If you’re like us, you’re constantly planning the next amazing fishing trip, or even one or two beyond that. That’s not necessarily easy in times of economic uncertainty. Here are seven tips to get the most bang for your buck when times are tougher than usual.

I’ve already detailed the list of baits that Hanna and I used successfully on our most recent trip to Lake El Salto. Nevertheless, I didn’t feel that particular blog entry captured everything about our most recent trip to bass Disneyland. Accordingly, for those of you who are similarly obsessed, here are some additional factoids and opinions – I hope that they help you on your next trip South of the Border.

We’ve fished in Mexico approximately 20 times, and while it may be the same basic trip, the travel details always change just enough to keep us on our toes. We try to anticipate any challenges and then stay flexible and in good spirits when hiccups occur. These travel notes may not be our sexiest or most compelling material, but our hope is that by reporting these little details we can save you some aggravation in the future.

The crew on the recent Islamorada Florida trip is still talking about how much fun we all had. Once organized by yours truly all they had to do is get to Miami and follow my directions (!!!), and catch fish, which was no problem. Watch my video of the things we did while in the Keys — the fun we had fishing and just hanging with new and old friends.

In Islamorada, if your intended target isn’t chewing, you can usually find something that is, and then you can return the favor – chowing down on your catch. We brought a bunch back to the dock to be cooked. That’s the nice thing about a semi-organized trip to a dedicated fishing town – many of the restaurants will cook your catch for you.

Our group of six anglers ended up catching numerous species of fish in Islamorada. One species that I didn’t know much about beforehand but which turned out to be among the most enjoyable was the tripletail. They’re shaped like an oversized bluegill, almost as tall as they are long, with fins that (as the name would suggest) form a three-part tail section. We sight-fished and then ate a really big one.

The primary goal of our recent trip to Islamorada Florida was to catch tarpon. When the tarpon acted like jerks, we went to the back country and tried for snook and redfish but ended up with a whole lot more. I personally caught 16 different species of fish and was more and more excited with each new one we brought into the boat.

I cannot pass by a good tackle store. In fact, I go out of my way to visit the best ones, and have even developed a guide to proper shopping techniques. Unfortunately, there are fewer great new shops to choose from. Nevertheless, I haven’t given up, and I’ll always have the memories of some of my favorite shopping experiences. Here are four that stand out.

A trip to Islamorada offers a lot of opportunities on a small piece of real estate, so the laws of supply and demand mean that you’ll pay a premium for lodging. We had a group of six anglers and one non-fishing spouse, so we booked at the Sunset Inn. It proved to be an extremely good choice.

A journal of a fishing trip to Islamorada, Florida — four nights, three days of fishing, from Hanna (aka, Julie McCoy of HPFC). Learn where we stayed, what we ate, what we caught.

I’ve been more or less housebound for nearly 70 days, but I’ve still gotten plenty of travel planning done. Check out what I’ve accomplished for upcoming trips to places like El Salto, Panama, Canada and Alaska.

Fishing travel news for early May 2022 — Canada has reopened to vaxxed travelers and it’s still a bad idea to carry bat meat in your luggage. All the blurbs that are fit to print.

I recently provided a look into how to productively and/or comfortably spend a mid-length or longer airport layover. That list derived from a lot of experience in and near airports, some of it with a frown on my face. Here’s a follow-up list of things that’ll make the layover worse for you – or for others. Engage in any of them at your peril.

Unfortunately, there are fewer direct flights to our desired locations these days. If you live in or near a major city, particularly an airline hub, you may not have to connect as much as some others, but layovers are a fact of life for most travelers – and especially for those headed to remote or underserved locations. Here are some ways to make the time pass quickly or productively.

We can capture our trips with photography like never before, but the benefit of travel is imbibing those experiences with all five senses. Until you’ve watched a lion dissect a cape buffalo from close-up, or stood in front of the Coliseum in Rome, or had bears traipse past you while you’ve fished at Brooks Falls, you’ve only lived part of the experience. That’s why Panama was so enlightening for me.

If you’re like me, you already get way too much email: Work emails, chain letters from friends, unsolicited messages promising Russian brides and harder boners. No matter how many times you avoid them or press “unsubscribe” they always seem to return, and each annoying email brings two friends with it.

Fishing in Russia for trout, Atlantic salmon, pike and — most of all — taimen is reportedly unbelievable. However, due to recent global tensions it’s off the table for now. Will it remain that way permanently?

The fish don’t always cooperate. Nor do the airlines. Things go wrong that are outside of your control. If you wanted a more reliable hobby or vacation, you should have chosen something other than fishing. Nevertheless, for several years I’ve been working on a road map that I believe helps every trip come close to maximum enjoyment.

Bill Lowen is a shallow water expert, and rather than figure out how to fish like they do in other places, he’s continued to do his own thing whenever possible. It has worked pretty well, as he’s fished 11 Bassmaster Classics and earned an Elite win in 2021. Here’s how he approaches northern smallmouths.

The worst thing you can do before a fishing trip is to base or expectations on the best possible scenario. Don’t get me wrong. It’s ok to hope for a personal best. It’s ok to hope for the day of a lifetime. It’s more than acceptable to overprepare. Just know that the numbers and sizes that you hear about might not happen.