A treble hook that bends out or that doesn’t hold a point is going to eventually let you down. That’s why we always make sure our lures have hefty, premium versions and that we bring spares. We’re also constantly on the lookout for new heavyweight versions and Mustad’s new Jawlocks fit right in that sweet spot.

Prior to just about every trip to Mexico, friends ask us about packing the right tackle and enough of it. I wish there was a proven formula for every given day of the year – as in “Bring exactly five X, 10 Y and 12 Z and you’ll be completely covered,” but there’s not. It’s fishing, and the only rule is that you have to expect the unlikely.

I know the “must haves” and while every veteran traveler has their secrets, and every newcomer has lures they want to try, I’ve put together a list that’ll get you bit every day of the year down there.

When interviewing bass pros about their lure choices, when referring to their sponsor’s soft stickbait they’ll often state, “You know, their version of the Senko.” The Yamamoto category leader isn’t the only one, though. Here are some other examples of lures where the specific has become the name for the entire category.

As we’ve started traveling internationally and fishing for a wide variety of species, I’ve learned about many premium brands of braided fishing line. Not surprisingly many of them are from Japan. Here are some, plus an explanation of the PE System.

Tackle Warehouse, the most well-stocked online retailer in the U.S., continues to expand their supply of multi-piece rods in recent years as U.S. manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon. If you’re looking to buy one (or more), they keep an incredible amount of inventory in stock, and if your need to travel has arisen suddenly you can generally get the rod in a day or two for a fairly minimal upcharge.

The Megabass booth at the 2023 Bassmaster Classic Expo featured lots of their new (and longtime) products, but one big topwater in particular got me especially excited. Here's Chris Rosella talking about the Megadog-X, how to fish it, and one amazing “Fine Art” color.

We continue to seek out new and more efficient ways to travel long distances with fishing rods. Sometimes that means an enhanced selection of multi-piece sticks from varied manufacturers. Other times it means new ways to pack and transport the gear so it makes it to your destination in one piece – well, you know what I mean.

I previously wrote about how I got my butt kicked with a discontinued Blue Fox Roland Martin Double Buzzbait. While you might not find any of them except on eBay or at a garage sale, there are still other options. More racket sometimes means more or bigger bites

Since 2010, I’d always been on the water during the Bassmaster Classic competition days, often an hour away from the downtown arena, which meant that I essentially never got to visit the Expo. For a tackle junkie like me, that’s a particularly cruel punishment. This year,I got to wander the Expo for a couple of hours each day.

You simply cannot go bass fishing in Mexico without an ample supply of lizards. You may go several trips without fishing them, choosing other plastics, but when all else fails a big salamander is very hard to beat. I’ve been very happy with the Zoom version, but if you’re the type who “needs to show them something different,” there are plenty of other options.

In our continuing effort to bring you the latest news on the world of travel rods I consistently monitor the new product listings at Tackle Warehouse. Without much fanfare, they recently added two new ones – one casting, one spinning – from the upstart and rapidly-growing 6th Sense.

Headed to El Salto? Or Picachos? No matter which one you’re fishing, or when you’re going, there’s one crankbait that MUST be in your tackle bag: The Bomber Fat Free Shad in Citrus Shad.

After a few dark years in the early 2000s, the Chickahominy is consistently producing big bags and monster bass. April is one of the best time to chase the giants, and while there will of course be some local tournaments, this is the first year in a while with no FLW or Bassmaster Open to add extra pressure. Hunter Smith of Fishing Pro Tech told us what he throws in April.

Some people think that Carolina Rigging is boring, but it’s a great way to learn about your fishery and catch both numbers and big bass. Here are the basics of what you need and how to rig and fish it.

If you’ve amassed far more rods than you can use in a single day of fishing and you don’t have endless wall space for vertical storage, consider mounting hanging rod racks from the ceiling or rafters of your garage. Not only will this allow you to utilize what is generally wasted space, but it puts them in position to easily pick and choose exactly what you need for your next fishing trip.

Fishing trips and “unexpected equipment complications” seem to be joined at the hip. We put our gear through incredible stress, which occasionally results in failure, often at the worst possible times. The fishing industry is pretty good about learning from our mistakes and creating products to avoid or combat them in the future.

There are times when the old adage that “big bait = big fish” rings true — if you believe in that, Tackle Warehouse has a bunch of worms over 12 inches that may help you catch the largemouth bass of a lifetime.

I know that “screen time” is the best way to get better. with Livescope. I’m still working to consistently locate my bait and judge what the fish in front of me are doing. Not surprisingly, the creatives in the fishing and boating biz have developed some others. Here are a few you might consider.

After a brief hiatus in which life (and time on the water) seemed to repeatedly get in the way, our friend Tej Sawhney is taking on a limited number of custom paint jobs again. It’s something that’ll help him pass the brutal Pennsylvania winter, when he depends on the kindness of others to get him out on their jet boats to chase big smallmouths.