We got our stateside introduction to exotic fish when we caught peacock bass in Miami airport over a decade ago, but we need to make a trip back. There’s another bizarre fighter that’s high on my list: the Clown Knifefish. If we capture one, we might want to commission a replica.

We’re hoping that Hanna’s marlin drought ends when we go to Baja this November. She’s paid her dues and deserves to get that notch in her belt. At that time, however, I will insist that she take some drastic step to memorialize the catch — perhaps with ink.

For years we’ve been told through t-shirts and bumper stickers that “A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work.” I don’t know who came up with this theory, but if you believe it, then you’ve been hoodwinked.

Brandon Palaniuk says he was never hazed during the 2011 Elite Series season, when he finished 37th in the points as a rookie. In fact, he said everyone was friendly, bordering on encouraging. Even when they played the “veteran card” on him, it was to help him be more efficient – as in this story with Zell Rowland.

How is it possible that we never tried Tucunaré Premium Lager from Cervejaria Geada Negra (Black Frost Brewery), a beer that celebrates one of our favorite fish — the peacock bass?

The Bimini Twist creates a double line with the loop at the end – and retains a substantial amount of the line’s strength. It’s not an easy one, but there are a wide variety of tutorials on the internet to guide you through the process. Here are some of my favorites.

I’ve recently determined that my favorite sort of fishing doesn’t involve a particular species, but rather a particular way to catch them – topwater. I also like beer. Here are a few that combine those two thrills.

Jack Wollitz recently told me about efforts to organize the Ohio Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, which should announce their first class of inductees on May 30 of this year. The nominating committee consists of Wollitz, Mark Hicks, D'Arcy Egan and Doug Clifford along with veteran anglers Ray Halter, Bill Byers and Rich Carter.

I often think we should get a replica of the 31” brown trout that Hanna caught through the ice in Milwaukee. If we were to get a reproduction made, I’d like it to somehow show that we pulled her through a hole in the ice. Fortunately, there are lots of taxidermists who create such scenes.

Now that we’ve been bitten by the offshore fishing bug, we want to fully partake in the experience. We’re not quite ready to release the fish solo in a safe manner. Part of the issue is that they are so much bigger than fish like the bass we catch at home. Furthermore, as their name suggests, they have sharp bills that can be used as weapons.

As we enter a new year of fishing travel and get set to conclude five full years of blogging, we remain committed to helping you plan for and enjoy trips of your own. We scour the internet daily to find information that we believe might help – if it inspires you or helps you avoid a mistake then we’ve done our job.

Since launching this website early in 2020, we’ve posted nearly 2000 articles, snippets and gear guides aimed at helping people with their fishing travel. Yesterday we outlined the top ten posts of 2024. Here are the top ten performers of all time.

The popularity (or lack thereof) of certain HPFC posts continues to amaze me. Sometimes we’ll write something that we expect to resonate with our readers and it flops, while other times an expected “throwaway” post goes gangbusters. Here are our ten top-performing posts from 2024.

As we’ve gotten more involved with offshore fishing, we’ve learned of the power of bait balls. Species including sailfish and yellowfin tuna herd up various forage species and then strategically feast upon them until they’re full. Plenty of clothing manufacturers give you a way to wear that obsession.

If you’re always or nearly always the best angler in the boat, it may be an ego boost, but it’s not a learning opportunity. You need to get your ass kicked once in a while and learn from it. 

After two decades of writing outdoor writing, I remain passionate about the creation process. I often still go to bed thinking about the last piece I wrote and wake up ready to write the next one. It’s a constantly-changing industry, but I’m proud of the fact that I’ve bobbed and weaved effectively, such that I’ve yet to be knocked out.

When I got together with some of the Megabass team, I asked their pros about their “Death Row Meals.” Their answers are in this video. What they all have in common is that they all gravitate to a taste of home.

Recently I asked “Do Fish Eat Boogers?” in order to list a bunch of lures with “booger” or “snot” in their names. Suddenly my feed was filled with all sorts of suggestions at the intersection of snot and fish. I had no idea how much research and inquiry had been done into more in-depth explorations of mucophagy.

We travel to Casa Vieja Lodge in Guatemala largely for the unparalleled sailfishing, there’s another species that plays a critical role: the mahi mahi. Most of the boats have kitchens onboard where the mates will prepare a hot lunch. If you catch a mahi early in the day, that’s what you’ll get.

Gaffing is surprisingly satisfying, and only slightly harder than it looks. If it's something that you like to do, there are plenty of shirts to express that passion.