Early Season El Salto Report

Anglers Inn opened up the lodge a little bit earlier than normal this year and it's paying off for September guests. Lots of good fish being caught on Chatterbaits and Whopper Ploppers, and of course the usual array of plastics.

I am regularly in touch with the guides and happy to offer up information before your next trip.


El Salto Fishing Report September 2017

Pete, Heading to El Salto next week with a buddy. We have never been. Question is what not to bring, AI tackle package they couldn't do so we are gathering our baits and trying not to carry alot of stuff we don't need. I assume from reports no red or crawfish colored baits for example. No small baits. Buddy asked if we needed our own scale,etc. Also on the big worms and other plastics how many do you need? If you have current info so we can take what's hot and the correct amount it would be helpful.

Go heavy on the staples -- black/blue 10" Power Worm, 6" watermlon Senko, 8" watermelon red lizard. Can't give you precise numbers because one could be hotter than the other, but bring a generous number in your carry on (they are surprisingly heavy in your checked luggage).

Remember, the AI guides work hard to get lures unstuck and they are remarkably good at it, so while you need spinnerbaits, jigs, Whopper Ploppers, Rio Ricos, chatterbaits, how many do you really need? In four days, how many chatterbaits or scroungers will you lose? Not too many.

Right now the guides are telling me they are catching fish from 2' to 30' so there's really a lot of variety. I recognize that doesn't make packing any easier.

How many days are you going for?

Most of the guides have scales, but not all, so bring one if you want to be sure.

Go light on clothing. It'll be warm and they do laundry every day. I'd bring extra line over an extra pair of pants.

Thanks! We are there 3.5 days arriving Wed for afternoon trip and leave Sun. a.m.

OK what is generous 5 packs, 10 packs,....
On plastics just planning on fishing weightless, texas rigged or wacky style. No carolina rigs, shaky head, etc.

I will throw in a couple of lipless crankbaits I guess but I assume not much of that either.

We are planning to bring reels and use the rods they provide. I was thinking of bringing six and spooling with either the 17 lb flurocarbon or a 60 lb braid. Maybe half and half. Some said just use Trilene big game in 17 lb. I have not had much luck with braid so don't fish it much my buddy does.

In truth we are shallow water fishermen but have deep crankbaits such as KVD 8X and 10X.

What are your thoughts?

Bring 40 worms, 40 Senkos and 30 lizards. More if you like to be completely covered. Pack a few C-Rig weights, just in case, but no shakey heads.

There can be a good schooling bite this time of year, so a few 1/2 or 3/4 ounce chrome lipless cranks never hurt, and they don't take up much space.

We have some anglers who use nothing but fluoro/mono (17 and up, preferably 20 and up) others who use nothing but braid. Go with your comfort zone.

We just got back from El Salto & Angler's October 1. we were there for 7 days and 51/2 days of fishing.
I posted on another El Salto thread what we caught fish on during that time.
10 -- 6 pound or bigger including 1 -- 10.5 on the second day there.
if you fish the point with El Gato (the cat) ...... please feed her, she will let you know that she is hungry. Lots of fish on that point as well.

Cajun Red .... PM sent

@flukeman83 -- did she follow you around as you fished, meowing all the way? They've got us trained!

she did follow us ,,,, until our guide threw her a chicken taco.