Lake
El Salto Fishing Report, June 7, 2010
Current
Conditions at El Salto Lake
By Billy Chapman
Jr.
Air
Temp: 68/70 degrees early
morning & late evening, Siesta
Time: 85/90 degrees.
Weather: Warm,
sunny with an afternoon breeze, 60s in the
morning, high 80s in the afternoon.
Water Temp: 76/80 degrees
Average number of bass per boat
per day: 60-80
Largest bass caught: 12-1/2
lbs
Water levels are about
as low as they get at Lake El Salto right
now. Low water levels from a bass angler’s
standpoint aren’t all that bad. You’ll
find proof of that in the comments we’ve
had from recent visitors. You’ll find
those comments shown below.
Low water levels concentrate the fish. Find
where some of the monsters El Salto holds
are congregated and you’d better have
a strong rod and stout line. You’re
going to need it!
Regular guests at Anglers Inn can still find
fish in many of their favorite holes, but
they just won’t fish as deep. Look
for water about 8 to 25-feet deep.
Plastics rule the action at both El Salto
and Lake Mateos as lakes reach their lowest
levels. Although anglers can still catch
some big fish in the shallows with topwater
lures, spinnerbaits and crankbaits, many
larger bass are being pulled off the banks
and now lurk around deep submerged trees
or rock piles. Work over these honey holes
with Texas-rigged lizards.
Want to try something a bit different? Read
the following tip of the week.
Tip of the Week
Run a 5-inch Yum Money Minnow across the
surface like a topwater bait. Rig it Texas-Style
with the hook inserted into the plastic to
make it snagless and skip it across the top
just fast enough to keep it on or near the
surface. If you’re fishing around trees
or over cover, let this lure sink a few feet
like you’d fish a worm Wacky Style.
We doubt anyone has taken more big bass out
of Lake El Salto than our good friend Joe
Bullock. Joe, of California, gets down to
El Salto several times a year. It would be
well for first time visitors to El Salto
to pay close attention to what Joe has to
say.
Here’s what he told us about his most
recent trip: “We just got back from
another great trip to El Salto. We caught
lots of big fish. If you want to do the same,
fish black and blue, watermelon or black
and chartreuse colored jigs on the banks
or in the trees.
“We also fished Chatterbaits early and late in the day. We also got some
big fish on these lures. I used these baits in a bluegill color and with a
black and blue power worm as a trailer. I caught three or four fish of more
than 8-pounds on this rig. Our best topwater bait this past trip was a Rio
Rico popper in either a white or bone color. I rigged it with it a red hook
up front and a feathered rear hook.
“My largest fish on the latest visit weighed 12-pounds. We also had two
fish of more than 10-pounds; five of more than 9-pounds and 17 of more than
8-pounds. We concentrated on large fish. There are lots of small fish, but
we didn’t fish for them. We were after size, not numbers.
”Overall it was a great trip. The water is the lowest I’ve ever
seen but the fish are still there. The big fish move in and out of the trees.
Just keep at it and you’ll eventually find them. When you do, set the
hook---hard! I will be back down there next October and then again next May
and through the first week in June.”
Gary Jacob is another frequent visitor to
Anglers Inn. Here’s what he had to
say about his most recent trip to El Salto. “It
was another fabulous trip. Doug Smith and
I ventured back this month for 6 ½ days
of great fishing, good food and as always – excellent
service from the staff. Sammy, Jose, Jesus,
Ramon, Giovanni and Sergio all were in top
form.
“We usually caught 50-65 fish each session. We had numerous fish in the
8 to 9-pound class. Our largest bass this trip was 10-pounds. Our most productive
lure was the old faithful Money Minnow. It’s our favorite. It’s
hard to put that lure down even in the early morning. This 5-inch swimbait
always produced good fish and also worked well at the deep water drop-offs.
We had our best luck fishing it real slow and right along the bottom. The Rapala
DT-16 in a hot mustard shade along with the standard Fat Free Shad were also
good at the usual crankbait holes.
“We can never say enough about the comradeship we share with our guide.
He was constantly surveying the water for activity that indicated where fish
might be holding. The entire Angler’s Inn package is always an exceptional
experience for us no matter how many times a year we make the trip. We are
counting the days until we come back.”
We also receive the following comments from
another of our recent guests. This angler
brought his wife along to share the delights
of Anglers Inn and the tremendous action
for bass that El Salto Lake produces day
after day. Let’s let him tell us about
his recent visit: “My wife and I had
the trip of a lifetime in your resort at
lake El Salto. I wanted my wife to catch
the biggest fish of her life and our guide
was exceptional for the task.
“We caught 200 fish per day with just too many bass in the 4 to 8-pound
range to count. Our largest fish for this trip was an 11.1l-pounder that my
wife caught. We also caught fish of 10.49-pounds and10.02-pounds. We had several
bass of more than 9-pounds. And we did all this in just four days while receiving
the best service and food we have experienced on any of our travels. We have
been to other lakes in Mexico and they all pale next to your home away from
home. I would say it’s not fishing at El Salto, its 100% catching! We
are already counting the days until our next trip!”
Mike Thurston, of Utah, sent the following
thoughts about his recent visit to Anglers
Inn: “I was finally able to make it
back to Lake El Salto after three years.
It was great to see all of my friends at
the Anglers Inn Lodge. I went down with three
friends. They were Todd Daniel, his son Jackson
and David Hodson. All had fished Salto in
the past and we were able to fish five and
a half days.
“We fished the first afternoon we arrived and it did not take long to
find out it was going to be another great trip. The lake level was at 50% of
full pool which gave the fish only about half of their favorite hiding spots.
Right off the bat we started catching fish on lizards and worms in the same
colors that have always produced in the past. Rat-L-Traps worked very well
on a slow retrieve as well as spinnerbaits and crankbaits. I’m not listing
a lot of colors because all of the old favorites worked well.
“Needless to say we caught hundreds of fish in the 3 to 5-pound range;
many more in the 6 and 7-pound category and an 8 and 9-pounder as well. Jackson
has no problem putting 8-pound fish on the bragging board. To sum the trip
up, we caught tons of fish, ate tons of the best food on the planet, and had
tons of fun doing all of the above. To those who have fished El Salto, you
know what I am talking about. To the folks that have not had the chance to
fish it---give it a try. You will be glad that you did. And to the staff at
the lodge, thanks guys and gals, you are the best there is.
“After returning from El Salto I also had the opportunity to do some
light tackle fishing out of Anglers Inn new saltwater fleet at Marina Mazatlan.
The new saltwater office is right by the dock. It looks great and is very accommodating.
All of the drinks, lunches, licenses, and tackle are right there waiting for
you along with a hot cup of coffee. A very special thank you to Billy for making
this trip, and test run possible.”
Another recent visitor was George Tabone.
George says: I have just returned from yet
another great trip to Anglers Inn at El Salto
and wanted to let you know what a wonderful
time I and my group of 10 had. We probably
landed around 2000 bass between us during
our stay. These totals included a pair of
10-pounders and several dozen over 7-pounds.
Most fish were caught on the usual El Salto
baits including watermelon, and black and
blue worms, swimbaits and poppers. We had
difficulty at times avoiding the nets, but
our guides did a great job locating productive
water.
“As usual the staff was spectacular. Jose, Sammy, Tony and all the others
exceeded our expectations and provided that famous Anglers Inn service that
I have grown accustomed to through the years. Everyone had nothing but compliments
for their guide's abilities and expertise. This was my 15th trip and I must
honestly state that the fishing, service, food and accommodations are as good
or better than when I made my first visit more than10 years ago. I, as well
as my entire group, look forward to visiting again soon.”
Until he visited Lake El Salto recently,
Billy Silcox, of Florida, had never caught
a bass bigger than 4-pounds. Fishing with
fellow Floridian Fred Bedran, the pair averaged
about 70 bass per day with most of them in
the 3- to 7-pound range. They also tallied
some lunkers. “It was one of the best
fishing trips I’ve ever had in my life,” Bedran
said. “We caught more than 200 bass.
My biggest one weighed 9.5-pounds, but Billy
caught the big one, a 10.2-pounder that hit
a Texas-rigged watermelon lizard. A white
Money Minnow was another good bait, but the
bass hit the lizard 10 to 1. Anyone thinking
of going to Anglers Inn should go. It will
be the greatest trip of their lives.”
The Yum Money Minnow is a versatile bait
that can catch fish from top to bottom. Rigged
with the hook inserted into the plastic so
it’s weedless, it darts through entangling
branches of submerged trees. For pulling
fish out of the depths, let it slowly sink
all the way to the bottom. You can also dance
it across the surface like Melinda Hickey,
another recent visitor did.
Fishing with her husband Mike, Melinda used
light spinning tackle early one morning to
entice a 9.9-pounder, the biggest of the
150 fish the Florida couple caught. Mike
caught a 9.3-pounder. They also caught several
bass in the 7- to 9-pound range.
“We caught a lot of good fish with three over 9, lots of 8-pounders and
many in the 5- to 7-pound range,” Mike said. “Melinda caught the
9.9-pounder on a pearl and pink Yum Money Minnow worked across the surface.
We used it like a topwater bait with an unweighted hook. We also caught fish
on a 10-inch Berkley Power Worm in a pumpkin or watermelon shade and with a
firetiger Rapala DT 16 crankbait.”
After fishing at Lake El Salto, the Hickeys
went to Mazatlan and stayed at the Pueblo
Bonito Emerald Bay, a 5-Star, 4-Diamond resort.
There they enjoyed some outstanding saltwater
action off Mazatlan. They enticed 17 roosterfish
to smash their trolled live mullets and boated
12 up to 32-pounds. Anglers Inn International
is the exclusive sportsmen’s outfitter
for Pueblo Bonito resort.
Back at El Salto, Len Batcha, of Texas, and
three friends also experienced outstanding
fishing. They caught bass up to 9.3-pounds.
Bill Putnam caught the group lunker, tempting
it with a 10-inch purple lizard dragged through
8-feet of water. They caught other bass by
fishing worms Wacky Style. They were putting
about 75 bass into the boat each time out. “We
tried some other lures,” Len says, “but
90 per cent of the fish we caught came on
Texas-rigged watermelon red lizards. Our
bass probably averaged about 4-pounds, but
Bill’s averaged more because he caught
some 8 and 7-pounders besides his big one.
“A couple days we had steady action all day long. The last day was overcast
with a little rain. That morning brought unbelievable fishing! When we go to
El Salto, we call it ‘catching,’ not ‘fishing.’ The
service is unbelievably fantastic, but people need to go on a diet before they
visit Anglers Inn because they’re going to gain weight.”
The Bates party also enjoyed good action
when they were here recently. In five days
they caught 432 bass. Most of their fish
hit crankbaits worked in 24-feet of water.
Many fish ranged from 5 to 7.5-pounds.
“Everything went perfectly on the trip,” says Tom Bates. “Our
guide was outstanding and did everything he could to get us big fish. Thanks
so much to Billy Chapman Jr. for running a first-class operation.”
Meanwhile about three hours north of El Salto,
Lake Mateos continues to produce impressive
numbers of fish. Visitors fishing out of
the beautiful Anglers Inn Lodge at that lake
are often catching more than 120 bass a day.
Many of these fish run from 4 to 8-pounds.
This big and beautiful 55,000-acre lake can
produce 9 and 10-pound fish as well. The
all time Lake Mateos size record topped 14-pounds.
Besides Texas Rigged lizards, worms or Money
Minnows, many anglers throw white spinnerbaits
or shad-colored topwater poppers at Mateos.
You’ve just read the same sort of comments
we’ve been getting from our visitors
ever since we first opened Angler Inn Lodges
on El Salto and Lake Mateos.
For more than two decades, the saltwater
fishing has been a very important venue on
our menu. We've hosted salt water anglers,
writers and TV personalities such as Joe
Thomas (Outdoor Channel), Michael Pearce
(writer for Wall Street Journal and Robb
Report), Alan Warren (Alan Warren Outdoors),
Keith "Catfish" Sutton, James Hall editor
of ESPN Saltwater Magazine, etc. We now have
our own fleet and support vehicles to do
light tackle, bill fishing, kayak fishing
and surf fishing. This expansion has been
in the making for a couple of years and now
we are in a better position to serve the
sportsmen and their families. The new Anglers
Inn Offshore, VIP Dock and facilities at
the Marina Mazatlan aremfirst class providing
same unparalleled service that has become
synonymous with Anglers Inn operations.
The bottom line is that Anglers Inn International
and its affiliates can handle every conceivable
family sportsman vacation. We also have an
Anglers Inn Sportsman's Club Family Vacation
Specialist and a Travel Specialist to assist
you in every aspect of your vacation. Give
us one shot at your family vacation. You
will not be disappointed!
For more info or for booking your next Anglers
Inn International adventure at either Lake
El Salto, Lake Mateos or a saltwater fishing
trip call 1-800-GOTA-FISH, (468-2347) or
visit www.anglersinn.com |
