Too all of you fishermen, Buenos Dias!
Below is what I sent to another guy who wanted some fishing reports, but who is going to El Salto with another outfitter later this month, but I did some editing for the rest of you all. This is the best of my experience that I can remember, and my memory at times plays tricks on me. I'm also not good with numbers, even remembering the correct fish weights. Lack of sleep due to flight delays and late night war story's over a few to too many beers, and early mornings didn't help the memory either. Too many fish to remember and get it all straight was a delight! Plus I can't seem to find the card I took notes on for my partner and me. But this what happened as best that I can recall.
Just got back Sunday, Dec. 14th, 2014, from Pro Bass Adventures on Lake El Salto, about an hour and a 1/2 drive, and I believe the lake is about northeast of Mazatlan, Mexico, up in the mountains. I'm not exactly sure where it is and I don't really care as long as the fishing was all and more than I ever expected.
Fishing was great to phenomenal all day on the 10th, especially around the island with the cross on top and all the shore line around the Lodges from Pro Bass Adventures and back West and east/North towards that island with the cross. I was using 20# Triline XT (or your favorite mono)for all top waters and black back and silver, top water Pop-R's (remove the original hooks and put on #2 treble in the front and #2 treble with silver skirt on the rear) caught too many fish with it to remember, except for a 10# 4 oz. one.(could of been 10# 6 oz..I can't find the notes I made on my catches.) Best top water bite I have ever seen. Take a few of them (maybe 3) as floating hyacinths are bad and move around with the wind and the under water brush is bad in places. The top waters worked especially good there (cross island). Don't be afraid to throw top waters in the bright sun light either. Original hooks will bend as both my partner and I will attest. I never lost a lure of any kind but my partner lost a deep diving crank in the underwater trees or brush, which is abundant when the water is up to full capacity.
Also using a 3/4 oz. Red Eye Shad or Rattletrap in sexy shad color produced fish.
Super Spooks in bone, and in silver with black back also worked, but lost a few big ones when they jumped.
The best big fish producer on Bass Pro EXP, or any other of your favorite 20 to 25# fluorocarbon line, was a white with silver flake, or a bone, or a plain white super fluke split tail plastic (Zoom brand "Magnums" worked the best), 7" or so, fished weightless on a # 6/0 EWG hook. Take a lot of those, maybe 4 or 5 bags, or more, and take some Mend-It to repair any that are repairable to reuse. Caught a spawned out 11# 4 oz. on that white and silver flake fluke. My new personal best.
Also caught a few on a 8" lizard in a watermelon-red, TX rigged, with a 5/0 EWG hook and a 1/4 to 3/8 tungsten weight. Pegged worked best.
Fishing was slower on the 11th and 12th for me and most others , but caught a few on those same lures and some also caught fish on a Carolina rig using (I use)65# braid main line (but the 25# fluorocarbon with a 1/2 to 3/4 oz. weight and about a 2 1/2 to 3' leader of the 20# XT mono and (I use) a 5/0 Owner Rig-N- hook with the flukes and lizards.
Don't take much more than that above and I think you'll do OK. Extra 5/0 and 6/0 hooks and a few weights is all you should need. Maybe a hook sharpener file.
Some fish were caught by others on a Sexy shad colored deep diving crank baits. Chartreuse and purple Dip-It will help your plastics at times, but not really necessary, and some purple color in your other under water lure colors will also help, as the lake is full of tilapia, so that could also help your catch rate.
The fishing on the 13th was slow until about 3:30 PM until dark when my partner and I caught 18 fish with 12 over 5# with a top at 8# and something, 5' from the boat(almost took the rod and reel out of my hand. Hold on tight.), and lost about 6 more, including a monster my partner lost, due to the underwater brush, all in a 200 to 300 yard space just around the southeast point bend from the front of Pro Bass Adventures and right in front of another lodge all the way around the bend (I can't remember the name, maybe Billy Chapman's). we went back and forth 3 times over that area and caught fish every pass, but would have liked to have probed around with a lizard or creature t-rigged, but it got too dark and we had to head in. Our guide also wanted us to fish just those Pop-R's as they were the producers for us right then.
A great # of fish were caught by our party of 12, with a couple of boats catching close to 100 fish the first day (Danny Golden of Get-Bit Guide Service on Lake Ray Roberts, here in N. TX, is a bass magnet and was the top producer daily), but most were catching 40 to 50, and possibly more, (remember #'s and my memory might be confusing me some )on the good days, down to 50 tops and maybe a dozen or more for others on the bad days. Big fish the norm.
The hyacinths did not help, as they float around and are in a different place all the time.
They are also drawing about 4" of water out of the lake daily for irrigation purposes, and of course that didn't help either.
Tilapia nets on the first day were a hindrance and old rope and net pieces left in the water were at times frustrating. The tilapia gill net fishing catches everything and they keep it all, including the bass. It's not allowed all the time and has an on and off type season.
The fish were also moving in and out spawning, which has just really gotten started. The spawn should get better as these months of Dec., Jan., and Feb. are supposed to be the best. March is supposed to suck as everything is done and the fish are pooped. In May it again is supposed to be good, but hot, as they are hungry and want want to regain their strength.
The most numbers and the biggest fish were caught from the cross island and to the south and west in the cove around the Ron Speed Lodge and Pro Bass Adventure's Lodge and all around the southeast point and into the cove to the east and then southwest of the those Lodges. Kind of a backwards S shape might describe it better.
Don't take much more than what I said, but maybe take some small amount of your favorite confident lures for cranking and in plastics, but just take more of the flukes I mentioned and of course the Pop-R's for sure.
It was commando fishing for sure, as we were on the lake before sun-up, and then in at noon for lunch and if we wanted a short rest before going out anywhere from 1 to 2 PM then fishing until dark. Fished in lots of underwater brush jungles which is where the Pop-R's really worked great.
I took too much other stuff that never got out of the bag and boxes. Put everything in your checked luggage, other than the reels, when going down.
Take 2 reels with fluorocarbon for subsurface fishing and 1 or 2 with mono for the surface in your carry on down there and that will do you. Take your line off or put the reels in your checked bag for the trip back or you could probably have the hassle of stripping the line at the customs check before boarding in Mazatlan for the trip back.
Make sure you take extra line, 5/0 & 6/0 hooks and weights (although I never lost any), a pliers/split ring pliers, line nipper, and spare #2 hooks (both kinds)just in case and of course a digital scale!
If you are taking rods, at least a 7' heavy rod for the flukes and 6 1/2 to 7' medium heavy's will also work good for everything else.
Pro Bass Adventures provided us all with good quality rods to use while we were there so we didn't have to take our own. They also provided us with hooks and lures like I mentioned above as our 11 AM flight on the 9th with American was cancelled due to the fog at DFW. We then were able to get on a later Mexicana flight to Mexico City and 4+ hour layover there before we were able to get on a 10:30 PM Mexicana flight to Mazatlan and got in there about 11:30 PM. Guys we met in the airport, who were going with Ron Speed, and who got the same flights as us were not picked up that night and had to spend it in Mazatlan. Too bad for them. Our Pro Bass Adventure outfitters were kept up to date on our travel delays (get an International addition to your phone plan for the trip and it might work down there, or not). Some were able to get the wi-fi at the lodge to work to get messages to home, but don't count on it. It is secluded as far as communication to home.
I would also recommend the $40 trip insurance, for piece of mind and a "just in case" scenario.
Pro Bass Adventure had a guy at the airport when we arrived late and then he took us to the lodge and we were there a bit after 1:30 AM on the 10th, where we got settled and took the time to get their rods and our reels ready to go. (Our checked baggage with terminal tackle, cranks and plastics, didn't get to us until after we had finished for the first fantastic day of fishing on the 10th.) We were then up on the 10th at 5:15 AM , after a couple hours sleep, a good breakfast, and on the lake by 6:15 AM. A cap light would also be useful if you should need to do any rigging before sun up.
Drink lots of water and leave most of the sodas and especially the beer until you get back in. Don't dehydrate yourself as a couple of our group did just that and got to feeling bad and missed some time or felt awful while fishing.
I don't know how your Angler's Inn outfitter (or any of the others) is, but I would highly recommend Pro Bass Adventures to you for another time, and to any and all others for a trip of a lifetime. Everything, including fantastic guide service, food and drink (margaritas too), and all the Pacifico beer we could drink was provided (and we drank a lot) in their cost. The only extra expense was tips for guides and staff. (Airfare is your expense too.)
Pro Bass Adventures also provided rod's for spin casters and one of the guys took his 84 year old father. He kept up with us all, including some late night beer drinking, and on the water by using his spinning reels and line. He caught and beat his personal best 3 times in one day and 4 times the total trip with the best at 9# 12 oz. I believe.
I hope this helps. Be prepared to pay $25 for your 1st checked bag each way on American and from Mexico they don't take cash, just credit card for that payment.
Have fun, as I had the best bass fishing I've ever experienced. I may have jumped around a bit in my story telling but right now I'm a bit tired and don't type to well.
And to Pro Bass Adventures and all the folks in their Mexico operation THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! (p.s. Doug King I hope you send my thanks, once again, not only to you, but on to all your folks down there in Mexico.)
This is guy to call for an adventure of a lifetime, one not to be missed. It is worth every penny! Tell him Al Grab (aka propman) here
on TFF said to call. I get nothing out of, or for, this endorsement other than to be able to try and remember all the good times I experienced.
Doug King
Pro Bass Adventures
480-491-9300 office
480-861-5021 cell
www.mexicofishing.netAl Grab (aka propman here on TFF)
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