Prior to going to Casa Vieja Lodge, we spent an action-packed yet relaxing 48 hours in the historic city of Antigua, Guatemala. We ate, relaxed, shopped and climbed a volcano. Highly recommended.

When the opportunity arose to fish at Sport Fish Panama Island lodge for a second time in the same year, I was a bit nervous. Honestly, our April adventure in Panama was life-changing, so I knew that the potential was there, but I had no idea if the fishing in November would be anywhere as good. Here's a trip report.

Some of our favorite destinations are focused on chasing a particularly desirable, elusive or hard-fighting fish. On the other hand, there’s definitely nothing wrong with a trip to a multi-species Shangri-la. I’d never tell someone NOT to go to a multi-species fishery but as with everything else it pays to have a strategy to make the most of your vacation.

For the fourth straight February, we ventured to Casa Vieja Lodge in Guatemala to escape the cold, relax a little, and battle loads of sailfish. As has become the norm, we took a different path to and from Guatemala – part of that was flight economics, part of it was because we had to spend a few days on the way back in Nashville for the Safari Club International Convention. Here are some notes, in no particular order.

One of the things that make fishing trips to Panama so easy is the wealth of direct flights between the United States and Tocumen Airport. Later this year Copa will start flights between Panama City (PTY) and Austin, Texas (AUS) on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Casa Vieja Lodge provides a list of hotel recommendations in both Guatemala City and Antigua on their website, but they called the Camino Real (owned by Westin) their “best pick for your stay in Antigua” so we decided not to overthink it and just booked two nights.

We’re headed back to Alaska and like most visitors we’re excited to catch the species of fish that made the state a holy land for anglers – trout and salmon in the streams and rivers, and halibut in the heavy salt. It’s understandable why they’re the main draw, but they’re not the only game in town.

Seasickness can be miserable, but the fear of it shouldn’t prevent you from experiencing life-changing fishing opportunities. There are numerous strategies, products and medications to reduce or eliminate the pain and lead you to fishing happiness.

This July 31 through August 4, 2023, we head back to Bear Trail Lodge for another spectacular journey to the last frontier. Pete and I are going a few days before and will be exploring Anchorage and Seward and most likely will be fishing for halibut. Here is our itinerary and an invitation to join us.

I’ve been fortunate to fish for bass all over the United States, from the far southern Texas fisheries that overlap into Mexico, to the northern natural lakes that stretch into Canada., as far west as you can go and all up and down the east coast. Yet despite it not necessarily being known as a “trophy destination,” I think that the Ozarks region needs to be on more traveling anglers’ radar.

While Alaska is of course the largest state, with seemingly endless things to see and do, and Anchorage is a cosmopolitan city, you don’t need to go far to see the wildlife the state is known for or enjoy a range of outdoors activities. Within the city itself there is plenty to do. Here are a few resources to get you started.

We recently published an article about the best ways to fly to Panama for an epic tuna popping trip. Many of the options were from Copa, including direct flights from our home airport, Washington-Dulles. Copa since announced that starting June 28th they’ll be adding service between Baltimore/Washington International Airport and Tocumen four times weekly.

The Half Past First Cast team attended the Richmond Fishing Expo in Doswell Virginia on Saturday, January 21, 2023. There was a little of this and that for sale, but the best part was seeing people we have not seen in quite some time. I had the opportunity to meet some of my social media fishing friends in person for the first time.

Alaska Airlines offer the most choices from the Lower 48 to Anchorage. Their service, their timeliness and even the pancake machine in the airport lounge are top notch. Others with more knowledge of the flight game have already done the heavy lifting for us – providing insight into how to get the most out of this carrier’s options.

Manaus is not an easy destination. You can’t get there by road from other major South American cities, and there are only limited flights from the United States. Furthermore, those U.S. flights seem to constantly be in flux .If you’re heading there from North America, unless you’re in Florida, you’ll likely have to take at least two flights. Here are the current options.

After three trips to Casa Vieja Lodge, it’s the sailfish, sun and service that keep us coming back, but we also like the fact that travel there is easy. From our home near DC, there are many different airline options, including two offering direct routes, along with other options through hubs. As with Panama, no matter which airline alliance you prefer, from most places in the US you can get to Guatemala on the same day in two flights.

We’ve now been to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge three times, and on each visit we’ve briefly stopped over in Panama City. During those brief interludes we’ve been pleased with the safety and scenery of the big city, as well as the natural wonders of the Gulf of Gulf of Chiriquí, but we know there’s much more to do and experience.

We’re headed back to Alaska this August, my 4th trip there and Hanna’s 2nd. If you’re a lover of the outdoors, an American, or a citizen of the world and you’ve yet to go – shame on you! Regardless of your budget, your interests or the size of your group, there’s a way to get it done. In the meantime, we’d love it if you’d join us.

We’d still fish Panama if it required difficult travel logistics, but another feather in the destination’s cap is that it’s so easy to get there. With direct flights from many US and Canadian cities, you’re unlikely to have to take more than two flights to get into the country. Indeed, if you’re in or near a major hub you can likely get there on a three- to four-hour flight just about any day of the week.

Local foods are a big part of enjoying travel, but if you get sick on vacation the results can be painful or catastrophic. Here’s how to be safe without missing out on the fun.