About Your Hosts
Don Dziedzina
Don Dziedzina has been involved in the outdoors industry for nearly 35 years.
As an outdoor writer, Don has published columns in eleven weekly newspapers, three monthly outdoor magazines, and one bi-weekly outdoor newspaper. In 2005 and 2006, Don won the Illinois Outdoor Writer of the Year Award. In 2005 he also won the Reader’s Choice Award from MidWest Outdoors Magazine. And, the Illinois Press Association awarded Don with 1st Place in a writer’s competition for a Sports Column. The column that won was deer hunting in southern Illinois.
In 1995, Don began to produce and host the Illinois Outdoors Television Show. This show is taped on the water and in the field featuring the great outdoor opportunities that we all enjoy in Illinois. This show has been on the air every week since 1995 on a number of different television stations in the Chicago market and is currently reaching nearly seven million households weekly.
Don’s second television show, The All Outdoors Television Show began in 1999 and continues to run every week. This show is co-hosted and co-produced by Rich Komar. The All Outdoors TV Show is a studio show that features outdoors news, new and unusual outdoor products, guests from the outdoors industry, photos, and more. Ron Miltzow provides viewers with fishing or hunting tips every week. This show has been light heartedly coined as being, "The only All Outdoors TV show taped entirely indoors." This show also airs in the greater Chicagoland market.
In May of 2006, Don joined the long running outdoor radio team of Ray Ludkevicz and Jim DaRosa on The Fishing Line and Outdoors Radio Show that broadcasts live every week on four radio stations in northern Illinois. In 2008, the show celebrates its 25th year of weekly broadcasting.
An avid angler and one who also enjoys hunting, Don loves to share his experiences with others in his numerous columns, TV and radio shows, seminars, and public appearances.
Jim DaRosa
Jim has been an avid hunter and fisherman for over 45 years. Growing up in Southern Illinois, Jim began hunting and fishing around Crab Orchard Reservoir and Lake of Egypt near Carbondale, Illinois. At the ripe old age of 15, Jim caught his first 5 pound bass and harvested his first Canada goose and mallard duck, since then Jim has been hooked on the outdoors.
Jim has dedicated over 45 years in pursuit of largemouth and smallmouth bass from Mexico to Minnesota. He is a 20 plus year veteran of competitive bass fishing (over 200 events), having won several individual and team events in the Midwest. Some of his honors include winning the CBFA Bass Fishing Classic at the Fox Chain of Lakes. Jim was always a strong contender on both team and individual bass fishing events.
Jim is the co-host and founder of the Fishing Line and Outdoor Radio Show now in its 25th season. Some of his favorite broadcasting memories include, being part of the press corps at many B.A.S.S. Masters Classics and sharing fishing and hunting experiences with his listeners and fellow co-hosts Ray Ludkevicz and Don Dziedzina.
In addition he has served as a Pro Staffer and field tester doing promotional work for many leading fishing and boating companies. Jim is a frequent presenter of fishing seminars at local and regional fishing clubs and sport shows. Jim founded the Southwest Chicago Fishing and Boating show. Proceeds from the show have gone to fund many worthwhile charities, including the prevention of child abuse.
Jim is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and is retired from the field of Parks and Recreation after 35 years of service. Retirement has given Jim additional time to pursue his love and passion for the outdoors. In the summer you can find Jim chasing trophy smallmouth bass on Lake Mille Lacs in Minnesota where Jim has a summer home. In 2006 Jim began guiding for "brownies" on Mille Lacs and very much enjoys teaching people how to fish, and gets great satisfaction watching someone catch a trophy or their "personal best". In 2007 Jim guided 24 trips and spent over 100 days on the big lake. He is a licensed Master Pilot Guide thru the State of Minnesota and is fully insured.
Winter time pursuits include a passion for duck and goose hunting, upland game hunting, and some ice fishing.
Visit his web page, www.FishSmallmouthBass.com
Ray Ludkevicz
Ray began fishing at the age of five when his dad took him fishing on the Chicago lake front to catch Jumbo Perch. As the years progressed Ray would head up to Northern Wisconsin & Minnesota in pursuit of Trophy Walleye & Northern Pike. He won his 1st Walleye tounament on Lake Vermillion in the early 70's.
In the early 80's he got bitten by the Bass fishing bug and has not recovered yet! Ray has pursued both Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass through out the United States and Mexico.
Ray started fishing local tournaments in Northern Illinois and won two tournaments on Mark Twain in Missouri. He is also one of the first to write articles, guide and do seminars on Heidecke Lake (Collins) in Morris, Illinois.
Ray joined Jim DaRosa as co-host on the Fishing Line and Outdoor show in 1990 and enjoys the friendships they achieved with their listeners.
Ray has enjoyed being a part of the Press involved at Two Bassmaster Classics and two Superstars Tournaments in Peoria, Illinois.
He has been a field tester and on pro-staffs for major tackle companies for the last
twenty five years and enjoys promoting new tackle & techniques.
Ray recently got back into Hunting with Co-Hosts Jim DaRosa & Don Dziedzina and is always looking forward to their next adventure.
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Jeff Lockridge
Fishing Line and Outdoor Radio Show Producer/Engineer Jeff Lockridge began doing radio at the age of 15 as an extra-cirricular activities correspondent for Seneca High School weekly on WJDK. Jeff was hired by Morris radio legends Dick Steele and Jack Daly when he turned 16 and he worked as a staff announcer on WCSJ until he graduated from college in 2002. That same summer Jeff was hired at WGEZ Radio in Beloit, WI where he worked until April of 2004 when the station was sold. Jeff then moved his talents to WIBA/WTSO Radio where he produced several local talk shows, sporting events, and helped out with the Wisconson Badger Sports Radio Network. Jeff moved back to his hometown of Seneca, IL in 2007 and returned promptly to Morris Radio that same year...he has been hosting the Saturday Morning Oldies show on WSPY-FM in Plano since September of 2007, after spending the summer of this past year as the interim newsman for WCSJ/WJDK. In his spare time Jeff loves to (of course) fish, and as producer of the show, enjoys getting all the inside information on the local fishing scene.
