I have consistently looked forward to attending the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame induction banquet in Springfield, Missouri. This year I was extra-excited, because after a year where there was more dissension than I can ever recall, I knew that this night would help me remember why I care so deeply about this sport.

We're not big gamblers, so we didn't know what to expect from L'Auberge Casino and Hotel in Lake Charles, Louisiana, but we'd stay there again. It was safe, affordable, and had killer Mexican food.

We had no idea of what to expect from alligator hunting at Grosse Savanne Lodge in South Louisiana, but from start to finish it was exhilarating. Sometimes the best trips are the ones outside of your comfort zone.

Even if you’ve traveled extensively with a rod and reel in the United States, Lake El Salto’s full sensory overload may produce some questions in the form of “What the hell did I just witness?”

A last-minute cancellation of our Louisiana redfish trip led to the opportunity to visit great friends in Texas and learn a little bit more about filling up a cooler with crappie.

We didn't know what to expect on our first alligator hunt at Grosse Savanne -- purchased in the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Auction. It was amazing and every outdoors fanatic needs to visit the sporting paradise of Louisiana.

As we get ready to embark on our fifth trip to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge in January, Hanna and I continue to be thrilled at the ease of travel to the world’s best yellowfin tuna fishing grounds. Here are updates on Tocumen Airport, Panama’s flagship carrier Copa, and the experience in general.

When it comes to El Salto and Picachos, just about every prospective traveler wants to know the best month to catch big fish, the best month to catch lots of fish or – typically – the best month to catch lots of big fish.

On our recent trip to Texas and Louisiana we checked out the new DCA Centurion Lounge and the new-to-us IAH Centurion Lounge. One sparkled, the other was less impressive.

The historic Hotel Tropical in Manaus had fallen on hard times, but if Marriott does things right it could once again become the gathering point for peacock bass anglers heading up the Rio Negro.

While watching some coverage of the Olympics, I started to wonder what France’s fishing opportunities are like, and whether there are any on the Seines which flows through Paris. I was pleasantly surprised to find the following articles about Parisian fishing.

Delta has long been an also-ran in our efforts to fly to Mazatlán for bass fishing trips. They’ve sometimes offered direct flights for Minneapolis fliers, but nothing for the west coast anglers. That’ll change in December when they start weekly flights between Los Angeles and Mazatlán.

If you’ve always wanted to go fishing somewhere, as a guys’ trip, or a corporate adventure, or a family get-together, it can be intimidating to figure out where to go. When fish-curious people ask me about a way to dip their toes into an angling adventure, Casa Vieja Lodge is often the first suggestion I offer up.

The first year with AmEx Platinum was more or less a success, with an estimated $1,187 in “savings” in addition to the mileage. That more than offset the annual fees. Unfortunately, mostly through our own fault, it failed to pay for itself over the billing period from July 2023 through June of 2024.

I can’t believe it’s been five years since my most recent fishing trip to Brazil. The first two were to the Rio Negro basin, north of Manaus, but that last one was to a comparatively un-gringo-fied river to the south. It was one of the best trips I’ve taken largely because it wasn’t a cookie cutter experience.

The long-awaited and much-delayed American Express Centurion Lounge at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) finally opened in mid-July. We are excited to have this option going forward, since DCA is our departure and/or arrival airport approximately half the time.

We haven’t written much about the great Mexican bass fishing during the fall months. So if you’ve resisted booking a trip during that time period, we apologize. We’ve been to the lakes during October, November and December. Here are six reasons to go at that time.

After nearly every trip to Mexico, I share notes about the travel experience. It’s never the same trip twice going to and from Mazatlán — there are always a few wrinkles and snafus. I feel like by writing it down I can help your next trip go a little bit more smoothly.

We’re still trying to assess whether the steep fee associated with the American Express Platinum Card is worth it give our current travel plans and needs. One nice development was the discovery that the our Priority Pass membership allows us a single visit per year to the Dulles Airport (IAD) Etihad Lounge.

After 20 trips to Anglers Inn Lake El Salto, I know that they all have subtle differences. The fishing, service and scenery are always great, but as you’ll see below there were six things in particular that made this trip unforgettable.