Flying to/from Mexico: Line on reels?

I'm flying to Mazatlan next Monday. I believe that line on reels is forbidden when flying back into the USA, but can I fly INTO Mexico with line on my reels?

Or do I fly into MX with empty reels, string up when I get to El Salto, and take the line off before I fly back to TX?

I've flown down there and back for past 5 years with line on my reels and no problems....did have couple jigs that i had cut off and thrown in my carry on bag and they took those away from me when i went through security at matzalan on way back couple years ago.....to be on safe side,I'd carry enough line in my carry on baggage to spool up with just in case you encounter an over zealous security person...
have a good time and let us know how your trip went.....and...what you caught them on..(I'm going back to picachos and el salto in march)...

You can have line on your reels going and coming back from Mexico. They have to be in checked luggage though, Can't be in your carry on. Have a great trip and give us a report when you get back. I'm going in December! I've been three times in the last 3 years. Never had to lose my line.

A couple guys had lures in their carry on bags and the Mexican Customs folks made them take the hooks off them in Mazatlan

I would not risk putting my reels in checked bags.....most travelers will tell you to never put expensive electronics like cameras,I-pads,laptops etc in checked baggage....with the sophisticated scanners they have now,baggage handlers can tell what is in your luggage....worst case scenario would be for them to ask you to remove the line but as mentioned earlier,I've been going down there last 5 years with line on my reels in my carry on bag and no problems...
I've had one instance of theft from baggage when several years ago I forgot an envelope with $200.00 cash and left it in my checked bag when flying from BuenosAires,Argentina to Atlanta on Delta airlines.....when I got home,I noticed that the small lock on my bag was missing...I had left the envelope under my clothes in the bag and when I opened my bag,the empty envelope was on top of my clothes...I called Delta and they immediately started telling me they were not liable for theft,tried to tell them the item had been stolen the night before and surely they had video cameras they could check and see somebody breaking into my bag.....apparently those baggage scanners can see cash in an envelope is only reason i can figure that they would break into my bag....
never heard from Delta and I highly doubt anybody checked the video....also heard later that Buenos Airies airport was notorious for theft of items from luggage...

Spool up here, leave the spools in checked luggage and bring the reels in carry on. Anything with hooks needs to be in checked luggage or in the trash it goes. Dealt with that in Mazatlan earlier this year.

Great idea, Jersey Dan... this is what I shall do.

My experience as well
Only problem is with hooks

Never had a problem going down with spooled reels. Came back numerous times the same way, till twice in a row they made me get out of line and strip my reels. Now I strip them before I get to the airport,

appreciate you letting us know about this....stupid rule but I'll start taking spools out of my reels and putting them in checked luggage on the way home......

Never had a problem traveling to Mexico with spooled with in my carry on. Last year at Malzatan airport on way home, I had to remove my spoiled reels from carryon bag and put In my checked bag. Or I had to unspool them.

I’ve been to Mexico several times with spooled reels and have never had a problem going or coming.

I would NEVER put my reels in checked luggage mainly because I’ve lost baggage on two trips. Once was a rod case with about $900 worth of rods in it.

I’ve also had tools confiscated by Mexican customs from my carry on baggage.

I carry on going down and check them coming home.

Been a while since you've been, huh? You're standing there looking at them at customs; how did you let them steal your tools?

If you have something like tools or anything with hooks they throw it in the trash.
Know the rules and follow them!

That's not customs. That's security.

Because like the TSA, Mexican Customs will confiscate prohibited items.

The TSA will confiscate any tools over 7” in length and you won’t get them back.

Try reading about it, you might actually learn something

Yea, having things like that was against the rules when they confiscated those tools. You may have actually learned something that day yourself. Should have tried reading about it before hand, you might have actually learn something, and still had your tools...

Well, once again it escalates on the TFF. 🤔🤷🏻‍♂️🤪

Love it when folks go off the topic

You're still getting Customs and Security mixed up. Customs goes thru your checked and carry on bags as you arrive. Security checks your bags when you depart.

Pack all your tackle and tools in your checked bag. But bring your reels/other valuable equipment carry on

I've flown to Mazatlan to go to Picachos and El Salto approximately 20 times since 2009. In the first 19 times, they were pretty lax. We ALWAYS carry our spooled reels in our carry on luggage and one time they made us strip the line there in the airport before heading home. On our most recent trip, the American Airlines baggage people made it very clear that if we had reels in our carry-ons, they would be confiscated by security at the x-ray machine, no questions asked, no excuses given. We quickly put them in our checked luggage.

Not sure if that is a one-off experience or a permanent change, but from now on we will save room for reels in our checked luggage on the WAY HOME. We will continue to carry them down until we get some indication that is problematic, too.

On the trip before this last one, Mexican security would not let me take a 3 piece rod on the plane, either. I had to go back to the desk and check it. Again, that was something I took on the plane down, and I've flown with that little tube as a carry-on in Alaska, Brazil and Africa, as well as the US.

Pete, are you saying you had reels with no line on them and they made you put them in checked luggage?

That's disappointing! 5 reels, approx. $1k and no control over them.

On this last trip, that is what was implied and I didn't want to take the chance -- and it was 7 reels apiece.
All returned in perfect working condition, but I was nervous.

got to believe if they made you put your reels in your checked bag and they were stolen,American would be responsible but you would probably have to get a lawyer and take them to court....

I know guys are going down and coming back every day. Has this happened to anyone else? Have they told you they would confiscate your reels?

I know this is a bass forum but I'd be pretty pissed if I took a few of my Avet saltwater reels to Cabo and to have to strip off $1000 worth of braid.

Have traveled through MZT a few times myself and have always checked reels with new line on em.. Maybe I have just been lucky but I have never had a problem or given it a second thought..

I do know someone who lost a couple of reels from checked baggage, and AA paid for them after just a bit of effort..

Now ask me about cigars.. What they define as personal use and my definition are two different things.. This is when you pick up your baggage at MZT..

If you get checked with a box full you are going to pay about the same as the cigars cost as a tax.. Or give them up..

only if you put them in your carry on.

Have fun Herb! Give us a good report when you get back. (FYI, I never take line off my reels when going to Mexico. And ALWAYS put them in carry on)

Why can’t you have fishing line on a plane?

Randy, trust me I did have fun! I spent my time at Picachos, because El Salto, through a couple weather catastrophes, is so overfull that it's like a new lake with new habitats, that the fishing is really... I mean really tough. So the company called me a few days prior to arriving and strongly suggested I go to Picachos. I did, and the fishing was good as usual. I probably got 250+/- in the 3.5 days, slightly less than the 300 I got back in May of 2019. On day 3, a bunch of guys transferred over from El Salto and they had a sad tale to tell. One fellow caught 1 fish in 2.5 days on the water. Another guy caught 4 in the same time. Most of the party were skunked, including Juan the Guide; I've used Juan myself and he flat knows that lake. If HE got skunked, the fishing is bad.

The main lure I used was the Yum Dinger in watermelon/red, black/blue, and green pump/cream laminate, t-rigged with a 3/8oz. Probably went through 60 or so of those. (If they were Senkos, it would have been in the hundreds). The two morning lures were a Megabass PopX, and a Berkley Stunna jerkbait fished shallow. Mid afternoons I threw submerged structure with a SK 5XD, a RkCrawler 55, and/or a belly-weighted Keitech or Rage Swimmer. Also used the popper around 4pm until 4:30, as it gets dark early down there.

The mornings were about 60 degrees going up to 85 in the pm. Mostly I primarily looked for fishing the shade and shade lines, but everything was directed by my guide Alejandro. It was my first time with him and the rule is "trust your guide on a new lake," and so I did. He knew exactly 4 words in English: crankbait, spinnerbait, topwater, and swimbait. Fortunately I speak enough Spanish that we could communicate well enough, and even occasionally have a very basic conversation.,

Anyone who's ever been to an Angler's Inn facility, at either of the lakes, knows how the staff treats their clientele, which is basically like kings. You're not even out of the van that picked you up at the airport and you're handed a plate of nachos and a margarita. The food is restaurant quality, very Mexican but no Tex-Mex at all, and huge. I mean they feed men in their 60s and 70s like college football players eat. Three squares a day. Bring Dulcolax, and don't ask me how I know . There's no such thing as an empty margarita glass there, and how many places have a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream next to the coffee machine at 5am? You get the picture.

Oh yeah, the important stuff: with exception of 6 of the offshore fish that approached 4 pounds (1 maybe a hair over), all the fish were in the 1.5 to 3lb range, and healthy fighters. The best fish caught this week was a 5 pounder caught by a nice expatriate American lady who lives in Cabo San Lucas.

Great report, thanks! Even though my Mexican trip in December is to Baccarac I still like keeping up on all Mexican lakes. It sounds like the size at Picachos hasn't changed much since I fished there about 3 years ago.

I laughed at your comment about being served meals like college football players eat. I get overwhelmed by the three huge meals a day down there.

Now I know why I haven't heard much about El Salto lately. I didn't know it could get that bad there.

Did you travel with line on your reels in your carry on? And did you bring your own rods? I am thinking about bringing 5 of my own and am curious as to cost at American Airlines.

Nice report. I just got back from a great big bass trip to Baccarac and leave 1/11 for 2 days Salto and 3 on Picachos

I sent you a PM

To those who asked about the line situation. I removed the spools from the reels (I took 6 reels, just in case), taped the spools and labeled them. The spools went in the checked bag, the reel bodies in carry-on. I didn't want to risk it. We reassembled the reels at the lake that afternoon.

The rods I had to choose from were all St. Croix Bass X and Mojo Bass, in very used but still acceptable condition. A few had broken tips and had been set aside. I chose 4. Most all were heavy action, though I did manage to find a medium action that I used for topwaters and later on, crankbaits. I must admit that I'm accustomed to my regular rods, which are Exprides and NRX's basically, but the cost of shipping the rods and the damage risk involved wasn't worth it to me. So I made do with the St. Croix rods and it was all cool. I could definitely understand if someone wanted their own rods to fish with. I saw several long Plano rod tubes ($125 per retail) that were shipped.

I was asked at Mexican customs if I was declaring anything. The officer went through my carry-on and checked bag and asked me in broken English how much the reels are worth, the gear, etc. I told him I was on a fishing trip to Lake Picachos and he said "okay," and put the stuff back.

Just got back.
Carried on going down,no problem.
Packed in suitcase coming home.

which lake?....How was fishing?

Baccarac
Numbers lower than March, but lake is at 60%, it was 30% then.
Biggest 5 were 9,8.8,7.5,7.5 and 7

Following the checked reels and American Airlines information for other instances and latest information on a possible change.
Please, Keep us updated on reels and line.

On a similar note, has anyone traveled American airlines with a rod case lately and what was the cost? Any problem with bringing 4 or 5 rods in the case?

The link below will take you to the American Airlines Special Items and Sports Equipment page which lists exemptions and pricing information about fishermen traveling with rods and gear.

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/baggage/specialty-and-sports.jsp