Getting Ready for Mexico with GSM

This year marked the first time since 2012 that I did not go bass fishing in Mexico. During most of those years, I went twice, often to multiple lakes. At least twice, I went three times in a year. So while I recognize that I am spoiled, it hurts particularly badly to go a full calendar year without lobinas grandes south of the border.

One of the great things about GSM’s growth has been the proliferation of SKUs, and really research-intensive additions to the fishing lineup. I’ve been associated with Yamamoto since 2005, and the years just before and just after that produced some of the greatest fishing lures of all time, but they innovated with all deliberate speed.

So part of the thrill of heading back to Mexico in 2026 after an absence is that I’ll get to try out some of those newer products in the world’s greatest bass fishing laboratory. Here are three that have me particularly excited:

Bill Lewis Big Gizz

I got onto a flutter spoon bite for the first time at El Salto – thanks to some tutelage from Elite pros Brandon Palaniuk and Brandon Cobb – and when it was on it was insane. I’ve thought about trying a blade bait in similar conditions but I go there to catch big fish and most lures in that category were bite-sized or slightly larger. This sucker’s 6-inches long. Moreover, it has rotating hook hangers to keep those big suckers pinned. I just want to go to lift it and not be able to budge my line.

Bucca Brand 8” Trick Shad

To be honest, I’ve shied away from throwing the big glides in Mexico because I’m a chicken. I know that the point of them is to fish them, but throwing a $200 bait into a thick wad of trees and bushes still kind of makes my knees weak. But now I don’t need to do that. I’ve really enjoyed fishing the 6” Trick Shad, to the point that I often choose it at home over certain baits that cost much more – and if I lose one or two so be it.

Yamamoto Yama Bug

I keep about 80 pounds of tackle in a bag that permanently remains at Anglers Inn, but somehow I consistently end up bringing more, especially of the staples that get used a ton. One of those staples is the 6-inch Senko, but I always seem to need more hard-flapping craws. They can be flipped, you can swim ‘em, or put them on the back of all kinds of jigs. One problem with storing them is that they invariably get bent in the bag and rendered useless, but these come in a clamshell to protect them.