The MeatEater Podcast

Ep. 792: World Record Burbot, Dock Dogs, and Butt Out | MeatEater Radio Live!
Release Date: November 14, 2025
Host: Steven Rinella (plus Spencer Newhall, Cal/Ryan Callahan, Phil, and guests Sean Conrad & Steve Powell)

Episode Overview

Main Theme:
This lively MeatEater Radio Live episode features record-breaking fishing tales, the world of competitive dock-diving dogs, and an irreverent gear guessing game. The crew deep-dives into “buck fever,” discusses hunting culture and etiquette, and brings on guests with extraordinary stories—especially how to land a world record burbot and what it takes to have the ultimate dock-diving dog.

Guests:

• Sean Conrad: Holder of multiple (including all-tackle) world records for burbot and rainbow trout fishing
• Steve Powell: Co-owner of North American Diving Dogs

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Opening Banter: Hunting Culture & Camaraderie

• Hunting as a Workplace Priority:
  The team jokes about how MeatEater staff rotate responsibilities to ensure everyone gets time for hunting, reflecting a workplace culture that values nature and adventure (05:26).
• Respect for Permission & Landowner Etiquette:
  Spencer shares his determination to secure hunting permission the right way—even reaching out to a landowner’s adult child at work—emphasizing the importance of ethics and resourcefulness (07:01).
  • Quote (Spencer, 08:11):
    "Let me put this out there first. I think what I'm doing is very inappropriate by reaching out to you here at your work email. This is... you know, who I am. I got permission from your parents last year. I'm trying to get permission again."
• Buck Fever Confessions:
  Extended, humorous, and honest conversation about experiencing “buck fever” (the adrenaline rush before/during a big hunting or fishing moment), how it changes over a career, and the personal quirks involved (09:13-13:50).

2. Interview: World Record Burbot & Trout (Sean Conrad, 25:41–42:14)

Sean Conrad’s Fishing Legends

• Background: With his twin brother Adam, Sean has caught 14 world record fish, including all-tackle records for both rainbow trout and burbot.
• The World Record Burbot (26:11):
  • The brothers targeted a specific fish known to be gigantic, tirelessly fishing and sleeping in their truck to pursue it.
  • Quote (Sean, 27:54):
    "I remember hooking that fish, and I had thrown my rod out, and I was eating a sandwich... and my rod just kept bouncing... and I knew when I was reeling [it in]... I had the world record on..."
• Techniques/Secrets:
  • Focus on drop-offs and holes with bait on the bottom (ciscos, smelts).
  • Success comes from relentless movement and adapting to fish behavior—even when conditions change yearly (30:47).
• Why March for Burbot?
  • March is prime because of pre-spawn: fish are heaviest and congregate densely (28:53).
• Eating Burbot:
  • Preferred size: 5–10 pounds (“delicious—backstrap, tail meat, belly meat”).
  • Frying belly meat or preparing it like calamari is a favorite (29:34–29:45).
• Advice to Aspiring Record Chasers:
  • “It’s honestly the same as deer hunting. You have to know what lake produces big fish... do your research and then figure out your techniques and learn.” (38:10)
• Record-Keeping Insights:
  • Sean explains IGFA’s line class and all-tackle categories—how testing and certification works, and the dedication required to ensure a catch is official (33:23–35:12).
• Memorable Moments:
  • Sibling rivalry: Sean and Adam have each broken the other’s records but focus more on learning and improving than competition (36:10).
  • Why Lake Diefenbaker produces giants: A dam creates constant forage (chopped ciscos) and fish feed heavily (37:10).

3. Buck Fever: Both the Rush and the Anxieties (09:13–18:38)

• Personal Tales:
  The hosts and Phil get real about the emotional and physiological surge before a shot.
  • Steven Rinella’s Theory (13:02):
    "I feel that there is a finite amount of whatever it is that gives you buck fever... I’ve used a lot of it up."
  • Mentoring Kids:
    Steve notices differences in how his children process the nerves, with his daughter verbalizing anxieties and his boys focusing only on success (15:14).
• Hunting Anxiety & Paranoia:
  • The team discusses the competitive, anxious feeling when encountering other vehicles at trailheads (17:12); always assuming others have their same motives, even for niche pursuits like mushroom hunting.
    • Quote (Steven, 18:14):
      “If I see another car... in my head they’re doing what I’m doing. Meaning, if we’re like mushroom hunting and I see a car pull over, ‘Son of a– is mushroom hunt.’”
• Management Strategies:
  • Some try to “block out” adrenaline to focus on execution; others embrace it as part of the fun (16:06–16:41).
  • Beta blockers are discussed in jest (“I’m usually looking for reasons not to take drugs”—Steven, 20:54).

4. Listener Feedback: Q&A and Rapid-Fire Gear, Food, & Tactics (42:38–46:28; 73:58–79:56)

• Office Hunting Policies:
  • PTO vs. flexible hunting days for MeatEater employees (42:52).
• Leopard Shark Eating Tips:
  • Proper trimming for good flavor—must remove fat and bloodline (43:38–44:12).
• Historical Deep-Dives:
  • Interest in podcast episodes on the French voyageurs and Cour du Bois (44:24).
• Mental Game on the Mountain:
  • What keeps minds occupied on long hikes: songs, self-composed ballads, and sometimes dwelling on one’s likes or dislikes (45:08–46:26).
• Target Panic in Archery:
  • Cal’s irreverent advice: "Don’t believe in target panic at all. Don’t listen to those people. Don’t be around those people." (75:01); the group discusses mental checklists and technique switches to manage anxiety (75:22–76:14).
• Pike Cooking / Pickling Tips:
  • Best to pickle to eliminate Y bones; also recommend processing into fish cakes (78:16–79:18).

5. Game Time: MeatEater Price Is Right (52:16–66:17)

Format: Guess prices for quirky outdoor products, Price is Right-style, with audience participation in the chat.

Featured Items:

1. Butt Out 2 (game processing tool):
   • Humor: "Or anything with an anus." (56:26, Cal)
   • Price revelation and banter about whether anyone actually uses these tools (57:50–58:41).
2. Taxidermy Beetles Super Kit:
   • For DIY skull cleaning; surprisingly expensive ($246.50); sparks speculation about the cottage industry of bug-breeding (61:09–61:50).
3. Autographed 8x10 Steven Rinella Photo:
   • Market comparison: Steve’s signed photo ($85) is “between Playboy and Don McLean” in price on eBay (66:17–66:38).
   • Quote (Steven, 66:35):
     “Someone’s like, ‘How famous?’ I’ll tell you exactly how.”

6. Interview: North American Diving Dogs – The World of Dock Diving (67:02–73:50)

• Steve Powell's Dock Dog Primer:
  • Dock diving: any dog, any size; just needs drive and love of water (67:41).
    • Quote (Steve Powell, 68:06): "If you have a dog that is psychotic and you don't want any part of dealing with it, most of the time, that's probably your best bet because they'll just do whatever you want them to do."
  • The current world record is held by a whippet named Sounders—jumping 36 ft, 11 in (68:26).
  • The sport’s human parallels—competitive spirit, “my dog can beat your dog” (68:53).
  • Dock diving is now expansive: 90+ US facilities, AKC partnerships, and events broadcast on ESPN (70:55–71:41).
• Hunting Dogs Welcome:
  • Many competitors are also hunting dogs; crossover is common (70:23).
• Canine Cognition:
  • Steven ponders whether dogs understand shifting environments, like when a dock into water suddenly becomes dock into ice (72:09).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Buck Fever:
  • "There's a mental decision to cave to it or block it out." (Cal, 09:24)
  • "I feel that there is a finite amount of whatever it is that gives you buck fever... It doesn’t squirt as much out as it did when I was young." (Steven, 13:02, 13:28)
• Sibling Rivalry:
  • “What makes Sounders so good? — Sounders is fast, Sounders is athletic, and he just wants that toy.” (Steve Powell, 68:38)
• Classic MeatEater Humor:
  • “Or anything with an anus” (Cal, on Butt Out 2, 57:00)
  • Price is Right: “Steve’s signed photo is between Playboy and Don McLean.” (Cal, 66:29)
  • “Someone’s like ‘how famous?’ I’ll tell you exactly how.” (Steven, 66:35)
  • On archery target panic: “Don’t believe in Target panic. Don’t listen to those people… If that causes a divorce or something like that, that's better for you in the long run.” (Cal, 75:01)

Important Timestamps

• [25:41] – Start of Sean Conrad interview: world record fishing stories
• [42:38] – Listener Q&A segment (work/hunting balance, shark filleting, etc.)
• [52:16] – Price is Right game segment begins
• [67:02] – Steve Powell interview: Dock-diving dogs
• [73:58] – Live Q&A wraps up: Skunk spray, target panic, gear/gift recs
• [80:00+] – Final hunting stories & episode close

Conclusion

This episode combines gritty record-chasing fishing tips, tongue-in-cheek gear reviews, and stories about family, workplace culture, and the thrill of the hunt. Fans are treated to a rich sampling of what makes The MeatEater Podcast a staple: expert guests, relatable humor, and deep affection for the wild.

The memorable tales of Sean Conrad’s relentless pursuit of record fish, the celebration of canine athleticism in dock diving, and the candid, often hilarious confessions about "buck fever" make for an episode that’s as informative as it is entertaining.

For anyone who hasn’t listened:
You’ll come away with insights on catching record fish, coping with adrenaline in the outdoors, the quirks of outdoor gear, and just maybe, a new appreciation for the odd hobbies and competitions that bring the outdoor community together.