Joe Bucher - Christmas Interview

Joe Bucher is a legendary angler, Hall of Fame inductee, author, and longtime host of Fishing With Joe Bucher, one of the most enduring freshwater fishing shows in the world. Over a career spanning four decades, he’s been a pioneering musky fisherman, seminar speaker, magazine founder (Musky Hunter), and tackle innovator whose lures and teaching have shaped generations of anglers. His passion for the outdoors, patience, and seasonal rhythms comes through in everything he does—especially during the reflective winter months.

Beyond fishing, Joe is also a dedicated guitarist and songwriter, creating and producing all of the original music featured on his show. Influenced by blues, rock, and spiritual music, his guitar playing is deeply personal and expressive, much like his approach to fishing. Whether it’s winter fishing lessons, Christmas memories, or cutting soulful holiday guitar tracks, Joe’s life blends creativity, discipline, and gratitude—making him a natural fit for the spirit of the season.

Do you have a favorite Christmas memory connected to fishing or guitar?

Many great memories for sure. A new rod & reel. A new lure. But honestly, my first guitar was perhaps the best gift of all. It was a white Strat copy called The Kalamazoo. I couldn’t keep my hands off it, and I began playing it constantly thereafter. I probably drove my parents nuts!  

Was there a fishing gift you received growing up that really stuck with you or helped shape your path?  

That first guitar far more than any fishing gift. It was the catalyst that got me started. I even remember my first two songs I struggled to learn to play. Wild Thing and Louie Louie. Those were my first two songs. I had to learn to play 3 chords. Ha-ha. The same three chords. Then Wipe Out. I learned that one shortly afterwards. And then House Of The Rising Sun.

What does winter fishing teach you that other seasons don’t?

Tolerance for cold. Patience. A deeper understanding of fish migrations seasonally.

During the holidays, do you find yourself reflecting more on your career and what you’ve passed on to others?

Absolutely. It is my time to reflect and be grateful for all I have and all I have survived. A very busy seminar speaking schedule for over four decades enhanced this reflection and teaching and passing on what I’ve learned for sure.

Do you have any favorite Xmas tunes to listen to or play on the guitar?

Absolutely! In fact, I just cut several new versions of my favorite Christmas tune to play on guitar — Mary Did You Know. I cut an acoustic solo version. A cranked up rock blues ballad version on my Les Paul. And finally, a soulful heartfelt cut on a Strat with some Jeff Beck like volume swells. The Les Paul cut has a Gary Moore flavor to it. The acoustic one is probably the most spiritual.

What advice would you give a young angler starting out this time of year?

Whether you’re learning how to fish or learning to play the guitar — practice, practice, practice. Learn, learn, learn. The formula I have preached to many about fishing primarily works on nearly everything in life. Knowledge + skills + effort = success. The more you learn, the harder you work, the luckier you get.

If someone wanted to put one Joe Bucher–approved lure in a Christmas stocking, what should it be and why?  

Well, it’s honestly hard to pick one lure, but I do believe a spinnerbait will catch just about everything and it is a lure I would snap on any angler’s rod if I wanted to see them catch fish. Spinnerbaits catch just about every gamefish that swims. Snap one on a kid’s pole, and they’re gonna catch something for sure. Trolling or casting. As for musky anglers specifically, the same rule probably still applies, but a Top Raider in any color is tough to beat any day. It casts a mile, works all the time by simply just cranking it in, and works effectively and effortlessly.