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Lake El Salto
By Billy
Chapman, Jr.
For several weeks now, the bassin’ action has been red hot on El Salto.
There are a couple of key baits anglers coming down soon really should
bring in order to enjoy the most success. The first is the 5-inch Yum
Money Minnow. Top-producing colors have been Hologram Shad, Foxy Shad
and Herring. Similar baits are just as productive, such as Basstrix,
Strike King’s Shadalicious and Bass Magics in the same sizes. One secret
to these baits is the way they are rigged. As you’ll read below, our
good friends, Wayne Finney and Joe “Sparky” Bullock, did excellent on
these baits. Sparky says (and I agree) that the best hook for these
hollow-belly swimbaits is the Owner “Beast” Hook in 6/0 size that has a
weight of 3/8 ounces. The 1/2-ounce, white Blade Runner Paddle Head Jig
is another great jighead that can be rigged to these baits. Be sure to
bring plenty and also a bottle of “Mend-It” glue to repair your busted
baits between sessions.
Here is what Wayne had to say about the recent trip he and Sparky made:
“Just got back from fishing for largemouth bass at El Salto, and these
are some pictures of 9- and 10-pounders I caught! This is the number-one
lake in the world for numbers of BIG BASS. My buddy Joe “Sparky” Bullock
and I caught more than 300 that ran from 1 to 5 pounds and 118 that ran
from 5 to 11 pounds. (Yes, Sparky caught all the 11-pounders.) We
released all the bass back into the lake. Not too shabby for two guys in
6-1/2 days of fishing. Sparky is one hell of an Instructor, but I did
not like having to use the pink Hula Popper before he let me graduate to
the unbelievably successful Money Minnow. You gotta get you some of
these!
“The Anglers Inn staff was unbelievably attentive,” Wayne continued.
“The food was exceptional. The lodge was special. The weather was not
too hot. And the bass fishing was a mind-altering experience! I’m just a
novice when it comes to bass fishing, so imagine what you could do. Only
problem is, now that I’ve returned home, I still expect a cup of great
coffee at my door before my feet hit the floor and am looking for
another great margarita every time I turn around! Sparky had to take me
to the airport kicking and screaming, but I will fool him and sneak back
first chance I get.
“WOW! You should have been there.”
Now that we’ve told you about the first bait you need to bring, let’s
talk about the other hot bait on El Salto right now—jigs. Heavy jigs
jigged in the trees have been producing tons of big bass. This kind of
fishing is not for everyone, but guests like Les Melton (see his remarks
below) are using this technique to catch some real hawgs. The Strike
King Premium Jig in ¾ or 1 ounce with a nice pork trailer in the
black/blue color is hot! Be sure to bring some down on your next trip.
Here’s what Les had to say about his recent trip:
“This was my 38th trip to Lake El Salto and undoubtedly one of the best
and most exciting,” he told us. “I have had some unbelievable fishing
experiences at the lake, and this trip ranks at the very top of the
list. I wanted to try my jigging techniques, and the results were simply
amazing. Over my 9-day trip, I caught 462 fish and multiple fish in the
10-pound range. That in itself is a dream most fisherman will never
experience. I did not keep track of fish in the 5- to 6-pound range, but
there were a bunch of them. Almost all the big fish came on 1-ounce
black/blue jigs with a pork trailer and 7-inch Yum Dingers. A lot of the
smaller fish were caught on 10-inch black/blue Power Worms and
deep-diver crankbaits. By small, I mean 3- to 4-pound bass. This trip
was an experience of a lifetime.
“I have been fishing El Salto for almost 20 years, and the excellent
fishing has not let up a bit,” Les continued. “The lake is healthy and
managed extraordinarily well. The baitfish population was as large as I
have ever seen it, and the bass caught were clean and very healthy. The
future of the lake continues to be bright.
“As always, the service from Anglers Inn was superb,” he said in
closing. “The hospitality, food and friendliness exceed anything I have
experienced at other places I have fished, and, believe me, there have
been many over the years. The attention to detail and the desire to
serve is truly unique. I have made many friends over the years and look
forward each time to seeing everyone and catching up on things.
“My final comment is - GREAT!”
The third must-have bait for your tackle box if you are planning an
upcoming trip to Anglers Inn is the Bomber Fat Free Shad in the Citrus
color. The quality and number of bass being caught on this bait is
mind-blowing. Be sure to bring plenty, along with additional treble
hooks. These El Salto bass are mean! We don’t have any written
testimonials on this bait, but we do have video testimonials. To see
what the recent anglers had to say about their trip from May 22-25,
visit the link below. These are actual guest video testimonials with
photos behind their video showing off the sizes of bass they caught. We
are sure you won’t be disappointed.
http://www.youtube.com/anglersinntv
With the lower lake levels and the bass stacking up off points,
underwater humps, creek channels and bluffs, future guests are in for an
excellent fishing trip. The editor of Bassmaster Magazine, James Hall,
just left the lodge and posted a story online that can be found at:
http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/news/story?page=b_bm_mexico
_pig_bass
If you or anyone you know is interested in coming down before the end of
our season which is July 18th, give us a call or send us an
email and we’ll get you all lined up. Good fishing!!
WON
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