Which Rods Should You Bring to El Salto?
One of the best moves that Billy Chapman Jr. of Anglers Inn has made in recent years was to build a partnership with St. Croix Rods. That means that all of the Anglers Inn properties have a variety of St. Croix Rods from which visiting anglers can choose – free of charge, unless you break one. When the supply chain is functioning properly, that means new sticks every season. Even when it’s not, there are plenty of good rods to choose from, most of them 7’ to 7’6” medium-heavy and heavy.
Hanna and I started going to El Salto long before St. Croix came into the mix, so from the earliest days we flew with a rod tube, which is a major pain in the ass these days (actually, it has always been that way). We’ve elected to leave a tube full of rods down there. Every fifth or sixth trip we add some new ones and take a few out of the rotation, but generally we fly tube-less – and frankly I’d suggest that you do the same.
I understand, however, that some of you are picky about your rods. Maybe you’re loyal to a particular brand, or a series, or a specific action. Nothing I can say will dissuade you from bringing your own rods south of the border. Frankly, if I told you that your own rods were categorically unnecessary, I’d be a bit of a hypocrite since I have 15 or 20 of them down there. Accordingly, if you decide to tote your own, bring a handful of versatile all-purpose models (they’ll handle worms, jigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, light swimbaits, etc.), but also consider which techniques are most likely to benefit from specialized actions or models. Here are my thoughts on the topic:
Rods Mentioned:
You can bring your $500 rods if you want, but I don’t believe they’re necessary and you may be heartbroken if they get broken in transit. There are tons of great rods available these days at reasonable prices.
