SHOW #1 ICE FISHING The last Arctic blast of the winter gives Joe Thomas and D’Arcy Egan the chance to cut lots of holes in the ice and fish for bluegills. The boys get some great tips from Jim McConville of North Ridgeville, Craig Lewis of Erie Outfitters in Sheffield Lake and old-timer Bud Schue. Catching a few big bluegills is Colt Yarbrough, who’s fishing with his father, Greg Yarbrough of Catawba Island.
SHOW #2 OHIO'S TAXIDERMY SCENE & JOE GETS HIS BUCK The artistry of taxidermy is explored at the annual Ohio State Taxidermists annual show and convention in Mansfield. D’Arcy Egan finds plenty of deer on display, as well as wild creatures both big and small. Joe Thomas finds success on a bowhunting trip for white-tailed close to his Cleveland area home, and talks taxidermy with Jeff Mosbruger of Silver Mountain Taxideremy.
SHOW #3 STEELHEAD TROUT ON THE GRAND RIVER Northern Ohio has become a world class destination for catching silvery trout. D’Arcy Egan and Joe Thomas take advantage of some superb steelhead trout fishing on the Grand River, enjoying a float trip with Dan Pribanic of Chagrin River Outfitters in Chagrin Falls. Providing some sage advice are outstanding guides Brett McCrae and Mark Kasubik, and in the spotlight are some trophy steelhead trout.
SHOW #4 DECOY CARVERS & BIRD DOG TRIALS Waterfowl decoys are more than a magnet for ducks and geese. D’Arcy Egan visits the Ohio Decoy Collectors and Carvers Assocation show in Westlake, Ohio, to enjoy the life-like beauty of the many species of ducks on display, and discover the value of collectible decoys that were made for hunters more than a century ago.
SHOW #5 LAKE ERIE JUMBO PERCH Yellow perch are a fabled Friday dinner all around Ohio, prompting D’Arcy Egan and Joe Thomas to head out on Lake Erie to catch enough perch for a major fish fry for their friends. Noted walleye fishing guide Jerry Abele of Headhunter Fishing Adventures in Marblehead is their guide, and Lake Erie law enforcement administrator Gino Barna comes along to help catch a major mess of perch. Big “jumbo” perch are cooperating as the gang has a wonderful day on Lake Erie.
SHOW #6 WEED BED WALLEYE AT MOSQUITO - Mosquito Lake in the northeast corner of Ohio has been a traditional hot spot for catching walleye, so D’Arcy Egan and Joe Thomas recruit an expert, Sammy Cappelli of Poland, Ohio, to show them how to put a few walleye in the cooler in the spring. A tournament fisherman, Cappelli has the boys casting to the shallow weed beds of Mosquito Lake, and hauling in walleye. While walleye are their game, one very large carp is the surprise of the day.
SHOW #7 PONTOON BOAT FISHING AT CHARLES MILL Few ways to fish are as leisurely as pursuing crappies from a large, stable pontoon boat, a bit of fishing Joe Thomas and D’Arcy Egan would enjoy. Charles Mill Reservoir near Mansfield, Ohio is noted for its spring crappies, and Charles Mill Marina has a classy fleet of rental pontoon boats, the perfect mix. While crappies were in the spotlight, the guys caught largemouth bass, bluegills and even a hybrid striped bass to liven up the fishing day.
SHOW #8 LEAD CORE LINE AND WALLEYE Joe Thomas and D’Arcy Egan join walleye tournament professional Sammy Cappelli of Poland, Ohio to learn more about the top techniques for catching walleye at Mosquito Lake. They go trolling for walleye with lead core fishing line and small diving plugs, a combination that is a favorite of veteran anglers at Mosquito Lake. The guys head west to Camp Perry, the Ohio National Guard facility on the Lake Erie shoreline, to have some shooting fun at the new indoor air rifle range developed by the Department of Civilian Marksmanship.
SHOW #9 NEW BOAT AND HOT WALLEYE FISHING Outdoors Ohio hosts Joe Thomas and D’Arcy Egan launch their new 2010 Starcraft 196 boat powered by a powerful Evinrude outboard on Lake Erie. Bob Hanko, the owner of Cranberry Creek Marina in Huron, Ohio joins the guys for a shakedown cruise – and to catch some walleye a few miles north of Hanko’s marina, boat launch and bait shop. Trolling some flashy, colorful tandem-bladed spinner rigs and nightcrawlers, the boat is a comfortable ride and the Lake Erie walleye cooperate - and so do the sheepshead.
SHOW #10 D’ARCY TROLLS FOR WALLEYE, JOE VISITS THE TROOPS - D’Arcy Egan tackles some of the new trolling gear for walleye, while co-host Joe Thomas goes half-way around the world to visit the U.S. troops in Afghanistan, including some stops in very dangerous territory. After combining beads, spinner blades and hooks to create the spinner rigs that are catching Lake Erie walleye these days, Egan and Bob Hanko of Cranberry Creek Marina prove how well they work by catching some dandy fish.
SHOWS #11 & # 12 D’ARCY EGAN HIGHLIGHTS LAKE ERIE ON GOVERNOR'S FISH OHIO DAY; JOE THOMAS HUNTS IN HAWAII (show 12)- A two-part show, D’Arcy Egan visits with Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and his wife, Fran, at the annual Fish Ohio Day in Port Clinton. The topics range from the threat of the Asian carp invasion to the state of Ohio’s greatest lake, and the problems fishery managers are facing in the years to come. On the water, it’s a drift-and-cast adventure, catching walleye with Ohio Division of Wildlife official Doug Miller. Joe Thomas is on the road again, finding some great wild turkey and sheep hunting while touring Hawaii.
SHOW #13 SALMON AND TROUT DELIGHT OUTDOORS OHIO AUCTION WINNERS – A silent auction last winter at the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission banquet gave young Bradley Gilbert, 10, the opportunity to go fishing with Outdoors Ohio show host D’Arcy Egan. Joined by his grandfather, Vic Winocur, young Bradley and the guys head to beautiful Olcott Beach, N.Y. to successfully tackle the salmon and trout swimming in the deep waters of Lake Ontario with Sheffield Lake OH fishing guide Marc Battone of My Bonnie Charters.