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

BIG BASS BONANZA …ON PICACHOS?

I have mentioned many times in previous updates over the past year that the best months to catch big bass to go along with all those numbers on Picachos, is March, April, May and June. It certainly appears as though this year will be no different. Just recently we had a group of anglers/customer experience some pretty good big bass numbers at Picachos while maintaining the normal 100 – 200 bass per day, per boat average.

March 22nd, the following catches were reported…

• Paul Molnar & Dennis Meschke: 186 bass total. Bigger bass included…9 lbs, 8.8 lbs, 8.6 lbs, 8 lbs, and 6 lbs. Also had 12 more bass in 5 lbs range. Best lures were watermelon and pearl flukes.
• Ted Wayland fished alone this day and reported: 82 bass total. Bigger bass included…8 lbs, 7 lbs, 6 lbs, 5.2 lbs and 5 lbs. Best lures: watermelon/red lizards.

March 23rd, the following catches were reported…

• Ted Wayland & Henry Sadler: 148 bass total. Bigger bass included…10 bass over 5 lbs. Biggest was 5 lbs, 14 oz Best lures: watermelon/red lizards.
• Dennis Meschke & Paul Molnar: 152 bass total. Biggest 6,8 lbs and 6.2 lbs Best Lures: Black/Blue jigs
• Jim Fullerton & Gary Jerman: 151 bass total. Biggest bass 7 lbs. Best Lures: watermelon Senkos
• Tab McGinley & Gary Butler: 162 bass total. Biggest bass 6.8 lbs. Best Lures: watermelon Senkos

March 24th, the following catches were reported…

• Ted Wayland & Henry Sadler: 172 bass total. Biggest bass 9 lbs, 7.8 lbs, 7.6 lbs, 6.2 lbs and 15 bass in the 5+ lbs range. Best Lures: Bubble Gum colored Trick Worms
• Dennis Meschke & Paul Molnar: 180 bass total. Biggest bass 6 lbs. Best Lures: Watermelon Lizards
• Jim Fullerton & Gary Jerman: 153 bass total. Biggest bass 5.6 lbs Best Lures: Watermelon Fluke

March 25th, the following catches were reported….

• Ted Wayland & Henry Sadler (only fished 1/2 day): 78 bass total Biggest bass 6.8 lbs
• Tab McGinley & Gary Butler: 155 bass total. Biggest bass 7.8 lbs

As you can see, the bigger fish over 5 lbs are moving in to catchable depths. Ted Wayland personally called me after the trip and said, “Ron, I have fished Picachos with you at least 3 times per year for the past two years…and not only was this the best bass fishing trip I’ve experienced to date at Picachos but the best ever in my life!” Ted also told me that he and his fishing partner (Henry Sadler) basically fished 4 total fishing holes the entire week…mainly because they rarely had to move the boat. Did not want to leave biting fish! Ted also claims that one day he just sat down in the boat and quit fishing an hour early….because he was ‘caught out”….arms worn out! That’s all that needs to be said, Mr. Ted.

Folks, I have not claimed Picachos to be a trophy bass lake…not yet anyway. I have reported when our customers catch bigger fish. The lake record is 12 lbs, 14 ounces and we’ve had 3 bass landed over 12 lbs in these first two years since the lake opened. So in other words, there are big bass in this lake. However, like with most new bass lakes in Mexico, there are so many smaller and faster swimmers/bass that makes it more difficult to catch a lot of big bass with consistency…at least right now. That said, I’ve reported that I’ve seen an overall increase in the average size of the smaller bass this season…and that’s definitely evident this year. Ted Wayland also told me that this made his 8th trip to Picachos in two years and that out of all the bass he and Henry Sadler caught in the 4 days they recently fished Picachos, that “very few were under 4 lbs”…WOW! Now that hasn’t been the case most of this year but I would tell you that most have been 2 3/4 lbs or larger…but again, we’re entering that 4 month time of year that I’ve always said were the best 4 months of the year to catch numbers AND BIG BASS! The big gizzard shad are starting to move in to spawn now and it should be a true BIG BASS BONANZA this month of April!!! May/June are summer patterns and those big bass will be settling in on those humps, ledges and ridges in 15′ – 25′ of water…ISOLATED! Remember two years ago in June when Jimmy Houston landed bass of 12 lbs and 11 lbs on a shelf in 18′ of water? Yeah, that’s what we’re talking about for May/June.

The commercial nets were removed at the end of March and therefore we will be able to fish the lake in the coming 6 months without nets! It’s about to get REAL, folks! I’m ready to get down there. Hope to see you!

Lake El Salto…BEST TWO BACK TO BACK YEARS SINCE LAKE OPENED IN 1990?

I didn’t think the fishing in El Salto could get any better than it was last season (14′ – 15′ season), but this season is giving last season a run for it’s money! The average numbers per day, per boat are way up this year from previous years. While there have been some bass in the 10 lbs range and bigger caught every week or every other week, it’s the numbers of 6 lbs – 9 lbs that’s been insane! Here is a stat that I have just finished coming up with based upon ALL of our customer reports since November. The average total bass per boat, per day catch has been 82 bass. The average size of bass caught over 5 lbs has been 6.2 lbs. The average number of bass per boat, per day between 6 lbs and 9 lbs has been 7 bass total. That’s just through March…with April/May/June still to come…and those are some very good BIG BASS months! Maybe the best big bass months all year! Every year we have a number of groups come in the second half of May and first half of June to catch just big bass. One group in particular from Arkansas, comes every year late May/early June and just hammer big bass after big bass with crankbaits in tops of trees in 15 ‘ – 25’ of water. That’s where those bigger bass head to when the water surface temp heats up. Again, this isolates those bass just like at Picachos…and makes it easier to locate…AND CATCH! Also, no nets in the lake after April…not until Sept/Oct do they put the nets back into the lake! There’s still time to get in on one of the best season’s we’ve ever had on this lake, before the monsoon season starts up in late June/early July! Don’t miss it out!!!

LAKE COMEDERO REOPENING SEASON IN REVIEW!

For the most part, the first season of fishing at Comedero in 7 years was a major success! It started out slow when we opened November 30th with the first customer group. We had just been hit by a hurricane a couple of days prior to the first group arriving and the lake was on the rise, muddy in some parts, heavily stained in others…and the bass were tough to locate. It was very difficult those first two or three groups to get a pattern established. Then we closed for Christmas like we do at all of our lakes/lodges. Then December 28th rolled around…my trip with some personal friends and longtime RSJA anglers. We experienced “El Nino” rains 4 of our 6 days…but not monsoon rain like the hurricanes and tropical storms bring. So the lake wasn’t rising and we were able to establish a spinnerbait pattern on the outer edge of all that thick thorny brush that grew up last summer during the rainy season. If you recall or read my newsletter from January after returning from that trip, you’ll remember the story of getting my heart broken from losing the biggest bass of my lifetime. I still refuse to say what I believe the bass to weigh because 1) I lost it….2) I’ve never seen a bass that long and thick in my life! Knowing how “the ones that got away” always look bigger than the ones that made it to the boat/net…I will say this….it could have been 14 lbs, as my largest is 13 lbs and it was definitely bigger than my best. It also could have been a new world record over 22 lbs. What my gut tells me is that it was probably somewhere in the middle…upper teens! Again, if you read my January Update, I truly believed this bass was over 30″ long…maybe even the length of a yard stick! However, it wasn’t just long, it was HUGE…VERY THICK GIRTH! I got two up close and personal looks at this monster just beside the boat and less than a foot away from the landing net before it jumped and broke my line. She’s still swimming around in there…but hopefully NOT with Oldham’s 1 oz spinnerbait in her jaw!

In mid January, the rains from El Nino finally subsided and even completely stopped by the third week of January. The water finally stabilized and the bass started settling in on their normal feed patterns….and spawn. If you go back and review my February Update, you’ll read where Pro Angler Denny Brauer and Shane Moore (and their group) just hammered tons of 5 – 7 lbs bass flipping bushes in 14′ of water…also had some 8’s and lost some giants too. After one of his memorable days on Comedero, Denny Brauer claimed “That was one of my best days of flipping EVER!” Well, that’s saying something since Denny is known to be one of the best flipping/pitching anglers ever! If not THE BEST!

Then came February…Terry Oldham and I returned to Comedero in mid-February. We were still about a week from the full moon…meaning a week from the February spawn. The first morning by 9 am, I had landed bass of 9.8 lbs and 8.8 lbs flipping Oldham jigs w/Missile Bait’s D-Stroyer as my trailer. I called Oldham on the radio and told him to pick up his flipping stick and get to the banks where the wall of thick and thorny brush was…because those big bass were already in there getting ready to do their thing! Oldham wasn’t stubborn and did exactly what I suggested (insisted). By noon he called me on the radio to inform me he had 5 GIANTS on while flipping that thick brush…and lost all 5!!! He got his eyes on all 5 and said “They were really big” after asked how big? Oldham isn’t one to cook it up or exaggerate when talking about the size of a bass he caught or lost. I could tell by his tone that these were pretty darn big. We spent the next 3 days with that pattern of flipping the thick/thorny bushes, landing a few bass in the 9 lbs size, some 8’s and a lot of 5’s – 7’s. One of my customers there at the time also landed a bass of 10 lbs, 4 oz. Derrick Bulkley and Jamie Pearson of Indiana caught personal TOPWATER big bassof 9 lbs and 8 lbs…again, ON TOPWATER! The day we left Comedero, we had a new customer group arrive. This group chose to stay away from the thick thorny bush pattern we had found and decided to fish a little deeper…ledges in 15′ – 20′ of water. Going after the big bass that had spawned in January and settled back in a normal depth and feeding pattern. They chose right as they hit the mother load! Check these numbers out…

• Mike Goodall & Matt Shem on February 26th: Total bass for the day, 65. Biggest bass: 12.8 lbs, 9.4 and 8.6…and a lot of 5’s and 6 pounders! Best Lures: Baby Bass Flukes
• Mac Tatum & Steve Frost: 75 bass total for the day. Biggest Bass: 10.2…lots of bass from 5 – 7 pounds! Best Lures: Pumpkin/Chartreuse Lizards

Back to my February trip…What I found with the lake’s current condition gives me great optimism for the future of Comedero! Each day, Oldham and I would not come back to camp for lunch. We took our own and found some shade along a steep bluff wall to have lunch. While sitting along these shady walls, I would look down into the water and see not millions but BILLIONS of baby bass that looked to be nearly “fingerling” size…meaning this was the hatch from the January spawn. This was great to see as it’s because of all that thick and thorny brush that grew up last summer, that gave the big sow bass protection from the local fisherman to have a productive spawn. There were also billions and billions of small 3′ – 4″ Tilapia in there feeding on the Algae growing on that thick brush. So while this thick and thorny brush cost us and our customers the opportunity to get a lot of those giant bass in the boat, it offered protection from locals and pressure to ensure the lake will remain great for many years to come. Since this isn’t hardwood type stuff, I suspect come May/June before the rainy season starts, this brush will dry out and decay…and by the time we open next December, the lake will be much easier to fish and land these GIANT BASS! I still believe Comedero to be one of the best trophy bass lakes in the world…if not THE BEST! It’s definitely the best trophy lake I’ve ever fished. It’s also amazing to me that after opening in 1987, the lake today can still produce over 100 bass per boat, per day! No, not every boat lands that many but we certainly had a lot of customers land that many AND MORE per day this season! The reason is really simple when I think about it…it’s because this lake is so big and so deep that the bass have plenty of areas to go and hide from local pressure. It’s truly an unbelievable fishery! I can’t wait to get it back open next December when those giant bass move back shallow and start hitting TOPWATER LURES!!! We filled up nearly every week, twice weekly, this past Dec – March. Don’t miss out next year as dates are already going fast with the great fishing we experienced this past season!

JIMMY HOUSTON LEGENDS TV SITE…GO CHECK IT OUT!!!

I strongly encourage each and every one of you to go visit Jimmy’s new website! The site address is JHL.TV …there you can see the legend himself and watch tons of films Jimmy has made over the years. I grew up watching Jimmy on television in the 70’s and he’s always been one of my childhood fishing heroes. Still is to this very day! I have been blessed to not only meet Jimmy but become very good friends with him and even made numerous tv shows with him in Brazil and Mexico. You will never meet a better man of integrity, faith and just overall a better human being. Jimmy is truly a class act and one of the best fisherman I’ve ever had the opportunity to share a boat with…anywhere. His website offers the angler a lot of great stuff and hours and hours of entertainment for all anglers! Give it a look TODAY! Again, that’s JHL.TV

Call us today to reserve your trip of a lifetime! 800-722-0006

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

Lake Comedero…Oh yeah, it’s HOT!

I won’t say a lot here but just let you read testimonies from some recent anglers. I will say that we recently entertained ledgendary pro angler Denny Brauer as well as Don Rucks who is chairman of Major League Fishing show (TV and Internet).

Here is what Denny had to say…

That was one of the best flipping days (on Comedero) I ever had! Ron Speed Jr’s Adventures should be on every angler’s bucket list. All of his Mexican lakes offer the trip of a lifetime. I try to go at least once every year. We have never had a bad trip!

Here is what Don Rucks of M.L.F. had to say…

If I could only go to one Mexico lake year after year, I would make it Lake Comedero, hands down. If you are looking for a real Mexico fishing adventure, then Lake Comedero is the place to go, in my opinion.

Once you arrive at the lake, you realize you are at a beautiful, remote destination surrounded by a warm, true Mexican community. The lake’s setting is in the Sierra Madre Mountains and it is absolutely beautiful.

I have hooked more big bass on this lake than any of the others I’ve been able to fish. I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but every time I return back home from a trip to Lake Comedero, I feel like I have been on more than just a fishing trip; I’ve been on a real adventure.
– Don Rucks/Major League Fishing

**For more on Don Rucks’ and the Major League Fishing group’s experience to Comedero and Mexico fishing with RSJA, please visit their site by clicking link below…
http://majorleaguefishing.com/news_details.aspx?id=18649

Fishing with Denny Brauer was our longtime friend and owner of Southwest Parts in Dallas, Shane Moore. Here is what Shane had to say…

Just wanted to send you a quick email and tell you about our Comedero trip. As you know I had the pleasure of fishing 4 days with one of the all time greats of the sport, Denny Brauer. I was excited to get back down there as that has always been my favorite of all the lakes in Mexico. First of all let me start by saying the food was awesome. We had some great meals and the staff was very friendly. The addition of the new Express boats was a pleasant surprise as well. That combined with the new 24 volt Minn Kota trolling motors and color graphs on each boat made for all you could ask for that far south of the border. Now to the fishing…..We had a really good crew of very good fisherman. The first morning started out pretty slow. In all the years I had been down there I have never fished the lake that high (water). Right before we came in for lunch ol DB picked up the flipping rod and jacked a 6 #er out of a deep tree on a Strike King Rage Bug. I couldn’t wait to get back out after lunch to try to replicate that flipping bite. As we started that first afternoon, we pulled up on the right stuff and started pounding on them. We stopped counting the 6 pounders and the numbers were staggering. As Denny and I can attest, those fish in that lake are as big, healthy and mean as any fish you will catch anywhere. On the 3rd day, we really got dialed in and had our best day…. even though we started running out of Rage Bugs and Rodents. We boated over 100 bass flipping and had numerous over 7 pounders, 7 over 8 pounds and a 2 over 9 pounds. I did jump off 2 fish that I know were over 10 and there is no telling how many fish we lost in that thick stuff. When I heard this comment from Denny right before we came in it made me realize how special our day was “That was one of the best flipping days I have EVER had” (Denny Brauer). That’s a pretty stout statement coming from a flipping legend. Thanks for all you guys do. Cant wait to get back down there next season!
– Shane Moore

There you have it, folks! These coming from some of the best and most respected anglers in the industry! These groups fished at Comedero in January while the water level was extremely HIGH. I honestly believe the best fishing this season is in front of us and the high water has pushed the big spawns to happen in February and March. There were not many spawning bass caught in January when Denny Brauer, Shane Moore and Don Rucks’ groups were there. So if you want to have a great opportunity to hook in to a giant bass of a lifetime, you really need to get to Comedero this season. We will only stay open until the end of March. CALL US NOW TO BOOK YOUR TROPHY BASS TRIP OF A LIFETIME!!!

EL SALTO…STAYS HOT!!!

Once again, I will not say a lot but provide you with some astonishing catch numbers and testimonies from our recent customer groups….

Craig Riendeau with his El Salto giant he caught with his Fly rod

I was just at your lodge on El Salto the week of January 25th to the 29th. I want to thank you for actually delivering what you advertise. The entire staff was friendly and helpful, the food was fantastic, the accommodations were nice and the fishing incredible! I figured since I only fly fish, I’d probably end up putting a wrench in the works but the guides were able to adapt to my style of fishing quickly and both the guides and I had a great time.

Not only did I catch my biggest bass ever but my largest one day stringer too. I ended up with a one day, five fish stringer that went 35 lb. 11 oz. all on top water poppers.That included bass of 5, 5.8, 6.10, 7.13 and a 10 pound 12 oz monster! I hooked bass to eight pounds every day, I was living in a dream. You can bet that I’ll be back! Thanks!”
– Crag Riendeau

Here are some recent daily catches by our customers…

Jan 27th:

• Mike Traw & Jason Purdy (2 people) – 75 bass with an 8.12 and a 8.8 lbs
• Rick Canady & Brian Tennison (2 people) – 120 bass with 8.2, 8.1, 7.9 and 7.8 on white spinnier baits and flukes
• Craig Riendeau (1 person) – 40 bass with 10.2 lbs and 7.15 lbs on a popper using Fly Rod
• Hunter Tennison & Kyle Smith (2 people) – 65 bass to 10.7 lbs on green pumpkin magnum lizards

January 28th:

• Rick Younkin (fished alone) – 83 bass with a 11.1, 10.2, 9.0 and a 8.8 on perch gunfish colored poppers and watermelon colored lizards.
• Rick Canady & Brian Tennison (2 people) – 88 bass to 7.7 lbs on white magnum flukes
• David White & Reagan Stephenson (2 people) – 53 bass to 8 lbs on white flukes and watermelon Senkos

January 29th:

• Rick Younkin (1 person) – 158 bass with a 8.2, 8.1, 8.1, 7.9 and 7.5 lbs using perch gunfish colored popper topwater
• Mick Traw & Jason Purdy (2 people) – 106 bass to 9 lbs using green pumpkin jigs and Senkos
• Rick Canady & Brian Tennison (2 people) 90 bass to 8.1 lbs using white flukes

LAKE PICACHOS…IS IT REALLY EVER NOT HOT???

There’s really not much more we can say about this amazing lake. Most of our customers are still experiencing catches of 100 – 200 bass per day per boat. The average size still appears to be up from the previous season. Like Comedero, it appears there weren’t many bass spawning in January due to the lake level being higher than most years in January…of course due to the El Nino rains in November and December. Therefore we anticipate big spawns in February and March. Last February the current lake record of 12 lbs 14 oz was landed by Scott Moody…and that fish was 90% spawned out!

As I’ve stated many times in past updates, if you want the best chance to catch bigger fish from this lake, then you should strongly consider fishing Picachos in March, April, May and June. I personally like April best as “normally” the big gizzard shad move in to spawn in April and this draws the bigger fish in the lake to those spawning areas in the creeks. These bigger bass moving into those creeks in huge numbers generally runs a lot of the smaller bass out of the creeks. Remember my update from April 2014? The trip where Terry Oldham landed 35 bass over 7 lbs in a half day (morning). On that trip our group landed 4 bass over 10 lbs including a giant 11 pounder! Last April, 2015, the big gizzard shad didn’t move in to spawn due to the constant lake/water fluctuating from unusual rainfall in March. If we don’t receive any unusual rains between now and April, I think we’ll see those big shad move back in…and if they do, OH BOY! BIG BASS BONANZA! ON SPINNERBAIT TOO!!! Of course it won’t matter what you cast at them…but I do love catching big bass on big spinnerbaits. You need to call now before all open dates are gone! For those that prefer more of a summertime pattern, fishing humps, shelves, ledges, etc, then May/June is calling you! Our guides know all the spots where you can sit on one hole and catch quality fish until your arms ache!

BRAZIL/PEACOCK BASS

See our next update in early March for the latest on our fishing for giant peacock bass in the Amazon. It’s been an incredible season thus far with a lot of monster peacocks caught…and of course lost. We are also putting together some “exploratory trips” for next season to check out some new water. If you want to join us for these exciting adventures, call us today to get on the list. These exploratory trips have always been my favorite and the most fun!

TAKE ADVOCARE’S SPARK & REHYDRATE WITH YOU TO BRAZIL AND MEXICO!

From time to time, I stumble on to something that I really like and want to share with our customers. For the past two years, I have been taking Advocare’s “Spark” and “Rehydrate” powdered mixes with me on my fishing trips to Brazil and Mexico. I’m always a “sucker” for trying most things once…but it has to be really good for me to fall for it a second time. Well, I can tell you from many experiences, these two powdered mix drinks are AWESOME! The Spark is for giving you that extra boost of energy. It was invented for the exercise enthusiasts but I have found that it also works for those days while in Brazil and Mexico and my body hurts from catching so many fish or I have those “sinking spells” where I’m just totally out of energy. I mix one packet of Spark with 8 oz of water, shake and drink. Within 10 or 15 minutes, I’m a new angler!!! The Rehydrate is for replenishing electrolytes in the body…like after a workout. Well, again…I have found that after a long hot day on the water, whether in the hot humid Amazon catching giant peacock bass or just ripping on that huge topwater lure, I drink the Rehydrate and I’m ready to go again! Body feels like new and refreshed. No worries of dehydration! The Spark comes in an assortment of tasty flavors such as Grape, Mandarin, Fruit Punch, Watermelon, Mango Strawberry, Pink Lemonade and Green Apple. The Rehydrate flavors include Fruit Punch, Key Lime Cherry, Mango Pineapple, Peach and Red Raspberry. You choose whatever you desire but my favorite on the Spark is Grape flavor and on the Rehydrate it is Fruit Punch. We have purified drinking water in all boats, both in Brazil and Mexico…so just bring those small packets of Spark and Rehydrate with you in the boat and mix while fishing. For me, I only drink water while on the lake as beer and soft drinks just don’t quench the thirst. So if I’m going to drink water, might as well add some flavor to it and feel great in the process!

My son Matt is a former football player as well as college baseball player. He is also a workout maniac…a gym rat if you will…Matt turned me on to these two drinks two years ago. He drinks them regularly before and after his workouts… and I do now as well. Some of you may already know about them and use them. For those that don’t and have an interest, then please contact Matt. You can reach him at 903-654-2788 …or contact our office @ 800-722-0006 and ask for Matt as he works for me in the office. He will get you fixed up!

Call us today to reserve your trip of a lifetime! 800-722-0006