I always thought that painted blades on spinnerbaits were for two extreme situations – either super-clear water or super-dirty water — but through a happy accident I found out that they work extremely well at Lake El Salto and Lake Picachos. Here are some of our proven winners.

The ICAST show always has a deep bench of products that might not win awards but nevertheless demonstrate staying power. Here are four more from the 2021 show in Orlando that I believe will benefit the traveling angler.

One of my favorite parts of heading to Mexico in May and June is the opportunity to load the boat with big, deep-diving crankbaits. When fish gang up on offshore structure at El Salto and Picachos, there’s no better way to fire up the school and keep them biting than a big diving plug. By “ultra-deep,” I mean something that’ll consistently get down past 20 feet.

We’re returning to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge seven months after our inaugural visit. I have some new gear to wear and otherwise test out, and I’m looking to get better at both the inshore and offshore popping bite.

As you get older your feet may start to betray you. Despite the popular notion that fishing is a lazy person’s activity, standing on one leg to run a trolling motor is tough on the body. So is fighting a big tuna in bucking waves. On a wet deck, if you don’t have adequate traction you can end up cracking your head open or in the drink. Don’t forget to consider your “wheels” when you plan a fishing trip.

While perusing the “Summer Release” tab on Tackle Warehouse recently I came across the 1st Gen FlashX Swim Jig, a lure that literally turns those bladed swim jigs on their heads – instead of a wire protruding from the chin of the lure, it emerges from the top. I suppose in the loosest sense of the word that makes it more of a spinnerbait than a swim jig, but the small #3 blade and titanium wire place it squarely in the jig category for me.

The Alabama Rig can be deadly on northern smallmouth. It’s a great way to catch GIANTS, and few people know more about catching giant northern bronzebacks than television host Mark Zona. He’s an unabashed fan of this multi-wire “home wrecker” and offers several key tackle tips for getting the job done.

Even though I’m constantly testing out new lures on our trips South of the Border, and attempting to give them a valid assessment, of course there will always be some “gold standard” lures that are hard to replace. Nevertheless, the introduction of new lures means that others get left by the wayside through no fault of their own. Here are four that regularly make the trip down to Mexico with me.

Rust is the enemy of fishing tackle, and unfortunately if you’re not vigilant about preventing or combatting it you will sacrifice a lot of expensive gear. In this case, an ounce or prevention is truly worth a pound of cure—especially for the traveling angler.

An upper torso corollary to zip-off pants is the idea of sun sleeves, which haven’t seemed to have gained as much traction. I bought a pair of the Simms sleeves several years back and wear them occasionally. They’re high-quality, like just about everything Simms makes, quite comfortable and breathable and I found that they stay up, but I haven’t worn them as much as I should have.

Murphy’s Law often takes over when it comes to towing and operating bass boats — but by taking some simple precautions and making a few minor investments you can often salvage a trip. Be prepared.

Paired with an appropriately-sized tungsten weight, the lizard might be the most versatile lure in the boat at El Salto and Picachos. You can Texas Rig or Carolina Rig them You can flip them. You can even catch fish swimming one or bouncing it along the bottom on a slow, steady retrieve. Moreover, they’re inexpensive and durable.

I like trinkets but I also like them to be useful, particularly when it comes to travel. Every square inch of packing space matters, and I also want to protect all of my gear. Over time, I’ve learned about some inexpensive items that fit that description and now they go on virtually every trip.

While travel to the Brazilian Amazon may be difficult right now, we still saw some tackle introduced at the 2021 ICAST show that should be perfect for big Rio Negro peacock bass. I've been three times, and as soon as things are consistently opened up again we'll be back.

Whether it’s Mexico, Brazil, Alaska, Panama or anywhere else, nothing in fishing beats the excitement of a brutal surface strike. Sometimes it’s so amazing that I even put down the rod to watch and photograph the action.

I recently wrote about the need to bring spare treble hooks with you on fishing travel, with our trips to Mexico as the focus. Making sure you have ultra-sharp hooks on your lures at all times is one of the best ways to maximize your catch rate. I’ve amassed quite a selection of replacement hooks, but I’m always looking for better solutions. Here are some of the new options that were introduced at the 2021 ICAST show.

No matter where you’re going to fish for largmouth bass — even El Salto, the Cal Delta or Okeechobee — you need a “panic box.” Why should you listen to an outdoor writer instead of the pros? Because they can catch fish with anything, I need surefire hits.

While most of us are rigorous about packing high-quality, laser-sharp hooks for our single hook presentations at El Salto and Picachos, it’s easy to slack on replacement trebles. If you’re going for just three days of fishing you may be able to get away without bringing any but any more than that and I’d recommend that you bring a small stash.

When you’re at home, it pays to work on techniques for retrieving snagged lures. Learn to feel what you’re hung up in, because the strategies that you employ for a single-hooked lure in rock may differ from those for treble-hooked lures in trees, or any lures in a discarded tilapia net. It also pays to keep some sort of lure retriever handy. Here are some of our favorite ways to dislodge stuck lures.

There are a variety of great rainsuits available for women from companies including BPS, AFTCO, Simms and Huk. Find the one that’s right for your body and the weather you’re likely to face.