Behind the Scenes of We Caught That: Creating an Outdoor Television Show

We Caught That is the outdoor television series I host on Waypoint TV. Waypoint describes the show as following a full-time fishing and hunting guide who loves putting friends and clients on anything that can be caught or harvested from or near the water, with guiding, conservation, outdoor life and cooking along the way. There are two seasons of six episodes each, twelve in all, and you can find every one on the We Caught That page of this site.

Most outdoor shows focus on one activity at a time. In real life, when we’re planning a fishing trip and hunting season is open, we often do both. That is why fishing and hunting share the same show, and it is also why cast-and-blast trips are popular with my businesses. HuntNLA runs cast-and-blast trips out of Venice, Louisiana, for example.

You can see the mix in the episodes. In Season 1, Episode 1 an alligator hunt is followed by bass fishing; in Episode 2 a fishing day at Keaton Beach leads into a feral hog hunt; and in Episode 6 a redfish and trout trip out of Steinhatchee is followed by a waterfowl hunt in the middle of the state. I have fished my whole life and I have hunted my whole life, so for me it has always been one outdoor life.

Food is part of the story, and it stays in the show: harvesting, cleaning, preparing and eating the fish and game. In Season 1, Episode 1 we head back to the house to clean and cook fresh alligator. In Episode 5 we catch sea trout to cook for lunch at The Wharf, and in Episode 6 the goal is redfish and trout for dinner. Season 2, Episode 3 is about a fishing day in Tampa Bay that might end with a fresh catch for dinner.

My own favorite meal is fresh fish and grits paired with pan-fried duck breasts.

Waypoint lists conservation among the themes of the series, and it is a big one for me. My goal is to leave the outdoors better than I found it and to help people understand why fishing and hunting matter to continued conservation. I want to demonstrate those values through how I live and how I guide.

We revisit adventures we loved, pursue experiences we have never tried, and sometimes attempt something we believe hasn’t been done before. We are comfortable when plans change. The show isn’t about the final catch or harvest; it’s about the experience of doing it.

A lot of that experience is the people. Eleven of the twelve official episode descriptions name the person I am out with, from guides like Capt. Britt Ordes, Capt. Brian Sawyer, Capt. David Paycheck, Capt. Griffin Deans and Capt. Glyn Austin to friends like Julie, Cody Williams, Matt Miller and Janot. In Season 2, Episode 3, Capt. Danny and I get back on the water together for the first time in over a decade.

My advice is short:

“Just start. The best time to start was yesterday. Figure it out as you go. You got this.”