Fished Lake Okeechobee with my good friends Sam Griffin and Dave Burkhardt. This is Sam with a Big O bass that he caught on an experimental topwater. Photos include manatee, gator, Everglades snail kite carrying an apple snail, great blue heron, blooming water hyacinths, and my friend Dave with a Big O bass, as well as me with the 8-5.

Off all the places that I've fished for bass over the years, Anglers Inn at Lake El Salto in western Mexico is, by far, my favorite. I've caught more than a dozen 10-pound bass there, including a couple that topped 12. Also dozens, perhaps hundreds, of 8- and 9-pound fish. But it's not just the fishing that keeps drawing me back. Both the setting and the world-class operation that Billy Chapman runs also make this fishery my favorite. Anglers Inn is a beautiful, comfortable place with first-class staff, food, and accommodations. Check it out through the link in the photo captions.

Crocodile Bay Lodge lies on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, near the border with Panama. It's a great luxury and family-oriented destination for fishing, eco-tours, and just relaxing around the pool or at the spa. Check it out through the link in the photo captions.