I owe an apology to my Spanish teachers for my failure to study hard and keep up after graduating. They told me that language skills would someday come in handy. In some form of karmic justice, much of our fishing travel these days focuses on Latin America.

Our recently-completed trip to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge was our first time to go there in January. It was also our largest group – 20, from 11 states. Sixteen of the 20 were first-timers at the lodge. By providing travel notes, we hope to minimize hassles and problems on our future trips.

Southeastern anglers now have more options to get from Atlanta to Tocumen airport as Copa supplemented the existing Delta flights with options of their own. Now, proving that turnabout is fair play, United is adding direct flights from SFO to PTY. Those will add to the routes that Copa already runs.

We started off our 2025 travel campaign with four and a half days at Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge – our first January visit. While we recognize that every trip is different, even on the same dates in back-to-back years, here are notes that might help you decide if January is the best time for your visit.

We go on multiple dedicated fishing trips every year but even if you travel for other reasons you may have a day to make a few casts. Maybe you’re on a business trip, or a family vacation, or perhaps a camping trip. You’ll be passing by what you know or suspect to be prime waterways, and you don’t want to miss out on those opportunities.

Because we are incessant planners, the Robbins crew has already filled out our 2025 calendar. There are always little travel-related issues that crop up and create mini-crises each year, but we try to minimize those problems with pre-planning. Here are 12 tasks you can undertake to make your travel as seamless as possible.

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.

We’re hosting a fishing trip at Grosse Savanne Lodge south of Lake Charles, Louisiana, from May 24-27., 2025. Bass or saltwater, or both! Email us if you’d like more information.

Most of our Atlanta-area visitors to Panama have understandably relied on Delta for their flights when headed to Tocumen. Now there’s competition on that route, and hopefully create some price competition. Copa will provide direct flights between the two cities.

Prior to our visit to Lake Atitlan, I got it in my head that the lake held no gamefish, and certainly not bass — but after visiting I’m not so sure. There are signs of “lobina” all around.

If you’re headed to one of the great Mexican bass lakes like El Salto or Picachos, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be flying through Mazatlán. There’s also a pretty good chance you’ll want to bring some of your own fishing tackle. We provide links to the baggage policies of those carriers that currently have service into Mazatlán.

We made what might have seemed like an unlikely choice for our Lake Atitlan accommodations, but the vegetarian eco resort turned out to be the quiet and authentic scenario that we craved.

Our friends Carl and Lisa Vicars recently joined us for three days at Casa Vieja Lodge and they timed their visit perfectly – during a November period when the sailfish were close by and ravenous. Carl is a wizard with his 360 camera and always put together three short videos.

Our November 2024 trip to Casa Vieja Lodge and Lake Atitlan was complicated but fairly uneventful. We hope that these notes will help others streamline their trips and avoid mistakes.

The sailfish are what bring us to Casa Vieja Lodge, but the food is every bit as much of a reason to visit. There’s a four-course dinner. For those of you who thrive on mealtimes, here’s what we had for dinner during our most recent stay.

Despite a weather system in the area, our fifth trip to Casa Vieja Lodge in Guatemala produced exceptional sailfish numbers. We released 66 over three fishing days.

We’ve now been to Grosse Savanne twice and it’s my sincere hope that we’ll be back many more times. Out of the marsh there rises a first-class lodge with superior fishing and hunting. Here are four additional reasons to make it the site of your next adventure.

Sometimes the key to success is NOT making a cast into the next time zone. You'll learn more lessons by targeting and fighting fish in close quarters.

Some anglers traveling to Panama may prefer to bring their own fishing gear. We decided to have fun on our last trip by chasing tuna with bass gear and matching topwaters. That means it pays to know what you can bring on the various airlines that service Tocumen (PTY).

Some of you may be experienced offshore anglers, who know the drill, but if you’re a first-timer, it pays to slow things down. While the captains and mates are willing and talented teachers, if you wait until you’re actually out on the water and sailfish are in the spread, it’ll be too much chaos to maximize your enjoyment and success.