How many recognized species of sportfish have you caught? I’m pushing 100, and hope to blow right by that number sooner rather than later.

Check out this hilarious shirt from the colorfully-named Mouth Hug Fishing Company. Wear it onstage at a BFL, Open or – even better – a tour level event and we’ll send you a Half Past First Cast buff.

We knew that Costa is huge in the freshwater space, but as we’ve moved into offshore fishing we’ve learned that their footprint is at least as large there. While they have gear dedicated to marlin, mahi and other species, I’m particularly enamored of their tuna repertoire, which includes four separate hats.

We loved Bajio’s roosterfish hat almost as we love chasing these gorgeous inshore fish. They’re not the only ones who have celebrated this distinctive combed sea creature. We continue to find more and more gear dedicated to them. Here are some of the other rooster hats we’ve found and coveted.

We’ve loved our fishing trips to Brazil. I’ve gone to Amazonia three times to chase peacock bass, payara, and wolffish, and also visited Rio in my teens on a family trip. If you like to fish, you should go, but in the meantime you can get some of their best food here in the US at Fogo de Chão.

Now that I’ve lost my Cubera Snapper virginity, my thirst for them has yet to be quenched. If anything, these fish continue to live rent-free in my head, beckoning me back to Panama for another tussle or two. That’ll happen down the road. In the meantime, I continue to learn everything I can about them. Whether you’re an expert or a novice like me, check out these following links.

She brought you into this world, and she can easily take you out – but the best way to keep the peace with mom is to fish together. It’s even better if you take her to some sort of extremely fertile fishery. If that won’t work, or if you want to add something to make the experience better, here are some ideas given the places we go.

Fogo de Chão’s “Market Table” has plenty of salads and other allegedly healthy greenery, but this is not your typical restaurant selection. If you’re visiting for the first time, a haphazard approach can make for a less-than-satisfying experience. A bit of preparation and strategy, however, can optimize your visit to the Brazilian foodie wonderland.

We’re always on the lookout for gear celebrating our favorite species and lately tuna have been on the top of the list. If you’re looking for a hat to celebrate thm, check out two new ones. We think you’d look good in either of them. In fact, we’re so confident of that fact that the next new client to book a trip to Panama or Guatemala will get the hat of their choice.

We’re amazed at the number of clothing options that allow anglers to show off their favorite species. Typically, however, a given manufacturer or artist will specialize in one area. At the Bassmaster Classic, we found a company which does them all. If you’ve caught it, or intend to catch it, there’s a pretty good chance that artist Rory Hilton Todd has inked it.

Ever since we went to Guatemala, Hanna has been rocking her Bajio Cometas. They helped her see sailfish in the spread and prevented her eyes from feeling fatigue. While perusing the Bajio website I realized that their new hat lineup matches up well with out 2023 and 2024 fishing travel destinations.

Hanna and I arrived two hours before the Swimbait Gathering opened and found a group of die hards camped out — a scene reminiscent of the ticket lines for arena rock concerts, or sneaker heads waiting on the latest Jordans. The earliest among them had arrived at 2am. Why?

You don’t have to be an Olympian power lifter to conquer tuna, let alone giant, hard-pulling marlin. Indeed, if you look around just a little bit you can see that there are plenty of spindly kids and petite 90-pound women who catch them regularly. They do it with a combination of smarts and technique.

For the first time since 2009, I attended a Bassmaster Classic and was not in a boat blogging during fishing hours. That set me free to write about things I wanted to investigate. That led to a morning analysis and evening analysis each day, but also some human interest stories. In case you missed any or all of them, here are links.

The various oceanic dolphins and porpoises are amazing – extra playful and a huge part of the fishing process in many places. Of the multiple varieties we’ve seen in the Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama, the Spinner Dolphins are the one that have captivated us the most.

Casa Vieja Lodge makes the local ingredients, including fruit, a key part of their culinary showcase – you get fruit on the boat, in the “drink of the day,” and in some of the entrees as well. My favorite sweets, though, are on the daily fruit plate that precedes your a la carte breakfast.

If you’re going to join two different lines, whether it be braid-to-fluorocarbon or braid-to-monofilament or something else, you want to make sure that you have complete confidence in the connecting knot. One great option is the “Crazy Alberto” knot, invented by Alberto Knie.

Like our occasional friend the bowfin, the basic crappie has a lot of different names, including one from Louisiana – as with “choupique,” the Cajuns have added some French to this unassuming-but-tasty panfish, naming it “Sac Au Lait.” That means “Bag of Milk.” While they’ll likely never get the glory of the smallmouth, the rainbow trout or the blue marlin, Sac Au Lait get their share of love.

I’ve previously written about how to obtain a job in the fishing industry. If you love to fish, this can become a path to a very fulfilling life. I’ve been fortunate to have mostly good experiences on this side of the fence, but I’ve stepped on a few landmines and narrowly avoided a few others. To help you travel more smoothly, here are four more rules you should consider.

Carl Jocumsen’s fans came from the other side of the world to cheer him on at the 2023 Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville, Tennessee. Check out their early morning vocalizations.