Another Day, Another Fishing Blog

I need to start another blog like I need more crankbaits – which is to say, not at all – but I’m pretty sure that I’ll buy more crankbaits in the next year, so why not add another online presence?

I’ve blogged here at Inside Line since 2008, and I’ve had a regular column on Bassmaster.com since 2013, along with all sorts of other freelance opportunities and obligations. I’m not planning to give any of them up without a fight, and I’m not running out of ideas, either. In fact, the more that I fish and the more that I write, the topics seem to expand exponentially.

This blog in particular has been an important incubator of those ideas. Ron Colby and Heidi Roth at Yamamoto empowered me early on to write about ideas other than “How to fish a Senko in the post-spawn” and “Three tricks for lethargic smallmouths.” Because they took that risk, and I in turn took plenty of risks with content and form, Pete Weighs In has led to many more opportunities. I can count at least four of my main writing clients that developed directly from things I’ve written here, along with many of my best industry contacts.

Since the beginning, I’ve committed to writing at least two entries per week. The number of times I’ve missed that goal can be counted on two or three fingers, while conversely, the number of times I’ve produced three to five blogs in a week is in the dozens. While quality is king, volume and discipline matters.

So why am I starting another blog now?

I need to expand my audience. I need to take new chances, with new topics, and with a particular focus on my fast-growing interest in fishing travel. I sometimes need to be able to use NSFW language without fear of pissing off my corporate benefactors. I also want to involve my wife Hanna in the project, and give her some ownership and agency over it. Thus we are jointly launching “Half Past First Cast,” a website devoted generally to fishing travel, with tentacles extending into other areas where appropriate. My “A-Game” bass-centric material will remain here on Inside Line, along with some of my travel pieces, and my tournament-focused entries will continue to be published on Bassmaster.com, but I have ideas that aren’t appropriate for either of those sites, and I want to get them all out there. I’m still as excited by this sport as I was when I started blogging in 2008, and my ability to write about it is only limited by the hours in the day.

If you’re interested, please go to HalfPastFirstCast.com at your convenience and sign up to get updates.