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.

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Chapters
00:00 - Intro & Musky Dude Uniform Returns
01:33 - Musky Leader Setup Debate
06:18 - Forward-Facing Sonar Ban by Musky Inc.
12:00 - Public Land Sale: The $1 Trillion Tax Cut Scam
18:04 - Live Call to Senator Ron Johnson
27:10 - Shop Updates: Fly Drops & Skwala Gear
34:00 - Why Your Voice Matters (and Worked in Wisconsin)
35:10 - Lightning Strikes (Literally) and the Strawberry Moon Chaos
41:14 - Quick Tip: Fly Angle and the Figure 8
45:16 - Fly Roast Segment Begins
47:00 - First Fly Roast: “Old Gray”
58:33 - Final Verdict: Wall of Fame or Shame?
(Continues...)

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Links & Resources
Lightning Strikes Twice Article:
https://www.montanaoutdoor.com/2025/01/anglers-hit-by-lightning-twice-land-fish/

Find & Contact Your Senator:
https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

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Submit your fly for a future roast:
https://muskyfool.com/pages/the-fly-roast

Thank you to all of our listeners for tuning in, subscribing, sharing, and spreading the good word.

Follow us on Instagram @muskyfool and check out our YouTube channel.

And be sure to check out MuskyFool.com !

Have fun out there on the water ya'll!

- Dan & Josh

MuskyFool.com
Instagram: @muskyfool
YouTube: Musky Fool Fly Fishing Co.
Facebook: Musky Fool Fly Fishing Co.

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. From bloodsucking invasive species to the billion-dollar fight to defend one of the world's most valuable freshwater ecosystems, this episode tackles the science, the politics, the heartbreak, and the hope behind one of the greatest fishery restoration stories ever told. Bonus: there's a cameo by J.K. Simmons and a musky-related language lesson you won’t want to miss.

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Timestamps / Chapters
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - Meet the Guests: Dr. Marc Gaden & Lindsey Haskin
03:00 - What is The Fish Thief about?
06:30 - Why the Great Lakes matter
10:30 - How the film came to life
18:30 - Working with J.K. Simmons & telling a complex story
24:00 - The Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s bold move
29:00 - The dam removal debate & sea lamprey risk
34:00 - Why the lake trout became ground zero
40:00 - Apex predators & ecosystem change
46:00 - Why protecting the fish matters culturally
51:00 - COVID’s impact on lamprey control
55:00 - Budget cuts and the threat of backsliding
1:01:00 - Hope through bipartisan cooperation
1:05:00 - Documentary production during COVID
1:10:00 - U.S.–Canada relations & the Fish Pass project
1:17:00 - What’s next for Marc & Lindsey
1:19:30 - Final thoughts: Hope vs. what keeps them up at night
1:25:00 - Wrap-up & how to watch the film

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🎥 Support & Watch, "The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery"

Official Website
https://www.thefishthief.com/

YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3zJyKfi4hU

Apple TV
https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-fish-thief-a-great-lakes-mystery/umc.cmc.6ocx7sdn81clwp78517ijcvn5

Amazon Prime Video
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DR9FLJK7

Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/The_Fish_Thief_A_Great_Lakes_Mystery?id=dVuKToHN2Oc.P&hl=en_US&pli=1

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🌊 Learn more:

Dr. Marc Gaden
https://seas.umich.edu/research/faculty/marc-e-gaden

Lindsey Haskin
https://skyhoundmedia.com/

FishPass Project
https://www.glfc.org/fishpass.php

Lamprey & COVID Study
https://www.glfc.org/pubs/pressrel/2025_SeaLampreyControl_Pandemic_Reduction.pdf

Thank you to all of our listeners for tuning in, subscribing, sharing, and spreading the good word.

Follow us on Instagram @muskyfool and check out our YouTube channel.

And be sure to check out MuskyFool.com !

Have fun out there on the water ya'll!

- Dan & Josh

MuskyFool.com
Instagram: @muskyfool
YouTube: Musky Fool Fly Fishing Co.
Facebook: Musky Fool Fly Fishing Co.

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 actually know what we’re doing. MFC, Cortland… let’s make it happen. Bring Kelly back to Wisconsin so we can roast some flies together in person! Just kidding... but seriously... we're being serious... this is our serious face. 🤪

🎣 Fly Roast Timestamps:

00:09:01 – Dan & Josh’s Midnight Orgasm (Glows in the dark. Named like a punk band. Unforgettable.)

00:20:45 – Electric Gill (Bluegill energy meets three-beer tying session. And we’re here for it.)

00:34:58 – The Voices (Monstrosity with a coffin box and our faces as fly eyes. Peak fly roast and absolutely the craziest over the top submission thus far.)

00:43:42 – Buford Roast (Solid musky platform + hand-dyed bucktail = legit potential.)

00:54:08 – Meat Bozo (A little creepy, very touching back story, super rad.)

01:15:20 – Scruffy Olive (Scottish-style soft hackle fly sneaks into the mix. Not just musky madness.)

🏆 Hall of Fame and Wall of Shame votes fly freely. We’re giving flowers to great ties—and setting fire to crimes against bucktail. Bonus points for ridiculous names and unhinged packaging.

🎁 Want your fly roasted in the next round? Submit it. Weird wins.
Head over to MuskyFool.com

💬 Comment with your vote: Hall of Fame or straight into the Shame Bag?

Brought to you by the fine folks at Musky Fool and our QuickTrip garbage bag of glory.

Thank you to all of our listeners for tuning in, subscribing, sharing, and spreading the good word.

Follow us on Instagram @muskyfool and check out our YouTube channel.

And be sure to check out MuskyFool.com !

Have fun out there on the water ya'll!

- Dan & Josh

MuskyFool.com
Instagram: @muskyfool
YouTube: Musky Fool Fly Fishing Co.
Facebook: Musky Fool Fly Fishing Co.