No Products in the Cart
At the Possum Lodge, we know a thing or two about keeping life interesting—whether it's fixing things with duct tape or casting a line with a twist. Enter Shawn R Fishing, the guy with names on his boat and a voice that'll make you do a double take (yes, he really does sound like Red). Shawn’s unique blend of humor, ingenuity, and passion for the outdoors makes him the perfect creative partner for The Red Green Show. We sat down with Shawn to learn more about how his reel adventures are anything but ordinary.
Can you walk us through your creative process? In particular, how was it like creating that streaming commercial with your son? What do you think is misunderstood about the manfluencer?
Shawn: I think it’s fitting with the Red Green show that my creative process is a bit different than what would be considered “normal” - A lot of times it’s just me rummaging through the garage or even the house (the wife is happier when the experiments stay outside) and finding a way to take a talking point and turn it into something funny, or at least funny to me. The streaming commercial with Grayson was the perfect example of that, we were just trying to find obscene and funny things he could pull out of that backpack and how we could film it… I was already working on that dang lawnmower anyway so my props were already 95% setup. I guess that’s what makes garage content so handy, chances are the video is about something I'm already tinkering with.
You seem to be a master of many musical instruments! Where does this passion come from? How many instruments do you play, and what are they?
Shawn: Music has always been a major part of my life due to both my parents having a talent and passion for it. My dad played piano and organ music including some stuff for the Montreal Canadiens before he passed away and my mom seems to just play any instrument she can get her hands on. I was a listener …. I could never play anything until the past few years, but it’s become a quick obsession where I’ve been picking up piano, guitar, drums, harmonica, fiddle, and accordion.
What's the story behind your Bass To Mouth boat? Do you have any interesting fishing stories to share?
Shawn: I’ve had the boat since about 2017 I think, I’ve almost sunk it multiple times and also lit it on fire once (we’ll call that the learning process of fixing small engines, lawn mowers are easy enough but there’s a couple different parts in an outboard,, I guess). Good thing it was basically free,, I picked up a snowblower on the side of the road, fixed it up (didn’t light it on fire), and traded it for the boat. The guy who gave it to me also gave me a broken mercury 25 hp outboard,,,, I think that’s the one I lit on fire. Anyway, I painted “bass to mouth” on the side of it because I thought it was hilarious, painted a seat white, and then wrote the first name around 2020, the rest is history!
Can you tell us about your Fishing Buddies? What inspired you to add names to your boat like that?
Shawn: I’ve been obsessed with fishing for a long time and I wanted to somehow share that passion with the world, even though I barely post content of me ACTUALLY fishing, just me talking about the fact that I love it... But I also wanted to find a way to express my gratitude for anyone who was willing to listen to me ramble on and share in my sometimes chaotic life & stories. It’s funny though, I have over 300,000 fishing buddies and when I do actually post fishing content it usually tanks and hardly anyone sees it, maybe that’s a sign.
We know you were able to meet Steve at The Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame Induction event. Can you tell us about your experience meeting him? What does The Red Green Show mean to you? How do you think it inspires future generations?
Shawn: It was the experience of a lifetime to meet Steve along with Harold, Ranger Gord, and Winston! The Red Green Show has always held a special place in my heart and looking back at watching the Red Green Show growing up, I could have never imagined being able to share in the inauguration of Steve Smith into the Canadian comedy hall of fame! I will hold onto that memory for life!
You have a homemade hockey rink, that's awesome! Can you tell us about it? What does the phrase "Keep Your Stick On The Ice" mean to you?
Shawn: I’ve been making our front lawn into a hockey rink for our kids every winter for the past 7-8 years now (even though, out of all our kids, I probably enjoy having the rink the most). It started out as a memory of skating outdoors as a kid and once my mom built a rink when I was probably 8 or 9 years old. I wanted to share that memory with my kids, so out came the drill and pallets for boards, and other scraps I could find to piece it all together! Keeping my stick on the ice means staying grounded, there's a lot in the world between the news and technology that can weigh on you from day to day, enjoy the little things, even if it means Google Earth shows a huge section of dead grass where the hockey rink was the past winter….
What keeps you busy these days? Are you working on any upcoming projects?
Shawn: I’ve been absolutely swamping busy these days between work, family and ice fishing. I’ve been managing two businesses in Trenton, ON at the Homestead facility (beavertails and the adventure park) which has been an absolute blast. I’ve made a great connection with the corporate team at Beavertails and I have begun working on some content for them on the side as well!
Can you explain what it means to be a Possum Lodge Member? What is your favorite perk of being a lodge member? Is there anything you'd like to say to your fellow lodge members?
Shawn: The Possum Lodge is a special place all around. My favorite part is keeping up to date with the animated series, podcast, and seeing the updates about the cast and other lodge members! And to my fellow members, Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati.
Where can your fans catch you in person? Will you be attending any fishing shows or other events in the near future?
Shawn: I can be found (almost) every day at the homestead facility in Trenton, and if I’m not there I’m probably on the Bay of Quinte - but as for shows I’ve been so busy that I don’t have anything solidified for this year as of right now, however as I’ve learned things can change in a matter of days so stay tuned!
Just absolutely love it.
Can’t tell you how proud I am of Shawn Ricketts – my nephew. So happy he has made friends and a connection with Red Green and Possum Lodge. Red Green will live on in our lives. My husband and I were huge Red Green Fans – so it is extra special to see Shawn continuing the tradition in such a great way…..