Lake El Salto Travel Notes – May/June 2023

After nearly every trip to Lake El Salto or Lake Picachos, I write down some notes about the travel experience and then share them with you. It’s never the same trip twice going to and from Mazatlán, and whether it’s your first journey or you’ve visited dozens of times there are always a few wrinkles and snafus. I feel like by writing it down I can help your next trip go a little bit more smoothly.

The big news from this trip, as you’ll read below, consists of some changes to the Mazatlán airport, which in my opinion are a vast improvement.

The Trip to Dallas

• As has become our custom, Hanna and I headed to Dallas the night before our flight from DFW to Mazatlán. That’s because the morning transfer time is otherwise quite tight, and if there are any hiccups it could mean missing a day of fishing.

• We flew out of Washington-Dulles (IAD) this trip, and returned to Washington-Reagan (DCA). They’re approximately equidistant from our house.

• Using out Priority Pass membership, we planned to have a late afternoon snack at the Turkish Airways Lounge at IAD. It was extremely crowded, and we put our name on a waiting list. They texted that it was our turn after about 25 minutes, but that didn’t change the hassle factor. It was packed -- all of the downstairs tables and chairs were full, so we learned there was a small upstairs annex with a few tables. We joined some strangers at a large table. The staff could not keep up with the overloaded space. There were dishes and glasses everywhere. Hanna enjoyed the Middle Eastern fare while I was less enthused about it. We left when they inexplicably closed the upstairs about an hour before our delayed flight boarded.

• The American Airlines plane was delayed coming from Dallas. Then once we were aboard, they had a documentation issue, so it ended up being delayed 2+ hours. Not a huge deal on the way there, with an overnight layover.

• We landed at DFW in Terminal C and quicky gathered our luggage to head to the Hyatt Regency DFW, which is inside Terminal D. Unfortunately while it sounds close, once we hit the baggage claim area we couldn’t head back inside to the Skylink, so we had to take the airport shuttle around the entirety of the massive airport property, which took about 15 minutes.

• Hanna had already checked into the hotel online, and her phone served as a key, so we went straight to the room and went to sleep.

The Trip to Mazatlán

• Even with the late arrival and allowing for plenty of time to check in, we still got nearly 8 hours of sleep (a luxury afforded by going the night before). We took the elevator down right to the check-in counter, where her Platinum status allowed us to check in at the Priority Counter.

• We headed over to the Centurion Lounge, where the line took less than 5 minutes. Once inside there was plenty of space, and a nice breakfast buffet. We ate, talked about our hopes and goals for the week, then headed to the gate in Terminal C (via the Skylink) to meet up with our group.

• Our group was waiting there, and we greeted old friends and introduced ourselves to new ones. Then we were informed minutes before the scheduled departure that the flight had been moved to Terminal A, so we all reboarded the Skylink and headed over.

• The flight was uneventful. In recent years, the arrival has varied between 11am and 1pm. The former – in effect now – allows a full afternoon of fishing, while the latter does not, especially during the winter. We collected our luggage, made it through Customs, and we were on our way. Once again we got a nice bus instead of the usual vans, which included a bathroom (Pro Tip: Brace Yourself when peeing on a potholed Mexican road). My one complaint: Pacifico cans instead of bottles. We arrived at the lodge before 2, and we were on the water shortly thereafter.

Upgrades to the Mazatlán Airport

• One of my longtime complaints about the Mazatlán Airport is that the spacious air-conditioned waiting area was before the security checkpoint, which meant that you had a timing issue – if you went through the scanner too early, you’d sit in a stuffy, crowded space with few amenities, but if you went too late you risked missing your plane. Now they’ve placed the checkpoint before you enter the area with the restaurants and shops, which eliminates those timing issues. Well done.

• Upon arriving at the airport, if you’re flying American, you will go to the far right (as judged when facing the building) to check in. Then you will have to walk to the far left (probably 150 yards), to go through the new and upgraded security station.

• Once through security, you will head upstairs to the historical waiting area, which likewise has been improved, most notably with the addition of a Starbucks to the two sit-down restaurants. That will be huge for some caffeine-deprived travelers. The Carl’s Jr., too, has been modernized, with more adjacent seating.

• At the same end with the Carl’s Jr., the entrance to the OMA Lounge has been shifted and the space reconfigured. It didn’t have anything meaningful in terms of snacks, but Hanna grabbed us some comped drinks and, more importantly, the Wi-Fi code.

Mazatlán Departure and the Trip Home

• Going both to and from Mazatlán we got a larger-than-usual plane, with three seats on each side in coach, instead of the usual two and one. That is likely the result of fewer overall flights, and the need to consolidate, but it improves overhead space availability. We’d booked Main Cabin Extra seats on all legs using Hanna’s status to get the slight upgrade. On our flight from MZT to DFW there was one free upgrade available so Hanna got bumped to Business Class. That meant that there was an empty seat next to me.

• Customs in Dallas was uneventful. Global Entry was simple, but didn’t really make anything faster because the we arrived just before some other international flights, and there was a minimal line for the basic process.

• Our flight to DCA was again essentially flawless (except for the fact that we had to wait 5 minutes for a gate to open) and with a quick Uber pickup we were home around 1am – 14 hours door-to-door.

• Our friend Marc Shoenfelt, headed back to Philly, wasn’t quite as lucky. His flight was repeatedly delayed before eventually getting canceled. There were no hotel room vouchers available, so he stayed in the airport all night and finally caught an 11am flight home the next morning. We’ve experienced similar situations, although never that bad, and it’s brutal. It probably provided little consolation at the time, but he had the fishing trip of a lifetime, so hopefully it’ll be the good stuff he’ll remember from this visit.

More info coming on our best baits and fishing notes soon!