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I'm Brian Bashore, Professional walleye angler and owner of The Walleye Guys Guide service. I am here to reel you in with captivating stories, expert tips, and interviews with some of the biggest names in the fishing community. So, sit back, relax, and let the drag scream!
Brian Bashore (00:01.442)
Hey folks, thanks for tuning in to this episode of Real Talk Fishing with New Limits. We're heading up to the cold tundra of North Dakota today with the man, Zach Axman. How are we doing, Zach? I hope you're staying pretty warm up there.
Zach Axtman (00:14.588)
Good! Yeah, it's... We got some more snow. I'm looking out my window here. We just got some snow overnight, but over the weekend we were almost 40 degrees, so it was a nice weekend. Yeah.
Brian Bashore (00:25.06)
warm front. Yeah, we were, think 50 down here, but you got pretty good ice already here. We are in early December. and I think since Thanksgiving, which is kind of, it's a good time. Keep me open water till Thanksgiving. Then we can start making ice after that. I know we, we had guys on the river down here yet, but not for long. I know they're breaking ice, but, you, you got, I think you got ATVs and stuff out on the ice there already. Right.
Zach Axtman (00:51.17)
On some of the back bays and stuff like that guys are starting to venture out and you know seeing a couple snow bears out and about but still get still for my sake it's still a little early I usually don't I don't get too excited till after the first of the
Brian Bashore (01:02.884)
Yeah.
Brian Bashore (01:06.518)
Yep, makes two of us. So I like to the river and it's usually not even going until then. Of course, if you can get on it now, you're going to catch them. But yeah, give me eight plus inches, not just three to four and first guy out on the ice type thing. No, thanks.
Zach Axtman (01:08.108)
Yeah
Zach Axtman (01:19.925)
Yeah, I did that one time with a good buddy of mine. caught a limit of walleyes out of the boat and five days later we were on the ice and caught a limit of perch. And I said, I did it once, I don't have to do that again.
Brian Bashore (01:32.868)
No, well you are on one of the best places in the whole upper Midwest to go ice fishing Devils Lake What what's what do you think it's gonna look like up there this winter and summer and just in general? mean, I haven't been there since a year ago
Zach Axtman (01:39.519)
Right. Yep.
Zach Axtman (01:45.93)
You know, I think it'll be just how it has been the last few years. know, the perch numbers are great. just got to, biggest thing with perch fishing is you got to be willing to move because those perch don't stay in one spot too often. They're meandering and looking for, know, either the mayfly larval in the mud flats or they're chasing the minnows up in the shallow bays and stuff like that. But it should be another great
great winner of perch fishing and walleye fishing. The walleye fishing is good. I just chase walleyes all summer so when winter hits I change over and that's what I want to chase is the perch.
Brian Bashore (02:22.158)
Right.
Brian Bashore (02:27.182)
Yeah. And they are a delicacy to say the least. So, it's, I think we're going to get some good, good perch fishing on the, on the river down here this winter as well, because they showed up when it's not typical to catch a lot of perch down in Yankton. but we got a lot of purchase here. They're all net 10 to 13. We've seen some 14 inches come out. So they're, good. They're just those perfect heater size perch. And when you do find them, there's a lot of them, but exactly. You, you're not going to just sit in one spot and pound a lot of them. better keep.
Zach Axtman (02:30.805)
Correct.
Brian Bashore (02:56.44)
Keep moving.
Zach Axtman (02:57.374)
Right, yeah, you you pull a couple out of the school and the school's dispersed and you either got to give them time to come back or you just chase them down.
Brian Bashore (03:07.908)
I've noticed in the open water, it's like I'll be on catfish or some drum or whatever. As soon as I get one perch, I'm like, all right, now I'm going to get a bunch because now they just showed up. But then it's one, two, three, four. And that's it. You know, they.
Zach Axtman (03:20.585)
Yep, yeah, they're not dumb. They disperse and, you know, that I would say is the general rule of thumb. I mean, there's been some days where it didn't matter what you put down there. were just going. The school was fired up and feeding and it was as fast as you could get your bait down.
Brian Bashore (03:34.83)
They're gone.
Brian Bashore (03:41.796)
So you got, there's a good handful of guys up there. I know Perch patrol is probably the biggest outfitter up there. It's Pringle helps out with, so no shortage of getting on the, on the ice, right? No, no problem finding it. lot of lodging. just I've never been up there ice fishing. I barely get a chance to go up there open water fishing, but I mean, it's one of my favorite lakes. love it when I do. So what,
Zach Axtman (03:51.708)
Right.
Zach Axtman (04:03.143)
Yeah, no, there's definitely not a shortage of, like you said, lodging and guides and everything else. The biggest thing I always say is if you can go with a guide your first couple times up here, you'll learn it's worth the knowledge just to know kind of the lake area and all of that. Because if you look at Devil's Lake on a map, it can be pretty intimidating how big it actually is. And if you can break it down into certain, you know,
like three or four spots and just pick, I'm gonna learn main lake, I'm gonna learn, you know, pelican, that sort of stuff. Otherwise, you're just gonna be chasing your tail.
Brian Bashore (04:43.428)
Yeah, it fishes massive because there's so many spots within a spot, East Bay, Pelican Bay, because there's a million rock piles or tractors or barns or trees, roads, you know, tell me to talk about a structure, right? And it holds fish in it. I imagine all of them are going to hold fish somewhat all year at certain times and your big mud flats and channels and there's current and you got six mile and you know, the other lakes that are around it.
Zach Axtman (04:57.135)
Roads.
Brian Bashore (05:13.092)
Yeah, there's no doubt and I think what people can head over to and visit Susie at the chamber or on their chambers webpage to probably find out all the info on lodging and in guides in area.
Zach Axtman (05:24.131)
Yeah, and actually Susie's got a pretty good like little paper map that shows all the different bay names and you know some of the boat ramps and access points and stuff like that. So yeah, Susie at the Chamber is a great contact to get information as to what's going on in Devil's Lake as well.
Brian Bashore (05:27.565)
Eh.
Brian Bashore (05:42.712)
Yeah, she's always on top of it. And I'm sure there's different access points for the ice and ones that are better or more popular.
Zach Axtman (05:49.467)
Yeah. And for the most part, for the most part, they do a pretty good job of keeping the boat ramps open as far as for ice access and stuff like that. No, no, it's it's definitely not. I think Woodland does some. I don't know if East Bay is going to do it. They've been doing some in the past just to get on. But as far as like full blown roads on the ice like Lake of the Woods, no.
Brian Bashore (05:51.758)
You got you got
Brian Bashore (06:00.644)
They're not putting roads out there, none of that stuff like Lake The Woods, are they? all on your own? Okay.
Brian Bashore (06:20.13)
Yeah, that's nuts. mean, that's, that's the only place I'm driving my truck. And I still, it's about the other day at the shields ice fashion. I'm like, I've gotten lost in the middle of night coming back out and turn my graph on. It'd be like, everything is, you don't even know you're on the ice. Would you just pull off the, you know, the parking lot and all of a you're a half mile out and you're like, we're on the lake. You know, and now you're in the middle of the leg, you're 10 miles out. You're like, you know, it's three feet thick or whatever the case is. And there's shacks and trucks everywhere. And the roads are.
Zach Axtman (06:29.818)
Yeah
Zach Axtman (06:38.695)
Right?
Brian Bashore (06:48.428)
a hundred feet wide, but at night there's no moon. I mean, you can get lost real easy. So like their street lights had lit up stop signs all over the place on the corners. It's like, all right. And it most of life you go to JR's access up at red. got there on napkins, right? They, you stop in a guy draws a little map on a napkin. Here you go. Go past the two 55 gallon barrels. Take a right. Go eight miles that way, you know, and in your shack sitting out there. It's a, if you've never done it folks, just.
Zach Axtman (06:51.887)
Right. It's dark.
Zach Axtman (07:13.423)
Yeah.
Brian Bashore (07:16.536)
Get come prepared and put that graph in your truck. If you're driving on the ice and turn your Lake master chip on or whatever you're using. Cause you know, when you're coming in the dark, it's easy to get lost.
Zach Axtman (07:25.607)
Yep. And it's a safety thing too. I mean we use ours all the time to mark, you know, pressure ridges and stuff like that so you don't get coming out in the dark, you don't end up in one of those.
Brian Bashore (07:28.164)
for sure. totally.
Brian Bashore (07:39.522)
Yeah, there's a there's just no such thing as safe ice. Right now, early night, late nights, I don't care. It's it's ice. I fished the river. The water is moving underneath it's raising. It lifts that up and down. The edges are open. It just seen somebody try to drive on some ice in Wisconsin the other day. Their car went through that. It like they're on their way back in. So, I mean, they made it out, but it's like, come on, people use your head.
Zach Axtman (07:43.323)
Right.
Zach Axtman (08:01.317)
Right. Yeah, I know. I saw that one too and I also saw somebody dropped an ice house through on the river up by Williston here last weekend too.
Brian Bashore (08:10.916)
No. Yep. Yep. It's all that as well. It's a little early. I get it. You're anxious folks. Just slow your roll. It's holiday season. Get, get shopping done. Go to the ice fest things that are going on. think saw St. Paul just wrapped up. I was at the shields this weekend for a bit. I'm sure there's more going, you know, and if not, just, you know, hold it, hold it. Like we got a couple more. We got some, little bit more warm weather coming this week and then a pretty good cool down. But like you said, come after Christmas, January.
Zach Axtman (08:16.807)
Yeah.
Hahaha
Zach Axtman (08:37.895)
Answer.
Brian Bashore (08:41.336)
January to March, you can usually hit it pretty hard, but.
Zach Axtman (08:43.911)
There's plenty of pheasants to shoot and hold you over till they're safe.
Brian Bashore (08:46.892)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. lot of, yeah, it's still a little bit of hunting season. So, you know, I got a new auger there today. I mean, taking out of the box and still clean the boat up, get it, get it sold mode. So, Hey, for those that don't know, Zach, give us a little, little background, little rundown on who you are, where you're at, what your fishing career consisted of.
Zach Axtman (09:09.09)
you know, I grew up in rugby, North Dakota. We still live here. an insurance agent here, started, started fishing tournaments with my dad. I don't know back in the mid, I'd say 2012 somewhere in there fished the MWC with him and then jumped over to the NWT in 2018 fished there fished head to head.
Last year I kind of took a little bit of a year off but still fished as many tournaments as I could. I didn't fish the NWT, I fished the AIM and a couple casino circuits around here. Had a baby girl so kind of decided I'd to home, close to home, be with family and stuff like that. But yeah, that's pretty much it. If I'm not fishing, I'm pheasant hunting and that sort of stuff.
Brian Bashore (09:57.176)
Yeah.
Brian Bashore (10:08.738)
Yeah, new new little girl keep you home a little little more than maybe you had planned for that summer. But I think you've had her out in the boat and I know the wife fishes with you.
Zach Axtman (10:13.258)
yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Yep. Yeah. Yeah. No, we've had, we've had her out in the boat, had her out in the pontoon and it's kind of, kind of cool. We had to go to a wedding in Seattle and so we took her to the aquarium and she was just kind of learning to talk when we were out there and looking at all the, you know, saltwater fish and stuff. And she's standing in front yelling, walleye at all the fish. So kind of a proud dad moment there.
Brian Bashore (10:42.436)
All right. Yeah. Todd, her well, her well, how is, so I've been in North Dakota. You just said aim and you have a casino cup. have North Dakota is absolutely loaded with big tournaments.
Zach Axtman (10:57.343)
Yeah, you know, it's for the economic impact for North Dakota. It's huge for us to get these tournaments to come in. Some of the, you know, like Devil's Lake and Garrison, you know, they rely on, on this fishing to bring, you know, the communities, bring outside income into the communities and stuff like that. So it's, it's always good. We don't have a shortage of fishing out here by any means.
I always, when I go do my seminars, always talk to everybody asks, you know, where's your favorite place to fish and this and that, because you travel the country and I can honestly tell, I tell them all the time, I go, you guys don't realize how good we actually have it here until you're told you got to go other places, you know, or you're forced to go to these other places. And I'm not saying that, you know, there isn't good fishing everywhere else, but it's literally in our backyard and it's as good as anywhere I've been.
Brian Bashore (11:53.162)
It's my two favorite places. Sakaka is number one, Beville's lakes number two, you know, and then Missouri river, which Sakaka is, you know, you got, you got, you got good fishing, a lot of fish. You got big fish. You got multi-species devils isn't full of, you're not catching a lot of junk fish. there's a lot of nice white bass in there, but I don't, I don't hate that. You know, there's, and, that's cock we, and it's just 15 inch minimums with five fish for the most part, you know, and then you got your little tiny.
Zach Axtman (11:57.084)
Yeah.
Zach Axtman (12:18.012)
Right.
Brian Bashore (12:20.758)
other ponds that are all around that are actually loaded. I believe we even still have some Xander up there in a place.
Zach Axtman (12:26.171)
Yes, Spiritwood Lake done by Jamestown has Xander still in it. You get them, get people to catch them every once in a while down there. Yeah.
Brian Bashore (12:34.936)
Bismarck in the spring. mean, I was really looking forward to the NWT going there because it was a kind of a place I've always wanted to go. And when you're, when it's on the schedule, you're like, all right, now I'm forced to go. Right. Cool. I was looking forward to it. The more I talked to Hydra, the more I was not looking forward to it with understanding the boat ramp situations and things like that. I'm like, I didn't, didn't really. Yeah. yeah. Yeah.
Zach Axtman (12:37.531)
Yeah.
Zach Axtman (12:46.479)
Right, yep.
Zach Axtman (12:51.516)
Yeah
Yep. Make sure you work yourself upstream so when you hit that sandbar you can use it to push it off.
Brian Bashore (13:01.762)
And a well-versed in sandbars and that same thing I did, but I'm like, well, make sure you always go it upstream. You know, when you're making your trail, but it sounded like we would have to launch South and go through the stump field that not even the locals want to go through. And I know that, self, you in particular, and others got some help, get some legislation pushed through and a lot of awareness brought up there just a couple of years ago. which is why we're able to come back to North Dakota, which we did.
Zach Axtman (13:06.597)
Yeah.
Zach Axtman (13:13.401)
Right. Yeah.
Brian Bashore (13:28.13)
Last year had the championship doubles year before we were coming back again, changing that permitting rule where they tried to raise it to an astronomical amount, preventing pretty much any big circuit from coming there. to now not only did it beat that thing down, it brought it down to think the 250 bucks or something, right? You still had some variables.
Zach Axtman (13:49.967)
Yeah, I don't... There's the communities of Conton together and kind of came up with their own little conservation fee that they're paying forward for it, but it's put it put more on them rather than just a...
you know, having a stone hard number that needs to be paid to have to host the tournament and stuff like that. And the other thing it did is it opened up, you know, like the Devil's Lake ice fishing tournament and stuff like that, where they were giving away almost more money on the fishing tournament than they were bringing in. So now instead of doing that, they can use it for buying trucks and gear and stuff like that, you know, for search and rescue and the fire department and such.
Brian Bashore (14:35.992)
Yeah. I don't think anybody had a problem with the conservation fee when it was a conservation fee, you know, and labeled that way and put back, then you lifted the max cap on it to where you're to up having a 30,000 whatever. And now, and I think a little bit of the permitting may be part of why we, the end of T got bumped or they moved it from the Bismarck sounds like, right. Cause you're limited to how many boats or size of tournaments.
Zach Axtman (14:41.337)
Right.
Zach Axtman (14:59.609)
Yeah. So what I, what I had heard was any, have a, the game and fish has a set date. Cause if anybody's ever fished down on the river in the spring, it is, there are a lot of boats. And so they've always said they've always had it that it's a hundred boat field. Well, and the NWT wants more than that. And to be there during the prime time, that's the rule because the channels are so, so narrow where everybody's fishing. Plus you got boats ripping around. Plus.
Brian Bashore (15:12.557)
Moja.
Brian Bashore (15:25.272)
narrow.
Zach Axtman (15:28.375)
I think there was an overlap weekend of the Big Muddy, which is the other big tournament down there. So you would have had the NWT, the Big Muddy, pre-fishing or vice versa. I can't remember which way it went, but there'd be one weekend. So you'd have 200, 200 boats, tournament boats out, plus all the locals. it would, the safety issue is what it comes. Yeah. No, no.
Brian Bashore (15:39.608)
Yep. Yeah, I big money.
Brian Bashore (15:49.774)
It wasn't going to work. Yeah. Yeah. There's yeah. Safety for the boaters try to get through certain areas. Like I said, the channel is real narrow. It's one boat, one, one at a time type, type situations in certain areas. And, that can just make the fishing difficult as hell too. Cause end of April.
Zach Axtman (15:59.682)
Yep.
Zach Axtman (16:04.504)
Right and if you remember if you remember back to the PWT days they used to come in the fall for a championship to get away from that So that's that's why they would always come out for a championship in the fall and fish it then Is what I was told when I was talking to people about it, so
Brian Bashore (16:13.348)
Hmm.
Brian Bashore (16:23.236)
Smart move. Yeah. Hitting, you know, there's, you want to go to where the Fisher Biden and the fish is good, but going to the hottest, one of the hottest spots, you know, in the country that happened to NWT in Chamberlain few years ago, when there was literally like, man, I counted over a hundred boats, fishing, the Crow Creek area during the tournament. And that was 60 % of them were probably tournament boats. And you have all the guides and the locals yet and still caught fish. Fishing was good. Hasn't been that quite as good since then. So maybe it something to do with it. I don't know, but it's like.
They kind of did this at a different time. We're kind of limited in the spring. You really got to get on those rivers and those early bites, but, we'll see it moved it to.
Zach Axtman (17:00.694)
Yeah, and I mean you got to look at it from the community perspective too. know, when Fishing's Hot and the Best Times are there, they don't need to bring in 200, know, 200 and 300 people. They want to do it kind of right at the tail end where their tourism kind of drops. So they're bringing all these people in. Because at the same time, well you know traveling when you're on the best lake at the hottest time.
Brian Bashore (17:14.115)
Yup.
Zach Axtman (17:28.65)
Trying to find lodging is almost impossible. So... Yeah.
Brian Bashore (17:31.182)
Yep.
Yup. And sometimes those gas rates are up and lodging is difficult and you're crowded. mean, the ramps are all packed. It's, and once again, you put a lot of pressure on those fish. It can affect, you know, everything, but you know, that, that's just turn them efficient. I'm, okay with going to a place I've never been efficient stuff and there's nobody around. Hey, okay. Sounds fine to me.
Zach Axtman (17:55.605)
You hear the story all the time, the toughest tournaments, the toughest bites are the easiest tournaments to win.
Brian Bashore (18:04.074)
Yup. Yup. And speaking of those toughest bites, you won one of those toughest bites and it was not an easy tournament back in 2019. on Winnebago that was, I remember, think I dropped at Pahoa School got there like a day late and it just rained. And I believe our water temp dropped like 15 degrees before the tournament. It was, was into April, early May, something like that.
Zach Axtman (18:24.52)
Yeah, yeah, that cold front.
Brian Bashore (18:31.8)
Early May it, yeah. May 2019. Yeah. Cold front and I, and, you want it. think Fredericks and Larsen's and, Randy, handful of guys, you actually went, if I'm correct, you went north, and you fished like the one area of the lake. I've never, I still have never fished. I've never ventured up there. Like you would, you would learn your lessons by now. like, I gotta go check out that spot, but it was a tough bite. Everybody struggled. I stuck to the river, got on some.
Zach Axtman (18:51.217)
Hahaha
Zach Axtman (18:55.869)
Yeah.
Brian Bashore (18:59.531)
know, maybe 12 pound type bags a couple of days before, you know, by the bridge. you know, everybody, so everybody else writes, everybody's fishing the bridge is hoping, well, those fish are kind of finicky and they're there one day and gone the next type deal. what, what, so it was a tough tournament. I mean, literally, I think there was a lot of zeros, lot of small bags.
Zach Axtman (19:07.026)
Right.
Zach Axtman (19:18.759)
Yeah, I think there were a lot of like two, three fish bags down there that time of the year.
Brian Bashore (19:23.236)
But you had no problem. You had no problem getting your limits pretty quick each day if I recall.
Zach Axtman (19:28.403)
Yeah, no, I you talk about the river and every time I go over there, everybody tells me you got to go to the river. And every time I go there, I put a big red X through the through the river. If I can't if I if I got to go there, I'm in trouble. It's I call it bingo fishing there. Everybody's there and one or two are going to win or, you know, catch them. I'd rather go find my own fish and do that. But yeah, no, it was, you know, cold front came through and.
Brian Bashore (19:39.076)
All right.
Brian Bashore (19:42.573)
Yep.
Yeah, yeah.
Zach Axtman (19:57.712)
I guess everybody knows when a cold front comes through the rods I'm going to have in the boat are my bobber rods and they paid off. We, I started up in the upper lakes and kind of worked my way to the main lake. And one morning I was just rock pile hopping with bobbers and got on one bite. And it was kind of, it was one of those deals where
Didn't know what I had because I only caught two fish off of there but the first fish I caught I boat flipped in and it hit the bottom of the boat and it literally puked out probably 50 leeches from the back of my live wall all the way to the front. You're like, okay, well we know the leech. And you know, so we went there the first day and I wasn't real selective because the bite was really tough. And so we were back, we were back in at
Brian Bashore (20:34.788)
Hmm.
Brian Bashore (20:39.733)
I don't know what they're
Zach Axtman (20:52.869)
I think 1130 that day with our five. And then the second day, I needed a little bit of wind. And if you remember, there was a big fog. They were all honestly thinking about delaying us because of the fog. Well, if there's fog, there's no wind. But when we made the run up there, there was just a little bit of chop and they were right back up there. So it was good. We were done at, I think, 1030 that day, but I was a little bit more selective.
They just were biting even better than they were the first day. So got lucky and found the magic rock pile.
Brian Bashore (21:29.304)
Yeah, I mean, there's always a little luck, but I didn't see anybody else slip, Bob, or so, I mean, maybe guys up around you or I know some guys are trolling over those humps as well. But I mean, there was just, you have a river that comes in up there. but I don't think you had a ton of traffic. Everybody just gets pigeonholed and tunnel vision on the main river. Cause it had fish in it, but they were just obviously a little more locked on and that's so dependable, know, dependent there on the current. And if you're
Zach Axtman (21:34.253)
Right?
Zach Axtman (21:46.117)
Yep.
Brian Bashore (21:58.366)
is or wasn't and it's always early spring, those fish are migrating through, moving in and out. mean, that lake is typically people have gone to the same spots every year in terms of been one doing the same thing in years. I think that year was the first time anybody had really kind of have done that up there. So that was.
Zach Axtman (22:14.391)
Yeah, it's definitely when you're doing that, it's small little details of it. Like during practice that year, I caught him on a small jig during the tournament. I never caught one on a jig. It was all on plain hooks. They wouldn't touch a jig, know, stuff like that. And then the last time we were there, was just a, we were on a reef that
Brian Bashore (22:30.914)
I know.
Zach Axtman (22:39.303)
There's probably 30 of the tournament boats there, but there was a current scene that was going through that a lot of the guys were missing and That's where we caught them all was right on the current scene where it was coming coming across there lot of guys would be trolling that are going through it, but if I could tell where it was just based off of the way my bobbers would move one One side of the boat the bobbers would go straight away from the boat the other one they'd go straight behind the boat because we were right on the current scene so
Brian Bashore (23:06.564)
I don't know how many times people have been Bobber fished in and been like, why in the hell won't this, why is it doing that? Why is it doing that? The current should be going that way and it Bobber's moving the other way. It's like, those are the things to pay attention to, know, throw it this way or that way a little bit. If it's not moving, okay, you, you, you found it, you know, and it's a great way to find it, but that's what practice is for.
Zach Axtman (23:14.803)
Yep. Yep.
Zach Axtman (23:21.518)
Yeah. My cousins and I won an AYA tournament on Devil's Lake where the wind was blowing probably 10 out of the north and our bobbers were going against the waves because the current was so strong going back into them. And it was funny because we caught fish there, pre-fishing, and we never caught them until our bobbers actually stopped.
They quit moving where the current kind of left and all of a sudden those fish showed up and we caught, I want to say it was 26 pounds and probably 35, 40 minutes tops. I mean, it was just, as soon as it did that, was game on and then they were done. The current switched and went back and you know, it was, what ended up happening there was there was a south wind for so many days blown into a bay that the water pushed in there and it was dumping out. And then once it stabilized, they moved in.
And a lot of people forget about that, even like you said, on Devil's Lake there's current, it's just not a true river system. But there's always current, I mean go to a bridge and you can see the current verifing through there.
Brian Bashore (24:30.041)
Yeah, it's big time current coming through some of those bridges. Yeah. And those, those bobbers would stop, which meant, boom, there was a seam and those fish were sitting right on it and just, they're like, thanks. And that's devil's Lake for it. Doesn't take 30 minutes. Boom, 25 to 30 pounds when it's on, it's, it's on better capitalize on.
Zach Axtman (24:33.215)
Yeah, so.
Zach Axtman (24:39.603)
Yep. Yep. Exactly.
Zach Axtman (24:47.411)
Yeah. And like I said, I'm not a river guy, so I, you know, I don't read current very well, but that's the one thing I've learned bobber fishing more than anything. I'll use a bobber just to find it, you know, throw it out to see if there is some type of current that I'm missing or something like that, just so I have a visual aid of it.
Brian Bashore (25:05.22)
But I've never been a barber guy. I always just thought you just think of bobbers as a kid, right? And, stuff. But then finally devil's lake years ago, we just needed a break from catching fish. Like let's just put it in spot lock and eat some lunch and threw a couple of bobbers on and threw them out the back. We could barely eat lunch because we were catching so many fish on a, I think it was six mile on the road or what have you. I was like, Hey, it's kind of fun. And now it's, there's like two bobbers always tied up in the boat. I mean,
Zach Axtman (25:26.739)
Yeah.
Yeah, well, and it's funny because when I when I was younger, just before I started tournament fishing and stuff like that, I hated bobbers. I'd much rather go catch shorelines and catch them, you know, casting or pitching and stuff like that. And then you can only do that so long where you get sick of not cashing checks and everybody else is bobber fishing. You're like, all right, I need to learn how to do this.
Brian Bashore (25:47.076)
Yep.
Brian Bashore (25:51.598)
Well, that's a great, I mean, and Hoyer said that with his life scope and other guys are doing it and me as well as we're pull up to a spot, toss that bobber out, play it on the boat. And then to start scoping, right. And casting and pitching around or are you able to find that one? You can't get it to go. I'm going to drop that bobber and leech and just let it sit in its head, you know, and entice it. may take a little bit, but there's nothing presenting live bait natural as natural as possible stuff to beat.
Zach Axtman (26:03.849)
Yep.
Zach Axtman (26:10.675)
Yep.
You know, that's it. Right. And it's funny because everybody's like, how can you sit there and do that? And it's like, one, you need a lot of snacks and two, also you learn that the bite windows, especially on those big fish. mean, how many times you've been on LiveScope and then you mark all these fish and they don't chase anything and they come back and all of sudden you whack.
three or four of them in 15 minutes. know, there's a bite window and you could see that when you bobber fish. Because you could just watch that school before live scope and any of that. You just watch those bobbers and you'd watch them slowly pick and all of a sudden you're like, we got three out of the four bobbers down. You know, that school just decides to feed. They don't feed all the time, but when they do, they're like piranhas.
Brian Bashore (27:02.008)
Yup. Yeah. It is pretty fun. I've been able to get on, probably did more bobber fishing last year than ever. and it's always, I got a couple of spots on the river. River is a little tricky, but you can find those little back current areas and exactly your bobber is going upstream because it's going around a rock pile and it just smokes a lot of fish. It's great for clients. I got kids, I can just throw a couple of bobbers out be like, all you gotta do. Just watch those. And a couple of days this year where I had put more bobbers on, so we had to put the jigging rods away because the kid couldn't keep up.
with two barber rods and like his grandpa had to grab ahold of one. The kid was on one. The dad's like, like you want one too? And he's like, I'll just keep throwing a jig and just watching his dad and there's three generations and his little kid just this well, this smoke and wall eyes. was, it was awesome and fun. like, doesn't get any easier than that folks. That's fun.
Zach Axtman (27:33.391)
Right?
Zach Axtman (27:49.489)
Right, well and it's funny because now you watch the LiveScope guys and you know there's always a bobber tied up. And you know before you never saw a bobber tied up anywhere. Now there's bobbers on decks all over the place. Come full circle. It's you know the way my grandpa and you know everybody else is probably grandpa fished with bobbers and everything else. It's coming full circle back around now just with a new twist.
Brian Bashore (28:03.285)
Yep.
Brian Bashore (28:12.644)
Well, I think it's kind of real got people to keep it simple. Cause I mean, see the bass guys and throwing what wall I guys been thrown forever. Right. A jig and a plastic metal, basically. It's it's, it's that simple. got a jig head, a Z man, jerk shot. Bam. That's it. Done deal. And then a bobber playing hook or a jig and a middle crawler leech. You know, it could be a plastic on there for, you know, quite a bit of the time too. If you got just a little bit of a wind out there, they'll, they'll crush it. But here we are overcomplicating it.
Zach Axtman (28:16.4)
Right.
Zach Axtman (28:26.342)
Yeah.
Zach Axtman (28:39.675)
Yep.
Brian Bashore (28:42.36)
Throwing out all these other things, not to say those, all these other things don't work. I I love Devils Lake cause I, I don't think I catch any more fish on a jig and wrap anywhere but there. But I don't think I've lost more jig and wraps, anywhere else, but there too is it's like, I would just love to go around the towers or whatever, you know, and just look at them all down there be like, man, what a mess. think I'm pretty sure you're getting snagged on other jigging wraps half the time at this point. You know, for sure it is a.
Zach Axtman (28:51.961)
Right, yep. That lake eats them.
Zach Axtman (29:03.088)
Aww.
Zach Axtman (29:07.622)
100 %
Brian Bashore (29:11.478)
So much structure, that's what makes it good. So, that's what, we keep those tackle companies in business by every time we go to devil's lake.
Zach Axtman (29:13.891)
Yeah.
Zach Axtman (29:18.221)
Yeah, talking about taking kids fishing too. You'd mentioned the white bass in Devil's Lake too. That's one of the, know, everybody complains about them, but you want to get a kid hooked on fishing. Take them out there and let a couple of 17, 18 inch white bass rip the rod out of their hand, casting, you know, ripple shads or some type of swim bait to the shoreline and they'll get them hooked for sure.
Brian Bashore (29:34.542)
Yeah.
Brian Bashore (29:41.844)
They're absolutely blasts those are beast out there and there's no shortage of them. I mean, it's, walleye, it's piker, it's white bass, you know, if you're not on a perch bite somewhere, you know, when you're out there in your boat.
Zach Axtman (29:46.755)
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. You find it, you find a school of white bass. Like when I take my nephews out, we, we have a contest who can catch them the most consecutive cast. I think the one year we went, was like 23 consecutive casts. caught a white bass. Yeah.
Brian Bashore (30:03.726)
Yeah. I don't doubt it one bit. Not a bit. know I broke a handful of fins off my jigging wraps because I just kept boat flipping them. know what I'm like as I would boat flip them. I got videos on YouTube. I'm grabbing the lines. like, these are like two and a half, three pounders. I'm going to break stuff, but then you lay it on the floor and you know, it would break off your, your fin or something on it there. But you know, but where there's white bass, here's walleye.
Zach Axtman (30:12.205)
Yep.
Zach Axtman (30:18.179)
Yep.
Zach Axtman (30:22.793)
yeah.
Zach Axtman (30:28.536)
There's, always say in the fall of the year, that's what I look for is, I call them the pinfish. They're just the little baby white bass. You can find them, the big walleyes are not far behind. They're somewhere in that area.
Brian Bashore (30:41.054)
Nope, not at all. I think that's about everywhere. I've articles on it and find the birds, find the white bass. White bass are going to find that bait. They push it to the surface. You know right where it is. Now, if you can get your bait underneath them, you can get the walleye. And the walleye eat those little white bass too.
Zach Axtman (30:53.525)
yeah.
Zach Axtman (30:56.899)
Yeah, and then, right. And I think that's one of the biggest things like on Devils that's changed. You know, people are starting to find out the suspended fish and that's exactly what it is. You know, we talk about roads and everything else, but the deep water on Devils, those, like you said, the fish are pushing them to the surface. I don't know how many big walleyes the last two years I've caught literally five to six feet below the surface out in 40 feet of water, you know, just cruising.
Brian Bashore (31:25.54)
Yep.
Zach Axtman (31:26.967)
They're up there and before everybody goes back to the old saying, you don't want to always fish the bottom because the eyes are on the top of the head. Well, that takes it to a whole new level. That's Lake Erie stuff. Right.
Brian Bashore (31:38.66)
Yeah. And you're not graphing them because you know, your cone's too small or you're spooking them, know, side-imaging or live scoping, you know, you can see them.
Zach Axtman (31:44.77)
Now, and what's funny is that's how I figured it out, was live scope. And one day when I was flat calm, there was probably a foot of algae on top of the water and you're going through and hadn't been catching much and big mark like five feet below the surface. And I'm like, it's a pike. I haven't caught anything all day. I'll flip to it. Bites instantly and it's a 27 and a half inch walleye. Go down the shoreline a little bit more, find another one. Like, huh.
been missing this for how many years?
Brian Bashore (32:16.802)
Yep. Well, I think you do get some pretty good algae on there later, you know, in the year and they're probably sitting right underneath that because it's keeping them shaded.
Zach Axtman (32:20.373)
Right.
Zach Axtman (32:25.045)
Yeah, well, and they're cruising, chasing the minnows that's in the algae is what my guess is. But yeah, crazy, you know.
Brian Bashore (32:29.122)
Yep.
Brian Bashore (32:34.764)
Yeah, that lake is special by all means. Let's get to some other stuff here. got, are the co-chair. They set up a little different now with the MPA. that you and Gilman are both co-chairs or?
Zach Axtman (32:45.909)
Yeah, I VP or co-chair or whatever you want to, I mean, it is what it is. Yeah.
Brian Bashore (32:53.188)
Used to be president. made neither president out, chairman of the board, co-chair type thing. nonetheless, that is on the board of directors for the national professionals anglers association. And we got the big conference coming up, January 3rd, 4th, I believe in Wisconsin Dell. So we're bringing it back to where it all kind of started years ago with the conference. just tell us a little rundown on that. What's, what's going on there? What can people expect?
Zach Axtman (32:57.567)
Yeah, yep.
Zach Axtman (33:22.663)
You know, it's, the biggest thing is it's a networking event. That's, and I can honestly say that, you know, the people that I came up tournament fishing with, we wouldn't be where we are today without it because we attended, I don't know how many I went to when it was at the old double tree in Minneapolis. We were there and then it went to the Dells and just getting to know people and.
that sort of stuff. get to listen to, this year we have Tom Nguyen that's gonna do a speaking, talk about his, what he's learned in the industry, that sort of stuff. Justin Hamner's gonna be there, the classic winner. He's gonna talk about the industry and the way he looks at it. What I like about it is you get so many different views in a short amount of time of
What do I need to do for sponsors? What do I need to do to keep the sponsors happy? Last year, Keith Kavais talked about his career at the conference. he went through a lot of stuff. Not only that, there's breakout sessions. We don't have the breakout sessions finalized yet. But a lot of the times, there's been, are you insured correctly? That sort of stuff. And that opens a lot of people's eyes.
Brian Bashore (34:50.2)
this.
Zach Axtman (34:51.269)
Guides and stuff like that. They think I have boat insurance. I'm good, but actually that's that's personal That's personal use you need actual commercial because it's a commercial business and stuff like that So, you know, it's it's good to look at that same Tax side of stuff and you know that sort of stuff too. So it's you know, and not only that
Brian Bashore (34:56.536)
No, you're not.
Zach Axtman (35:15.214)
Like I said, we, I started there never thinking in a million years, I would be in as deep as I am in the fishing industry. And I just went there to hang out with the guys I used to look up to, know, or still do Parsons, Kavias, Ted, play poker with Ted, you know, stuff like that. And, you know, it just, it was a snowball. I got to know some guys and.
Brian Bashore (35:33.549)
Yep.
Zach Axtman (35:40.444)
through them you get to know some other people and the next thing you know you're talking contracts and stuff like that with people that had no idea who you were two years ago. And now I call a lot of these guys some of my best friends. If you're serious about fishing, it's not a need to, you have to. Because the exposure you're gonna get and the people you're gonna meet, you can't put a price tag on.
Brian Bashore (36:11.286)
No, it's the networking aspect of it is second to none. There's nothing else like this. You can go to ICAST and go to boat shows and things like that, but you're not, you're not getting the business side of it. You know, information is there, and you bet you can bottom dollar. There's a whole lot of fishing talk going on, you know, in the evenings and dinners and the banquet for the, you know, the youth fishing banquet on, Saturday night. That's raised, you know, tons of money over the years. I remember my first one, which was at that, that double tree, I think it was.
Zach Axtman (36:28.753)
Right.
Brian Bashore (36:41.124)
Minneapolis, I you were prior there with FM and back when FM wall. I always had a big booth and, first thing I was told, I can't remember her names. One of the gals with the women wall, I were wall. I, whatever they were, came in and said, don't she's like, of advice. Don't play poker with Ted. First thing I did that night was played poker with Ted. And yeah, I took my money, but I did Kavias was sandbagging and I w can't sit there that long, about two hours in. like, I'm good. I'm all in, but I.
Zach Axtman (36:46.822)
Yeah.
Zach Axtman (36:57.687)
Hahaha
Zach Axtman (37:01.455)
Yep.
Brian Bashore (37:09.87)
Kind of, want a couple of times going off and eventually I just kept going and that devices is laid back and then he takes my money. Then they, they played for her, but I sat down with Rod Linder, Ted Takasaki, Keith Kavias, Tommy Scarless, Delstro shine and Jim Carroll, all of my table, my poker. I'm like, where the hell else can you do that? You know, and I was very, this is like.
Zach Axtman (37:12.227)
Yeah
Brian Bashore (37:38.53)
I don't even know, but 10 plus years ago, I first conference don't really know any of these people, but it wasn't like, you got to be on this a list to come play. It's like, here's some tables, grab a seat.
Zach Axtman (37:49.562)
Right, no exactly. That's the nice thing, because like you said when you brought up iCast and boat shows and stuff like that, it's more though, you're already seeing the final product. It's work. You're selling stuff here, you're seeing the backside of that before you even get there. They're teaching you, this is the way you handle yourself. This is what, I mean, so you hear stories about that around the poker table, but then you also had
You know, Yamaha, Mercury, all those guys sitting there and they're doing a panel and they're like, this is what we want to see from our pro staff. You know, it's be no different than me going to a conference for insurance. You know, it's a business and that's what they're teaching you to do is how to run it like a business and give you ideas and you know, marketing strategies and stuff like that. And you get to sit around a poker table and pick the brains of those guys. I mean, there's a
world of information there that they're talking freely about and you know learn I always look at this you get to learn from your own mistakes but you also get to learn from others people's successes and their mistakes so you don't make the same ones and you know there you can't put a price on that
Brian Bashore (39:08.972)
No, I mean, so I first conference, Bill McGann and I went to bill is the owner founder of all our nation creations. And I met Tom Neustrom was outside of the gal that told me not play poker with Ted. Tom Neustrom was the next person I met. Tom kind of just right away said, here, I'm going to put you underneath my wing and just told ins and outs sponsors. I mean, just didn't have to do any of it. Didn't even have to really ask too many questions. He just knew you've never been here. You're green. He could tell it in five minutes.
You guys, you guys don't know what the hell you're doing or talking about it as a guide and okay, you guide, you know, we're just kind of kicking some things off, you know, and then he just played it all out there, introduced the other people and just, I was like, you don't, can't, there's no books on this stuff. I mean, there's Kendall and some of those guys wrote, and I have the book and it's great, but there's, if there is a book it's old and this stuff changes rapidly nowadays. Cause there's so much marketing is 80 % of the, you know, the business more or less.
Zach Axtman (39:52.303)
Right.
Brian Bashore (40:08.448)
yeah, you just, you're never going to learn it. And he touched on it earlier. The taxes, the insurance, the odds are you are not doing it right. You know,
Zach Axtman (40:18.122)
Right, yeah. You'd be amazed at how many guides I've talked to just in my background in the insurance. they're like, well, I have auto insurance. Yeah, but is it commercial? Are you transporting your clients to and from the lake in your vehicle? And a lot of them say no. it's like, you might want to look into that just so you're covered correctly. And I'll go to those meetings all the time just to listen to other insurance providers or agents talk.
And it's amazing how many people it opens their eyes. They're like, I never thought of it that way. And it's like, well, it's no different than if you had a trucking company or anything else. You're not going to throw that under your personal auto policy and stuff like that. You're going to do it under a commercial. And I think a lot of people overlook that and think, it's my weekend job or whatever.
Brian Bashore (41:06.752)
Yup. Everybody hate you.
Zach Axtman (41:16.692)
they overlook it when in all aspects, mean, it is a full blown business and it needs to be treated as such.
Brian Bashore (41:24.184)
Yeah. You are with, especially if you're ice fishing, you're taking people out. You're, you're liable for these people who are paying you to do provide a service, you know, regardless if you're a moonlighter and I only do a few years, like it only takes one time, you know, and, and you don't, you're not, I almost guarantee it. Most people aren't insured properly. I've changed mine a couple of times to kick off party there every night is provided by Bob Luehl and worldwide Marine who insured a ton of us. Unfortunately, they can't do stuff in South Dakota because every state's different.
Zach Axtman (41:38.251)
Right.
Brian Bashore (41:53.856)
And it's made changes. I've had to move my policies elsewhere. but also had to change them to be much bigger and to have a general liabilities outside of the guide. mean, just, it's, you know, and people were like, insurances, everybody hates it until you need it. Right. And you can't get it. Once you need it, you already had to have it. I can't go buy life insurance. Once I'm dead, it doesn't work that way. Right. It's just, this is how it works. It's a risk factor you're paying, you know, whatever the case. And if.
Zach Axtman (42:14.225)
Right. Yep.
Brian Bashore (42:21.528)
You know, hopefully you never have to make any claims, but you're going to be damn glad you had the right coverage if you ever have to.
Zach Axtman (42:27.315)
Yeah, no exactly. you know, conferences like this, that's where you're gonna learn it. Because now all of sudden, you got, I know we sat in a meeting last year and there was 20 or 30 of us in front, the insurance agent guy that we bring in was talking about it. And people are asking, and you'd see a handful of the other guys go, I've never thought of it that way. You know, and same with the tax side, know, stuff like that. And.
That's the biggest thing is it opens eyes because just because you didn't think of it, know, a lot of people are like, that's a good question. I would have never thought to ask that.
Brian Bashore (43:04.388)
Yeah. Tax law sucks. You guys sent out a reminder. So membership benefit is the newsletter and all these things come out with a email came out the other day with the BOI reminder in it. You know, if you have a business, if you're an LLC registered even with your state, you got to sign this. I even remember what the hell that stands for business. Something identification basically says I'm a corporation. I'm in business, but it's a new, what a fraud act or something that was passed.
Zach Axtman (43:10.035)
Yep.
Zach Axtman (43:22.801)
And actually.
Yeah, and like we were in our office, I have another agent that works with me and we were talking about it and he looked into it even more. It's not even just LLC. If you're just a small business owner, you need to register with the state and stuff like that. I mean, we used it there too, you know, because now we're filling out the paperwork to do it for our business. And, you know, so there's a lot of benefit because we do send and it
back to like legislation, you know, we follow legislation. Our members will send us, you know, stuff, you know, like the North Dakota stuff. The reason that was brought to light right away was because one of our members reached out to us and let us know that it was going on. You know, otherwise that would have flown under the radar. And then we were able to get anglers on board, communities on board and get it changed. You know, it took longer than it was expected, but that is just deal.
Brian Bashore (44:25.156)
That's how that works. That's how that stuff works. it's nothing sexy. Nobody wants to do it. Nobody knows about most of it. And so much of it flies underneath the radar and you don't know it tells too late, you know, cause they use wording and certain words that don't catch people's attention so they can get it pushed through. cause nobody wants conflict or have to have to actually put effort and work into it, but everybody came.
Zach Axtman (44:25.263)
work in the process.
Zach Axtman (44:32.421)
Right.
Zach Axtman (44:47.693)
Right. And in our case, you know, they got pushed through during COVID when there was no in-person stuff and nobody dug into it and read into it. But long story short, we were able to get it changed and go on from there. So.
Brian Bashore (44:52.739)
Well...
Brian Bashore (45:03.684)
So it's a hundred dollar investment to be a member of the NPA. It's NPAA.net. I'll drop some links below. I'll put the conference registration link below. think the conference was like 125, 125 to go for a member. A little more if you're a non-member. there's member benefits of the information, the conservation, you know, the policy watch. know Pat is the current president acting on and he's part of ASA.
Zach Axtman (45:15.086)
$25. Yep.
Brian Bashore (45:30.712)
working on their legislative branch of that as well. So keeps everybody in the loop. Well, you got.
Zach Axtman (45:36.662)
The member benefits, we can't go into detail on it, but you can get your 100 bucks back real fast through our partners and stuff like that.
Brian Bashore (45:41.292)
Right. and no, no.
Yeah, I've had a couple of my guides have signed up, new ones this year right away. He's like, I'm an idiot. Why didn't I do that a long time ago? Like I was like, I've been telling you for years, you know, and they're all like, yeah. And then it comes time renew. And they're just like, no, no, no question about it. You you're going to have some guys that don't, but then you're to new ones that come up. And I think you're in that 12 to 1500 member range, which should have 12 to 15,000 members. but we've got to get the.
Zach Axtman (45:55.34)
We've been telling ya.
Zach Axtman (46:04.268)
Yep. Yeah.
Brian Bashore (46:17.294)
keep getting the word out. This thing was actually founded in North and South Dakota. We've to be approaching like 25 years or something. Or is it 30, 35? I mean, it's a lot, cause I know cause I now do the registration for it every year. cause it's registered in the state. so we have to keep that LLC fired up and pay that 50, which now went up to a hundred bucks state registration fee. So they can be like, yep, I'm assigned somewhere, but Hey.
Zach Axtman (46:25.292)
Yeah, it's gotta be up there.
Zach Axtman (46:46.732)
Right.
Brian Bashore (46:46.744)
tax purposes or tax purposes. So just got to play the game. It costs more than the fines when you don't. So I think that BOI stuff's up to like 500 some bucks a day if you don't do it.
Zach Axtman (46:57.46)
Yeah, that's what we found out. It's 500 bucks a day is what we looked.
Brian Bashore (47:03.46)
Yeah. 542 up to 10,000. You can actually sign up and do it for free. But if you try to get a bill, I had numbers going to cost you a few hundred bucks. I'm like, I don't need a number. I'm just bam, fill it out online and takes you five minutes. but then I was like, yeah, I have other companies. I got to do those too. So I got to go back log on and do them too. I was like, I got one done. then I was like, no, everything that's registered with the state is it, you know, but it gives you the dummy list. If your company is this or this, or if you do this, you know, yes, yes, yes. Bam file. It's no, no.
Zach Axtman (47:11.2)
Gotcha.
Brian Bashore (47:33.048)
You're exempt. Good to go. Don't worry about it. so, but if you got an accountant, that's easiest way to do it. So, all right. They should be all over that. January 3rd, 4th, Wisconsin Dales, hurry up and sign up if you haven't. think they still got a block of room. I don't know if that room rate is still going, but it was only like 130 bucks, which is dirt cheap for water passes. You can bring the whole family and that's the Dell is a massive water park indoor. Of course in January, I don't, know,
Zach Axtman (47:35.617)
No.
Zach Axtman (47:39.924)
Right. Yep. No, exactly.
Zach Axtman (47:52.865)
Yeah.
Zach Axtman (48:00.012)
Yeah, the Chila Vista is where it's at and it's got a giant indoor water park and we're actually going down a day early just so kids can go swimming and enjoy that and then my wife's gonna be there so she's gonna get three days of water park fun.
Brian Bashore (48:18.404)
There you go. Bring the spouses, bring the kids. It's a pretty good place. We have the future Angler foundation banquet. If it's still called that, believe, wildlife forever now has encompassed that organization underneath them, but that's always put on with like Skeeter and Yamaha. believe I've been the supporters, massive support from those guys for, I mean, well over the last 10 years supporting that, that dinner, which is all included with your registration.
Zach Axtman (48:25.492)
Yep. Yep.
Zach Axtman (48:45.215)
Yeah.
Brian Bashore (48:45.686)
And then it's a fundraiser that night and it's just a good time.
Zach Axtman (48:47.722)
Yeah, there's a live auction and a silent auction. And I know in years past, I haven't seen what's all going to be on there, like years past, I know you can even bid on fishing trips with guys. know it did pre-fishing days and stuff like that where you can jump in and fish with guys and all that fun stuff.
Brian Bashore (49:07.63)
yeah, I've auctioned off some out Linder fishing trips, some rod Linder fishing trips, Kavya's chase. I'm going to throw out there. bet there's a Tom win something going on with Tom. you know, and just, just stuff, all the, industry shows for it. They'll mercury a partner saying, well, a lot of these guys, they donate a ton of products to be signed on auction and live auction off that night. And then the food's always, always great, but.
Zach Axtman (49:19.658)
They're very well could be, yep.
Zach Axtman (49:33.448)
Yeah.
Brian Bashore (49:36.76)
The networking is second to none.
Zach Axtman (49:39.59)
Right? Yeah, no, I can honestly say I think since I wish I could remember the exact year, but I think I've only missed one that wasn't canceled due to COVID or something like that in the last 10 years, probably somewhere right there. It's fun. mean, you get to meet new people and it's, I'm not that old, but it's kind of fun watching, seeing people that started off the same way I did.
Brian Bashore (50:05.784)
Right.
Zach Axtman (50:08.88)
show up to it and you can kind of take them under your wing and say, know, here's what you need to do. Stay away from Ted at the poker table, you know, that sort of stuff.
Brian Bashore (50:17.634)
Yep. I mean, we talked about that already, but it is, there's a little something with even on the insurance, go to, and I did in financial thing, you got a ton of conferences and you're like, I can't teach an old dog do tricks. There's always something new to learn. And there's a new guy coming up and maybe you've been in this 10, 20 years and he's been at three or four, but he may give a social media seminar and it that's all new to you or it's.
Zach Axtman (50:32.977)
Right. Yep.
Zach Axtman (50:43.528)
100 %
Brian Bashore (50:44.364)
You know, things have changed and marketing is, know how many guys were like, yeah, I marketing degree back in 1990 something like good for you. That's couldn't be more irrelevant in today's world. Right. It just doesn't like 1990, right? Not too many of those, but maybe 20, 20 10 or something, but it, you know, it, just changed. did a workshop one day on how to do websites and had a, you know, a small handful of guys in there, but it was just like, as you know, guides are like, I'm not doing this, not doing that.
Zach Axtman (50:53.543)
Right, yeah.
Zach Axtman (51:00.261)
Right.
Brian Bashore (51:12.462)
that understand the SEO stuff on it, know, digital marketing type thing. As I said, it's fishing is on the pro level. You got to fish, you got to catch them. You got to do all that, but you're spending 80 plus percent of your time building brand, you know, putting it out there and doing the business side of it versus how much time you're actually getting to just fish.
Zach Axtman (51:33.9)
Right and while you were there you know Mike I can Ellie did a thing on the brand and I think Kevin Van Dam did it on creating his own brand and you know that sort of stuff and then it's kind of because you talk to those anglers and then you talk to the industry guys and they're like you know at some point what's a personal brand more than working for us you know type of thing but it overlaps regardless
Brian Bashore (51:41.048)
No.
Brian Bashore (51:57.508)
All right.
Zach Axtman (52:00.741)
you know, so you get to see a bunch of different perspectives on it.
Brian Bashore (52:01.326)
Yep. Yeah.
Brian Bashore (52:06.69)
Yeah, Ike did a, yeah, was great. Great. And when we set him up, it was like, we don't want to hear about your bass fishing career. We all know it. Cause if you don't, it's the Google it and you'll find out in five minutes and it's malicious. But Mike, I can always notice Ike is Ike's the brand, but Mike is business, all business professionals, the top level and has several companies and things. He's running employees, a handful of people, and they're all successful.
Zach Axtman (52:30.814)
Right and then it's like back to how KVD or Kevin Van Dam came about and he's talking about one of the publicists or one doing a thing started calling him KVD and that's how it started you know and he's like because people Kevin Van Dam was too long to say so they just started you know so it's KVD.
Brian Bashore (52:45.784)
That's too long. Yeah. I'm sure I can, Ellie's like, nobody can spell this. Nobody does not say my name eco quinelli, you know, and whatever. So it's like, let's Ike, what does it go with? Ike, you know, it's just the way that he even manages some of the other guys, pro anglers that are top level guys helps them. So like, you know, ish and others and, John Cruz and what have you all work underneath his umbrella as well. Yeah. It's awesome. People, if you haven't gone, check it out, be a member. If you can't go to the conference.
Zach Axtman (52:55.14)
Right.
Brian Bashore (53:15.298)
Join, start getting the member benefits, get in the loop. grow up and be a big pro like Zach, you know, which has helped you and I both immensely in our journey to this level, you know, wherever it may be. It's, it's just getting the ear of those other people that have been around long time. And I'm sure if I'm there and Zach's going to be there, don't be shy. Come up and ask whatever it is you want to ask.
Zach Axtman (53:43.715)
And that's honestly, that's the one thing I've taken away from these conferences is you just gotta approach these guys, it's after a weigh-in or at a boat show. mean, everybody's down to earth and gonna talk to you. That's the biggest thing is everybody, I don't wanna bug them. Unless they're talking or selling a boat or something like that, it ain't gonna matter. They'll talk to you and give you the time of the day.
Brian Bashore (54:05.412)
Yeah, don't.
Brian Bashore (54:10.148)
No. Yep. If you got your business cards, have them, but don't try to close the deals there. Just like other places, just get to know them. Let them get to know you introduce yourself. You're talking to CMOs. You're the decision makers. It's kind of like ICAST people, you know, they want to go to booth and booth and beg for this stuff. And that's really not looked well upon, but boy, there's a whole hell of a lot of after hours when you can go meet these people and just get to know them.
Zach Axtman (54:19.171)
Right. Yeah.
Brian Bashore (54:37.624)
You know, whether it's over a drink or dinner, whatever it may be, you're just getting known. And then if the companies you're already working with, you're going to get to know them better, you know, and then this opens up more opportunities and then you need to learn what is it they're looking for and how can I help them? And there's just no better way than sitting with those decision makers. Sometimes the person you might be dealing with is it's kind of on the outside, you know, looking in and they have, this is what they know. And that's, so that's what they're telling you about. And you talk to the people two or three levels above them and you can, I don't
You're like me and you're just a big picture. want to know this level so that you can deliver more and overachieve. you know, that's what they're going to learn from, from people like you and I and others. There is just, just come ask, man.
Zach Axtman (55:14.756)
Right.
Zach Axtman (55:19.474)
Under promise and over produce. Yeah, there you go.
Brian Bashore (55:22.732)
Overdeliver, right? It's, it's, it's pretty simple. There's a reason these are sayings, right? And slangs and what have you. So, all right. Once again, folks, I'll put those links down below and hope to see you all there. I think it's a limited to like 250 people, usually pretty close to that sold out. Usually the Dells usually fills up, pretty centralized location for the Minnesota, Dakotas, and then the East guys coming out. Right. Right. Right there. just hope we got good weather and it looks as of now.
Zach Axtman (55:27.581)
Yep.
Zach Axtman (55:47.283)
Yeah.
Brian Bashore (55:51.691)
Everything's looking pretty good. We don't have any snow down here anyway, and you got a little bit up there, but we're upper Midwest. We're good to go with driving on a little bit of that stuff. We are very, very used to it and bring your ice fishing gear and hit some places on the way home. So, I know that, that might be the plan coming back through Minnesota. So go hit them spots. So.
Zach Axtman (56:00.894)
Yep.
Zach Axtman (56:06.708)
There you go.
Zach Axtman (56:12.572)
Hahaha
Brian Bashore (56:14.402)
All right, Zach, we'll let you get back to it. I know you're a very busy man. got some policies, hopefully at a right, not claims to put out, but just new new new business coming in and wrap it up all that year and stuff can be pretty busy on the insurance finance side of things for a guy like yourself. So any closing words for these guys, you got a nugget or any points tips? We probably already dropped them on them, but if you got anything.
Zach Axtman (56:23.05)
Yep.
Zach Axtman (56:35.795)
Yeah, I guess the only tip I can honestly say is just like I said about the Bobbers, pay attention to the fine little details. That's honestly one thing I learned sitting around the poker table listening to guys like Keith and Ted talk. And it was all real little minute details that made a big difference on a lot of stuff.
Brian Bashore (56:58.252)
Yep. It can go from catching a few to catching a lot or from getting fifth to first or cash in a check to not cash in a check, which is can be a long, long ways in between sometimes. So we all like checks. So, all right, Zach, appreciate your time, buddy. We will hopefully see you soon and thank all you for tuning into this episode of real talk fishing with no limits. So stay safe and we'll see you on the ice.