Introducing a new voice in Pacific Northwest fishing.
The Badger Fishing Show
Wednesdays at 8 AM
This isn't just another fishing podcast. This is where real conversations happen.
We have a list of guests on deck from every side of the table, including current WDFW employee a retired former WDFW hatchery employee, a retired former WDFW game warden, Johnathan Hillstrand from Deadliest Catch, seal and sea lion experts and advocates, leading members of Puget Sound Anglers, NOAA biologist and voices like Kelsey Ross with Conservation Coalition.
Nothing is off limits.
We're talking fisheries management, hatcheries, harvest, policy, conservation, and everything impacting opportunity in the Pacific Northwest.
No spin. No scripted narratives.
Transparent, open, and accountable conversations, even when they get uncomfortable.
No influence from sponsors, no pressure from agencies, no filtered messaging.
Episodes will be available on Youtube, subscribe now, and on all major podcast platforms.
If you care about fishing, this is where you need to be.
Wednesdays at 8 AM. Be there.
Washington State Senator John Braun joins Phillip and Alex in studio | Badger Fishing Show Ep. 10
Send us Fan Mail We discuss the fisheries issues facing Washington sport fishermen and what could be addressed at the state and federal levels, including: • Protecting fishing and hunting rights • Washington salmon hatchery funding and production • Bonneville Power Administration hatchery cuts • Seal and sea lion predation • Reforming the Marine Mammal Protection Act • Bipartisan federal legislation addressing pinnipeds • Alaska trawl-fishery bycatch • The upcoming Pacific Salmon Treaty negot...
30 Aug 2026
Barbless Hooks Are a Money Grab on the Columbia River | Badger Fishing Show Ep. 9
Send us Fan Mail Are barbless hooks on the Columbia River actually helping fish, or is this a rule that no longer makes sense? On Episode 9 of the Badger Fishing Show, I sit down with Nello Picinich to talk about the push to change Washington’s barbless hook requirement on the Columbia River. We break down how the barbless hook requirement came out of the Columbia River reforms around 2012 to 2013, what the research says about barbed vs. barbless hook mortality in freshwater, and why anglers ...
27 Aug 2026
Talking About Tribal Fisheries Isn't Racist | The Badger Fishing Show Ep 8
Talking about tribal fisheries, treaty fisheries, conservation, and how salmon are managed shouldn’t automatically be labeled racist. In Episode 8 of the Badger Fishing Show, Phillip Olson and Alex Van Hine tackle one of the most difficult conversations in Washington fisheries. We discuss treaty rights and why they must be respected, while also asking whether conservation standards, monitoring, fishing methods, and modern fisheries data are being applied consistently across every user group. ...
22 Aug 2026
CHINOOK FISHING IN PUGET SOUND IS OVER THIS YEAR | BADGER FISHING SHOW EP. 6
Puget Sound recreational anglers are watching Chinook opportunities disappear, and the impacts go far beyond a day on the water. In Episode 6 of the Badger Fishing Show, we break down what happened to this year’s Chinook season, why fishing opportunities continue to shrink, how fisheries are being managed, and what recreational anglers need to know going forward. We talk about allocation, conservation impacts, management decisions, tribal and non-treaty fisheries, lost recreational opportunit...
20 Jul 2026
How Washington Leaves Salmon Quota on the Table Every Year Because of Mismanagement | Badger Fishing Show Ep. 6
Why does Washington leave thousands of harvestable salmon impacts on the table every year? In Episode 6 of The Badger Fishing Show, Phillip and Alex take a deep dive into one of the biggest problems facing Washington’s recreational salmon fisheries: fishery managers who fail to maximize opportunity. Topics include: • Why Marine Area 5 was projected to leave a significant amount of quota unused. • Why advisors questioned why a 2 fish limit wasn’t considered sooner. • How test fishery boats col...
29 Jun 2026
Is It Time for Leadership Change at WDFW? | Badger Fishing Show Ep. 5
In Episode 5, Phillip Olson and Alex Van Hine take an in depth look at one of the biggest questions facing Washington’s outdoor community: Is it time for leadership change at WDFW? We discuss: • The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission and why recreational anglers need to get involved. • Why public comment matters and what happened at the latest Commission meeting. • The electronic catch reporting app controversy and why data accuracy matters. • Budget concerns, accountability, and where l...
11 Jun 2026
My Real Opinion on Tribal Fisheries, VTRs & Monitoring | The Badger Fishing Show Ep. 4
In this episode, Phillip Olson and Alex Van Hine take a deep dive into some of the most controversial topics facing Washington fisheries today. We discuss the future of salmon fisheries, the role of Voluntary Trip Reports (VTRs), fishery monitoring requirements, and how limited resources and budget challenges may impact data collection and management moving forward. The conversation also covers strong salmon forecasts in several river systems, how fisheries are modeled, concerns about account...
27 May 2026
Why WDFW Snubs Its Own Advisory Board Members | North of Falcon Exposed
In Episode 3 of the Badger Fishing Podcast, Phillip & Alex sit down with longtime Puget Sound fishing advocate Art Tatchell to break down the truth behind the North of Falcon process, the Puget Sound Recreational Advisory Group, and why many anglers feel ignored during salmon season negotiations. Art shares decades of firsthand experience inside the WDFW advisory system, discusses how recreational fisheries continue to shrink, and explains the politics, policy pressure, and behind the sce...
20 May 2026
Uncovering Washington's Dirty Gillnet Secrets Killing Salmon | The Badger Fishing Show Ep. 2
In this episode of the Badger Fishing Show, Phillip Olson & Alex Van Hin sit down with Nello Picinich, Executive Director of Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Washington, for an in-depth discussion about one of the most controversial fishing issues in the Pacific Northwest: non-tribal commercial gillnetting. Nello explains how gillnets work, why they are considered non-selective, and what the latest observer data reveals about bycatch and mortality of wild salmon and steelhead. The ...
16 May 2026
Does The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Listen to Fishermen? | The Badger Fishing Show Ep. 1
Welcome to Episode 1 of The Badger Fishing Show. In this first episode, Alex Van Hine and Phillip Olson sit down to discuss a question that recreational anglers across Washington have been asking for years: Does the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife really listen to fishermen? We share how we first connected, our involvement in the North of Falcon process, and why we believe anglers need a stronger voice in fisheries management. We also discuss hatchery surplus, public records resear...
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
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