An undeniable enthusiasm and a unique perspective that breaks the mold for typical outdoor program hosts best describes Captain Cefus McRae, host of The Nuts and Bolts of Fishing and Boating. Down home Southern charm, a contagious laugh and a true passion for spending time on the water are quite evident in both his informative How-To DVD series as well as his weekly TV programs.

“I really enjoy what I do, and I get so much satisfaction seeing the excitement on someone else’s face when they catch a good fish or learn how to back a trailer for the first time.” Capt. McRae says. “Our programs are all about sharing the skills and knowledge that help people have fun on the water. And the charter captains and marine industry professionals who appear on the show bring a fresh point of view each week. If someone is going to invest 30 minutes of time to watch the show, we want them to get something out of it.”

Capt. McRae grew up fishing the freshwater and coastal areas of the Carolinas. At the age of 8, he made his first trip to the Gulf Stream with his dad and that sparked a passion for fishing that still thrives today. Cefus holds a USCG Master Captain’s license and devotes many hours to helping novice boaters understand on-the-water operations, safety and basic navigation. McRae is also a strong proponent of conservation and believes in taking a few fish for the table and releasing the rest to be caught another day.

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Past episodes are available for viewing at

SEASON ONE EPISODE (2009 Season)

BACKYARDS & BAYOUS GETAWAY EPISODE - View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

This episode features the winner of the Backyards & Bayous Getaway Giveaway.  Kevin Sweeney from Hixon, TN entered and won a Twin Troller X10 electric boat, a Coach’s custom fishing rod, a destination package and accommodations, AND a featured spot on a Nuts & Bolts television show.  Capt. Cefus McRae and the Nuts & Bolts gang fishes the big lake at Callaway targeting bass and bluegills while they celebrate Kevin’s win.  This show has a few surprises, including the unexpected winner of the fishing contest that day.  Plus a Pro Tip that will end the aggravation that sometimes occurs when you’re fishing in-line spinners.

SUMMERTIME SAILS - View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

There’s nothing more spectacular than seeing a sailfish tailwalking right beside your boat.  Jupiter, Florida is right in the center of “Sailfish Alley” on the southeast coast of Florida.   Join Capt. Cefus McRae and Capt. Joe Dobbins to learn how to rig live baits under fishing kites and target these high flying billfish. 

CANNONBALLS CATCH SPADEFISH - View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

Spadefish are often overlooked as a gamefish, primarily because they are hard to catch, unless you have the secret weapon to catch them. These hard-fighting, piscatorial prizes are a lot of fun on light tackle and super tasty on the table. Capt. Cefus McRae and Capt. Dan Utley, aka ''The Fishin' Coach'' venture offshore of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and show you how to catch the baits that tempt these critters to the hook. And you won't believe the bait. Here's a hint. Start with a cannonball.

SCALLOPING SCAVENGER HUNT- View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

Join Capt. Cefus McRae for a day on the grass flats of St. Joe Bay, Florida on an underwater Easter Egg Hunt. Scalloping is great fun, and all it takes is a mask and snorkel to catch theses tasty tidbits. Learn where and how to catch them, clean them, and a mouth-watering recipe that's easy to prepare. Plus, find out who wins a new boat and special destination package in the Backyards & Bayous Getaway Giveaway.

SNOOK CITY- View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

Jupiter Inlet is known as Snook city in southeast Florida. In the summertime snook stack up along the beaches and at the mouth of the inlet. Join Capt. Cefus McRae and Capt. Joe Dobbins and learn the rigs and baits to use to catch these hard-fighting fish. There's added excitement when they discover a large group of manta rays cruising the coastline with schools of cobia cruising just beneath their wings.

NIGHT MANGROVE SNAPPER- View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

On the summertime full moon mangrove snapper come up from the depths to feed and spawn. And when the sun goes down the fishing action really turns on. Being in the right place with the right fishing techniques offers constant action all night long. Capt. Cefus McRae and the Nuts & Bolts Pro's go on a 24 hour trip in the Gulf of Mexico for grouper, mangrove snapper and some monster cobia. Capt. Kamen Miller shares a great fish recipe that you can prepare right on the boat and it doesn't get any fresher than this.

UMBRELLA STRIPERS - View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

Umbrella Rigs are one of the most effective, yet under-utilized, trolling rigs available. Anglers who include these remarkable contraptions in their tackle arsenal realize huge rewards in the size and numbers of fish they will catch. Umbrella rigs are equally deadly on stripers, spanish mackerel, blue fish and a host of other fresh and saltwater gamefish. They mimic a school of baitfish, and can be trolled at various depths. Captain Cefus McRae and Captain Mack Farr spend a cold summer morning on Lake Lanier, Georgia in search of striped bass in this popular fishery. Learn how to rig and deploy a rigged umbrella, how to troll them and control depth.

LOW COUNTRY REDFISH

South Carolina's Low Country is loaded with inshore opportunities for the small boat angler. Redfish, speckled trout, flounder and a host of other saltwater critters that make the creeks and backwaters their home. Join Captain Cefus McRae and Captain Rick Hiott of ReelFishHead Charters for a Redfish Rendezvous in Charleston, South Carolina. Learn how to tie and use Captain Rick's rigs, the baits of choice, and the most opportune times to catch these bronze-backed bruisers.

 FLY FISHING AT CALLAWAY - View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

Small ponds are prime locations for catching large panfish, and it’s a blast using light spinning tackle and fly rods. Captain Cefus McRae joins Paul Hudson of Kingfisher Outfitters on the lakes of Callaway Gardens in west Georgia for bream and bass using a new electric boat specifically designed for small bodies of water…the Twin Troller X10. Cefus and Paul show you the tackle and the tactics to catch bluegills, shellcrackers and bass.

TOP WATER STRIPERS - View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

It’s cold…It’s windy…It’s the start of the summer? And it’s time for topwater fishing action on Lake Lanier, Georgia. A strong weather front moves through but that doesn’t stop Captain Cefus McRae and Captain Mack Farr from catching topwater plugs for stripers and spotted bass. Learn how to work a Redfin plug to entice a strike and how water temperature affects fishing. And yes, it is possible to catch two fish on one plug!

POWER REELING FOR STRIPERS - View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

When the water temperature heats up, you have to go deep for big fish; especially on the large reservoirs in the southeastern U.S. Captain Mack Farr and Captain Cefus McRae show you how to catch deepwater stripers on one of the hottest days of the year, using Power Reeling techniques. It’s a simple, but extremely effective way to hook up, even in the middle of the day. When the stripers go deep, Power Reeling puts them in the boat.

THE GREAT GROUPER GETAWAY - View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

Join Captain Cefus McRae and the crew of Carrabelle Charters as they host the winner of the Great Grouper Getaway Contest for a day on the Gulf of Mexico targeting grouper, snapper, amberjacks and a 400 pound Goliath Grouper on 80 lb line.

TRASH CAN SLAM - View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

There are a lot of fish in the ocean, and even the fish considered as “Trash Fish” are still fun to catch.  Capt. Cefus McRae and Ron Barwick, The Back Bay Wizard, spend a day on the water in St. Andrews Bay fishing for inshore species.   Along the way, they catch an assortment of these so-called “Trash Fish”; and in fact catch a back bay Trash Can Slam.

 2009 MIAMI BOAT SHOW - View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

Each February, Miami Florida hosts the NMMA International Boat Show.  This is the event that heralds in the new boating season, and it’s the place where you can get up close and personal with all the new boats, motors, electronics, and accessories for the new year.  Capt. Cefus McRae takes you on a tour of the latest and greatest ‘big boy’ toys from Miami.

KINGFISHING WITH THE TOURNAMENT PRO’S

The oil rigs off Mobile Bay are havens for big game fish.  And in the summertime, these structures become the home and cruising grounds for “Smoker Kings”.   Capt. Cefus McRae joins the Airborne Fishing Team from Pensacola Florida on a fishing adventure fit for a King.  Learn how to catch the baits, rigging techniques, the tackle you need, and how to entice these skyrocketing kings to the hook.

 SUMMERTIME COBIA

Cobia are one of the feistiest fish in the ocean, and they can be found in temperate waters all around the globe.  In the summer, these brown bombers congregate along the upper Gulf Coast and can be caught on live bait and artificials.  Capt. Brian Smith and Capt. Cefus McRae share their secrets for catching these tasty and tenacious game fish and encounter some bonus fish along the way.  There’s also a great recipe for Pan Seared Cobia from the Asian Cajun.

 THE RED ZONE

Fall fishing along coastal Georgia is about as good as it gets.  And when you’re doing it in less than six inches of water from a kayak, the excitement really heats up.  Capt. Cefus McRae goes on a “Mother Ship” adventure with Capt. Ray Golden, Capt. Chris Chappell and Capt. Tony Narcisse in search of slot redfish in the tidal marshes near Savannah GA.  Learn the kinds of bait to use, and the places to find these big reds… and do it all from a kayak on this Nuts & Bolts adventure.

 SPOTTED BASS AND SPOTTAIL MINNOWS

In the heat of the summer, the fishing action can be a little slower.  But if you have the right bait, you can catch spotted bass even when the sun is high overhead.   Spottail minnows are the key to success, and Capt. Mack Farr shares his techniques for catching these the baits that spotted bass cannot resist.  Join Capt. Cefus McRae on a fantastic fishing adventure as he and Capt. Mack use light tackle to catch big spotted bass from Lake Lanier, GA.

 CHEAPER TO CHARTER

A fishing trip with friends is one of the best ways to spend a day on the water.  But in today’s economy, fuel prices, boat maintenance and the costs to tow your boat to a distant location can be quite expensive.  The solution?  Charter a guided trip and let everyone share in the expense.  The added benefit is the captain you use already knows where the fish are, and the best methods to catch them for that time of year.  In this Nuts & Bolts adventure Capt. Cefus McRae joins a group of Weekend Warriors on an offshore fishing excursion in the Gulf of Mexico.  Learn bottom fishing techniques and how to catch big grouper and snapper with Carrabelle Charters.

 PLAN B

Even though you plan your trip months in advance, you can never completely predict the weather and fishing conditions for the days you intend to fish.  This is exactly what happens in this Nuts & Bolts episode.  But Capt. Dan Utley, the Fishin’ Coach, comes up with a Plan B to turn lemons into lemonade.  Capt. Cefus McRae gets schooled on how to find redfish, speckled trout and flounder on a day when most folks would have stayed home, and in this case, Plan B really pays big rewards.

SPINNER SHARKS! - View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

Want to know what it’s like to be connected to a 200 pound tarpon with TEETH!  Watch this Nuts & Bolts adventure as Capt. Cefus McRae teams up with Capt. Ron Doerr off the coast of West Palm Beach, FL and tackle these acrobatic critters.  Spinner sharks leap and spin, peeling off hundreds of yards of line when they feel the hook, and they run straight toward shallow water.  It’s high flying visual excitement and some of the most spectacular fishing you’ll ever see.

TROLLING FOR GROUPER - View Episode on MyOutdoorTV.com

Most folks think grouper fishing means dropping baits straight over the side of the boat, and waiting for a bite.  In fact, some of the most productive grouper fishing can be done by trolling big lipped lures over likely spots.  In the wintertime, grouper and other deep dwellers come into the shallow waters to find a quick meal, and that’s when they are prone to attack a trolled lure.  Learn how to set a trolling spread and use braided line and horizontal rod holders to get the plugs in the strike zone.   And with trolling, you’re likely to catch a variety of other species too.  Capt. Cefus McRae shares his techniques along with Capt. Kamen Miller and Capt. Justin Rock of Carrabelle Charters off the coast of Carrabelle, Florida in this episode.

ICAST EPISODE

Ever wonder how tackle manufacturers showcase their new products to the tackle stores?  Well it all happens at the annual ICAST convention.  Capt. Cefus McRae takes you on an up close and personal tour of the biggest tackle toy store in the world on this Nuts & Bolts episode.  See all the new rods, reels, line, lures and much more from Las Vegas, NV.