Since changing my eating habits three years ago I have become Sally Albright, consistently asking chefs to change their dishes to meet my needs. Before visiting Bear Trail Lodge I wrote an email to owner Nanci Morris Lyon and briefed her on my restrictions. She said that would be no problem, thanked me for letting her know in advance, and told me that she would speak with the Chef. The results were incredible!

I knew about Reuben Hastings even before I got to Bear Trail Lodge in 2019. My friend Robb Yagmin had mentioned a young, extraordinary guide from another part of Bristol Bay, and how much all of the clients loved him, so when Keith Combs and I got in the boat with Reuben on our first day on the Naknek I was immediately at ease. Yes, we were on his turf, but not only were his skills immediately evident, but it was also clear that he shared our same sense of humor. It was like being in a boat with your longtime best friend.

Julia Kennedy, the mastermind behind team Kennedy (Elite Series pro Steve is her assistant) does more than most, and has seen more than most. If you want proof, just ask her kids, who can tell you more about geography, marine biology and American history than most PhD candidates.

For most of his two decades as a professional angler, Chad Morgenthaler’s bio indicated that he called Illinois home, but a few years ago his mailing address changed to Kimberling City, Missouri. The veteran of six Bassmaster Classics and one Forrest Wood Cup has experienced several of his career highlights in Florida – a 2013 win on Okeechobee and a 2015 victory on Toho – but when it came time to move he selected the lush Ozarks over the palm trees of the sunshine state.

The Scene: 5am, breakfast table at Anglers Inn Lake El Salto, hot coffee, eggs made to order. A seated woman looks up to a man bringing over his heaping plate of food.

“Brother Pete,” she says. “Do you have any more?”

There are plenty of places we vacation and it’s one-and-done. More and more, though, our travels have not just become about the places we go but the relationships we make. We’ve built a family around the globe.

Not only is Anglers Inn a tremendous bass fishing wonderland but it’s also a place to unite two people’s love for one another. Spectacular sunsets and unforgettable backdrops provide a meaningful and unique place to tie the knot (not just the Palomar).

I am sure you would be offended If someone called you a knucklehead.

We’ll run a full slate of smallmouth tattoos at some point in the future, but this one from our friend JP DeRose deserves a post all its own. It’s highly-detailed, visually captivating, and shows off his gearhead nature.

When Keith Combs and I arrived in the small town of King Salmon, Alaska last summer, we had an afternoon to see the sights of the town. It didn’t take long. In fact, our hostess, who’d been raised there, told us that when she’d left King Salmon to attend college out of state her classmates had teased her because she didn’t know the difference between a green light and a green left turn arrow. Up until then, she hadn’t needed to know such a thing.

I’ve never been big on motivational speakers and literature. While I’m sure some of them are very valuable and insightful, for each useful example I’m sure there are tanks full of snake oil. Whenever I see someone post something on social media like a meme about “the hustle,” I assume they’re either trying to signal some sort of virtue or convince themselves of their own work ethic.

Throwing a 10XD all day is a full contact sport. Don’t believe me? Try it yourself.

Although I was previously aware of his starring role in the Tackle Tour empire, I first met Dennis “Cal” Shew at the 2007 ICAST show in Las Vegas, at which time I also took possession of a coveted yellow JDM Daiwa Pixy finesse baitcasting reel. Dennis immediately offered to upgrade the gears on that reel to turn it into a “Pixzilla” and I knew that I’d found someone with a whole lot of knowledge who shared my values.

On our recent trip to Casa Vieja Lodge in Guatemala, we fished on the Finest Kind, a gorgeous 40’ Whitcar captained by Nicho Alvarenga. Each day the captain had us either at the top or near it in terms of the number of fish landed, and that’s a credit to his skill and understanding of the waters. But he wasn’t the only person who helped us to 37 sailfish in three days, including 23 on the first day on the water. Our mates Daniel and Tony were also critical to the process.