If you regularly travel to the same places to fish, prepare a “go bag” that’s filled with the tackle you need, all in one place. Check out the one I’ve packed for El Salto and Picachos.

After 20 fishing trips to Mexico, I’ve learned that packing an adequate supply of the right reels can make for a more productive trip. There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for choosing, but make sure they’re in tiptop shape. I’ve had the opportunity to utilize an incredibly wide range of reels — here’s my selection for May/June 2023.

Most serious bass anglers headed to Lake El Salto or Lake Picachos likely have a pretty good idea of the tackle they’ll need. Nevertheless, even after 20 or so trips of our own we still find ourselves adding to the stash. The best gift you can give the angler in your life is a trip to “Bass Fishing Disneyland,” but if they’ve already got it booked here are some failsafe options that will ensure that they maximize their chances of success.

On our just-completed trip to Anglers Inn Lake El Salto, numbers were down but average size was up. Overall, that meant the bite windows were short and it paid to have a “proven winner” in your hands when they opened up. Since we have no sponsors, we can give you the unvarnished truth about what worked for us. Below is a list of the lures that we used successfully between June 18 and June 24 of this year.