TRIP OF A LIFETIME

 

Looking to give that FisherPerson in your life a fishing trip which they will remember forever?  Well, I have been blessed to travel the world seeking the best fishing destinations.  You cannot beat Argentina when it comes to fishing, great food, and friendly people.  Stay a few nights in Buenos Aires and fill yourself on their famous Steakhouses.  Then travel up north to La Zona Lodge seeking the largest freshwater dorado on earth.  If you are a fly fishing person, travel south to the town of El Calafate and take a tour of the Moreno Glaciers before heading out to Jurassic Lake Lodge where some of the largest rainbow trout on earth swim.  If monster saltwater species are on your list wish, venture to the remote islands of Papua New Guinea with Rock Expeditions seeking huge Giant Trevally, monster dogtooth tuna, Napoleon Wrasse and many others.

  Here you will see not others other than a few natives who live on these Islands out of Misima.  If you looking for a great destination a tad closer to home, book to flight to Panama and fish with PanaFishing for some monster Roosterfish and Yellowfin Tuna.  The lodge caters to small groups where no others fish.  Lodge owner Pierre will take very good care of you during your stay. 

Many of the countries are opening as they have been closed down due to covid.  So, the fish are eagerly awaiting as some have not seen a lure in a few years.  Don't let covid scare you, just be smart!  Merry Christmas to all!!

Xmas Gift/ Venice Redfish

 

Looking to give that Fisherperson a last minute Xmas present where they have have a fishing trip of a lifetime?  Capt. Keith Kennedy of Born To Fish Charters out of Venice, LA offers world class bull redfish angling at a mere cost of what you would pay for an International Trip.  Fly into New Orleans and rent a cal and drive about 2 hours to his lodge in Venice.  Keith can provide all housing, world class meals, and guided fishing for some of the largest bull reds which swim.  I have fished with Keith for years and can vouch that he will try his hardest to put you onto bull reds.  Leave all the worries to Keith and just show up

.  He has quality tackle plus worked as a chef so will put a few lbs on you with his cajun meals.  Keith can be reached at 5049083108.  Book now as the best dates fill fast.  Spring, Summer, and Fall can offer fantastic fishing in the Gulf Area where Keith fishes.  

Ripple Fisher GTX Expedition Travel Rods

 Looking for that last minute Xmas gift to the fisherperson in your life?  Well if they enjoy International travel and do some saltwater fishing for some monster species please consider the Ripple Fisher GTX Expedition 3 piece popping rods.  These rods are extremely powerful yet light.  They are suited to cast heavy poppers or stickbaits all day long for Giant Trevally, YellowFin Tuna, and other brutes.  With travel baggage restrictions constantly changing, why spend a small fortune on a 2 piece rod and find out later that the airline will not allow it in baggage?

  So, I highly recommend 3 piece rods which will be one less item you have to worry about.  I recently used the MH model on my recent trip to French Polynesia.  The rod was put to the ultimate test battling some Giant Trevally, DogTooth Tuna, Coral Trout and some sharks.  It performed flawlessly.  

LAST MINUTE XMAS GIFT

 

Looking for a great last minute Xmas gift for the fisherperson in your life or just want to buy yourself a great gift?  I recently had the pleasure of reading the Adventures of friend, Larry Walker.  Larry will soon have his life story "From Minnows to Marline" available on Amazon.  It tells the story from starting  with his families live minnow shop to a full sized sportshop selling tackle, Bass Tracker Boats, guns, and everything fishing.  Larry later with his family ran Lynn Creek Marina and the Oasis restaurant on Joe Pool Lake, Texas.  Larry tells of hundreds of stories as he has wet a line in over 47 countries.  He ran exotic bass trips to Honduras, fished for giant Blue Marlin at Ascension Island, caught giant Swordfish in New Zealand, released giant Black Marlin in Australia.  Larry also landed a 1146 lbs bluefin tuna out of Prince Edward Island, caught 300+ lbs Yellowfin tuna, and caught massive dogtooth tuna near Lanthan Island.  Larry has caught more 10+ lbs largemouth bass than anyone I know and currently adds to his total weekly!  I have read numerous fishing books from the top fishermen who have ever casted a lure and rate "From Minnows to Marlin" the best, exciting fishing adventure book I have read.  I had a pleasure of fishing with Larry for huge rainbow trout out of Jurassic Lake, Argentina.  I recall Larry running back to the lodge around 6am with a giant smile on his face to tell me he had landed a 21+ lbs rainbow.  Am sure Larry will eventually come out with Vol II of his adventures. Congratulations Larry on great adventures and look forward to reading more!!!!

LAST MINUTE XMAS GIFTS/ K LURES

 

Looking for some last minute Christmas gifts to give the Fisherperson in your life?  Look no further than www.klures.com where Kermett Adams makes some of the best topwater lures on earth.  Kermett has a line of prop chopper lures which will tempt some of the largest peacock bass which swim in the Amazon.  Kermett also designed a few monster poppers which recently produced a huge Giant Trevally which pushed the scales well over 100 lbs

.  For La Zona's golden dorado I worked with Kermett designed a few square nosed glide lures which I will test out in a few weeks.  Also Kermett has Joe Bullock's spinnerbait

design which have accounted for the majority of dorado pushing the scales past 50 lbs the past few years.  All lures are make of hard redwood, are wired through, and come with extremely strong hook hangers and rings to battle huge fish.  Kermett is active on Facebook so if you are looking for a specific wooden lure get in tough with him as sure he could construct it.  

TRAVEL RODS FOR GIANT TREVALLY

 

On my recent trip to French Polynesia, I learned that Tahiti Airlines had a size restriction of 59 inches max.  This caused lots of headaches trying to figure out how I could get my GT popping rods packed.  Earlier in the year, I fished with friend, Curtis, who was testing the new Ripple Fisher 81MH GTXpedition popping rod while we were in Panama.  This rod is 8.1 ft, 3 piece, and rated for PE8.  It is constructed with Fugi SiC Ocean guides which keeps the weight down.  The rear grip length is 505 mm, while the whole grip length is 852 mm. On recent trips to Papua New Guinea, my main popping rod was a 2 piece Ripple Fisher so I was familiar with the quality of Ripple Fisher Products.  So, I purchased the GTXpedition which cost around $700.  When I received the rod, I made lots of practice casts here in Fond du Lac and really liked the rod's action and distance I could cast the huge poppers.  However, until you hook up to a Giant Trevally one has no idea how the rod will hold up to these brutes.  During my trip to French Polynesia the rod was fantastic.  It held up without issue to numerous GTs, dogtooth tuna, coral trout, etc.   I hooked into a decent shark and put a tremendous amount of stress to the rod which held up.  This rod is made of high nano carbon which provides awesomely fast recovery, ultra sensitivity and mega casting distance.  The nano composite provides extreme toughness.  So, with airlines constantly changing baggage length rules, the next time you are shopping for a high end GT popping rod, please consider the Ripple Fisher 81MH GTXpedition and I guarantee you will be extremely happy with the selection.  

FRENCH POLYNESIA OCTOBER 29 TO NOVEMBER 10, 2021

 Had the opportunity to fish with 2 experienced saltwater angler friends for  6 days of fishing for Giant Trevally and other saltwater species in French Polynesia.  The fishing opportunities in French Polynesia are endless and have barely scratched the surface.  It comprises more than 100 islands in the South Pacific stretching to more than 2,000 Km.  The locals concentrate on pearl farming, not commercial fishing so the opportunity still exists to fish where no lure has ever hit the water.  During our stay we experienced windy and rain conditions.  The temps were much lower than I expected from a South Pacific destination reaching tops in the mid 70F.  Since I made trips to the Maldives and Papua New Guinea, I have salt in my blood which I cannot get rid of!  Nothing can compare to the sights and smells of the sea. Nothing can compare with the destructive topwater explosion a Giant Trevally possesses with super strong strength.  The key here was for the guides to find schools of sardines dimpling on the surface.  Casting a huge popper would produce a GT strike the majority of the time. During the week, the largest GT for the group was a massive 132 lbs brute (officially weighed) which is the largest GT my eyes have seen.  My guess is the average size GT landed by the group was in the 45 to 50 lbs range.  The coral trout fishing was insane!!  We had to land at least 80+ of these brutes which is unheard of. 

Coral trout also put on a great battle and are extremely colorful.  Many of these coral trout were masive, pushing the scales in my opinion over 40 lbs.  We also had great luck with smaller dogtooth tuna with the largest most likely around 35 to 40lbs.  These beasts make great sushi and are simply delicious.  Jigging is the way to go for a variety of species.  We landed more species than I could count with many being the first time I have laid eyes on.  The groups dream was to land a huge Napoleon Wrasse, but they avoid our jigs so we have a good reason to return plus the GT fishing, accomdations, and meals were 5 *****.  So get to French Polynesia soon before the word gets out of the amazing fishing along with the crowds!  I cannot wait to get back.  

VENICE, LA REDFISH WITH CAPT. KEITH KENNEDY AUGUST 9-12, 2021

 

I had the opportunity to fish again with friend Etan Zimmet of New York along with my brother, Bill for monster bull redfish out of Venice, LA.  This is a trip which matches any International Destination and I look forward to it each year.  We also are under the guidance of Capt. Keith Kennedy of Born To Fish Charters.  Keith provides everything--housing, tackle, and all meals.  The fishing for bull reds was again excellent which is becoming the norm each year.  The winds were mostly light coming out of the NE. 

Thunderstorms were in the area each day but we experienced no rain while fishing.  The top lure by far was the Berkely Havoc Sick Fish behind a BlabberMouth popping cork rigged on a 8/0 circle hook with a 1/8 oz weight.  For 4 days of fishing we landed a total of 111 bull reds and 2 Jacks.

  A few blacktip sharks were in the area each day which did cause some breakoffs.  This year my brother and I  used Daiwa Ballistic 6000 spinning reels which hold a massive amount of line, are very lightweight, and have a good amount of drag to battle these arm hurting brutes.  With covid still causing lockdowns in many International Destinations, Venice is a topnotch destination to fulfill your angling needs. One flys into New Orleans and either drives to Venice or take a Uber which is about 2 hours from the Airport.  

Bull Redfish hold second to none in terms of fighting ability so lots of fun catching big reds in numbers in a great location.  Look up Keith on Facebook or give him a call at 5049083108. 

INTERNATIONAL FISHING TACKLESTORES

Whenever I travel Internationally, I always try to arrive a few days earlier to get rid of the jetlag and to see some of the sites.  A top priority is to visit a local tackle store.  Often, these stores have lures which are not available in the United States or have colors I cannot get. Sometimes, if you are on top of prices, the International lures are cheaper than here in the USA.   On my recent trip to Panama, I found a fantastic store, Abernathy Transistmica which is located on Panama Street.  The store was huge as they offer a giant selection on tackle, rods, reels, boat, and camping equipment.  While browsing the tackle, I found Abernathy has a huge selection on Rapala lures.  I bought a few X-Rap Scoop XRSCP-14 , X-Rap Jointed Shad XJS-13 in Pike and Steel Perch coloration, X-Rap Subwalk XRSB-15 in Hot Pike, and Scaled Baitfish, a few Giant Shad Raps in Goldfish, and a few locally made jigs.  All of the Rapala lures were much cheaper than here in the States plus after talking with the owner, he gave me a 10% off all my tackle.  So next time you are in Panama make sure to visit Abernathy Transistmica or make sure to stop by a tackle store on your next International trip and you might be surprised on the lures not sold in the USA.  

PANAFISHING LODGE, PANAMA JUNE 19 TO 29, 2021

 

About 2 months ago I had a conversation with friend, Curtis Lee, about fishing opportunities.  Since the majority of destinations are still locked down due to covid, Curtis suggested I consider Panama where he has fished numerous times.  After a long discussion, Curtis said he was looking for a fishing partner for this June.  It took me about 5 seconds to tell him to count me in.  We would fish for 7 days our of Panafishing lodge

which is located in the town of Pedasi which is about 4 hrs ride from Panama City.  We would target Yellowfin Tuna, Roosterfish, and Cupera Snapper plus loads of others willing to bite.  X-large poppers would be the lure of choice as trolling and live bait is not allowed.  With my numerous trips to Papua New Guinea for Giant Trevally, I had all the equipment needed for a successful trip.  We were fishing in the rain season where the seas are normally calm. We experienced some rain during our 7 days of fishing but little to no wind.  The fishing was outstanding.  A few giant Roosterfish were caught by Curtis and myself.

  It is very exciting to see the comb of a rooster while chasing one's popper.  One day we went about 10 miles offshore and found Yellowfins jumping near a floating lodge.  The action was non-stop for about 1 hour with numerous tuna landed.  During the week we caught a variety of species such as YellowFin Tuna, Roosterfish, Jack Crevalle, Bigeye Jack, Bluefin Trevally, Sierra Mackerel, Needlefish, Amberjack (Almaco Jack), Dolphinfish, Cubera Snapper, Rainbow Runner, Barracuda, and even a shark.

  The lodge runs 3 boats and has a backup boat if needed.  The food is outstanding with the catch of the day being served the majority of your stay.  The rooms are very spacious with A/C and bath/shower.  There is a swimming pool to relax in after a day of arm bruising battles.  The staff and guides were outstanding!  I cannot wait to head back to Panafishing Lodge and hopefully go to battle with more giant Roosters!!!

Panafishing Lodge books well in advance so best to get in contact with Pierre ASAP to secure a booking.  He can be contacted at Panafishing@hotmail.com or call +507 6405 3675

DAIWA BG SERIES SPINNING REELS

 

If your heading out on a saltwater popping trip for huge Giant Trevalley, Tuna, etc.. and don't have loads of cash to buy a top end of the line reel such as the Daiwa Dogfight or Saltiga, consider the Daiwa BG 8000.  This reel can be bought for under $150.  It is a huge reel weighing around 30 oz.  It has a large spool where it can hold about 440 yards of 80 lbs braid.  It has a drag strength of about 33 lbs.  The BG is constructed out of heavy aluminum, and has an air rotor plus 7 ball bearings.  It is quite smooth when reeling and have digitally cut gears to help battle these monster brutes.  I recently obtained the 8000 model and 5000 models which I will be testing out in June.  So, more on these reels after hopefully a successful popping fishing trip!!!

DAIWA TATULA 300

 

Recently, I purchased a Daiwa Tatula 300XS reel.  I was looking for a large capacity reel with a high drag and extremely fast retrieve to buzz poppers

across the waters in La Zona.  The Tatula was exactly what I was looking for!  The Tatula 300 comes in 3 different retrieves, the H (6:3:10, the HS (7:1:1) and the hyperspeed XS (8:1:1).  Daiwa has used it's patented T-wing system that decreases line resistance and its magforce z magnetic casting system. The Tatula 300 model utilizes larger gears for handling large dorado lures and a powerful 28.7 lbs of drag while weighing only 11.5 oz.  Now, I anxiously wait for Argentina to allowed citizens from the USA to enter so I can test out the reel on hopefully 50+ lbs La Zona dorado!!