Skip to main content
Mike Stevens on Muck Rack

Mike Stevens

Verified
San Diego
As seen in: Western Outdoor News, MeatEater, The MeatEater Podcast, Fish Taco Chronicles
Covers:  Southern California saltwater, freshwater, Eastern Sierra, Colorado River, WON Tuna Jackpot (Cabo San Lucas), conservation as related to fishing and hunting. Outdoor gear reviews.
Doesn't Cover: The latest vegan trends.
Full-time 🎣 writer, Iceberg Theorist. Carrier of the Fire. Dodgers, Chiefs. Saltwater/Sierra Hybrid., Multi-Species Angler. "Honorary Mexican" since 1990.
Back to Mike Stevens’s profile

Mike Stevens’s Journalist Portfolio

View as a grid

Muir's ghost on the Eastside

Muir's ghost on the Eastside

Western Outdoors News — BY MIKE STEVENS ROCK CREEK LAKE - Everyone's heard the line, "he looked like he'd seen a ghost." When I showed my brother an image of John Muir, I actually saw that look on his face in real life.
Who shared?

Alleged poaching ring connected to Ventura grocery store BUSTED by DFW

Alleged poaching ring connected to Ventura grocery store BUSTED by DFW

Western Outdoors News — BY MIKE STEVENS VENTURA - Six of seven suspects are in custody with the seventh being sought by authorities following a bust by California Department of Fish and Wildlife wardens of a poaching operation that went on for over two years and worked with a local grocery store in Piru.
Who shared?

Freshwater - Bass angler shocked by big striper from San Diego lake

Freshwater - Bass angler shocked by big striper from San Diego lake

Western Outdoors News — BY MIKE STEVENS LAKESIDE - A pair of anglers enjoying a pretty standard day teeing off on smaller clone largemouth, took a turn for the unexpected when they boated a double-digit striped bass in San Vicente Reservoir.
Who shared?

Knee Deep - Surplus stores, I salute you

Knee Deep - Surplus stores, I salute you

Western Outdoors News — BY MIKE STEVENS The first Army surplus store I ever set foot in was somewhere in San Pedro in the mid-80s. I'm not sure why my dad brought me there. Maybe it was just knowing how cool they are from his own experience, or he picked up on my obsession with military camouflage as a youngster.
Who shared?

Knee Deep column - Food chain guilt and armchair experts

Knee Deep column - Food chain guilt and armchair experts

Western Outdoor News — BY MIKE STEVENS Whenever a mainstream media-generated headline featuring wildlife is posted on social media, I like to scroll the responses since for the most part, you're seeing a lot of non hook-and-bullet folks (lesser mortals) "passionately" weighing in on something they barely scratch the surface of in real life.
Who shared?

Knee Deep - Big fish Options

Knee Deep - Big fish Options

Western Outdoor News — BY MIKE STEVENS While the Big Fish Challenge accepts all standard fishing platforms from sport boat to private boat and kayak and beyond, there are adjustments that can be made for an angler looking to zero in on larger fish in particular, regardless of what they are fishing from.
Who shared?

Knee Deep: Well that was embarrassing.

Knee Deep: Well that was embarrassing.

Western Outdoor News — Advertisement BY MIKE STEVENS I'm going to go ahead and assume the statute of shame limitations has passed and I can go ahead and write about this most embarrassing moment. I've been heading up Highway 395 to fish the Eastern Sierra for over three decades.
Who shared?

The Best All-Around Fishing Rod

The Best All-Around Fishing Rod

MeatEater — In the movie Tin Cup, protagonist golf pro Roy McAvoy melts down on the course and breaks all his clubs except the 7-iron because he, "never misses with the 7-iron." He proceeds to finish and win the round driving, pitching, and putting with his trusted club. When it comes to fishing, a medium-light...
Who shared?

Knee Deep: Dixon Lake's peacock bass

Knee Deep: Dixon Lake's peacock bass

Western Outdoor News — BY MIKE STEVENS I should start off with the fact this took place in the mid '90s, but while you're here, you may as well keep reading. A conversation in the Western Outdoor News office reminded me of this unique experience when my role in the sportfishing industry was in its infancy.
Who shared?

Knee Deep: Carry the fire

Knee Deep: Carry the fire

Western Outdoor News — BY MIKE STEVENS We took a little heat a few years ago when a story in our dove preview included a tale of an unsuccessful attempt at a surface-to-air assault - in this case, shotgun pellets vs. bats - over a remote airfield as one of a variety of ways time was killed prior to a past opener.
Who shared?

Knee Deep: The Southern Cal ran through it

Knee Deep: The Southern Cal ran through it

Western Outdoor News — BY MIKE STEVENS Back in early April, I did a modest below-the-fold write-up about the storied vessel Southern Cal, now operating out of Oceanside Sea Center (OSC), returning to the water for the first time in two years following a significant round of upgrades.
Who shared?

Hard Corps Outdoors: Camp Pendleton's hunting opportunities on a diverse landscape

Hard Corps Outdoors: Camp Pendleton's hunting opportunities on a diverse landscape

Western Outdoors News — BY MIKE STEVENS OCEANSIDE - The sign says "Camp Pendleton - Preserving California's Natural Resources." Over the past three decades and as recently as this morning, I'd see that sign a million times whenever I was heading north on Interstate 5 over the base.
Who shared?

Knee Deep: Let go of the giant catfish story already

Knee Deep: Let go of the giant catfish story already

Western Outdoor News — BY MIKE STEVENS "They say he's five hundred pounds of bottom-dwelling fury, don't you know. No one knows how old he is, but if you ask me, and most people do, he's a hundred years if he's a day."
Who shared?

Saltwater fishing - SoCal Swordfish bagged on tiny custom boat

Saltwater fishing - SoCal Swordfish bagged on tiny custom boat

Western Outdoor News — BY MIKE STEVENS SAN DIEGO - Anyone who may have seen a 14-foot boat motoring into San Diego Bay with a swordfish on it may have assumed it was just some guy who had the stars align and got lucky with a fish of a lifetime, but for Dylan Reed, this catch was very much by design.
Who shared?

WON On the Spot: Lee Vining Creek delivers quality late-summer rainbows

WON On the Spot: Lee Vining Creek delivers quality late-summer rainbows

Western Outdoor News — BY MIKE STEVENS LEE VINING - Normally, you won't find me in the Eastern Sierra after June - until October anyway - but late July was my only summer window this year. I knew what we were getting into in terms of crowds and fishing for trout in water temps in lakes better suited for targeting largemouth on topwater.
Who shared?

ICAST show plugged with new gear for western anglers

ICAST show plugged with new gear for western anglers

Western Outdoor News — BY MIKE STEVENS ORLANDO, Fla. - International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) show in Orlando where the global sportfishing industry converges to - among other things - unveil their latest products that will soon be available for anglers to get their hands on.
Who shared?

5 on 5: Five non-obvious Highway 395 pit stops

5 on 5: Five non-obvious Highway 395 pit stops

Western Outdoor News — BY MIKE STEVENS There are already plenty of well-known Highway 395 stops that have been on every Eastern Sierra visitor's radar for years: Schat's Bakery and Mohogany Smoked Meats in Bishop, Mono Cone and the Whoa Nelli Deli (Tioga Gas Mart) in Lee Vining, June Lake Brewing and Tiger Bar in the Loop and so on.
Who shared?

Prioritizing inlet areas for late-season Eastern Sierra trout

Prioritizing inlet areas for late-season Eastern Sierra trout

Western Outdoor News — From mid- to late-summer following a light winter, these areas are prime real estate BY MIKE STEVENS MAMMOTH LAKES - Show up at any Eastern Sierra lake, and at least one angler is going to posted up at the inlet. They're like hummingbird feeders for trout fishermen...
Who shared?

Saltwater - Intrepid steams north, crushes albacore rather than cancel charter due to Kay

Saltwater - Intrepid steams north, crushes albacore rather than cancel charter due to Kay

Western Outdoor News — With a bigeye also bagged, SoCal species now on radar as the Intrepid heads home BY MIKE STEVENS FORT BRAGG - With Tropical Storm Kay on its way late last week and all eyes glued to the Windy app watching it spin toward Southern California's offshore fishing stage, the bulk of the sportfishing fleet and private boaters alike decided to sit this one out and stay tied to the dock for the weekend.
Who shared?

Frequent passenger has Dana Wharf pegged

Frequent passenger has Dana Wharf pegged

Western Outdoor News — DANA POINT - Growing up in San Diego, I came up only fishing the sport boats based between Point Loma and Oceanside. It wasn't until I took a job in Dana Point that I finally fished another operation, Dana Wharf Sportfishing.
Who shared?

Next-generation Fenwick Eagle and Pflueger President combines for an impressive trout combo

Next-generation Fenwick Eagle and Pflueger President combines for an impressive trout combo

Western Outdoor News — Modern versions of classic rods and reels still stand as overachievers BY LONE PINE - Looking back over well beyond the last half century, fishing for trout with spinning gear hasn't really changed a whole lot.
Who shared?

Guadalupe Island shut down to shark tourism by Mexican government

Guadalupe Island shut down to shark tourism by Mexican government

Western Outdoor News — BY MIKE STEVENS Decision devastates related businesses and leaves area vulnerable to poaching Guadalupe Island was closed to tourism by the Mexican government on Jan. 10. effectively shutting down shark diving operations and "liveaboard diving" among other activities including but not limited to television and film production.
Who shared?

Guadalupe Island shut down to shark tourism by Mexican government

Guadalupe Island shut down to shark tourism by Mexican government

Western Outdoor News — BY MIKE STEVENS Decision devastates related businesses, leaves the area vulnerable to poaching, and it could affect long-range sportfishing. Guadalupe Island was closed to tourism by the Mexican government on Jan. 10. effectively shutting down shark diving operations and "liveaboard diving" among other activities including but not limited to television and film production.
Who shared?

Widely available fishing options that cost next to nothing

Widely available fishing options that cost next to nothing

Western Outdoor News — BY MIKE STEVENS SAN MARCOS - As a 16-year-old in 1993, I chalked up an angling accomplishment I've yet to repeat: fishing a different location every day for a week.
Who shared?
Show More