We're back after a little hiatus, and this episode is a catch-up on everything happening in the hunting world. One of the hosts looks back on a phenomenal fall: nine bucks taken out of their camp group, a snowy Vermont season, and a tracked eight-pointer on day three. They also cover a scouting trip to public land in Pennsylvania that ended with a seven-pointer, a deboned pack-out because of CWD rules, plus a spring turkey season with a Jake and a missed tom.

Then we turn to this fall. Bears are a hot topic across the Northeast, with trail cameras showing sows with twins and triplets, 300-pound-plus bruisers, and Vermont Fish and Wildlife fielding far more bear complaints. We also hit archery season for deer and moose, Vermont's new earn-a-buck rules, Maine's moose season, upcoming bird hunting and scouting in Maine, snowmobiling plans, and a hint of a future guest with a good moose story. Let us know what topics or guests you'd like to hear.

After a long break, New England Outdoor Life is back. Capt. Matt explains the hiatus: he spent about six months as fire chief of the Killington Fire Department, after 24 years as a career firefighter and 38 years in the fire service overall, while his charter business went on the back burner. He and Andy also catch up on a busy year of guiding.

Capt. Matt looks back on the season: a flooded Salmon River in the spring that hit 7,500 CFS and wiped out about 10 days of prime steelhead fishing, then a strong finish once it dropped to normal flows. On Lake Champlain he saw the best spring Atlantic salmon fishing in about 10 years, followed by bass fishing on local lakes and Lake Trout jigging. The big news is his new Lund HG 24 aluminum boat and his acceptance into the Lund ambassador program. He also shares plans for Lake Ontario trips, kids' fishing camps, giving back to first responders and veterans, and a hunting episode next week.

Join us live on the water in central Vermont for this episode of New England Outdoor Life, where we dive deep into spring bass fishing tactics, pre-spawn strategies, and the hottest baits for both largemouth and smallmouth bass. Whether you're chasing bedded fish, transitioning lake trout, or post-spawn pike, we’ve got you covered with real-time insight from the boat.

🎣 Topics covered:

• Water temps and fish behavior
• Rapala Shadow Rap jerkbait cadence tips
• Best swim bait colors and rigging with Keitech Fat Swing Impact
• Ned rig setups with Fresh Baits Hellgrammites
• Football head jigs with Hula Grubs for rocky bottom fishing
• Early results from Lake Champlain and more!

🚨 Plus, a huge announcement from Sean Snover of Real Northern Bass about the launch of the New England Angler Challenge — a virtual fishing tournament with $5,000+ in cash and prizes, covering bass, lake trout, brown trout, and pike all summer long across New England!

🧠 Learn from Sean’s expert tips, weekly livestreams, and decades of experience as he helps you dominate your local waters.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• 🔥 Tournament info: NEAngler.com
• 🧢 Sean’s YouTube: youtube.com/603bass
• 🎯 Charter trips and gear: NewEnglandOutdoorLife.com
• ⚡ Fishing Trip w/Capt Matt: ThirdAlarmChargers.com

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