I know the “must haves” and while every veteran traveler has their secrets, and every newcomer has lures they want to try, I’ve put together a list that’ll get you bit every day of the year down there.

So you’ve booked your trip to El Salto, Picachos or some other Mexican lake, you’ve analyzed the basic tackle you need to bring, and perhaps added a few extra things you want to try. Now you need to get it organized, so you can access what you need when you need it. Time flies. Every minute wasted is one minute that you won’t be catching your new personal best.

For generations we’ve been told that “big baits equal big bass,” and that’s often true, even on Mexican waters, where you may be within casting distance of more giants than on any other public waters in the world. With that in mind, what I’m about to tell you defies the textbook and may seem counterintuitive: Sometimes small is better.

In all likelihood, the bass at Mexico’s Lake El Salto and Lake Picachos are generally dumber and more aggressive than at any other public body of water you’ve fished. The long growing season means that a one-year-old fish can weigh 2 pounds, which in turn means that they have to constantly outcompete their brothers and sisters for food.

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.