2014---A YEAR TO GIVE THANKS

2014 was a tough year for the Daly family. It started out when my mom had some issues with cancer. Luckily, God watched out for her and all turned out great. As most know, I had problems with blood clots in my lungs and almonst took a turn for the worst! Now, have a breathing issue so hopefully that also gets resolved. My dad also had the beginning stage of cancer but is now doing fine. So, God really watched out for the Daly's in 2014! As far a fishing goes, 2014 was another great year. The season started out in February heading to Murchison Falls, Uganda for monster Nile Perch. This was one of the top trips I have ever taken and highly recommend it to all. I saw more wildlife in the Murchison Falls National Park then I dreamed of. The Nile Perch fishing was great as I landed a 100lbs. I had a few chilling moments, especially when a hippo rammed into our boat and his head entered a few feet from me. Also we got charged by a few elephants but motored away. Well, that is the price you pay for fishing in the jungle. I definately will visit Murchison again. In April I returned to visit my favorite fishery in the world, La Zona, in Argentina. The was my 8th trip and was indeed yet another great year for monster golden dorado. Had a great time going to a local tackle store in Buenos Aires with friends Fany Salas and Matias Pavoni. I am heading back in October 2015 with hopes of landing a golden dorado over 60lbs. In September, I fished out of Gary LaRose's Pumice Creek Lodge along with 2 great friends. Pumice Creek Lodge is located on the Alaska Peninsula about an hour flight from King Salmon. The fishing for silvers was absolutely crazy. Catches over 70 silvers per person were normal. Char fishing at Lava Creek was insane as we all stopped counting after each of us released over 100 char around noon! I already have plans on returning next September to battle those monster silvers which will make my 27th straight year! Later in September, I went to Yellow Lake in Webster, WI for my annual walleye fishing trip. I again visited longtime friend, Bernie Meyer. Walleye fishing was good and the freezer is full of filets. Will definately be heading back this spring and fall. In later November, I returned to Thailand along wiht 4 great friends. We fished with new outfitter, BKK John, who was great. Thailand is rapidly becoming one of my top destinations worldwide. The fishing is unbelievalbe for monster species such as arapaima,Mekong catfish, redtail catfish, snakeheads, Siamese Carp, and many many others. Hopefully I return soon. This coming year should present more great adventures and monster fish! I am heading to the remote jungles of Suriname in March with hopes of landing monster catfish. As mentioned am heading back to Alaska in September and Argentina in October. Plus plan to get in some local USA fishing. GOD BLESS EVERYONE AND HAVE A HEALTHY/ PROSPEROUS 2015! HAPPY NEW YEARS!!</div>

LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR THE FISHERPERSON IN YOUR LIFE

Looking for a last minutre Christmas gift for the fisherperson in your life? Well there are thousands of items out there. You might want to consider stuffing their stocking with handmade lures from Kermett Adams of www.klures.com. Kermett makes the best peacock bass lures on the market bar none! How about purchasing a gift card from local tackle stores such as Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops? Shimano and Daiwa make outstanding rods and reels which are quite inexpensive for quality items. IF you looking to send one on their dream fishing trip consider contacting friend Steve Yatomi at www.adventuretravelalliance.com. Here you can plan fishing trips throughout the world with the help of Steve. If you budget is not in the works for an expensive International trip consider valve fishing trip in the USA such as Keith Kennedy of Born to Fish Charters for monster redfish in LA or Capt. Eddie Bussard for huge largemouth bass in Florida. Christmas is a great time to give Thanks. Make sure to reward your parents for the great job and sacrifices they made. Also get your kids, nieces, etc.. involved in fishing. Get them outside away from the TV and into nature. Believe me, this will be a positive as they age. Fishing is a great pastime and lasts a liftime. Get out of the house and enjoy yourself!! You deserve it!

THAILAND DAY 7

My last day in Thailand was spent fishing for snakeheads at Pilot 111 Fishing Ponds. Pilot 111 consists of numerous fishing ponds loaded with snakehead, barramundi, featherback, and other species. There is a restaurant/bar on the grounds. We spent the entire day fishing for snakeheads. John picked us up in the SUV around 4am for the hour drive to the pond. Snakeheads are landed on minnow imitating lures. The best were the live target brand lures resembling small bluegill. We use medium action spinning reels/rods some of which were provided by John. All in the group catch numerous snakeheads. Around 10pm I head back to the International Airport for the long flight to Chicago whereas the other guys spent the night in Bangkok returning home in the morning. There is a 13 hour time difference from Bangkok to Chicago. In all the trip was fantastic. John and his wife of www.bkkfishingtour.com was one of the best outfitters we have dealt with. John picked us up very very early each morning, provided excellent tips on lures, and spoke perfect English which made conversatons very easily. John also provided us with a great video of the trip. I highly recommend on your next visit to the "Land of Smiles" that you get in touch with John. His email is bkkguy@bkkfishingtour.com. I guaranteee that most of you will catch your largest fish of your life in Thailand!

THAILAND DAY 6

Day 6 of my Thailand trip led us to the Sukhapibahn 1 distict of Bangkok to fish Bungsamran. Bungsamran, founded in 1984, is without a doubt the most famous of all Thai fisheries. Here, thousands of monster Mekong Catfish, stripped catfish, Giant Siamese Carp, etc.. swim. Fishing is done out of furnished huts directly on the water some complete with beds, TVs, refrigerators, couches, etc.. Room service is avaialbe for drinks and eats. The fishing is simply amazing as Mekong Catfish can be caught until your arms cannot handle the pain anymore. Mekong Catfish in my opinon are in the top 5 of battlers I have landed. All of us caught numerous Mekongs over 60lbs. Jim and Steve also caught monster Siamese Carp while fishing for Mekong's is which quite rare. Outfitter John of www.bkkfishingtour.com again made sure our fishing stay at Bungsamran was amazing. Everything is included in the package including Shimano baitrunner reels, quality rods and guides plus bait. Bungsamran is definately a place to put on your must to fish list!

THAILAND DAY 5

On Day 5 of my Thailand trip, John picked us up by van out of Hua Hin for about an hours drive to Palm Tree Lake. Palm Tree has lots of monster fish. The manager showed us her "pet" monster arapaima so we are all anxious to wet a line. The fishing was slightly off most likely due to lots of cloud cover. I landed a decent Siamese Carp and most likely lost a larger one. Cole Lundquist took the largest fish with a Mekong Catfish estimated around 110lbs. Cole was very lucky the Mekong ran out of water or he definately would have been spooled. AFter about 8 hours of fishng, John of www.bkkfishingtour.com and his wife drove us back to the SilQ hotel in Bangkok.

THAILAND DAY 3 AND 4

Day 3 in Thailand was an off day in the town of Hau Hin which is a few hours from Bangkok located on the Sea. We had a great meal and some needed rest. The nightlife in Hau Hin is fantastic and away from the crowds of Bangkok. On day 4 we took a 1 hour ride by van to Jurassic Park. Jurassic Park is located in a beautiful surrounding and is loaded with monster Siamese Carp and arapaiama. Today was not in the cards for me as the fish never came my way. The others all caught monster carp while most landed some monster arapaiama with Chuck Boyian leading the catch with an arapaiama estimated around 150lbs. We returned back to Hua Hin after another great day. The choice of baits while fishing Jurassic Park is pelts for Siamese Carp and deadbait for arapaiama. The rods furnished are European type tournament carp rods. The rods are placed into electronic sensors to signal the slightest of movement.

THAILAND TRIP DAY 2

On day 2 of our Thailand trip, outfitter John of www.bkkfishingtour.com picked us up at the Bangkok SilQ hotel at 3:30am for a 2 hour drive by van to the Ratchburi Providence to fish at IT Monsters-Predator Lake. This is definately my favorite Thailand fishing destination as monster redtail catfish, pacu, thail catfish, alligator gar, arapaiama, and others can be landed for as long as your arms can take the pounding! Good spinning rods and reels were provided by John, but a few of us brought along our own fishing equipment. I used an older model Shimano Symetre reel spooled with 50lbs PowerPro line, along with a 6ft 6in 2 piece medium spinning rod. The bait of choice was tilapia. Redtail catfish also known as pirarara in the Amazon basin are tremendous fighters and can reach weights exceeding 100lbs. They have a predominate red tail with a plate of armor protecting its head. They are very abundant in the IT Monsters-Predator Lake. Friend, Steve Ryan, landed one of the largest redtail catfish we have landed in 4 years of fishing this venue. Chuck Boyian landed a decent Chao Paraya Catfish and I landed a huge Thail catfish. Everyone in the group landed over 30 redtail catfish and a lots of alligator gar and a few huge pacu. We fished till darkness set in and it was again a great day of fishing in the Land of Monster Fish!

Thailand Trip Day 1

Just returned back from a very successful fishing trip to Thailand. I will break down my blog into each day as too many hghtlights to put into one. On November 27 I took a long flight out of O'Hare on Qatar Airlines to Doha. Luckily due to an error in seat assignments, I was upgraded to business class which allowed me to get some needed sleep. Later, I flew from Doha to Bangkok. Once I Bangkok, I took a taxi to the SilQ Hotel which was quite comfortable and near the Bangkok nightlife. Early the next morning John or www.bkkfishingtour.com and his lovely wife picked us up by van to ride us for a day of Barramundi fishing at Boon Ma. Boon Ma is located in the district of Chachengsao and about an hours drive. The barramundi fishing was simple fantastic. Everyone in the group landed over 30 barras up to 25lbs. Barramundi are great fighters and often jumping in an attempt to toss the lure. John provided good Shimano Stella spinning reels and adaquate rods for the awesome battles. The day was extremely hot as I figure over 100F which actually felt great coming from the colds of Chicago. The top lures were floating minnow types such as live targets, rapalas, etc.. We fished over 10hrs with lunch and all soft drinks provided by John. John went out of his way to make sure we got to the fishing grounds before the sun rose to get in on the early bite. From past experiences most operators in Thailand do not provide this excellent service.

Sharks in Alaska?

When you think of sharks, I bet you do not think of them swimming in the frigid cold waters of Alaska? However, there is a speices,the salmon shark, which can regulate it's body temperature to survive these brutal conditions. Salmon sharks are a species of the mackerel shark and found in the Northern Pacific Ocean. They feed on salmon, ie. salmon shark. They can reach weights around 700lbs with lengths over 10ft. The maximum age is around 25 years. Salmon shark possess large teeth capable of inflecting damage to humans. However no known salmon shark attacks have been documented. There are numerous top charter boats in Homer, Valdez, Seward, among others to put you into battle with these brutes. Top bait is fresh whole pink salmon. I have never had the experience of fishing for salmon shark but hopefully one day will do it. I have seen caught salmon sharks on the docks of Valdez. So next time your up in Alaska for a halibut or salmon trip, make sure to plan a day for the salmon shark.

FLORIDA MONSTER LARGEMOUTH BASS

When thinking of monster largemouth bass, Florida comes right to mind. Here many of the top big bass areas such as the St. Johns River, the Kissimme Chain of Lakes, and Butler Chain of Lakes, plus others come to mind. Capt Eddie Bussard of Basschalenger Guide Service has been guiding anglers to these top waters in search of the bass of their dreams. Capt Eddie has over 20 years of experience guiding folks from all over the world on these waters. Numerous bass over the magical 10lbs mark are frequency caught during the season with the top months being January through March. These waters are near Disney World so you can sneak out for a day of trophy bass fishing while your family is enjoying their time at Disney. Capt. Eddie books fast and has a few top dates remaining. His cell phone is 321-377-2013 or he can be reached via email at bassineddie@cs.com Also make sure to check out his website at www.basschallenger.com. This definately would be a great Xmas present for the angler in your life!

OCTOBER REDFISH REPORT

Avid bull red angler, Dr. Gary Clark, reports great action on big bull redfish while fishing with Capt. Keith Kennedy of Born To Fish Charters. Clark plus 2 friends, landed hundreds of big reds exceeding 20 pounds during their 3 day trip to Louisianna. Dr. Clark says the best action was on Bomber Mud Minnows and Berkley Ripple Shads while using a popping cork. The action should remain throughout the season according to Gary. Capt. Kennedy fishes out of Venice, LA and provides everything including housing, meals, tackle, plus others. He has shown over the years to constantly put anglers on big bull reds. Keith has a few openings remaining this season. You can contact him at (504) 908-3108. For the costs, this is one of the best bargins available worldwide for 3 days of top fishing action.

MURCHISON FALLS, UGANDA

Wild Fronters has announced the opening of their new lodge, Baker's Lodge, which will open in Jan. 2015. The lodge consists of 6 thatched cottages complete with decks overlooking the Nile River. Murchison Falls is nested in a National Park loaded with game. Some of the largest Nile Perch swim in the Nile around the Falls. My trip to Muchsion last Feb was simply amazing. We caught numerous Nile Perch exceeding 100lbs and saw more wildlife than most see in a lifetime. The trip is actually afforable and much cheaper than an African Safari. Uganda is totally free of the Ebola issue so visiting Murchison would not be a problem. I highly recommend you visit Africa and catch some of the intersting fish it offers. Plus make sure to take some time off from fishing for some game viewing and I guarateee you will not be disappointed.

JURASSIC LAKE FOR MONSTER RAINBOWS

Friend, Carlos Casanello of Untamed Angling, recently wrote about his opening of a new lodge on Jurassic Lake. Jurassic Lake is located in the Santa Cruz Proidence in Argentina. Also known as Lago Strobel, here monster rainbow trout swim in the 10 mile long by 8 mile wide body of water which has 1 main river flowing. While working on the lodge, Carlos says he can literally view hundreds of monster rainbows swim near the lodge. For more information contact Steve Yatomi of www.adventuretravelalliance.com at zato1@earthlink.net

THE STRONGEST FISHING SNAPS AND RINGS

When fishing for monster fish such as golden dorado and PNG black bass, it pays to have the top of the line snaps and split rings. I recently received a few Capella snaps which are made in Brazil. These are without a doubt the strongest snaps I have ever seen. It literally takes a pair of pliers to open them. As far as split rings go, the triple coiled Wolverine rings are the top of the line. These rings are triple coiled and can handle practically anything that swims. So before heading out on your next adventure, stock up on top of the line terminal tackle so your dream fish won't get away!

DEEP WATER WALLEYE ACTION IN NW WISCONSIN

Recently had the opportunity to fish Yellow Lake which is located in Burnett County, Webster Wisconsin. Each fall season when the lake turnsover, schools of walleyes head out to the deep mud flats gorging on small perch. This bite normally lasts about 3 to 4 weeks on Yellow Lake. I have fished Yellow Lake since a youngster, having spent many summers fishing the lake as the family lived there for numerous years. Trolling is the best technique to catch these deep walleyes. I employ two different means, 1 using 18lbs leadcore line. Leadcore changes colors each 10yd section so you can tell the exact amount of line your letting out without a counter. I attach a barrel swivel to one end and about a 5ft section of 10lbs mono. When fishing leadcore I try to have the lure about a few inches off of the bottom. I always use a Storm Hot-N-Tot as the lure puts out a vibration so you can determinte whether the lure is foulded with weeds. In Wisconsin each angler is allowed the use of 3 rods, so I also use 2 downriggers spooled with 10lbs mono. I use line counter reels and put out 75yds before attaching to the downrigger. Top lures for me have been the Cotton Cordell deep 2.5in minnows, Norman deep baby N, and Rapala deep diving jointed shad raps. I normally am trolling in depths of 25 to 30ft. Boat speed is a key factor and I try to keep it moving around 1.8-2.2mph. Normally, 4 to 4 1/2 colors of leadcore when trolling a 2in hot-n-tot will put the lure near the bottom. My favorite color is green/ black herringbone which is no longer made since Rapala bought out Storm. The past 2 weeks, I had limit catches of walleyes in terrible weather conditions consisting of high winds, freezing temperatures, lots of rain, and even 2 inches of snow. However,give deep water trolling a try when your lake goes into the fall turnover period and you might be surprised on your catch!