Outdoor Journal Radio: The Podcast

Outdoor Journal Radio
Outdoor Journal Radio
  • 4.9 (33)
  • Wilderness
  • Updated Weekly

Drawing from their experience as two of Canada’s most prominent outdoor personalities, hosts Angelo Viola and Peter Bowman explore the environmental topics, issues, and events that matter to the everyday outdoorsman. Joined by a wide variety of guests, ODJ Radio seeks to answer the questions and tell the stories of all those who enjoy being outside. Your stories, your questions, on your schedule

  1. 1d ago ·  Video

    Episode 234: Is a 16-Foot Boat Safe on the Great Lakes?

    How small is too small for the Great Lakes? This week, Ang and Pete answer a listener who wants to take his 16-foot aluminum boat onto Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. The crew gives a blunt breakdown of where a smaller boat belongs, how fast calm water can become dangerous, and why even an experienced boater can get trapped when the wind turns. The guys also return from Key Harbour Lodge at the mouth of the Key River, where they battled heavy rain, rough water, hidden granite, and some of Georgian Bay’s most overlooked fishing. With walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, and barely another boat in sight, this boat-access-only lodge delivered a true Northern Ontario adventure. Also in this episode: • Does forward-facing sonar actually help anglers catch bigger fish? • A new study puts modern fishing technology to the test • The crew discovers an invasive goby in the Key River area • Why Georgian Bay’s best fishing can also be its most intimidating • Navigating unfamiliar water with charts, GPS tracks, and common sense

    Episode 234: Is a 16-Foot Boat Safe on the Great Lakes?

  2. Aug 6 ·  Video

    Episode 233: Do Fishing Lures Actually Need to Look Real?

    Why do bass crush lures that look absolutely nothing like anything they would naturally eat? This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Pete and Angelo are joined once again by Fish’n Canada’s resident fish scientist, Dr. Steven Cooke, to break down the science behind modern fishing baits and one of the strangest lure crazes to hit the fishing world in years. Fresh off ICAST, the guys dive into the exploding popularity of the bizarre urchin-style and Koike-inspired baits that anglers are scrambling to get their hands on, with some selling for hundreds of dollars online. What does a bass actually think it’s looking at when one of these things falls through the water? And more importantly, why does it work? Dr. Cooke also breaks down what researchers actually find inside bass stomachs, why fish regularly eat lures that look nothing like their natural prey, the importance of colour, scent, vibration and action, and why classic presentations like worms, chatterbaits and other seemingly unnatural baits continue to catch fish. Plus, the crew talks bait-selection strategy, how bass manipulate prey before swallowing it, the role of reaction strikes, why realistic-looking lures aren’t always better, and whether some of fishing’s forgotten old-school baits deserve another shot. Also in this episode: listener feedback, invasive carp updates, the Fan Question of the Week, and this week’s Outdoor Journal Radio Bonus Code. Listen wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe for more fishing stories, science, news and everything happening in the Canadian outdoors.

    Episode 233: Do Fishing Lures Actually Need to Look Real?

  3. Jul 30 ·  Video

    Episode 232: 191 Wildfires. 2,800 Evacuations. What’s Happening in Ontario?

    Nearly 200 wildfires. Thousands forced from their homes. Fishing camps already lost. Water bombers being grounded because people keep flying drones into active fire zones. Ontario’s Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Mike Harris Jr., joins Angelo Viola for a blunt breakdown of the wildfire emergency unfolding across Northern Ontario. How dangerous is the situation? Should anglers cancel upcoming trips? What happens to remote lodges caught in the fire zone? And how do 700 firefighters, 120 aircraft and crews from across Canada begin to contain something this massive? The Minister also reveals what Ontario is spending on wildfire protection, why some fires are deliberately allowed to burn and what outdoorspeople need to check before travelling north. Plus, Ontario’s new digital hunting and fishing licence system, the rules around carrying your Outdoors Card and the mysterious “meanmouth bass” that reportedly attacks dogs and swimmers. This is one every Canadian outdoorsperson needs to hear.

    Episode 232: 191 Wildfires. 2,800 Evacuations. What’s Happening in Ontario?

  4. Jul 23

    Episode 231: Is ICAST Dying? What We Saw in 2026

    Angelo is joined by Nik and Dean Taylor to break down everything they saw at ICAST 2026, and the future of the fishing industry might not be looking as healthy as everyone thinks. The world’s biggest fishing trade show felt noticeably smaller this year. Major brands were missing, attendance was down, entire award categories lacked competition, and a wine and champagne cooler somehow walked away as one of the show’s top fishing products. Is ICAST dying, or does the event simply need a serious overhaul? The boys also discuss Garmin’s new LiveScope 2 HD and Spy Pole, the explosion of bizarre urchin-style baits, questionable Best in Show results, and whether opening ICAST to the public could save the event. Before getting into the show, the crew breaks down Ontario’s upcoming digital hunting and fishing licensing system, whether wildfire smoke changes fish behaviour, and another absolutely brutal Air Canada travel disaster that left flights cancelled, bags misplaced, and Angelo stranded in Orlando. Plus, encounters with fishing legends Bill Dance and Jimmy Houston, a surprise appearance from Steve Harvey, and plenty more from inside ICAST 2026. Enter the Fish’n Canada contest at FishnCanada.com

    Episode 231: Is ICAST Dying? What We Saw in 2026

  5. Jul 16 ·  Video

    Episode 230: Saving Animals From War, Abuse, and the Streets

    This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Ang and Pete are joined by Canadian veterinarian, world traveller, author, and animal rescue volunteer Dr. Cliff Redford, better known as Dr. Cliff Worldwide Vet. Dr. Cliff owns Wellington Veterinary Hospital in Markham, Ontario, but his work has taken him far beyond the clinic. From helping street dogs in Jamaica and Egypt, to volunteering in India, performing veterinary work in Panama, and assisting animals and refugees near the Ukraine war zone, his stories are unlike anything we’ve had on the podcast before. The guys talk to Dr. Cliff about what it’s like performing surgery in remote places with limited resources, documenting animal rescue work around the world, the emotional toll of veterinary medicine, burnout in the vet industry, and why he continues to put himself in uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous situations to help animals. He also shares stories from his upcoming book, Far and Wild: Adventures of the Worldwide Vet, including rescues, close calls, and the kind of moments you only find when you leave the safety of home and go where help is needed most. Before the interview, the boys also talk Fish’n Canada store updates, classic TV vs. YouTube, leaky boat tricks, invasive species, browning lakes, and listener-submitted lure hacks. If you love animals, outdoor adventure, conservation, travel stories, or just a wild conversation with someone living a seriously unique life, this episode is for you. Subscribe for more fishing stories, outdoor news, conservation talk, and behind-the-scenes conversations from The Fish’n Canada Show and Outdoor Journal Radio.

    Episode 230: Saving Animals From War, Abuse, and the Streets

  6. Jul 9 ·  Video

    Episode 229: The Truth About Blue Walleye (Fish Talk With The Doc)

    This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Ang and Pete are joined once again by Dr. Steven Cooke, the Fish Doc, to answer some of the strangest questions in fishing. After a recent trip where the crew caught an unusually high number of blue walleye, the boys ask Dr. Cooke what actually causes a walleye to turn blue, whether blue walleye are a different species, and why many of them seem to look smaller, thinner, or less healthy than their yellow counterparts. The conversation also dives into some of the weirdest behaviour anglers are now seeing with LiveScope, including suspended muskies pointing straight down, predator fish attacking bait balls, and whether fish can actually learn from pressure. Plus, the guys talk about a massive Fraser River white sturgeon, blotchy bass, fish genetics, fish memory, carp lips in China, and why modern fishing technology is showing anglers things we may have never understood before. If you’ve ever caught a blue walleye, seen something strange on your sonar, or wondered how smart fish really are, this episode is for you. Subscribe for more fishing stories, conservation talk, outdoor news, and behind-the-scenes conversations from The Fish’n Canada Show and Outdoor Journal Radio.

    Episode 229: The Truth About Blue Walleye (Fish Talk With The Doc)

  7. Jul 2 ·  Video

    Episode 228: We Gave Beginners the Ultimate Fishing Test

    This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, the boys are back from La Réserve Beauchêne, one of Quebec’s most unique private fishing destinations. With 50,000 acres, dozens of lakes, luxury accommodations, incredible food, and fish-filled water everywhere you look, Beauchêne is the kind of place most anglers dream about. But this trip came with a twist: instead of Ang and Pete doing the fishing, they coached a group of novice anglers through their first real taste of Canadian Shield fishing. From broken rods and missed fish on day one to big smallmouth and a full transformation by the end of the trip, this episode is all about what happens when beginners get dropped into one of Canada’s most impressive fishing reserves. The crew also talks about lead in wild game, whether anglers should be paying more attention to lead fishing tackle, reel maintenance, video podcasts, and Ang’s 25-year history with Beauchêne’s longtime manager, Tony. If you love fishing lodges, Quebec fishing, smallmouth bass, walleye, lake trout, brook trout, or just a good old-fashioned fishing story, this one’s for you. Make sure to listen for this week’s bonus code for extra entries into the Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 2 giveaway. Subscribe for more fishing stories, outdoor news, conservation talk, and behind-the-scenes stories from The Fish’n Canada Show and Outdoor Journal Radio.

    Episode 228: We Gave Beginners the Ultimate Fishing Test

  8. Jun 25 ·  Video

    Episode 227: The LOST Fish’n Canada Episodes

    This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, the boys head back to Northern Ontario for a wild recap of their trip to Red Pine Lodge on Ivanhoe Lake, just outside of Timmins. What started as a post-spawn walleye mission turned into a 34-mile shallow river run through skinny water, tight channels, and a few moments where the boat probably had no business being where it was. With the help of Garmin electronics, the crew pushed deep into the river system and found exactly what they were looking for: blue walleye, regular walleye, smallmouth bass, pike, and one seriously memorable honey hole. The episode also covers new Fish’n Canada species hoodies, the legal side of leaving skin on pike fillets, grass carp awareness, Idaho’s new hunting tech rules, and some classic behind-the-scenes stories from 40 years of filming Fish’n Canada, including forgotten cameras, lost footage, brutal weather, and the eagle shot that got away. If you like Northern Ontario fishing stories, walleye talk, old-school outdoor TV chaos, and a little bit of questionable decision-making in shallow water, this one’s for you. Drop a comment and let us know: what fish species should be next in the Fish’n Canada hoodie lineup?

    Episode 227: The LOST Fish’n Canada Episodes
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About

Drawing from their experience as two of Canada’s most prominent outdoor personalities, hosts Angelo Viola and Peter Bowman explore the environmental topics, issues, and events that matter to the everyday outdoorsman. Joined by a wide variety of guests, ODJ Radio seeks to answer the questions and tell the stories of all those who enjoy being outside. Your stories, your questions, on your schedule

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