LEGACY SEASON

Why Some Anglers Are Impossible to Outfish

“We know more about the moon than we know about the habits of billfish.” I said that years ago, half in jest, half in truth. After thousands of days at sea, I still believe it. Mastery isn’t about knowing everything — it’s about being prepared for anything.

On the ocean, you can tell within an hour who’s built for it — and who’s guessing. Some anglers have strong days when the bite’s hot, but they fall apart when it isn’t. The great ones? They don’t rely on luck — they build a game that works in any condition.

In 2000, I carried forward 300 days fished from my formative years — and added 51 more on the Pacific. That year alone: 487 sailfish and 4 blue/black marlin released — every one on precision, not chance. Those early years taught me one truth: consistency beats everything.

The Goal: Become the Angler No One Can Expose

Every captain and angler has a weakness:

• The drift they can’t line up.
• The spread they can’t balance.
• The rhythm they lose when the bite slows.

Your goal? Eliminate all of it. Build a game that no one — and nothing — can expose. When you reach that level, every trip becomes predictable in one way: success.

Fix the Gaps Before the Storm

Don’t wait for calm seas to test your skill. Work your weaknesses when the water’s rough and the fish are scarce. That’s where mastery lives.

Structure matters:

• Review your spread after every trip.
• Train your eye to spot tension before it happens.
• Rehearse the release — until it’s second nature.

Why It Matters

By 2008, I had released over 17,000 billfish. Today, it’s more than 40,000 and counting. That didn’t happen by chasing the perfect day — it happened by removing weak spots, one at a time.

It’s not about catching more fish. It’s about mastering yourself.

You Are the Captain of Your Own Legacy

It doesn’t matter if you’re on the bridge or on the rod — your success is yours to command. Don’t wait for someone else to teach you how to lead.

Hold yourself accountable. Build your system. Trust your process. Never stop refining. And keep coming.

As featured in Bite Magazine, where this philosophy of preparation, precision and respect for the ocean continues to set the benchmark for modern billfishing.