Wanted: Canadian Anglers to Fish El Salto and Picachos
The international travel restrictions to and from Canada have been relaxed just in time to start planning for winter getaways, and if you’re a Canadian angler there’s no better place to spend time during the “hard water” months than Mexico – specifically Lake El Salto and Lake Picachos. Not only does a trip south allow you to thaw out and stretch your string, but for many Canadians the trip is actually easier than it is for their U.S. counterparts. Numerous Canadian citizens already retire to Mexico or visit as “snowbirds,” but when we’re at the lake I’m always surprised to see more gringos from Texas and California than from points north.
Because it’s an affordable and popular city for Canadian winter travelers, there are typically a wealth of options to fly directly into Mazatlán from Canada under normal circumstances. That changed for travel to and from Canada since the start of the pandemic, but with the reopening of the U.S./Canada border in early August, things are ramping back up.
Of course schedules are subject to change, and we’ve learned during the COVID timeframe that you need to stay remarkably flexible, but if you’ve ever considered a wintertime bucket list bass fishing trip, take note that there are some DIRECT flight options between Canada and Mexico. That means you may have less travel time to Mazatlán than fliers who live substantially closer.
Here are some Canada/Mazatlán options for January of 2022:
Swoop Airlines has direct flights each way between Edmonton (YEG) and Mazatlán on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Sunwing has very affordable direct flights each way between Toronto (YYZ) and Mazatlán on Tuesdays (flight home may be very early on Wednesday).
Sunwing will also be running flights between Ottawa (YOW) and Mazatlán on Tuesdays between December 14, 2021 and April 12, 2022.
WestJet has direct flights between Calgary (YYC) and Mazatlán several days a week.
WestJet also has direct flights between Vancouver (YVR) and Mazatlán several days a week.
Close to Canada
While most of the U.S. domestic travelers come through Dallas and Phoenix on American, Los Angeles on Alaska Air, or (occasionally) Houston on United, there are other options for those of you in the north, even if you’re not in Canada. Sun Country often runs direct flights to and from Minneapolis to and from Mazatlán, historically on Wednesdays. They’re less than 4 hours at a pop, and remarkably inexpensive. With any airline, but especially with some of these less common carriers, be sure that you’re aware of any restrictions on baggage size, and any ancillary fees that you might incur.
The Other Border
The luckiest El Salto and Picachos travelers of all may be the ones who hail from San Diego. Not only do they have great fish tacos, but via a simple border crossing they have some remarkably inexpensive (think less than $200 round trip) direct flights from Tijuana to Mazatlán. The flight is just a bit over 2 hours on Volaris or VivaAerobus. I haven’t flown them, so I can’t vouch for the service, safety or reliability, but all of my SoCal friends swear by it.
Remember, with all cross border travel – whether you’re headed there by plane, on foot or in a vehicle -- requirements with respect to vaccinations and testing may change often. Be sure to stay informed — check and recheck before you get on the road or in the air.
Snowbirds Welcome — Day Trips
If the main purpose of your trip is not fishing, and even if you’ve never made a cast before, you’re welcome to experience a day trip to El Salto or Picachos. The lodge will pick you up and return you to your lodging, feed you (heavily) and get you addicted to the sport like the rest of us. If you’re down for a week or for the entire winter, you owe it to yourself to try it out.
For more information about bass fishing trips to Mexico, check out our “Ultimate Guide to El Salto and Picachos.” If you’re ready to hop on the big bird and fly south, reach out to Hanna for trip options asap.
