My first trip to the winner's circle occurred while riding along on Reel McCoy out of Islamorada, Florida, during the Cheeca Lodge Presidential Sailfish Tournament about five years ago. I spent most of my time on the bridge with Capt. George McElveen, observing and taking photos. As the day wore on, our angler from Michigan kept me more entertained than the fishing action, as he repeatedly threw coins into the water and murmured little prayers under his breath to the fishing gods.

When Anthony Hsieh's Bad Company "dream team," consisting of Capt. Steve Lassley, Pete Grosbeck, James Kingsmill, Andy Horner and Keith O'Brien-Morton (all tournament winners from California) and Hawaiian sport-fishing legend Randy Parker won an unprecedented $3.9 million in last year's Bisbee Black and Blue, what everyone wanted to know was how well they got along.