There is a thriving fishery for exotic peacock bass in the waters in and around Naples, Florida. Jack Wollitz enlisted guide Garrett Famer to really dial them in. It’s the perfect vacation outing for serious anglers and tourists alike.

Mix equal parts of grit, grime, rust and ridicule, add a splash of industrial discharge and a squirt of municipal effluent, and you have the cocktail that clouds the attitude much of bassin’ America has about the upper Ohio River. Nevertheless, Jack Wollitz is part of the river rat pack.

Ohio fishing — other than Lake Erie — tends to get a bad rap. Veteran outdoor writer Jack Wollitz dispels some of the myths and guides you to the better bass fisheries in the Buckeye State.