Recent Posts
Conservation Clubs Make A Difference
February 19, 2012 • 13125No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F02%2F19%2Fconservation-clubs-make-a-difference%2FConservation+Clubs+Make+A+Difference2012-02-19+04%3A50%3A16Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D13125The Quad Cities Conservation Alliance Outdoor Show is a unique event. For one thing, the Expo Center where it’s held…»
Rainbows Under Niagara
February 13, 2012 • 12752No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F02%2F13%2Frainbows-under-niagara%2FRainbows+Under+Niagara2012-02-13+03%3A53%3A50Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D12752Talk about a tough drift. I think I need a bigger float. Maybe a barrel. The mighty Niagara Falls is 176 feet…»
Good Morning, Zooplankton
February 12, 2012 • 127042 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F02%2F12%2Fgood-morning-zooplankton%2FGood+Morning%2C+Zooplankton2012-02-12+04%3A23%3A11Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D12704Snap quiz. Pencils out, notebooks away. What are zooplankters? What do zooplankton feed upon? Why are plankton important? How does…»
The Ice Yet To Be: Steel Episodes
February 10, 2012 • 126522 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F02%2F10%2Fthe-ice-yet-to-be-steel-episodes%2FThe+Ice+Yet+To+Be%3A+Steel+Episodes2012-02-10+01%3A38%3A17Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D12652Hold the presses. Almost forgot about steelhead—one of the most unique ice-fishing opportunities in the world. Big, warp-capable powerhouses that…»
What Are Walleyes Doing?
February 9, 2012 • 12649No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F02%2F09%2Fwhat-are-walleyes-doing%2FWhat+Are+Walleyes+Doing%3F2012-02-09+23%3A43%3A03Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D12649Right now, big walleyes are getting a tad lethargic. Sitting on bottom. Won’t rise to the jig. Or is it…»
Quad City Seminars
February 8, 2012 • 126312 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F02%2F08%2Fquad-city-seminars%2FQuad+City+Seminars2012-02-08+18%3A11%3A27Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D12631Ah, the roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crowd. (Or is it the other way around?) Sports shows…»
Boating Participation Facts
February 8, 2012 • 12627No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F02%2F08%2Fboating-participation-facts%2FBoating+Participation+Facts2012-02-08+17%3A25%3A06Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D12627This graphic from the Outdoor Foundation shows what people do with their boats. It’s one of many charts, surveys, and…»
A New Light On Walleyes
February 2, 2012 • 12488No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F02%2F02%2Fa-new-light-on-walleyes%2FA+New+Light+On+Walleyes2012-02-02+04%3A30%3A56Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D12488We drove to Mille Lacs, caravanned across the ice, and fished most of the day in fog of varying density.…»
Big Walleyes
January 31, 2012 • 12397No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F01%2F31%2Fbig-walleyes%2FBig+Walleyes2012-01-31+04%3A20%3A50Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D12397Big walleyes: Don’t often travel in big packs. They may tend to be solitary in some environments. Often hunt different…»
Walleye Patrol
January 27, 2012 • 12270No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F01%2F27%2Fwalleye-patrol%2FWalleye+Patrol2012-01-27+04%3A59%3A28Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D12270We muster at Hunter’s Point, 7 a.m.. I board a troop transport driven by Tony Roach—a flatbed trailer pulled by…»
Finding Goliath Gills
January 25, 2012 • 12249No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F01%2F25%2Ffinding-goliath-gills%2FFinding+Goliath+Gills2012-01-25+03%3A56%3A25Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D12249Rick Hammer caught this one on a Lindy Bug. (That I gave him.) And a wax worm. To find him,…»
Two Fisted Bluegills
January 23, 2012 • 12144No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F01%2F23%2Ftwo-fisted-bluegills%2FTwo+Fisted+Bluegills2012-01-23+00%3A15%3A41Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D12144The beauty of living in paradise isn’t just having access to bluegills like this. But it helps. We punched holes…»
Winter Steelhead Shangri-La
January 19, 2012 • 11980No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F01%2F19%2Fwinter-steelhead-shangri-la%2FWinter+Steelhead+Shangri-La2012-01-19+04%3A05%3A34Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D11980Age is a limit we place on ourselves. Chang, Lost Horizon Paradise, for me, is an open river, ice shelves…»
Midnight Bluegill Chef
January 18, 2012 • 119322 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F01%2F18%2Fmidnight-bluegill-chef%2FMidnight+Bluegill+Chef2012-01-18+03%3A13%3A46Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D11932Dark out, slipping across the yard. Light dusting of snow on the porch. Four bluegills, quickly cleaned and scaled at…»
One More Pike
January 15, 2012 • 118001 commenthttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F01%2F15%2Fone-more-pike%2FOne+More+Pike2012-01-15+04%3A08%3A03Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D11800The temperature dropped over the past few days to 0°F or so. Great for mending cracks in the ice, but…»
Tip-Up Pike Tips
January 13, 2012 • 11759No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F01%2F13%2Ftip-up-pike-tips%2FTip-Up+Pike+Tips2012-01-13+00%3A36%3A31Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D11759Rick Hammer of Aqua-Vu hoists a pretty one from the waters of a nearby lake. And, of course, he’s not…»
The Fifty Inch Pike
January 11, 2012 • 117122 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F01%2F11%2Fthe-fifty-inch-pike%2FThe+Fifty+Inch+Pike2012-01-11+05%3A58%3A34Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D11712No, not this one. She’s not 50 inches. That’s guide David “Shoggie” Shogren. He’s 50 inches. Easy. He’s holding our…»
2011: Year Of The Tooth
January 1, 2012 • 11452No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F01%2F01%2F2011-year-of-the-tooth%2F2011%3A+Year+Of+The+Tooth2012-01-01+05%3A49%3A54Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D11452It was one of the best pike-fishing years ever. For local pike, that is. This animal was found on the…»
Jig Storage Issues
January 1, 2012 • 114471 commenthttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2012%2F01%2F01%2Fjig-storage-issues%2FJig+Storage+Issues2012-01-01+05%3A11%3A07Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D11447This is Clam’s new Ice Armor Jig Box. Spotted it on the desk Dave Genz was using at the Ice…»
Attack Of The Holiday Panfish
December 30, 2011 • 11433No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2011%2F12%2F30%2Fattack-of-the-holiday-panfish%2FAttack+Of+The+Holiday+Panfish2011-12-30+04%3A37%3A03Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D11433Mild and crazy weather. Finally getting a little snow, north of here. Something tropical looking about these bluegills I’m on,…»
Winterizing Boats
December 22, 2011 • 11311No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2011%2F12%2F22%2Fwinterizing-the-enterprise%2FWinterizing+Boats2011-12-22+00%3A12%3A44Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D11311It’s your ship. You can call it what you want. Every guy secretly thinks of his boat as the SS…»
Early Ice Crappies
December 21, 2011 • 11293No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2011%2F12%2F21%2Fearly-ice-crappies%2FEarly+Ice+Crappies2011-12-21+03%3A42%3A40Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D11293The roof slides shut. Sometimes it reopens, especially on big lakes with lots of fetch. This time of year, small…»
Cold-Front Bluegill Wrangle
December 16, 2011 • 11097No commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2011%2F12%2F16%2Fcold-front-bluegill-wrangle%2FCold-Front+Bluegill+Wrangle2011-12-16+02%3A13%3A23Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D11097I want the fish that tried to eat this 10-inch bluegill. She bit on a cold-front day. Rather severe. More…»
Ice Man’s Wish List
December 14, 2011 • 110341 commenthttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2011%2F12%2F14%2Fice-mans-wish-list%2FIce+Man%27s+Wish+List2011-12-14+17%3A52%3A20Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D11034Getting ready to travel north today and it’s raining. And snowing and freezing on the roads. Yuck. My good friend Chris…»
Preparing For The Bulls
December 13, 2011 • 109861 commenthttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F2011%2F12%2F13%2Fpreparing-for-the-bulls%2FPreparing+For+The+Bulls2011-12-13+04%3A24%3A41Matt+Strawhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-fisherman.com%2F%3Fp%3D10986We hunt the bulls this week. No? Si. We go north, where the ice is strong. Before I go, I…»
Matt Straw
Matt Straw grew up around trout streams and bass lakes in Michigan. Always fascinated with water, he used his spare time to research baitfish, aquatic insects, and limnology in the biology library at the University of Michigan, where he graduated with degrees in communication and English literature with a teaching certificate.
His professors encouraged him to publish and he did, placing articles in outdoor magazines before graduation. He then took a reporting job with Advance Newspapers. Five years later, his beat was the largest in the chain’s history. He joined In-Fisherman as an editor in 1990 and worked there for 20 years.
During that time he described many novel fishing concepts and techniques for catching smallmouth bass, steelhead and salmon, panfish, and more. His writings on steelhead are recognized throughout the industry as some of the most informative ever published.
Today, Matt writes for a number of media outlets on a free-lance basis. As Field Editor for In-Fisherman, he regularly writes features for In-Fisherman magazine and the company’s annual guides. He also uses his multi-species experience to help youngsters find fish and enjoy the outdoors by volunteering to speak and bait hooks for kids groups and outings throughout the Midwest.
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