In-Depth Outdoors
Host of In-Depth Outdoors on FSN
FLYWAY
Let's begin by getting a little background and history lesson on James Holst. Give us all a brief summary of your journey from
childhood to present day. I'm especially interested in finding out when and where you discovered your passion and enthusiasm
for fishing. There had to be a time when you knew fishing was going to be a lifelong obsession and you were going to make
a career for yourself doing this. When did you "know" that you would be doing this for a living? Try to wrap this all up and put a
bow around it so we can all get a better perspective on James Holst.
HOLST
My passion for fishing was installed at the factory! My mother loves to tell stories about how I would pick through Field & Stream mags as a toddler soaking up the pictures and once I could read I would spend hours alternating between reading about fishing and daydreaming about it. Honestly I can’t recall a time in my life when I didn’t think about or read about fish or water and all the places I wanted to go to chase all the exotic species I would read about in Field and Stream & In-Fisherman. I think what captivated me about fishing and water at such a young age was that unlike our above water surroundings you can’t see what’s going on under the water. You have to imagine what everything would look like and use your accumulated knowledge to bring the details to life.
FLYWAY
I always like to ask avid anglers what their greatest fishing memory is. Almost every one of them cannot do it or pinpoint
one memory that stands out above the rest. Think about all the monster fish you have brought topside, or maybe a monster
fish that you lost. Or maybe it was a freak accident or funny incident while fishing that has a lasting memory for you. You have
fished all over this vast land for a long time so it begs the question, what is your greatest fishing memory? Is there indeed one
that stands out above the rest for you?
HOLST
This is actually a tough one for me. Or what sticks out in my head as a memorable moment might differ greatly from what other guys might share.
I’ve been very blessed to have had the chance to fish a LOT. Back when I was guiding full time I would guide 200+ days a year and fish 250 – 275 days or more. I can think of a lot of big fish landed, some great trips with good friends but one trip really sticks out for me and I’m honestly not sure why. Maybe by sharing it I’ll get a better feel for why it is so fresh in my memory.
It was one of my first couple years guiding full time so that would have been back in the mid 90s and I was out fishing on the Mississippi River in late November at night. I just love night fishing. There’s something about the solitude and pace of fishing at night that draws me in and allows me to focus like no other time. I’d honestly rather fish at night than during the day, but that’s not part of the story. Anyway, this night the temps were really cold and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We were a couple days before the full moon and the moon was high overhead casting this incredible glow across the water and into the woods. There wasn’t a breath of wind and there hadn’t been another boat on the water or even a noise made by another person since late afternoon when everyone else called it a day. The temps were so cold that the fast water coming through the lock and dam produced this delicate foam that froze instantly and covered the surface of the river downstream of the dam as it slowly drifted downstream with the current. Fishing was GOOD that night as one would expect it would need to be to keep a guy out fishing by himself in the cold. I remember catching quite a few big walleyes and there’s one particular moment that really sticks out. I’m landing this big walleye, I think it was in the 6 – 8 lb range, and the only sound to be heard is the splashing of this walleye as it gets close to the boat and that uncomfortable groan monofilament line makes during a fight with a big fish when it is stretched right up to its breaking point. As I lean over the boat I see the moonlight shining off all this crystallized foam and it was reflecting the moonlight like diamonds and I suddenly feel absolutely and completely content. How often can one say that they’re truly content? I didn’t need to fish any more. I didn’t want to leave but I didn’t feel the need to stay and I felt so in that moment and alive. Definitely something I’ll never forget!
FLYWAY
I was telling Joel Nelson that I spent many summers as a kid in the Crosby/Ironton area fishing Serpent Lake. I remember
casting for Northern Pike with a Daredevil and as I was reeling it in I latched on to something big! As I was bringing it in I was
telling my Grandpa that I was about to present him with a trophy pike. Unfortunately it was a dead loon and not a trophy pike.
I also snagged a live snapping turtle on that same lake with a Daredevil. Have you ever snagged or latched on to some
weird or interesting things while fishing?
HOLST
Oh yeah! How about a new trolling rod with a new Diawa line counter reel loaded with line, attached to a #5 clown shad rap which was attached to a walleye? The weird part about that catch was nobody else was around! I’d been fishing that location most of the morning and nobody had been anywhere near the area. But here’s this very lively walleye dragging around $150 worth of equipment and this fish looks like he could have been hooked 2 minutes ago. I released the walleye even though he definitely fell within that “eater” size range, mostly because I felt I owed that fish for the new addition to my fishing arsenal. That rod and reel was part of my guide equipment for years after that and it put a lot of nice fish in the boat.
FLYWAY
My two favorite fish are the northern pike and the largemouth bass. In the summer I like to hit the lily pads in search for the
monster bass, then when winter hits I focus my attention on pike and crappies. I think it's fair to say you love and admire all
species of fish but I'm going to put you on the spot. What is your favorite fish and why?
HOLST
You’re right, I love to catch all species. But if I have to pick one species as my favorite it would be the walleye. I love how diverse and refined you need to be as an angler to be consistently successful. You have to have very good boat control. You need to have a solid understanding of a wide variety of presentations like jigging, trolling, and casting. You need to be comfortable fishing shallow and deep using a combination of live bait or artificial baits. And you need to be very skilled with your electronics. I’m the type of guy that gets bored very quickly doing the same thing more than a couple times and the ever changing nature of walleye fishing keeps my head in the game.
FLYWAY
For your birthday this year I will be inviting 3 of your favorite bands or singers to perform for you at your birthday party. Who will
I be inviting?
HOLST
The Jayhawks, The Gear Daddies and Eric Clapton.
FLYWAY
Let's focus on some ice fishing tactics. I'm a guy who prefers to get the Otter set up, get the heat going, throw in a movie
on the portable dvd player, drop a line down and see what happens. I'm not big on moving around to find fish. I like to kick
my feet up and stay put. This may speak volumes as to why I'm not very successful out there most times. The way I see it
the fish have to come in my direction sooner or later so why go on a seek and destroy mission every time out? They will
make their way to me eventually. I want you to be honest in how you view my mind set and strategy or lack thereof. I want
the truth, do you really believe I have to constantly move around to bring fish topside?
HOLST
OK. The truth I’m the exact opposite. I can’t sit still when I’m not catching fish. But before we go any further let’s define success.
If your idea of a “successful” ice fishing outing is getting out of the house with a reasonable chance to catch a fish or two while listening to the football game, then I like your strategy. It would seem to me that your approach is highly likely to achieve the desired outcome and everyone fishes for their own reasons. As long as you’re satisfied at the end of the day and having fun I wouldn’t change a thing.
For me I feel that I’ve been successful when, at the end of the day, I can look back and say with some level of confidence that I found the very best bite producing the largest fish available on the body of water being fish on that particular day. Making that happen takes a ton of effort, both physical and mental. And when I’m able to make that happen I feel this incredible satisfaction. On days when I give less than 100%... I know it, and it drives me crazy.
So that’s why I’m constantly in motion. 2 minutes fishing any one hole without seeing a fish is an eternity to me. If I don’t see what I’m looking for on my flasher when the transducer hits the water chances are I won’t even stop to fish that hole.
As to your specific question “do you really believe I have to constantly move around to bring fish topside?” My answer would be moving does not guarantee success. You have to know where you’re moving to and why to have any reasonable expectation of success.
FLYWAY
I always go to the lakes that according to the DNR stocking reports and surveys are full of walleyes. I can never find them,
regardless of how hard I try or how much I change things up and try different methods or tactics. How would you recommend
I find them? Should I cut a bunch of holes and pray or should I just sit tight? In addition to that, what type of structure should I be
looking for?
HOLST
This is a tough question for me to answer. If I had more information regarding lake size, water clarity, time of year, bottom composition, and primary forage species, etc., I could likely do a good job of putting together a starting point pattern for you. Without these additional details I’d be throwing darts at a dart board blind.
FLYWAY
Talk to me about barometric pressure and changing weather patterns and what effect, if any, this has on the fish and how
they go about their business. I hear many anglers say the single most important ingredient to success is paying attention
to barometric pressure and change in weather, especially fronts. Others believe it is the most overrated and misused
piece of information out there and has no bearing on how successful you will be. Your thoughts?
HOLST
I do follow the barometer. A little. To be honest I’ve always had the mind set that I need to find a way to catch fish regardless of the conditions so I don’t plan my trips around changes in the barometer. And I’ve never seen any “hard and fast” rules to live by regarding changes in the barometer. It would be incredibly useful if the fish bit like mad every time the barometer was falling or if an angler knew the fish didn’t bite at all so we might as well stay home when the barometer was high. But it just doesn’t work like that. I’ve had fantastic trips when the barometer was off the charts high and I’ve also had horrible luck when the barometer was falling right before a storm rolled through.
Generally speaking I favor a falling barometer. The fish tend to be more active and aggressive and I can fish faster and use more active presentations. When the barometer is high, again, generally speaking, the fish will be less aggressive, I’ll need to fish slower and use less active presentations.
Either way I’m going fishing and I’m not going to use the barometer as an excuse for why the fish aren’t biting. The fish are ALWAYS biting somewhere. Somebody will always figure out a way to catch fish even under the toughest conditions. And I’d just as soon have that guy be me!
FLYWAY
In your opinion is there an ideal location on a lake to target pike with tip ups and what do you believe is the ideal bait
to use when trying to land pike? I hear varying philosophies on this subject, especially when talking about what structure
to be looking for when using tip ups for pike.
HOLST
Again, this is a tough question to answer without more details but I’ll offer some VERY general pointers. Early in the season I fish shallower. Often less than 10’ deep near weeds and I prefer live suckers. BIG ones. Like 10” plus. Later in the winter I move deeper and set up off prominent pieces of structure that extend out towards the main basin of the lake. Ideally I’m looking for a soft bottomed area, 25’ – 40’ deep, where I’m marking tullibees, smelt or whitefish. I’ll set suspended tip ups rigged with dead bait.
FLYWAY
Let's say I am targeting northern pike, which is often the case, and the spot I have chosen to set up in is producing
a bunch of smaller panfish. Am I in the right spot or should I consider moving? Keep in mind how much I hate moving
when answering this question!
HOLST
If you’re targeting northern pike and you’re catching “a bunch of small panfish” my first question to you would be are you seeing large pike on your underwater camera or on your flasher? What is keeping you from leaving? Is it that you have a good reason to believe big pike are in the area or is it that you just don’t want to move? Fishermen have to trust their instincts. If you have reason to believe you’re in the right place, give it some more time. Relocate your tip ups. Change baits. Change depths. Do something to modify your approach. However, if you haven’t moved because “you hate moving”, you need to decide if not catching fish is less tolerable to you than the process of relocating.
FLYWAY
Lake Waconia. I don't know how much you know about this lake or if you have ever fished it but I absolutely despise it
with every fiber of my being. You constantly hear stories about the monsters pulled out of that lake and there are pictures
to prove it. Many say it's one of the best fishing lakes in the state. I find that laughable and outrageous. I get my butt handed
to me every time out on that lake. What do you know about this lake and what has your experience been like fishing it?
HOLST
I’ve never fished Waconia. Sorry, I’m of no help.
FLYWAY
Your top 5 fishing lakes in the great state of Minnesota would be?
HOLST
#1 – The Mississippi River (St. Paul to Red Wing, MN!)
#2 – Rainy Lake
#3 – Lake of the Woods
#4 – Leech
#5 – Big Stone
FLYWAY
Your favorite movie of all time is.....?
HOLST
Right now it is “The World’s Fastest Indian.” It is a great story about a man with a phenomenal perspective and a passion for, well, I can’t tell you that part. It would ruin it for you.
FLYWAY
Give us some history on In-Depth Outdoors. What I really love about In-Depth Outdoors is you cater to both the angler
and the hunter. It's impressive the amount of information you provide and how much you can learn by visiting your
forums. Tell us how and when this all got it's start?
HOLST
I’d love to tell you I had this magnificent grand plan but that’s not how In-Depth Outdoors came to be. Back when my guide business was getting off the ground I mentioned to a friend who was a web developer that I was a bit swamped answering the same set of repetitive questions asked by my clients. Where will we meet? What should I bring? How long do we fish?
My friend suggested I add a simple message board to my website so I could answer this type of question once for all to see. And I could also keep my clientele informed on the current conditions and report on the fishing.
So that’s what I did. I added a message board and I answered the questions asked and I started sharing current fishing reports. My clients loved it. And so did the masses of non-customers that started to frequent the site. From that very innocent beginning In-Depth Outdoors was conceived after a couple name changes caused by a rapid expansion of our audience. Initially we were a river-focused website. We outgrew that quickly and we expanded to lakes and rivers. And then our hunting information took off and we had to broaden our name to include “all things outdoors.” In-Depth Outdoors popped into my head at 4:50 AM on HWY 58 between Zumbrota and Red Wing as I drove to meet guide clients one morning. I remember I couldn’t get back home fast enough that day to check to see if the domain name was available!
The name In-Depth Outdoors really encompasses what the site is all about. We pride ourselves on sharing detailed and high quality information intended to help our visitors be more successful and take more enjoyment from their sport.
Currently we’re working on a major expansion of our website that we’ve been working on for nearly 15 months. We’ll be covering more topics, pulling information from new areas and sharing that with, hopefully, a much broader audience. That release is scheduled for late spring 2011.
FLYWAY
I have met you, talked to you and watched you Sunday mornings on Fox Sports North. You baffle me and leave me at a
loss for words and I say that in the most respectful way. Maybe it's because I have never known anybody as passionate
about something as you are. You could walk up to me with a paper plate full of acorns and tell me to buy them and
I probably would. You believe in what you are doing and the products you are using and people in turn believe in you and
the products you use, it's an amazing thing. All that being said, what makes you tick? How is it possible to be this passionate
about something? Enlighten me, James Holst. Tell me what it is that makes you tick!
HOLST
What you see on TV is me being me and I’ve always been a teacher. I’ve been that guy on every guide trip before there was a TV show and I’ve always had the same basic motivating force driving me. I want to teach people what I know, share my enthusiasm in the hopes that it is infectious and that somehow helps people have more fun fishing. I’ve always thought that if I had to stop fishing for some reason I’d likely end up teaching high school chemistry or something. I derive an incredible sense of satisfaction from teaching. Initially it was 1 on 2 or 1 on 3 as a guide teaching people how to read a sonar or pitch jigs. Then once I got in front of the camera and realized I could reach more people in less time, it was all over, man! I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. And because I’m “just being me” I think people sense that sincerity and that’s where the trust comes into play when I’m suggesting products. If I’m driven to teach and I want people to be successful and people pick up on that, the idea that I would mislead anyone about a product just doesn’t add up.
FLYWAY
Your favorite meal is.....?
HOLST
BBQ! Brisket or ribs.
FLYWAY
You and I have a connection with Otter Outdoors. Tell me what makes Otter stand out above the rest in your opinion.
What do you believe they have that makes them the leader in the sport we both love?
HOLST
Why Otter? Flat out, they do it right. Everything about an Otter Ice House screams of durability and attention to detail at a time when so many companies seem to be focusing on making less expensive products while sacrificing quality.
When I’m carting around $20k in camera equipment I can’t have break downs out there on the ice and I don’t do disposable! Given the way I fish and the weight of the gear I carry I need an ice house that has the toughest, thickest sled in the industry. I need one that uses the thickest aluminum in the poles and the heaviest canvas in the tent. I need a house with a heavy-duty hitch system. And that’s what I get from my Otters!
Over the course of an ice season we cover some incredibly tough miles loaded to the gills with hundreds of pounds of fishing equipment and camera gear and the crew and I never, ever have to replace or repair ANYTHING on our Otters. Case in point. Two seasons ago my Arctic Cat sled I use to tow my Otter house had 860 miles on the odometer at the end of the season. That’s 860 miles over portages, bouncing off rocks and trees while carrying a huge payload. At the end of that season I sold that house to a good friend that told me the house basically looked new when he picked it up! There’s not many companies building products like this any more. When you find one that does you stick with it.
FLYWAY
Tell me 3 things you refuse to fish without. It can be a piece of equipment, a favorite rod or reel, a favorite snack, ect.
You seem to be a creature of habit and I believe you have 3 things you will NEVER fish without. What are they?
HOLST
Ice fishing - #1 – Flasher. #2 – Headlamp. #3 – GPS. If I forget any one of these three items I’m turning around and headed back home to get them.
FLYWAY
True or false. When fishing a high traffic area on a lake it is best to go where the crowd is rather than venture away and find
a spot off the beaten path away from everybody? Logic would tell you all the people are in that area for a reason so it must be
good fishing!
HOLST
I’m not one to ever fish in a crowd when ice fishing. The fish have already been found and my satisfaction is derived from putting together a pattern and finding my own fish versus catching fish. I know it sounds odd but I actually get bored very quickly catching fish. If I get on a hot bite and the fish are coming easy I’ll need to try something new pretty quickly a new lure, a different depth or a slightly different area to keep things interesting. So I’ll be the guy driving away from the crowd every time.
FLYWAY
You can go on the fishing trip of a lifetime with 3 people of your choice, alive or deceased. They can be relatives, friends,
celebrities, politicians, but only 3! Where will you going on your all expenses paid dream of a lifetime fishing trip, what lake
will you be fishing on, what fish will you be targeting, and who will you be taking with you?
Where would I go?
HOLST
I actually have a dream ice fishing trip in mind. I love catching big lake trout through the ice. They put up an incredible fight and they’re found in very remote areas that I enjoy fishing in. So I’d like to go to one of the huge lakes in the N.W. Territories in Canada and try to ice a 40+ lb laker! That would be my dream ice trip right there. Who would I bring along? Well, they’d have to be ice crazy like me because of the temps and the work it would take getting into these remote lakes so I’d say Joel Nelson, Chris Granrud and Cal Svihel because they all know how to roll up their sleeves and get a job done and they’d be just as excited about this type of trip as I would be.
FLYWAY
I know fishing takes up a lot of your time but tell us a few other things you enjoy doing in your spare time, or am I wrong in assuming you have any spare time?
HOLST
I don’t have a lot of spare time but what I do have is spent with my wife, Cheryl. We love to cook so we’re always in or around the kitchen working on something!
FLYWAY
Describe James Holst in one word.
HOLST
Passionate.
FLYWAY
In closing I want to thank you for taking some time out and allowing me to pick your brain on a few topics. Maybe we can get
out on the ice together sometime this year, time permitting of course! I'm hoping you have an open door policy should I have
any questions or concerns as to why my methods and tactics continue to fail at an abysmal rate. Thanks again for your time
and best of luck to you the rest of the way James!
HOLST
It was my pleasure. You and I will need to make a point to share some time on the ice together yet this winter, although you’ll have to get used to staying on the move!
Minnesota Flyway would like to thank James Holst for taking the time to answer our interview questions. Don't forget to check out www.in-depthoutdoors.com and watch them Sunday mornings on Fox Sports North at 8 AM.
