....and I feel fine!

Whether you want to admit it or not, it is coming.  It will be here before we know it.  It's significance is different fore many people, but everyone knows about it.  And unless you have been living under a rock for the past year you all know what it is.  December 20th, 2012 is only 100 days away.  It is time to start preparing.

All of this "the world is going to end!" jargon has really got me thinking.  I mean, what if our world really does explode from a rogue meteor and we as human beings cease to exist after that day?  Many people believe that something like this is going to happen.  There is even an website dedicated to it -> December 21st 2012 Official Website.  And of course, if it is on the internet, it must be true, right? So like I said, this got me in "prepare" mode.  If the world really is going to end, I need to do something....

...So let me present to you the Top 4 places that you must fish within the United States before December 21st, 2012.  (2 locations today, 2 revealed tomorrow)  All of these locations are a "must do" trip as an angler before their life comes to an end.

Crater Lake National Park.  Crater Lake is located within a very old inactive volcano.  How awesome, right?  There is literally no place like this on Earth.  A once prestigious volcano within the Cascades Mountain Range,  Mount Mazama erupted catastrophically one day about 7,700 years ago.  This massive eruption caused Mount Mazama to collapse inside of itself and become dormant.  The lake that then formed inside this basin was a result of an accumulation of rain and snow over 250 years.  Originally, fish did not naturally inhabit Crater Lake, so the fish that live there today are a result of stocking programs.  Uniquely, the fish species that were stocked did extraordinarily well.  The last time Crater Lake was stocked was in 1941.  Today you can find Kokanee and Rainbow Trout within the waters of Crater Lake.  More info regarding licenses and such can be found here.  Be sure to visit this location as far in advance before December 21st, just in case it decides to become active for that date.



South Florida.  Southern Florida can offer a variety of fishing opportunities for many people.  Whether you are into saltwater fishing or freshwater fishing, Florida is a hot spot for a plethora of fish species.  But there is one fish specifically that you need to try and catch before you die or the world ends, and that is the Peacock Bass.  Even though this fish looks reminiscently similar to a largemouth, the peacock bass is not a "true" bass at all.  It is in the genus Cichla, whereas the largemouth is in the genus Micropterus.  The Peacock Bass is native to the Amazon River and South Africa so fishing for this particular species in S. FLA may be your only chance.  The Peacock Bass is mad aggressive and will put up a better fight than any chunk bucket-mouth you have ever hooked into.  Not only are they more fun to fish for, but they are arguably a more "pretty" fish than any large or smallmouth.  


Check back tomorrow when I reveal the other 2 "fish before you die" locations!  What do you think they will be??



Crater Lake Pic:  http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/021/cache/crater-lake_2107_600x450.jpg