While travel to the Brazilian Amazon may be difficult right now, we still saw some tackle introduced at the 2021 ICAST show that should be perfect for big Rio Negro peacock bass. I've been three times, and as soon as things are consistently opened up again we'll be back.

Whether it’s Mexico, Brazil, Alaska, Panama or anywhere else, nothing in fishing beats the excitement of a brutal surface strike. Sometimes it’s so amazing that I even put down the rod to watch and photograph the action.

I recently wrote about the need to bring spare treble hooks with you on fishing travel, with our trips to Mexico as the focus. Making sure you have ultra-sharp hooks on your lures at all times is one of the best ways to maximize your catch rate. I’ve amassed quite a selection of replacement hooks, but I’m always looking for better solutions. Here are some of the new options that were introduced at the 2021 ICAST show.

While most of us are rigorous about packing high-quality, laser-sharp hooks for our single hook presentations at El Salto and Picachos, it’s easy to slack on replacement trebles. If you’re going for just three days of fishing you may be able to get away without bringing any but any more than that and I’d recommend that you bring a small stash.

There are a variety of great rainsuits available for women from companies including BPS, AFTCO, Simms and Huk. Find the one that’s right for your body and the weather you’re likely to face.

Unfortunately, scales made for fishing have historically been unreliable or imprecise. Many of you remember the old De-Liars that were probably the worst in this respect, but even many later digital models were all over the place. No matter which scale you use, here are a few steps that I recommend that you take to ensure accuracy.

I am a classic overpreparer and also a tad disorganized when I’m in the midst of a hot bite, so my m.o. is to take a belt and suspenders approach. That means that even though I have a huge supply of tackle stored at Anglers Inn there are additional small items that I restock every time without actually knowing whether they need to be supplemented. The good news is that they’re all inexpensive, take up little space and don’t weigh much.

Restaurants may sometimes have a strict “No Substitutions” policy, but here at Half Past First Cast we’re not that rigid. If you need to save a few bucks on your trip to El Salto or Picachos, we have some ways to shave down your tackle-buying bill.

Tuna fishing has now become an obsession and we’re getting fully accessorized to demonstrate our passion. Some of the items are purely functional while others are more fashion-oriented. Check out four recent purchases that we plan to put to use on our next trip to Panama — if not earlier.

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.

For someone who doesn’t get to fish nearly as much as I’d like, I have a lot of fishing rods. While there are plenty of workhorses that I’ve bought off the rack like the rest of you, there’s a trio that I use all the time that each have their own stories. They’re as much about the people who made them as they are about what it says on their labels.

After a one-year hiatus, ICAST was back in Orlando in 2021 and the overwhelmed tackle industry came out with guns blazing and all sorts of new products. Here are some of the ones that are aimed at traveling anglers, or that might benefit anglers making a long haul.

The Citrus Shad Fat Free Shad is a long term staple for Mexican largemouths, still producing long after it was introduced to the world by Bassmaster Classic winner in 1995. There’s just something about that color that makes ‘em mad. I’m not sure, then, why I’ve largely restricted its use to crankbaits that dive over 10 feet deep. Is there some science behind it, or is it just that I’m hidebound to tradition?

I still have lures that don’t get used unless it’s an important situation, and they never get loaned out. There will come a time and a place for all of them. I just hope that I’m neither too cautious nor too cavalier, and that when they’re eventually gone I can be satisfied that they lived up to their special purpose.

The rod that excited me most before our recent trip to Mexico was a Dobyns Rods Champion XP DC 795 SB, 7’9” and rated for 1 to 5 ounce lures. While I certainly hadn’t dialed in the big bait game in Mexico, I reasoned that part of the problem was not having the right gear—with the proper equipment I’d be more apt to confidently and efficiently chuck the big stuff around.

I want to try some new things on our upcoming trip to Anglers Inn El Salto. We’ve proven again and again down there that the Gary Yamamoto Senko is magic, but we always use the same colors. I wanted to test out if some different colors could help me get an edge. These are the three that I chose.

After many Google searches, I decided to purchase the Pelican Black 1510 case with TrekPak dividers and mesh lid organizer. It took a while to convince myself. Did I need something so expensive and “professional”? After pulling the trigger, setting it up and traveling to Panama the answer was clear: “Why didn’t I purchase this sooner?”

Sometimes at El Salto you can get more and bigger bites by having different lures than everyone else. You can also maximize your landing percentages in various ways. Here are three tweaks I may try on our next trip South of the Border to maximize my catch-and-land rate.

In addition to the peacock choppers that we’ve used so successfully in Brazil, Kermett also makes cup-mouthed poppers for species including Golden Dorado and tuna. After a couple of conversations, I ordered one each of two sizes: one with the flag of Panama and the other with the Half Past First Cast logo. Should we fish them????

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.