I like to read and I like to hunt down useful fishing travel information, but I understand that some of you do not have the time or inclination to do the same. Accordingly, I come to you with the humble goal of making your upcoming fishing travel easier and better.

Starting soon many people traveling on Southwest will have to pay for checked bags. There will be some exclusions based on frequent flyer status and ticket class which will enable a percentage of travelers to check one or two bags for free. Not everyone is happy with this change.

Copa continues to extend their footprint in the United States starting in June of 2025 with direct flights between San Diego and Panama’s Tocumen International airport four days a week — making it easier to get to the prime fishing grounds.

When we visit Ft. Worth for the 2025 Bassmaster Classic, we’ll have to get some Texas barbecue. There are plenty of options near the city, including some highly-ranked restaurants, and a few with a twist on the traditional.

Our first four trips to Casa Vieja Lodge in Guatemala all occurred in February but in 2024 we had scheduling conflicts that forced us to move our trip to the latter half of the year. The late portion of 2024 produced some amazing sailfish catches for CVL.

We hosted 20 anglers at Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge in January – the first group larger than 17. That was made possible by the fact that Shane Jarvis added a fifth boat. The other enabling factor was the fact this his right-hand man and master carpenter Steve Volk completed another house on the property.

Airlines flying to Anchorage should be aware of their policies on fishing tackle, but if you'll be bringing your own gear it pays to know them thoroughly yourself. Here are the airlines that fly there, along with their rules.

This February has been one for the ages at Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge. Not only has the exceptional billfishing kept up, with ridiculous variety, but it’s produced some of the biggest yellowfin we’ve ever seen.

We’d been told that the best times for marlin in Panama were December/January and July/August. While I can’t say that a single trip is representative of a trend, this did indeed prove to be our best overall billfish visit, by a wide margin, on our January 2025 visit to SFPIL.

We’re thrilled to have partnered with Grosse Savanne because we’ve loved every aspect of our trips there and it gives our friends and clients access to  new experiences — and also because it’s SUPER-EASY to get there.

We just completed our fifth trip to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge, a hosted adventure that included anglers from at least nine states. We’ve learned a lot about traveling to Panama, both through our own experiences and through tireless research.

We’ve previously offered links to Alaska Airlines resources, but in the two years since that publication, they’ve continued to be a major mover and shaker for serious fishing travelers. They offer a ton of flight options – not just to Alaska, but also to other airports we frequent, including Mazatlán and Guatemala City.

I owe an apology to my Spanish teachers for my failure to study hard and keep up after graduating. They told me that language skills would someday come in handy. In some form of karmic justice, much of our fishing travel these days focuses on Latin America.

Our recently-completed trip to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge was our first time to go there in January. It was also our largest group – 20, from 11 states. Sixteen of the 20 were first-timers at the lodge. By providing travel notes, we hope to minimize hassles and problems on our future trips.

Southeastern anglers now have more options to get from Atlanta to Tocumen airport as Copa supplemented the existing Delta flights with options of their own. Now, proving that turnabout is fair play, United is adding direct flights from SFO to PTY. Those will add to the routes that Copa already runs.

My quest for 2025 involves catching a marlin. I came close in Panama, but ultimately fell a sailfish or two short. Not a bad consolation prize, but still not what I’m looking for.

There is a thriving fishery for exotic peacock bass in the waters in and around Naples, Florida. Jack Wollitz enlisted guide Garrett Famer to really dial them in. It’s the perfect vacation outing for serious anglers and tourists alike.

We started off our 2025 travel campaign with four and a half days at Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge – our first January visit. While we recognize that every trip is different, even on the same dates in back-to-back years, here are notes that might help you decide if January is the best time for your visit.

We go on multiple dedicated fishing trips every year but even if you travel for other reasons you may have a day to make a few casts. Maybe you’re on a business trip, or a family vacation, or perhaps a camping trip. You’ll be passing by what you know or suspect to be prime waterways, and you don’t want to miss out on those opportunities.

Because we are incessant planners, the Robbins crew has already filled out our 2025 calendar. There are always little travel-related issues that crop up and create mini-crises each year, but we try to minimize those problems with pre-planning. Here are 12 tasks you can undertake to make your travel as seamless as possible.