Michael Chandler: A UFC Champion on Mental Toughness and Elite Performance
UFC star and former Bellator champion Michael Chandler joins Tom Rowland to talk about mental toughness, the daily discipline behind elite performance, faith and family, and the mindset that drives a fighter.
Shaw Grigsby: A Bass Fishing Legend on a Lifetime of Tournaments
Bass fishing legend Shaw Grigsby joins Tom Rowland to talk about decades on the tournament circuit, the demanding art of sight fishing, hosting One More Cast, and what it takes to build a lasting career in a brutal sport.
Toby Hansen: From Forum Posts to a Career in the Fishing Industry
Toby Hansen joins Tom Rowland to talk about how online fishing forums launched his career in the tackle industry, what the business side of fishing really looks like, and why some fishing content connects while other content disappears.
Mark the Shark: Becoming Miami's Most Notorious Shark Hunter
Mark Quartiano, known as Mark the Shark, joins Tom Rowland to talk about decades of big-game shark fishing out of Miami, building his notorious name, and the controversy that follows the sport.
Diamond Dallas Page: WWE Hall of Famer Turned Transformation Coach
Diamond Dallas Page, WWE Hall of Famer and founder of DDP Yoga, joins Tom Rowland to talk about starting wrestling at 35, recovering from a near career-ending back injury, and the mindset behind real physical transformation.
Bill Dance | How to Build a Fishing TV Empire Without a Big Budget | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 881
Bill Dance is an iconic American fishing TV personality, professional angler, and conservation advocate who pioneered televised fishing entertainment when there were only three channels on television and nobody wanted to fish. In this conversation, Bill reveals how he built the longest-running fishing show in television history by focusing on one simple rule that most modern shows ignore. He shares the surprising truth about what made fishing exciting to audiences in the early days, the specific teaching approach that helped him connect with millions of viewers, and the philosophy behind catching fish on camera that still drives his show today. This is a rare look inside the mind of the man who made bass fishing a household passion.
Ryan Harrington | 320 Days Fishing & Running a Six-Month Waitlist | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 879
Captain Ryan Harrington is a full-time fishing guide based in Islamorada, Florida who spends over 300 days a year on the water chasing tarpon, permit, and bonefish.
Jacob Wheeler | 2X Angler of the Year on Tournament Fishing | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 877
Jacob Wheeler is a 2X Angler of the Year in professional bass fishing, and in this conversation with Tom Rowland, he opens up about the path that took him to the top of competitive fishing.
Chris Malinowski: Ocean Conservation and Marine Research
Dr. Chris Malinowski of the Ocean First Institute on marine research, protecting ocean ecosystems, and what individuals can do to support conservation. Listen to Ep. 875.
Jon B: The Googan Squad and Modern Fishing Content
Googan Squad member Jon B on modern fishing content, balancing entertainment with instruction, how digital changed fishing education, and creator challenges. Listen to Ep. 873.
Jimbo Keith: Cedar Key Fishing Secrets and a 10-Pound Trout
Cedar Key captain Jimbo Keith on Nature Coast fishing secrets, a 10-pound trout, reading tides and wind, and decades guiding one fishery. Listen to Ep. 867.
Steel Rockett: Spearfishing Stealth Techniques and Blue Water Dangers
Third-generation Keys diver Steel Rockett on the tropical fish trade, hunting Cubera, his take on Keys sharks, and a loggerhead bite. Listen to Ep. 865.
Viktor Hluben: Building Landshark Outdoors and Viral Fishing Content
Viktor Hluben on building Landshark Outdoors from childhood fishing videos into a viral media brand, what makes content go viral, and how creators earn. Listen to Ep. 863.
Uncle Larry: From Weekend Fishing Buddies to 4 Million Views
Uncle Larry on turning weekend fishing videos into millions of views, the comment that made him quit his corporate job, and building Uncle Larry Outdoors. Listen to Ep. 861.
Dr. Mike Larkin: Why Fish Don't Migrate From Florida to the Bahamas
Marine biologist Dr. Mike Larkin uses tagging data and Gulf Stream science to explain why fish don't migrate from Florida to the Bahamas. Listen to Ep. 859.
Spearfishing, a Near-Death Experience, and Ethical Fishing
A solo Tom Rowland Podcast episode on meeting spearfishing champion Ritchie Zacker, a friend's shallow water blackout, and what ethical angling really means. Listen to Ep. 857.
Danny Mako: Freediving With Sharks and Big Ocean Predators
Freediver Danny Mako on holding his breath five minutes at 70 feet, the personalities of bull, tiger, and reef sharks, and diving a Mag Bay bait ball. Listen to Ep. 854.
Gator Boy Chris: Wrestling Gators and Reading Apex Predators
Chris Gillette, known as Gator Boy Chris from Animal Planet's Gator Boys, is a professional alligator handler, wildlife educator, and shark-tourism operator out of South Florida. In this episode he joins me to talk about how he reads an animal's telegraphed movements the way a martial artist reads an opponent, the real difference between alligators and crocodiles, Florida's Burmese python crisis, his shark-diving work, and the gator ponds he is building to keep growing his mission of changing how people see these predators.
Forrest Galante: Conservation, Balance, and Hunting for Animals Thought Extinct
Wildlife biologist and Discovery Channel host Forrest Galante joins Tom Rowland for a conversation on conservation and balance. Forrest shares his Zimbabwe upbringing, how Naked and Afraid redirected his career into wildlife media, the making of Extinct or Alive, and how he rediscovered eight species lost to science including the Fernandina Island tortoise. He also delivers an unfiltered, realist take on why conservation is a war we keep losing and where ethical hunters and anglers fit in.
Capt. Jason Stock: Rebuilding Reefs and Fishing Ancient Sinkholes
Captain Jason Stock is a professional fishing guide and conservationist out of Bradenton, Florida, who specializes in nearshore and offshore reef and wreck fishing around Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key. In this episode he joins me to explain how the 'springs' he fishes are actually ancient sinkholes from when Florida extended 40 to 50 miles further into the Gulf, the staggering concentrations of fish they hold, the science he learned from Mote Marine Laboratory, his upgrade from a Yellowfin 26 to a 31, and his reef-rebuilding conservation work.
Kevin Cullum - The Road to One Million Push-Ups
Kevin Cullum, known as the push-up guy, joins me to talk about his mission to complete one million push-ups, documented on Instagram. We get into the systems that make consistency automatic, why the real battle is mental, and how showing up daily changes everything.
Nick Mayer: Sharing a Love of Nature Through Art
Nick Mayer is a nature artist who creates detailed illustrations of fish and marine life, blending artistic skill with a deep passion for conservation. He joins me to talk about leaving the video-game industry for full-time art, the childhood obsession with fish identification books that shaped him, and why he believes art can connect people to the natural world.
Nic De Castro: How LandTrust Built the Airbnb of Private Hunting and Fishing Land
Nic De Castro, founder and CEO of LandTrust, joins Tom Rowland to explain how he built the leading land-sharing marketplace for outdoor recreation, the Airbnb of private hunting and fishing land. Nic shares how he launched a two-sided marketplace from a single New Jersey farm, why owner-operator farmers and ranchers are the right landowners, how LandTrust handles trust and insurance, and how it now scouts day, weekend, and season access across 1.25 million acres in 40 states for sportsmen by species and activity.
Capt. John Landry: Clean Water from Florida to Alaska
Capt. John Landry is a fishing guide and clean-water advocate I have known since he was ten years old. In this episode he traces his path from a few trips on his dad's boat to guiding in Alaska with no freshwater experience and then building his own business back in Florida. We get into the Pebble Mine fight in Bristol Bay and the 2023 EPA ruling that protected it, the parallel battle in Florida where the sugar industry is the biggest obstacle, the role of Captains for Clean Water, and how Hurricane Ian's aftermath has reshaped the fishery.