Watching Brandon Palaniuk go over the top with a Clutch glidebait on Championship Sunday reminded me about some of my favorite swimbait moments at El Salto with the soft Bacca Burrito.

As many of you head to Florida in the coming weeks to get the rust off of your tackle, you might not want to use live shiners. Perhaps you don’t want the hassle of keeping them alive, or you simply prefer artificials or you’re fishing in a tournament. No matter the reason, it’s still possible to “match the hatch" with these lures.

I claim not to be a tackle junkie. However, the longer I continue to fish, the more I realize how much specific baits can make a difference. I’m truly catching on to why we have a garage full of baits. Here are 5 that made a difference in 2024.

I tested a lot of different gear this year and found all of the items listed here to be great products and solid values. Purchase with confidence.

The best part about going to Anglers Inn’s lodges on Lake Picachos or Lake El Salto is that the conditions constantly change. – it’s a different lake every time we go. I get excited to bring downnew products that we know won’t get bit at home. If we get bites, not only have we learned something new, but we’ve added to our bag of tricks

Hanna and I get asked about the best swimbaits for big Mexican bass all the time, and while we can give some generalized answers, we’ve long been in search of a true expert to advise us. We found that person in Chad Meenan, one of the handful of gringos who fishes South of the Border more than we do.