Sep 18, 2026 · 46 min · 9 segments
Ron Schara is an outdoor writer, television producer, and the creator of Minnesota Bound. A former Minneapolis Tribune and Star Tribune outdoors columnist, he launched the show in 1995 with his black…
Ron ScharaGuestLongfire HostHostH- how did you come up, uh, with the idea of Minnesota Bound? Where, where did that spark from?
Well, I'm a storyteller, uh, and that was my strength, writing columns, but I would watch some of the early television fishing shows, uh, hunting shows, or so many hunting shows then, but fishing shows and, um, I would watch them and I would say to myself, um, "How many bass do I need to see being caught in 20 minutes here?" And, and, um, uh, they're not telling me a story about anything.
They could, they could have the president of the United States in the back of the boat, and they never tell you who he was.
Mm-hmm.
So in the back of my mind, if I ever get a chance to do television, I'm going to tell stories because a lesson that one of my journalism professors once told me, "When you're, when you're wondering how to start a story, whether it's for television or newspaper or magazines, whatever," he said, "just remember, people are always interested in other people." So instead of starting a story, um, it was a quiet morning on the lake as the loons were singing and the bird, chickadees were chirping, blah, blah, blah.
You might say, "On this morning, my fishing partner, uh, Billy Boy is, is, is mesmerized because he's never been here before." So now you're saying, "Well, what's...
Yeah.
It's good.
Yeah.
So I got the chance to do TV telling stories, stories about interesting people who did things interestingly, uh, you know, paddled around Lake Superior or whatever.
Stories about people who, who made unique lures or painters who could do wildlife paintings.
Interesting places to go, state parks, other things in, in Minnesota, uh, where to go some of the best hiking trails.
I would do stories about- How do chickadees survive a Minnesota winter? This tiny little bird.
And, um, I'm still doing those kind of stories, nature stories, places to go, interesting people in Minnesota and, and, and just good storytelling, and that, that's a very simple secret of longevity for Minnesota Bound.
Yeah.
When you were a young guy and you were trying to make your name, um, and kind of build that reputation up, was it difficult at first to get people to say yes to wanting to give you their time and share, um, information with you? Or wh- I mean like how are you finding these opportunities and reaching out and meeting people?
Well, I'm a, you know, um, I'm always on the lookout for good stories, so I scan newspapers, I watch some television, um, 'cause they might do a story about somebody that w- they wouldn't do it the way I would do it.
H- how did you come up, uh, with the idea of Minnesota Bound? Where, where did that spark from?
Well, I'm a storyteller, uh, and that was my strength, writing columns, but I would watch some of the early television fishing shows, uh, hunting shows, or so many hunting shows then, but fishing shows and, um, I would watch them and I would say to myself, um, "How many bass do I need to see being caught in 20 minutes here?" And, and, um, uh, they're not telling me a story about anything.
They could, they could have the president of the United States in the back of the boat, and they never tell you who he was.
Mm-hmm.
So in the back of my mind, if I ever get a chance to do television, I'm going to tell stories because a lesson that one of my journalism professors once told me, "When you're, when you're wondering how to start a story, whether it's for television or newspaper or magazines, whatever," he said, "just remember, people are always interested in other people." So instead of starting a story, um, it was a quiet morning on the lake as the loons were singing and the bird, chickadees were chirping, blah, blah, blah.
You might say, "On this morning, my fishing partner, uh, Billy Boy is, is, is mesmerized because he's never been here before." So now you're saying, "Well, what's...
Yeah.
It's good.
Yeah.
So I got the chance to do TV telling stories, stories about interesting people who did things interestingly, uh, you know, paddled around Lake Superior or whatever.
Stories about people who, who made unique lures or painters who could do wildlife paintings.
Interesting places to go, state parks, other things in, in Minnesota, uh, where to go some of the best hiking trails.
I would do stories about- How do chickadees survive a Minnesota winter? This tiny little bird.
And, um, I'm still doing those kind of stories, nature stories, places to go, interesting people in Minnesota and, and, and just good storytelling, and that, that's a very simple secret of longevity for Minnesota Bound.
Yeah.
When you were a young guy and you were trying to make your name, um, and kind of build that reputation up, was it difficult at first to get people to say yes to wanting to give you their time and share, um, information with you? Or wh- I mean like how are you finding these opportunities and reaching out and meeting people?
Well, I'm a, you know, um, I'm always on the lookout for good stories, so I scan newspapers, I watch some television, um, 'cause they might do a story about somebody that w- they wouldn't do it the way I would do it.
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