Pete Robbins takes over Best On Tour again! (Issue 361)

Issue #361- February 5, 2026

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.

BOT Trivia: Which angler was the first to win back-to-back Bassmaster Classics?

PRESENTED BY: Sunline

On December 31, 2025, I retired after 30 years of practicing law. During the last 22 or so years of that tenure, I was also a nearly full-time bass writer. Now, at long last, I get to live my “side hustle” all day, every day. I have mixed feelings about side hustles in general. I won’t get into that here. I’d rather focus on the fact that I’m exceptionally grateful for all that mine has enabled me to do and see: I’ve fished for Michigan smallmouths with KVD; I’ve gone to Alaskawith Keith Combs; multiple times I’ve been the closest person when the Bassmaster Classic winner caught the fish that clinched it; and I’ve fished many of the best waters in the country and across the world for a wide variety of species. Now I get to combine all of that. I’ll be following the Elite Series traveling circus, creating content every day, and working on a growing fishing travel business called Half Past First Cast with my wife Hanna.

Following The Elites

I’ll start off the season at Guntersville, where the Elites will commence their 2026 campaign without forward facing sonar. It’s one of my favorite lakes in the country. In fact, it’s kind of fitting because when I first met Hanna – a Chicago girl with no fishing experience – in 2003, I told her that my retirement plan was to move to Guntersville, fish every day, and she could work at the lakeside dog food factory. I’m surprised she stayed with me but I’m glad she did. Today she’d reject that idea for a different reason – she’d want to be out there chunking and winding a chatterbait and a trap with me. One of the ways that being on tour will help my writing portfolio is that it’ll enable me to get to know the new generation of anglers. Prior to “the split,” I’d estimate that three-quarters of the Elite pros knew me by sight. Now it’s probably closer to 20%. I want to really dive into their personalities and help build stars based on who they are, not necessarily just how good they are with a rod and reel. I want to tell stories that give fans a reason to care about the talented young guns. One of my favorite movies is “Almost Famous” and I keep using the line that my writing will become more meaningful once I get to “ride the bus with Stillwater.”

Missing Martin for Billfish

The Elite Series schedule didn’t come out until after we’d made some of our travel plans. Unfortunately, Lake Martin conflicts with a trip to Casa Vieja Lodge in Guatemala, where we’ll be hosting a group of 16 in mid-February.

We first visited Guatemala in 2020 as a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip with my parents to celebrate my 50^th birthday. Those plans quickly got squashed as we’ve been back every year. It’s a place where you can have a blast whether you’re a tournament billfish angler or you’ve never been on the ocean. On our worst trip we caught 15 sailfish in three days. On our best, we caught 67. On that latter trip, my brother and some of his business school friends, none of whom had fished offshore before, released over 80 sailfish. It’s also a place you can take a spouse or child who doesn’t love to fish because it’s essentially a tropical resort experience – swim-up pool bar, air-conditioned diesel boats, Mercedes Sprinter vans, and so on. We’ve taken three couples where the wife didn’t fish, and once we forced them to take a turn on sailfish they never missed another round.

Marrying Up

As I wrote above, when Hanna and I first met she’d never fished before. That was a risk on my part – either that she’d hate the sport or that she’d resent all of the time that I invest in it. Fortunately, she took to it quickly and now gets excited to travel the world and experience new species and fisheries.

I recognize that we have a growing and vibrant group of passionate and talented female anglers, but there are still some impediments to them getting involved. That’s why I’m thrilled with the direction that Hanna’s efforts have gone – she loves testing the latest gear, interviewing bass pros’ wives, and most of all taking groups of women on bucket list adventures. If you’re a woman who wants to fish more but doesn’t know how to take the next step – or if you know someone who fits that description – reach out to her and let’s get you on a trip! I’m trying to convince her to lead an all-female excursion to Guatemala later this year. Or maybe Argentina for golden dorado. What’s holding you back?

The Ish Model

During a time when most pros fished one tour, perhaps just the Elite Series or FLW, Ish Monroe was the “iron man of fishing.” He fished everything that he could, sometimes multiple tours plus jackpotting various western events. I once asked him why he bit off so much: “I’m a tournament fisherman,” he said matter-of-factly. “My job is to fish tournaments.” In the past I’ve been asked by aspiring outdoor writers how to obtain the writing opportunities that I’ve enjoyed. “Write,” I tell them. “Every day. That’s your job as a writer.”

I don’t know if anyone still aspires to write for a living (or as a side hustle). I may be the last of the breed. Still, no matter what you want to do, you have to do it every day. Want to be a painter? Paint when you don’t feel like it. Dream of the NBA? Shovel off the court to shoot your 500 daily free throws. Content creation is a matter of repetition, building muscle memory and learning from mistakes. I now feel odd if I go a day without writing even a short blog.

PRESENTED BY: Gamakatsu

Three Weeks on Gilligan’s Island

A year after we first visited Guatemala, we were invited to fish for tuna at Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge. I expected it to be another “one-time” deal. We’ve been back four times. We are hosting a group of 20 there in late May which will include Bass Fishing Hall of Famer Skeet Reese and his wife Kim. Lodge owner Shane Jarvis generously donated a trip with Skeet to last fall’s Hall of Fame auction. I need to be on the island in June as well to host another trip, so I’ve elected just to stay there for a total of three weeks. That kind of flexibility is new to me – we’ve only taken one vacation of more than two weeks since our honeymoon in 2005. My goal is to get to the point where I’m too tired to reel in another yellowfin and sick and tired of sashimi and poke.

PRESENTED BY: Whatnot

Lightning Round

· Elite Series stop I’m most excited to visit: St. Lawrence River

· Quotation that guides me: “You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.” (George Carlin)

· Elite pro (past) I’d like to travel with: Rick Clunn to Alaska

· Elite pro (current) I’d like to travel with: Steve Kennedy to somewhere in the Amazon

· My Death Row meal: Kung Pao chicken, Diet Dr Pepper, pumpkin pie

· New Destinations for 2026: Argentina for golden dorado, California with Oliver and Riley Ngy

· Favorite TV shows: The Sopranos, The Wire, The League, All in the Family

· Favorite non-fishing athletes of my lifetime: Ron Guidry, Lawrence Taylor, Muggsy Bogues

· One lure for the rest of my life: Green pumpkin Senko

PRESENTED BY: AFTCO

Not A Real Retirement

While I expect that I’ll never practice law again, my “retirement” is hardly an end to working. Much like KVD has done, or what I expect Ike will do starting next year, I expect that I’ll be every bit as busy going forward, just focusing on different goals. As someone who came from a non-fishing family, I am eternally grateful that I found fishing, or that fishing found me. It has provided a little bit of extra income, an amazing network of friends, and true purpose in life. It has strengthened my relationship with Hanna as we’ve built a business togetherand enabled me to see the world. If you’re reading this, then you probably understand much of that – I hope that each of you find your own way to have the sport benefit your life so fully.

*****************************

If you’d like to discuss travel options with us, or join us on a hosted trip, shoot us an email at fishmore@halfpastfirstcast.com.

More info:

· Alaska

· Guatemala

· Panama

· Argentina

· Mexico

· Louisiana

Best On Tour Breakdown Ep. 9

In this episode of The Best on Tour Breakdown, the crew dives into the latest buzz, banter, baits, and business shaping the bass fishing world. Highlights include Drew Gill becoming the youngest angler in MLF history to surpass $1 million in career earnings, a lively discussion about a controversial “illegal” Japanese bait hack, and a closer look at the Bill Lewis Big Gizz swimbait. The conversation also shifts to the business side with an interesting comparison of golf versus fishing, capped off with a fun bonus story about a bass catching a world-record bass in Bass Lake. It’s a fast-paced mix of news, gear talk, and insider perspective that you won’t want to miss. Check it out here.

Our sponsors make this newsletter possible:

Want to advertise with us? Reach out: info@bestontour.net

Issue #361

Like what you see? Forward this to a friend!