One of the highlights of my year so far was the opportunity to work with the Yeti creative team on a profile of Taku Ito earlier this year. I wish I could have written 10,000 words about him, but in the end, even after slicing out some fun info an anecdotes, I’m proud of the project.

Many young people want to work in something related to their passion, but don’t know how to go about it. I started thinking about this one day as I spoke to Kade Gewanter, my connection for all things Shimano, G. Loomis, Jackall and Power Pro, and decided that his story might help others get a toehold in the industry.

I spent a lot of time talking to Aaron Martens and writing about him, and a few days in his boat and he became one of my favorite muses. I learned a ton about bass fishing from him, but I’ve also realized that his unintended lessons extended far further than just little green and brown fish.

From boat partners to life partners, Jennifer and Keith Combs made the most of a one in 200 chance. Although they were competitors on the water something lured them towards each other and a lifetime of happily ever after, minus a pet peeve or two, or three.

It warms my heart when I book father and son trips. I have decided to start a series called “Casting Bonds” to interview parent/child angling travelers. Let’s start with Gayle and Kirk Lomax who traveled to Anglers Inn El Salto in April 2024 and had a fabulous trip.

Starting on a hot June day in June, all it took for Julie and Fred Roumbanis to live happily ever after was a single “sweet” gesture. Here’s how this professional fishing power couple started:

Before the 2024 Bassmaster Classic I wrote about a few things that excite Pete Robbins including his week at the Bassmaster Classic. In order to really get a sense of what he does during Classic week, I decided to document his activities this year in Tulsa.

I love seeing and spending time with Steve and Barbara Bowman at Bassmaster events. They ALWAYS include me in their family plans. This year was no exception. We planned our days together and each night after the weigh in we were included for dinner plans with their family.

On the boat stands a man larger than life with a passion for fishing that knows no bounds. In the boat, on the shore or at home there stands a sweet-as-molasses, soft-spoken, warm and gentle saint. Together GMan and Lulu are a dynamic duo.

OT Fears and I have fished together in the four corners of the United States – from the Potomac River to Mille Lacs to Rayburn to the California Delta. Hanna and I were thrilled to run into OT and his high-school-sweetheart-turned-bride Maryline Marie at the Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa.

Carl and Kayla Jocumsen hail from opposite ends of the globe — Idaho and Australia — and yet their bass tour love story (and the resulting family) seems like pure destiny.

Shelby Gustafson met 2023 Bassmaster Classic winner through the Classic love potion of fast food. Here’s there story, it’s a good one.

Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Kyle Patrick won an Open, qualified for the Bassmaster Classic, and early a Century Belt. Learn about the “Real Kyle” with his open answers to random questions.

The backdrop that I built may seem like a haphazard group of epic fish and scenery pictures, but I used a great deal of purpose when I put it together. I wanted to tell HPFC’s story and show all of the people who have become our family over the course of our travels.

The Big Bass Dreams media empire is truly a team effort and Riley Kolich is an essential element in its success. She brings not only enthusiasm and knowledge to the process, but also a relentless drive to excel at everything she does on and off the water.

Eight-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier Brandon Lester depends heavily on his wife Kimberly to keep their household running like a well-oiled machine. Thank goodness the teacher didn’t confiscate the note sent between these two crazy kids or their amazing family unit might not exist.

Dan Smith’s “How to Catch Any Fish” should be required reading for any serious traveling angler — or anyone who dreams of traversing the globe to catch exotic (and non-exotic) species. Here are reasons why.

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.

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.

Here’s my new series exploring how pro anglers met their wives — from the wives’ point of view. Starting with Dayton Feider, Mrs. Llama.