I recently published a blog about how I store my fishing rod collection above my boat in the garage. I’ve relied upon the Piranha rod racks for over a decade and they’ve yet to let me down, but if you’re looking for a different option, Tackle Warehouse recently added more.

We’re headed back to El Salto for a week at the end of this month. We’ve been going multiple times a year for a decade-plus, and we’ve narrowed down the lures that we’re most likely to use, but I still reserve some time each trip to work in new possibilities. Here are four new lures that are already packed and ready to go.

Samantha Sukupcak and I headed to Table Rock Lake to fish for bass with Chad Morgenthaler — but he also taught us how to “shoot” for crappie under docks and into marina slips. It’s a great technique that’s easy to learn.

You may have your favorites, and even some double-secret-probation killers, but I truly believe that the "Keep it Simple, Stupid" methodology is best. Build around proven winners and go from there. If you have an ample supply of the following six plastics, I guarantee you that you'll be able to catch big bass just about every day of the year.

Spinnerbaits may not get as much love or as much press as they used to, but they never stopped working. We always pack a handful (or a binder) any time we’re traveling to fish for bass.

Megabass makes premium fishing products that have become staples in nearly every bass angler’s boat. Here are some that we like in Mexico at El Salto and Picachos.

The aroma of garlic gets the salivary glands flowing. You may have experienced this unmistakable smell when walking into a restaurant or mom’s kitchen. It gets stuck in your mind and prevents you from thinking about anything else. But it’s not just about food. Spike-It products will help you catch more and bigger fish.

If you cannot live without either fishing or desserts, fortunately they’re two great tastes that taste great together. The Floating Worm has been recreated to resemble the nostalgia of the old school Bomb Pop popsicle. The swimbait-obsessed team at Lateral Vision has gone down that same route in partnership with Basstrix. The list of sweet bait names and colors doesn’t stop there.

Back in March I posted a video about the ¾ ounce tandem willow spinnerbait that produced my personal best 12 pound largemouth at Camelot Bell. Some of you have requested my thoughts on why I used “hammered” blades on that day. If you think that the bass on your lake have become too accustomed to smooth spinnerbait blades, add some of these into your arsenal.

I’ll never get tired of writing about my personal best 6.40 pound smallmouth – at least until I catch one 6.41 pounds or heavier, at which point it will become a quaint and semi-passé memory. Unfortunately, I may eventually forget my tackle so I’m putting it all here for posterity.

A treble hook that bends out or that doesn’t hold a point is going to eventually let you down. That’s why we always make sure our lures have hefty, premium versions and that we bring spares. We’re also constantly on the lookout for new heavyweight versions and Mustad’s new Jawlocks fit right in that sweet spot.

Prior to just about every trip to Mexico, friends ask us about packing the right tackle and enough of it. I wish there was a proven formula for every given day of the year – as in “Bring exactly five X, 10 Y and 12 Z and you’ll be completely covered,” but there’s not. It’s fishing, and the only rule is that you have to expect the unlikely.

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.

When interviewing bass pros about their lure choices, when referring to their sponsor’s soft stickbait they’ll often state, “You know, their version of the Senko.” The Yamamoto category leader isn’t the only one, though. Here are some other examples of lures where the specific has become the name for the entire category.

As we’ve started traveling internationally and fishing for a wide variety of species, I’ve learned about many premium brands of braided fishing line. Not surprisingly many of them are from Japan. Here are some, plus an explanation of the PE System.

Tackle Warehouse, the most well-stocked online retailer in the U.S., continues to expand their supply of multi-piece rods in recent years as U.S. manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon. If you’re looking to buy one (or more), they keep an incredible amount of inventory in stock, and if your need to travel has arisen suddenly you can generally get the rod in a day or two for a fairly minimal upcharge.

The Megabass booth at the 2023 Bassmaster Classic Expo featured lots of their new (and longtime) products, but one big topwater in particular got me especially excited. Here's Chris Rosella talking about the Megadog-X, how to fish it, and one amazing “Fine Art” color.

We continue to seek out new and more efficient ways to travel long distances with fishing rods. Sometimes that means an enhanced selection of multi-piece sticks from varied manufacturers. Other times it means new ways to pack and transport the gear so it makes it to your destination in one piece – well, you know what I mean.

I previously wrote about how I got my butt kicked with a discontinued Blue Fox Roland Martin Double Buzzbait. While you might not find any of them except on eBay or at a garage sale, there are still other options. More racket sometimes means more or bigger bites

Since 2010, I’d always been on the water during the Bassmaster Classic competition days, often an hour away from the downtown arena, which meant that I essentially never got to visit the Expo. For a tackle junkie like me, that’s a particularly cruel punishment. This year,I got to wander the Expo for a couple of hours each day.