Mexico – El Salto Fishing Explosion Continues into March!!!

Nino Correnti just got back from his trip the first of March and had this to say: “I just returned from Lake El Salto where I enjoyed the very best fishing experience of my life. There was one 3 hour period where I boated 24 bass from a point using DD-22 crank baits, and not one of the 24 bass weighed less than 5 pounds. Thanks to Ron Speed’s Adventures for another fantastic trip. Food, service and guides were all top notch as usual.”

We haven’t had boats averaging over 100 fish per day at El Salto in many, many years…but that’s exactly what’s happening ALL SEASON! In our last update we told you about Ron Clark and his group of 10 anglers who boated 2,726 bass over four days of fishing. Largest fish was 11.1 lbs. We also told you about J. W. Peterson’s group of 23 anglers who fished 4 days (Jan. 9-14) and they landed a total of 5,016 bass. These fish were not just “dinks” either as there were many bass landed in the 3-5 lbs range. In February, we had many bass in the 8-9 lb. range along with 5 weighing in the 10 lb. range. Sean Weaks caught a 10 lber. on the 14th and then a 10.6 lber. on the 15th. Brad Baylis has landed the largest bass so far this season with a 12 lb. trophy. Again, we have not seen numbers and average size like this in years on El Salto. The average catch per boat, per day over the past 7 or 8 years has been around 60-70. Right now it’s double from what it’s been, with the average size up almost 2 lbs. from past years.

Opportunities to experience this type of fishing don’t come around often in a person’s lifetime. We’ve fished and operated camps/lodges on many great lakes in Mexico, but El Salto ranks up there with the best of them. All of those lakes in the past are not great like they were years ago. El Salto has withstood the test of time and I believe it is better today than at any given time since it opened in 1990. We open our camp in October and close at the end of July. We anticipate the fishing to continue at this pace at least through the end of the season (July). Also, with the exception of our high season months (Jan.-Mar.), we offer the lowest 4-day fishing package prices on the lake. If you find a lower 3-day fishing package offered by any camp on the lake for the months of Oct.-Dec. and April-July, we’ll match it! Our camp is located lakeside…new houses, and with the best boats for fishing El Salto, 18’ Xpress Boats! We also have an A-Team of guides with many, many years of experience. Our camp staff is second-to-none and will go out of their way to give you the best service possible!

Call us TODAY so you don’t miss out on the bass explosion that’s taking place on El Salto right NOW!

Brazil – Get in on the Fantastic Fall Peacocks!!!

The area (not the Rio Negro) we fish in September/October continues to have the most consistently great fishing of any watershed we fish in the Amazon. Why? Three reasons… 1) This area is located in a true dry region. Once we begin fishing in September, we can pretty much count on the water level to constantly fall…no rising water!!! This is very conducive for great fishing as falling water conditions are good…rising water not good! 2) This river (actually 2 rivers) does not have the vast amount of tributaries feeding it which can cause water levels to constantly fluctuate. 3) These two rivers are environmentally protected…no commercial fishing and permits are required to fish these two rivers. We have fished these 2 rivers for 19 years with tremendous success! This watershed consistently turns out trophy peacocks!!! You owe it to yourself to come experience the great trophy peacock action of these 2 rivers during Sept./Oct.!!!

The Otter houseboat that we represent is the very nicest in the Amazon for sport fishing! The Otter consists of 8 spacious cabins, not state rooms with bunk beds, but rather much larger rooms with two twin beds, a night table, desk, closet and a very large bath/shower! Each room has its own air conditioning unit so you and the other guest in your room can control the temperature in your own room. The dining area is closed in and also very spacious…with air conditioning. The Otter also offers two lounge areas on the third deck with bar and Jacuzzi and another lounge area on the fourth/top deck! The Otter also offers a tackle room. We provide all necessary tackle and equipment so you don’t have to buy and bring any with you…which is a major convenience to our anglers, especially with the additional fees the airlines charge these days.

The guides are second-to-none! All of our guides have at least 10 years of experience guiding sport fishermen for peacocks in the Amazon. Four of our guides have been with us since the beginning (1993)…that’s 19 years of experience in not only guiding, but also operating a bass boat in the Amazon. That represents safety…which has been, and always will be, #1 with Ron Speed’s Adventures! The staff aboard the Otter is also second-to-None!

Last, we’re offering a Fall 2012 Special (Sept./Oct.). We’re offering the normal $4595 Fall/Uatama package to the first 32 (equates to two trips/groups) that book at $4250 per person. That’s a $345 savings and more than covers tips or, even for most, the price of an airline ticket from home city to Miami!!! This will apply for trips where we have met our minimum number of paying guests. This will not last long after this mailing, and therefore, you need to call us ASAP!

Call us today to book your fishing adventure of a lifetime! 1-800-722-0006

If you would like to receive our updates and blogs by email, please send us your email address. You can email the information to either debbie@ronspeedadventures.com or to ronspeedad@aol.com. If your email address has changed and you want to have us update our files, please email us the new address.

Mexico – Fishing EXPLODES at El Salto!!!

That’s right, folks…the fishing has absolutely exploded at El Salto! We haven’t had boats averaging over 100 fish per day at El Salto in many, many years…but that’s exactly what’s happening RIGHT NOW! Prior to closing the camp for the Christmas holidays, Ron Clark and his group of 10 anglers boated 2,726 bass over four days of fishing. Let me break that down for you…with two anglers per boat, that’s an average of 136 bass per boat, per day! Just a few days prior to Ron Clark and his group’s arrival, we had a small group of four anglers that fished for 3 days. That’s two boats fishing and those anglers averaged about the same, 140 bass per day! Largest fish of those two groups was 11.1 lbs. J. W. Peterson’s group of 23 anglers fished 4 days (Jan. 9-14) and they landed a total of 5,016 bass. These fish were not just “dinks” either as there were many bass landed in the 3-5 lbs range. Again, we have not seen numbers like this in years on El Salto. The average catch per boat, per day over the past 7 or 8 years has been around 60-70. Right now it’s double from what it’s been.

Why is this happening? Well, those who have fished many years, especially in Mexico, know how these lakes tend to “cycle”…although El Salto fishing has been very, very good in most years it hasn’t been THIS GOOD in a long time. Also, last April/May, El Salto had one of the largest tilapia hatches in its 22 years. The fish are extremely healthy…FOOTBALLS!!! This should make for a phenomenal spawn and fishing over the coming months. The bass are definitely going to be heavier than in most years.

These opportunities don’t come around often in a person’s lifetime. We’ve fished and operated camps/lodges on many great lakes in Mexico, but El Salto ranks up there with the best of them. All of those lakes in the past are not great like they were years ago. El Salto has withstood the test of time and I believe it is better today than at any given time since it opened in 1990. We open our camp in October and close at the end of July. We anticipate the fishing to continue at this pace at least through the end of the season (July). Also, with the exception of our high season months (Jan.-Mar.), we offer the lowest 4-day fishing package prices on the lake. If you find a lower 3-day fishing package offered by any camp on the lake for the months of Oct.-Dec. and April-July, we’ll match it! Our camp is located lakeside…with new houses, and with the best boats for fishing El Salto: 18’ Xpress Boats! We also have an A-Team of guides with many, many years of experience. Our camp staff is second-to-none and will go out of their way to give you the best service possible!

Call us TODAY so you don’t miss out on the bass explosion that’s taking place on El Salto right NOW!

Brazil – Winter Season Kicks Off!!!

Our first group of January and the Winter Season for peacock bass fishing begins this coming week. I’ve just been informed that currently, the water level in the Rio Negro around Barcelos is near perfect! For those that have previously fished the Negro, you know that can change very quickly. However, it’s always great to start with good water levels as it does have an impact on the fishing. Well, not just the water level, but whether or not the water is rising, stable or falling. If stable or falling, that’s very good. Rising water, not so good. However, this is why we have always used a mother ship for our base accommodations. It’s imperative when fishing the Amazon and its constant fluctuating water levels, to be mobile. It gives the best chance of not having a “washout.”

The Otter houseboat that we represent is the very nicest in the Amazon for sport fishing! The Otter consists of 8 spacious cabins, not state rooms with bunk beds, but rather much larger rooms with two twin beds, a night table, desk, closet and a very large bath/shower! Each room has its own air conditioning unit so you and the other guest in your room can control the temperature in your own room. The dining area is closed in and also very spacious…with air conditioning. The Otter also offers two lounge areas on the third deck with bar and Jacuzzi and another lounge area on the fourth/top deck! The Otter also offers a tackle room. We provide all necessary tackle and equipment so you don’t have to buy and bring any with you…which is a major convenience to our anglers, especially with the additional fees the airlines charge these days.

The guides are second to none! All of our guides have at least 10 years of experience guiding sport fishermen for peacocks in the Amazon. Four of our guides have been with us since the beginning (1993)…that’s 19 years of experience in not only guiding, but also operating a bass boat in the Amazon. That represents safety…which has been, and always will be, #1 with Ron Speed’s Adventures! The staff aboard the Otter is also second to None!

Last, we’re offering a March 2012 Special, as well as, a Fall 2012 Special! For the March Special, we’re offering the normal $4995 Winter/Rio Negro package at the normal Fall/Uatama package price…which is $4595 per person. For the Fall Special, we’re offering the normal $4595 Fall/Uatama package to the first 32 (equates to two trips/groups) that book at $4250 per person. That’s a $345 savings and more than covers tips or, even for most, the price of an airline ticket from home city to Miami!!! This will apply for trips where we have met our minimum number of paying guests. This will not last long after this mailing, and therefore, you need to call us ASAP!

Call us today to book your fishing adventure of a lifetime! 1-800-722-0006.
If you would like to receive our newsletters and updates by U.S. mail, please send us your mailing address.

“NEWS FLASH!!”—-The Ron Clark group of 10 fishermen, who fished Lake El Salto for 4 days  (Dec. 12-15), ended up landing a grand total of 2726 bass.  Check out our website for fishing reports.

Mexico – Bass Explosion on El Salto!!!

It’s that time, folks! The fishing season on El Salto is off and running! The water level is approximately 50% …which is lower than last year at this time but the high water actually hurt our fishing last fall with all of the decaying of green vegetation. Also, last May/June, we had one of the best Tilapia hatches ever! The condition of the bass is showing it too, as they are in great shape!

Yesterday we received a fishing report from Lupe on a group that left on Sunday. During their first two days, each boat averaged 60 or more fish. On the last day, each boat landed 150+ fish with one boat having a 9.4lbs bass as the largest, the other boat with an 8lbs. The best lures were watermelon colored lizards, Senkos and “Brush Hawgs”…fished in 5’ – 10’ of water. Topwaters were also productive, particularly Pop-R’s in shad color.

Today’s report was just as awesome: Ron Clark group of 10 anglers arrived at the camp Sunday and started fishing Monday. Every single boat had over 100 bass on Monday with the top boat landing 155 bass!

This is by far the best action/numbers we’ve seen in two years! All in 5 – 10 feet of water – shallow water! FUN! FUN! FUN! Now is the time to get down there while it lasts! Salto is one of, if not THE BEST bass lake in the world. However, even great lakes have their “off years.” Last year was considered an off-year for El Salto. Don’t miss out on this opportunity while the fishing is fantastic!!!

Brazil – Peacock Bass

The Otter is geared up and ready to roll for the Jan – March Season on the Negro! For those who haven’t been with us in the past year or longer, allow me to inform you of a couple of major upgrades. Some of you have fished on our older boat, the Amazon Clipper. After Gilberto completed construction on the Otter, he brought his staff and guides over to the Otter. Ron Jr. took over the reservations for the Clipper after booking for years to a boat called the Amazon Angler. He and his manager, Franz, had assembled a solid group of fishing guides, very similar to those on the Otter. Last year Ron Jr. and I teamed up and decided to focus just on the Otter. Our partner in Brazil, Carlos, who was working with both Ron Jr. and myself, consolidated everything to the Otter. The best guides from the Clipper joined the best guides on the Otter and formed the VERY BEST guide team in the entire Amazon for sportfishing. As some of you may know, the guide is the key to your fishing success – and overall trip success. We know the majority of our clients place so much emphasis on “the catch” or the fishing. Therefore it’s imperative that we have the very best guides. All of our guides have at least 10 years or more experience. Four of our eight guides have been with us since we started fishing the Amazon in 1993. That’s nearly 19 years! This is important for fishing, no doubt. However, it’s also important from a safety/boating standpoint. We not only have the best FISHING guides in the Amazon but also guides with a lot of experience and a safe boat operating history.

Also, we’ve used Express (formerly AlumaWeld) bass boats for years. Carlos has brought over the Triton all welded bass boats they were using on the Angler and Clipper. Like the Express boats, the Tritons are 17.5’ in length, have two large decks front and back, rod boxes, built-in ice coolers, and are equipped with powerful Motorguide trolling motors.

For those that have yet to experience the Otter or peacock bass fishing in the Amazon, you owe it to yourself to try it at least one time. There’s not a fish that swims that’s more exciting and fun to catch than the amazing peacock bass! We provide all fishing tackle/equipment so you only need to bring a few clothes – few because we also provide laundry service aboard the Otter.

Call us today to book your fishing adventure of a lifetime!

Fall Season Just Around the Corner…

Our final group of the 2010-2011 Season wrapped up their fishing last week at Lake El Salto. We are looking forward to the start of our 2011-2012 Season which will begin this October…only 2 months from now. Last fall saw us begin the season with a FULL lake…which is extremely good for the future of the lake and its fishing. We also witnessed one of the best Tilapia hatches this past May that we’ve ever seen on El Salto since its opening 21 yrs ago. This summer, our fishermen were seeing millions of small Tilapia at every place they stopped to fish. Thus the bass are extremely fat and have that “football” shaped look to them.

The summer rains have begun and the lake is on the rise…which is ALWAYS good news! We anticipate good water level when we start up this fall. Call us today so you don’t miss out on what is shaping up to be a tremendous fishing season!

New Direct Flight to Mazatlan From Dallas!

That’s right folks! After years of having to travel to other cities and wait around in airports to make connections, direct flights (non-stop) to Mazatlan from Dallas have returned. Currently American Airlines (American Eagle) is showing fares that average around $450. from Dallas to Mazatlan! This will definitely make this trip easier and much more enjoyable! Call our agent Kevin Martin of Martin Travel to get the best fares on flights to Mazatlan! Kevin can also handle making your last night reservation at the El Cid Resort in Mazatlan as he has the BEST pricing for rooms. Call Kevin at 1-800-627-8468.

Best Lake, Best Camp, Best Boats, Best Service and BEST BUY!

As you’ve read many times in the past, we believe El Salto to be THE BEST bass lake in the world today. The continued demand proves we’re not alone with this opinion. Also, last year we rebuilt our camp by adding another new house with spacious rooms and bathrooms, individual a.c. units and flat screen televisions in each room of the new houses.

We offer 41 years of experience in the business which couldn’t have happened if we didn’t know how to provide a great service. Our 18’ Express boats are without a doubt the best and safest for fishing this type of lake. Last but not least, we offer the lowest prices of any operator on the lake when you consider years of experience, service, boats, experienced guides and camp location (on the water). Why stay 10 minutes from the lake when you can pay basically the same amount of money to be right at the water’s edge?

No Problems With Drug Violence At El Salto And Its Fishermen!

Do you think it’s more dangerous for Americans to travel to Mexico than most cities in the U.S.? If you answered NO, you would be correct. The FACT is, there are more killings and robberies of Americans right here in my own “backyard” of Dallas, TX each month than that of Mexico in 20+ yrs. The difference is that our media here in the U.S. doesn’t report nor make the local killings their headlines…unless it involves a child (see Caylee Anthony) or a well known public figure. Why the selective reporting? Very simple…it must be newsworthy. It must be something “different”…thus the reporting of violence in a third world country. The media doesn’t view something that happens every day HERE at home to be newsworthy. Also, of all the killings in Mexico that you’ve read about in the papers or heard about on television, how many were reported to be American bass fishermen? Heck, how many were reported to be Americans period? There are always going to be a few “isolated incidents” from time to time…and that goes for anywhere. No matter where you travel, whether it’s within your own city or to Mexico or any other place in the world, there are areas that are safe and areas that are not safe. Saying Mexico is not safe period for Americans is the same as saying Dallas, TX should be avoided no matter what part of Dallas you’re looking to visit or travel to. That’s just WRONG period.

We’ve lasted in this business for 41 successful years without a single death or serious injury to any of our clients. Yes, accidents happen and sometimes you need a little luck. However, you don’t last 41 yrs doing business in Mexico or any other third world country on LUCK alone! You do it by making wise decisions and knowing the safe areas, as well as, the not so safe places. One also needs to know the culture. We would not be promoting Lake El Salto if we believed it was not safe for our clients. PERIOD.

Folks, it’s time to open your eyes and use common sense. Do not let the local media influence you into passing up a great opportunity to experience the wonderful things that places like Mazatlan and Lake El Salto have to offer. Again, we would not be open nor promoting these destinations if we believed it wasn’t safe for our valuable clients.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THIS SEASON AT LAKE EL SALTO!

In July we will finish our 40th year of fishing Mexico when we close Lake El Salto for the season. It has been one of our best years ever as we doubled the number of clients from the year before.

Our percentage of satisfied clients broke all previous records over the previous 40 years. Our satisfaction rate this year was 99% as reported by clients. It would have been 100% except for 2 clients from Kansas in April. The staff didn’t have nachos & margaritas ready upon their arrival in camp from the airport. Our fault!!!

Our new programs were a big hit with everyone. The new menu that Ron Jr. got started was an unbelieviable success. I had tried for years to teach our different cooks different dishes but as soon as I would leave they would go back to the old meals. The hibachi supper was the favorite of all the clients. It’s a very wide variety of fresh seafood centered in the middle of the table and everyone eats off of the variety of seafood. OH MAN IS IT GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!

The fishing — as always — was good with Roger Sessions of Henderson, Texas taking the big fish prize of the season. Roger caught a female bass all spawned out that measured 36 in. long with a 22.5 girth. According to our formula she should have weighed about 23 pounds. Ron Jr. called Phil Durocher who is the former head of Texas fish & wildlife and told him about the fish and its measurements. Phil told Ron Jr. that it definitely would have been a new world record.

Both Phil Durocher and Ray Sasser of the Dallas Morning news said that Roger should have kept the fish and not released it back to the lake. The reason for keeping a bass that big is it’s an old fish that will probably not live after all the stress in the battle. Releasing a bass that old would not be of any benefit to the lake.

How safe is travel to El Salto????

[This question still comes up almost every day. To me it is such a shame that many, many fishermen are still afraid to travel to this great lake. Our newspapers & TV have led Americans to believe the whole country of Mexico is dangerous for Americans.

I don't know another person that has the experience in Mexico that I have over the past 50 years. If I thought for one minute that it was not safe, we wouldn't be running trips to Salto. Both my sons travel to Salto with my blessing. Ron Jr is a regular this season and — as usual — both sons boated 10lb bass.

Here is the real story about safety in Mexico. If you are in some way involved in the drug business, then it is not safe for you to be in Mexico. Almost 100% of all those killed in Mexico are people involved in the drug trade. It is exactly like the days of prohibition in Chicago when Dutch Schultz and Al Capone were fighting over territory. It’s the same thing except the cartels in Mexico are fighting over drug territory.

Americans are not targets in Mexico. It’s not like countries in the Middle East where you might as well have a bull’s eye on your back. There are probably more Americans killed here in the good ‘ole USA in one week than are killed in Mexico over a 10 year period.

One client asked me the other day, “What if I happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?” My answer was that you will be at the lake 99% of your trip and I can tell you for sure the drug guys don’t like to bass fish.

Truth is, almost all the trouble has happened along the border with some isolated violence scattered in the interior. The people of Mexico are going about their business as usual. They are always happy to see Americans come visit their country.

If you are still concerned, we will be happy to give you clients to call that have recently returned from El Salto.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FISHING AND REMEMBER TO WEAR THE LIFEJACKET!!!!!!!!!!

In my 50 years of black bass fishing–literally all over this hemisphere–I figured one day I would at least hook a bass that would challenge George Perry’s 22lb 4ounce world record. My travels have taken me to all lakes in Mexico, Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, Lake Yojoa in Honduras, One lake in Costa Rica, plus Treasure Lake in Cuba, along with Lake Hanabanilla in Cuba, Lake Minerva in Cuba, Lake ZaZa in Cuba. I ran groups to Lake Cuyaguateje in Pinar Del Rio Province. I went on a 15-day checkout trip to Cuba looking for a lake that might produce a world record bass.

While I was visiting Lake Cuyaguateje I found out that the man in charge of the lake had caught a huge bass a couple years before my visit. I had my tour guide take me to meet this man. I was taken to his office at the lake and I asked him a zillion questions. He had caught this bass on a hand line standing on the bank. He said he was using a live water lizard that lived in the reeds along the bank.

He asked me if I wanted to see a picture of the fish, which really surprised me. I of course said “Yes!” and he opened his desk drawer and pulled out an old Polaroid picture. This man was about 5 feet 7 inches tall and he was holding this huge bass with his hand in his mouth at waist level and the tail was touching the ground. The mouth appeared to be as big as a trash basket.

I asked the man if he weighed the fish and he said he didn’t have any scales to weigh the fish. I asked him what he did with the fish. I got the famous George Perry answer that “his family had eaten it for supper.” Donnie Locke (from Malakoff) and I guessed from the picture that the bass was about 25 lbs or larger.

Naturally, I selected this lake as the one where my clients would try to break the world record. When I returned to the USA, I selected a film crew plus all the important outdoor writers in the USA to go back with me to try and break the world record and capture it on film. This was in 1978. Needless to say we didn’t catch the world record bass, but it was a very exciting trip with every cast a possible world record.

This past week brought back all those old memories of a possible world record black bass. Dr. Roger Sessions from Henderson, Texas was fishing Lake El Salto in Mexico when he caught what might have been a world Record Black Bass before the spawn. The huge bass measured 36 inches long by 21 1/8 inches in the girth. Unfortunately, the monster female had spawned out. Dr. Sessions–being more of a hunter than fisherman–did not have any scales. They measured her and released her back to the lake. We would apply our standard formula (which is used by many Pro guides and taxidermist all over the country): length x length x girth divided by 1150. By that formula, she should have weighed 23.67 pounds, which of course would have been a new world record.

What a shame that Rodger didn’t catch her 10 days earlier, before she spawned. What a shame I didn’t catch her years ago, as I know I have fished several lakes that had that size fish. I must admit that I have never had a world record on my line in 50 years of bass fishing.

However, I am still just 71 years old and hopefully have enough time to catch that world record! The odds definitely are not on my side, but just remember that it only takes one cast. KEEP CHUNKING!!!

REMEMBER TO PUT THAT LIFEJACKET ON WHEN TRAVELING IN A BOAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EL SALTO FISHING REPORT

Is this some kind of Winter storm or what? I was in Mexico at lake El Salto with a group of 24 fishermen where it was 75 degrees and sunny just before all of this started. Even that far South the cold front was still felt. The fishing was a little slower than at this same time last year due to the front but it was still a good trip. I fished with my good friend Richard Slack and even on our slowest day of fishing we still boated 40 Bass and our best day we caught 103 Bass. This was Richard’s first trip to El Salto and it sure didn’t take long for him to realize the potential of this great lake. As a group we averaged from 350 – 400 Bass per day with 11 Bass over 9 lbs and four of those were 10 lbers. Richard caught one Bass that was 28″ long with a 22″ girth. Watermelon/Red lizards worked the best for us on both Texas and Carolina rigs. Along with Watermelon/Red Wave Tiki Sticks we caught a lot of fish. There were no issues at all at the lake or anywhere we went. The lake is about 75% full and the water temp was 72 degrees. The lake was mostly clear and looked good. The temp during the day started out about 40 degrees and was close to 75 degrees during the day. The flights, lake, hotel in Mazatlan, dinner in Mazatlan on our return, shopping and the ride back to the airport were all fine.

The camp was operated very well, looked great and everyone there worked very hard to make our fishing trip a success once again. The food was even better this year although it has always been awesome! Ron’s staff did a very good job and we are looking forward to our February trip in a couple of weeks. I spoke with everyone I could speak with from Mazatlan and all around the Salto area and I could not find any reason for me or anyone else not to be able to fish at El Salto. Not at any time did any of us feel unsafe. I have trips planned for the Fall and I already have dates for next January and February.

There were several Bass in the 7 – 8 lb range caught by Billy Ray Johnson, Dave Albert, Richard Slack, Terry and Sandy Russell, Rickey McRae, Larry McDaniel and here is a list of Bass over 9lbs.

• Danny Shaw: 10.9 – 10.1
• Richard Slack: 10.1
• Lee Huey: 10.0
• Frank Occhipinti: 9.13 – 9.0
• Dave Johnson: 9.13
• Chuck Williamson: 9.10
• Sandy Russell 9.4:
• David Strahan: 9.0
• JW Peterson: 9.2
• Terry Tholen: 9.3

As fishing always goes, we missed other great opportunities to land Big Bass. I may have missed someone and if I did I will correct it on my next report.

WHY MEXICO FISHING CONCERNS ARE UNFOUNDED

Today I am going to talk about El Salto Lake and its beginning plus once again the safety of traveling to Mexico. These two items seem to be what every American fisherman is interested in talking about. First let’s talk about safety as we continue to hear almost daily about violence in Mexico. Almost daily my friends here in Malakoff ask me if I am not afraid to go to Mexico.

It is just a terrible shame that our news media, state department, and homeland security don’t make things clear that the WHOLE COUNTRY OF MEXICO is NOT unsafe for travel. We can still enjoy the fun times, great climate, and the great warmth of the Mexican people.

The dangerous areas of Mexico are all the border cities where 95% of all the violence is taking place. It’s just a matter of staying away from the dangerous cities. Here is an example of how things work in regard to dangerous areas. Our general manager in Mexico is coming to Dallas with his son and some friends to see the boxing championship. I think it is sometime this month when the two Mexican boxers have their match. I have told Carlos that most of Dallas is pretty safe at night but whatever they do don’t go to South Dallas at any time, day or night. That area of Dallas is very dangerous, especially for a stranger.

Let me tell you another story for perspective. About two months ago, Ron Jr. was helping his son move to a college in North Dallas. Ron Jr. was by himself pulling a trailer and on the way home he had to pass through a part of South Dallas. Ron Jr. had a flat on the trailer and pulled off the main highway into the parking lot of a grocery story to change the tire. He noticed at least a dozen guys standing in the parking lot who appeared to be “crack heads.” Within 5 minutes, 4 of them came over to check him out. They insisted he let them help him for a small fee. They got pretty upset when he told them he didn’t need help and he didn’t have any money. When they walked away, he called the Dallas police department on his cell and explained the situation. The police department said they would send someone. Ron Jr. went back to getting the tire off the trailer, but then here the guys come again, demanding money from him. Ronnie picked up a jack handle and told the leader he would crack his head open if he came close to him. The 4 guys kept coming and just before they jumped him the squad car arrived and the bad guys left running. The officer told him he was very lucky and if he ever had another flat in that part of the city to not stop and try and fix the flat… just keep going on the flat tire. The point being you don’t have to travel to Mexico to find bad guys. Just know where the dangerous areas are in any city in the world and just don’t visit those areas.

In my opinion, travel to 95% of Mexico is just the same as it has been for the past 50 years: SAFE!

Ron Jr. is today fishing at El Salto and staying at the camp. My turn to be at the camp comes next month. Don’t think for one minute I would allow my son to travel to Mexico if I didn’t know it was safe. I am in my forty-first year of fishing Mexico. There is no one that knows Mexico better than I do as I have been all over the entire country over these 40 years. The border area has ALWAYS been an unsafe place to visit, at least in my lifetime as almost all the bad guys migrate to this area to fleece the rich Americans crossing the Rio Grande River. The only difference now is that the drug gangs are having a big-time battle over drug territory, just like we had here in the 1930s when Al Capone, Dutch Schultz, Myer Lansky and others were fighting over territory during prohibition. Was it safe to travel to Illinois–and most of Chicago–back then? Of course it was!

Today, it’s the Sinaloa cartel fighting another drug cartel over territory. Most of the killings have been in the city of Juarez across from El Paso. DONT TRAVEL TO JUAREZ TODAY AS IT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN THE WORLD. Also, I would not advise Americans to drive into the states that border the USA. Our clients fly commercial flights to Mazatlan’s international airport and are shuttled to the El Salto camp on a busy four-lane highway.

In regard to travel to fish El Salto, nothing has changed since the lake opened in 1994 and it is still a great place to visit.

If that discussion doesn’t dispel any lingering doubts, please feel free to call us to discuss your concerns.

WHY OUR EL SALTO BASS FISHING IS THE BEST EVER

Now let’s talk about our newest fishing packages at Salto, as they are the best packages we have ever offered in my 40 years in the business with the absolute lowest prices. There are now 5 promoters who are selling trips to El Salto and 3 of the camps are in a price war which is great news for American fishermen.

We know that without a doubt we have the very best price, best location, best service, best boats, of anyone operating on El Salto. These are not just words to use against our competition but are just the facts. I will challenge anyone to compare our great packages item-by-item and say we don’t have the very best operation.

Lets take a look at a few things.
1.TV in every one of the rooms in the new houses.
2. Free massage
3. Free Cuban cigars
4. Express bass boats
5. $795 per person in low season
6. Outdoor bar with TV
7. Boats ONE minute from your room
8. Indoor aquarium filled with big bass from the lake
9. Free satellite phone
10. Big front porches with rockers overlooking the lake
11. Open bar
12. Free ice cream available 24/7

Our nearest competitor price-wise is $200 per person higher than our price. They are not even on the water but 15 to 20 minutes away from the lake. The camp is located close to cattle pens giving off a bad odor and supplying a good supply of flies. The rooms are small and cramped. Most of their clients don’t know in advance that they are not staying on the water.

That’s just comparing one operation, but we welcome anyone to compare our Salto operation with anyone operating on the lake.

I am enclosing some photos of our Salto operation from the very beginning many years ago as it is now and you can see how far we have come and how great it is now.

Denny Brauer, the famous pro Fishermen, just left our camp and I urge you to look in testimonials on our site to see what Denny had to say about the trip.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FISHING & DONT FORGET TO WEAR THAT LIFEJACKET!!!!!

MEXICO TRAVEL SAFETY

Almost every day I am asked about all the violence in Mexico and how safe is travel to Mexico. It’s amazing how many Americans feel the whole country of Mexico is unsafe to travel. The truth is there are several places in Mexico that are unsafe to travel. Let me list a few….

I would not advise any travel to any of the border cities along the Texas, New Mexico, or Arizona borders. This is where about 90% of all the violence is taking place. I have said it before that we have had absolutely no problems in our area of El Salto or Comedero.

The area is just as safe as it has been for the past 25 years and there is nothing going on. If it were dangerous, this old CHICKEN LITTLE would not be going and would not be sending clients. Truth is, Ron Jr and I have not slowed down one bit in our travel to the camps.

Thank goodness a lot of our clients are realizing that it is safe to go fishing and our reservations are returning to normal. Currently, we have double the reservations we had last year and are looking at a very good season.

CHARTER FLIGHTS (WHY IT REALLY WAS DANGEROUS TO TRAVEL AT ONE TIME!)

During the 1970′s and 1980′s we went through some very dangerous times in fishing Mexico. In fact, I feel very lucky to have survived this 20-year period of my life. I have already shared my story about going down in a DC 3 in the mountains of Mexico with the Austin Woods & Waters club in 1973. Today I would like to share some other charter flights that provided life-threatening experiences.

During the 1970′s and 1980′s there were virtually no commercial airlines flying to the smaller cities in Mexico and the only way to reach some of these bass lakes was by charter planes. Even here in the US we didn’t have the smaller feeder airlines operating out of small cities like we have today. A lot of our great music performers & bands got killed using the same type of charter planes we were using for our fishing trips to Mexico. Just to mention a few who got killed in these old planes were Ricky Nelson, Jim Croce, Buddy Holley, Richey Valens, Patsy Cline and many more.

Today I will pass on several stories about how dangerous some of these flights were back in those days. After I went down in the DC 3 in 1973 the FAA threatened me about using any airplanes that were not on a 135 air taxi permit. Of course these commercial air taxi companies were much more expensive.

In 1974 Dr. Jim Wilkinson of Dallas called me about setting up a trip to Lake Dominguez and he wanted me to set up a charter flight for x number of dollars. I explained to Dr. Wilkinson I could not do those type of charters any more. I gave him the phone number of Jim Skinner of Dallas who was involved in the sale of older airplanes and arranging leases under a 91 permit. Dr Jim and Skinner worked out a deal where Dr Jim would lease the DC3 and serve as a pilot and Skinner would be the other pilot. They had a group of about 20 fishermen who wanted to fish Lake Dominguez in Sinaloa across the Sierra Madre mountains.

While crossing the mountains they flew into an ice storm and the wing warmers did not work and the wings began to ice up and they lost altitude. They also lost a lot of their instruments so they turned around and tried to get out of the ice but they admitted they were lost in this blinding storm. One of the passengers in the back was a captain for American Airlines and he sensed they were in trouble. He went into the cockpit and asked if he could help. The 2 pilots were extremely glad for his help and turned the plane over to the professional. The pilot got then out of the storm and saved more than 20 lives.

In the early 1970′s I had a prominent family from Ft. Worth charter a twin beech airplane to fly down to fish with me at Lake Dominguez. I fished 3 days with their pilot as he was the odd fisherman. The pilot had told me when he dropped them off in Ft. Worth he had to go to Shreveport that night and pick up a band and fly them out that night after they were through performing.

About a week later, when I returned home in the USA I learned that the pilot I fished with was killed along with his group on takeoff from the Shreveport airport. The musical group was the Jim Croce band.

In 1974, I was waiting for a client at the El Fuerte airstrip close to Lake Dominguez. My client was a doctor and his friend from Arizona. The pilot flew over the strip then circled to come in and land. Everything went just fine except he forgot to put down his landing gear. No one was hurt but it sure did mess up a pretty single engine airplane.

In 1975, the charter company we were using at Love Field (Kitty Hawk airways) informed me that they could no longer use the plane they were using for my groups at the same price. They wanted more than double what I had been paying. I had already sold out almost the whole season at a certain price and I wouldn’t go back and ask clients for more money.

I didn’t know what I was going to do when Kitty Hawk told me they would fly to California and buy a Twin Beech airplane for my trips if I would put up a $6,000 deposit as a guarantee that I’d use the plane. The plane would be put on their 135 air charter permit. I made them promise to bring back a safe modern airplane.

Our first group of fishermen met at Cooper aeromotive at Love Field in Dallas. I had not seen the airplane before this group was to leave. Kitty Hawk said they couldn’t carry everyone in the Twin Beech so they were sending a 2nd plane to carry part of the group.

My good friend Albert Davis who lived in Dallas would see off all my groups and supply a big tray of snacks from the famous Cheese House. Then Albert would call me in my office in Forney, Texas and let me know about the group. When I asked Albert about the group and the airplanes he said “Ron, you really don’t want to know.” I asked why and he said while the group was waiting for the planes to show up they looked out the picture window at Cooper aeromotive as two old planes were taxiing out. The group laughed and wanted to know where the antique airplane show was today. Yes, you guessed it… that was the 2 Kitty Hawk airplanes. Man, was I embarrassed as we had always used modern airplanes. I called Larry at Kitty Hawk and asked what in the devil were they doing to me and would the flight be safe? He assured me everything would be fine. As it turned out everything was NOT fine as the Twin Beech got into Mexico and some of the instruments shorted out and they also had some engine trouble. No crash and everyone got home safe… but I wouldn’t ever use the old planes again.

I was forced to buy a new Navajo Chieftain to use for our charters. I put the plane with Aviation Charter in Houston. They would put it out on Charter when I was not using it. The first charter was to Central America with the rock band Alice Cooper. When they called me about the charter I okay’d it but I said no snakes on my plane. Upon returning to the USA the customs guys took out all the seats and really messed up my new plane. About one month later I took my whole family to Lake Guerrero and dropped them off and picked up my partner & his wife and we flew to the Yucatan to checkout the Usamacinta River for snook & tarpon. We stayed in a very small village that had no airport so we landed in a cow pasture close by.

We were met by the owner of a small hotel in the village who wanted our business for the fishing operations. After 3 days and no luck fishing we decided to fly over to Palenque to visit the Mayan Indian ruins. Our pilot was Tom Rum, who learned to fly up north on grass strips. Tom told me that we would have to leave very early before the temps got too hot and the cross winds were too great.

The owner of the hotel & his wife were going with us, which made us with 3 women. You guessed it… the 3 women were very slow getting ready and we got out to the cow pasture about 9 am. It was hot and the cross wind was blowing like hell.

Tom asked me to sit in the co-pilot seat and help him. He explained the tactic he was going to use. The strip was very marginal in length with tall trees at the far end. Tom planned to sit with his brakes locked facing opposite the direction we were going during takeoff. He wanted the engines super hot and he was going to do a horseshoe to gain a little more ground speed. He wanted me to help him hold down the throttle in case we hit a deep cow rut to keep the throttle from jumping back. Tom said he had learned this up north and it would work here in this wet grass. Well, we started off really good but we didn’t get as much ground speed as Tom thought as the wet grass was slowing us down. Tom planned to pull up the airplane early and he said the airplane would come up a few feet but would stall and come back to the ground and bounce and when it came up again it would fly us out.

Well, when he pulled the stick back the plane did come up and the cross wind blew up to the right and the wing almost hit the ground. We hit pretty hard but it came back up and flew but ever so slowly. All I could see was the tall trees in front of us. I shouted at Tom we were not going to make it as it looked like we would hit almost halfway up on the trees. Tom said nothing as he was just pulling back on the yoke. At the very last second the airplane seemed to just jump up but we still hit the tops of the trees and the bottom of the plane just plowed through the trees.

We flew on to the Ruins but the hotel couple decided to take a taxi back to their hotel and I was very glad we survived a really bad situation.

I could keep on telling you more stories that would take hours to finish but I think you all get the idea about how dangerous it was fishing Mexico in that 20-year period. For me it’s a piece of cake today fishing Mexico and using commercial flights. Today’s worries about safety in fishing Mexico don’t come close to the dangers we faced in those early years.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FISHING & WEAR THAT LIFEJACKET!

OPENING COMMENTS

I have given everyone a break from my blog and have taken some time off for myself which probably made us ALL pretty happy. I made a long trip up to North Dakota to watch my bird dogs point pheasant & prairie chickens.

It was a great break from this terrible Texas heat as I wore a jacket every morning. That’s wonderful country around Minot, ND in the summer but 30 degrees below zero in the winter definitely sends me to Mexico fishing.

We are preparing the El Salto camp for another great year of fishing which will make my 40th year of doing the fishing business in Mexico. It’s been a great 40 years and I am looking forward to this upcoming season with lots of excitement. We have many new programs that we will introduce this coming October. We have a variety of new prices with some being cheaper than any fishing package on any lake in the world. Our plans are to have complimentary massages, Cuban cigars, TV in the new houses, large outdoor bar at water’s edge, free ice cream 24/7, free internet service, satellite phone and our great Express boats.

MEXICO LAKES ARE STILL SAFE

There have been a lot of violence in a few large cities of Mexico with most of it happening in Juarez, across from El Paso. Most of the problems have occurred along the border with the USA. It all has been drug cartels fighting for territories among themselves.

Our area around the lakes has not changed one bit as it remains as safe as it always has been. We had the biggest number of clients in June & July that we have ever had in 40 years with absolutely no problems.

Both Ron Jr and I will be spending more time in the camps this coming season as the fishing should be better than ever. Hope to see you at the lake!

FISHING REPORT

This past summer we lowered our price, put in some new programs and had the most clients we have had in years. Thank goodness we also had the best big bass fishing we have ever had. The lake was at a low level with the bass congregated in big schools and our clients had fantastic fishing. I believe without a doubt this was the most big bass I have seen come out of El Salto since we opened our camp in 1990.

Gary White’s pure strain Floridas from Van, Texas really came front and center this summer. If we get our normal September rains we should have the best year fishing that we have had in years. Our clients caught fish this summer on almost everything they put in the water. The bass are strong & healthy and in very good condition with a good balance of food and nutrients in the lake.

Our reservations already have more than doubled from a year ago as Americans are realizing that a trip to Lake El Salto in Mexico is as safe as a trip to Lake Fork in Texas and a whole lot more fun. Why not come enjoy the great fishing at Salto and make some lifetime memories.

Next blog will be about fishing Mexico’s lakes during the 1970s and all about the hundreds of charter flights to those remote locations. I think you all will enjoy some of the stories.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FISHING AND WEAR THAT LIFEJACKET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!