We share the unspoken truth about rental boat damage, how to read buoys with confidence, and the specific checks that keep people safe and motors alive. Scotty brings years of lodge management and mechanical know-how to help guests, cottagers, and new boaters avoid costly mistakes and winterize right.

• following directions over copying locals’ shortcuts
• red right return explained for headwaters and return trips
• GPS as a tool with error margins and limits
• rental boat briefings, safety kits, kill switch and anchors
• cooling telltale checks and clogged intakes
• fuel planning for remote water with no cell service
• setting return times and basic rescue planning
• winterizing plumbing with air and RV antifreeze
• lower unit oil checks, seals, and prop shaft line

A glass wall, a dozen yellow-eyed timber wolves, and a wind that wouldn’t let up—our northern run from Wawa to Timmins had all the ingredients for a trip that teaches more than it takes. We hit record in the truck ride home to unpack what really worked: turning ugly chop into a pattern, trusting shade over sunshine, and letting a leaky tin boat and a pair of deep-diving cranks do the heavy lifting when cameras—and anglers—couldn’t stand.

We walk through the surprising spots and exact setups that changed our week. On big, windswept basins, we drift-trolled crystal minnows over 30–40 feet to target suspended walleye riding mid-column, no kicker required. When LiveScope lit up with fish that wouldn’t move on a rattlebait—after it crushed the day prior—we swung around the corner into the lee of a cliff, dropped live bait in 30–35 feet, and watched a neutral school switch on. Think of wind as moving structure: riprap gaps that funnel flow, single boulders that pin crayfish, narrow channels that compress current. We also dig into tools without the hype—Kraken/Spot-Lock anchor mode, five-foot jog moves to land precisely on marks, and the critical cross-check between traditional sonar and forward view to avoid chasing “mushroom” bottom returns.

Threaded through the stories are the small choices that keep you fishing: wearing auto-inflate PFDs, picking routes you can run back, and knowing when to call a windy hump and find softer water you can fish cleanly. We shout out local guides around Timmins, the bite heating up on Horwood Lake, and a can’t-miss sequence from Airdale Lodge you’ll see on Fish’n Canada. Come for the wolves, stay for the wind logic you can use this weekend—no matter your boat or budget.

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What if the fastest way to build a profitable company is to stop building for profit? That’s the paradox at the heart of our conversation with Ron Ladner, the force behind Shaggy’s—the waterfront restaurant brand born in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and powered by a mission to make every guest leave happier than they arrived. We trace the journey from storm surge and rescue boats to a million guests a year, and the surprising operating system that made it possible: solve your team’s real problems, design for joy, and protect culture with simple, scalable systems.

Ron breaks down how he and partner Rimmer turned a devastated harbour into a community hub, then resisted the urge to chase unit count. Owning their real estate, expanding existing footprints, and adopting a team-service model transformed four-hour waits into smooth hospitality while lifting take-home pay through pooled tips and shared accountability. We dig into the details—why eliminating a suspended licence can change a life and a P&L, how one mission statement outperforms a stack of checklists, and what it takes to keep average tenure at three years in an industry where 75 days is normal.

We also step offshore. From blue marlin in the Caribbean to a kids’ first-fish program with the University of Southern Mississippi, Ron shows how time in nature restores focus, deepens relationships, and quietly trains leaders. His new book, Shaggy’s Cheeseburgers, captures the playbook: turn setbacks into strength, measure success by lives impacted, and let a humble cheeseburger stand for comfort, hope, and home.

If you care about leadership, customer service, restaurant culture, or building a resilient brand without selling your soul, this story will challenge how you work. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s building something real, and leave a review to help more people find the show.