use to watch Jimmy Houston show way back then. Saw him catch one around 19 lbs, I'm waiting on Donald Harper to start group trips there!

Made two trips in 1979 and it was as good as it gets. But I know they lost a bunch of water in Lake Zaza and I'm guessing the Cuban government never got it fixed. If not it's a shame. Never heard about two 20lb fish being caught but know there were fish over 16 caught on our trips. I'm sure scouts will be fishing what ever lakes are now hot and reporting soon. If the travel restrictions are freed up my friend that made the trips in 79' is ready to go back.

Unless they have upgraded which I doubt the accommodations are poor. The Hotel Zaza pamphlet showed pools, tv ad hot water. The pool had about two feet of moss and slime on the bottom. One tv in the lobby and it had two choices, the best of Fidel or Cuban baseball. Oh yes the hot water was in a small mental bucket outside the door each morning. The caba�as in the water at the second lake we fished were pretty neat and the guide picked you up in the boat each morning. They had a buffet that must have been 40 feet long with everything from bass cooked by soaking overnight in lime juice to crocodile meat and even horse meat which we didn't try.

They also had mosquitos that could hump a duck and we got home with an illness that sent Dave to the hospital after his date found him in the fetal position on the kitchen floor. I lived on two cans of seven up for days in bed waiting on them to find out what Dave had and they never did. I was so sick I called Las Colinas security on a Thur. night asking them to come to my door on Monday to see if I was still kicking. So how good was he fishing, we went back 6 months later. I watched my friend catch 3 over 7 on consecutive casts the first stop we made on day one. It was as good as it gets. Only thing I can compare it to is Falcon at it's best and Cuba was better.

So hope they have some good lakes still and we open up the travel. One more thing, the security folks where we landed have no sense of humor. Before you land they ask you to make a list of the valuables you're bringing into the country, I listed an alarm clock as a radio and the solders at the gate thought I was going to be transmitting secrets back to the states and began to take it apart. I finally got it across that it was just an alarm clock and all was well but Dave had to change undies. One other high lite was as we boarded the plain to leave the next group was heading to Cuban customs. Two less than bright fellows brought two young ladies with them (dressed to kill and not to fish) and when those broads got a look at the Hotel Zaza I sure the rest of the trip was a dumpster fire. Can't wait to get back down there........

Unless he's done it recently, your memory is failing. Jimmy's biggest bass ever is a 13-1 out of Lake Hanabanilla, Cuba. He caught her on a blue and chrome Zara Spook. I can remember that show like it was yesterday. I have wanted to go down there and bass fish ever since!

There was a Roland Martin show when Baccarac was the hottest lake in Mexico. One of his traveling/fishing companions came flying up in his boat. Had a 19 pounder in a cooler he claimed to have caught on Roland's "helicopter lure." Pretty sure the guy got her from a gill netter.

Great climate for big bass. Cuba has recently gone through some very tough times. A lot of bass have been eaten for survival. That being said, there's no boat dealership in Cuba, and very few homemade canoes are likely to have fished the deepest parts effectively.

Correct me if I am wrong, I think the "Florida bass strain was the result of Cuban bass
being introduced to Florida waters.