We may only be going to Casa Vieja Lodge for four days and three nights (and they do laundry every day) but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a process involved in getting packed.

When we first returned from our November trip to El Salto, I was incredibly jacked up about the flutter spoon bite we’d just experienced. I’d gone there on a mission and accomplished it. A couple of months later I keep reliving those bites over and over.

As I’ve tirelessly researched the Japanese travel rod market, I’ve continued to unearth new brands and products – some exceptionally purposeful, some decidedly odd.

The spoon wasn’t the only lure that got some game-time action in November, but it was the one that showed the most promise. Nevertheless, there are at least three more that have me excited – all were either left in my stored tackle down there, or will get a coveted spot in my luggage on American Airlines.

Despite the fact that my personal best 21 pound peacock came swimming a jig, my most memorable strikes (including my second best, a 20) came on the big prop baits that made the Rio Negro fisheries famous. Those aren’t the only topwaters that will work, though. Especially when I’ve been chasing Amazonian species other than peacocks, I’ve found that a walk-the-dog topwater can be equally effective and sometimes better.

This article isn’t a review of new products, per se, but rather a teaser – both for you and for us. We take a whole lot of new stuff to Mexico every time we go, and here are some products that piqued our interest on our most recent trip.

I’ve already written more than I ever thought possible not only about multi-piece fishing rods, but also about how to get them from Point A to Point Z. Whether you’re backpacking, flying, driving or riding a mule, if you arrive at your fishing destination with broken sticks it can be an absolute disaster. For most of us, a standard, non-descript, one-color tube or case will suffice, but if you like a little bit of style in your carrying mechanism – and you’re willing to spend a few extra dollars – there are higher-end options available.

We’ve fished in temperatures up to 114 degrees, and while you can adjust to that extreme by hydrating obsessively and wearing moisture-wicking clothing, I find fishing in freezing temperatures much more challenging. I’m not talking about relatively sedentary varieties like ice fishing, where you can sit in a heated ice house or shanty, but rather open-water fishing, often in a boat.  As a result of my experiences, here are 10 strategies I’ve learned for maintaining the maximum amount of body heat and comfort. 

Just as I was about to (really) give up for the time being, I somehow stumbled onto the Snowbee XS Travel Bag, which is apparently made by a British fly fishing company with a branch in California. Based on my prior experiences I wanted to avoid another disappointment, so I reached out to the Snowbee USA through Facebook on a Saturday night.

After the security staff at the Mazatlan airport forced me to check my travel rod tube when flying home to the US, I was forced to reexamine how I’d travel with multi-piece rods in the future. Here are some ideas, with their pros and cons.

In my search for travel rods able to handle swimbaits that I came across the Cast Division Beaststick, a 6’9” rod made specifically “for the most brutal fishing you can get all over the world.” After watching a number of their videos, I acquired one, and I’ve been testing it out over the past few weeks.

One afternoon Pete and I were fishing offshore, facing toward the structure, when I heard bass blow up in another direction. I reacted quickly, putting down my rod, grabbing a different one, and throwing accurately to the ring to the ring of water. BAM! It was as if the fish was waiting for my bait with its mouth open. Bonus fish!

If you elect to bring rods to Mexico, bring a dedicated crankbait combo, not talking about something specifically tailored to squarebills or lipless baits, but rather a rod and reel setup aimed at big deep divers. Up until a decade or so ago, you could get away with something more generalized for throwing what were then the deepest-diving plugs – like the Fat Free Shad – but with the addition of behemoths like the Strike King 10XD you’re going to need something that makes the job easier and more efficient. The wrong gear will wear you out. 

I’ve flown with a 33-inch travel rod tube to Alaska, to Brazil, and to five countries in southern Africa without incident, but on my most recent trip to El Salto I ran into a situation that required some quick action to avert what otherwise could have been a disaster.

As an addicted angler I’m always looking for a “better mousetrap” and I tend to get high on retail therapy. That means I spend a lot on speculative acquisitions, most of which end up resigned to the dustbin of angling history. Enter the flutter spoon.

Toward the latter half of the trip I started experimenting with the SPRO Rat. The first night that I threw it I substantially outfished Hanna, who was alternating between our normal one-two punch of a Whopper Plopper and a Rio Rico – and this was despite the fact that she got first crack at every target. In fact, several times she made multiple casts down a key alley without eliciting a strike and then the first shot at the rat produced a massive explosion.

If your luggage space is limited on your next fishing trip South of the Border I suggest that you adhere closely to my past lure recommendations. However, keeping an open mind is critical because while the bass at El Salto and Picachos are typically not hyper-picky, there are times when specific options – even slight deviations – will increase your catch rate.

When it’s “on,” the topwater bite at Mexico’s Lake El Salto is just about the most fun you can have with your clothes on. No, it’s not quite as violent as Brazilian peacock bass blasting big prop baits, or South Pacific Giant Trevally plucking birds off the surface, but in terms of largemouths I’ve yet to see anything that compares. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy.

Obviously fly fishermen figured out a long time ago that various species of fish eat bugs – it’s kind of their raison d’etre – but that doesn’t mean that they have the market cornered on insect-imitating baits. Indeed, within the bass world alone there are lots of lures that would tickle an entomologist’s fancy, and they’re all castable on “normal” tackle.

I am sure Pete is going to laugh when he reads this because there was a time when I hated the Senko. I’d fish anything else – a Chatterbait, squarebill, topwater or spinnerbait – but if you suggested that I should throw a Senko I’d give you the stink eye.