Staff
John McLaughlin | Rodney Raygor | Aaron McLaughlin
John McLaughlin (TV Host) has been hunting and fishing since he was five years old. His first memories of catching fish were at his grandparents lake cabin near Detroit Lakes, MN. John still fishes these same lakes, especially for large northern pike, bass and muskie. As a youth, he killed his first grouse in the woods near the cabin. Sadly, these woods have been largely bulldozed and filled with lake homes and cottages. Now John fishes and hunts across the midwest, but still spends several weeks each at the family Minnesota cabin.
John lives in West Des Moines, Iowa and is the chief meteorologist for KCCI Television, the top-rated CBS affiliate in the nation's top 100 television markets. He is also a professional pilot, holding flight instructor and pilot examiner certifications in several aircraft and helicopters.
John McLaughlin, 1981
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John's passion for communicating the outdoors to the public started while attending Glidden-Ralston high school in his hometown of Glidden, IA. Home video gear was just coming out and John produced a half-hour fishing show called "John McLaughlin Outdoors" and used it for his senior speech class.
While attending college at Iowa State University, John worked as a reporter and photographer for WOI-TV, the ABC affiliate then owned by the University. He shot and edited a number of outdoor segments featuring Iowa lakes and streams. On June 7th, 1984, John was videotaping a segment on Arrowhead Lake near Lake View, Iowa when a series of 21 tornadoes hit Iowa... starting around Lake View.
John McLaughlin Bass Fishing
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The possible tornado outbreak had been forecast by WOI meteorologist Larry Cosgrove, and John remembers Larry drawing a circle around NW Iowa and marking a "10" in the circle and briefing John to be ready if tornadoes developed. Sure enough, right after finishing the fishing segment, John and his crew followed the storms and assisted storm victims in getting out of their destroyed homes. The footage aired that evening on ABC National News.
John McLaughlin Bass Fishing
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Upon starting his full time weather and news work at KCCI-TV in Des Moines in 1986, John started a local 30 minute TV program called "Iowa Fishing Forecast" with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. This program continued until 1988 when John brought back "John McLaughlin Outdoors," this time with professional video equipment and the largest TV viewing audience in Iowa. John credits the outdoors program with his popularity as a TV meteorologist. "Folks were able to make the connection that I am a real person and not just a face on television. Hunting and fishing is part of Iowa's heritage. Even today, I don't go a day without someone asking me why I'm not out hunting or fishing!" John McLaughlin Outdoors was a weekend tradition for 10 years on KCCI.
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Even though the weekly show went away with a change in station ownership, John continued to keep his hand in outdoor communication, again partnering with the Iowa DNR to promote hunting and ice fishing safety during live news reports. He was a longtime contributor to The Outdoorsmen Magazine and was a co-host and pro staffer for Permission to Hunt's Ultimate Outdoors TV series which aired in Iowa and nationally on the Sportsman's Channel.
John remains a favorite seminar speaker on bass and muskie fishing and can always be found doing fishing demonstrations on the Travelin' Fish Tank with his friend Gary Hain, during the Des Moines Sport Show at the Iowa Event Center.
Now, he brings hunting and fishing back to local television with "John McLaughlin's Outdoor Minute" segments on KCCI-TV newscasts.
Rodney "Fishook" Raygor(Pro Staff) Rodney is a prostaff member for McLaughlin Outdoors. A resident of
West Des Moines, he has been fishing the lakes of the Midwest for over 22
years. Rod is a structure bass fisherman, specializing in top-water
techniques.
He is an all around outdoorsman and loves to share his
knowledge of fishing with others. "One of the best things Dad ever taught
me was how to fish, he says." Although Rodney spends most of his time
fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass, he admits that he is equally
happy angling for sunfish with his wife and kids. An accomplished flyrod
artist, Rodney ties all of his own flies. He is also an accomplished
fixed-wing pilot. You can contact him at rod@mclaughlinoutdoors.com.
Aaron McLaughlin (Photographer) Aaron is the oldest son of John McLaughlin. He attends Iowa Christian Academy and shoots and edits video and digital photos for McLaughlin Outdoors segments. You can contact Aaron at aaron@mclaughlinoutdoors.com.
