Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 369 is my conversation with saltwater television legend George Poveromo, host of George Poveromo's World of Saltwater Fishing, which has run on ESPN, NBC Sports, and the Discovery Channel for 20 years, and founder of the Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series. We get into how his TV career and the seminar tour came together, his long history with Salt Water Sportsman magazine, and the harrowing story of a swordfish that nearly pulled him overboard.
Listen now: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube · Press play in the player above to watch.
George Poveromo is a legendary saltwater fishing television host and educator. He produces and hosts George Poveromo's World of Saltwater Fishing, which has aired on ESPN, NBC Sports, and the Discovery Channel for two decades, and he founded and runs the Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series. He has a long history as a writer and editor with Salt Water Sportsman magazine.
George Poveromo's World of Saltwater Fishing is George's long-running television show, which has been on the air for 20 years across ESPN, NBC Sports, and now the Discovery Channel. It takes viewers around the world chasing saltwater gamefish and teaching technique along the way.
The Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series is the all-day educational seminar tour George created, which heads into its 34th year. It packs auditoriums with anglers ready to learn, bringing top experts together to teach saltwater fishing techniques in a focused, full-day format.
George recounts a wild encounter with a swordfish that turned violent, charging deep and then coming back up. A swordfish went under the camera boat and at one point the situation nearly pulled him overboard. He describes the danger of these powerful animals and how that day unfolded.
George combined writing for Salt Water Sportsman, which let him travel abroad and produce features, with television and his seminar series. He built relationships across TV networks, launched the seminar tour, and eventually bought out his partner to run it on his own, building one of the most enduring careers in saltwater fishing media.
Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 369 with George Poveromo is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and iHeartRadio. The video version is embedded at the top of this page.
George is a genuine legend in this business. He has been on television for 20 years and has taught more anglers through his seminar series than almost anyone alive. I grew up watching and learning from people like him, so getting him to sit down and tell the stories behind the career was a real treat. Some of these stories I had never heard, and chances are you have not either. Press play in the YouTube player at the top of this page.
George walks through how his TV show came together, including his early relationship with Daryl Lawrence, and what it took to keep a saltwater fishing show on the air for 20 years across ESPN, NBC Sports, and Discovery. He is candid about the work behind the camera. Listen to that section in the player above.
The Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series was a hit out of the box, packing auditoriums for all-day Saturday seminars. George explains how the tour came into being, how he eventually bought out his partner, and why teaching with people's minds open is its own skill. If you care about the education side of fishing, this is the part to hear.
George tells the story of a swordfish that charged deep, came back up, and turned violent, going under the camera boat and putting him in real danger. He describes just how powerful and unpredictable these animals are. Press play in the YouTube player above for the full account.
George's connection to Salt Water Sportsman magazine opened doors to travel abroad and write features that fed everything else he built. He explains how the magazine, the TV show, and the seminars all reinforced one another over a long career. Listen to how he ties it together in the episode.
Listen to the full conversation: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · or watch in the YouTube player at the top of this page.
What stands out about George is staying power. Twenty years on television and decades of seminars do not happen by accident, they happen because he kept showing up and kept teaching.
If you love saltwater fishing, the history of fishing television, or just a great near-disaster story, this conversation has it all.
Press play in the player above, or grab Episode 369 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.
George Poveromo · George Poveromo's World of Saltwater Fishing · Salt Water Sportsman · Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series · ESPN · NBC Sports · Discovery Channel · Daryl Lawrence
George Poveromo is a saltwater fishing television host, writer, and educator. He produces and hosts George Poveromo's World of Saltwater Fishing, on the air for 20 years across ESPN, NBC Sports, and the Discovery Channel, and founded the Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series, now in its fourth decade. A longtime contributor to Salt Water Sportsman magazine, he is one of the most influential figures in saltwater fishing media.
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