Spring 2020 Brazil Peacock Bass Update

Posted on by by Posted in Ron's Bass Fishing Newsletter, Ron's Fishing Tips & Stories

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

Dr Jim Piland had quite the battle landing this 21 lbs monster !!! (click any image to view it bigger)

RON SPEED JR’S ADVENTURES STATUS AND RON JR’S THOUGHTS!

Before I proceed to our Brazil Peacock Bass fishing update (it’s a great one), I first want to give all of our customers and subscribers an update as to where we stand with the current Covid-19 situation and also offer some thoughts.

Currently we are in the same boat as the rest of the country and that is we’re still in “lockdown mode”…but with that being said, every day I am becoming very optimistic that we could be reopening our operations sooner rather than later. Don’t hold my feet to the fire on that because I don’t think anyone knows with 100% certainty of when things will return to a sense of normalcy…but all signs are encouraging…at least for me. As I stated in my last update 2 weeks ago, we have all 3 of our camps closed and nobody is allowed in the camps until we (I) feel it is safe enough. We do not want anyone that may be potentially infected with this virus to bring it into the camps…either from U.S. or Mexico.

As I see it, once things begin to open back up in the U.S., there will be a step-by-step procedure…as it should be. The same will apply to our fishing operations and trips. First the airlines must reinstate flights to insure passengers can get to Mazatlan (or Manaus, Brazil) and return home. Then we will take a look at where the virus statistics are at that time, both in the U.S. and Mexico (and Brazil) and if we feel it is safe to travel and go through airports, then we will look at a date to reopen. I am not really that concerned over Brazil as that season does not begin until September. Right now I am focused on reopening in Mexico before the close of the fishing season in July (Picachos & El Salto) for the start of monsoon season. Again, I am feeling optimistic that it could happen but do not want to give false expectations. Let’s just say I’m cautiously optimistic AT THIS TIME. Yesterday, the President of Mexico stated that in “some states” and Sinaloa is in the list their government was referring to, they are targeting June 1st to reopen the country and businesses. If that happens and I believe it’s safe for our customers …and the flights from U.S. to/from Mazatlan are flying again, then we will be ready to open our camps. Again, time will tell but I’m cautiously optimistic at this time.

I hope all of you are safe, in good health and taking advantage of this down time to be with family. Also, even though it’s difficult to not stress over this pandemic both with health of family/friends and business, I would simply pass along something my father always taught me growing up…do not stress over that you have no control over. Focus on the things you have control over and leave the rest to the Lord. THAT, my friends, is the approach I have taken during this very difficult time for our country and the world for that matter. The following link is written by my longtime good friend and pro angler, Edwin Evers. I strongly encourage all of you to take a moment to open the link and read his thoughts. You’ll be glad you did…it’s worth it

https://majorleaguefishing.com/angler-columns/edwin-evers-the-bright-side-of-dark-times

BRAZIL PEACOCK BASS… AN INCREDIBLE FISHING SEASON TO REMEMBER !!!

Amazon Otter beach BBQ night !!

Holden Harrison’s first trip to the Amazon saw him land several giants like this one.

WOW…where do I start? I have been offering Peacock Bass fishing in South America for over 30 years! First 4 years (’88, ’89, ’90’ and ’91) were in Venezuela on Lake Guri and also several rivers (Orinoco, Paragua, Ventuari and Pasimoni). Then in 1992, we moved out of Venezuela and conducted our first two “exploratory” trips in Brazil’s Amazon RainForest. It was in Brazil that we found THE BEST peacock bass fishing in South America! We have been operating in Brazil since those early exploratory trips (28 years) and no other operator in Brazil has been doing this longer than us! There is a reason we’re still there and still have a lot of happy anglers return each year with us! We offer one of the nicest luxury houseboats in the Amazon for fishing. We have the most experienced team of fishing guides in the Amazon…several have been working for us since the beginning! The guides are the absolute “key” to an angler’s fishing success or failure. Also, the operation and staff aboard the Amazon Otter are second to none and offer over 2 decades of experience. Our manager, FRANZ, he is simply THE BEST! Franz began managing MY fishing operations in the Amazon 20 years ago and he is absolutely the best manager I’ve ever had…period! He is fluent in many languages, knows the culture of the Amazon and the local people, knows everything about the wildlife and forest, will take you into the jungle (if you like?) to visit the natives of the Amazon and trade for authentic souvenirs (bows, arrows, spears, paddles, etc)…but more than anything, Franz knows how to please our customers! He knows when to move the Otter houseboat to a different location in search of more productive fishing water and levels…and he knows when to stay parked where fishing is top notch!

Hunter Harrison with one of his many big peacocks landed last October 2019

Legendary pro Angler Jimmy Houston chooses RSJA for his Peacock Bass Outfitter.

Now let’s get to this past fishing season… Well, let’s begin with last Fall Season on the Uatuma and Jatapu rivers. The only slow fishing trips we had all season (Sept – Feb) were the first two in early September when the water was still on the high side. As many of you know that have been to the Amazon fishing for peacock bass, the water level in these rivers/tributaries is KEY! High rising water is NOT good! What I absolutely love about the two rivers we fish in the fall time of year (Sept/Oct) is there are not a lot of tributaries that feed into these two rivers which means not a lot of tributaries to cause these two rivers to rise. So once we start fishing in September, the water level, whatever it may be at that time, is always falling until November when the rains begin again. It may start on the high side in late August or early September, but it begins to fall rapidly every day in September and never comes back up until after we’re done with fishing in late October. These two rivers we fish in the Fall have always been “money in the bank”….meaning consistently good.

Dale Morrell of Morrell Targets caught this 23 pounder on his first trip to the Amazon!!

Holden Harrison scores again with this BRUTE !!!

Starting around the third week of September, the water approached near perfect levels and stayed that way until we finished up on these two rivers at the end of October. There were a dozen peacocks “landed” over 20 lbs during a three week span with the largest of 24.5 lbs by Jarod Brown. Ryan Barbre had the largest of his group and second largest of the fall season at 23 lbs. The numbers were also very good as we averaged 11 – 12 anglers per week and each week the average on total peacocks landed was 560…but some weeks over 600 peacocks landed. That is pretty solid considering some trips had 10 anglers max. There were numerous peacocks landed over 15 lbs and total numbers of peacocks landed over 10 lbs were off the charts!

Folks, this is a thunderous peacock bass topwater explosion!!

Casey Harrison with one of his many giant peacocks landed.

These are just numbers landed and not fish on or lost…which was more than tripled. As anyone that’s been to the Amazon to fish for peacocks knows, it’s quite a challenge to keep those fish out of the brush/trees and get in the boat. That’s more than half the fun though because just experiencing that incredible EXPLOSION on a topwater lure is worth the price of the trip. Then having those powerful beasts strip 10 – 20 yards of line off a reel that has drag tightened as tight as it can get…then to have them break 80 – 100 lbs test line OR straighten a 4x strong, 4.0 size saltwater treble hook….well, it’s something you just have to see to believe. No fish that swims in fresh or saltwater is more powerful (pound for pound) than the amazing peacock bass!

Doug Harrison and guide “G” are all smiles with this peacock beauty.

Hunter Harrison had fun using his Fly rod on the peacock bass.

Moving on to the Rio Negro tributary fishing… Here we start fishing in January and run through the end of February. Prior to this past season, the Rio Negro water levels just weren’t consistently good or conducive for good fishing. However, this past January and February fishing proved the Negro can be as good for peacock bass fishing as any watershed in the Amazon …or world for that matter. Especially when talking about HUGE peacock bass!

Rio Negro water levels were near perfect most of the season.

Howard Hada never misses a season with RSJA…and this is just one of many reasons why!

Howard Hada and his group fish with RSJA in Brazil EVERY YEAR! High water, low water, perfect water…they never miss a year fishing with us. Howard’s daughter Stephanie, is an outstanding angler and usually beats all of the men in the group in landing the largest peacock. This past January was no different as she landed TWO peacocks over 20 lbs…a 23.5 giant and also a 20 pound monster. Don Franks also added a beautiful 22.5 lbs monster! Furthermore, this group was just 10 anglers and they boated a total of 525 peacocks! This was the first trip in early January and water was still a little on the high side…so that number is pretty good considering it was only 10 anglers.

Stefanie Hada does it again with her 23 lbs MONSTER ! She landed two over 20lbs!

Eric Hada hit the jackpot with this BEAST!

The fishing just got better in the Negro from there as the next group of only 9 anglers boated 8 giants over 20 lbs!!! They also landed 20 peacocks over 15 lbs! That is outstanding for BIG peacock bass landed and just 9 anglers! Brad Dean landed the largest in this group when he boated a 25.5 pound monster! Folks, that’s HUGE. John Henderson added a 24 lbs trophy…and there were 6 others landed over 20 lbs including Don Kubecka landing TWO peacocks over 20 lbs (21 and 20 lbs).

Group enjoys one of three lounge decks aboard the Amazon Otter.

Breathtaking sunset in the Amazon.

However, the best trip was yet to come when Ralp Ynostrosa and his group of 14 anglers landed 726 peacocks total, 50 over 10 lbs, 22 over 15 lbs AND 9 GIANTS OVER 20 LBS! Ralp Ynostrosa landed two over 20 lbs including a giant of 24.5 lbs…the largest of the group. Sean Vanderver also landed a 24.0 pound whopper and Calvin Smith added a 23lbs trophy! This was their second trip fishing with us and definitely their best! Needless to say they are eager to return!

Happy customer and guide “Gator” with this colorful giant peacock!

This is just one of the nine over 20 lbs landed by the Ynostrosa group!

The Amazon Otter is a 5-star floating hotel offering spacious air conditioned rooms (no bunk beds), private bath/shower, 3 lounge areas w/bar and jacuzzi hot tub, big air conditioned dining area and a tackle room. Our tackle room offers the best fishing rods as we’ve added Lew’s Rods…custom made for battling giant peacock bass! Also we offer Izorline…the best braided line on the market! The Izorline will give our anglers the best opportunity to land these powerful peacock bass! Last but not least…we offer ALL lures. The big propelled topwater lures are custom made by Jim Kaempfer of The Fishing Connection. Jim gives special attention to making these great lures by choosing the right wood, the curing process and choosing the RIGHT hooks and split rings. We also offer several types of subsurface lures…that many times are used as a “follow up” lure for a giant that explodes on the topwater but doesn’t get hooked or won’t return to the surface. We offer everything in the way of tackle for our customers with the only exception being reels. Since fishing reels do not require much space/weight in your luggage, you won’t have to pack much in the way of tackle. Another great convenient service we offer for our valuable customers!

5-Star floating amazon Otter on the move.

Customers enjoying the lounge deck and ready for the Jacuzzi hot tub.

Our bass boats are first class and are American made, all welded and offer two-way radios, powerful Motorguide trolling motors, 4-stroke Yamaha 60 HP engines and two spacious fishing decks front and back. All seats are comfortable and padded and NO BENCH SEATS! The best fishing boats for fishing the Amazon Basin’s tributaries and for accessing remote backwater lagoons and small tributaries!

RSJA offers the best bass boats for fishing the Amazon!!

Pro angler Kelly Jordan and long time customer Rick Swain enjoy fishing from our bass boats.

Ron Speed Jr’s Adventures offers THE BEST 1-2 punch of seasons/rivers in the Amazon for giant peacock bass fishing! RSJA has been offering peacock bass fishing in Brazil’s Amazon RainForest longer than any other operator. As I stated before, the key to your fishing anywhere in the world is water conditions AND GUIDES. While we have no control over Mother Nature and water levels, we do have control over guides, locations to fish and staff. No other operator in the Amazon offers more years of experience than OUR STAFF! FACT! There is a reason why we have been around longer than any other operator…and that is due to experience and a dedication to provide the best fishing and services! Just the same as we do at our 3 bass fishing operations in Mexico!

The mighty Rio Negro

The Amazon Otter guides and crew offer more than two decades of experience.

Last about Brazil and the mighty peacock bass of the Amazon… If you have never experienced catching big peacock bass, you definitely owe it to yourself to try it one time. If you do give it a try, chances are it won’t be just “one time”…no, this fish is very addictive! Many of my customers call to book for their first time and tell me, “This is a one time thing and has been on my bucket list to try”…but end up returning. What is so great about this trip is that it’s not just a fishing trip. Yes, for the fishing part of it, the peacock bass is the most fun fish in the world to catch! However, it’s the ADVENTURE that makes this trip so wonderful. In my opinion, it’s “The Plum” of all fishing and hunting trips in the world. Cruising around some of the most remote regions and rivers of the Amazon Rainforest in a HUGE luxury mothership like the Amazon Otter is HIGH ADVENTURE. Throw in the vast amount of wildlife and natives of the Rainforest…well, it’s just AMAZING! Give us a call and get in on the fun!

BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS AND HOTELS WITH MARTIN TRAVEL SERVICES…THE BEST TRAVEL AGENCY IN THE BUSINESS!!!

I have mentioned this in the past and will say it again. You really need to consider Martin Travel Services in Florida for all your travel services! I started using and referring our valuable customers to Kevin Martin and Martin Travel Services more than 20 years ago. They are the best in the business and I have never been happier with an agent than I am Martin Travel. They will set up a profile for you so every time you book through them, it requires very little time and they DO EVERYTHING FOR YOU! They save our customers on airfare as well as booking at the El Cid Resort Hotel in Mazatlan…which is the hotel we recommend for our customers staying extra nights in Mazatlan before or after fishing at our lakes/lodges. Kevin and his wonderful staff make arranging travel very easy for the traveler. If you have a problem with a flight or miss a flight for whatever reason, they’re ON IT! When I have an issue pop up with my miles or rewards, I call Martin Travel and not the airlines. I’ve found contacting the airlines directly can be a nightmare and get put on hold for 30 minutes or MORE! I don’t have that kind of time to waste…nor the patience. You don’t have to worry about such when you deal with Martin Travel. You can reach Kevin or Karen at 800-627-8468.

GOOD FISHIN’ AND GOD BLESS,
RON SPEED, JR.


Spring 2020 Mexico Bass Fishing Newsletter

Posted on by by Posted in Ron's Fishing Tips & Stories

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

HOLA FROM MEXICO!!!

That’s right folks, I arrived here in Mazatlan on March 6th and since that time our U.S. borders to the north and south have been closed. However, some flights are still traveling in and out of Mexico from the U.S…to include Dallas to Mazatlan roundtrip. Now this in no way should be interpreted to mean I want you coming to Mexico for fishing or any other non-essential reason. No…just the opposite. I encourage ALL to remain home and follow the guidelines currently in place to prevent contracting and the spread of the Coronavirus. Your life and the lives of ALL are more important than fishing, travel, vacationing, etc…and that’s the only thing that matters. Everything else should not enter your mind until the “green light” has been issued by our country’s medical experts who are overseeing this current pandemic. Also, I will be monitoring closely the situation in Mexico and particularly the state of Sinaloa where our 3 fishing lodges/operations are located. The situation both in the U.S. and Mexico must be considered safe for travel before I decide to open our fishing lodges/operations. Please be safe, follow the guidelines and know that each and every one of you are in my prayers.

WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH RSJA AND THE FISHING OPERATIONS???

Currently we are closed at all of our fishing operations as the fishing boats are now out of the water and placed in dry storage. I waited here until our last groups returned home (March 21) before deciding I would consider heading back home myself. In our office in Texas, Bill is still going to the office “alone” as he lives 3 minutes away…and he will continue doing so unless the local situation changes. Thus far, or as of this writing, there has not been a “shelter in place” policy enacted by the local authorities. Therefore, if you have any questions about your upcoming trip (May and beyond), you can contact our office and speak with our office/sales manager Bill Mullins.

Please know that we have completely sanitized our three fishing lodges as we always do but given EXTRA attention to the sanitizing process. That includes every house, room, bathroom, door knobs, faucets, tables, chairs, light switches, bed, bed linens…you name it, it’s been zapped! We will continue this sanitizing process throughout the shutdown as we do even when we have customers. When (not if) we get the “all clear” notice with this virus and feel it is safe to travel again (domestically and abroad), we will reopen…in fact it “could be” this season if that all clear is given and we haven’t yet entered the monsoon season. Safety first though…that’s always been PRIORITY #! with us…and everything else is a distant 2nd. Most if not all of you already know this about RSJA.

LET’S TALK FISHING…YES???

Johnny Speed with his 10 lbs 4 oz Comedero hawg.. caught on KVD Spash TOPWATER!!!

It may not “appear” to be the right time to discuss less important matters such as fishing…. However, if you’re like many, hunkered down in your home and nothing to do, I figured I would give you an update as to the most current fishing status at each lake. I know many of you are still booked for the months of May/June this season and would probably like to know an update. So here ya go…

Lake Comedero….well, it’s been a tough season thus far. I am not one to make excuses but rather give you my opinions of what’s happened to cause the tough fishing…and my opinions are based on 32 years of fishing Lake Comedero. Most things that happen on this lake, I’ve seen before. However, like last year/season, new things showed up this season. Last year it was snow melting up in the mountains in Durango, and both rivers that feed into Comedero are from those mountains. That caused water temperatures on the surface to drop to 5+ degrees colder than I had ever seen in over 3 decades. The water temps did not return to normal until the end of February and when they did, so did the fishing…returned to normal. Again, that was last year. Now fast forward to THIS year (season)…

Oh boy, what a bizarre year for weather in Sinaloa. Normally the monsoon season ends sometime in October…could be mid-October or the end of October. Rarely do we see any type of significant rainfall after November 1st and especially after November 15th…unless it’s an “El Nino” year…and we’re not in an El Nino year. However, someone forgot to send Mother Nature the memo because Thanksgiving week, we received 4 straight days of torrential downpour and Comedero rose approximately 20 feet in less than a week. That completely disrupted the bite and depths the bigger bass usually inhabit during that time of year…sending those bigger bass to deeper water and suspending. Anyone that truly knows bass fishing will tell you that deep suspending bass are the toughest to get to bite. December groups found the fishing extremely difficult….and we’re talking mostly the “bigger bass”…which is the primary reason for choosing Comedero…BIG BASS!

Ron Jr with a nice 8.4lbs Comedero bass!!

By the time Christmas rolled around, the fishing seemed to come off life support as I had our on-site mechanic “Cuate” checking the lake and fishing daily during the holidays. Cuate is a VERY good angler and knows Comedero better than anyone. I was encouraged by Cuate’s updates through the holidays. We were excited for our first group of the new year to arrive on January 3rd. Then 3 straight days/nights of rain hit us from December 30 – Jan 1st…once again bringing the lake level up…which submerged the tons of green vegetation on the shore from the monsoon season…thus causing more decaying of that vegetation and the “sour water” process to prolong. Again, bad luck with something that rarely happens or never has happened. Still, I was optimistic that sooner or later, conditions would get back on the NORMAL track and big bass catches would return.

The tough bite for big bass continued through January and the sour water was slow to leave as we experienced many cloudy days with no wind to move that soured water or to also generate oxygen that was “cut” by the soured water. Many anglers, to include Pro Angler Denny Brauer, found big bass on the sonars….but deep and suspended…and very few willing to bite. Just as it appeared to maybe, just maybe things were about to return to normal, we received yet again….3 straight days and nights of solid rainfall in early February. This time it was COLD rains with air temperatures dropping to 40 degrees. When was the last time it reached 40 degrees at Comedero? In that part of Sinaloa? I can only remember one time it reached that low in my 33 years operating in Sinaloa…and that happened approximately 9-10 years ago when it reached freezing temps and Iguanas were falling out of the big Tule tree at our El Salto camp. These 3 days of rain were not torrential at the lake but obviously torrential up higher in the mountains as that caused ANOTHER rise in the lake level. Jeeeezzz…when will it stop??? Well, ten days afterward (approximately), after that 3 days/nights of rain, we had a group that seemed to find some big bass biting. Mostly suspended in 25-35 feet of water. Mark Ingram landed a giant of 11 lbs, 7 oz. Several others landed by J.W. Peterson’s group were 9.8, 9.0, 8.4 and 8.0…all in the same day! Yes, maybe it’s turning the corner….oh wait….oh nooo….well, not another rain but obviously the constant cold rains combined with temperatures starting to warm up set off a nasty Algae Bloom! Never…not once, has there been an Algae Bloom on Comedero! This was probably the worst thing that could happen other than the lake turning over as Algae Blooms almost always cause a major oxygen depletion in a lake. Something Comedero could ill afford to have happen after oxygen had been very low for months due to the vegetation rot and soured water. See photos of the Algae Bloom and temporary aquatic vegetation that appeared.

This algae bloom stuck around for several weeks…at least in appearance with the green slime covering 60% of the lake. However, the oxygen depletion remained right up until we closed the camp March 21st. I arrived at Comedero on March 6th to fish with my older brother John Speed. He and I hadn’t shared a boat on a lake in more than 20 years. He was there as he always is during his spring break from school and football coaching. I told him the big bass bite had been tough but numbers were pretty good on smaller bass because smaller bass don’t require as much oxygen as the older and larger bass. Still, we were going to have fun regardless…and we did! The first 4 1/2 days were cloudy and no wind…meaning nothing to generate oxygen. We averaged about 40-50 bass per day but nothing over 6 lbs. Then the afternoon, starting right after lunch on the 5th day of fishing, we had about a 20-25 mph wind coming in off the Pacific…and total sunshine! Now that is normal and what I believed at the time was just what the doctor ordered!

Johnny Speed with 8.3 Comedero Bass !!!

Sure enough, John and I each landed bass of 8 lbs…his coming off a Strike King 8xD crankbait (sexy shad color) and mine coming off an Oldham jig (5/8 oz in Tilapia color). Don’t think that first day of wind in 5 days had anything to do with it? Naahhhh….of course it did!!! Then on the final day after 2 straight days of 15-25 mph wind, John busted a 10 lbs 4 oz giant on TOPWATER…at exactly 10 am! His giant was caught on Strike King’s KVD Splash…which has been the best topwater on our 3 lakes day in and day out for over a year! What a difference a little wind and oxygen boost does for a lake and big bass suffering from low oxygen.

 

For the next week, the no wind returned and big bass bite was tough…until closing.

Final analysis….The bigguns are still in there. Many anglers who have fished Comedero for more than 10 years to include myself for 33 years, could see layers and layers of big bass suspended in deep water on our Lowrance sonars. Thermocline reached deeper than 50 feet at times and thus gave those big bass “more options” and places to get away from the more tainted (algae bloom) and low oxygenated shallower water. This was just “one of those years” that the tough bite sets in due to whatever and however many combined reasons. Just like I wrote about it happening at El Salto one year ago….but this year, the fishing at El Salto was much better than the previous year…in fact, at one time during Jan/Feb, it was the hottest of our 3 lakes! So let’s talk about El Salto next…

JW Peterson with his 9lb Salto bass caught on a Senko

Lake El Salto…as I stated above, the lake rebounded from a very poor fishing year in 2018/2019. The fishing started out slow in the fall, then “the flood” hit at Thanksgiving…but El Salto does not receive nearly as much runoff from rains as does Comedero. Therefore the lake didn’t rise as much as Comedero and the fishing was quick to come around by the first of the year. By the second week of January, we had group after group landing 80-100 bass per day and with many bass from 7-9 lbs…even a few 10’s as well. This great fishing lasted a full 2 months in Jan and Feb….but then things began to slow down a bit by early March. Both numbers and size dropped when compared to Janauary/February but overall the fishing was still decent….and NO ALGAE BLOOM!

13 year old Sam Houghton show them how its done with this El Salto TOAD!!!

One thing that seemed to be helping enhance the bite more this year was when the water hyacinths returned…which always enhances the shallow water bite but also limits the number of commercial nets on the lake. That alone (less nets) probably played as big of a role in the enhanced bite (both numbers and size) as anything. The bass, especially the older/bigger bass, know when those nets are in there with abundance…and when that happens, they head south…south meaning DEEP!

 

JW with a 10.6lbs senko trophy!!!

If we get the green light or “all clear” on the virus and to resume travel and fishing south of the border, and…and…it happens in May, June or early July (before we close for monsoon season Mid-July), then I fully expect El Salto to be as good as any lake for big bass catching! Even with the poor fishing season we had there a year ago, May to mid-July was OUTSTANDING!!!! Most years it always is outstanding in those months. No nets in the lake and the bass are predictable…easier to isolate. Fingers crossed we will be able to “safely” travel there and fish in a couple of more months. Time will tell…hopefully soon!

 

Robert Krantz shows off one of the Picachos big bass he caught March 20

Lake Picachos…well, let me start with saying that even when the bite is tough, you’re still going to catch a lot of bass! Now let’s discuss how the season has been thus far. The season started in late October when our first groups arrived. The fish were still a bit scattered from the water rise from the rainy season. Once again, the lake caught FULL as Picachos is on a major watershed and with it being approximately 14,000 surface acres when full, it does not require as much rain to fill the lake. By November 15th, the fish were starting to school up in big bunches again and not as much “run and gun” by the guides to put our customers on fish. Then “The Flood” hit over Thanksgiving (as mentioned above) and the lake at that time was holding at about 94% full…but that flood sent it over-full and water flowing over the dam. Fish scattered again…but most boats still averaged 80-100 per day…other boats 60-80 per day. Most bass caught were 4 lbs and smaller with a “few” big ones up to 8 lbs caught during that time. As with Comedero and El Salto, things seemed to settle down by Christmas Holidays ….then the 3 days of rain over New Years hit and bam…fish scattered again. Numbers still good but big bass scattered and suspended.

I arrived at Picachos on January 24th with my friend Rick Pierce and his wonderful group. The lake was around 95% full. Many in the group asked me what I would recommend they use for lures and catching bigger bass? I told them I had not been on the lake in a couple of months and only have our daily fishing reports to go by…and those daily reports don’t always tell the tale of how to catch big bass on Picachos since “most” are strictly there to catch numbers. However, knowing the lake as well as I do, I know the bigger bass prefer to stay deep and not compete with the smaller and faster swimmers (bass) that dominate the shoreline. Seeing the lake higher than I had ever seen it in January due to all the unseasonal rains,and pre-spawn starting with the early Februrary moon around the corner, I recommended they fish spinnerbait (preferably Oldham’s spinnerbait) in tree tops down 15-20 feet along creek channels..that’s tree tops down that far but from surface to bottom might be 25-35 feet. That first morning fished with my good buddy Rick and he wanted to flip/pitch the banks…and we did just that. I love to flip/pitch…anywhere, anytime…but I knew deep down this probably wasn’t going to produce a lot of bass over 4 lbs…and it didn’t. We had a lot of fun and good conversation though…and went in for lunch with approximately 40 bass caught. At lunch I preached to some of his group about moving offshore and focusing on the tree tops for suspended bass….which I believed would produce bigger bass. So that afternoon Rick and I headed for the creek channels and tree tops using spinnerbaits. Right off the bat I hooked and lost at the boat a nice big bass that I believed to be in the 7 lbs range. Rick and I stayed focused on that pattern the rest of the afternoon and landed a good number of 4 and 5 lbs bass. However, two men in his group had heard me talking at lunch about fishing bass suspended in the tree tops and they decided to do the same. They didn’t have any spinnerbaits and thus chose to throw big Super Flukes with a small 3/16 oz weight…just letting the big Fluke flutter down in tops 15-18 feet…. and wham! They hit paydirt with a lot of quality fish. They landed more than 40 bass over 4 lbs just that afternoon! That pattern held up those 3 days that group fished with most beating the shoreline with Senkos and Lizards…catching a lot of bass but mostly 1-3 lbs. Those that moved offshore for suspended bass caught bigger.

Next group arrived… Mr. John Barns (former President of Strike King) and Rob Carter (owner of Fishin’ World Tackle Store in Dallas). The suspended pattern was still working but this group had their own minds made up on how THEY wanted to catch bigger bass….and their pattern worked. They mainly used Strike King’s Thunder Cricket (their version of the chatterbait) and 8xd and 10xD crankbaits….on points with less brush. John and his partner got into a bunch of bigger bass waaaaaaaaaay up the river one afternoon and landed one bass of 8 lbs and many 5-6 lbs bass. Rob Carter did the same with the 8xD and 10xD crankbaits off slick points. Most boats averaged over 100 bass per day…some up to 100 bass by lunch break.

John Barns & Neil Vandebiezen proudly show off their Picachos hawgs !!!

Then the 3 straight days/nights of rain happened early February and ugh….well….the lake rose to over full pool again, water going over the dam and lake completely swollen! The bass scattered again and made it difficult to find any schools of bass. Basically 2 or 3 here, 2 or 3 there…and keep moving. That lasted about 10 days until the lake began to fall again and the “norm” resumed. Then it was back to big schools and numbers…and for those wanting the bigger fish, they could get it by moving offshore for suspended bass using crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

Mason Krantz is all smiles after landing this nice Picachos bass on March 20, 2020

After fishing for 7 days with my brother at Comedero, I moved down to Lake Picachos on March 16th to meet a new Picachos group and my good friend Terry Oldham. I told them that March is usually when the first group of shad spawn and those mud flats and humps with very little brush should be the primary targets. Boy was it ever! The first day Oldham found 3 different schools of bass (many 4-7 lbs) while I found 2 different schools…also holding a lot of 4-7 lbs bass. At one point on one of my schools, I caught 16 bass in a row using 10xD crank over a 25′ slick hump…and every bass I caught had either a threadfin or gizzard shad in its throat! Oldham’s schools were the same…and he landed one beautiful FAT 8 lbs bass using a Spro Aruku Shad chrome color ! (see photo). These schools were all within 3 minutes (or less) from our lodge! Then one of my boat of customers, a father/son of Colin and Landin Saunders, got in on the action…catching over 100 bass in one spot and tied to a bush. They caught several dozen over 4 lbs in that one spot. The next afternoon, a different father/son of Robert and Mason Krantz landed over 200 bass in one day but it was the afternoon fishing that day they’ll never forget as they landed 150 that afternoon alone…and they said at least 30 in the 5 and 6 lbs range! That is as good as bass fishing gets….no doubt!

Terry Oldham with this beautiful 8lbs Picachos bass caught in 28’ of water on March 18th!!

Unfortunately, that would turn out to be the final group and fishing before the borders were shut and we closed our camps.

Reservations for this and next season…as stated, it’s not a matter of “if” but rather “when” things get back to normal and this invisible and deadly virus is sent back into hiding…and lives get back to normal. Due to having to close the camps for an indefinite period, many groups that were scheduled to fish in late March and all of April will be rescheduling for later this season (if we are able to reopen this season) and for sure next season. This is going to put a premium on “open dates available”… especially for next season. We were already filling up for next year but now those dates that were once open will be gone soon. If you plan to fish with us next season, I recommend calling our office soon to get a date while some are still available. If you want to wait to see how this virus plays out, that’s completely understandable. Just giving you a heads up on how I see this playing out as I truly believe that things will be back to normal long before next season rolls around…and dates will be tougher to come by if you wait too long.

Hang in there folks, be patient, lean on the Lord as I choose to do…and eventually this will be in a rearview mirror.

Call us today: 800-722-0006

GOOD FISHIN’ AND GOD BLESS,
RON SPEED, JR.


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