Topwater fishing is all about explosive strikes and heart-pounding action. There’s nothing quite like watching a fish break the surface to hammer a lure. While my favorite is the Rico, I recently dug through the garage and found some other lures in Pete’s stash -- of course there is a story about each one.

Every angler has their go-to bait—the one they reach for when the bite gets tough, the conditions are unpredictable, or the pressure is on. But what if you could only fish with one bait for the rest of your life? No backups tucked under the lid of your boat. Just one.

Throughout the spring I’ve been traveling with the Eagle Creek Tour Travel Pack 40L, a distinctive and cavernous backpack that I hoped would solve my carry-on struggles. I found it to be versatile and smartly but like anything, there were a few things I loved and a few quirks that didn’t totally work for me.

Every athlete has that one essential item they won’t compete without — often a trusted garment that brings comfort, confidence, or maybe even a little bit of superstition. In this video, you'll hear directly from a group of pro anglers as they tell you what they can’t live without on game day.

I increasingly find myself reaching for two pairs from Island Optics – Mako XL and Crane . They’re two very different styles, but both are comfortable, provide great coverage and premium optical clarity at 1/3 the price of many others.

I needed Mossy Oak for my very first turkey hunt. Not just any camo—specifically Mossy Oak. I was told Bottomland would help me disappear in the woods, and I wasn’t about to question the turkey hunting veterans. I wanted to blend in, feel confident, and look like I belonged out there—even if I was still figuring things out.

Yeti’s Panga backpack is tough and spacious, yet compact enough to fit under the airplane seat in front of you. I tested the bold new Firefly Yellow color with the goal of standing out in a crowd while protecting my gear.

Most of the tackle in our garage have a story and I love finding gear that represents my fishing history. In a recent search, I located some nostalgic items that represent my experiences on the Potomac River. Even though they’re from my earliest years, I still use much of what I used back then.

Watching Brandon Palaniuk go over the top with a Clutch glidebait on Championship Sunday reminded me about some of my favorite swimbait moments at El Salto with the soft Bacca Burrito.

Make sure you spend money on a good rainsuit. Nearly 20 years ago, Pete took me to BPS get me my first “real” set of foul weather gear. He assured me it would pay off in the long run and we’d decided to get a BPS Gore-tex 100 mph rainsuit, no matter what it cost.

I claim not to be a tackle junkie. However, the longer I continue to fish, the more I realize how much specific baits can make a difference. I’m truly catching on to why we have a garage full of baits. Here are 5 that made a difference in 2024.

There is nothing worse than waking up early in the morning to fish and not knowing what to wear. Packing for a fishing trip is equally difficult: What do I take? What if it gets dirty? What if I don’t like it once we get there? I continue to refine my “must take” items to include a stack of clothes that go with me on nearly every trip.

The Yeti One Gallon Water Jug is an amazing piece of technology that is worth the price. It’ll prevent you from getting dehydrated and stand up to any abuse you can dish out — and it comes in great colors.

I gravitated to the Bajio Paila sunglasses for a few reasons: First, I’d really enjoyed the Bajios that I’d tried before. Second, they were ORANGE, which is my favorite color and while I have lots of black and tortoise frames, I didn’t have anything in orange. Finally, after reading reviews I suspected that they’d fit my head really well.

After the annual BFHOF banquet we spend time with our friends the Morgenthalers and the Mansues. While Pete has fished with Dave Mansue before, this year Dave was lucky enough to take both of us out. On the way to the lake, I asked what we’d be throwing and was told “football jigs and glide baits.”

As you step out of the van at Anglers Inn El Salto, the next steps are to collect your first of many secret recipe margaritas, follow your bags to your room, and quickly rig up some rods. You only get one first cast, and one first fish so I asked the members of our June group what they used to break the ice.

Yesterday I provided a video demonstrating how Pete picked his clothing for our upcoming trip to Anglers Inn Lake El Salto trip. Great picks but I have no idea how he can take so little, even if they do daily laundry. I brought a few more items.

Pete has carefully selected every piece of apparel he needs for a week of fishing in Mexico – trying to minimize the quantity to maximize how much tackle he can pack. Surprisingly he has packed mix and match pieces that all go together, including antimicrobial underwear, comfortable shoes and a just-in-case rain jacket.

Normally I have Pete purchase all of our lures. I buy the groceries, he buys the tackle, those are our jobs. This time I wanted to make sure I had exactly what I wanted for our upcoming trip to Anglers Inn Lake El Salto, so I fired up my (our?) credit card and made my first Tackle Warehouse order.

Gearing up for the Fourth of July by dressing in red, white and blue can be both patriotic and practical. There are plenty of options – hats, shirts, bibs, jackets and even shoes. Don’t limit it to that, however – consider a dry bag or baits to pull it all together.