MEET THE PEOPLE WHO

For anyone learning about the Bad Company World Tour and Team Bad Company in general, the first question they ask is who is Anthony Hsieh, the man behind the dream?

Anthony certainly had a very modest beginning, having immigrated to the United States with his family around the age of seven, settling in Los Angeles, Southern California. The fishing bug caught him early, fishing Venice pier for sharks at the age of 8. As a teen Anthony began hanging out on the local docks and landings, eventually working the decks on local sport boats for a little cash and time on the water fishing. Starting at belmont pier on the half day boat ENTERPRISE, then Deadhead on TORNADO and two summers as deckhand on the THUNDERBIRD out of Davies Locker, Newport Beach during the El Nino of 1983. It wasn’t long before Anthony got his first boat at age 19, a 17-foot Boston Whaler that he pulled from launch ramp to launch ramp throughout Southern California and as far south as Cabo San Lucas, Mexico way before it was common or fashionable. Anthony has made the drive and tow to Cabo and back, over 20 plus times.

From that 17 Whaler, Anthony continued to upgrade his boats, going to a 25 Cabo cuddy cabin with twin 150 Yamahas, then up to his first proper twin diesel sportfisher, the 32 Blackfin YOUNG GUNS. As his business continued to grow and prosper, so did his sportfishing yachts, over a dozen over the years, all earning the BAD COMPANY name across the transom. These included a 28 Betram, 37 Bertram, 38 Bertram, and a 54 Bertram, then the Bad Company fleet was launched which consisted of 3 custom convertibles, based out of Kona, HI, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and Newport Beach, CA. Other notable yachts include a 45 Rybovich, a 60 Viking (Bad Company Edition), a 75 Delta, and 92 Jones Goodall. Then the motherships, the Trinity 144, Damen 150, and most recently the Damen 175. There were plenty of others along the way, but this should give an idea of the evolution of “Bad Company” yachts over the past 30 years or so. In 2007 Anthony also purchased the largest yacht dealer on the West Coast, Crows Nest Yachts. Partnered with Viking yachts they produced “Bad Company Edition” vessels with custom bait systems, tuna tubes, sonars, electronics, towers and many other special upgrades. Anthony has been an expert and innovator of sonars and custom bait systems since the early 90’s.

ANTHONY HSIEH

Owner

Team Bad Company has covered the entire Eastern Pacific, from Southern California down through Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and Kona HI, winning over $7.5mm in tournament winnings.

Along the way Anthony continues to hone his skills as an overall waterman. With over 25,000 hours at the helm and over $1mm in tournament winnings as owner and Captain. Anthony is just as capable operating the boat and finding the fish as he is on the rod. He is a highly skilled angler, with 9 surface swordfish to his credit, along with thousands of blue, black, and striped marlin.

The team currently holds the World Record for most striped marlin caught in one day, an astounding 330 marlin. For those not familiar with the west coast style of fishing, striped marlin and swordfish are most often caught first by finding the fish swimming on the surface, then a live bait is cast off the bow to the fish for an exciting bite and hook up. This requires lots of skill and coordination from the angler on the bow and the captain at the helm.

As his fleet grew, so did the concept of “Team Bad Company”. Team Bad Company has been lead by IGFA hall of Fame Captain Steve Lassley, but has included many other notables over the years, including Pete Groesbeck, Jimmy Kingsmill, Joe Mike Lopez, Kevin Bohannon, Kevin Nakumaru, O.B O’Brian, Randy Parker, and a host of other big time captains and mates. Team Bad Company has covered the entire Eastern Pacific, from Southern California down through Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and Kona HI, winning over $7.5mm in tournament winnings. Aside from the winnings, the team has been innovative in the use of live bait, sonar, and gyro stabilized binoculars.

Building a winning team takes a strong leader, regardless of the objective. Other winning teams Anthony assembled as an entrepreneur include 3 world class Fintech companies that created tens of thousands of jobs. His most recent company, starting only 11 years ago, went public at over $4.2 billion in Market Cap. Anthony’s appreciation of the special opportunity and privilege of living in Freedom in the United States, combined with his love of fishing, motivated him to build another world class operation, War Heroes On Water (WHOW). Now in its 6th year, this charity fishing tournament hosting and benefiting combat wounded veterans, has raised over $5 million for charity and hosted hundreds of veterans aboard dozens of private yachts donated by local southern California yacht owners.

The impact this event has had on the veterans, yacht owners, crews, and tournament organizers, has been significant and long lasting. Being an expert angler, skilled captain, motivated team builder, and world class dreamer, are all skills and traits required to put together the World Tour. Fishing the very best locations on the globe, seeking trophy class billfish and amazing life experiences sounds like a dream, and it is. The amount of commitment, effort, and time required to execute are significant, not to mention the economics. Most of us don’t have what it takes on any of these fronts, let alone all of them. Lucky for us, Anthony is eager to share the experience, from the glory of a trophy catch, to the disappointments certain to occur with so many moving parts and high stakes. We get a spot on the rail, and get to tag along on the fishing trip of a lifetime. 

I was Born in 1957 in Orange County, CA and grew up in a little town (at the time) called Yorba Linda. I currently reside in Temecula, California.

The first time I went fishing was in a goldfish bowl with my Moms new vacuum when I was 2 years old. I was into alternate gear types and thinking outside the box from a very early age. My parents started me out on the piers when I was probably 2 or 3 years old. I started working on Sport Boats out of Dana Point, CA when I was 14 years old. It was the summer of 1971. I bought my First commercial boat when I was 17 and finished building it in my parent's side yard. I fished it for Rock Cod, Bonito, and some Albacore. I sold it and wound up going back to work on sport boats for a few years. After that I got back into commercial fishing targeting surface Swordfish (with harpoon), White Seabass, and little bit of Albacore. I was Captain aboard one of the most successful Harpoon operations of its era, the Mirage.

Starting in the mid to late 80's I was the Captain of quite a few of the top tournament teams of that era, ROJEAN, ABSEAS and COLLEEN to name a few. I got out of Tournaments for several Seasons then came back around to tournament fishing in 1998 onboard the AFTER MIDNIGHT. In 2000 aboard the AFTER MIDNIGHT we won what was at the time, the biggest payout in Tournament history. There were 238 boats competing in the Bisbees that year. It paid out $989,910.

ANTHONY HSIEH

Owner

THE FIRST TIME I WENT FISHING WAS IN A GOLDFISH BOWL WITH MY MOMS NEW VACUUM WHEN I WAS 2 YEARS OLD.

In 2003 I began Running the Bad Company operation. The way I got involved was Anthony heard I was looking to change my current tournament team to another operation. He asked me to come in for an interview.  After the Interview we agreed we would talk in a few days and see if it seemed like it was a good match. A couple days later he called to tell me he had purchased our new tournament boat…It’s been non stop ever since. In 2006 we Won the largest payout in History of over $3,900,000. That record held up until last year (2022). We also won quite a number of tournaments in Califonia and Mexico, including several sweeps. Total winnings is now approaching $9,000,000.

I’ve fished all over Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and Hawaii while Caption of Bad Company. We’ve caught everything- sand dabs, Mackerel, Rockfish, Calicos, White Seabass, Yellowtail, Yellowfin Tuna, Blue Fin Tuna, Albacore, Amberjack, Cabrilla, Grouper, Dog Tooth Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper, Black Marlin , Blue marlin, Striped marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, and surface Swordfish with Rod and Reel and Harpoon. (Pretty much anything that swims). We’ve fished tournaments at the highest levels. I’m taking all these years of experience and bringing it all to the World Tour. Training up the next generation...what a great way to end my career fishing with my best friends and my family.

My passion for sportfishing has always ran in my blood. As third-generation captain from San Diego, I cut my teeth at an early age working on boats out of San Diego’s famous sportfishing docks. In the late 1990’s, Albacore were plentiful out of San Diego. That’s when I really capitalized on honing in my bait fishing skills.

In the late 90’s and early 2000’s I transitioned into private sportfishing yachts targeting striped marlin and swordfish out of Southern California. During the summer, I crewed on commercial harpoon sword-fishing boats, where I learned valuable skills on reading water conditions. After college, I began captaining sportfishing boats and traveling to Mag Bay and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I spent 15 seasons in Cabo fishing blue and black marlin, striped marlin, tuna, and many of the inshore species (snapper, grouper, yellowtail, etc). In the recent years, I helped influence the current bluefin tuna fishery out of San Diego. Myself, along with some of my friends, incorporated kite fishing techniques that have revolutionized the San Diego tuna fishery.

ANTHONY HSIEH

Owner

I cut my teeth at an early age working on boats out of San Diego’s famous sportfishing docks.

I began fishing with Bad Company in the summer of 2015. Fishing with the team really expanded my knowledge of other fisheries in places like Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Panama. These locations introduced me to the passion of travel fishing for big marlin.

I continued working with Bad Company on an “as needed” basis until 2022 when the World Tour was conceived. One of my biggest mentors, Captain Steve Lassley, invited me to join the World Tour as a full time co-captain. I haven’t looked back since.

Being involved with Bad Company’s World Tour, has come naturally for myself. My passion for the sport and my commitment to the team has added to the success of the world tour. Having the opportunity to fish for giant marlin around the world is every fisherman’s dream. Being able to fish with people I respect, admire, and trust, is next level.

I was born and raised in Newport Beach California. I’ve lived in Kona, HI since 1991.

My Grandpa is the one who got me started in fishing. We would mainly fish off the Newport Pier/ Daveys locker in the 70s and 80’s.

After that I started doing mostly charter fishing in Hawaii. From there I moved into the private sector the last 20 years and had a ton of success in Kona, Hawaii and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

I remember fishing in Costa Rica when I got a call from Randy Parker who at that time was captain of the Bad Company boat that was in Kona. He asked me if I’d be interested in working on the Bad Company team and I said “hell yes.” We mostly focused on heavy tackle and tournament fishing.

Winning many tournaments with the team including the 2006 Bisbees where we took home the $3.9 million dollar jackpot. I managed the Badco Kona boat and Anthonys estate in Hawaii for many years after that, until he eventually got rid of both. When I heard about the World Tour it only made sense for me to get involved.

I remember fishing in Costa Rica when I got a call from Randy Parker who at that time was captain of the Bad Company boat that was in Kona. He asked me if I’d be interested in working on the Bad Company team and I said “hell yes.”

We mostly focused on heavy tackle and tournament fishing.  I managed the Badco Kona boat and Anthony's estate in Hawaii for many years until he eventually got rid of both. When I heard about the World Tour it only made sense for me to get involved.

I was born in San Diego, California in 1998. I grew up and currently live in Temecula, Ca. A town just 45 minutes inland from San Diego.

The first time I went fishing was probably in the bait tank on one of my dads old harpoon boats, the Mirage. My passion for fishing didn’t start until I was about 15 years old, when my dad invited me and a friend on the 800 mile route from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to San Diego, California. That trip introduced me to one of my biggest passions, spearfishing. I had just turned 16 when the 200+ pound bluefin started showing up in California. While on a kelp paddie mission we stumbled into a massive school and I was lucky enough to shoot one of the first big bluefin in the state at 227 pounds. At that time only 4 or 5 had been recorded over 200 pounds. 

From that point on I spent every summer and Christmas break working on either Bad Company boats with my dad, or working on whatever boat Kevin Bohannon was on at the time. 

ANTHONY HSIEH

Owner

The first time I went fishing was probably in the bait tank on one of my dads old harpoon boats, the Mirage.

I was introduced to travel fishing when we spent 2-3 years fishing Panama and Costa Rica on the Bad Company 60.

When that was over I spent the summers either tuna fishing or doing surface swordfish trips on the Bad Company 92 in California. I also spent a good amount of time going between Cabo and California fishing on various boats.

When I heard about the world tour I wasn’t really aware of how big it was going to be. I was in college when it was supposed to start but due to Covid it was delayed 2 years. I got an opportunity to come on one of the first legs in Madeira as the filmer. I had actually always really been into video making and for me it made sense to take the opportunity as it was a way for me to film what is essentially the last major milestone in my dads fishing legacy. I took advantage of the opportunity and have been on every leg since, filming what will likely never be recreated in sport fishing history.

Tanner Matthews is a documentary filmmaker living in Los Angeles who began working with Anthony Hsieh in 2015, covering events for his company loanDepot and later as lead producer of content for War Heroes on Water which started in 2018. In 2022, he began documenting the Bad Company Fishing Adventures World Tour and has since then helped to develop the BADCO brand, YouTube channel and marketing strategy. Tanner is an avid fisherman, and his favorite species to hunt are spiny lobster in the Florida Keys.

INSTAGRAM: @Filmpacific