they go? Why are some lakes full of daytime biters and others go dead until dusk? In this jam-packed episode of Doc Talks Fishing, renowned walleye scientists Dr. Nigel Lester and Nick Baccante return to answer your questions about walleye behaviour, movement, learning, vision, spawning and feeding. We even dive into deep science on saugeye reproduction, pelagic foraging and whether you're...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 29 min
What makes walleyes masters of low light, why do they seemingly vanish from some lakes but thrive in others, and what really drives their boom-and-bust cycles? In this eye-opening episode of Doc Talks Fishing, we sit down with fisheries scientist Paul Radomski, author of Walleye: A Beautiful Fish of the Dark to dive deep into the fascinating science behind one of North America's most enigmatic gamefish. Discover why walleye are negatively phototactic, how their behavior shifts between lakes, and...
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Ever wonder what REALLY happens before trout hit your favorite lake? We went behind the scenes with Nelson Bergh, head of Saskatchewan's massive fish hatchery, to uncover the secrets of trout stocking-from hand-picked genetics to survival rates, wariness, and why some fish grow into giants while others vanish. Learn how hatchery science can help you catch more (and bigger) trout by understanding where they're stocked, how they behave, and when they're easiest to fool. Whether you chase rainbows,...
Apr 08, 2025•59 min
Did you know that a lake trout's brain actually grows in the winter? That's right-when the water gets cold, these incredible fish devote more energy to their brains, enhancing their cognitive abilities for complex reasoning. This astonishing discovery challenges everything we thought we knew about fish behaviour! In this mind-blowing episode of Doc Talks Fishing, we sit down with fisheries scientist, Evan Versteeg, who discovered that lake trout brains *literally grow larger* in cold water when ...
Mar 25, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Lake Winnipeg’s legendary greenbacks are a different breed. Unlike their structure-hugging cousins in Shield-type lakes, these giants roam the vast, featureless expanse in search of pelagic baitfish. In our last episode, Dr. Paul Cooley revealed the science behind their winter habits, but now we’re taking it to the next level—putting that knowledge into action on the ice! Enter Gianni Nevieri, better known as Gianni Balboa, a top winter walleye angler who has mastered this unique fishery. In thi...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 21 min
Ever wondered what walleyes are really doing beneath the ice on relatively shallow, featureless, prairie-type lakes? Join us on this week’s episode of Doc Talks Fishing, as we unravel the mysteries of winter walleye behaviour with renowned fisheries biologist, Dr. Paul Cooley. Dr. Cooley shares groundbreaking insights from his cutting-edge research, revealing where walleyes go, how they feed, and why they behave the way they do during the coldest months of the year. From thermal preferences to m...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr 29 min
Ever wondered what it takes to consistently reel in slab crappies, trophy bluegills, and vibrant pumpkinseeds? In this must-listen episode of Doc Talks Fishing, we sit down with Scott Smithers, a leading biologist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and a panfish management expert. Scott dives deep into the fascinating world of panfish, revealing their hidden habits, preferred habitats, and the science behind growing bigger, healthier populations. Whether you're targeting crappies in ...
Feb 11, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Are you ready to catch more and bigger lake trout under the ice this winter? We're diving this week into Dr. Christian Therrien's groundbreaking research on lake trout habits and habitat. From their seasonal movements in the winter time to their feeding patterns, we unpack the science behind what makes these incredible fish tick. But we don't stop there—we take Chris' fascinating findings and translate them into practical, game-changing strategies you can use to outsmart lake trout and land more...
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr 5 min
We’re thrilled to welcome back Saskatchewan-based biologist Jeff Matity who has spent years studying northern pike. In this fascinating episode, Matity unpacks the winter habits of pike, revealing how these apex predators use a surprising variety of habitats —they’re not all in the weeds— under the ice. You’ll learn why pike are drawn to specific prey species like ciscoes and yellow perch and how their behaviour can mimic lake trout. But that’s not all—Matity shares his groundbreaking techniques...
Jan 14, 2025•1 hr 27 min
Dive into the intricate world of British Columbia's salmon with our latest episode featuring Jamieson Atkinson, Program Manager at the Aquatic Research and Restoration Centre, British Columbia Conservation Foundation. Jamieson shares cutting-edge research into the "survival bottlenecks" that are keeping salmon stocks dangerously low. Learn how PIT tags and micro-fishing are helping scientists track juvenile salmon and uncover the critical challenges the fish are facing in the open ocean. But the...
Dec 31, 2024•1 hr 20 min
Are you ready to revolutionize your ice fishing game? This week on Doc Talks Fishing, we're drilling beneath the frozen surface to uncover the fascinating world of walleyes during the cold winter months. Our guest is none other than Nick Baccante, the former senior scientist with Ontario's legendary Walleye Research Unit. Nick has spent years studying these iconic fish, and he's here to share groundbreaking insights into their behavior and habitat under the ice. In this episode, we'll explore wh...
Dec 17, 2024•1 hr 26 min
Rebecca Spring jokingly calls herself the "Bug Lady," but as an aquatic taxonomist, she's much more than that. She's a scientist who unravels the complex food web that supports everything alive in the water-from microscopic plankton to the big fish we love to catch. What makes Rebecca even cooler? She's also an avid angler and hunter. Living in tiny Alberton, Montana (population around 400), just a stone's throw from Missoula - where A River Runs Through It was filmed - she has a deep understand...
Dec 03, 2024•53 min
Dr. Nigel Lester, has spent much of his life studying the life history of walleyes as a research scientist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and a professor with Trent University and the University of Toronto. Co-author of one of the most groundbreaking studies ever undertaken, Dr. Lester and his team looked at how ambient light and water temperature combine to affect walleye abundance. If you've ever wondered why your favourite walleye lake does or doesn't produce lots...
Nov 19, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Twice a year—spring and fall—lake turnover disrupts the waters and drives anglers crazy. To help us make sense of this phenomenon, we’re joined by Dr. Heidi Swanson, a distinguished fisheries scientist and the inaugural Jarislowsky Chair at Wilfrid Laurier University. Heidi is also the adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo, Dr. Swanson’s work with cold-water fish is legendary. In this episode, she’ll explain how, in lakes that stratify, the thermocline acts as a ‘glass floor’ for warm-...
Nov 05, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Dr. Bruce Tufts is a comparative fish physiologist at Queen’s University where he specializes in fish olfactory senses. On this week’s podcast, Bruce explains how fish use their keen senses of smell and taste. Using hundreds of captive fish, Bruce and his team undertook countless feeding trials to isolate the specific molecules that flip the switch and convince them that your bait is real. And what about garlic and coffee, do fish really find them attractive? Does gasoline and oil on your hands ...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Dr. David Philipp is renowned for his work with smallmouth bass - especially their reproductive ecology. But the Director of the Fisheries Genetics Lab at the Illinois Natural History Society, adjunct professor at the University of Illinois and Chair of the Fisheries Conservation Foundation encountered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on Opinicon Lake, in southeastern Ontario, when Covid rules closed access to the fish during the spawning season. How the bass responded has not only shocked the s...
Oct 08, 2024•59 min
Biologist Danny Swainson says steelhead on the west coast have so many nutrients available to them once they hit the ocean that they can grow to 15 pounds in three or four years. But something is happening to them once they enter salt water and it is frightening. Are steelhead different from the rainbow trout in the rivers? What are the survival bottlenecks they are encountering in the ocean? How many adults are returning these days to spawn? What are tracking studies telling us? And how bleak i...
Sep 24, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Renown biologist, Brian Chan has spent years managing the trout fisheries in British Columbia. You'll be amazed listening to Brian explain how the province produces triploid female rainbow and brook trout that grow twice as large and live twice as long as diploids. There is a reason the trout fishing spotlight is shining so brightly on British Columbia these days. Brian even shares some of his stillwater trout fishing secrets with us. Hold onto your hats, folks, this one is amazing. Send us a me...
Sep 10, 2024•52 min
Biologist Steve Quinn has a foot in the world of fisheries science and fishing itself. The longtime bass editor of In-Fisherman Magazine has authored numerous research reports and served in various capacities for the American Fisheries Society. Steve joins Liam and Gord on this week's podcast to reveal how fish use their lateral lines to communicate with each other, hunt and capture prey. They can even detect the vortex left in the water by a fleeing baitfish (or your lure) and follow it straigh...
Aug 27, 2024•55 min
Ciscoes —also known as lake herring and tulibees— are so favoured by walleye, lake trout, northern pike, bass and muskies that they seem to have a target painted on their backs. Absolutely every predator fish devours them every opportunity they get. Dr. Chris Therrien —who is known as The Cisco Kid— sits down with Gord and Liam on this week’s podcast to explain how ciscoes can totally change the lake dynamics and life history of predators. Prepare to be dazzled as Chris explains how to find cisc...
Aug 13, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Renowned muskie scientist, Dr. Sean Landsman tells Liam and Gord on this week's podcast that he has observed muskies doing some mighty strange things. Using bio-loggers equipped with pressure sensors, Landsman says he is surprised at the number of muskies that frequent deeper water, lay on the bottom of the lake and suspend in the water column? Do muskies have different personalities? Do they learn? And do they adjust their behaviour based on fishing pressure? The author of Project Noble Beast h...
Jul 30, 2024•1 hr 26 min
Few fish baffle anglers more than lake whitefish. They're found in countless numbers of lakes, often offering up staggering populations of big hard fighting delicious fish. But in other than a few well-known lakes in the winter, whitefish remain an enigma. Rebecca Perry is an instructor at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, who has studied lake whitefish extensively. She talks with Gord and Liam on this week's podcast and helps us unravel the secrets to locating and catching whitefish throughout the open...
Jul 16, 2024•59 min
Imagine surgically implanting radio tags inside 38 smallmouth bass and then tracking them on a daily basis for up to five years. The details you would learn about their habits and habitats would astound you. Well, that is what OMNR biologist Barry Corbett did on one million acre Lake of the Woods, in one of the most monumental bass tracking studies in fisheries science history. Barry shares what he learned with Liam and Gord on today's podcast and it will take your breath away. Send us a message...
Jul 02, 2024•1 hr 11 min
Any day now, an amazing pre-summer peak walleye pattern is going to explode. And it is based on something few anglers understand — the shiner spawn. Dr. Paul Cooley is the fisheries scientist who discovered the phenomenon on massive Lake Winnipeg — but it happens in every lake where walleyes eat shiners — and he tells the boys where you’ll find the fish bunched up big time. Are you ready for this: the best fishing occurs in waist deep water on the same sand beaches where everyone is swimming and...
Jun 18, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Nick Baccante, the Senior Research Biologist in Ontario's renown Walleye Research Unit, recently shared some amazing early season science secrets. This week, Gord and Liam take Nick's walleye words of wisdom and show you how to prepare a foolproof game plan to put more and bigger fish in the boat. Jump in with the boys and learn how to combine state-of-the-art science with cutting edge walleye presentations. Send us a message...
Jun 04, 2024•1 hr 10 min
There are 669 different species of crayfish, including 400 varieties in North America. And every fish finds them finger licking good. Especially, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleyes, yellow perch and trout. Liam and Gord spend an hour brainstorming with crayfish biologist, Tom Brooke Jr., discovering what is happening on the bottom of our favourite lakes, rivers, reservoirs, pits and ponds. Did you know that crayfish don't lay eggs? That they range in a rainbow-like array of colours. That...
May 21, 2024•1 hr 12 min
If you fish for walleyes (bass, trout, pike, perch, even muskies) you won't believe what you're going to learn from biologist, Bev Ritchie, who discovered that the magnificent hexigenia limbata hatch so heavily in even numbered years - like this year — that the walleyes go berserk devouring them. There are as many as 120 mayfly nymphs crawling around every square metre or yard of lake bottom and the fish pounce on them and eat them almost exclusively when they're about to hatch. Which is any day...
May 07, 2024•59 min
