GRANITE FALLS, Minn. January 30th, 2024 - The next Prairie Sportsman features fishing on the St. Croix with a seasoned angler and the fishing guide he mentored, and battling invasive carp on the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. “Hooked on the St. Croix” airs on Pioneer PBS on Sunday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m.
“Fishing with the Croix Boys” follows three anglers who hook more than 40 bass and walleye on the Upper St. Croix River. Seasoned angler Eric Benson mentored fishing guide Ryan Bunnell on the best strategies for fishing the wild and scenic river. Ryan then launched Croix Boys Guided Adventures, named after his fishing buddies. The federally protected St. Croix is one of the country’s cleanest rivers.
“Chasing Billy Bighead” features DNR strategies to remove invasive carp that are moving up the Mississippi and knocking on Minnesota’s southern door. To track their movements the Minnesota DNR tagged three invasive carp, including Billy Bighead who was netted on the St. Croix River seven years ago. Tracking tagged fish has led to large captures, including a record 331 invasive carp netted in November from the Mississippi River’s Pool 6.
People in Pioneer PBS’s viewing area are able to livestream this episode at www.pioneer.org/live. “Hooked on the St. Croix” will rebroadcast the following Monday at 12:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Prairie Sportsman can be viewed online at www.pioneer.org/prairiesportsman, video.pioneer.org/show/prairie-sportsman/, and at www.youtube.com/@PrairieSportsman.
About Prairie Sportsman
Produced by Pioneer PBS, Prairie Sportsman is an Emmy-awarded series that celebrates love of the outdoors by featuring topics on hunting, fishing and recreation, while promoting environmental stewardship. Prairie Sportsman is made by Dylan Curfman, producer, videographer and editor; Bret Amundson, host and editor; Cindy Dorn, writer and producer; Cera Cordova, videographer and editor; and Dan Amundson, videographer and editor. The 2024 season is made possible by funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, Shalom Hill Farm, Live Wide Open, Western Minnesota Prairie Waters and members of Pioneer PBS.
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966, Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing stories from rural Minnesota with the world. For more information visit pioneer.org or call 800-726-3178.