If world records mean anything, Dr. Martin Arostegui is one hell of a fisherman. Arostegui has caught three hundred and twenty-six world records in his lifetime, according to IGFA World Records data. A retired emergency room doctor from Coral Gables, Florida, Arostegui made it his mission in life to catch record fish all over the world, usually with fly rods and flies he's made himself. In 2005, Arostegui was presented the IGFA Lifetime Achievement Award.
In professional bass fishing, any discussion of "best" has to start with Kevin VanDam. The all-time money winner on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, VanDam earned more than $4.5 million through 2010, has four Bassmaster Classic titles and has reeled in more than 8,400 pounds of bass in competiton. Since he turned pro in 1992, VanDam, a native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, has earned berths in 20 consecutive Classics. "VanDam is as close to perfection as I've ever seen," says ESPN commentator Mark Zona.
By the time Pete Maina was 11, he was guiding anglers in northern Wisconsin. Even then, the muskellunge was his favorite gamefish. Maina estimates that he's caught muskies himself at more than 500 lakes around the nation and in Canada. "I've handled more than three thousand muskies at this point," says Maina, 50. His biggest? A 55-inch behemoth he hooked in Lake St. Clair, on a Sebile Stick Shadd, in September 2010. He pioneered catch-and-release for muskies.
https://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/fishing/saltwater/inshore/2011/05/meet-20-best-anglers-planet/