Every bass angler owes a debt of gratitude to Forrest L. Wood. He's the man who started the revolution in bass fishing boats that resulted in today's Ranger boats, the best known brand on the water.
He brought a group from Ranger Boats to Lake El Salto to fish with Pro Bass Adventures. They fished from Ranger boats, of course, as does every other client who fishes El Salto with Pro Bass Adventures.
Here are Forrest's comments:
The professionalism and quality of your operation at El Salto is unsurpassed.
The accommodations, food and service were impeccable and beyond all our expectations. All this comes as no surprise to me because of my long acquaintance with you, but I do want to compliment you on a very well run operation that enabled a trip of a lifetime for me and our group from Ranger. I certainly hope to be able to repeat the trip.
Best Regards,
Forrest Wood
Ranger Boats
Mexican Mardi Gras Magic by Ken Raney
It had been three years since Jim Breaux and I made our annual pilgrimage to Lake Baccarac with two buddies from Nacogdoches we first met at El Salto back in 2004. After weighing the media hyped "safety concerns" the last 36 months, I decided I'd done enough of that kind of "weighing". It was time to weigh fish. And if you like to weigh big bass, there is one place on this planet above all others - Lake Baccarac. Who knows, as Curt Frisbie wrote in his August, 2009 article on his trip to Lake Baccarac, maybe the future new world record bass lives there? So…game on!
We had been to the heart of big bass country in March, April, May, and June, but we had not been there during the spawn. After much discussion, it was decided that February was worth a try. So late last summer, planning the details got serious. Bob Richardson, Larry Woodward, and the crew from "Outdoors in the Heartland" were at Lake Baccarac filming, so we decided to try the new moon of February. A closer look revealed that this was the week of Mardi Gras, and I thought what could be better than fishing Fat Tuesday on a new moon at Lake Baccarac? The good news was, I was big time right! The bad news was, my compadre, Jim Breaux, couldn't make the trip. Well, by Devine Providence, enter Dallas Woods and Waters' very own John Yowell. That's right, Juan Grande (Big John) as the Mexicans called him, Senor Big, the man with a golden retrieve. He's the man you want to fish with - heck, he's just The Man, period! Sit back for a minute, squeeze another lime into a cerveza, and let me tell you the story of fishing with the Lord's other great fisherman, John the Methodist (I am not suggesting, here, he is the liturgical equivalent of 'Bad Santa'!) Believe me, it was a religious experience.
Mardi Gras has its roots in preparing for the Christian season of Lent. It begins on January 6 and is called Twelfth Night or the Epiphany, which is the date on the Christian calendar that the Three Wise Men visited the Christ Child. Parades and balls continue in New Orleans and elsewhere throughout the pre-lent festivities, but things kick into high gear with the Bacchus Parade on the Sunday night before Ash Wednesday. That is precisely when John the Methodist and I arrived in Mexico.
Juan Grande and I left DFW on Sunday, February 19 and flew American to Guadalajara where we met my friends, Mike Price and George Campbell, from Nacogdoches who had flown in from Houston. The four of us boarded an Aero Mexico flight to Culiacan arriving at 4:30 in the afternoon where we were met by Ivan Valdez (son of Felipe Valdez) from Lake Baccarac Big Bass Lodge. The van ride to the lodge was 2.5 hours north and east into the mountains.
Lake Baccarac, formally known as Presa Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, is a 35,000 acre lake at the base of the Sierra Madre Mountains in the State of Sinaloa, Mexico, near the towns of Baccarac and Bacurato. Due to the recent drought, the lake was at only 16% capacity. Upon arriving at the lodge around 7:30, we were greeted by Lulu, Guapo and other members of the staff and served their famous margaritas. Thereafter, we rigged our rods, had dinner of fried shrimp with all the trimmings and headed off to dreamland. None of us had any idea what was about to happen the next four days. With John the Methodist leading the way on the week of Mardi Gras under a new moon, it couldn't help but be good. Boy, was it ever…
Lundi Gras (Fat Monday)
While the monarchs of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club and Krewe of Rex were arriving by boat on the Mississippi River at New Orleans's Canal Street dock, Juan Grande and I with guide Antonio, along with Mike and George with guide Blas, were arriving at our respective opening morning fishing holes. Our King Cake was liquid, but King nonetheless! The early light top water fishing was non-existent, so Antonio decided it was time to start "crankin". At precisely 8:55 a.m., on a citrus color and blue DD-22 crank bait, Booya – I caught a 10.2. At 9:10 a.m., I had a 9.7. By this time, Juan Grande had a 9.4 and a 9.15 in the boat. Just like that, the big bass were "on". We went in for lunch and had some of Isabell's fine home cooking, not the least of which were her hand made maize tortillas. After a short siesta, we were back on the water at 2:00. Fishing was slower in the afternoon with Senor Big picking up several more 8's and 7's while I picked up only two fish that afternoon. The day ended for all four of us with not a huge number of fish but several big ones. For me, I had already done what I came to do—catch another double digit bass! We had a superb dinner that evening, followed by quality time on the veranda overlooking the lake. With a "dark moon," the sky glistened with estrellas (stars).
Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras Day)
Back in the Crescent City, the Zulu parade, followed by the Rex parade, rolled on. For the fishermen of Lake Baccarac Big Bass Lodge, we rolled out of bed for breakfast and then to the boat by 6:30 a.m. The morning was slow for me, but by mid-morning, I caught four on a Carolina rigged 8" watermelon/red lizard. As pleased as I was with this rig, I began singing: "nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the…morning." Not long thereafter, Juan Grande and Antonio began singing another version of the song which can't be repeated. I'll let you use your imagination. Senor Big picked up another 9.6 and 8.4 for the morning – all on the citrus/blue crank bait. Mike picked up an 8 and he and George came in at lunch with forty fish between them while Juan Grande and I had only 11. Fat Tuesday wasn't looking so fat! The afternoon session began later in the afternoon as we fished until 1:00 so as to take advantage of a major feeding time shown on the solunar calendar to be mid day with the sun and moon both overhead simultaneously. That afternoon, we went to a point and threw crank baits to one hole between shore and a tree which was 40' off the point. We caught 50 in two hours. On the way back in we stopped by our favorite "big bass hole" and Senor Big picked up another 9.4. Juan Grande strikes again! When we got back to the lodge for dinner, I was singing, "Para Bailar La
Bamba." Not impressed with my voice or my Spanish, Lulu and Ivan presented me with the lodge pet, a toy Chihuahua dog that plays that song when you press a button on his feet. Believe me, it was very funny! We had fried fresh fish for dinner that evening and Isabell prepared homemade flan for desert which would put a King Cake to shame!
Ash Wednesday with John the Methodist
The first day of Lent would be a dandy. By 10:00 a.m., John the Methodist had a 10.15, 10.14 and 9.1 in the boat. I had an 8.14 and an 8.2 with several 6's. Juan Grande broke a rod on a monster and lost MY bait and his rod. After cleaning out our 'big fish hole' again, we went to try out a new point where chrome and blue rattletraps were in order. By lunch, I had caught 75 fish and John 62. I caught a 4 and 3 on the same lure at the same time. I thought I had my muy grande. Mike caught 37 by lunch and George, 25. Like the day before, we fished through a major feeding time at mid-day. It was spot on. After lunch and siesta, we went back out at 3:30.
After watching Juan Grande catch two more 9's and two more 8's at the 'big fish hole,' we headed back to our Tuesday afternoon spot which, unlike the people in our boat, was dry! Moving to another point we saw a large flock of birds circling over a flat off a main lake point. Tilapia schools! We knew what had to be underneath. What happened the next two hours was phenomenal. I caught 55 bass including 10 8's and six 7's…all on my citrus and blue crank bait. I lost a huge fish on a wrap around and lost with it my special bait. I was down to one of those baits as I brought 3. At one stretch, I caught 11 fish in a row. Juan Grande caught 30 including more 8's and 7's. He started calling me "Crankin' Ken." So, there we were, John the Methodist and Crankin Ken, in a zone I doubt I will ever be in again. It was unconscious and magical. For the day, I caught 130 bass and John 102. But, the Master also had two 10's, three 9's, and three 8's. George had 30 on the day with two 5's and Mike had 45 with a couple of 6's. We came in at dark, exhausted. If not for Price's 'Two Old Goats' arthritis rub, we would have been out of luck. A little Jack Daniels helped, too, along with a dinner of shish kabobs. Conversation on the veranda that evening revealed that George and guide Blas were having a little trouble communicating. Poor George, we heard, couldn't seem to get his directions straight. Blas would say cast right and George would cast left. Blas would say cast left and danged if
George didn't cast right. In English as proper and correct as if said by the Queen herself, Blas said: "Senor Mike, I don't think George understands my Spanish!" If I didn't know better, I
would have sworn that Breaux was in that boat!
First Thursday of Lent
The last day of the trip was the second day of lent. The mood should be more quiet and reflective. With Juan Grande and Antonio conspiring in the boat, you can forget that! The early morning was slow, but I caught my only top water fish – a 4 pounder on a bone zara spook. I also picked up several on a chartreuse and white, willow leaf spinner bait. We went back by the 'Big Bass Hole' and I caught a 9.1 and Juan Grande caught an 8.4. We went to a new secondary point in a cove on the right side of the dam before lunch and magic struck again for Crankin' Ken. I caught a 10.0 and a 9.2 on back to back casts. I also caught a couple of 7's. The Methodist caught a couple of 8's. That afternoon, on his last cast, Juan Grande caught another 10.5. Mike caught 27 with an 8.4, 7.2, and 6.4. George caught 20 with a couple of 6's. We went back to the room to pack for the trip home while listening to Banda Max on the TV. We had steaks that night and as with every other dinner, the best soup I have ever put in my mouth. We finished off the flan and headed to the veranda for our last visit of the trip. After breakfast Friday morning, we said adios to our compadres at Big Bass Lodge and headed with Ivan back to the airport in Culiacan for a noon flight.
Friends, the numbers are unbelievable. Juan Grande caught 163 with three 10's, six 9's, and eight 8's with a top five fish average of 10.25 pounds. Crankin' Ken caught 211 with two 10's, 3 9's, and 12 8's with a top five fish average of 9.66. Mr. Price caught 136 with a nine and two 8's and Mr. Campbell caught 76 with a couple of 7's. That is 586 bass for four fishermen in four days. John the Methodist's camera couldn't hold any more pictures because the memory was full. (Yes, you can imagine how many fish I could have caught had I not been recording the Bass Gospel according to John the Methodist!) The new battery in my scale went dead and I had to put in a second one. The magic of Mardi Gras was right there in Old Mexico after all. The parades of bass in the bass capital of the world were endless. Beads and trinkets were replaced by crank baits and nets. The only things that "flashed" were huge bass breaking the surface. Crank on!
In the years to come, when the new moon of February comes around and the Mardi Gras season is in full swing, my thoughts will turn to a high mountain lake in Mexico, to the poetry of motion uniquely found in long, straight casts followed by quivering, bent rods, and to my unforgettable week in bass fishing paradise with my friends, John the Methodist, George and Mike.
Our friend, Doug King, at Pro Bass Adventures, can help you have a trip of a lifetime as well.
Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler – Deje que la juerga – Let the good times roll!!!
Doug,
We had an awesome time!
I am a serious bass fisherman and I've been fishing in the northwest US for 20+ years. My bass fishing goal has always been to catch the 'elusive' 10 pounder. While on the trip, I exceeded that goal - more then I ever imagined. I still can't believe it - but I caught a 10.4, 10.6, 10.14,
10.11, 11, 11.4, 11.14 and a 12.2!!! I know some people might doubt these weights, but the photos are my proof!
We had 21 seven pounders, 17 eight pounders, 15 nine pounders, 5 fish in the 10 pound range, 4 fish over 11 pounds and the one 12 pounder! All I can say is you have a little piece of bass fishing heaven there!
Don Boeger
Doug,
My son and I are from Texas, where we have enjoyed some excellent bass fishing in the past.
Along with being very scenic, Lake El Salto had the very best fishing we have ever seen!!!
Pro Bass Adventures provided us with an unforgettable experience. The entire staff treated us like friends, not clients. The lodge and food were first class, and the service was unbelievable.
If you love bass fishing....." IT DON'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS! "
Thank You!
Richard & Ricky Bell
Hi Doug,
Well, we had one over 11 lbs, 3 over 10 lbs, and 8 or 9 over 9 lbs, several over 8, and quit counting on the 7's and below. (We never have bothered to take a total count of all fish caught. ) All the biggest fish were caught on top water, but also on lizards, flukes, and worms! Really a different year from last year, but we enjoy the people as much as the fishing. You have a great staff and they all make us feel like friends more than clients! Juan Villa is such a patient, great guy...we all laughed through the whole trip with our stories and his. Lulu took the time to show Marsha how to make flan - thank-you, Lulu! - and Ivan is one of the nicest guys we've ever met. Isabel, Chiquis, Lizabeth, Lupe...everyone was great at what they do and made the trip just as memorable as we'd hoped. Feel free to quote us on anything.
I should mention that all of our top-water lures we used this year were home-made, including one that Vernon carved, designed, and to which Lew added paint, hardware, and hooks. Vernon's 11 lber was caught on this lure, which really made his trip! Have a good trip and we'll talk with you soon.
Lew and Marsha Rowland
Doug,
Best fishing trip of my life. Had a great time. No complaints just praise for your entire staff!!!
Thanks!
Chris Lanter
Hendrick Motor Sports
To Doug King, Erin Rogers and the rest of the Pro Bass Adventures gang,
I just wanted to send an email to thank you guys for the awesome trip. The weather, lake, people, and of course fishing made for an unforgettable vacation! My 10.30 pounder was the biggest I've ever caught, but that definitely won't stop me from coming back next year in search of the 19 pounder. The lifetime experience that Pro Bass Adventures provides is something you can't put into words. I will definitely be bringing back more friends with me next year. I thought we had some big lunkers in Texas, but they sure don't compare to the El Salto Monsters! Erin's the man when it comes to putting you on the fish, and Wish you guys the best and can't wait to see you next year!
Sincerely,
Stacey Anderson "The Carolina Rig Master"
Chad Walton
It was a great 5 days of fishing. My biggest were a 9.2 lb (spinner) and 10.9lb (swim bait), and my brother made it into the 10lb club at 10.0lbs (popper).
The staff at the hotel and the lake, as well as our guide were great.
Anyway, thanks for your assistance in making this a great trip. We plan to return. It was actually comical, in that I caught a 6.5 lb bass with 1 hr left in our trip, we barely got excited about it's size and almost didn't take a picture cause time was winding down. After we took the pic and
released the fish my brother looked over and laughed about the fact that we treated a 6.5 lb bass as no big deal. Prior to the trip neither one of us had caught a bass that big.
Thanks again.
Mike Mehlmann
Doug,
We had an awesome time. The service, accommodations, and food were excellent. Fishing with Erin Rogers was a great experience. He was very professional and courteous. We did much better with him on big fish than any of the other many people who fished with other big name operations we talked to at airport on the way out. I caught 3 fish over 9 lbs and lost one estimated between 12 and 13. My cousin caught a 10 and an 11.3. Attached are some photos for you. Please also pass these onto Erin. Give me a buzz when you get this as I want to talk to you about future trips.
Thanks for a great trip!
Jim Boettcher
Doug,
Here are pictures of my 2 biggest bass from my last trip. One is the 11 lb. - 9 oz. fish I caught the first morning. The other is the 12 lb. - 2 oz. fish I caught on the last cast of the third day. I hope to add a couple of 14-pounders this year!!!!
Thanks again!
Jerry A. Gordenier
Doug,
Thank you for the extra attention with regard to my son Nick on our trip to Lake Baccarac. I am sure that Nick will remember this trip for the rest of his life as will I. The fishing was great, but the best thing about the trip was the service. Everything was very well organized and everything that was promised was delivered and then some. The last day we fooled around with an ultra light rod and reel and 6# test line and I also included a pic of Nick and his almost 5 lb fish on 6 lb test. If you ever need a reference you can count on us!
Jim Boettcher
Doug,
Here are some pictures from my trip to El Salto a couple of weeks ago with Don. Pic #4 is 12 lbs., pic #12 is 12 lbs. 7 oz. and pic #14 is Don's 14 lb. 7 oz. fish. It was definitely a great time as usual, can't wait till next year.
Thanks!
Mike Moon
Hey Doug,
Here's one El Salto fish we managed to land, on May 2, Iovino weighed the fish @ 15lbs 15oz.
Thanks for a great trip!
George
Doug,
We had a great time, loved the lodge at Baccarac and how it was run, from the facility through the guides, all as promised. In a business that's often full of BS artists, you definitely delivered on everything you said and that's worth a lot to me...so I would like to book the whole lodge next year over the same time period.
I've attached a couple of pictures of Miguel's 11lb, 14oz pig, an 8 and 9 that I caught...I'll send more pictures later.
Thanks again,
Jim Caddell
Doug,
Just wanted to send you a note and say how much I enjoyed my trip to El Salto Lake Jan 02- Jan 06.
Pro Bass Adventures and El Salto Lake was everything you said they would be. The guides obviously are the most experienced & willing to give their all to make sure you are in an area to catch fish of a lifetime.
My first day of fishing was totally awesome, 98 fish between 3 and 4 lbs, all on top water and boy do they put up a fight!
Day two was a dream come true when I caught my biggest bass ever, 10 lb plus in 28 ft of water on a Zoom watermelon seed lizard fished on a Carolina rig.
I wish everyone could see the beautiful surroundings at El Salto Lake, especially the majestic mountains and un-forgettable sunsets.
Fishing from the Ranger boats is definitely the way to go! Folks, I saw guys fishing with other outfitters, had to settle for smaller aluminum boats that could not hold up to the changing winds throughout the day.
The food was very great, along with outstanding hotel service. It was very evident the staff of Pro Bass Adventures wanted to make sure my trip was as enjoyable as possible.
I can't wait to go back again! Thank you for everything!
Stu Eversole
Doug & Bob,
My Pro Bass Adventures El Salto fishing excursion was without question the finest fishing trip I have ever experienced. Not only was the fishing outstanding, the scenery was breathtaking, and the personal service was excellent. To further reinforce this positive experience, we are already planning our return trip to El Salto with Pro Bass Adventures!
Steve Dunbar
Doug,
We had a great time at Lake Baccarac and look forward to going back. The staff gave great personable service and was very helpful with my uncle helping him in and out of the boat. The accommodations and food were better than all others I have been in Mexico. The biggest fish we caught was 9# but there were several over 10+ caught during our stay. The weather was cool in am and warm to hot in the afternoons several of the days. Bets baits were topwater Zara spooks in light colors, or shad or bass color. Seems most people caught the biggest fish on top water. Some days if we found calm water we fished top water all day. If was to windy water melon lizards worked and wacky rigged large worms was also good. I used some flukes and caught nice fish and few on rattletraps. We probably caught about 100 fish per boat per day. Best bass fishing and size I have ever had. I hope my uncle will be up for another trip next year, my sons are in. I loved the top water action. We look forward to many return trips.
Murl Ferguson
Hi Doug,
Just wanted to take a few minutes to report on my Lake El Salto experience fishing with Erin. First, I would like to extend my thanks to all involved with my trip. I had a wonderful time and the service was excellent. Everyone was friendly and helpful in every way! Erin made the trip special for me. We got along extremely well and I think he is one of the best fisherman and guides I have ever seen. He worked very hard to put us on fish and keep us there. If the catch slowed down much at all, he relocated and found more aggressive fish that would bite. My largest fish was 9 lb 4 oz. which is a record for me.
I caught around a 150 fish in the 3 days (Thanks to Erin). While on the lake, I overheard some people (from another lodge) talking between boats and discussing their results. One boat had caught " 0" fish that morning and the boat he was talking to said they had caught a few but fishing was slow. Erin had put me on around 40 or more fish that morning prior to overhearing their discussion. As the two boats left the area, we were (quietly) catching doubles. We made a good effort to not advertise our success as no doubt they would have been happy to move into our area and try to find out what we were fishing with and how we were fishing it. The fish we were catching were in the 3 to 7 lb class with a few larger. That same evening I got a hold of a very large fish which I believe was the largest of the trip. As the old (one that got away) story goes, I almost got it to the boat when it turned, stripped line, went for the bottom and tangled me in a tree. Needless to say it got away! This was the trip of a lifetime for me, a wonderful experience and I am beginning to save up to possibly make the trip again.
Thanks again to all the staff, Jose, yourself, and a special thanks to Erin for a wonderful time!!!!
Tom H.
Doug,
Lake Baccarac es muy bueno!!! We had a great time! We averaged about 50-100 fish per angler per day. We caught fish in all age classes from 1 pound to 10+ pounds. We landed about 38 over 6 lbs. Dad was the King Muchacho with the only double-digit fish landed in our group - a 10.5 pounder that engulfed a Zara Spook. But we broke off several that could have gone over 10 and Sean lost 2 well over 10 that expunged his Swim Bait back at him when they went airborn - muy muy Grande! And the other party
(of 7) caught several over 10 pounds. Our flights down went without a hitch and Luis was waiting for us at the Los Mochis Airport (with Cervezas).
Here is the breakdown of what we caught: About 38 fish over 6 pounds, of which 10 were between 6-7 lbs, 6 were between 7-8 lbs, 2 between 8-9 lbs, and dad had a 9lb 2oz, and the 10.5-pounder. By far the hottest bait for El Grandes was Carolina Rigs, rigged with either 8" lizards or 10" worms. We also caught several Grandes on topwater (big Poppers and Spooks),a couple on jigs, and some nice fish on 5" Swim Baits. Other groups were catching Grandes on swim baits. Sean lost two over 10 lbs on a 5" pearl Storm Wild Eye Swim Bait. We caught some smaller fish on rattle traps and crank baits. Truthfully, almost anything you threw would catch fish, however, we found ourselves throwing mostly topwater, c-rig, and swim baits, because they seemed to produce the most big bites. Other guys were Texas rigging big lizards or 7" Senkos and doing well. Mornings and evenings produced Grandes in shallower water on either topwater or swim baits. But in the heat of the day, the C-rigs did the best to find them in deeper water flats or humps.The guides were great, and all spoke the universal language of Angler-ese! The service was excellent! LuLu greeted us with cervezas and margaritas anytime we were around the lodge.
The food was very good and we were always full. The rooms were very clean, and the drivers and dock handlers very always ready to take our gear and shuttle us to and from the lake. We never had to wait on them. We are going to start saving our money for a return trip. I would recommend this place to any serous bass angler! I have already have bragged about it to all of my bass buddies.
Thanks again.
Dan Clifford
Hi Doug -
Haven't corresponded with you before, but I was with Tom and Jim at Baccarac... what a great time!
The fishing was fantanstic and although we didn't get the size of fish we wanted, we had countless numbers. My arm is still sore. I caught over 500 fish myself and we figured we totaled over 2000 between the four of us for the 5 days of fishing. Averaged probably 3 - 6 pounds. Like I said, we didn't get the "big" ones, probably due in combination with our lack of patience and proper baits.
Don't get me wrong, the guides did a fine job, but it just seemed the grandes were not cooperating.
We spent a lot of time trying to figure out patterns and trying to find ideal conditions for bigger fish without much luck. Tough to do being there for the first time. And believe me, there will be more times to come. With better knowledge of the lake and different lure patterns, I think we'll hit the trophies next time.
The only thing close to the great fishing was the staff! The service was unreal! The staff at the lodge were fantastic. Waking up to a cup of coffee bedside was good enough, but they do it with smiles on their faces and will go out their way to get you whatever you need. That also includes the guys at the dock, the guides, and especially the drivers...everyone we met was cordial, smiling and would do anything to make sure we were having a good time. We never even had to open a door when we got out of a van...they were always there! I went to El Salto to last year and I hate to say it, but even if the fishing at El Salto is better next time, I'll still go to Baccarac because of the service. Please forward my thanks to the staff!
I spoke with Jim and he said you may want to join us next time. Would love to have you along. Again, thanks for everything and I look forward to next time!
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