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.

Rather than hoping you’ll have a whole economy row to yourself, now you can actually reserve an entire row. Air New Zealand calls it “Economy Skycouch.” Lufthansa calls it a “Sleeper’s Row.” Several others refer to it as a “Sky Sofa.” While there may be variations in exactly what is provided, typically it costs less than a business class seat, and less than purchasing the three seats separately.

We travel a fair bit, and spend lots of time trying to figure out packing hacks, but despite that effort we still overlook some necessary items. Even on a trip like those to Casa Vieja Lodge, where they take care of everything, it’s always possible to wish you had packed more. When we visited in February. Hanna and I both checked a suitcase and brought a carry-on, but I still ended up missing some things.

No one starves at Casa Vieja Lodge. If you somehow managed to do so, it would be your own fault. What makes it especially nice is that at dinnertime there’s incredible variety – no more tiresome rotations, but rather fresh four-course meals based on what the chefs found to be of the highest quality at the local markets.

If you live in New England, love to bass fish, and want to escape the frigid winters or just catch your PB largemouth at any time then Lake El Salto and Lake Picachos beckon. Unfortunately, due to the general dearth and occasional unreliability of flights to Mazatlán, it’s often a tough haul. Delta is adding a new route from Boston to and from Mexico City.

Costly travel, especially to remote regions, requires that you protect your investment and your well-being. Global Rescue is the leader in this area — and this FAQ will help you understand what they cover.

I don’t fish bass tournaments anymore, but the lessons that I learned when I was all-in on local derbies continue to contribute to my fishing success today. I keep them in my hip pocket when I travel.

Our fourth trip to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge will take place in May of 2024 — timed to coincide with great weather and the heart of the yellowfin tuna popping season. Don’t miss it if you love big fish on topwaters.

We get questions all the time – from experienced world traveling anglers and first-timers alike – about travel insurance. While we’ve made a few such purchases in the past, we’re not experts. That’s why typically send people to those who are. Half Past First Cast has teamed up with Global Rescue to get answers to those questions.

The Bassmaster Classic is widely known as the “Super Bowl of Fishing.” I’ve been to about ten of them. Each one is different. It can be watched live on the internet, and more recently on the FS1 television station. Why would anglers or non-anglers want to attend?

We’ve now gone to Casa Vieja Lodge in February for four straight years, and we’ve loved every minute of it. Fortunately, the captains and the lodge keep very detailed records of each boat’s raises, bites and releases. Accordingly, we have accurate numbers for our dozen days on the water.

You’re considering a trip to Panama. Before putting down your deposit, you probably want to know “Is it safe?” That’s almost always the first question I get when I speak to people about traveling to Panama to fish at one of our most favorite resorts, Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge.

We’ve been fortunate to fish with many great fishing lodges across the globe. Sometimes, however, it’s hard to recognize just how good something is until you experience a less-stellar operation. Accordingly, it’s worth noting that that we’ve also been to some average and even sub-par operations – and they’ve helped us to appreciate what our favorites do well.

The crew at Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge asked us to help in their booth at the Nashville Safari Club convention. We love the lodge and the people behind it, so sharing that love to get more people to travel there is no sweat. That way it’ll stay open for ever and ever and ever.

After four trips to Guatemala’s Casa Vieja Lodge, we’ve battled our way through figuring out all of the basics about the experience. It hasn’t been hard, because once you book the trip it’s pretty much a turnkey experience. They’re travel pros and they make it easy for first-timers and veterans alike — but we’ve learned that most people have similar questions.

Prior to going to Casa Vieja Lodge, we spent an action-packed yet relaxing 48 hours in the historic city of Antigua, Guatemala. We ate, relaxed, shopped and climbed a volcano. Highly recommended.

Friends are often surprised to hear that we go to Mexico during the warmer months. Indeed, there are several prejudices working against making such a trip. You may be giving up a few days of exceptional fishing at home, but in all but a few instances it’s likely to be better South of the Border.

When the opportunity arose to fish at Sport Fish Panama Island lodge for a second time in the same year, I was a bit nervous. Honestly, our April adventure in Panama was life-changing, so I knew that the potential was there, but I had no idea if the fishing in November would be anywhere as good. Here's a trip report.

Some of our favorite destinations are focused on chasing a particularly desirable, elusive or hard-fighting fish. On the other hand, there’s definitely nothing wrong with a trip to a multi-species Shangri-la. I’d never tell someone NOT to go to a multi-species fishery but as with everything else it pays to have a strategy to make the most of your vacation.