ICAST 2022: Gear that Deserves to Be Tested at El Salto and Picachos
After 20 or so trips to Mexico to fish, I probably don’t need any more gear for down there. Sure, I might occasionally have to restock my supply of Senkos, Power Worms and 10XDs, but as far as I can tell there’s not a glaring categorical absence in my tackle supply. Nevertheless, I’m always on the lookout for new items that’ll help me excel when we visit El Salto and Picachos.
Why? There are several reasons. The first is that I want to catch more and bigger fish, and certain tools might help me accomplish those goals. Second, after a while the fish (especially the bigger ones) seem to become conditioned to certain presentations. For example, while they’ll still occasionally chew the paint off of a Whopper Plopper, that bite isn’t quite what it was five or six years ago.
Perhaps most importantly, though, it’s the perfect testing ground for new stuff that I might take all around the globe: There are great shallow water, deep water and mid-depth bites; the fish grow big and mean; and there are times when you happen onto massive schools and get put the hardware to the test. I love it down there and in some respects consider Sinaloa my “home waters” but beyond that it’s also where I’ve learned about certain techniques and dialed them in. That’s why this year, just like last year, I looked to the ICAST “reveals” for new stuff I could test out South of the Border. Granted, I haven’t fished any of these yet, so take these recommendations with a grain of salt, but all of them are from companies and/or designers I trust. I’m pretty sure most if not all of them will be in my luggage when we head down next year.
The Curado 150DC is my favorite reel in the world, bulletproof and nearly impossible to backlash – but it doesn’t hold enough line to throw a big crankbait or Carolina Rig with the wind. Meanwhile, sometimes a 300-sized reel is just too big for the task. This one may thread that size needle, and while it’s not inexpensive the other DCs I’ve used have been worth every penny.
The FFS is the OG of crankbaits in Sinaloa, especially in the Citrus Shad pattern. Now they’ve added some really cool translucent color schemes and knocked the price about in half. At $3.99 apiece you can afford to lose a few in the trees, even though your guide will get them back 90% of the time.
The SPRO Little John is one of my favorite crankbaits north of the border, so I’m not sure why I haven’t used his big brothers much in Mexico. That may change with the addition of this 20 foot diver. I’m particularly excited about the Bone Abalone color, although I’m sure I’ll order Citrus Glimmer, too.
I have an ongoing romance with the SPRO Rat as well as the Whopper Plopper and this creation from Bill Siemantel combines the best attributes of both. It comes in two sizes and four colors, including the legendary Morning Dawn. I know that I want both sizes in black and after that I’ll see what else I need.
It’s hard to get me away from my beloved Rio Rico when there’s a popper bite in Mexico, but I’m also on the lookout for other options. One year they wanted a Yellow Magic more, and one time the hottest option was the Heddon Spit’N Image. I’m not sure if the Flash Boost Technology makes a difference, but this one might show the educated megas something a little different.
The Storm Wildeye gets a lot of love and a lot of water time from us because the price is right and the suckers catch fish, but for times when something a little more seductive is needed, this might be it. I really liked my trip to Scottsboro Tackle in 2020 and they know what they’re talking about when it comes to swimbaits.
