Tom Rowland Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Bill Oyster & Capt. Rhett Morris | Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods | Ep. #1033 Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

Bill Oyster of Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods and Capt. Rhett Morris join me for a story about craftsmanship, business, and one very hard-earned permit.

Bill builds fly rods out of bamboo, a technology most anglers left behind decades ago. He had a four-year waiting list, but he was working until 3 AM seven days a week and realized he’d never make a middle-class income building rods. So he started teaching people to build their own. Today Oyster Bamboo runs 240 students a year through its classes, and the waitlist stretches two years out. Bill shares how one phone call from a determined wife led to his first student and why other rod makers warned him that teaching would put them all out of business. He also talks about building rods for President Carter and a royal wedding gift.

Rhett walked into Bill’s shop by accident in Blue Ridge, Georgia, and ended up building a 10-weight bamboo rod he named “The Permit.” He tells the story of the three years it took to land a permit on that rod and why it meant more than any fish he’s caught.

Learn more and get on the class waitlist at oysterbamboo.com

Jaclyn Lunaas and Chris Macaluso | Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership | Ep. 1032 Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

One company owned by Canada’s Cooke Inc. is catching about 70% of all the Atlantic menhaden that can legally be harvested. The fish we love to chase depend on that bait to survive: striped bass, tarpon, redfish, cobia, king mackerel, and bluefin tuna all rely on menhaden, and so do ospreys and whales.

I sat down with Chris Macaluso and Jaclyn Lunaas of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) to find out how this works. They explain how Virginia ended up with 75% of the coast-wide quota, and how a leasing loophole lets a foreign-owned company fish under an American flag. We also cover the Louisiana bycatch study, which estimated that 140 to 160 million additional fish are killed in a single Gulf season, including about 30,000 redfish and 250,000 speckled trout.

We get into the science too. Regulators found that the Atlantic menhaden population had been overestimated by about 40%. The science called for a cut of more than 50%, but the commission took only a 20% cut for 2026. In the Gulf, Louisiana and Mississippi have no catch limits at all.

Most importantly, Chris and Jaclyn explain what you can do about it, even if you never catch a striped bass in your life.

Learn more and sign the petition: trcp.org/foragefishrecovery

Chapters
00:00 One company is catching most of the menhaden
01:04 Meet Chris Macaluso & Jaclyn Lunaas of TRCP
05:20 Why menhaden are “the most important fish in the sea”
06:54 The reduction industry: fish meal, fish oil & pet food
09:22 Migration and the predators that follow menhaden
11:26 Pogey boats, spotter planes & the Gulf bycatch study
16:01 Warning signs in the Chesapeake Bay
20:18 Striped bass as the yardstick
22:01 The most efficient fishery there is
25:34 The ask: lower the quota and reallocate it
27:55 The 40% overestimate and the 2026 quota cut
29:59 How Virginia got 75% of the quota
33:30 Why other states banned reduction boats
37:31 The foreign-ownership loophole
40:20 The Gulf’s “Wild Wild West”: no catch limits
45:20 Ecology vs. economics and king mackerel
49:51 How do you count a bait fish?
54:58 Tarpon, redfish & the all-you-can-eat buffet
58:32 What anglers can do to help
1:02:06 Lessons from Captains for Clean Water
1:06:15 How to get involved

#menhaden #stripedbass #fishingconservation #tarpon #redfish #TomRowlandPodcast

Dane Sanders | Men and Women of Discomfort | Ep. 1031 Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

Full Article on Tomrowlandpodcast.com Episode Description - Most people drift their way into worse health, weaker relationships, and a life they don’t recognize. Dane Sanders says the answer isn’t another burst of motivation—it’s an operating system for becoming stronger in the middle of real life. Tom Rowland sits down with Dane, founder of Men and Women of Discomfort (MWOD), for a conversation about why voluntary discomfort matters, how drift quietly erodes your gains, and why the hardest parts of life are often the ones that change you most. If you’ve ever started strong on a challenge, a fitness plan, or a personal reset—only to watch it fade—this episode will hit close to home. Visit The Website: https://www.mwod.io/ You’ll discover: Why Dane says MWOD is more than a challenge—and how it differs from programs built around a finish line The difference between the drift and the storm, and why both are inevitable How MWOD uses daily check-ins, weekly challenges, and a 12-week cadence to build momentum The CREDO framework: commit, release, embrace, define, and own it Why discomfort doesn’t have to be physical to be transformational How a challenge called Ghostbusters helped people pursue forgiveness, reconnection, and meaningful conversations Dane also shares how MWOD began with his friend Tim Kruger. Tim’s battle with cancer brought home a powerful idea: practice voluntary discomfort before involuntary discomfort chooses you. That became a turning point—transforming a fitness experiment into a lasting philosophy about faith, purpose, and becoming the kind of person who can handle what comes next. This conversation goes far beyond workouts. It’s about identity, belonging, resilience, and the small choices that shape your future—whether in your health, relationships, work, faith, or the conversations you’ve been avoiding. Dane Sanders is the founder of Men and Women of Discomfort, a community built around deliberate discomfort, accountability, and sustainable growth. The goal: to become strong and awake for love’s sake. If you’re tired of starting over and ready to build something that lasts, this conversation is for you. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Men and Women of Discomfort challenge 02:21 What is the challenge and how does it differ from a traditional challenge 04:18 Discomfort as an operating system for life 09:17 The storms and drift of being human 11:45 The concept of anti-fragility and resilience 16:44 The story of Tim and the discovery of the challenge's purpose 21:28 How the program is structured and what participants do 24:53 The Ghostbusters challenge and calling out personal ghosts 27:47 Stacking wins and momentum in discomfort 32:24 The evolution of the challenge into an operating system 37:42 Most difficult challenge and lessons learned 38:07 The concept of Masogi and high-risk, high-reward challenges 39:32 Personal stories of endurance and discomfort 43:49 Uncovering hidden discomforts in daily life 49:35 The power of small daily improvements 54:34 The CREDO process: Commit, Release, Embrace, Own 01:03:17 Final thoughts on discomfort and transformation

Pat Barber | "The Fathers Guild" | Ep. 1030 Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

PLACEHOLD

Jere Hartman | "RangeOars Row" | Ep. 1029 Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

Jere Hartman spent 19 years in the Army, including time as an Army Ranger, then went straight into the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center. Two years later he'd put on 50 pounds and was spending his nights sitting in the dark. So he walked into his performance review and resigned.

What came next was a six-month thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail (trail name: Clincher, and he'll tell you why). Ten years later, he answered a Facebook post in the Ranger community and signed on to row across the Pacific Ocean.

In this episode, Jere and I talk about:

Why leaving a structured military life with no transition nearly broke him
Trail magic, trail families, and what the AT gave him that he didn't expect
Rowing from Monterey to Kauai in 35 days with a five-man crew in the World's Toughest Row
Keeping the boat's water maker alive after it broke on day three
Riding out 30-foot seas at night in a rowboat, and the crew pact that "it's 100% or we don't make that decision"
Weeks of glowing phosphorescence, hundreds of dolphins, and a pint of rum split five ways
Corsair Racing, the nonprofit he helped build to get veterans out on the ocean, and the crew now training for a 3,000-mile Atlantic row from La Gomera to Antigua
Coaching CrossFit in Chattanooga, and why he believes it's for everyone, no matter how beat up you are

Support Corsair Racing: https://corsairracing.org

This episode is brought to you by Star brite, makers of Salt Off and a full line of boat-care products, and a company that invests heavily in conservation. Check them out at https://www.starbrite.com

🎙 Subscribe to the Tom Rowland Podcast for more conversations with people doing extraordinary things.

#TomRowlandPodcast #OceanRowing #Veterans #AppalachianTrail #ArmyRanger #WorldsToughestRow #CrossFit

Rhett Morris | Beyond Borders Outfitters | Ep. 1028 Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Captain Rhett Morris of morefishflorida.com has guided the greater Charlotte Harbor area for three decades — and he kept a catch log almost every day of it. That data now tells a story the numbers on Florida's coast are backing up: a steady, decades-long decline in snook, redfish, and trout that's accelerated since the mid-2000s.

In this episode, Rhett walks Tom through what his records reveal, what actually caused the collapse (the record-shattering 2018 red tide, the nitrogen overload, and the algae that smothered the seagrass), and why Hurricane Milton turned out to be one of the best things to happen to the fishery in years. Then he lays out his proposal: treat Charlotte Harbor as a test zone, change the redfish and snook slot limits, and let the fishery become its own hatchery. It's not a mandate — it's the start of a conversation, and it comes with a real economic case for why even the developers should care.

If it resonates, there's a petition at morefishflorida.com. As Rhett says, sharing it may matter even more than signing it.

👉 Sign & share the petition: https://morefishflorida.com

This episode is brought to you by Star brite — makers of Salt Off and a full line of boat-care products, and a company that puts real effort into conservation. Check them out.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro & Star brite
00:47 Meet Capt. Rhett Morris
02:00 Bowhunting turkeys & the confiscated African poacher's bow
04:30 Growing up in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)
06:30 Landing in Florida & a biologist father
07:30 Quail hunting, bird dogs & vanishing habitat
12:30 How his dad's record-keeping shaped him
15:00 30 years of catch data — the decline
20:00 The bait situation
21:00 The record-breaking 2018 red tide
28:00 Seagrass loss & the algae that smothered the flats
32:00 How Hurricane Milton helped
37:30 The fix: rethinking slot limits
40:00 The redfish proposal (25–27")
44:00 The snook proposal & 75 billion eggs
47:30 Why the FWC hasn't acted
49:00 Charlotte Harbor as a test zone
54:00 The economic case — $497M and thousands of jobs
1:06:00 Where to sign: morefishflorida.com
1:07:00 The closure data that proves the point
1:11:00 A guide's responsibility & catch-and-release
1:20:00 Wrap-up & call to action
1:21:00 Next week: a bamboo fly rod & a permit

#TomRowlandPodcast #Fishing #Snook #Redfish #CharlotteHarbor #Conservation #FloridaFishing

David Moss | The Nature Conservancy | Ep. 1027 Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Red snapper season in the South Atlantic got shut down the night before it opened — and most anglers still don't really know why. In this one, I sit down with David Moss, Fisheries Project Manager for The Nature Conservancy, to break the whole thing down in plain English: what an EFP actually is, the lawsuit that closed the season, why managers and anglers see two completely different oceans, and the surprising reason keeping your spots secret might be the very thing costing you fishing days.

David's a Florida-born fisherman first and a fisheries guy second, and he makes the case for why the catch data you throw away — including the days you get skunked — is exactly what the fishery needs to open more seasons, not fewer.

We get into:

Why red snapper are stacked up in the Atlantic but you can't keep one
How "rare event species" like tilefish and snowy grouper get shortchanged by old data
The truth about whether your secret numbers are actually safe in reporting apps
Gulf vs. Atlantic red snapper — two fisheries, same fish
The Goliath grouper problem everyone sees but no one can prove
How to actually get involved if you're fed up

Get in touch or get involved:
David Moss — david.moss@tnc.org
The Nature Conservancy Florida fishing: nature.org/floridafishing
Reporting apps mentioned: iAngler, Got One, MyFWC, Vessel
Councils: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Gulf of America Fishery Management Council, FWC
Also mentioned: Angler Action Foundation, West Palm Beach Fishing Club

Brought to you by Star brite — makers of Salt Off and a full line of boat care products, and a company doing real work in conservation. starbrite.com

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro & catching up (mangroves, lobster mini season)
02:20 – What The Nature Conservancy actually does
04:30 – Red snapper: what happened and why the season closed
07:30 – EFPs explained in plain terms + the lawsuit
10:00 – Three states reapply — what a real season could look like
12:00 – App-based reporting and the data managers need
14:00 – Discards, barotrauma & why released fish still count
15:30 – Deep-water "rare event species" & TNC's pilot project
17:30 – "Why should I give them my data?" — the honest answer
23:00 – How catch data gets collected now (dock surveys & mail-in)
25:30 – Do the apps work offshore? Are your spots protected?
33:30 – Gulf vs. Atlantic red snapper
37:00 – ACLs, sectors & how commercial reporting works
40:00 – How David got hooked on fisheries management
44:00 – The Goliath grouper problem
47:30 – How to get involved (councils, clubs, public comment)
51:00 – Soccer, family & a coaching detour
54:30 – From landscaping to The Nature Conservancy
59:00 – The one message: your information matters
1:04:30 – Secret spots, hunters vs. anglers & sharing data
1:09:30 – Wrap-up & resources

Capt Dylan Hubbard | Hubbard's Marina | Ep. 1026 Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

Everybody keeps asking me about red snapper — why they're everywhere and you can't keep them in one place, and nowhere to be found in another. So I brought on someone who lives on both sides of that fight.

Dylan Hubbard is VP of Hubbard's Marina in Madeira Beach — a fourth-generation, nearly 100-year-old operation — and he's also president of the Florida Guides Association, VP of the Charter Fisherman's Association, and chair of the Gulf Council Reef Fish Advisory Panel. He's one of the only guests we've had who's both a working charter operator and deeply embedded in the federal fisheries decision-making process. That combination makes this one of the clearest breakdowns of what's really happening with our fishery that I've heard.

In this conversation we get into:

Why red snapper is a Gulf success story but a crisis in the South Atlantic — and how discard mortality quietly shrinks the season every year
The EFP fight, the 11th-hour injunction, and MRIP vs. state (SRFS) data — why "letting them guess" hurts anglers
How his grandfather's handwritten notes from a 1988 meeting let Dylan change federal law in two meetings to save his 39-hour trips
The gag grouper rebound, the lag between what we see on the water and what the science says, and where AI is starting to change fisheries research
Getting fired by his own dad — and reopening the marina five days after Hurricane Helene

"If you're not in the room, you're on the menu." If you care about the future of the fishery, this is the one to watch.

Connect with Dylan & Hubbard's Marina:
🌐 hubbardsmarina.com
📺 Hubbard's Marina on YouTube & Facebook — plus their live Q&A show every second Sunday of the month, 7:30 PM ET
📞 Text or call 727-393-1947
✉️ info@hubbardsmarina.com

This episode is brought to you by Star Brite — makers of Salt Off and a full line of products to take care of your boat, and a company that gives back through conservation. Check them out.

Rich Hernandez | "Do Hard Things 365" | Ep. 1025 Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

Rich Hernandez can do 5,000 push-ups without ever touching his knees — and he's chasing a world record that hasn't been broken since 1980. But as he tells me here, it was never really about the push-ups. This time we're in person, right after a morning workout together, digging into how an MIT engineer with a Yale MBA walked away from the aerospace world to preach the gospel of hard work — and why the same process that took him from 40 push-ups to 5,000 (and a 7-minute plank to a 4-hour one) applies just as much to your business, your parenting, and anything else you're trying to get better at. Presented by Star brite — clean and protect your boat: https://bit.ly/4o80cws ▶ Rich's first time on the show (EP 974: Record-Breaking Conquest): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wL-YJXbbZM CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome + Star brite (live and in person) 01:00 The push-up guy: 5,000 reps and chasing the world record 02:00 Receipts: livestreams and 12,345 push-ups in a day 04:00 From MIT and Northrop Grumman to a Yale MBA 05:00 The gospel of hard work: 333,000 push-ups in a year 06:00 What the family business taught him 08:00 How getting better at one thing spills into everything 10:00 Veronica, "Life Is Good," and the power of agency 12:00 The push-up progression: 40 to 5,000 14:00 Atomic Habits, 1% better, and the hockey stick 15:00 The planking journey: 7 minutes to 4 hours 17:00 Why the first five months are the hardest 18:00 Consistency, accuracy, intensity 19:00 The traveling salesman problem 21:00 Where to follow Rich FOLLOW RICH — Do Hard Things 365 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dohardthings365 Instagram: @dohardthings365 SUBSCRIBE TO THE TOM ROWLAND PODCAST Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-rowland-podcast/id1353574678 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5dMqjMPfvEYSte837YNunX Free fishing knot guide: https://bit.ly/3UnAeIP

Capt. Brandon McGraw | "Space Coast Fishing Charters" | Ep. 1024 Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

Captain Brandon McGraw is a Space Coast fishing guide who runs Space Coast Sport Fishing out of the Melbourne area, working the Mosquito Lagoon, the Indian River, and Sebastian Inlet on Florida's east-central coast. A retired firefighter with 20 years at Orlando Fire Department, he now guides full time for redfish, seatrout, and some of the largest snook in Florida. In this episode he explains how the Mosquito Lagoon clawed back from its seagrass collapse, why the Sebastian area grows oversized snook, and the small details that decide light-tackle tournaments.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected