Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 812 is a conversation with fisheries scientist Dr. Mike Larkin about the weird things fish do that you never see — the hidden behaviors, sensory tricks, and adaptations that govern life beneath the surface and shape how fish respond to anglers.
Listen now: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube · or press play in the player above to watch.
Dr. Mike Larkin is a fisheries scientist and ichthyologist whose expertise spans fish behavior, biology, and ecology. He brings a research-based perspective to how and why fish behave the way they do, and his work helps anglers understand the sensory systems and survival strategies behind the species they target.
Dr. Mike Larkin breaks down strange behaviors most anglers never see, from the way fish use sound and sensory systems to how species like bonefish navigate shallow water and how tarpon use specialized structures to breathe air. He explains the biology behind behaviors that look bizarre from the surface.
Dr. Mike Larkin explains that tarpon have a specialized swim bladder that allows them to gulp and process air at the surface, letting them survive in low-oxygen water where other fish cannot. He details how this adaptation works and why you sometimes see tarpon rolling at the surface.
Dr. Mike Larkin describes the sophisticated sensory systems bonefish use to detect prey in shallow water, relying on more than vision to locate food. He explains how understanding those senses can change how an angler thinks about presentation on the flats.
Dr. Mike Larkin explains that fish behavior is driven by complex sensory inputs and survival instincts, which is why a fish may refuse a presentation that looks perfect to an angler. He breaks down what cues fish are actually responding to and what your presentation might be missing.
Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 812 with Dr. Mike Larkin is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and iHeartRadio. The video version is embedded at the top of this page.
Dr. Mike Larkin is one of those guests who completely changes how you look at the water. He studies fish for a living, and every time we talk he tells me something about fish behavior I never knew. I wanted him back to dig into the weird, hidden stuff fish do that anglers almost never see.
Press play in the player at the top of this page to hear the full conversation in his own words.
Mike walks through behaviors that happen out of sight — how fish use sound, how they sense the world, and why their lives are far stranger than what shows up at the end of a line. Listen to that section early in the episode.
One of the wildest things Mike gets into is how tarpon use a specialized structure to breathe air and survive where other fish cannot. The biology behind that rolling behavior is fascinating. Worth hearing in his own words.
Mike explains the sensory systems bonefish rely on to find prey in skinny water, and how that should change the way anglers think about presentation. Press play in the player above for the full breakdown.
If you have ever watched a fish refuse a perfect cast, Mike explains what is really going on in its head. The cues fish respond to are not always the ones we think. Listen to that part of the conversation.
Listen to the full conversation: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · or watch in the player at the top of this page.
What I love about talking to Mike is that he makes the water feel deeper and stranger than it did before. The more you understand what fish are actually doing down there, the better angler — and the more curious person — you become.
If you want the science behind the behavior you see on the water, this conversation delivers it without ever getting dry.
Press play in the player above, or grab Episode 812 on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
Dr. Mike Larkin · Bonefish · Tarpon · Tom Rowland Podcast
Dr. Mike Larkin is a fisheries scientist and ichthyologist whose expertise spans fish behavior, biology, and ecological relationships. His research illuminates why fish behave as they do, how their sensory systems and adaptations work, and how environmental factors shape populations. He bridges academic fish biology and practical field knowledge, helping both scientists and anglers better understand aquatic ecosystems.
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