The Man Who Wrote the 2000-Page Fishing Encyclopedia

Ken Schultz worked as an editor for Field & Stream for over 30 years.

He specialized in writing about all things fishing, everything from bass to large sportfish.

Table of Contents

Ken Schultz Podcast

In this episode, we cover the following:

What was it like working for Field & Stream?
Ken’s favorite books
Why do people come back to fishing later in life?
What made him write a 2000-page book? His process for tackling the task.
Questions from Valentine Thomas and Luke Ovgard
The tragedy of the commons
Ken’s favorite fish to catch
Ken’s favorite places to fish
One of his regrets

Get excited!

Time Stamps

00:50 who is Ken Schultz? What was it like being an Editor for Field & Stream?
04:00 Ken’s recommendations for becoming a better writer. Why you should read good writing.
06:48 Ken’s book recommendations. The Big Oyster.
11:30 How did he get into fishing?
18:54 Family and family friends introduce ppl to fishing – lots of studies show this. why ppl come back to fishing later in life
20:00 What made you write a 2000-page book?
27:00 The process of writing an encyclopedia
42:00 Will he updates the encyclopedia and explain why it’s a sore topic.
48:00 Valentine Thomas bill fish question. Why we should release the big fish.
52:00 Luke Ovgard – nets vs. line and hook requirement. Why long lines are still bad.
55:00 The tragedy of the commons. The commercial fishing battle in Virginia
58:00 His favorite fish to catch: peacock bass (freshwater, Amazon), Rooster Fish (saltwater, casting), honorable mentions: smallmouth bass, red drum/ redfish
1:09:00 Ken’s favorite places to fish. Why he was thankful to work for Field & Stream.
1.12:00 Ken’s regret. How I tried to convince him to take up scuba diving later in life.
1:17:00 How to reach Ken – Don’t bother with social media 🙂

Ken Schultz’s Books

Ken Schultz’s Essentials of Fishing: The Only Guide You Need to Catch Freshwater and Saltwater Fish
Ken Schultz’s Field Guide to Saltwater Fish
Successful Bass Fishing
Ken Schultz’s Field Guide to Freshwater Fish

Jon Stenstrom

Founder & Angler

Jon Stenstrom is a fishing enthusiast. He has over 25 years of fishing experience, and 6 years of spearfishing experience, and is currently learning how to boat. Jon has his Open Water PADI Certification and FII Freediver Level 1 Certification. Jon has traveled the world to fish and dive, most notably in the Great Barrier Reef, Baja Mexico, Thailand, and Malaysia. More Articles