Ten North American Dream Fishing Trips

Jun 18

*Photo courtesy Mark Davis/Bluewater Adventures — fishing with Bruce Bros. Charters*

I’ve been fortunate to land fish in 25 states, and Hanna and I have traveled to numerous countries and multiple continents in pursuit of finned glory. That leaves a lot of water and species left to cover. Of course, it also leaves us with a bit of a conundrum – do we return to proven venues or seek out new options, with the possibility that they won’t be quite as good? I hope that we’ll be able to find that balance going forward.

In the era of COVID, we’ve managed some international travel, but it has become increasingly difficult. That could remain the status quo for the rest of our lives. Accordingly, while we’ll certainly continue to go abroad, the pandemic has led us to increasingly consider options within North America. Some will still require a flight, but others are easily driveable from various points within the United States. Some are pricey, while others are remarkably inexpensive. Here are ten of them, in no particular order:

PEI Bluefin Tuna

My friend Mark Davis of Bigwater Adventures films up there annually, and while I may only want to do it once, the chance to tangle with a fish pushing a thousand pounds excites me. I’ve also seen videos of anglers hand-feeding bait to fish about the size of Volkswagen Beetles, which is pretty damn cool

Florida Goliath Grouper

Another one from the prehistoric monster category. Joe Thomas told me that the first one he hooked pulled him to his knees. Fighting these 300 and 400 pound beasts seems to be not just a matter of brute strength, but also of technique – getting them out of nasty cover ASAP.

Snake River Sturgeon

I promise it’s not all about giant fish, but this is another mega on the list. My friend Ryan Rosenbaum guides for them in one of the most breathtaking spots on earth, and you can catch smallmouths and salmon in the same waters.

Texas Guadalupe Bass

I’ve bass fished a lot in Texas, but only for largemouths and incidental spotted bass, not in the Hill Country, despite the fact that I really like that region. I love the fact that the state has its own special bass and this should be an easy one to knock off.

Chesapeake Bay Cobia

I didn’t know about this fishery just a few hours from the house until my friend Jacob Lloyd Nixon told me he went last summer. Big fish + sight fishing + taste good = sign me up.

Bull Trout in British Columbia

My only two fly fishing experiences have been Montana and Alaska, both of which will be tough to top, but my friend Jeff Pierce of Scientific Anglers told me that this is one to put on the list. Big char in beautiful scenery with lots of amenities.

Alligator Gar in Texas

Another one that we’ll probably only do once, another one that checks off the “river monster” label. It appears that the best fishery for these freaks is the Trinity River in Texas, and my friend Clifford Wiedman who is from that area is going to help me dial this in.

California/Mexico Calico Bass

Saltwater “bass” that eat swimbaits and can be caught on conventional bass tackle. Sign me up. The more saltwater fishing I do, the more I want to do. I’ll never give up freshwater, but there are endless worlds out there to explore.

Devil’s River Smallmouths

Normally I think “north” for smallmouths, but the Devil’s River above Lake Amistad has some other things going for it – more dependable weather, beautiful limestone formations, ancient cave drawings, and Mexican food when I depart.

Lake Havasu Sunfish

It’s not all about giant fish. When the Elite Series visited Lake Havasu a few years back I learned that the place is chock-full of 2- and 3-pound redear sunfish, and produced a near-6-pound monster. As I’ve said before, if they grew much bigger than that, they’d rule the world. Yes, I’d get a replica made of anything over 3 pounds.

Apparently 10 wasn’t a big enough number. Two months later I added FIVE MORE TRIPS to the list.

We may be spread out among the upper end of North America down through South America, but if you’d like to travel on a dream trip to Alaska, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama or Brazil, click here to check out our TRIPS PAGE.

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