Lin Bell of Fishing Pro Tech eats, sleeps and breathes Megabass lures. One of the least-appreciated tools in that box is the PopMax, a unique topwater. Lin carries several colors that are hard to find or discontinued.

The concept of “match the hatch” has been drilled into every angler’s head since they first picked up the sport, so when bass fishermen head to Mexico many of them seek out lures that replicate tilapia. It makes sense – even though bass at lakes like El Salto and Picachos feed on other baitfish, it’s the prolific tilapia fisheries that make them grow so big.

We’re headed back to El Salto shortly, for our close-to-annual May/June offshore slugfest. My understanding is that the water is at unusually low levels, even for a time of year when it’s normally at its lowest. I’m hoping that bodes well for us. Despite my pledge to keep it basic, I can’t go South of the Border without at least trying a few new tackle items. Here are three of the ones I’m most excited about.

If Hanna and I were to go back to Japan today, I’d likely need a steamer trunk (and a bank loan) to bring home everything I’d buy, but on our last trip in 2007 I had less disposable income. Check out my oddest and most expensive purchase from that trip.

The spoon wasn’t the only lure that got some game-time action in November, but it was the one that showed the most promise. Nevertheless, there are at least three more that have me excited – all were either left in my stored tackle down there, or will get a coveted spot in my luggage on American Airlines.

Despite the fact that my personal best 21 pound peacock came swimming a jig, my most memorable strikes (including my second best, a 20) came on the big prop baits that made the Rio Negro fisheries famous. Those aren’t the only topwaters that will work, though. Especially when I’ve been chasing Amazonian species other than peacocks, I’ve found that a walk-the-dog topwater can be equally effective and sometimes better.

Over the last six years Hanna and I have been like clockwork with respect to our Mexican bass trips – heading there each January and then again in May and June. There have been a few outliers, like trips to Picachos last February and November, but generally those have been in addition to, rather than in lieu of, our regularly-scheduled visits.

Are peacock bass cannibalistic? I don’t know, but even if they’re not certainly there are other species in Amazonian waters (as well as those elsewhere, like South Florida) that eat young peas. Indeed, they’ve served as the inspiration for some killer paint jobs that are more exciting than standard old blue/chartreuse and Tennessee Shad.

For those of you not particularly obsessed with mail-order swimbaits and JDM lures, you might not yet be aware of Carolina Fishing Tackle in Mooresville, NC, close to Lake Norman. Owner Doyle Myrick has not only assembled an incredible selection of hard-to-find gear at reasonable prices, but he also seems to get a lot of the good stuff first. I’ve yet to visit his store, but I inspected his selection at the last Greenville Bassmaster Classic, and I fully intend to make a detour the next time I’m headed down I-77 or I-85.