I've spent the last three summers chasing roosterfish along the beaches of Costa Rica and the rocky points of Baja, and I can tell you this: the best roosterfish lures are not the ones with the loudest marketing. They are the ones that displace water, match the local baitfish, and survive the abuse of a […]

I've spent the last four summers chasing dorado (mahi-mahi, dolphinfish, whatever you call them) from panga boats in the Sea of Cortez to center consoles out of Stuart, Florida. After testing dozens of trolling lures, skirted rigs, plugs, and jigs, I can tell you this: not every flashy lure catches dorado, and not every "best […]

I have spent the better part of three decades chasing peacock bass in Florida canals, Lake Okeechobee grass lines, and a handful of Amazon tributaries south of Manaus. During that time, I have watched these chunky, line-burner cichlids crush a classic Rebel Pop-R one afternoon and ignore a premium Megabass the next morning. The truth […]

I lost my first alligator gar at the Trinity River in 2019. I had a 7-foot heavy rod, 50lb braid, and a stout J-hook on 30lb mono leader. The fish took my cut carp chunk, ran hard for about ten seconds, and then the line snapped clean at the leader knot. I never even saw […]

My first paddlefish snagged a 70-lb spoonbill straight off the bank in Oklahoma, and the experience taught me one thing fast: regular bass gear will not cut it. Paddlefish are filter feeders with zero interest in biting a lure, so the only legal way to put one on the bank is by snagging with specialized […]

When the sun drops below the tree line in late January and the thermometer reads negative double digits, I am usually sitting on a five-gallon bucket over a hole drilled into 24 inches of black ice, watching my glow jig pulse on my flasher. That is when I am after the best burbot fishing gear […]

I have spent the better part of two decades chasing blue catfish across reservoirs, tailwaters, and the deep bends of the Mississippi. After testing more than 40 rods over the last three years, our team put together this guide to the best blue catfish rods you can buy right now. Blue catfish are the largest […]

I've spent the last decade chasing lingcod from Puget Sound jetties to Monterey Bay reefs, and one thing keeps me coming back: these fish hit jigs with a violence you can feel through the rod blank. After logging over 200 trips across Washington, Oregon, and California waters, I've learned that the best lingcod jigs aren't […]

After three seasons and roughly 47 trips chasing rockfish, lingcod, and cabezon from San Diego to the Olympic Peninsula, I have tested more dropped rigs than I care to count. The single biggest lesson: the rig you tie matters more than the rod you hold. The best rockfish rigs are the ones that keep bait […]

I've spent the last three autumn seasons chasing cabezon along California's rocky coastline, and I can tell you firsthand that this fish is one of the Pacific's most underrated gamefish. Cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) ambush crabs and shrimp from boulder piles, kelp beds, and jetty structure, and they hit hard, fight dirty, and love to wrap […]