Seven Reasons to Make Your Next Mexican Bass Fishing Vacation a Week

On our first trip to Anglers Inn Lake El Salto, Hanna and I went for the standard package, which includes four nights of accommodations and three and a half days of fishing. Because of some horrific flight issues, we missed the first half day and a couple of hours of the first full day, rendering it a sub-three-day effort. Since then, we’ve almost always gone for at least a week. On a handful of occasions when time was limited, we have jetted in for the shorter stay, and once we stayed for a full two weeks, but for most visitors – at least the hard core anglers -- I’d suggest that you fish at least six days.

I recognize that cost may be a prohibitive factor for some. I’d never recommend that you spend money that you don’t have, and of course going for three days is better than going for zero days, but if you have the money and the time, I’d recommend more for the following ___ reasons:

FIRST, there are limited flights into Mazatlán, and they’re often beset with delays and cancellations. If you miss the first half or full day of a trip that includes three and a half days of fishing, you’ve sacrificed a substantial portion of your time on the water. If you miss that amount out of six, it still hurts, but it’s not quite as significant. Also, let’s say you work a standard Monday to Friday schedule. If you fly down and back on Saturdays, and the return flight is delayed, you can always head home Sunday, not missing any more work.

SECOND, post-COVID, the already limited number of flights seems to have contracted even more. We’ve gone from having DFW-MZT direct flights every day of the week, to Saturday and Wednesday, and now down to just Saturdays much of the year. If your airline of choice only goes there and back directly one day a week, the easiest travel schedule may be to arrive on that day and depart on that day a week later.

THIRD, the airline costs roughly the same whether you go for three days, five days, seven days or more. Sometimes it might even cost more to go for fewer days. But let’s assume you have a fare of $700. Spread over seven total days, that’s $100 a day. Spread over five total days, that’s $140 a day.

FOURTH, depending on when you go, it might not take much more time off of work. If you work a standard week and arrive on Saturday and leave on Wednesday, you can arrive at work tired on Thursday and also work Friday. If you travel Saturday to Saturday, and have a compressed work schedule, or work around a holiday, then you might take only one more day of leave, or none at all.

FIFTH, from a fishing perspective, it’s simple: More time on the water equals more chances for greatness. You may have a session when the fishing is a little bit “off” or when you don’t execute up to your capabilities. If you only have six or seven sessions (i.e., morning and afternoon fishing periods), then the impact of that slow time is magnified.

SIXTH, the more time you fish, the more time you have to dial in a pattern. Maybe there’s a particular color or retrieve that’s working better than others. Or you need to realize that topwater’s not optimal, even in low light conditions, and a Super Fluke is working better. That all comes from observing over time on the water. Those extra few bites you gather could mean the difference between good fishing and great fishing and could lead you to the trip of a lifetime.

SEVENTH, you’ll improve your overall fishing knowledge of how patterns wax and wane. For example, one January our guide found the motherlode of bass in a set of shallow bushes in one creek arm. The first day they crushed a Chatterbait. The second day, they ate that lure less aggressively, but responded well to a similarly-styled swim jig. On the third day, they wouldn’t eat the Chatterbait at all, and we caught only smaller fish on the swim jig, but the big ones responded well to a Keitech on a Owner Flashy Swimmer hook. Those are the types of adjustments that can help you anywhere you fish.

Tips for Fishing a Week (or more) at Anglers Inn

• Bring enough tackle to last the full amount of time in case one type of lure is working particularly well. Think more of the staples like worm hooks, Senkos, Power Worms and crankbaits (i.e., things that you are likely to lose).

• Bring extra line, and consider changing some of it out (especially the fluorocarbon) midweek.

• At midweek, also consider taking your tackle bag/s back to the room (most of us leave them in the boats overnight) and reorganizing, to make sure that you have everything in ample supply, and in its proper place.

• Don’t go “Full Rambo” by burning the candle at both ends or drinking too much, particularly early in the week. It’s your vacation, and you can do what you want, but most of us aren’t used to fishing six or more days in a row, especially in the Mexican heat.

• Be sure to tip everyone generously. The guides and staff all work their asses off, and don’t scrimp just because you’re spread thin by the cost of a longer trip.

If you’d like to go to Anglers Inn Lake El Salto and/or Lake Picachos (for a week or more/less), please consider booking through Hanna. It won’t ever cost you an extra penny and we promise we’ll give you the straight scoop and all of the information necessary to make your trip exceptional.