The People Who Inspire our Adventures
Through fishing we have met some unforgettable characters, and we want you to know them, too.
A Fish Out of Water – Marjorie Bernstein
My friend Marjorie Bernstein is not an angler, or even an aspiring angler, but she came to visit us at the Chicagoland Fishing Show and offered valuable feedback about what interested her and what could have been done to make the experience even better.
Jersey Strong: Paul Fisler’s Fishing Fashion Addiction
Paul Fisler has scrapped to accumulate 84 professional bass anglers’ jerseys and he’s not done yet. Check out his collection from the best of the best.
Dayton Feider: How’d You Meet Your Angler?
Here’s my new series exploring how pro anglers met their wives — from the wives’ point of view. Starting with Dayton Feider, Mrs. Llama.
All My Rowdy Friends
Hanna and I worked consecutive trade shows – first the Chicagoland Fishing Show and then the Safari Club International. Re ran into numerous friends, some of whom have traveled with us, some of whom we’ve only corresponded with, and every permutation in between.
Reeling in 2024
Get ready to dive into my 2024 goals and planned accomplishments. I continue to cast my curiosity into the fishing industry and hope to reel in more and more curious-but-perhaps-anxious travelers to join us on our spectacular fishing journeys.
I Love This Game: Basketball Stars Who Fish
Plenty of NBA superstars love fishing, too — either as an escape from the grind of the road life or as fuel for their competitive nature. Check out some of their stories.
Short People Make Happier Fishing Travelers
I always thought that being unusually tall would be helpful, and in some cases it is, but short fishing travelers have several distinct advantages when it comes to comfort, effectiveness and memories.
24 Fishing, Writing and Travel Goals for ‘24
Every year provides new opportunities to increase the breadth and depth of my fishing, writing and travel experiences. If all goes according to plan, 2024 will be the best year yet.
The Biggest HPFC Success Story of 2023
We’ve had a lot of success stories throughout 2023, including great fish catches of our own and helping others enjoy amazing on-the-water experiences, but our greatest achievement may have occurred while we were nearly 1,000 miles away.
My 2023 Fishing and Writing Mistakes
Running our own website and business has been a learning experience and we’ve stumbled along the way. In the interest of transparency, here are some mistakes that I made in 2023. I’m sure there will be more mistakes every year hereafter – ideally they won’t be the same ones.
Greg Evers “Flew Solo” at Casa Vieja Lodge
Minnesota outdoorsman escaped the cold and went to Casa Vieja Lodge for single anglers week. He scratched the sailfish itch, enjoyed the hospitality and made a bunch of new friends. You can do the same.
Four Favorite Friends’ Catches of 2023
I’ve increasingly learned to really appreciate our great and diverse group of traveling angler friends. Accordingly, as I look back on my days on the water during 2023, I’m fortunate that I have a lot of great memories on the water with friends to remember. Here are four friends’ catches that stand out.
The Hard-Fishing Women of Half Past First Cast
We are fortunate that the Half Past First Cast family includes lots of women — of all experience levels — who love to travel and fish. Here are a few of the ones who’ve gone on the most trips with us.
Next Generation Pez Vela
The next generation of great sailfish captains and mates at Casa Vieja Lodge — rocking a Half Past First Cast onesie. We cannot wait to meet her.
Wyatt Wimberley Introduces The Bass Tank Academy
Twenty year old bass pro and educator Wyatt Wimberley of Texas is working with The Bass Tank to bring detailed electronics education to interested anglers across the country.
A Taste of Boricua Barbacoa with Hector Garate
Hector Garate draws from multiple influences to smoke meat to perfection, including some cuts that others won’t try. Check out his pop-ups or his upcoming restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s more than worth the trip.
The Original B.A.S.S. Groupie
Craig Lamb has been in the trenches of the bass fishing world for over four decades in a variety of capacities, and has been a consistent witness to fishing history.
Texan Travis Burns Does it All on the Water and in the Woods
Travis Burns is an incredible outdoorsman — he guides on Choke Canyon, leads hunters to some of the biggest whitetails you’ve ever seen, and with his partner Kenny Witek recently won the Brandon Belt Team Championship.
A Prime Time Bassing Reading List
Deion Sanders, AKA Coach Prime, believes that he could have been a three-sport superstar — with bass fishing as the third platform for excellence. Here’s some of his fishing history.
What’s Your Favorite Fishing and Travel Website?
How do we know that we’re doing a good job of leading you to your best fishing life? We’re aware that we’re biased, so we consulted an independent panel of experts to find out their favorite fishing travel website. Here are the unfiltered results.