Angler takes his talents to TikTok as he livestreams eelpout fishing at Wisconsin Point in Superior.
Matthew Carlson holds up an eelpout to his phone that he just caught at the Superior Entry on Wisconsin Point on March 22, 2021. Carlson was livestreaming on TikTok and answering questions about eelpout that his followers were asking. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)
"They call these 'Poor man's lobster,'" angler Matthew Carlson says as he holds an over 20-inch eelpout up to his cellphone screen Monday, March 22, at the Superior Entry on Wisconsin Point.
"They are so good to eat. Super flakey white fish," he said. Eelpout — also known as burbot and lawyer — is a bottom-dwelling cod that resembles an eel and a catfish.
Carlson, of Superior, has recently turned to social media platform TikTok to livestream his outdoor adventures. On March 22, he was answering questions from his followers, many of whom had never seen an eelpout before, as he caught fish after fish. Carlson spoke about baits to use, general habits of the eelpout and even how to cook them up.
"I really like the teaching aspect," Carlson said of the livestreamed videos.
There are some complications to the platform, especially when doing hunting videos, he said. If a carcass is shown, those videos are often removed, forcing him to get a little more creative when producing hunting videos.
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Carlson's TikTok account is @wi_flyfishing.
Matthew Carlson reacts to losing a fish from his line while fishing for eelpout on the Superior Entry on Wisconsin Point Monday afternoon March 22. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)
Matthew Carlson shows off an eelpout to his followers on TikTok while live streaming his fishing outing from the Superior Entry on Wisconsin Point Monday afternoon, March 22, before releasing the fish back into the water. Carlson answered questions about, talked about ways to cook and general habits of the eelpout that his followers were asking. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)
Matthew Carlson fights with an eelpout at the Superior Entry on Wisconsin Point Monday afternoon March 22. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)
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An eelpout surfaces from the Superior Bay after getting caught by angler Matthew Carlson at the Superior Entry on Wisconsin Point Monday afternoon, March 22. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)
Angler Matthew Carlson casts out a smelt as he looks to hook an eelpout while fishing at the Superior Entry on Wisconsin Point Monday afternoon, March 22. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)
Angler Matthew Carlson uses an extra long net to grab an eelpout while fishing at the Superior Entry on Wisconsin Point Monday afternoon, March 22. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)
Angler Matthew Carlson’s rod bends as he fights with an eelpout while fishing at the Superior Entry on Wisconsin Point Monday afternoon, March 22. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)
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Matthew Carlson shows off an eelpout to his followers on TikTok while live streaming his fishing outing from the Superior Entry on Wisconsin Point Monday afternoon, March 22, before releasing the fish back into the water. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)
Angler Matthew Carlson’s untangles an eelpout after landing it at the Superior Entry on Wisconsin Point Monday afternoon, March 22. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)
Matthew Carlson pulls in his net with a decent sized eelpout at the Superior Entry on Wisconsin Point Monday afternoon March 22. Carlson was live streaming on TikTok and answering questions about eelpout that his followers were asking. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)
Jed Carlson joined the Superior Telegram in February 2001 as a photographer. He grew up in Willmar, Minnesota. He graduated from Ridgewater Community College in Willmar, then from Minnesota State Moorhead with a major in mass communications with an emphasis in photojournalism.
