When we returned from Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge in April, I was generally on a high, but a tad bit depressed because I did not land a roosterfish. Others in our group had accomplished that task, including the petite redheaded woman I live with. I’d caught roosters in Costa Rica in 1995, but that felt like it was so far in the past as not to count.

American Airlines flight options to Mazatlán have remained more or less stable since we started traveling to Anglers Inn, they’re far from ideal, and other carriers have been in and out of the space. Therefore we’re always looking for good news for our fellow traveling anglers. There may be an option coming from Allegiant and Viva Aerobus.

Given how populated and developed it is the Sunshine State still offers traveling fishermen and women a lot of bang for their buck: great bass fisheries are scattered throughout the state; there are peacocks in several counties; and of course the inshore and offshore options are numerous. Now there are new flights, too.

If you’re as anal and compulsive as I am about scheduling, you probably have some big trips planned for the long term future. I don’t mean the deposits-paid-written-in-ink kind of plan, but rather a general expectation of something to come.

After nearly 20 trips to Anglers Inn El Salto and Picachos, we tend to take some of the most basic details of the trip for granted. Nevertheless, we’ve used this website as a means of answering the most likely queries that you might have. Remember, there’s no such thing as a “dumb question” if it helps you have a better vacation.

I spent last weekend around Table Rock Lake, observing and writing about the Bass Pro Shops US Open National Bass Tournament. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the region, starting in 2011. I’ve also attended lots of bass tournaments over the years. Each one is different in its own ways. Here are 10 notes about the event:

The VIP travel schedule to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge puts you at the five-star Hilton in Panama City overnight so that you can leave for David bright and early the next morning. So, what do you do until then? You eat! This is where Half Past First Cast comes in handy. We bring a little fun and excitement, the little extras to help you remember your trip and make it more special.

One of the complications of exotic fishing travel is both the cost and difficulty of getting to your destination country. One of the nice things about our trips to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge is that there are loads of direct flights to Panama City’s Tocumen Airport (PTY) from the United States (plus Toronto) every day.

When we came back from Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge in April, I was on a high, but also a little bit embarrassed – I’d let a 130 pound tuna get the best of me. I vowed to do better this time, but I didn’t envision a fish almost twice that big grabbing my bait.

One of the best times to go to Lake El Salto is during the winter months when it is cold at home and fishing has slowed down. Here are a list of pros and cons (mostly pros) to scheduling a trip to Anglers Inn International in Mexico in January.

Staying connected via telephone or internet on a remote fishing trip may be challenging, but there are ways to make sure you maximize your communications. Here are some simple steps that make a big difference. They could even save your business, your marriage or even you life.

On the map of Lake El Salto that Anglers Inn provides, there are certain areas that will be familiar to anyone who’s spent any time there. However, after many return visits we’ve come up with our own shorthand descriptions for many of our most productive and memorable fishing spots.

I get asked all the time why we spend our time money to go to Anglers Inn Lake El Salto and encourage others to do the same. While there’s nothing wrong with carefully watching your disposable income, these questions kind of miss the point of taking a vacation. It’s about the experience and while it may cost the same amount to two different people, their takeaways can be completely different.

Air travel has consistently become more of a pain in the ass for everyone in recent years, even pre-pandemic. Increased security measures, reduced services, an overall lack of reliability and the difficulty of transporting fishing tackle have made it particularly tough for anglers. Nevertheless, there have been a few small bright spots during COVID.

While I occasionally forget to bring something on my fishing trips, through a system of lists and post-it notes I’ve minimized that problem. It’s more likely that I’ll bring something that I end up not needing at all, which is usually the best kind of problem to have. Even if you’re going someplace centrally-located, there are certain things you cannot easily replace.

Despite the fact that avid anglers are willing to pay increasingly large sums of money to own top of the line bass boats, many of us tend to treat them like crap. If you have a bass boat along with a warranty, an insurance policy and a wallet there’s a pretty good chance you will use the latter three at some point. Here are simple steps to keep things safe.

You’re set to head across the country or across the globe, on the fishing expedition of a lifetime. You’ll need specialized, high-quality rods to get the job done. If you’re confident that your guide or outfitter has the right gear, your best bet is to borrow gear from them. If that’s not possible, or not certain, do whatever you can to make sure you’ll have the right gear.

Just as our friends in Canada may want to escape the frigid winter for a fishing trip to El Salto or Picachos, so too will anglers in the northeastern U.S. benefit from a little bit of R&R South of the Border. If you’re coming to Mazatlán from anywhere along the I-95 corridor, you’re likely going to have to make  stops in Dallas, Phoenix, LA or Mexico City.

It has been a tough period for the airlines and for air travelers. Between pandemic-related shutdowns, ever-changing health protocols, oddball weather patterns, and a few unforced errors from the carriers, flying to a fishing destination has occasionally become a nightmare. If you must fly, or prefer to fly, here are eleven suggestions to minimize the chance of your vacation being totally destroyed.

Lots more good news this week for anglers who want to go to Chile or Brazil. Alaska may be getting cold, but the bears are fat and you can watch them. And unruly airline passengers are getting the boot!