MEET TAYLER MICHELS
Tayler Michels grew up in Pelican Rapids, located in Ottertail County, Minnesota. Tayler has had a lifelong obsession with the outdoors. Besides working for Jason Mitchell Outdoors Productions, Tayler also works as a hunting guide for Burke Ranch Outfitters in Montana’s Missouri River Breaks Region during the fall. Tayler handles videography, photography and editing duties for JMO and also has a passion for guiding western big game. Tayler guides hunters predomonitely for elk and mule deer but has also guided several big horn sheep hunts and has guided hunters that have sheep in the Boone and Crocket record books. Tayler now lives in Bismarck, North Dakota with his wife Stephanie and son, Dax. Tayler and his family enjoy life in Bismarck, which allows them to stay connected to incredible fishing and hunting opportunities. For Tayler, walleyes are typically the target species but anything that bends the rod is appreciated most days. “We devote so much of our time to the outdoors because living this lifestyle is important for us, we hunt and fish recreationally but also value what fish and wildgame bring to the table,” explains Tayler.
In 2020, Tayler approached Jason Mitchell with the concept of producing a midwest centric podcast that dives deep into timely walleye fishing and ice fishing topics. The podcast quickly gained momentum. The guests became a who’s who of the fishing industry where the hottest topics happening in fishing could be discussed in an extensive, long-form format. “The opportunity to host the JMO Podcast at this stage of my life is a dream come true,” stresses Tayler.
The very best anglers on the water are constantly evolving, learning and thinking. Tayler has a gift for asking the right questions to cause all of us to evolve, learn and think. This obsession with learning makes us all bettter anglers.
“My exposure to the fishing industry after getting this job in 2015 skyrocketed my own learning curve as an angler. Now my obsession over fishing and learning has become much deeper than I ever imagined. Hosting the JMO Podcast continues to be an unreal experience for me. I can’t say what my favorite part of the job is because that changes all the time, but my ultimate goal for JMO Podcast listeners is to find at least one thing to take away from each episode. The incredible guests I’ve interviewed on the JMO Podcast have taught me more about fishing than I ever thought possible. I am a much more prepared, efficient thinker on the water and the techniques and strategies I’ve learned have produced countless fish catches for me and my fishing partners. The fishing memories I’m making now days have a lot more meaning because of what I’ve learned from this podcast. I am always striving to become a better podcast host and we invite all of you along for this journey. We hope the conversations we have with so many great anglers offer details, insights and perspectives that can ultimately help you on the water.”