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© 2025 The Spot Burn Podcast
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The Spot Burn Podcast, presented by Musky Fool. Where we spot burn everything BUT fishing spots. As musky fly anglers, we're already crazy, and on this podcast we won't hold anything back, taking a deep dive into some of the most pressing, important, and sometimes untouchable topics in our industry. Equal parts educational, investigative, and fun. We hope you enjoy! Hosted by Dan Donovan and Josh Smeltzer.
48 Episodes
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In Episode 47, Josh and Dan dive deep into everything fly fishing — from epic musky stories and the Yellow Dog 5wt Fly Rod Shootout to Kelly Galloup’s Simms vs. Skwala bombshell and Minnesota’s 20-year musky plan. It’s unfiltered, hilarious, and 100% musky-fueled. ---- ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & Music for Muskies 04:45 – Josh’s 50-Inch Musky Story 09:40 – The Yellow Dog 5wt Fly Rod Shootout Breakdown 13:20 – Reddington Classic Trout Shocks the Industry 23:00 – Simms vs. Skwala: Kel...
Join Dan and Josh as they dive into forward-facing sonar drama, exciting new gear at Musky Fool, Minnesota’s ambitious musky plan, out-of-season catch etiquette, and more. Plus: a legendary Fly Roast submission that might just change your life. This one's packed—let’s get burning! --- Links to resources we discussed: Alumacraft presents: Muskie Man https://youtu.be/t4j7NgHHMDk?si=m4plfE2Vrj8Iqnii News release: Minnesota DNR invites public comment on muskie plan update https://www.dnr.stat...
Thanks for tuning in to the Spot Burn Podcast! The heat is on in this one. Hosts Dan & Josh dive into Musky Inc.’s ban on forward-facing sonar, rant about the sale of U.S. public land, and yes—call a U.S. senator live on air. They also break down leader setups, highlight new shop gear, and roast some spicy fly submissions. Plus: a guy gets struck by lightning twice while landing a fish—and still brings it to hand. --- Chapters 00:00 - Intro & Musky Dude Uniform Returns 01:33 - Musk...
Sea monsters. Political gridlock. Forgotten history. Legendary fish. In this electrifying episode of the Spot Burn Podcast, we dive deep—like, sea lamprey-deep—into the battle for the soul of the Great Lakes. We sit down with Dr. Marc Gaden of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and filmmaker Lindsey Haskin, director of the jaw-dropping documentary The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery. Together, they uncover a story that’s part horror flick, part underdog saga, and part geopolitical thriller...
Buckle up, fly freaks. Episode 43 is our wildest Mega Fly Roast yet—featuring the most unhinged, hilarious, and questionably fishable flies we’ve seen. There’s beard hair. There’s a fly coffin. There’s glow-in-the-dark resin. And yes… there are midnight org*sms. Before we even spark the first roast, we’ve got to give a massive nod to a surprise podcasting moment: a shoutout from none other than Kelly Galloup. Yep, the man himself has been tuning in to the madness—and somehow thinks we might ...
Welcome back to The Spot Burn Podcast, hosts Dan and Josh sit down with fisheries specialist and musky research guru Kamden Glade for Part 2 for a deep dive into the fascinating world of muskellunge management. Kamden shares his groundbreaking research into musky diets in Minnesota lakes—research that not only went viral but fundamentally shifted public perception and fisheries management practices. Tune in as Kamden discusses how his study has helped shape Minnesota's upcoming 15-year musky...
Everyone has an opinion on what muskies eat. Kamden Glade has data. In this episode of Spot Burn, we sit down with Minnesota DNR fisheries specialist Kamden Glade to unpack one of the most talked-about studies in predator management today: a multi-year deep dive into the actual diets of over 600 muskies across Minnesota. What did they find? Fewer walleyes. Major surprises. And some serious myth-busting. We dig into how the research was done (yes, it involves fish puke), what the data reall...
Welcome back to the Spot Burn Podcast, brought to you by Musky Fool! In Part 2 of this episode, hosts Dan and Josh continue their in‐depth discussion with fisheries ecologist Paul Cunningham as they explore how evolving management practices and new scientific insights are reshaping the way Wisconsin protects its native brook trout. This conversation delves into the challenges and innovative strategies behind habitat restoration, watershed partnerships, and long‑term conservation planning in t...
Welcome to another episode of the Spot Burn Podcast, brought to you by Musky Fool! In this episode, hosts Dan and Josh sit down with fisheries ecologist Paul Cunningham from the Wisconsin DNR to discuss the Brook Trout Reserves Program and the future of Wisconsin’s native brook trout. Join us for an in-depth conversation on climate change, habitat conservation, and the challenges of managing one of the state’s most iconic cold-water species. Make sure to tune in for part 2! -- In This Episo...
Welcome back to The Spotburn Podcast, and this time, we’re turning up the heat! Episode 38 is The Mega Fly Roast, where we bring the spiciest critiques yet. You asked for it, and we delivered—no holding back this time. To help us crank up the honesty, we’ve got our good buddy Gabe Parkin in the studio. He told us we were being too nice on previous fly roasts, so we made it our mission to go all-in. Flies will be roasted. Egos will be tested. And yes, we even made The Wall of Fame and Wall of...
Josh and Dan are live from Kentucky for the second annual Kentucky River Muskie Classic! In this episode, they break down day one of the tournament, discuss the extreme flooding conditions affecting both the fishing and local communities in Kentucky, and dive into the broader conservation challenges facing fisheries. Plus, they roast a couple of listener-submitted flies in the 3rd fly roast and share some tournament strategies for high-water conditions. Topics Covered: 🎣 Kentucky River Muski...
Dan & Josh are back for episode 36 of the Spot Burn Podcast, and this one’s packed with action! We’re joined by none other than Nick "Hoss" Gelerstedt, musky guide and all-around hammer, for an epic conversation. 🔥 In This Episode: 🎣 Livescope Fodder – More hot takes on the hottest tech in fishing 🚔 CT Fly Shop Break-In – A police officer? Really? 📍 KY Predictions – What’s coming this season? 🔥 Our 2nd Roast – Who’s in the hot seat this time? https://muskyfool.com/pages/the-fly-roast?utm...
Dan & Josh are back with Episode 35 of The Spot Burn Podcast, featuring the first-ever Fly Roast, where they critique, analyze, and celebrate some wild fly submissions. They also dive into winter trout tactics, early season strategies, and share some big 2025 Spot Burn Podcast and Musky Fool plans. --- Topics Covered in This Episode: 🔥 The Fly Roast Debut! What makes a great fly? What makes a terrible one? And why are we doing this? Submit your own flies for a future episode! ➡️ h...
Spot Burn is back for 2025!! Welcome to our new studio and plenty of wild new stories! We’ve got big plans for this year: more episodes, more hard-hitting topics, and more of the unfiltered stories you requested. This episode covers everything from the hilarious musky meltdowns of New Year’s Eve (when grown men quit the sport and sell their gear) to alarming industry trends like the closure of small fly shops and the massive oil spill in Jefferson County. We’ll also share our biggest fish of...
Welcome to the Fly Roast! The Fly Roast is a new one-of-a-kind segment featured on the Spot Burn Podcast, brought to you by Musky Fool. As the name suggests, The Fly Roast is where we will roast YOUR flies live on each episode of the podcast. This is a chance for your flies to be featured, and most importantly, for us to celebrate the creativity that is fly tying! This is meant to be a light-hearted and fun segment. At the end of the day, Dan and Josh are both true Midwesterners. Some flies m...
Join hosts Dan and Josh in Episode 33 of the Spotburn Podcast, recorded mid-fishing trip in beautiful northern Wisconsin! On this episode, the duo dives deep into the effects of barometric pressure on fishing success, discusses their late October muskie-hunting adventures, and even tackles the unexpected topic of Drake’s foray into fly fishing culture. Along the way, they share tips on targeting bite windows, navigating new water, and the eternal debate: Are you a scooper or a stabber when ne...
In Episode 32, Dan & Josh break down the action from the recent musky fly fishing tournaments... Treelands & Beast of the East. With challenging conditions at Treelands, our team faced tough competition but had some memorable moments. This year was the highest attendance in tournament history with everyone duking it out for biggest fish and most muskies on the rivers and lakes. They also provide a run down of the experience at school of musky fly fishing. Plus don’t miss Dano’s Kwik T...
Hey listeners! Just a quick heads-up—this episode includes a deep visual dive that's best enjoyed on our YouTube channel. While the audio is still engaging, for the full experience, we recommend heading over to MuskyFoolFlyFishing on YouTube. Now let's get into it! --- Welcome back to another episode of the Spot Burn Podcast with Dan and Josh! In episode 31, we’re doing a deep analytical dive into the current state of fishing licenses in Wisconsin and why it’s crucial for the future of our ...
In this episode, Josh and Dan discuss upcoming fly fishing tournaments, including the Treeland Premier Musky Fly Fishing Championships, Beast of the East, Monster Mash, and the new Kentucky River Musky Classic. Additionally they do a recap on the latest happenings from the first 3 stops of this year's Professional Musky Tournament Trail (PMTT). They also play a fun game of comparing political candidates to fish. They answer a listener's question about getting flies deeper in the fall and prov...
In Episode 29 of the Spot Burn Podcast, Josh and Dan take listeners on a journey through Josh’s recent travels to Finland, Sweden, and Denmark with his lovely wife Laura who planned the entire vacation. During his trip he explored the picturesque Gudena River and shared his experience fishing for pike with Laura’s cousins. Despite no pike catches, the diverse fishery and clear waters made it a memorable outing. The duo also dive into why fall fishing in Wisconsin is a must-do for anglers, an...
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