Leroy Boss booked four days of fishing with Hill Country Hammer Guides and was rewarded with the trip of a lifetime – a 13-03 largemouth on Day One, and a 12-10 on Day Four. He commemorated the experience with an unbelievable table mount of the two bass, along with myriad other critters and habitat.

During our most recent trip to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge, Hanna and I both caught bluefin trevally. Pictures do not do justice to their vibrant blue streaks, spots and splotches. They may not be a “bucket list” species for many anglers, so I was surprised to find that you can nevertheless get clothing that replicates their colors.

In the Robbins house we are constantly thinking about the next meal, or even the next meal after that. I guess you could call us foodies. We are willing to try almost anything. Of course, some meals stand out more than others. In a year full of great dining, both at home and on the road, here are some of my favorites.

If you can’t be on the water but you’re obsessed with tournament fishing, consider picking up one of these books that shaped and reported on the sport of professional bass angling.

Hulk Hogan, William “The Refrigerator” Perry and Pete Robbins — as far as we know, only one of them has fished for tuna in Panama.

Even if you're a non-techie or not very business minded, your writing business will improve if you learn to use a simple spreadsheet. Microsoft Excel helps me stay organized. I don't miss deadlines and I make sure that I get paid.

One of the most famous quotations in sports mythology and inspirational meme-world is Wayne Gretzky’s “You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.” It’s true that once an opportunity has gone by that particular window has closed. As such, I have certain regrets in my fishing career, but none of them can’t be fixed.

On a recent trip to the Chicago suburbs, I visited Angler’s International Resources, a top notch tackle store for hard core bass anglers. Make an effort to get there the next time you’re in the Windy City.

A triple is always a good thing. Here are two examples of three of a kind from the Gulf of Chiriquí. Which hand would force you to push all of your chips to the center of the table?

I’ve seen some great catfish mounts across the country. Upon a little bit of examination, I’ve also noticed that there are lots of catfish tattoos out there. Here are some of my favorites.

My first question when we returned to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge was whether Chef Eddie would teach me to make his incredible tuna poke. Now you can make it at home with this simple tutorial and recipe.

When you travel by air to a distant fishing destination, you may have to go a long time between meals — or you may dislike some of what is served. Be sure to bring appropriate and legal snacks in your baggage to avoid emergencies.

Old Mark Zuckerberg apparently knows what he is doing, because one of my targeted ads last year hit me square between the temples and lured me in: Sportyfish shirts from Singapore. Their catalog reads like a “who’s who” of my bucket list fish – peacock bass, giant trevally, yellowfin tuna, sailfish and others.

As we head off for Round Two at Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge, we’re keeping our eyes out for links that may interest our audience. I’m a reader by nature and my Google Discover feed is…well, let’s just say, a little odd. Here are five SFW nuggets we think that our readers will like.

The pandemic has put employees in the driver’s seat, allowing them to demand a more favorable work-life balance. It has also made it clear that many of us can work from anywhere. Not every employer buys into that belief system, but you can find examples of employers who encourage their trusted staff to work hard and play hard.

Bait WrX in Springfield, Missouri is a premier bass tackle shop with specialty gear including regional staples and high-end glide baits. It was my first stop after picking up my rental car at the airport.

While many of my friends are fascinated by my late-in-life discovery of fishing, more than a few of them get agitated by one aspect of my addiction: They can’t understand how and why we catch and release all of our fish. To make them happy, check out our seared tuna.

While we are strong supporters of catch & release, there’s nothing wrong with eating sustainably and ethically harvested gamefish, especially if you do them justice with a perfect recipe that brings out their flavors.

Our retirement dream is to travel the country in a fifth wheel to fish and explore. Pete will tow the RV with one vehicle and I will tow the boat with another. I guess that means I better learn how to tow the boat. I’ve done it a few times out of necessity, but I’m still not 100 percent comfortable with the process.

When I interviewed FisheWear founder Linda Leary a few months back, she hinted that despite the fact that she lives in a state with no reproducing population of bass, my beloved largemouth was the next fish on her design schedule. Well, she’s brought out a new “Basstacular” collection and it exceeds expectations.