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Part 1 of 2: ALL Mexico Lakes Sizzling Right Now

[Editor: this article first appeared on www.ronsfishingblog and may only be used by permission of Ron Speed Jr.]

LAKES COMEDERO, EL SALTO AND PICACHOS…SIZZLING RIGHT NOW!!!

Big O’s 11lb 13oz Comedero Hawg caught on a 1oz Oldham Spinnerbait with a Rage Tail Eliminator trailer. (Please Click to enlarge picture)

As predicted in my last update a few weeks ago, there is BIG news to report from all three lakes. Never in my 30 years have I seen bass fishing this good on multiple lakes at the same time. It’s truly remarkable and a blessing that most anglers do not have the opportunity to experience in a lifetime. Lakes Comedero and El Salto are kicking out a lot of big fat hefty bass and Lake Picachos is not only continuing with it’s insane numbers but also showing the average size continues to grow and more numbers of bigger bass are showing up. I’ll break down all three lakes in this update. Please continue reading…

PART I: LAKE COMEDERO…WORDS SIMPLY CANNOT DESCRIBE IT!!!

It was the final day of a 10 day fishing schedule. I arrived lakeside around 2 pm where the bass boats are located near the dam. I was all set for the final afternoon of battles with some big “toads”…Comedero giants. Steve “Big O” Parks and Terry Oldham were already there and ready to go as well…just waiting on me. Big O was sitting on a rock along the shore just staring down at the ground. He had this distraught “I just got my butt whipped” look on his face. He and Terry had fished that morning without me as I took a half day break to just relax and enjoy the surroundings. I asked Big O why the sad look on his face? He replied, “I’m sick…I could throw up…I had my shot and now it’s gone…I blew it!”….I immediately started laughing and then turned to Oldham and asked him, “What’s up with Big O? What’s wrong with him?” Oldham replied (while laughing), “Oooooh, he got a hold of a monster that hurt his feelings bad”…I began laughing again and then turned to Big O and said, “WELCOME TO THE CLUB, AMIGO!”….of course I was referring to the giant and potential world record bass I lost a year ago on Comedero.

Big O landed this 10lb 7oz Comedero bucket mouth using a 1oz Oldham Jig with a Chartreuse pepper Rage Craw trailer. (Please Click to enlarge picture)

Big O had matched up with one of those Comedero giants I have written and talked about numerous times in the past. Now, it’s one thing for the average fishermen to match up with a Comedero giant of this elite status and lose the battle…but for Big O, it’s quite an accomplishment…for the bass. Big O isn’t your everyday garden variety bass angler. He’s a true professional in every sense of the word. One of the best bass anglers and outdoorsmen I’ve ever had the privilege of fishing with in my lifetime. Big O has a 15 lbs bass on his resume and caught numerous bass from 10 lbs – 13 lbs. In fact, he has landed so many bass of that size in his lifetime that he very seldom shows any emotion when he lands a big bass of 10 lbs or larger. So you get the point I’m trying to make here with regards to this giant he had lost that last morning. He wasn’t just emotional….no….you would have thought he was a young boy who woke up Christmas morning to find that someone had invaded his home in the middle of the night and stolen all of his gifts from Santa.

We loaded into the Xpress boat and pulled away from shore. I asked both where we’re going to start fishing? Big O quickly responded before Oldham, “RIGHT BACK TO MONSTER POINT!” Okay…to monster point we go. We pulled up to the point, one I knew well and had caught (and lost) many giants in the past. Before the trolling motor even entered the water, Big O was already telling the battle story…giving every little detail and pointing to little “stick ups” and bush tops as reference points on where to flip my 3/4 oz Oldham jig w/chartreuse pepper Rage Craw. The best lure/plastic combination of the 10 days for landing big bass! I was fishing from the rear of the boat…which meant I was getting boat fronted like a rented mule. That’s ok…I wasn’t THAT mad at those bass. I had already landed countless number of 8’s and 9’s in the 10 days. Still, I wouldn’t mind another shot at a lake or world record. After about 10 minutes of watching Big O and Oldham flip to the area he hooked the monster, Big O (running the troller) decided that maybe the school of bigguns had moved a short distance and he moved the boat about 20’…just perfect for me to finally get my shot at the monster hole. Granted it was from a different angle and direction but nevertheless, I was able to reach the “honey hole”…on the first flip, I felt a major “THUMP” and my 80 lbs braid started moving sideways. I returned that thump with a vicious hook set and immediately felt my 7′ 6″ Dobyns flipping stick double over. I knew it was a “quality” fish….understatement of course. I was fortunate to be able to get the big bass’ head coming up and within a few seconds, she cleared the water….OH YEAH, THIS IS A DANDY! Oldham grabbed the landing net and she was courteous enough to cooperate. I figured the bass between 9 and 10 lbs. After a quick check with the scales, she weighed in officially at 9 lbs, 8 oz. Big O yelled, “RON JR’S ON THE BOARD!”…a common theme we used for the 10 days when Oldham or Big O or Ron Jr would land a bass of 8 lbs or larger. About 10 minutes later and 30 feet away from the honey hole, I would get on the board again…a fat 8 lbs, 2 oz toad! Not bad for a Texas country boy fishing behind two “seine nets” in Oldham and Big O. After another 20 minutes and no bites, Big O decided to head straight across to the other side of the channel and a well known point that’s produced many giants in the past. We had not fished this point nor this area of the lake in the previous 9 1/2 days of fishing…but we were about to find out if it’s ON. We pulled up to the point and before Oldham and I could get a flip away, Big O was locked up with what appeared to be a “board” qualifying bass. This fish also cleared the water and it was then we knew Big O was about to get on the board for the afternoon. This bass was just shy of 10 lbs…a 9 lbs, 14 oz beauty! Not long after releasing the hawg back to the water, Oldham got on the board with a fat 9 pounder. Then Big O got back on the board with another 9 pounder before Oldham had even released his fish. Yeah, this area of the lake is definitely ON, ON, ON! We moved to another secondary point not 100 yards away and Oldham was back on the board. I think my showing them up from the back of the boat with those first two hawgs of the afternoon irritated them a little…or motivated would be a better word to describe it. This went on until time to head in near dark. One board fish ( 8 lbs and bigger) after another. It was insane…but a reflection of what we had just spent the previous 9 1/2 days experiencing.

Edgar Tellez is all smiles after landing this 9lb 13oz Comedero Lunker. (Please Click to enlarge picture)

Earlier in the week we hosted the top bass fishing show in Mexico (Vamonos de Pesca) with hosts Edgar Tellez and his son Edgar Jr…AND their great camera/video specialist Javier Rodriguez. I had met Javier in the past at Picachos while filming some Rage Tail products, but had never met Edgar Sr and Jr. Talk about three great people and top notch anglers. Edgar and Edgar Jr were there to film the great trophy bass action they had heard about Comedero. Making their first trip to the lake, the plan was for Edgar Sr and I to fish together the first day, while Edgar Jr and Big O fished AND filmed together. Big O took Edgar Jr to one particular area of the lake that he and Oldham had found a large concentration of big bass…mostly 8 lbs and larger. It was a huge area covering 1/3 of the 34,000 acre lake. Making certain to not “wreck” any particular hole or point, they would just check each spot, catch a biggun and then move on. Even just spot checking these points in this area, Oldham and Big O were averaging between 20 – 30 bass per day over 8 lbs alone….yes…let me repeat that….BETWEEN 20 – 30 BASS PER DAY OVER 8 LBS ALONE! That’s IN. SANE. FOLKS. INSANE!!! Fast forward to the first day of filming with Edgar Jr and Big O….Big O knew the bass in this one particular “spot” had been hitting spinnerbait early until about 8 or 9 am. So what did he opt for first? You got it….a 1 oz Oldham spinnerbait with a Rage Eliminator as his trailer. After several 6 and 7 lbs bass captured on film, Big O tied in to a REAL Comedero giant on the Oldham spinner. After a fierce battle to keep her out of the thick thorny brush, he landed this monster…a ridiculously extra fat 11 lbs, 13 oz HAWG! Edgar Jr and Big O ended up filming two shows that one day and over 10 bass weighing over 8 lbs…all captured on video!

In a different part of the lake, I was fishing with Edgar Sr…trying to introduce him to one of those Comedero monsters. Around 10:30 am, Edgar landed his first Comedero “board fish” …a beautiful 9 lbs, 13 oz pig! Edgar knew it was going to be a memorable trip when he flirted with a potential 10 pound bass on the first morning of a 4 day fishing experience. Both Edgar and Edgar Jr continued to reel in 8 and 9 pounder after 8 and 9 pounder over the next few days. At one point, they could look down at the sonar we have on the front of the boat (on all boats), see what they believe were big bass, flip straight vertical and catch a biggun. Again, it was truly insane. Both told me they believe Comedero to be one of, if not THE BEST trophy bass lake in the world! Big O, the king of big bass along with Terry Oldham, both consider Comedero to be THE BEST big bass lake in the world. In fact, you can read Big O’s comments on his latest Rage Tail update on their website and Facebook page. I am certainly in agreement and have been stating this for a long, long time.

Sunset with a full moon over beautiful Lake Comedero (Please Click to enlarge picture)

As many giants as we landed (and of course lost too many too count), I believe the best is still yet to come this season. The lake caught full last summer from the monsoon season. That’s great news for the entire season as a whole….but the lake fishes better, especially for 10 lbs bass and larger, when it’s dropped at least 20 feet from full pool. That hasn’t happened yet as the lake is about 8 – 10 feet down from full pool. As normal for this time of year, they’re pulling the water approximately 4″ per 24 hours and by March, this lake is going to be absolutely on fire with big fish….as if it’s not already on fire? Well, let’s just say it’s going to get better…if that’s even possible? Point being, there is still time to get in on the big bass action at Comedero THIS SEASON. You MUST STRONGLY consider getting to Comedero before the end of the season as we never know from one year to the next how much rain we’ll get in the summer monsoon season. All we can say right now is that it’s absolutely incredible….RIGHT NOW. We do not foresee that changing before the end of the season. As Big O and others can attest, there are some real MONSTER BASS in this lake! I’ve had my shot…Big O had his shot…many others have had their shot….now it’s time for YOU to come take a shot! Call us TODAY!

PART II: EL SALTO AND PICACHOS REPORT COMING SOON….IT’S GREAT!!!

Check your emails for Part II Coming soon!!!!!

CALL US TODAY TO BOOK YOUR BASS FISHING TRIP OF A LIFETIME!!!

Call us today:800-722-0006
GOOD FISHIN’,
RON SPEED, JR.

Warm Mexico Bass Fishing This Winter!

Posted on December 29, 2016 by by Webmaster Posted in Fishing Tips, Ron's Bass Fishing Newsletter

[Editor: this article first appeared on www.ronsfishingblog and may only be used by permission of Ron Speed Jr.]

OLD MAN WINTER HAS OFFICIALLY ARRIVED…WARM SUNNY MEXICO AWAITS!!!

It’s warm down here in Mexico!

I’m not sure what the weather is doing for each and every one of you but here in Texas, it’s….well, typical Texas. One day it’s cold enough for a big heavy warm jacket, the next day it’s warm enough for shorts and t-shirts. That’s just typical for the Lone Star State. That said, I think it’s safe enough to say that Winter has officially arrived and it’s our busiest time of the year for having you good folks visit us in Mexico to escape Old Man Winter. A little over a week ago, I was hosting my general manager Carlos Lizarraga, his son Carlitos and our longtime friend and tour guide “Pistolitas” at our ranch in west Texas. Every year they come up for a week of hunting and mostly R & R before the BIG RUSH hits us at our lake operations in Mexico. Well, they’ve experienced cold weather in the past while visiting for hunting/R&R…but not like THIS trip! A big Arctic blast arrived with a fury on Saturday afternoon, December 17th…dropping temps by as much as 25 degrees within 30 minutes…from 70 degrees F down to 45 degrees F. By the time we woke up Sunday morning to go deer hunting, the temperature gauge on the front porch read 9 degrees….NINE. NUEVE. That was coupled with a wind chill of minus 3….BURRRRRR!!!! Folks, that’s cold! That’s not exactly ideal conditions to go put the boat in the water and wet a hook. I fished tournaments professionally for a while back in my younger years….and it’s temperatures like we had at the ranch almost two weeks ago that reminds me of why I don’t miss that aspect of the sport/profession! So what is there to do when one can’t get out on the lake due to cold weather and icy conditions? Of course after hunting season comes to a close? Head south! That’s the beauty of the locations of our lakes/lodges in western Mexico…it never gets THAT cold. We’re far enough south and west that we experience a warm climate year round. Sure, during Dec, Jan and half of February, it will be cool/cold enough early in the morning to wear a light jacket for that first or second boat ride across the lake, but by 8:30 am, you can be down to shorts and t-shirt…if you desire. So don’t let Old Man Winter keep you from going fishing these next few months. The bass are biting NOW and ready for your favorite topwater lure…or jig…or soft plastic…or spinnerbait…or whatever you like to use! Come on down where it’s warm and you don’t have to wait until the spring for the temperatures to get ideal or the bass to start biting again!

LAKE PICACHOS…A MUST EXPERIENCE FOR ALL BASS ANGLERS!!!!

If you have yet to fish this lake, you owe it to yourself to do so SOON! If you have, it should be on your list of lakes to return to soon. No, it’s not “new” anymore…but it’s still the newest of the lakes in Mexico and it’s actually better today than when it first opened 3 years ago! The bass are growing at a phenomenal rate…as we predicted. The numbers have yet to decline and that’s the only thing standing in the way of this becoming a great trophy bass lake. As I’ve stated many times in past updates, these new lakes in Mexico do not start to produce consistent numbers of the trophy bass (8 lbs and larger) until the numbers of smaller bass decline. Why? Because the smaller bass swim faster and big older bass are simply not interested in living in areas where they have to compete for food. This is why the older larger bass tend to live in a little deeper water provided they have adequate food, oxygen, water temperature and cover. They have all of this in Picachos.

Recently we had a big group fish Picachos…actually days prior to Christmas. Most boats were averaging 100 – 125 bass per day (2 anglers per boat)…some up to 180 per boat per day. Most of the bass ranged from 2 lbs – 4 lbs…but there were a significant number of much larger bass landed each day…meaning bass in the 5 lbs – 6 lbs class. The largest bass landed of the group weighed in at 8.5 lbs. Guess where this bass was caught? Off a ledge in 18′ of water! THAT….is what I’ve been saying for a while now. Yes, from time to time, someone will catch a bass of that size on topwater or in much shallower water…especially during the spawn months (Jan, Feb and March)…but if one wants to hook into bass of that size and larger, they’re there…but need to prepare to fish a little deeper where there’s more bass of THAT size and less of the 2 – 4 pound size. Truth is….this lake is still a numbers of quality bass lake. INSANE NUMBERS! If one wants to strictly go for giant trophy bass, we have two other lakes that fit the bill…and they’re two of the very best trophy bass lakes in the world…Lakes Comedero and Lake El Salto! Many just care about numbers…others just about trophy bass…and of course there are those who want BOTH. While Picachos has both, the best chance to get both is to book a “combo trip” …combining Comedero/Picachos or El Salto/Picachos. This will give the angler who wants both the very best opportunity to accomplish that goal.

A few weeks ago in early December, we were hosting one of our longtime groups organized by Mike Tuttle. Mike and his group have fished with us for nearly 30 years…and one of his group members, Dr. Bill Phelps, actually started fishing with my father on Lake Guerrero in the early to mid-70’s. Upon their return from Picachos in December, Mike called the office and said out of his 3 decades of fishing Mexico, this was THE BEST TRIP he’s ever experienced…for both numbers and average size! Folks, that’s saying something since Mike has fished Picachos 7 different times in the past 2 1/2 years…and has fished many many lakes in Mexico over the past 30 years! Like I stated above, the lake is getting better and better each year. The overall average size continues to grow and the bigger bass are showing up with “some” regularity.

Last….we have the largest and nicest facility on the lake. We were THE FIRST on Picachos and we believe we have the best service, food, attention to detail, guides and boats! Our guides now have 2 1/2 years of guiding experience…the first guides on the lake! Our bass boats are Xpress …the best in Mexico for fishing these rugged mountain lakes! Each boat is powered by 4-stroke Yamaha outboard engines…and every boat has a powerful 24-volt Minn Kota trolling motor that you can operate yourself if you like…or the guide. Then each boat is equipped with Lowrance sonars front and back. As with all of our operations, we offer bass rods so you don’t have to tote your own through airports. As I stated last Summer, we’re converting over to Dobyns Bass Rods…the best rods on the market! We just added more Dobyns Rods at Lake Picachos Bass Lodge last week! Get out of the house and head to beautiful AND WARM Lake Picachos! Don’t let the cold temperatures at home keep you bottled up in the house all Winter!

LAKE COMEDERO….IT’S BIG, BIG BASS TIME!!!

Oh yeah….oooooooh yeeeahhh!!! It’s THAT time of the year when all of those GIANTS move shallow for the spawn…which happens over the course of the next three months (Jan, Feb and March) on Comedero. The giant explosions that are about to take place on topwater! The feel of a giant 10 lbs bass and larger loading up on a spinnerbait, knocking slack in the line….or just having a giant eat a big jig and watching your line run sideways through that brush! It’s all about to happen,..as it does every year during this time! I simply cannot wait!!!! Get ready for my next update because I’m quite certain there are about to be some big fish (caught and lost) to talk about! You remember my update last January? The one that broke my heart and not just my line? The upper teen and maybe even a world record? Yeah….THAT ONE! Well, there were a lot more stories of big bass being caught and lost from last season…but that one left a mark on me forever! That bass, that I got to look at up close and personal twice, is just one of many examples and evidence that Comedero is not just about the “10 pound bass”….no, not even close. Lake Comedero definitely has bass in it much bigger than 10 lbs! If there’s ever going to be a new world record bass caught, I think Comedero has as good a chance of producing it as any lake in the world. This lake has upper teens in it for sure…as the lake record is 19 lbs. We’ve also had bass of 18 lbs landed. One might argue that it’s been a while since those bass were caught…and that would be true. However, we were closed there for 8 years prior to reopening last year. It only took the first year of being reopened to prove it still has that upper teen class of bass in it. Steve “Big O” Parks of Rage Tail, was on that same trip with me and he also hooked and lost a monster that he felt could have gone upper teens or 20 lbs. For those that don’t know Steve (Big O), he’s a true professional angler. He’s been bass fishing nearly 6 decades. He told me that day on Comedero after he lost the giant that of all the years he’s been fishing, he’s never hooked a bass that he couldn’t turn….until that day on Comedero! Steve has made NUMEROUS trips over 20 years to Brazil for the giant and powerful peacock bass. Steve told me that this giant bass on Comedero reminded him of how those peacocks pull on that initial “run”…pulling 10 – 20 yards of line and screaming that drag on the reel. That’s what happened to him after he hooked his giant…until she finally broke his line after running deep into the brush and rocks. It’s also what my giant I lost did to me…except my giant ran to open/deeper water…and after peeling off about 15 yards of line, she did a U-Turn and raced back toward me…before jumping out of the water 2 feet from the landing net, shaking her big giant head and the line breaking in the knot. I’ll probably never have another opportunity at a bass that size in my lifetime…but if it does happen again, it’s probably going to happen at Comedero. They’re in there….no doubt! Pro Angler and Legend Denny Brauer is convinced….calling Comedero his favorite of ALL Mexico bass lakes! It’s also why he’s returning again this season! Denny Brauer and Shane Moore fished 4 days at Comedero last January…and combined another 3 days at El Salto after fishing Comedero. Shane called me from El Salto saying he wasn’t fishing….he was totally “fished out” from 4 days of yanking on giant bass at Comedero! Folks….this lake is absolutely AWESOME! Also…from all indications, the three spawns last Jan – March had a tremendous survival rate and there are A LOT of bass in Comedero! I expect the numbers to be as good or better than last season and they were already 75 per boat average from Jan – March of 2016. This should be an incredible 3 months coming up!!! You like to catch big bass? You MUST get down there!!!!

LAKE EL SALTO….IT’S ABOUT THAT TIME AS WELL!!!

As with Comedero, the next 3 months are big time spawn action! The Fall Season was a bit of a “Jekyll and Hyde” in that it started off very slow in October due to extreme hot water on the surface caused by a few Hurricanes/Tropical Storms in August/September. As the cooler nights started showing up in November, the surface water temps also cooled down and more and more bass headed to shallower water. Jim Waits and his group, that fishes several times with us each year, was at El Salto in late November. Upon returning, Jim called me to give a report. He said, “Ron…this was the weirdest bite I’ve ever experienced on El Salto! We caught very few fish on plastics (worms, lizards, creature lures, etc)…but it turned out great because those bass were all over the “frogs”…topwaters!!!” Jim also told me that every single person in his group caught a bass weighing at least 7 lbs and some were MUCH larger!

Great El Salto Lodge

Just when things looked to be back to normal when Jim and his group were at El Salto fishing, the lake was hit for nearly 48 hours of torrential rains….raising the lake level over 3 feet in a short period of time. Naturally this disrupted the feeding pattern of the bass in the lake …and probably the depth as well. This had about a 5 day adverse effect on the fishing but now all seems to be back to normal for this time of year. Which means the big bass that spawn on the January full moon are now going through pre-spawn and are feeding like crazy! I expect the big bass numbers to start rolling in.

LAKE HUITES…THIS LAKE IS DEFINITELY BACK!!!

As I reported to you in my November 2016 Update…Lake Huites is back with a fury! If you missed the update, please go to our “Blog” page on our website and read. Just the highlights here and a refresher for those who did read the update….I visited Lake Huites last April to check out the fishing. My partner in Mexico has been telling me for a year now that the great fishing has been back for a while and they’re catching BIG bass in Huites as well. Soooooo…I decided to invite my good friends and great bass fishermen, Terry Oldham and Steve “Big O” Parks to go with me and check out the fishing. My partner was not telling a fish story! We found great numbers, great overall size and even hooked into some bigguns! The lake is as beautiful as I had remembered it but the lodge has been completely rebuilt to 5-star status and the food is as close to gourmet as it gets for a fishing lodge operation! The drive from Los Mochis is smooth sailing as the infamous rough gravel road from the village of Choix is no longer rough…nor gravel. Yep, completely paved all the way to the lake and La Estancia – Huites Bass Lodge! The staff is second to none and the rooms are on the same level with the El Cid Castilla Beach hotel in Mazatlan. Oh and…there’s a new flight that started from Tucson, AZ that stops in Hermosillo and then on to Los Mochis. So the lake is like new with the fishing…the lodge is new from the one my father built years ago…the road out to the lake is new…and the flight is new. As for the fishing, this is definitely one of those “Best of Both Worlds” type of lakes in that the angler can catch great numbers…but also has a really good chance of hooking into a big bass of 8 lbs or larger. I personally got to look at one giant that was north of 10 lbs…but that’s all I have to say about THAT! Big O, Oldham and myself all caught bass in the 8 1/2 – 9 1/2 lbs range…numerous 6 and 7 pound bass…and too many to count from 2 – 5 lbs…but it was A LOT!!! MUCHOS!!!! Again, if you missed my November Update, I strongly encourage you to go back to the Blog page and read. This lake is on fire right now and I suspect it will remain that way for a long time. At the time we were there, there was no commercial fishing on the lake. My guide (Pedro), who worked for my father for many years on Huites, said there hasn’t been any commercial fishing on the lake in years and no talk of resuming either. So we didn’t have any of those annoying nets to deal with while fishing. At least not when we were there in April. Call me soon and I’ll give you more details about Huites and the packages we’re offering.

CONTACT OUR TRAVEL AGENT…MARTIN TRAVEL SERVICES!!!

Many of you who have fished with us and continue to fish with us, already use our travel agent, Martin Travel. If you do not, YOU SHOULD! There is a very good reason why we have used them for the past 15+ years…they are THE BEST!!! They handle 90% of our customers’ air and hotel arrangements for our trips to Brazil for the peacock bass as well as our trips to Mexico for the black bass. They have very competitive fares on all flights and also for your last night’s stay at El Cid in Mazatlan! More importantly, they are professionals and very very good at their job! Kevin Martin (owner) is a “hands on” owner and all of his staff take very good care of ALL our customers! Many of our fishing customers have been so impressed by Kevin’s services that they now use them for ALL of their travel needs…both domestic and international travel. From cruises, vacations, business or pleasure travel, they can do it better than anyone! I know you will be equally impressed as well. I will never use anyone else nor recommend anyone else. Call Martin Travel today!!! 800-627-8468

So there you have it folks! Just an “appetizer” for what I believe is about to take place starting with our groups heading down there today as well as the many groups heading to our lakes/lodges over the coming weeks/months. Expect to receive a lot of fantastic updates soon!