The Agony of Defeat
I will never be as famous as Vinko Bogataj for his wipeout featured on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, but my disappointments and failures leave me just as devastated.
Anyone who has ever fished knows that while we like to talk about our success, the chatter at the dock is always about “the one that got away.”
With today’s advanced technology, there are ways to actually see “that one” before it bites, and then relive it over and over and over again.
This one hit hard, came flying up from 20 plus feet deep and when it hit the surface, just popped off.
She was big. I’m not sure how big.
See for yourself.
What is your most memorable big fish that you lost?
Even if you’ve traveled extensively with a rod and reel in the United States, Lake El Salto’s full sensory overload may produce some questions in the form of “What the hell did I just witness?”
I have been speaking to David Leiffer about his stupendous idea of taking his son Ryan to Anglers Inn El Salto for his graduation present from high school close to a year. Based on how it went I think they both wish there was another graduation around the corner.
The goal at the start of your trip should be to get one bite, put one fish in the boat, and then build from there. Each additional success adds confidence, releases pressure, and increases your awareness of how to do things correctly.
Whether you’ve done this trip a thousand times, or it’s only your second visit to the Mazatlán airport (see our arrival guide here), there are a few things that’ll make your departure go more smoothly. Having done this nearly 20 times, we’ve made all of the mistakes, so you don’t have to.
Friends are often surprised to hear that we go to Mexico during the warmer months. Indeed, there are several prejudices working against making such a trip. You may be giving up a few days of exceptional fishing at home, but in all but a few instances it’s likely to be better South of the Border.
After nearly 20 fishing trips to Mexico, you’d think that the process would be remarkably routine by this point, bordering on boring. On the contrary, there’s something about the route from the US to Mazatlán, and then on to the lake, that’s ever changing, and fraught with potential missteps. If you’ve been there multiple times, you likely know what I’m talking about.
In approximately 20 fishing trips South of the Border, we’ve had approximately 10 that were “trips of a lifetime,” maybe seven that were very good to exceptional, and three where we had to work for our bites. I hope that your next trip to Mexico is as good as or better than one of our best ones, but in case it’s not – here’s how to turn unmet expectations into a successful trip.
One of the best times to go to Lake El Salto is during the winter months when it is cold at home and fishing has slowed down. Here are a list of pros and cons (mostly pros) to scheduling a trip to Anglers Inn International in Mexico in January.
f you’ve read our “Ultimate Guide to El Salto and Picachos” it should be pretty obvious that we’ve spent hundreds of hours trying to figure out how to maximize every trip South of the Border, developing systems for everything from what to pack, to how to pack, to what to eat and lures to throw. Despite all of those best-laid plans, however, we still screw up at times. We’ve decided to be transparent about our mistakes, hoping that you don’t end up repeating them.
I attempt to maximize my vacation time (and carry some over) every year. In the interest of full transparency, here’s what I did in 2024. It was a great year, although I can always do better.