Kavin Austin Blake is a longtime travel and sportfishing enthusiast. Recently, the staff of ZRYLW blog sat down to ask him a few questions about his quest for the biggest fish.

Q: You’ve been to a lot of different places in pursuit of deep-sea fishing…

Kavin Austin Blake: Yes, I’ve been fortunate to visit a lot of great destinations like Nova Scotia, the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, British Columbia, and North Carolina.

Q: What is it that makes the waters off North Carolina so special?

Kavin Austin Blake: There are some pretty big fish there…in fact, off the coast of Cape Hatteras, someone caught a record Atlantic blue marlin, weighing 1128 pounds.

Q: I read somewhere about a record-size fish caught in the Amazon…

Kavin Austin Blake: I think you might be talking about the reports of 12-foot-long arapaima a lucky fisherman caught down there.

Q: Isn’t deep sea fishing pretty demanding?

Kavin Austin Blake: Yes, absolutely. It takes an experienced skipper, a seasoned fisherman and a boat that’s built to hold up in heavy seas and rough weather.

Q: Hasn’t the technology for deep sea fishing changed quite a bit in the past couple of decades?

Kavin Austin Blake: Yes, navigation systems have evolved a lot, and state-of-the-art fishfinders are pretty common.

Q: Tell us about a typical fishing boat…

Kavin Austin Blake: A modern deep-sea boat is pretty comfortable, with lots of luxury appointments in the cabin, but they’re still purpose-built for fishing, with a flying bridge and fighting chairs.

Q: What kinds of tackle do you typically use?

Kavin Austin Blake: As you can imagine, the tackle is pretty specialized too. Things like downtide rods, 30 to 80 lb line, and multiplier reels are pretty common.

Q: What about bait?

Kavin Austin Blake: Really, that depends on the fish and the waters. Some fish will go for live bait or chum, others artificial lures or rigged bait.

Q: It must be quite an experience to reel one in!

Kavin Austin Blake: It’s the totality of the experience. The serenity of being on the water and waiting for the strike, then fighting the power and size of the fish to bring him on in.

Q: That can’t be the only thing…

Kavin Austin Blake: No, I love visiting those exotic locations as well…

Q: Is that what keeps you coming back?

Kavin Austin Blake: Yes, experiencing different cultures, music, food, people…it’s all so enriching.

Q: What kinds of fish have you reeled in?

Kavin Austin Blake: Oh, things like mahi mahi, marlin, swordfish, sailfish, tuna…

Q: How big do some of these fish get?

Kavin Austin Blake: Anywhere from 1000 to 1500 lbs.

Q: So, for you, travel and fishing are the perfect combination?

Kavin Austin Blake: You could definitely say that, yes.