If you want to be ready to tackle a monster yellowfin tuna in Panama — or any big fish, for that matter — you need have good form and good physical fitness. That starts with proper sleep and diet, along with a set of exercises precision-tailored to the sport.

Prior to heading to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge I outlined five primary goals for the trip, and I’m only semi-proud to say that I accomplished four out of five. In baseball, that .800 batting average would put me in the Hall of Fame, but in this particular case it left me a little dejected.