Maybe It’s Time to Buy a Lottery Ticket
People often ask what my favorite fish is or what my bucket list catch would be. The truth is, after being fortunate enough to fish all over the world for both freshwater and saltwater species, I have come to realize something I didn’t fully appreciate until recently.
Some of the fish I have caught weren’t just memorable but also catches of a lifetime -- and somehow, I seem to keep setting the hook into trophy fish.
In 2014 in Mexico, I experienced one of those unbelievable days anglers only dream about. I got to fish two legendary lakes -- Lake El Salto and Lake Picachos -- and landed two bass well over 9 pounds in the same day, one from each lake.
What makes the fish from Lake Picachos remarkable was that the lake had not officially opened to Anglers Inn guests yet. Catching two giants on two different lakes in a single day is something few anglers get to brag about.
During our safari trip in Africa we chased tigerfish, known as one of the toughest freshwater fish to catch. They are difficult to hook and land as their mouths are exceptionally hard, resulting in lost fish from missed hooksets. During our trip I was fortunate enough to figure out when to set the hook and landed the largest tigerfish the lodge had seen all season. A replica now resides above our mantel in the living room.
This past week may have been the biggest surprise yet.
While fishing with Captains Oliver and Riley Ngy, our target species was calico bass and we caught 30+ in a day and a half on the water. What Pete and I didn’t expect or even understand after we did it was that we also caught something special and extraordinary – white seabass.
Apparently, many Southern California anglers spend years, even decades, chasing white seabass without ever seeing one. Because of this they have earned the nickname “The Ghost.”
Somehow, we caught four of them in two days.
On the first day, I landed a fish weighing more than 40 pounds and then the next day I landed one just shy of 30. Again, to put this into perspective, some anglers spend a lifetime hoping for one bite from a white seabass. I was blessed with two giants on consecutive days.
The captains continued to impress upon us the fact that this was a really special fish. They called people and told them what I did and had me listen to their reactions.
These aren’t just fish.
They’re memories, stories, gifts.
They are the moments that make me shake my head and say, “Did this really happen?”
Or, “Who does this?”
I guess I have come to understand, I do this, and some luck plays a role but putting yourself in great fisheries with true experts helps the situation – along with a little bit of favoritism from the fish gods.
Maybe after two huge G-g-g-giant bass, the biggest tigerfish of the season and four “Ghosts” in two days (two that I personally caught), I should probably stop and buy a lottery ticket.
Maybe I have already won, not with money but with experiences that many anglers only dream about. I truly believe these memories will last longer than any jackpot ever could.
I can’t wait to see what my next cast will reveal.
