Had someone ask me for details on such a trip, and after writing TexAgs thought it was too many characters for a private message:
As for the trip, I HIGHLY recommend Anglers Inn. They have locations at El Salto and Picachos. There is another outfitter named Ron Speed Outdoors. While I have never done Speed's group, there are several group of guys I go on the trip with that have. They compare it to getting a steak Chilis vs getting a steak at Del Friscos. Yes, you are paying more for "technically" the same product, but Anglers Inn has better food, better service, and guides that know the lakes like the back of their hand.
As for the lakes....
Picachos is about an hour away from Mazatlan airport. This is the "numbers" lake. We went in April of last year and each person was catching about 100 fish a day. One afternoon our boat didn't go more than 500 yards from the dock and I caught over 80 fish in 5 hours throwing the same lure. For someone that wants to have their rod constantly bending, this is a great place to go. However, the average fish is probably 1.5 lbs. I think in our group of 8 last year that went, only 2 bass over 7 pounds were caught. Some of the group didn't even catch a 5. While super fun in the amount of action, not my end goal when I'm spending the money to go to another country to fish.
El Salto is about 1 hour and 45 minutes away from Mazatlan. This is the "grandes" lake. This is the lake you go to if you are hunting for a personal best. There are several fish over 16 lbs hanging in the lodge office and around the bar area. While it is still possible to have a 100 fish day, you more than likely will catch 20-30 fish a day (typically 10-15 per session). However it is not at all out of the realm of possibility to have your 5 best fish all be over 6 pounds.
With all of these lakes it takes a flight to Mazatlan, typically from either DFW, IAH, or Phoenix. Most of the time it is direct but I have had return flights send me to Phoenix to connect to DFW. When you arrive in Mazatlan (most flights get you there between noon - 1), you will get your bags and through customs (takes at most 15 minutes). There will be a representative from Anglers Inn that will meet you just outside customs. Once your whole group is through customs this representative will take you to a van or bus just outside the main doors and load your gear. There is a cooler in each van or bus filled with water, pacifico (they are proud of this beer in that part of mexico), and soft drinks. You'll ride the hour or hour and 45 minutes depending on lake to your location through a lot of farmland into the sierra madre mountains. Once you arrive, you will be given a plate of nachos and offered a drink while the helpers take your bags to your rooms. I typically grab my nachos, a margarita, and high tail it to my room put reels on rods, and tie on whatever I am planning on throwing as quick as possible.
From there you will head down to the dock and meet your guide. My group already has their "Favorites" so this is determined before we get there. The guide will then take you out until dark, hopefully already catching big ones. Listen to your guides. Many have been guiding and fishing on the lake for decades. They know what the bite is going to be at that point in the year. If you have something you love to throw they aren't recommending, they will tell you to "Check it". You can check it for as long as you like but most the time you'll end up back throwing what they recommend a few casts later. For this past trip, we were recommended to throw Senkos (black and blue had the best bite, I used the Z-Man version that is stretchy and lasts longer as Yamomoto senkos typically last one or two catches) either texas rigged or wacky, big swim baits/swim jigs (money minnows caught several 8s), and big fat squarebills. Some caught fish on lizards as well both texas and carolina rigged.
When you come in at night you will get an appetizer, have drinks, and then dinner. While we were there dinner was ribs, steaks, seafood, and fajitas. Lunch was burgers, chicken, fried fish, and enchiladas.
After dinner you can stay up drinking or talking, go to your room and tie on if you brought your gear off the boat, or just go to sleep.
Wake up call is typically about 5-530 depending on the time of year. They have a full breakfast with juice or coffee, bacon, ham, hash, an eggs how you want it bar that will do omelettes as well, and pancakes, yogurt, fruit, cereal. Guide will typically get you on the water 5 minutes before first light. You'll fish until about 11 when you come in for lunch. Some people choose to take a siesta after lunch but I don't, get too groggy. Back on the water at 1:30 or 2 depending on what you tell the guide. Back in again for dinner at dark.
The trip is usually about $2300 for 4 nights, $2700 for 5 nights. Guide tips are 30/person per day. Service also 30/person per day. There is a massuse that is 65/hour + tip (Highly recommend if your back gets stiff on a boat all day like me). Airfare is usually about 350-450 to mazatlan depending on when you book. Flight is an American Eagle run plane through American Airlines. Small plane, not a ton of ammenities unless first class. Can get wifi over American airspace, lose it over the Rio Grande.
There are other lakes that Angler's Inn doesn't service in the area but the only one worth mentioning in my opinion is Baccarac. It is about a 6 hour drive from mazatlan (or your group splurges and you take a private plane to the airstrip at the lake, about another 600-800 per person depending on group size). Baccarac is also a "grandes" lake. You wont catch near as many fish as picachos, probably less than El Salto, but the hit rate for 10+ pounders is higher. There are a couple outfits running that lake. Apparently the service isn't as crazy outstanding and the lodge isn't as nice, but you will have the highest chance of catching a personal best. I have never done Baccarac but there are talks among the group of going in 2023.
