Starting October 1, 2023, American travelers headed to Brazil to fish will need a tourist visa. Don’t delay. The process is a little complicated and time-consuming.

We’ve now been to Bear Trail Lodge in Alaska three times and we can provide tons of reasons for YOU to go — plus some answers to the questions you’re most likely to ask.

You should bring ample supplies of the proven lures on your next bass fishing trip to Mexico. Buy more than you think you’ll need and fill your luggage to the max. However, if you forget something, or your luggage gets lost, or you run out of something, the “pro shop” has the gear to make sure you don’t go fishless the rest of the trip.

One of the most common questions when I speak with prospective or first-time travelers to Anglers Inn’s lodges at El Salto and Picachos is, “What are the boats like?” Since it is a common question, I decided to finally not only tell you, but show you as well. They are custom made specifically for the Mexican fishing experience.

Flyout trips from Bear Trail Lodge can be among the best fishing days of your life — but prepare yourself and take the proper steps to ensure that you can hike across the tundra safely to get to the fishing grounds.

We’ve been to Mexico to chase green fish over 20 times and most of the people we’ve run into down there have been great to be around. Some have even become lifelong friends and trusted confidantes. There’s that 5%, though, that can make travel painful.

Our retirement plans are starting to come into focus, and one of those is to buy a fifth wheel and travel the country in it. That means I’ll tow the “house,” and Hanna will have an SUV to pull the boat. She’s starting to practice so she won’t be nervous when we officially hit the road.

There is now a fifth airline traveling directly between Los Angeles LAX and La Aurora International in Guatemala City — Alaska Air. This opens up even more opportunities for western anglers to visit Casa Vieja Lodge.

Passport wait times are currently at historic highs. That means you need to act sooner rather than later — or potentially miss out on your next international fishing trip.

Join us in Guatemala in November of 2024. You and your group can reserve the Rum Line, Captain Terry Brennan’s 40 foot fish-catching machine. Check out the results from last November.

Last year we decided to reenter the world of premium credit cards, and we felt that the American Express Platinum offered the best benefits for our lifestyle. We didn’t take the decision to apply lightly because the annual fee is steep -- $695 for the primary user, plus $175 for each additional card. For us, that meant we had to at least exceed $870 in “value” to break even.

If you’re too busy ripping lips to read or watch or listen to the news, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered, fellow anglers. We’ve assembled a hodgepodge of newsworthy and semi-newsworthy articles from other sources that might inspire or help you on your upcoming fishing travels.

Headwaters Lake in Fellsmere, Florida may be the best bass lake in the country right now — and you don’t need to haul a boat hundreds of miles to fish there. Palm Bay Outfitters offers top-flight aluminums, they’ll even deliver to the ramp with gas!

In the aftermath of the OceanGate tragedy I offered my thoughts on lessons that fishing travelers could learn from the disaster. While I still stand by what I wrote, I don’t claim to be omniscient about the matter. I try to absorb and analyze as many facts and opinions as possible, and the media has done its job of writing about the topic.

On our first trip to Anglers Inn Lake El Salto, Hanna and I went for 3.5 days of fishing. 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 I’d suggest that you fish at least 6 days.

You may never have the money to go on an expedition like the ill-fated OceanGate Titan submarine voyage. Even if you have the money you might never have the desire. Nevertheless, if you’re into fishing travel – or any travel at all, for that matter – there’s always a certain element of risk involved.

When we head up to Alaska, it will be my fourth trip to the 49th State, and Hanna’s second. I always find that my trips are more satisfying if I set up some attainable goals, while leaving my mind open to the possibility of being wowed by something completely unexpected. That’s highly likely on this trip, where the extraordinary could happen every day.

We recently wrote about “Sky Couch” seating and provided a general overview of Premium Economy services. Here are some reviews of various airlines’ premium econ offerings. They’re not our own, so we can’t vouch 100 percent, but they may help make your decision whether to spend the extra bucks on your next flight.

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.

Whether you’ve done this trip a thousand times, or it’s only your second visit to the Mazatlán airport (see our arrival guide here), there are a few things that’ll make your departure go more smoothly. Having done this nearly 20 times, we’ve made all of the mistakes, so you don’t have to.