Transcript
Tom Rowland Podcast — Episode 852: Fantastic Friday with Ryan Rigg
In this episode: two giant bass caught in the same year, a wall of feeding mahi, a kingfish skyrocketing off Key West, and what came out of a swordfish’s stomach — with Rob Chapman and Ryan Rigg.
00:00 · Cold Open
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Rob Chapman: Yes. They do have nice boats. They gotta go a long way real fast.
Tom Rowland: Nice boats with fast engines and and big stereo. Rob, what do we got tonight?
Rob Chapman: Oh, we've got a mix. So we've got a that is the man, and I but I didn't tell Ryan's new to this. This may be the format as we don't tell Ryan what's about to happen. Josh is breaking the Internet, every time he posts a video or he he is the most, controversial bass fisherman probably on the planet right now because this time of year, that joker, that's a video. This I think this was two over 15, yeah, on the same year. So it's unbelievable. I've never caught one over double digits. Ryan is the master of the the videos. I don't know how many he's caught in over double digits. But this guy, all he does is catch giants, like freakish giants. So
02:35 · Josh Jones and Two Bass Over 14 Pounds in One Year
Tom Rowland: Wow.
Rob Chapman: Ryan's our best guy. Ryan, what's what's he doing? Is it is it the new technology? Is he that good?
Ryan Rigg: I mean, to to be honest, nowadays with, it it I'm assuming he's in Texas, if I'm not mistaken.
Rob Chapman: He's in Texas.
Ryan Rigg: We got a long term share program out here. And if you guys aren't familiar with that, they, help breed ridiculously big bass as you can see. And, you can go to some of these lakes specifically that stock these bigger bass. And if you do have the right gear and you know where to fish, especially with live imaging nowadays and some of the swimbaits we got, I mean, it's just keep casting. You're eventually gonna crank one of those big boys in. It's, yeah, it's it's more common than you think. It's just I'm sure not a lot of people wanna put that on video and and showcase that they're catching giants like that.
Tom Rowland: That thing is is massive.
Ryan Rigg: That's a butterball.
Tom Rowland: Of them in the same year, that's, that's intense.
Rob Chapman: Yeah. I believe he just caught one over 14 in the last two or three days. So I know we're watching videos. That's what made me think of this post was, kind of a a couple weeks back as a follow-up, but he just passed 14 again. And, Ryan could speak to I know, Tom, we we have all the equipment on the planet now in saltwater boats, but the bass fishing has gone into hyper speed in the last year or two with the technology.
03:50 · The Bass-Tech Arms Race: Live Sonar and the Power Pole Move
Ryan Rigg: Oh, yeah, man. You guys know. I mean, anything from the three six three sixty imaging to the live sonar. I mean, they even got, like, new, move from Power Pole, which is ultra like, ultra silent. So now you can sneak up on these bass, get them on the imaging, and then you just basically cast and let loose. And you guys know how bass are. They well, if you don't know how bass are, they will eat anything
Rob Chapman: A little bit.
Ryan Rigg: If they can fit it in their mouth. So you give them a bigger option, and, I mean, the big boy is gonna come out and grab her. The big girl is gonna come out and grab it. And as you see, man, that he he's got it dialed in clearly. He knows what he's doing.
04:25 · Forward-Facing Sonar and the Tournament Ban Debate
Tom Rowland: Yeah. He definitely does seem to know what he's doing. You're right about the power pole move. That thing is amazing. We have that in saltwater too, and it has helped us a a ton. But I wonder, you know, there's a ton of, talk about, forward facing sonar, whether that's gonna be, legal, available. First of all, as soon as they start to make something illegal in tournaments, that makes me want it only all the more because it actually works. That makes that means that it works. So I'm definitely staying with forward facing sonar, especially if they outlaw it in tournaments. That means for sure 100% that it works, and some people are much better at it than others. So somehow that's a disadvantage if you're not good at it. But, I wonder if, when they're fishing for those big ones like that, is that necessary to be using the forward facing sonar in in Texas?
Ryan Rigg: I mean, to be honest, if you know your lakes, some of these lakes particular, we have a lot of that vertical timber and, steep drop offs. A lot of our lakes are man made here too. So once you figure out your structure, it's it helps a lot with seeing what's reacting because with that live imaging, you can see if they're, you know, locking in on it. If they're chasing it, you can slow down that technique. And I think it's it's made it so these fishermen can adapt to what the fish are adapting to as well because as, you know, weather's changing, water's changing, cycling, more oxygen, less oxygen, these fish are you know, they're gonna be more lethargic, and they're just gonna slow down their eating cycle or they might want the smaller bait. So having that as a tool is obviously gonna make a big difference. And taking it away, you can still pull out these big fish. You just better know that lake before before you, get that taken away from you during tournament time.
Tom Rowland: That's awesome, man. Well, good job to Josh Jones fishing two of those in a year. Dang. Pretty dang big. And to catch two of those in a year, damn. That's pretty good.
Rob Chapman: Two of those in a life.
Ryan Rigg: Yeah. For sure. It's not easy getting a double digit. I mean, it's easier nowadays than it was, but it's still not easy.
06:25 · A Mahi Dream: CJ Duffy's Spearfishing School
Tom Rowland: Alright. Ben, what do you got next? Okay. This is our world a little bit more.
Ryan Rigg: It's a dream.
Tom Rowland: Here. I mean Ryan, you know what that is? Oh, yes.
Ryan Rigg: That's a nasty fish. Guys.
Rob Chapman: My Have you
Tom Rowland: ever fished for them?
Ryan Rigg: You know, I've never fished for them, but, surprisingly, it's my favorite fish.
Tom Rowland: It's a lot of people's favorite fish.
Ryan Rigg: It's one of the
Tom Rowland: most beautiful fish
Ryan Rigg: Yeah.
Tom Rowland: In the ocean. But, I mean, what we got going on here is some kind of awesome school. And as they school, if you can keep them around, a lot of times what people will do is you hook one, you leave it on the line, and the whole school sticks around. And if you just continue chumming, then I guess they get, you know, more and more bold to where they might actually be able to to it looks like this guy's It looks like
Rob Chapman: a dream. Yeah. He's CJ gets in the water. He's hardcore. It looks like Ryan was there chumming from above the boat because he's you see, he's been pretty good at, a live chummer. We went offshore a couple months ago, and I will give Ryan credit. A lot of people get seasick. We had one guy that literally was laid out on the bottom of the boat and couldn't move, but Ryan, puked and rallied. And, but to your point, Tom, I mean, we've seen dolphin like you said. You catch one, you keep it around, there maybe is this is literally a dream. Like, I I saw this video the first time. Actually, CJ posted a a photo first from down low looking up, and I thought it was the most incredible. My my I mean, hundreds of these and they're big dolphin. It's not little peanuts and schoolies. It's it's
Ryan Rigg: Yeah.
Rob Chapman: Big fifteen, twenty, 30, like, just incredible. It's it I've never seen anything like it, Tom. I don't think you have either, and that's it's Mexico. We I think we referred to it last time on the the marlin fishing right now with El Nino. It's it's just an incredible situation.
Tom Rowland: Yeah. That's pretty cool. And to be in the water like that, maybe you can get him to come closer to you than, like, just hanging your your your hand off the the boat. I don't know. But he's obviously been in the water with him for a while. They're getting very comfortable with him, and they're not going anywhere. You know, sometimes you'll see giant bait balls around where these things are just picking off the the mackerels or the bait or whatever they're eating. And, looks like that situation there, man, what a dream. That's awesome. And and they got some, you know, good light, clear water. Looks pretty good.
Ryan Rigg: How do you see those, those videos where people drop, like, a banana from the oil rig, and it's just, like, on fire. That's what this reminds me of right here. Just Yeah. For sure. Large school. It's awesome.
Tom Rowland: Yeah. That's that's pretty cool. So CJ Duffy, that's, that's the account that you can see this one on CJ Duffy 22.
Rob Chapman: Hardcore spearfishing. If If you love spearfishing, follow CJ. He's he's in he's insane. So in a good way. He's he's crazier than me. I guess it's a good way, whatever you wanna say. I'm not getting in that water.
09:09 · A Kingfish Skyrockets Off Key West
Tom Rowland: Okay. This one actually is my world.
Rob Chapman: Oh, yes.
Tom Rowland: This is, this is from one of our shows.
Ryan Rigg: So
Tom Rowland: kingfish. Ryan, you fish for kingfish?
Ryan Rigg: I have attempted to catch him. We did not get him that time, though.
Tom Rowland: Well, they're, they're a fun fish. They really are. Now you can see what's really cool about this clip is when when the fish first takes off, he he blasts this lure, and the lure comes out. And so when he actually enters back in, he's not hooked. Do you see that thing? Did you see the lure get smashed?
Rob Chapman: Yeah. It falls.
Tom Rowland: Right right there. It gets out. And so we have pictures of these things with the lure in their mouth and and, also without it, but I was on this shoot. Actually, this is the end of the blue shoot, Scott Walker, Steve Roger, fishing off Key West, and the kingfishing was fantastic. I remember there was a big storm coming in, and, I had something I needed to do that day, and, I had to stay back. And Oh. So they went, and they were back by lunch. And, and I met them back at the dock. I was like, did you get anything? And they were like, yeah. Yeah. We got some. We got we got a killer show, in about two hours. You can see the clouds in the background. It's very, very, very hard to see, but there's like a a cloud line about where that fish was in the air, and that started rolling in on them. So it's calm right now, but, you know, the wintertime Turn quick. Fronts will come in, and and you could see it coming. And you have time to to run back to the dock if the storm is coming, you know, from the opposite direction, and that's what happened that day. But who knows how high that is? I don't know. That's the fish is like They
Rob Chapman: were they were there. Yeah. Do you is that 15 feet, Tom?
Tom Rowland: It could be. I mean, sometimes you see them the the the highest I've probably ever seen one jump I mean, this one's really close to probably as high as as I've ever seen one because that's probably about as high as they can be. A tower. Occasionally, when you're running when you're running, you can see one in the distance. Just go so high in the air. And you're like, you know, you almost think that you were seeing things, but it's that's the school of mackerel, and they're there. In Key West Key West is known for having, great king mackerel fish, and some of the biggest fish in all of the Kingfish tournaments have come from, you know, the Dry Tortugas Key West area.
Ryan Rigg: And
Rob Chapman: And right now, right, isn't it whizzing in a winter bite for them?
Tom Rowland: Yeah. It can be. Yeah. Really good. Really good in the as the as the water cools down. And you can catch big ones, little ones, all kinds. But I
Rob Chapman: think Stansick just has a good bite on. Breed.
Tom Rowland: Yeah. That's an interesting breed, the kingfish fishermen.
Rob Chapman: They are.
Tom Rowland: They go hard.
11:45 · The Kingfish Tournament Breed
Rob Chapman: Yeah. And it's not a lot, Ryan. I I I fish for probably, like I'd I've used live bait and chum for them a lot. They're obviously throwing plugs and that type of stuff, but the guys who fish the tournaments, you know what's on. That is some boring, slow troll live baits hoping for one bite just just torturous. They can be.
Tom Rowland: Yeah. They have nice boats.
Rob Chapman: Or it could be fast and furious. They do have nice boats. They gotta go a long way real fast.
Tom Rowland: Nice boats with fast engines and and big stereos usually.
Rob Chapman: Yeah.
Tom Rowland: But just, you know, that that fish is like that's probably like a a a 35 pounder, 40 pounder. So, I mean, that's not like just some squirt fish coming out. That's a big fish.
Ryan Rigg: Yeah.
Tom Rowland: Big fish. Very cool too. I've gotten that on camera. M m 90 films. Nick, beyond
Rob Chapman: the lady. Yes.
Tom Rowland: He got that in slow mo. So good
Ryan Rigg: job to him. Perfect timing right there for real.
12:36 · What Came Out of a Swordfish's Stomach
Rob Chapman: That to me, fishing is if you can get top water, that's as good as it this one's wild.
Ryan Rigg: I don't
Rob Chapman: know if you've seen this, Ryan. It's so at the beginning of the video, he's it's a swordfish stomach. So Oh. When you're watching it live, he's he's cutting open the stomach and this I think you said what it is. It's an oarfish. First time I watched, I didn't know what it was. And then the more you see it, but it's funny. The people on camera, is it an eel? Is it a you know? But to me
Ryan Rigg: Oh, yeah.
Rob Chapman: It's, obviously, it's a incredibly deep water, but the swordfish sliced it perfectly. It's like a puzzle. Putting together the puzzle pieces. I think, Thomas, this one's already gone over half million views less than twenty four hours. It's just crazy. They piece it together. Troll Naked is out of Louisiana. Doesn't, unbelievable blue water guy. But it's the first time I've seen one like that just come together. You can see right here. He cuts it. No idea what's in it. That's Tom, you know this, Youngblood Adventures when he used to do these what's in the stomach type of videos. Yeah. A lot of people think it's staged. You can't stage this. You you don't you don't know what's gonna come out of a stomach, especially a 300 pound swordfish.
Ryan Rigg: So Especially saltwater fish. Saltwater Yeah. Everything.
Tom Rowland: That's an alien. Smells great.
Rob Chapman: Oh, yeah.
Ryan Rigg: You know, I remember being a kid, and and my dad, when he had fillet fish, for some reason, I was always so excited to see what they're eating. And then I'd go to the the store the next week and try to buy that exact lure. That's what that's what they're eating. That's what I'm gonna toss.
Rob Chapman: Match the hatch.
Ryan Rigg: Yeah. Yeah. For sure. I don't
Rob Chapman: know if they make an orphanage lure.
Ryan Rigg: Say. I have to look for another lure this size.
Tom Rowland: Well, the funny thing about most sword fishermen that I know are using dolphin bellies, you know, Kuda bellies, any sort of, a belly, and and the baits are way smaller than than this. I mean, this oarfish is is what?
Rob Chapman: 15 feet long. Well, yeah, I don't it's it's hard to the first sliver when he pulls it out real time looks about five feet long and then Yeah. You know, who knows from there?
Tom Rowland: One of those pieces is about the size of those sort of
Rob Chapman: big ones. Shrunk the bait. It's funny how they used to use whole mullets and lady fish. I mean, it's it's it's we're always evolving. I mean, that's the thing with fishing like you talked about. From bass fishing to sword fishing, the technology, Tomkin, ten years ago, daytime sword fishing, there was a handful of people doing it. That that was it. Didn't know how to do it. Didn't have the technology. Didn't have the equipment. And now, I mean, I think Stanza catches one every trip he goes in The Keys. Now it's crazy, the guys that have it dialed in.
Tom Rowland: Yeah. When they get them dialed in, they they're they're dialed in. That's for sure. And and people are catching a lot more in the daytime. Louisiana is a great place to do it, but that is a fish that you do not want to swim with. I'll put that out there. PSA, do not swim with a swordfish. We had one almost go through, a cameraman. Luckily, it hit the camera and broke part of its bill off in the camera, but it was, no joke. Those swordfish of all fish, that's the one that I do not want anybody swimming with.
Rob Chapman: They're mean.
Tom Rowland: Yeah. They're mean. Even even of sharks. Like like fish swim with sharks if you want.
15:40 · The Lure-in-a-Tree Trick and a Personal-Best Bass
Ryan Rigg: You got your lure stuck in a tree again. Today, I'm gonna show you a tip on how to get that down. First, we need to locate the branch that our lure is stuck on. Next is the easy part.
Rob Chapman: That's it.
Ryan Rigg: Shoot. Pull up. Shoot it down. Shotgun. Pull up the shotgun, and you That is leave it on down.
Tom Rowland: Alright. Here's about the biggest this is the I told you I'd find it.
Rob Chapman: I'll tell you.
Ryan Rigg: There it is.
Tom Rowland: Bass that we've ever caught. That's my son, Hayden.
Rob Chapman: Oh, spinning gear. In the real.
Ryan Rigg: I love it. That is something.
Tom Rowland: So the best part about this video is it's in slow motion right now, but right at the end, when it goes to regular speed, you see the gills your gills flare and and, because that fish looks kinda dead in slow motion. But then then once it once it goes, it's gonna happen right right about
Rob Chapman: hit on the thing. Is that Florida, Tom?
Tom Rowland: That's Alabama.
Rob Chapman: Alabama. Okay.
Tom Rowland: Here here it goes to full speed. There it goes.
Rob Chapman: Oh, yeah. He's Right
Tom Rowland: at the end.
Rob Chapman: Yep.
Tom Rowland: That's the that's the best part. But yeah. Yeah. There's some big fish around. You know? There that that, that lunker program you have in Texas, and then then certain people like my friend, Graham Tayloe, he, you know, I mean, that that's like a pond, right, that that we caught that fish in. That's not like some, you know, natural lake where they're gonna have a bass tournament. That's, like, a pond. But people manage these ponds so well now that you can grow fish like that.
Ryan Rigg: Trophy bass.
Tom Rowland: Yeah. And if you're if you're a real nice guy and you have really good friends like, sometimes they let you come fish there.
Ryan Rigg: Yeah. Yeah. We got the
17:07 · Where to Find Ryan Rigg
Tom Rowland: And that's how we caught that fish. Well, Ryan, tell them tell everybody where they can find you, what you do.
Ryan Rigg: Yeah. Yeah. So you can find me, Ryan Rigg on basically all social medias, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook. Like I said, just basically trying to create some fun videos that people can relate to. For the most part, that's my main goal and just continue to share my adventures. Every time I get out, it's just trying to keep these memories for for the future because every time you get out, it's a new story. And, as fishermen, I mean, we all love fishing stories. So just the more that I can gather and the more that I can share, it's basically what I've become passionate about. So, that's that's my main goal with it, and that's what I'm gonna keep on doing, you know, moving forward. And if it ever, you know, escalates bigger than that, that'll be good. But my main focus is just to keep on sharing the love and sharing the adventures.
Tom Rowland: There you go. Love it.
Ryan Rigg: Love it.
Tom Rowland: Well, Ryan, I for joining us tonight, man.
Ryan Rigg: Yeah. And I
Rob Chapman: hope it works out for you, Ryan, because I'm looking up there. We gotta fix that light of yours. We can make enough money doing this fishing thing that'll get you.
Ryan Rigg: If if you guys have a notice, I I put some pictures up right there just to this whole room's getting Classed
Rob Chapman: it up. Right now. Yeah.
Ryan Rigg: We're doing a full remodel in the fishing room. We're getting a new aquarium, painting the on
Rob Chapman: my shoulder. Yeah.
Ryan Rigg: Yeah. It's it's been a a lot of changing. Like I said, I took some time off, but we've been focusing on little projects like this. That way, when we get back to it, it's it's, you know, nice and sound instead of having skateboards on the walls and stuff like that for my childhood. So, yeah, getting back in the mix.
Tom Rowland: Yeah. Alright. Well, thanks, guys. We'll be back next week with another one of these shows. Checking out all the viral videos of the week. The best ones, if you have some, you can tag the wild one outdoors and let us know what you got. What's your craziest video that you've got? You might end up on the show. And, that's it for today. We'll be back with another guest and a bunch more videos next week. See you.