Michael Fowlkes

Michael Fowlkes - Producer/Director

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Michael Fowlkes (1959) with fish for sale, .25 cents each.
Michael Fowlkes (1959) with fish for sale, .25 cents each.

Creator of the award-winning television series, Inside Sportfishing, Michael has fished his entire life. Shown above in 1959 with a few bonito he caught, before fileting every fish and selling them around the neighborhood for .25 cents. Michael began working as a deckhand onboard The Westerner when he was only nine years old.

Transitioning to working the multi-day boats in San Diego in the early 1970’s Michael earned his U.S. Coast Guard Operator’s License, bought his first charter boat, the Instinct and began running charters with his wife Kimberly.

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Michael and Kimberly Fowlkes...and Shami of course.
Michael and Kimberly Fowlkes...and Shami of course.
Yelad, later to become Vintage.
Yelad, later to become Vintage.

After six years as an Owner/Operator Michael made the move to television and produced shows for National Geographic, Showtime/The Movie Channel,  Disney, Discovery, Paramount Pictures and ABC Sports, delivering a number of ACE award winning specials featuring Coach Pete Carroll, LaDainian Tomlinson and Howie Mandel to name a few.

 

After years of dealing with the insanity of Hollywood, Michael decided to get back to his roots and in 1989 created his own series, Inside Sportfishing which became the highest-rated, longest-running fishing show in the history of Fox Sports West. On-air for 27 consecutive years, the series was also syndicated nationally on the World Fishing Network.

Michael’s passion for fishing, and his unique story telling abilities, transported audiences to locations around the world and helped make Inside Sportfishing the iconic program for the sport of fishing. Recognized with 27 International Telly Awards for broadcast excellence, as well as being voted Best Fishing Show of the Year by the Outdoor Writers Association.

Michael is now bringing that same level of production skill and passion to this series on the history of sportfishing.

“I didn’t realize it until now, but producing this historical series is what I’ve been preparing for my entire life. I’m humbled and honored being entrusted with such significant and historically important work.”

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