ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
January 2010

FISH THE PLASTIC OFF THE POINTS
By Billy Chapman, Jr.

Enjoying that cold weather up North? Here in sunny old Mexico, we’re catching big bass from Lakes El Salto while wearing shorts and flip-flops.

With tilapia hiding near the banks, bass hold tight on points in one to four feet of water. At first light, white surface poppers produce good action. “Tilapia are up on the banks in the morning with bass feeding on them,” said Bradley Hallman, a professional angler from Norman, Okla. “That’s why a Pop-R works so well on Lake El Salto. People might catch 20 fish in the first couple hours with a Pop-R, Rico or similar bait.” Bradley and his wife, Dawn, visited Lake El Salto this week to catch bass, fished in the Sea of Cortez out of Mazatlan and enjoyed a stay at Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay. Anglers Inn International serves as the exclusive Sportsman’s Club for all six Pueblo Bonito properties. “This is the best lake that I’ve ever fished – and I’ve fished a lot of good lakes,” the pro said. “The fishing is unreal. The accommodations are first-rate.” Fishing strictly topwaters on fly tackle, Will Van Rees from Los Angeles enticed a 9-pounder into hitting a white Pearly Popper. He joined his father, Norm, mother Diane and older brother Nick from Kansas City. Dedicated fly fishermen, they tallied many bass in the 3- to 5-pound range with some larger fish. “Topwaters have been really good in the morning, but not quite as good as senkos,” Bradley explained. “As the morning progresses, bass move down the slopes into six to 12 feet of water. People are catching 30 to 40 fish by 9 a.m. on senkos with many bass in the 2- to 5-pound range, plus some in the 7- to 9-pound range.” Steven and Jill Svrcek from Apple Valley, Minn., tried to catch 100 fish in four hours one morning. I’m sorry to say, they didn’t achieve their goal, landing only 98 before lunch! However, they did lose several lunkers. The Svrceks caught 14 bass in their first 18 minutes with most hitting in the 2- to 5-pound range. Some topped 6 pounds. They wacky rigged senkos around flooded timber or dragged watermelon red flake lizards through six to 12 feet of water.

Ando Takeshi, a bass pro from Tokyo, Japan, caught a 9.8-pounder on a Texas-rigged chartreuse senko. He and Emily Kamata landed quite a few other bass in the 4- to 6-pound range. “We had a great time,” Takeshi said. “Normally, I use darker colors like green pumpkin, but for bigger fish, I like to use brighter colors like chartreuse.” As the day warms, fish big lizards or black and blue jigs tipped with craws. Also try slow-rolling green and blue spinnerbaits through eight to 20 feet of water. Run blue and chartreuse deep-running crankbaits parallel to ridges or creek channel edges in 15 to 25 feet of water in the afternoon. “At mid-day, bass move into deeper water,” Bradley said. “That’s a good time to throw a Texas-rigged 10-inch worm. I caught a lot of big fish on a brown jig with a blue craw trailer, a watermelon or green pumpkin 10-inch worm and a Norman DD-22 crankbait.” Bernie Kuhel of San Diego used a 10-inch black and blue Berkley Power Worm one afternoon to land the lunker of the week, an 11-pounder. Fishing with his brother Ray from Virginia Beach, Va., that morning, Bernie caught a 9-pounder on a watermelon senko.

Lake El Salto
Fishing Report, December, 2009

By Billy Chapman, Jr.

John and Kay Munoz know how to start a good fishing trip. For the past 12 years when staying at their time-share condo at Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan, the San Marcos, Calif., couple squeezed in a fishing trip to Lake El Salto. Early one morning during their most recent visit, John worked a 7-inch white fluke through some treetops sticking out of eight feet of water. “I was bringing the fluke through the tops and working it just beneath the surface when a big fish rolled on it,” John said. “Immediately, I threw back there again. The second time, the fish grabbed it and I landed one right at about 10 pounds. It was my first fish of the morning. We probably caught about 15 bass that morning. Most averaged 2 to 3 pounds, but we also caught a 7.5-pounder.” Anglers Inn International serves as the exclusive Sportsman’s Club for all six Pueblo Bonito properties. Couples wishing to stay at one of the 5-Star Pueblo Bonito resorts receive a significant discount on room rates if they book through Anglers Inn International. “Whenever we’re in Mazatlan, we come up to Anglers Inn El Salto for a day trip,” John said. “We’ve fished with other outfitters on Lake El Salto, but we don’t go to them anymore. We only fish with Anglers Inn International now. With the lodge right on the lake, my wife says it’s a lot easier for women.” Other anglers also report good action in shallow waters at both Lake El Salto and Lake Mateos. Bass chase baitfish toward the shorelines. In the morning and evenings, fish topwater baits. “Bass have been herding baitfish into the back of coves,” said Richard Hatch, an A-Team member from Scottsdale, Ariz. “We caught two 8-pounders and a number of 7-pounders, all on top in the backs of the coves. That’s always such a thrill when a big fish blasts a topwater bait. The tug is the drug.” Richard recommended throwing Lobina Rico poppers or Zara Spooks at first light. During bright conditions, throw lighter colored lures. As darkness overtakes the lake in the evening, switch to black poppers. If fish don’t hit on the surface, throw Rat-L-Traps in chrome and blue with a touch of orange or red or drag watermelon-seed lizards over the bottom. Soft-plastic jerkbaits also work great near cover. “Fishing is consistently great,” Hatch said, “but the service keeps me coming back. I travel around the world for my business and often stay at places like the Ritz Carlton or the Four Seasons, but they have nothing that truly matches Anglers Inn at El Salto or Lake Mateos. Guests can also get one of the best massages they’ve ever had at Anglers Inn.”

ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
Lake El Salto Fishing Report, Nov. 12, 2009

By Billy Chapman, Jr.

Happy Veterans Day and a salute to all veterans past and present and to their families who also serve in their own way. Once pushing winds in excess of 160 miles per hour, Hurricane Rick weakened to a tropical storm by the time it made landfall just north of Mazatlan on Oct. 21, 2009. The storm caused no damage to the Anglers Inn El Salto lodge and actually benefited the lake. The storm was just what the doctor ordered. By the time the storm reached Lake El Salto, it brought moderate rain. This caused the lake level to rise about 5.5 feet. That’s good because the lake level was lower than normal for this time of the year. The storm improved water conditions. As we head into mid-November, bass at Lake El Salto hold in the deep channels. Bring a bunch of plastic baits and slip sinkers for outstanding worm action. The hottest baits of the week were 8-inch Zoom or 10-inch Berkley Power Worms rigged Texas-style and Carolina-rigged lizards dragged over the bottom. These lures produced quite a few good fish with several topping 10 pounds in the past few days. Hot colors for soft plastics include watermelon and red flake, black and blue or red shad. Scott Townley reported catching a 10.5-pound bass on a watermelon lizard dragged through a deep channel. Michael Stanford and his party also enticed a 10.5-pounder with a lizard. Rodney Cross caught a 10.25-pounder on a black and blue worm. John McCord and his party caught more than 100 bass with one 10-pounder eating a lizard. Rogues and topwaters, such as a Heddon Zara Spook or a Lucky Craft Sammy in clear or chrome with a black top and white body, work early in the morning or in late afternoon. A Bomber Fat-Free Shad in clown, citrus shad, hot mustard or firetiger might also attract attention. As try Lobina Rio Rico poppers or Yellow Magics in white, white with sparkles or bleeding shad. Watch for schooling fish and keep a chrome and blue or bleeding shad Rat-L-Trap handy just in case something rises to the surface. Around the weeds, fish 5- to 6-inch super flukes, senkos, Yumdingers or Bass Pro Shops Stik-O soft plastic jerkbaits in white, watermelon, red flake or black with blue flakes. Fish these temptations Texas-rigged with no weight. Light and lifelike, such floating plastic temptations pass easily over or through weeds and look like natural prey. Try a stop-sink-go retrieve. Hold the rod tip high and crank a reel slowly to skitter it over the surface vegetation in an alluring continuous motion. As it passes over a hole in the vegetation, let it sink a foot or two before pulling it back. As always, big swimbaits might attract the bucketmouth giants. Fish 4- to 6-inch Storm WildEye Shads in shad, white with chartreuse or pearl with the tail dipped in yellow dye or a 5-inch Yum Money Minnows in hologram shad or herring colors for the giants.

ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
April 16th to May 10th 2009

We want to come back!

We’ve heard that comment again and again from countless clients ever since we first opened Anglers Inn Lodge on Lake El Salto. The time of year doesn’t matter. Visitors have expressed that sentiment whether they’ve been here in December as well as July. Do we like to hear that sort of thing? You better believe it! We bust our collective tails here at Anglers Inn to provide the kind of experience you’re not going to forget. We invite you to take a look at the comments of clients who have visited us recently. As usual, we’re not big on tooting our own flute. We much prefer to let our visitors do it for us. Here are a few examples of what we’re talking about. Following are comments from clients who stayed with us from mid-April to mid-May. George Tabone is a valued client who has visited Anglers Inn many times. Here’s what George had to say about his recent visit: “I’ve just returned from another great visit to Angler's Inn at El Salto Lake. This was my 13th trip and I was joined by my father Frank, Uncle George and good friend Jimmy North. As always everything was fantastic and exceeded expectations. The rooms were clean and cool, the food was delicious and the staff unbelievable. Jose, Sammy, Tony, Joel and the entire crew made our stay wonderful. “As for the fishing, once again El Salto did not disappoint us. We primarily focused on bigger fish this trip so our numbers were not staggering, but the quality was phenomenal. I personally added 10.2 and 11.3-pound bass to my El Salto record books. In addition, I lost count of the 4 to 8-pounders I caught. Most fish were caught on watermelon red lizards and 5-inch swimbaits. My father also landed a 10-pounder and Jimmy boated a 10-pounder on consecutive days. That's five fish over 10-pounds in just four days. It doesn't get much better than that. Thanks for all you and your staff do to make these trips so special for us. I look forward to seeing you at the end of May on my next trip. I’ve attached some pictures for you.” Keith Kaneko and his father were also among our recent visitors. “My father and I want to thank you for the kind offer to visit and fish El Salto,” Keith says. “It was a special trip for us and, even more, it was a much needed getaway for Dad. It was quite special to share some father-son fishing time again. Your staff and service was top notch as always. Dad was constantly amazed at the attention to detail that your staff provides. He really felt at home there at El Salto. “Also, it was truly a fishing trip of a lifetime for him. He landed some monster bass. As usual, he landed more big fish than I do no matter where we fish. He ALWAYS lands the biggest fish. It was great to see him with that ‘big-fish-smile’ again. After the first day of the trip I could tell that he had finally ‘unplugged’, let go, and just relaxed. I had not seen him relax like this in quite some time. “I thank each of you wholeheartedly for the opportunity for Dad to join me on this trip, it’s much appreciated.” Mike Ishikawa is another angler who has been here before. He says his latest El Salto adventure was the best ever for big bass. Here are some of the details he shared with us. “Lance and I had another very nice trip to Anglers Inn. As usual, the staff from the driver Hugo to the dining staff was great. “The fishing was also great. We had our greatest big fish trip ever. We caught 60 bass between 6 and 10.5-pounds. Lance got the big one. We averaged about 65 fish per day. On the last morning we caught 57 bass before departing. We fished the shallows in the morning and moved out to the flats and fished some drop offs in the afternoon. Senkos rigged either Wacky or Texas Style were great for me. Lance caught his share of large bass on a Berkley 10-inch worm in black with a blue tail. On our very first day we caught 28 big bass between 6 and 10-pounds!” Our good friend Stan Fagerstrom, of Arizona, came back to El Salto again last month. Stan is a writer who helped pioneer bass fishing in the western United States. He’s been writing about bass fishing for more than a half century. He’s also a member of both the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame and the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. We already knew how Stan felt about El Salto because he’s told us many times. He considers it the best bass fishing he’s ever found in a lifetime devoted to fishing and writing about it. Here’s what he had to share in regard to his latest visit: “When my friend Heidi Roth, editor of Gary Yamamoto's Internet magazine, heard I was going to El Salto in late April she had a question. Would I, she asked, be interested in trying a couple of the new Yamamato worms designed especially for big bass. She went on to say that anglers had been hammering the fish with these new baits on other lakes. I told her I'd be pleased to give them a try. The way things turned out, I was glad I did. “The two new worms, they are a 12-inch Curly Tail and a 10-inch Kut Tail, were our most productive on the recent El Salto visit. We caught more fish and larger fish on these two baits. I had my best success with the new 12-inch worm Curly Tail. My partner, Marion Sundwall, of Idaho, got most of his bass on the 10-inch Kut Tail. Our best colors were black with blue flakes and a watermelon with red flakes. “We fished these big worms rigged Texas Style with sufficient weight to keep them on the bottom during the retrieve. Some of our best success was in water 20-feet or more in depth. It was essential to fish the worms slowly with an occasional lift and slight shake of the rod tip. “These lures, along with a YUM Money Minnow in a white shade, took a bunch of fish from 6 to 7 1/2-pounds. I also caught a number of fish on a 5-inch Swimming Senko rigged Texas Style and fished behind an easy-turning Max Lure Smile Blade. That combination was hot when I was at El Salto last year and it was still productive this time around, “My biggest thrill during our morning topwater fishing came while I was casting a 3/8th-ounce Chug Bug. I'd worked that lure all the way back to the boat and was just about to pick it up and throw it again when---wham! I don't know how big that fish was. I do know it busted my 20-pound line like it was cheap cord string. I was lucky it didn't do the same to my rod because it jerked the tip clear down under the boat when it hit. “I've fished bass in a good many spots around the country. If there are bass anywhere that fight any harder than those El Salto fish, I've not found 'em. Hook a 2-pounder and you flat won't know for sure it's not four times that size until it finally tires out enough so you can get a look at it. “There are so many other things to be said about Anglers Inn and El Salto Lake. Over the past half century I've had the rare good fortune to be a guest at fishing lodges from Alaska to the Amazon and from Argentina to New Zealand. Taking the treatment, service and food I've experienced into consideration as well as fishing results, I've not seen a darn one that tops or even equals Anglers Inn Lodge at Mexico's Lake El Salto. “As I’ve mentioned, my latest experience came during the last week in April. I had a companion who had never fished at El Salto before or visited an Anglers Inn. I got almost as big a charge out of his reaction as I did catching a bunch of bass myself. He darn near went bonkers! “Nothing in life is worth much unless it can be shared by at least two people. I don't care how much you tell close friends about El Salto Lake fishing and Anglers Inn food and service, it has to be experienced to be truly appreciated. “But there's a warning it's only fair to include. Don't go there planning on making just one visit. It's not going to happen. That's why the fantastic operation Billy Chapman Jr. has put together down there south of the border gets so many repeat customers. The last time I checked I found Anglers Inn annually gets more than 80 percent repeat customers. Wow! I know a whole lot of businesses that would like to be able to have that kind of record. “The number of returning clients also provides the single best yardstick as to what kind of reception you'll receive once you get there. Those El Salto bass will provide the same kind of unforgettable experience as does Anglers Inn. I've been there enough to know what I’m talking about. I still get a memory filled red hot case of the ‘I want to go back fishin' itch’ just talking or writing about it.”
That’s about the size of it, friends. You’ve just read the comments from a few of the anglers who have been here recently. Most of them had been here before. Every darn one of them has talked about the great fishing as well as the service and attention they received from our staff. Isn’t it time for you to have the same kind of experience? Give us a call when you’re ready. We’ll be waiting to hear from you. And we’ll do our best to make sure you leave feeling the same way so many of our other clients already do.
There’s nothing we’d like better than having a chance to prove that to you.

ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
March 2009

At Anglers Inn El Salto, we’re proud to offer special couples packages for folks who want to share the experience of visiting our lodge with their spouse or significant other. We know many wives are hesitant at first to visit a fishing camp with their husbands, but almost invariably, when they have an opportunity to experience first-hand our great accommodations, food and service, they fall in love with Anglers Inn and come back many times. Most of them find they enjoy the great fishing action as well, even if they’re not experienced anglers. We recently were visited by three couples who came to Anglers Inn together: Norman and Dana Fowler, Norman’s parents Paul and Norma, and the Fowler’s cousin Jody Barrios and her husband Dennis. Norman and Dana wrote back to tell us they all enjoyed a fabulous vacation. “I know this is probably not your typical fishing report,” said Dana, “but I want all families out there who like to fish to know how family-friendly Anglers Inn is and for the women especially, it is not just all about fishing. My husband Norman and his dad have been going to El Salto for about eight years. One year they took our oldest son Daniel (14 at the time) and the following year they took our youngest son Seth (age 11). Norman usually books a year in advance, and when it is nine months from the time to go, the countdown begins at our house, and he can tell you each morning exactly how many days there are to go before they leave again for El Salto. That tells you how anxious he is to get there! “This year we decided to take advantage of the couple’s package and us three women packed our bags and went along,” she continued. “We had a great time. It was a pleasure to wake up each morning to coffee or juice served in your room by the friendly and ever-efficient staff, and then to go to the dining area for breakfast where we could choose from the large variety of breakfast foods that were offered. By 6 o’clock, each couple was usually in their own boat with a guide. And believe me, the guides were wonderful and full of patience. They changed the women’s lures, took out the bird nests, got us loose when we hung up on a tree, and even took the lures out of the fish. Because of them, our husbands were able to fish without us interrupting them.” None of the women were seasoned anglers like their husbands, but they were catching fish like pros as soon as the fishing began. “The very first morning, we were catching a lot of 5- and 6-pounders,” said Dana. “We were using mostly Money Minnows, Senkos, swimbaits and lizards. I liked fishing with the Money Minnow best because you were pretty likely to get a nice fish with it, but I used a variety of lures like watermelon lizards on Carolina rigs. Norma used the 8-inch watermelon lizard but liked the swimbait the best. Jody stayed mostly with a wacky-rigged Senko, which she used to catch her big 7.4 bass on.” According to Norman, this was one of his best trips as far as the average size of the bass went. “During each session, morning and evening, I had at least one fish of 7 pounds or better,” he said. “In the mornings, the pattern seemed to be finding underwater humps and fishing for the large fish as they moved up. During afternoons, we fished deep water leading up to flats and usually caught three to four quality fish. We could have fished different patterns and baits and caught a lot more fish, but I was after size and not too worried about numbers. “The main baits we used were 5-inch Money Minnows on white jig heads,” Norman continued. “The colors of the jig head and lure didn't seem to matter much because I ran out of white and switched to bass color and didn't see a drop off in fish. The fish would hit about anything. We fished Storm 5-inch swimbaits and caught quality fish, and when we fished 4-inch swimbaits we caught a few more although the average size fell off. My second biggest fish, an 8.4, came on a Bill Dance Citrus Shad crankbait. When the fishing would slow down our guide would put a green lizard on a Carolina rig for my wife and the action would usually pick up some for her. We also did well fishing a 3/4-ounce, white, double-willow spinnerbait.” Of course, fun fishing is just one part of the overall Anglers Inn experience. When the morning fishing ended and they came back to the lodge, Dana, Norma and Jody were in for some additional treats. “When we would go in for lunch at 11o’clock, another fabulous meal was waiting,” Dana said. “And because the boats did not go out again until 2 o’clock, we had time to choose from a facial, pedicure, manicure or a massage, or we could just take a siesta. Talk about being spoiled! We took advantage of everything. The massages were wonderful!” Everyone in the group caught quality fish. Norman caught the biggest at 9 pounds, 4 ounces, while Norma and Dennis tied, each catching 8-pounders using swimbaits. Paul followed close behind with a 7.9 on a watermelon lizard. Dana caught a 7.5 on a Carolina rig, and Jody followed real close with a 7.4. Those are good bass anywhere you fish. “We took hundreds of pictures,” said Dana. “The lake and surrounding area are beautiful; there’s always something different to see. At night, it was wonderful to relax after another great meal and compare notes of the day’s count. We were surprised to find each couple had caught a fish at the same time and took pictures. Dennis even caught two fish on one lure at the same time. He said he thought he had a monster of a fish.
“In the coming spring, Norman plans to take our two daughters Macey and Kasey, on their first fishing trip to Lake El Salto,” Dana said. “And yes, us women are planning on going back, too. In fact the count down will soon begin.”

ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
Feb 16th thru March 10th, 2009

In this report, we’re going to let our guests do the talking. They’ll tell you how the fishing has been during recent weeks. Hope you’re sitting down …
Phil Pasley and Dave Kretz said their recent visit was the best ever. “The fish were really biting and not just the normal 3- to 7-pounders you always catch at El Salto,” they told us. “The big girls were really putting on a show! On Tuesday, February 24, our five largest fish were 10 pounds, 9-8, 9-3, 9-3 and 9.0, for a five-fish total of 47 pounds. Our goal was to have five fish in one day that broke the 50-pound barrier, but we couldn't get rid of those 9-pounders regardless of how hard we tried. We followed that up on Friday, February 26, with a catch of 9-8, 9-3, 9-3, and two 7s. (Don't you hate it when you can't get rid of those puny 7-pounders?) We suggest anyone fishing El Salto in the near future bring PLENTY of crankbaits as most of our large fish were caught on 3/4-ounce Fat Free Shads and DD 22s. The primary colors were Chartruese Blue Back and Dance's Tennessee Shad. We also had good success on Senkos and lizards. “As always, the wait staffs at Anglers Inn were fantastic, and the food was awesome,” Phil and Dave said. “We gained some weight while we were there! Billy Chapman, Jr.’s Anglers Inn is a world-class organization on the world’s greatest bass lake!” Mike Cage was down with several friends for a three-day visit, and his group also enjoyed great fishing. “Five of the six people in our group caught at least one fish over 8 pounds,” he said. “I was fortunate enough to catch one that weighed 11.2! This is by far the biggest fish that I have ever caught, and I can’t wait to get the replica back from the taxidermist. Most of our fish were caught on Texas-rigged lizards and Money Minnows. I have fished other places, but no other outfit delivers such exceptional fishing, guides, food, and service like Angler’s Inn. Thanks for the trip of a lifetime.” When Mark Owens sent us a note, he said his wife Kim “almost fell over from excitement” when she saw the nice room they’d be staying in at Anglers Inn. And they found the great meals and great fishing much to their liking as well. “We felt like this was another honeymoon,” Mark said. “You have, without a doubt, the best run organization … Anglers Inn gets a 5-star rating in our book.” Kim caught her biggest bass ever, a 9-pounder that had already spawned. “It was a big fish with a huge head but no belly,” Mark said. “We guessed it to be 27 inches long. She also caught an 8-8, 8-0, 7-6, and a lot of 5- to 6-pounders. We pulled up on a point one afternoon and in 30 minutes we both caught 6s, 7s, and 8s. We had double hook-ups twice. All those bass were caught on Carolina-rigged 7-inch watermelon red flake and black and blue lizards. One morning in an hour and a half or less, fishing 7-inch black and blue Senkos, I alone caught 68 pounds of bass, with the largest being an 8-8, and the smallest a 4-pounder! That's WIDE OPEN bass fishing! The numbers were down slightly this year, but the average fish were all big, 4 pounds plus. Kim averaged about 30 fish per day, and I averaged about 70, with at least 60-plus 5-pounders. I lost 10 big bass, including six that broke 15-pound line and two on 20-pound. El Salto bass are hands down the strongest bass out there! Thank you so much for another trip of a lifetime!” Tom Rada and Terry Connolly came down with a group that has visited El Salto for 12 connective years. “Each year, the fishing has been outstanding,” Tom reported, “and the food and service keep getting better. The only thing that never changed was the weather. Each day was a repeat of the day before—sunny and warm.” Terry said their party had never fished El Salto this late in the year and noted, “We did not catch 50 or 60 fish a day, but we did get some large fish. On Saturday morning, in three hours, I caught four 6-pound-plus fish, a 4-10, a 5-8 and a 7-13. I don’t think I can go anywhere and do that, and I have fished about every lake in Texas, Florida and Georgia over the last 30 years. The food and service were great as usual. This is beyond what you would anticipate in a fishing camp; it’s more like a fishing resort. Thanks for another great year.” Rick Hunter came down from Tennessee, and had what he described as an “awesome trip.” “This was our best big-fish trip to date,” he told us. “We caught over 200 fish, with 17 over 7 pounds and the largest weighing 9.7. There were countless 5- and 6-pounders! I found a cove on the second day with standing timber in the middle, and the fish were suspended in 15 to 18 feet of water holding in the timber. Every afternoon these fish would start feeding on baitfish, and we were able to catch them throwing swimbaits … It was hard to believe we caught so many good fish in one spot for four days! We caught several other fish over 7 pounds fishing a Carolina-rigged lizard on drop-offs and ditches. “This was our fifth trip to Anglers Inn,” Rick said, “and the service is always AWESOME! This was my girlfriend’s second trip and she loves it! All you have to do is catch fish; they do everything else for you!” Our friend Sheldon Brown sent photos of two big bass he and his son-in-law Joe caught while they were down. The note with the photos was short but sweet: “I thought you might want to see a few pictures from our trip,” Sheldon said. “Had a great time, thanks. That's an 8-pound bass I caught, and Joe got this 11-pounder. He even got a free massage for it!” Chuck Kass and his wife Marianne sent some pictures as well. “As you can see by the photos, we caught some very nice fish,” Chuck said. “I already stopped at the sport shop to get ready with different weights and lures in anticipation of our return next year.” Like many of our guests, Chuck and Marianne were very pleased with the services of their guide. “Luis is a great guide,” they told us. “He is very communicative and did a great job instructing and helping us catch fish. We are planning to have our friends join us next year and will figure out a schedule for duck shooting and fishing. You have a great operation. If you need references, by all means have your customers give us a call in Wisconsin. You will definitely receive outstanding recommendations.” If you thought we had packed all the big-fish action we could into one report … well, we’re not quite finished yet. Here’s another great testimonial from Will Brandt. “We caught around 150 fish in four days of fishing,” he said, “most of which were caught on Carolina-rigged swimbaits. Others were caught on Yum Money Minnows rigged on a 3/4-ounce head with a spinner blade. They were fished on bottom, slow rolled and that's what I caught my 10-pound bass on. I would say 75% of the fish we caught were between 5 and 7.5 pounds. It was incredible. Almost every fish weighed 5 pounds or more! I can't wait to get back down there!” To wrap up the news from our guests for this report, let us share with you some of the fun Dong Sung Won and Mi Young Choi had during their recent five-day visit. On Day 1 of their trip, they caught many 5- and 6-pounders on Carolina-rigged lizards and Mi Young Choi caught a 7-5 bass on a Damiki 6-inch watermelon Hotdog. Many bass were striking short, however, so on Day 2, they changed to Carolina-rigged Lake Fork Crawdad Tubes with a very strong garlic scent, a move that helped them catch a bass on every bite. Dong Sung Won caught a 9-3 bass on this lure and noted “The second day was fantastic.” The fishing pattern changed again on Day 3, but Dong Sung Won changed, too, using a a Berkley 12-inch fire-red Ribbontail Worm to entice an 8-pound, 13-ounce lunker. Not to be outdone, Mi Young Choi landed a 9-6 bass on Day 4, and on Day 5, their last day of fishing, swimbaits and tubes produced many 5- and 6-pounders for the pair. “My wife hooked a truly big bass, but it broke her line,” Dong Sung Won said. “And I got a bite and had my 30-pound line broken, too. My last bass on this riprap point was a 6-9, though, a good way to end our trip.” And finally, we wanted to tell you about some television programs you might want to see. Last December, Steve Babbidge hosted a group from Western Outdoor News at El Salto. Cody Herman from Shimano outfitted all the guests with some of their new rods and reels, and WON brought a ton of baits from their sponsors. To round off the trip, they had Michael Fowlkes and Shay McIntee from Inside Sportfishing. Steve says, “Michael knocked me out with the three shows he produced from this trip. They are truly the best shows I have ever seen on Anglers Inn/Lake El Salto. What makes the show so good is that Cody, Shay and Mike caught big healthy fish on a myriad of baits. So did everyone on the trip, including my son Aaron who caught five fish on Spooks and Ricos one morning that weighed 35 pounds.” All three shows are a must see for anyone planning a trip to El Salto. Thank you Shimano, WON and Inside Sportfishing! Enough said. Have you planned your next visit to Anglers Inn El Salto? Give us a call to talk fishing or to make preparations for your next trip. Time is going by.

ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
Feb 1st thru 15th, 2009

A full moon rose over Lake El Salto during this report period, and that was good news for visiting anglers. February’s full moon marks prime time for spawning bass down here south of the border, and the fishing has been hot. Here’s what some recent guests had to say about their trip, starting with our friend Bruce Holt, executive director of G. Loomis Rods and a lifelong angler, who says he enjoyed some of the most incredible fishing action he’s ever experienced during his recent visit. “When it comes to consistently catching big bass, Mexico’s Lake El Salto is where it’s at,” he said. “The bass grow big, and they are aggressive. Pound for pound, there isn’t a bass anywhere that fights harder than those in El Salto. There are tons of fish in the 4- to 7-pound range, with fish up to 15 pounds available. I have taken several El Salto bass over 10 pounds, with the biggest being 13 pounds, 5 ounces. El Salto is about as good as it gets. I can’t remember the number of fish I’ve taken there in the 5- to 9-pound range. Having just spent a few days on the lake with fishing buddy Renaud Pelletier, I was reminded just how good the fishing can get, not to mention the unbelievable service that Billy Chapman, Jr.’s Anglers Inn crew provide.” Bruce and Renaud caught some really quality fish on their trip, with four around the 8-pound mark. One morning, they had 20 bass of five pounds or more in about a 90-minute period. On another day, they say a “wolf pack” of 4- to 8-pounders attacked a school of shad off a secondary point right in front of their boat. They hooked several before they moved off, but adrenalin coursed through their veins for the rest of the afternoon! “We were so excited it was hard to settle down,” Bruce told us. “We caught most of our bigger fish on 5- and 6-inch soft-plastic swimbaits like Strike King’s Shadalicious or an 8-inch Mission Fish in deep water – 15 to 24 feet. We did really well with a Bomber Fat Free Shad (Citrus color, ¾-ounce size). Zoom watermelon 8-inch lizards caught us a number of bass, but those fish were smaller on the average than those caught on big crankbaits and swimbaits. Another great big-fish bait is Yamamoto’s 7-inch Senko in watermelon/black flake or watermelon/red flake, fished on flats around timber or around cover along the shoreline. “The one thing that really makes the difference in a fishing trip is the lodge,” Bruce continued. “A bad day at most lodges is just that. But at Billy Chapman, Jr.’s Anglers Inn, even the bad days are great. The food, the surroundings and the staff’s attention to detail and your every need make even the worst day of fishing great!” Bruce’s friend Renaud Pelletier is a three-time qualifier for the Bassmasters Classic and a serious, successful tournament fisherman in the Northwest. “If you're looking for a way to shed wintertime cabin fever,” he said, “there's no better escape than to Lake El Salto in Mexico. On my fourth trip to Billy Chapman, Jr.'s Anglers Inn in ten years, we got exactly what my bass-starved ego needed. Bruce and I spent four days there and caught plenty enough of those hard-fighting Mexican bass to tide me over till they start biting up here in the Northwest. The accommodations, service and friendly attention of the Anglers Inn staff and guides made the trip exceptional.” Renaud said that while they didn’t catch any bass over 10 pounds, as is common at El Salto, they caught plenty of fish in the 5- to 8-pound range and many more 3- to 5-pounders. “Our most consistent pattern for larger fish was using 4- to 6-inch swimbaits fished slowly along the bottom in 10 to 15 feet over offshore humps and creek ledges,” he reported. “Heavier weighted-keel hooks rigged Texas style in shad and minnow-colored Berkley Hollow Bellies and Basstrix worked best. I also got into a good bite with a 6-inch Mission Fish, landing two over 7 pounds on consecutive casts. In one midday stretch, we caught four in the 7-pound class in less than half an hour.” Renaud said their next best pattern was cranking 3/4-ounce, deep-running Bomber Fat Free Shad crankbaits in Citrus Shad color over creek channel swings. “On day three, we had an incredible hour and a half stretch where we took 20 or more bass over 5 pounds and another 20 between 3 and 5,” he said. “And man do those crank fish get mad when hooked. I had forgotten how aggressive and strong they are down there. I also caught two or three quality fish each morning and evening on an 8-inch MS Slammer wake bait, the largest of which was 7.5 pounds. It seemed most of the better fish were not relating to shallow shoreline cover on this trip except for very early and late. “Of course, we caught many good fish on the standby Salto plastics like 8-inch Zoom lizards, 10-inch Berkley Power Worms and larger Senkos,” he continued. “You can't go to Mexico without them! Just prior to our trip, a party whacked some 8- to 10-pounders on a 7-inch Senko. Watermelon black, watermelon red and green pumpkin for lizards and Senkos worked best. The black/blue tail Power worm was also a consistent producer. “I can't say enough about Anglers Inn Lodge,” Renaud said in wrapping up. “The atmosphere generated by those people, along with the fantastic food, great rooms and their caring attention to all your needs make for a truly unique and fun experience. And then, by any standards, you’re going to get great bass fishing with competent guides and excellent boats amidst spectacular desert mountain scenery. I can't wait till my next trip!” Greg Gant just turned 50 years old, and his wife Arlyne got him a great birthday gift: a fantasy fishing trip to Anglers Inn on Lake El Salto! “We were so pleasantly surprised at the accommodations and the nicest people we have ever had taking care of our needs,” Greg told us after their visit. “Jose and the rest of the Anglers Inn’s staff were like having old friends to spend time with. And my guide Aaron knew all the great places to fish, the lures to use and the methods to make the fish bite best. I caught between 120 and 150 bass in three days of fishing, including two 8-pounders, five 7-pounders and many 5- to 6-pounders. On the last evening, Aaron encouraged Greg to try a Zara Spook on the shady points, and they got on a pattern that produced several fish over 5 pounds, along with a couple of 7-pounders. “I just love topwater action,” said Greg, “and late each afternoon, I caught quite a few nice bass fishing surface lures. Of course, Senkos and Rat-L-Traps (I used a Lucky Craft LVR7) produced most of the fish.” Arlyne fished with Greg one afternoon for a couple of hours, and Greg said Aaron was very patient and fun with helping her. “We had only booked a three-day fishing trip,” Greg said, “but we wished we had spent the whole week at Anglers Inn. All the positive feedback I had read online made me leery. But those reports did not do this resort justice. We were treated better at Billy Chapman, Jr.’s Anglers Inn than we have been treated at five-star hotels in some of our big U.S. cities. If someone is reading this and trying to decide where to stay on El Salto, look no further. I’ve told many of my friends and fishing club members about this great trip, and several are planning trips in the near future. I’ll be back soon, too!” Imagine a trip where you catch not one, not two, not three but four bass over 10 pounds. Jan and David Hudson experienced just that on their recent visit. Their biggest fish, and the biggest reported during these two weeks, was a 13.7-pounder caught on a Storm swimbait. A Carolina-rigged 10-inch watermelon worm enticed an 11-pound, 3-ounce bass for them, and they caught a 10.2 and 10.7 fishing chrome/black and clear/chartreuse top Zara Spooks in early morning and late afternoon. “We also caught a ton of 7s, 8s and 9s on the Yamamoto Senko with a small weight,” Jan said. “About three-fourths of our fish were caught in back of pockets or creeks, or on pre-spawn areas on the main lake. A few came off of main lake flats, areas with standing timber. I believe our success was due to the fact we were fishing with lighter line—12- to14-pound-test. But you have to be brave enough to try it. I lost two monsters. We were shaking off 5-pounders. “Thank you and all the people at Anglers Inn,” she said. “David and I had a trip of a lifetime. We’ll be seeing you again soon.” As you can see from these reports, the numbers of bass being caught have been a bit slower than normal, but the number of quality fish being caught has been excellent. We also want to let you know that Anglers Inn is now offering complete Tackle Packages for El Salto and Mateos. These are available through the Tackle Warehouse online store. You can find all the information on our website homepage under "Anglers Inn Kit by Tackle Warehouse." These packages have everything you need for a three-day fishing trip to either lake. After years of experience on the lake, we know what you need. There is a package per person and also a package per boat. And Tackle Warehouse will ship the items right to your door. You can feel safe and secure ordering online, so get your tackle package today. Be sure to order in advance so you have time to receive it. Until next time, here’s hoping all your fishing dreams come true. We’ll see you at El Salto or Mateos.

ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
Jan 1st thru 15th, 2009

El Salto’s bass are exhibiting pre-spawn behavior now. During the past weeks, there have been numerous lunkers caught on just about all types of baits. In early morning, Zara Spooks are producing some real hawgs. These Heddon lures are considered big bass baits down here South of the Border, but a Rico Pop or Yellow Magic will catch heavyweight largemouths on top as well. Another popular bait for big bass has been a large Senko or Yum Dinger in the 7-inch size. Most anglers are rigging these baits wacky style and letting the lure sink all the way to the bottom. John McCarthy landed the first 12- pounder of the report on this pattern. Then father and daughter team Don and Lauren Gossett came to town. “I knew my daughter was feeling the pressures of professional school,” Don said. “I figured it would be good for her to get away for several days and forget about her school activities. When I mentioned Anglers Inn for a few days of fishing, she jumped at the chance to go. She knew that roughing it at the lodge meant being met at the van with drinks and food, morning manicures, pedicures and massages at night. The opportunity at a bass of a lifetime was also available during the days of fishing. “Lauren is not an avid bass angler due to time constraints,” Don continued, “but when she is fishing, she is all business. The day started with casting and ended with casting. She caught several fish in the 7-, 8- and 9-pound range to warm up. Then the big one came! Lauren was Carolina rigging on a deep drop. The bait got to the drop, and it just suspended and didn't act right. A sweep of the rod secured the hook and the fight was on! The fish jumped once and really didn't look that big, but once it was in the boat, the guide and I both knew it was a large, beautiful fish. It tipped the scales at 12 pounds, 12 ounces! I knew Lauren would be tough to live with now. Just another great trip to Anglers Inn. Great service, guides, food and fishing! Thanks for making dreams come true for a dad and a daughter. Happy New Year.” Are you one of those anglers who still does not believe in El Salto like Adam Hall? “I had the awesome opportunity to come to Lake El Salto, but I have to admit I had a hard time believing that all these reports about 50-60 fish a day were true,” Adam said. “It was also hard to believe all these folks were catching so many fish over 8 pounds. Well, let me tell you, I am a believer now. We arrived late Monday afternoon, hooked up with our outstanding guide Louis and headed out to fish for a couple of hours. In about 30 minutes, I set the hook on a 7.5-pound fish that inhaled my Pop-R. The next morning, my buddy Rob who was fishing with me caught a 10-pounder on a Pop-R. I was hooked on the Pop-R at this point, and we continued to fish it early and late each day. The two of us caught at least 250 fish. I personally caught three over 8 pounds, another four or five over 7 pounds and a ton over 4 pounds. Texas- and Carolina-rigged plastics produced during the middle of the day, particularly 8-inch lizards in watermelon and black/blue. “The food and service were also second to none,” Adam continued. “The staff makes the best margarita I have ever had, and I am hooked on Pacifico. Great accommodations, great guides, great fishing, great service, and great food and drink. I plan to return in the future. What a trip!”
This is what Michael Wolff & Jack Bohnet had to say about their trip:
"Another outstanding trip to Anglers Inn and Lake El Salto. This was our 4th time and our best. The service, the food and the fishing were all world class. We caught over 200 Bass in 3 days with 3 over 10 pounds and countless between 5 to 9 pounds. We also lost some very big fish as well. Jack hooked a monster on a White Crankbait but it threw the hook when it jumped in some submerged trees. The guide said it was well over 12 pounds. We also hooked and lost at least 4 other double digit size fish in and around the trees. The Bass were all very healthy and pulled as strong as ever. We used mostly Watermellon with Red Flake Senkos rigged wacky, White Deep Diving Crankbaits and White 4" Swim Baits. Fish were caught throughout the water column from a few feet off shore to 20 feet in submerged trees. Everything went as smooth as always and we will definitely return next year".
We also would like to add some words from our December guests, especially outdoor writer Bill Rice. Here is a recent article that Bill wrote for “Outdoor Western News.”

ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
Nov 15th thru Dec 10th 2008

Bass fishing is at its best now at El Salto, with lots of bass in the 7- to 10-pound range are being caught. Check this out for a superb example: one angler landed 20 lunker largemouths from 7 to 10.1 pounds in just two hours! And that doesn’t include all the fish he caught during the rest of his trip. Here is what Edgar Copeland had to say about his recent visit: “We just got back from our stay with Anglers Inn and Billy Chapman’s fine staff at El Salto and just wanted to tell you how very pleased we were with our trip this year. It was definitely a year to remember. My wife, our daughter and I caught a total of 60 bass over 7 pounds. Most of our success was on a combination of buzzbaits, Pop-Rs, Chug Bugs, Zara Spooks and 5-inch Senko worms in watermelon and watermelon/red flake. My best catches came on the last morning we were there. I fished by myself so my wife and daughter could sleep in and start preparing for our return to Mazatlan. I had several bass that morning in the 6- to 8-pound class on topwaters, but about 9 a.m. my guide put me on a worm bite using a Berkley 10-inch Power Worm in black and blue with a blue tail. I landed 20 bass over 7 pounds topped off by a 10-pound, 1-ounce lunker! I cannot truly express how happy I was at the end of this trip. We had several chances at extremely large fish but were unsuccessful until the last day. “This was my wife’s fifth visit and my sixth,” Edgar continued, “and we have always had a great time and always marveled at the service provided. My hat goes off to all of you. We are looking forward to our next visit, which will most likely be sooner than later.” There has been some excellent topwater fishing early in the morning and late in the evenings. The weather has cooled down, but the bass bite is red hot! With the outside temperature well into the 50s during early morning, you’ll want to be sure to bring topwater lures such as buzzbaits, Spooks and Pop-Rs. These baits along with some Zoom Flukes and Senkos are an awesome combination to start your days on El Salto. This year, as always, the Anglers Inn Staff put out a scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner with the little help from a good ol’ Southern gal named Cindy Davenport. See what her husband Kirby has to say below:  “When I first came to Anglers Inn, it was first for the fishing, which was extremely important at the time,” Kirby said. “But it seems as time goes by, the fishing becomes secondary. I don’t know how many times Cindy and I have been down, but each trip seems to get better, and now rarely do we even mention the fish that are caught. We enjoy the people, the climate and the service and still continue to catch more fish than anyone can believe. We caught over 100 in one day. Another morning we caught three over 8 pounds, and yet these numbers are very rarely mentioned in conversation. I think Billy Chapman has a real jewel of an operation there, and the Anglers Inn staff is outstanding. My wife really enjoyed helping with Thanksgiving dinner and preparing the ‘chittling’ (giblet) gravy and the stuffing, I think the amount of vino rojo she had encouraged her enjoyment, but working with Giovanni and Sergio without an interpreter she says was hilarious. “We caught fish on topwater lures, on Senkos, on lizards, on worms, and on jerkbaits,” Kirby continued. “We caught them shallow, we caught them deep, we caught them early, and we caught them late. We caught big ones. and we caught small ones. What else could anyone want? I think the old saying is that you get what you expect. Well, we expected a lot and we got a lot--nice people, good weather, and excellent food. How much better could it get?” Mike Drisko and Leon Crosswhite spent 2½ days fishing El Salto in November. It was Mike’s fifth trip and Leon’s first trip to Anglers Inn. Mike said, “I told Leon the bass in El Salto get plenty of tilapia to eat and were very healthy and fought harder than any others I’ve encountered. Leon is a very good fisherman, and he was prepared for the bass and the action they gave us. However, I think he was pleasantly surprised by the fantastic service and the professionalism of the staff and guides. “We caught some very nice 5- and 6-pound bass on both swimbaits and lizards, especially in the late afternoon and early evening,” Mike continued. “After we both lost what appeared to be double-digit-sized lunkers at the boat, we decided that checking our lines and knots and re-tying would become a higher priority next trip!” Mike McCartney was down with a group that included his friends Jim Bartolomucci and John Fowle, both of whom had never fished for bass prior to this trip, and his son-in-law, Charlie Brown who had not fished for bass in over 20 years. The lack of recent fishing experience didn’t keep this quartet from catching lots of nice El Salto bass, however. “Charlie and Jim had bass in the 9-pound range,” Mike said, “and I was lucky enough to catch 150 bass during our four-day trip, including a trifecta of three bass over 10 pounds. My largest was an 11-pounder. I specifically told our guide, Alfonso, that we wanted big bass versus a large number of smaller bass, and he helped me personally catch bass weighing 11, 10.2, 10.1, 9.7, 9.6, 9.4, 9.2 and over 8 bass between 8 and 9 pounds. A Berkley 10-inch Power Worm, black with blue tail, accounted for half of the big fish. Storm WildEye 4- and 5-inch Swim Shads in pearl and gray shad colors caught the other 50% of the big fish. Many other fish were caught using 6-inch watermelon Senkos with various fleck colors and 7-inch watermelon lizards with chartreuse. “I can assure anyone who is contemplating a trip to El Salto that the fishing is wonderful, and they would be nuts to stay anywhere else other than Anglers Inn,” Mike concluded. “You have no competition when it comes to great food, a well stocked bar and guides who can put you on fish. You have a wonderful staff, all of whom go out of their way to make the guests feel welcome and well cared for. The pride Billy Chapman and all of his staff have for Anglers Inn and the desire to make every guest’s stay memorable is what makes this place special.” The big-bass bite was still on when R.T. “Taylor” Abernathy was here fishing with another party. “We caught plenty of fish, including a number in the 5-to 6-pound range,” he said. “The biggest was a 9-pound, 12-ounce monster caught by my son. Most of our fish were caught on a Carolina rig using either a Zoom Fluke, Yum Dinger or Senko. We also caught bass on swimbaits and Rat-L-Traps. I only kept up with the number for two days, but during that time, the anglers in my boat caught 78 bass. We probably missed as many as we caught. “Our guide was absolutely excellent,” Taylor continued. “When we return next year, we want to be sure and have him again.” We want all our guests to know we enjoy what we do and strive to make sure everyone goes home from Anglers Inn with some great memories. We can’t make the bass bite, but as often as not, our guests catch lunker largemouths anyone would be proud to land, and many go home having landed the bass of a lifetime. What we can do is be sure the food, the service and the accommodations are the best you’ve ever experienced. And when you combine that with a great bass-fishing experience … well, we think you’ll want to come back to El Salto again and again and enjoy what we believe is the best lake and lodge on earth. We wish all of you the best holiday season ever and look forward to seeing you next time you come visit all your friends at Anglers Inn. We want to take a moment to remember our deeply appreciated friend Edna Osborn, wife to Clifford Osborn. She went with her angels on November 26th. She was such a kind, gentle soul and great lady angler. She was a dear friend to the Anglers Inn family.

ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
Nov 1st thru 15th 2008

The weather south of the border has finally started cooling down, and the big bass bite is on. The numbers of bass being caught are lower than normal, but the quality of those being landed is unbelievable. During one recent afternoon, one of our guests landed five fish over 8 pounds, and these catches were even more exciting because all these brawlers were caught on top with Zara Spooks. Dave Bennet landed the biggest bass during the first half of November, a whopping 11-3/4-pounder, plus several largemouths in the 9- and 10-pound range. The topwater bite has been on and off, but big fish are being caught on Spooks, Ricos and buzzbaits. Another go-to bait is the faithful Senko in the 6-inch size and also Zoom Super Flukes in Pearl color. These soft-plastic jerkbaits are excellent follow-up baits if you miss a lunker on a topwater, so be sure to bring plenty when you visit. It seems that rigging the Senkos wacky style and adding a small bullet weight to get the lure down quicker has been most productive. During the midday bite, smaller swimbaits have been working very well. Four-inch Storm WildEye Swim Shads in Pearl, Shiner Chartreuse and Shad colors have been deadly. A couple of friends from Arizona, Joe and Erik Goldenson, did well on the 5-inch model and had this to say: “Our first day of fishing was slow on topwater Ricos. My son Erik and I caught a few fish before mid-morning, all of which were in the 5- to 9-pound range with no little ones. Then, from 10 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., we got into a WildEye Swim Shad (5-inch, shad color) bite. I wound up with 12 fish from 5 to 8 pounds, and Erik caught three more—a 7, 8 and 9! ‘What's going on here?’ we asked our favorite and regular guide, Armando. He said the weather and time of the year were such that the numbers of fish being caught were down but the size was two to three times bigger than usual. We proved him to be the Oracle at Delphi! That afternoon was slow, with only about six fish caught between my son and me, but the sizes were between 6 and 9 pounds once again! “The second day was very slow for me, but Erik caught two 7s and a 9 on a Rico at first light. Topwater at its best! The afternoon was slow in numbers, but the eight I caught on a swim bait are shown in the photo I’ve included. As usual, Erik outfished me, catching 10 fish between 6 and 8 pounds. “The last day was slow in the morning,” Joe continued. “But we returned to the area where we experienced that marvelous swim bait bite the first day and Bang! Erik got his biggest bass ever, a 10-pounder, which is shown in the photo. It was a great fight and good netting prowess by Armando. The rest of the day was slow in numbers again, but we caught 5s, 6s and 8s! “Overall we counted an average of 20 fish per day, not our usual numbers action but the size does count! El Salto once again proved its "SALT" as the saying goes. Bragging rights aside, the thrill of getting the ‘big one’ is wonderful as well as humbling. I'm glad we ‘catch and release’ because someone else can enjoy the thrill of getting those fish again. “I want to thank Billy Chapman, Jr. and the great staff for their usual great service. The massages after fishing really helped this old guy recover from a fishing aches and cramps. My son Erik feels the same. See you all next year at El Salto or Mateos.” John Alvarez was down for his fifth trip this month and reported it was the best yet. “I didn’t think with the lake up so much the fishing would be that great for me because I haven’t had much luck in the past at that level,” he said. “But man was I wrong. I personally had the biggest average weight and the biggest overall size (8 pounds, 14 ounces). Although some guys didn’t catch as many as usual for that time of year, the size was definitely up. The biggest bass caught by anyone in our group was a 9-pound, 4-ounce hawg caught by Jason, but while we were there, a 10-pound, 6-ounce fish was on the board. It is amazing that fish that size are caught in your lake. “The guides were awesome as usual,” John said. “Although I didn’t fish with my favorite guide this trip, Luis put us on the fish every day. Even when the fish weren’t very active, it didn’t take long for him to find us bait or a spot that would yield a ton of fish. Swim bait, swim bait, swim bait: that was the lure of the trip for me. I had never fished one with much luck, but I’m a firm believer now. Even when the bass weren’t hitting a certain color, all I did was change to another and they were on it. “The service was outstanding, and Jose was on top of his game as usual,” John concluded. Your staff is as good as the fishing! We went to Florida in September and I have to say we did not get near the great service we get from your guys. Even when the lodge got full after we got there, the service never seemed to fade. Sammy was there with a Bloody Mary at every turn! Thanks again for hosting this awesome trip, and we will most definitely be seeing you in the spring.” Brett Bankston from FL. wrote to say, “I want to thank everyone at the Anglers Inn for saving my vacation. My brother and I had bought an offshore fishing trip out of Mazatlan this past spring. We bought it at a CCA auction and had been told it would be a striped marlin fishing trip of a lifetime. But after one day offshore we realized the fishing was off. “We were going to spend the next two days at the beach but then we saw an advertisement for El Salto and Anglers Inn. We arranged transportation from Mazatlan and left early one morning for El Salto. We were treated like kings from the time we arrived. The food and drink were top shelf, and the fishing was outstanding. Each of us caught at least 80 fish per day, including 10 bass over 6 pounds and two over 10. I can’t' wait to go back.” Many of you have enjoyed articles written by our friend Robert Montgomery, senior writer for ESPN/BASS publications. He was just down for some fishing, too, and says, “I just enjoyed some of the best fishing I've experienced at El Salto in several years. I always like going there, and I always catch fish. But this time, the quality of the fish was exceptional. In 4-1/2 days of fishing, my friend Dave Burkhardt of Triple Fish International and I caught two 9s, several 8s and bunches of 7s. We also lost several that might have been double digit. “The average size of the bass we caught probably was 4 pounds or better, the best that I've ever seen,” Robert reported. “That should translate into some terrific fishing for big bass during the next several years. Also, every fish was fat and feisty, as they fed all day long on shad and tilapia. The problem with all of that bait was getting the attention of the bass so that they would bite our lures. We averaged 30 to 40 fish a day. But on one afternoon, we boated 41. “We caught most of our fish on Rapala X-Rap jerkbaits, either throwing to feeding fish or into shallows along brushy shorelines,” he continued. “Color didn't seem to matter, but we used mostly glass ghost, silver and hot steel. During middle of the day, we boated a few on Texas-rigged worms, red shad and blue/black. “The topwater bite was inconsistent, but we did catch some quality fish on Sammys, especially on the final afternoon. Again, we threw to feeding fish, as well as across points and onto shallow flats where we thought they would be feeding. While the bites were few, they were ferocious and worth the wait. “I'm already planning my next trip to El Salto, my favorite place to fish for bass.” Dave Burkhardt sent a note as well, exclaiming, “Over the TOP! Where else in the world of bass fishing can you have 8-pound-plus fish blowing up on topwaters! Be still my heart!!! “The best fish on my November trip weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces, and I caught dozens in the 5- to 8-pound range,” Dave said. “Quality fish! With the sheer numbers of bass and abundant food source (tilapia fry), Angler’s Inn will continue to be the best bass fishing in the world. Combine the fishery with an attentive staff plus the wonderful accommodations and you have bass fishing heaven.” Willie Toppino enjoyed a visit with his girlfriend Loretta who caught her biggest bass ever, an 8-pounder, on a lizard during their first day of fishing. “She then caught a couple of 7 pounders on topwaters,” Willie said, “which were her biggest ever on topwaters, and I got a 10-pounder on a junebug-colored Senko. On our last afternoon, I experienced the best worm bite I have ever experienced. We released 26 bass in an hour and a half up to 6 pounds, all caught on a junebug Senko. I have been fishing all over North, South and Central America for the past 15 years, and your lodge is the best. All your staff was very friendly and helpful, and the accommodations were excellent. We will definitely be coming back.” Marty and Valerie wrote to say their trip to El Salto “was a perfect combination of exciting fishing and pampered luxury resort vacation. On the very first cast in the morning, Val caught an 8-pound bass on a Rico topwater, and it kept getting better all day,” Marty said. “Our guide put us on fish throughout the day. Overall we caught 185 bass in three days, with many 5- to 9-pound fish. Marty topped his all time record with an 11-pound monster bass on a blue shad swimbait. It was hard to tell who was more excited, Marty or Martin the guide. Every evening Val sat at dinner and looking out over the moonglowed lake would say, ‘I can't believe how beautiful it is here.’ We already have our date set for next year, but can't decide which of your fabulous venues to visit. We decided we should alternate years between El Salto and Mateos or stay a few extra days and split the time between them. “Thanks for letting us stay at your place in El Salto,” they said. “The extra touch made us feel like much more than members but friends as well, and the staff treated us like royalty. We were humbled to say the least. Please thank everybody at Anglers Inn for the champion effort to assure our vacation was all that it could be. Can't wait to be with you all again.” As you can see, great fishing is alive and well at El Salto with numerous big bass being caught. For those anglers who are on the way to visit us, be sure to get the recommended baits, and for those of you who are thinking about coming down to fish El Salto, now is the time! Call us for more information.

ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
Oct 1st thru 31st 2008

Shad busting all over at El Salto By Billy Chapman, Jr.

During the past couple of weeks, El Salto bass have been following schools of their favorite baitfish—shad—down here South of the Border. Most bass have been caught in the backs of coves, where they are feeding on shad, and the best lure for catching them has been the 4-inch Storm WildEye Swim Shad in Shad, Pearl or Shiner Chartreuse colors. Dipping the tail in garlic-scented chartreuse dye from companies like Spike-It often improves the lure’s effectiveness even more. The shad being eaten by bass are relatively small, which is why the smaller swimbaits have been producing the better quality fish. Anglers have been working the swimbait back to the boat a couple different ways. The first way is to cast the bait and, as soon as it hits the water, make a slow, steady retrieve. While retrieving the lure, pop your rod tip occasionally to create an upward motion in the swimbait that draws strikes. The second approach is to let the lure sink all the way to the bottom and work the swimbait very slowly back to the boat, making sure you are on the bottom. One thing I like about swimbaits is the fact they can be worked in any depth of water. Another type of swimbait that is getting pretty popular down here is Yum’s Money Minnow. We put together a nice little video about the lure, which you can find on http://www.anglersinn.com/FishingTechniques.html For the best action, fish these swimbaits with a 5/0 weighted hook or try my favorite technique, which is rigging the lure on a jig head. Blade Runner Tackle Company makes a nice Weedless Paddle head jig in a ½ ounce size, which fits perfectly with Yum’s Money Minnow. The better jig head colors are shiner and chartreuse/white. Our longtime friend Joe Bullock showed us this technique last year, and it has been producing ever since. Thanks, Joey B! Because the bass are busting on shad, another popular lure landing big bass down here has been the ever-trustworthy Rat-L-Trap. The best colors have been chrome with a blue back or chrome with a black back. And be sure to bring down both ½-ounce and ¾-ounce Traps.

Here is what a recent angler had to say about his trip:
Jason Grupp was down recently for his first October fishing trip, and said he found this a great time of year to visit. “The lake was full and teaming with life,” he said. “The big fish were up and feeding heavily. During the four fishing days I was there, I caught 40 to 50 fish that weighed between 7 and 9 pounds. Mixed in with all the pigs, I was catching numerous 3- to 6-pound fish. The anticipation of each hook set was amazing. Every time I had an 8-pounder belly flopping in front of our boat, the excitement was so much fun.” “Swimbaits were the most productive for our boat,” Jason said. “Jerkbaits and Carolina-rigged lizards were also the ticket to fish. For the fly-fisherman, make sure to bring flies that imitate shad. Laying these flies on the surface so they look injured would get an immediate crash. Fast stripping clousers and deceivers was also working well. Big deer-hair poppers for the morning and evening hours are a must. Make sure your leaders and tippet knots are strong. These fish pull hard and are not tippet shy. “I have been bringing groups to this lodge for many years,” Jason added, “and there is never a doubt in my mind that they will have a great time. I know the staff will treat them with the best service they’ve ever had in their life. The entire trip, my group is constantly telling me how amazing the service, food, and accommodations are, and how impressed they are with the workers’ genuine personalities. These people have now become lifelong friends of mine. I look forward to each and every trip I take to this magical place!" Well, like Jason says, jerkbaits also have been great bass catchers down here. The Rapala X-Rap in the white, shad and clown colors has been the most productive. There have been some really big bass caught on these lures the past couple of weeks, especially where the bass are busting shad. Early in the morning and late in the evening, the topwater bite has been strong. Just this morning, bass weighing 10.4 and 11.6 were caught on chrome Zara Spooks. The Spook will normally catch bigger bass. And working this big topwater plug a little faster then normal has been successful. The other great topwater plug is the Rio Rico Pop in the ½-ounce size. The best colors have been bleeding shad and white. Yellow Magic Pop Rs are just as good and are a little bit cheaper on your pocketbook. During the mid-day bite, the best baits have been soft-plastic worms and lizards. The Berkley 10-inch Powerworm in the black with blue tail color and the Zoom 8-inch Lizard in watermelon and watermelon red flake have been good. Carolina rigging these soft plastics seems to be outproducing the Texas rig.

In our last report, you saw a nice photo of Leslie Corbin. Here is Ronny’s and Leslie’s testimonial from their trip in early October.
“My wife and I really wanted to spend our first anniversary somewhere we could set precedence for many more to come, somewhere that would provide us with an overall big-time experience,” Ronny said. “I made my living for nearly 20 years as a professional fishing guide, bush pilot and tournament fisherman. I’ve been blessed with the best fishing from Alaska to Costa Rica but had always been on those trips as the provider, so I wasn’t sure how the experience would pan out being a guest. Leslie loves to fish but had yet to experience a world-class fishing trip so we set out to accomplish this lofty goal. “We had seen Angler’s Inn at El Salto on several fishing shows and looked it up on the Internet. After some correspondence, we booked our trip for September 29 thru October 3. Let me say emphatically that ALL of my HIGH EXPECTATIONS were exceeded! First off, the staff is the best in the business. They greeted us at every step along the way with huge smiles and made us feel at home. The accommodations are the best I’ve seen (keep in mind I ran and worked at some of the elite Lodges in Alaska). The food … Oh, my, the food! Let’s just say my clothes shrunk a size during our stay. Les didn’t fish every session but really enjoyed the spa treatment that came with our couple’s package. She also worked out a trip to a local spot for some shopping and said the staff made her feel safe and comfortable along the way. “Now the fishing report. Although the water was high, the shad were rockin’ and the bass were scattered about. I had a HUGE time! Our guide Oscar worked hard and really turned us on to a world-class fishing experience. Every morning we slung topwaters to the tune of 15 to 20 bass from 3.5 to 8.5 pounds! Then we’d hawg hunt till lunch and take a little siesta. Afternoons were filled with everything from jerkbaits to swimbaits to crankbaits to worms and MORE big bass. Leslie caught the fish of her life when she boated a 9-pound, 4-ounce beauty on a crankbait. On the last cast of the trip, I landed an 8-pound, 4-ounce hawg right in front of the lodge. “Billy Chapman, Jr. and his staff have really set the bar high for any competition, and deserve the kudos in every way. It’s obvious they’ve done everything right because in all detail, it shows. I can’t wait till we can get back down to Anglers Inn and can say without reservation that Leslie and I recommend the chance to spend your time with our new friends. Let them share their home and hospitality with you!” As you can see, the fishing was superb in October, and we expect the great action to continue in the coming months. While bassing on other lakes often has ups and downs through the seasons, catching trophy bass, and lots of them, is a year-round experience on El Salto. Come visit us and experience it for yourself. Our staff stands ready to make your trip an experience you’ll never forget.

ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
Sept 15th thru 30th 2008

By Billy Chapman

There’s good news for anglers planning a visit to Anglers Inn El Salto. We have not experienced torrential hurricane rains this year like those two years ago that caused the lake to rise more than 20 feet in just one day. Instead, the lake filled slowly over a longer period of time, which is much better for bass fishing. As the new fishing season started, the water level was at slightly more than full pool, with about a foot of water going over the spillway. The water level now has stabilized, and with few more rains to come, we are expecting another great season. Bass patterns the past two weeks have been normal for a warm month like September, with most of the best fish being caught in deeper water. Swimbaits, plastics lizards and crankbaits have been the best midday lures. And during early morning and late afternoon, topwater plugs, Senkos and spinnerbaits have been doing the trick. Here’s what some of our recent guests had to say about their trips.

Mike Ishikawa came down with his friend Lance Withee, but unfortunately for this pair of hardcore anglers, Lance found out he had a kidney stone, and, instead of fishing, had to spend his time at Sharp Medical Hospital in Mazatlan. Mike managed to get in a day and a half on the water, nevertheless. “I fished a full day on September 17 and a half day on September 18,” Mike said. “My last trip to Anglers Inn in March 2007 was spectacular, with my friend Bob and me catching 475 bass in 3-1/2 days. I was not expecting the same results this time because the lake was brim full and it was raining upon our arrival. “Well, the fishing was just as spectacular as our March trip, and the quality was unbelievable. My first day ended with 107 bass, including 19 between 5 and 8 pounds. Trees that usually grow above the exposed shoreline were now overhanging the water, providing great bass cover. We could bass crashing baitfish under the trees. In the morning, we had a ball throwing wacky-rigged Senkos to the edge of the trees. The bass would attack even before the lure had a chance to sink to the bottom. Later in the morning, we switched to Rat-L-Traps, and, in the afternoon, Texas-rigged Senkos, Robo-worms and 10-inch Berkley red-shad worms worked just great.” Day 2 was excellent for Mike as well. “What an incredible morning,” he said. “Our guide found a shallow bay loaded with large bass. We threw Rico poppers and landed nothing but large bass, many times with double hookups. One 7-pounder attacked the popper four times before I finally set the hook. After the surface bite slowed slightly, we moved to a deeper section of the same bay, and jerkbaits and wacky Senkos revived the hot bite all over again. The final count for the half-day of fishing was 58 bass, most over 3 pounds. These included bass weighing 6-5, 5-6, 3-7, 3-8 and one topping 9 pounds. I’m convinced anytime is a great time to experience the fantastic fishing at Anglers Inn.” And how about Mike’s friend Lance? Well, he’s doing just fine and sent us this note: “Words aren’t adequate to express the depth of my gratitude to you and your organization for all you did for me. Thanks to you, I am now back in San Diego and well into recovery mode. Without you, I am well aware I could have floundered around in pain and confusion, and things could have been very different. Thank you for getting personally involved from the outset, and thank you again for your care, concern and attention throughout the rest of the ordeal. I am looking forward to visiting Angler's Inn again in December and many more times in the future. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!” Ronnie and Leslie Corbin, also were among the September visitors and here’s what they have to say: "After arriving at the lodge in the early afternoon, we went out for an afternoon of fishing. On our second stop, we got into a bite off the point of an island. My wife Leslie, who is new to bass fishing, landed a 9.4-pound bass using a Norman DD14 crankbait in the chartreuse/blue color. What a thrill! I landed a 7.10-pound bass on chrome Norman. It was a great afternoon. Although we found high water and scattered bass, we experienced excellent topwater bites early morning and tons of quality bass up to 9 pounds. My last cast produced a 8.3 pound bass in front of the lodge on a 10" Berkley powerworm in the black/blue color." Vern Leder and his two sons recently fished El Salto as well, and here is what Vern had to say: “Any time I can go with my boys and they catch enough fish to make them want to go again is a successful trip. We are ready to come back! “My son Henry landed some nice bass, including two 8-pound-plus fish. His most productive baits were a junebug lizard and Pop-Rs. Drew also landed an 8.11-pound bass and said to tell you there was great fishing in early morning on topwaters and in late afternoon on worms and swimbaits.” John Christie came down with the Leders and it was he who caught the biggest bass of the group, a real hawg that tipped the scales at 10.4 pounds. He caught this monster bucketmouth on a 5-inch swimbait and also landed a 9.6-pounder the same afternoon.

And how about these impressive numbers from Benton, Arkansas, angler Tracy Harmon?

Top 5 bass per day:

• Day 1 – 44 pounds
• Day 2 – 37 pounds
• Day 3 – 37 pounds
• Day 4 – 30 pounds

Tracy’s 20 biggest bass weighed in at an impressive 148 pounds. His biggest weighed 9 pounds, and he landed many bass in the 5- to 8-pound range. As one can see, the fishing at El Salto is stronger than ever. With the weather starting to cool down, the topwater bite should be getting even stronger, and those big bass will be moving out of 20- to 30-foot depths and holding closer to the surface. This report we have a tie for the big fish between John Christie and Robert Roupeman. Both anglers reported their biggest bass weighing 10.4 pounds. Have you caught your 10-pounder yet?

ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
June 1st thru 30th 2008

As we roll into summer, action for big El Salto bass continues to be red-hot. Near dawn, topwater and spinnerbait action is good, and later in the day, crankbaits, swimbaits, soft plastics and other lures are nabbing bass in deeper water. Anglers in each boat are averaging 60-80 bass daily, and lots of those largemouths are true lunkers. Three- to 7-pounders are really abundant, and nearly everyone who’s on the lake is bringing in an 8- to 10-pounder sometime during their stay. Bigger bass always are possible, too. Just ask Jimmy Webster III who was just down for a visit. “Here are a few pics of the 11.4-pound whopper I caught on my trip this June,” he said in a recent email. “I have been waiting four years for these hawgs to bite a jig-and-pig again. Thanks for another great time.” John Zitelli also boated a bucketmouth over 11 pounds. He’s made fishing trips all over North America, chasing salmon in Alaska, steelheads in the Great Lakes, tarpon and bass fishing in Florida, and trout fishing in Colorado. But from what he told us, his June visit to cast for bass in El Salto topped them all. “This was my second visit to Anglers Inn,” he says, “and it was the best fishing trip I have ever had. Not only were the fishing numbers great at El Salto (100 fish in the boat per day), but the repeated size was awesome at 3 to 7 pounds for every one. My largest, caught on a crankbait, weighed 11 pounds, 14 ounces and will be made into a replica for my wall. I also had a lot of luck with spinnerbaits and 10-inch PowerWorms. Lots of fun! The food was wonderful, and the service was friendly and enthusiastic. Next year, I won't pack as much since my clothes were laundered every day. And I'll get a massage more often!” Outdoor writer Keith Sutton and his wife Theresa also were down this June, and say this, their third visit together, was the best ever. “Theresa fishes one lure, a purple Yum Zellmander, every time we visit,” says Keith, “and she always catches the most fish. This time was no exception. She caught over 100 bass, and fully half of those were 4- to 6-pounders. Her biggest weighed 7-1/2. I’m always looking for a trophy and caught three between 8 and 9 pounds on Storm Swimbaits and Fat Free Shad crankbaits. I lost three more right at the boat that were much larger—all of which broke fresh 20-pound-test line! (Next time, I’ll be using heavy braid!) No doubt, the fishing was better this time than on any of our previous trips, and though it hardly seems possible, the superb service, food and accommodations were better than ever as well. Each visit is better than the last, and we’re eager to make a return trip as soon as possible.” Sutton wrote an article about their visit, “El Salto: Still the World’s Best Bass Lake,” that already has appeared on ESPN’s website. You can check his article on our website and learn more about the great fishing Keith and Theresa experienced. This month we’ve heard lots of stories about fishermen catching hundreds of bass during their stay, with some real trophies seasoning the catch. Such was the case for Larry Brewer who came down with his buddy Jim West for 3-1/2 days of El Salto bassing action. “Our guide did a fantastic job,” says Larry. “Jim and I caught 293 bass during our stay. The biggest weighed 9-14, and we caught several over 7. The 8-inch, watermelon-red Zoom lizard seemed to be the most consistent lure, but our two biggest fish were caught on a Gene Larew purple-and-black Salty Snake. We caught quite a few bass on a citrus- shad Bomber also. As always, the service and food were excellent. This was my third trip and the best ever. Thanks!” Jay Dee Schurz, president of El Grande Lures, was down with his wife Dana to test some new lures and shoot video of their products in action. They fished half a day on their arrival, half a day on their final day and three full days in between. And their new baits proved irresistible to some El Salto grandés. “The key bite was on the new El Grande Lures 5-inch swimbait,” said Jay. “Dana and I caught well over 100 fish on the green tilapia color, and other colors such silver shad, black and blue, and white and chartreuse produced as well. I fished against Dana while she threw a Fat Free Shad in white and chartreuse and outfished her 2 to 1 with this swimbait. Most fish were in the 3- to 5-pound range. Other productive lures included our 7-inch, tilapia-colored Mexistick and the 9-inch El Grande Shad, which produced the biggest fish of the trip at 7.1 pounds. With a full moon, the topwater bite was poor, and the new El Grande Rana Toro 5-inch frog was a slow producer, although I did catch one nice fish on it. I’ll return when the topwater bite is better to get some additional footage. The El Grande Mexican Rattler in black and blue diamond back caught fish anytime and anywhere on the lake. I would estimate we caught 40-60 fish daily, with little time fishing the banks and lots of time fishing 12-20 feet of water.” Bob White says his recent trip to Anglers Inn was truly memorable. “From the first cast to the last, I had an experience I will never forget,” he says. “All the stories and articles I had heard and read up till then paled in comparison to the real thing. During the five and a half days I was there, we caught fish on nearly every cast with everything we threw. During each eight-hour fishing day, there were three hours that were unforgettable and as good as it gets. The ability of our guides to put us on these fish was remarkable. They knew exactly where and when to go and then told you what lure to throw. It was up to the individual to present the bait the correct way, but if you didn’t do it right, the guides would show you what they wanted so you could catch fish. Their skill and experience is second to none.” Bob and his friends generally started each day casting lightweight Senkos against bluff walls. “BIG FISH would eat that bait as it slowly sunk,” Bob says. “Four to 8-pounders were there in numbers hard to comprehend. On occasion, a truly large fish would rock your world, and you had better be ready.” As the day continued, Bob and friends would fish crankbaits and soft plastics. “Do you have any idea what it's like to throw a deep-diver and hook a 4- to 8-pound fish on every cast?” Bob asks. “Well, I do, and it’s incredible. Six-to 7-inch watermelon-red lizards and crankbaits in citrus shad or crawfish colors were our tickets to success.” Before their trip was over, Bob’s gang had caught an astounding number of bass. “Tallying up the number of fish I personally caught was a bit ethereal as I realized I had boated somewhere between 350 to 400 fish during our stay,” Bob says. “The average size was between 4 and 5 pounds. I’ve finally found a spot where I feel like I might be able to catch a bass bigger than the 14-pound, 5-ounce Florida lunker that is my personal best. And there’s another part of the story, too. The staff at the Angler's Inn is without equal. These folks were the most professional, friendly, good-natured bunch I have ever had the pleasure of spending time with. From the first moment you arrive, these people make you feel welcome and at ease. They fulfill your every need and instantly become your friends. Billy Chapman has created a paradise for us bass guys! The only thing left to say is (to paraphrase Arnold), "I'll be back!!” The six-man group Bob was fishing with calls itself “The El Salto Posse.” Stacy Twiggs is a member of the posse, too, and he had some great things to say about this astounding bass fishery as well. “Over five days, we caught hundreds of fish from 2 to 10.6 pounds on ¾- to 1-oz. Berkley and Jewel watermelon jigs with trailers. I had my best luck with the new Strike King Rage Tail Craw and the YUM 3-1/2” Wounded Pumpkin Chunk Trailer. “Six- to 7-inch Senkos produced fish all day,” he continued. “We fished them on 5/16- to 1/2-oz. Texas rigs, weightless Texas rigs and wacky style, catching countless fish regardless of the rig we used. The bigger the bait, the bigger our fish. In the afternoons, the El Salto Posse used Fat Free Shad and Lucky Craft crankbaits to catch bass feeding on baitfish. “We had several coves that would produce 30-45 minutes of nearly back-to-back hook-ups on every cast,” says Stacy. “These were situated where wind blew baitfish into the center of the coves, in addition to holding healthy populations of tilapia. We made long casts down the center of the coves, swimming our crankbaits through the channels and bouncing them with a pause off of standing timber. We caught countless 4- to 7-pounders and several up to 8 pounds.” “Our best fishing unquestionably came alongside of standing timber in 20-30’ of water,” he continues. “In just four hours of fishing, my partner Jim Holcomb and I boated 53 fish from 1 to 9 pounds on ½ oz., Texas-rigged Senkos, 7-inch watermelon-red Zellmanders, watermelon-red Lake Fork Craws and black/blue or watermelon ¾-oz. jigs.” “What a run it was!!” Stacy says in conclusion. “The El Salto Posse had another amazing visit. The success of a vacation like this is the result of a lot of hard work by the staff of Anglers Inn. Although you’re focused on fishing, the Anglers Inn staff and Chapman family are focused on your total adventure and world class service. Jose, Tony, Armando, Sammy, Lupita and all the lodge staff do everything under the sun to ensure you enjoy hospitality that makes every other vacation destination seem inadequate.” Another group of friends visiting Anglers Inn recently was Jerry Sepulveda, Lou Villenueve and Steve Basarich. “It's hard to say what we like best—the service, the scenery, the fishing or just being on vacation at beautiful Lake El Salto,” they said. “We can never say enough about the friendly staff who do everything they can to make your stay an absolute pleasure.” “Each of us has been to El Salto or Mateos at least nine times, and we’ve had some very productive fishing trips. But collectively, this was our best. We caught a boat load between 4 and 8 pounds. On the first night Steve caught five bass between 5 and 7 on his first six casts, and it was on from there. We all had our hot streaks, but the fishing was very consistent for all of us every time out during our 3-1/2 days of fishing. We caught somewhere around100 fish a day for the boat, with very few under 2-1/2 to 3 pounds.” The trio caught their bass on a variety of lures, but said “the citrus-colored, deep-diving Fat Free Shad and swimbaits in pearl or pearl chartreuse seemed to be the best for larger fish.” They also recommended dipping the tail of lizards and swimbaits in chartreuse-colored, garlic-flavored Spike-it paint to draw more strikes. “Our guide did an outstanding job of putting us on fish,” they said. “And we can't wait to get back on Mateos or El Salto this December and or next summer. Thanks for everything.” Vic LeCause is another happy customer who says his visit this month was superb in all respects. “This was by far was my best trip to El Salto,” he wrote. “We caught over 275 fish in 3-1/2 days, including more than 100 between the two of us in just one day. Most were between 3 and 5 pounds, but there were many 6- to 6-1/2-pound fish. We caught most 8- and 10-inch watermelon and watermelon red flake lizards, deep-diving crankbaits and 4- and 5-inch Storm swimbaits.” “I have fished for bass many places,” Vic said, “but by far the most satisfying and successful trip has been through Anglers Inn at El Salto. After my fourth visit, and my friend Bob's first, we are already looking forward to returning, not only for the fishing experience, but also the excellent service by a staff whose only goal is to satisfy you with great food and a very welcome atmosphere.” While many people think summer fishing on El Salto can’t be as good as other seasons, this report should put that rumor to rest. Summer fishing here produces incredible numbers of big bass, including, for many anglers, the trophy of a lifetime. In fact, this is one of the best times of year to fish if catching numbers of quality largemouths is your goal. The topwater bite isn’t as good as earlier in the year, but if you like working crankbaits, swimbaits and other lures in deeper water, you won’t find a better place to hook a trophy when the weather gets hot. Here’s hoping we’ll see you soon at El Salto or Mateos and that your summer is the very best ever.As spring ends and summer begins, you can see that the already incredible fishing here at El Salto continues to improve with every passing week. Everyone who visits goes home with great memories of the big ones that didn’t get away. And the size of some of the bass being caught and released is just unbelievable. Every time you cast, there’s a good chance you could catch a bass that weighs 10 to 15 pounds, maybe more. And like our friend Gary Jacob says, that’s just the gravy! We promise ever time you stay at Anglers Inn you’ll enjoy the best service, the most delicious food and the finest accommodations available on any bass lake in the world. Call us soon and plan a visit. We’re looking forward to seeing you!

ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
May 1st thru 31th 2008

15-1/2-Pound Bass Highlights Two Weeks of Red-Hot Fishing!

It’s not the first time Les Melton has caught a bass weighing 15 pounds in El Salto. In fact, during one week fishing here in 2005, this experienced angler’s top five fish alone weighed an incredible 71.5 pounds, a lake record. (That’s an average of 14.3 pounds each in case you were wondering.) During past trips to El Salto, Melton has caught at least two bass that weighed 15 pounds even. But recently, Melton outdid even his previous best, landing a gigantic largemouth that tipped the scales at 15.8 pounds. That’s bigger than the state-record largemouth bass in 36 U.S. states! We don’t want to steal his thunder, however, so let’s allow him to tell you about it in his own words. “This was my 36th trip to El Salto, and like many of the others, it was fantastic,” says Melton. “I have had wonderful outcomes in the past, but this trip ranks at the very top. I caught the biggest fish of my life this trip—a bass that weighed an amazing 15-1/2 pounds, and the very next day I caught one weighing 14.4. In all I caught 510 bass, including 10 over 10 pounds (15.8, 14.4, 12.14, 12.12, 11, 11, 10.12, 10.8, 10.2 and 10), sixteen 8-pounders and three 9-pounders. I can’t even estimate the number of 6s and 7s. Unbelievable. “I have fished Lake El Salto from the beginning, and it just keeps getting better,” Melton continues. “My next goal is to catch one 16 pounds or better, and I firmly believe that I can do that. The biggest fish were caught on 1-ounce jigs (black and blue) with a black or blue pork chunk. The technique was vertical jigging or flipping outside edge trees. It required a very stiff rod and 50-pound braid line, plus a great deal of patience. When they hit, there was no doubt; there was nothing subtle about the strike. “I also caught numerous fish on 10-inch, black/blue, red shad and junebug Power Worms. There also was a very good deep crankbait bite, and I caught many fish on golden mullet and chartreuse/white, 4-inch and 5-inch swimbaits.” Melton says his late-May trip once again demonstrated the staying power of El Salto and how well it is being managed. “The service, as usual, was excellent, and the staff could not do enough for me. And that was the same for every guest. The staff and guides are simply superb. Nobody could ask for more. Anglers Inn has taken service to a level that they alone occupy. “I will be returning to El Salto later in the year,” he says, “and I excitedly look forward to that trip. Every trip to the lake brings something new and exciting. You never know what will bring the next big fish. As an added bonus for myself, I will also be spending some time at Lake Mateos . Everything I said about El Salto can be repeated for Mateos. This will be my second trip to Mateos, and if it is anything like the first, I will be returning there many times. Mateos is a topwater paradise, and big fish are being caught. I could go on and on, but, suffice it to say, simply UNBELIEVABLE!! Everyone at Anglers Inn has my deepest thanks.” George and Pam Hawley during their recent Anglers Inn visit enjoyed memorable fishing as well. George says, “The reason we keep coming back is because the people are friendly and respond to our needs and wants, plus the fishing is the greatest in the world. Pam caught the biggest bass of her life on this trip. I ended up with three bass over 8 pounds, including a 9.3. I had at least two bass over 7 pounds every day and lost count of the bass in the 5- to 6-pound range. The most productive lures were Bass Trix and watermelon red flake lizards. While fishing the Bass Trix, I was using a 1/2-ounce jighead and working the bait in the trees.” Kirby and Cindy Davenport had to cancel a goose hunt in Argentina because of the Chaiten volcano eruption in nearby Chile, but a last-minute phone call to Anglers Inn had them hooked up for a five-day El Salto bassing trip in no time. “Fishing was like I remember it being five years ago,” says Kirby. “Cindy and I averaged 100 bass per day. I caught three over 10 pounds (including two on back-to-back casts) and another over 11. One morning, I had a 9-something blast a Zara Spook and then caught several 6- to 7-pounders as fast as I could land them. The day I caught the two 10-pounders, I landed 25 bass in a row on a plastic worm. And one afternoon we landed 40 bass on a swimbait, including one over 8 pounds Cindy caught. The crankbait fishing was so good one day, I told the guide, please, no more! I actually was tired of reeling them in! “Cindy had an absolute blast, and the service was impeccable,” Davenport continued. I am so glad you introduced us to Anglers Inn. It is absolutely exceptional.” Alan Girod was just down for his sixth trip to Anglers Inn and says he’s planning another visit already. During the 5-1/2 days he fished El Salto, he caught 168 bass, including numerous 2- to 3-pounders, 20 between 4 and 6 pounds, three between 6 and 7, a 7-pound 10-ounce hawg, and his best bass ever, an 11-pound, 3-ounce monster any bass angler would be proud of. “The topwater bite was hot and cold in the morning,” he reported.†“A low of two bass and a high of 14 were taken on Pop Rs in black back and baby bass patterns. Most of my fish were caught on 8-inch, watermelon-seed Zoom lizards, and dipping the lures’ tails in chartreuse dye seemed more productive than fishing them without the dye. I also caught a few fish on 10-inch, black-with-blue tail Power Worms and 3/4-ounce blue-back Rat-L-Traps. Most of the fish over 6 pounds were caught on Fat Free Shad deep-diving crankbaits, including†my 11-pounder, which fell to a chartreuse/blue back†pattern. Citrus shad, chartreuse citrus shad and blue holographic shad patterns also took good fish. “This was a great fishing trip, and my guide was topnotch and a real pleasure to fish with,” Girod concludes. “The hospitality at Anglers Inn is second to none. If you can't have a great time here, you can’t†have a great time anywhere.†The entire staff is first rate.” Joe Bullock caught lots of really exceptional fish during his recent stay as well. “El Salto lived up to its reputation again†by kicking out many big fish during our stay,” he says.†“I caught hundreds†in the 4- to 7-pound range, with 16 to 18 fish tipping the scales†over 8 pounds and one over 9 pounds. The water had stabilized, and the fish were starting†to stack up on points and structure. The fishing is only going to get better as the weeks go on. The baits that worked best for me were large crankbaits in citrus colors and swimbaits, which I†love to modify and throw all day long. That is my go-to bait for big fish. “El Salto is still the best lake in the world for big bass and lots of them,” Bullock says. “Just ask Les Melton, who just caught a 15.8. The fishing just keeps getting better and better.” Our friend George Tabone never seems to grow tired of visiting our south-of-the-border honeyhole. He’s made 11 trips so far, and this month, he says, “Anglers Inn and Lake El Salto once again exceeded my expectations. I decided to come just two days prior to my arrival, but Maggie and the office staff arranged all the details without a hitch. Jose and the lodge staff were at their usual best, meeting all our needs with service that the finest resorts in the world could take a lesson from. The meals seem to get better every trip, and it’s amazing how the bar never goes dry.” And the fishing, George? “It was spectacular,” he says. “In 3-1/2 days, I caught over 200 bass that including a 10-13, 9-0 and 8-8. Even more amazing is the fact that I caught 50 fish that weighed between 5 and 7 pounds. The fight from these fish left me satisfied and tired. Most were caught on deep-diving crankbaits, swimbaits and watermelon-red lizards. The fishing is definitely alive and very well at El Salto. I’ll be back and look forward to another memorable experience.” Gary Jacob and his friend Sam Bransma did something more and more of our guests are doing these days. They made a combo trip to El Salto and Lake Mateos. The first leg of their visit was at our lodge on Mateos, and according to Jacob, “The lake was big and beautiful, the boats were great, and the accommodations were outstanding! The crew of Ramon, Joel, Julio and Ziggy were great, and the fresh fish Ziggy cooked for us one night was the best I ever had. We caught fish on topwaters, crankbaits and lizards, and we plan to come back later in the year when Mateos is at full pool so we can get in on some of the great topwater action.” On their third day, Jacob and Bransma left Mateos to fish at El Salto, arriving just in time for the morning session. “Chichi was in the boat waiting, and Ziggy delivered us right to the boat,” Jacob says. “As we expected, El Salto is never a disappointment. When we arrived, I still had blisters on my thumb and index finger from my previous visit just three weeks earlier! Sam had heard me talk of Anglers Inn and soon discovered I hadn’t exaggerated in my description of the fabulous fishing, food and accommodations. In one afternoon, we caught 37 bass over 5 pounds, a real treat for Sam who had never landed that many big bass.” Jacob actually sold two beautiful bass boats because he got tired of fighting the crowds on lakes near home and paying the ever-increasing costs of gasoline for his boats and truck. “When I discovered Anglers Inn, the whole idea of fishing became a different world to me,” he says. “It is worth it for me to make several trips a year. I catch so many fish it keeps me satisfied for months. So, I sold the boats with no remorse. Now, Anglers Inn at El Salto and Mateos is like my home away from home. I tell everyone I go there for the meals, relaxation and the friends. Fishing is just a bonus! I applaud Billy Chapman, Jr. for his accomplishments.” As spring ends and summer begins, you can see that the already incredible fishing here at El Salto continues to improve with every passing week. Everyone who visits goes home with great memories of the big ones that didn’t get away. And the size of some of the bass being caught and released is just unbelievable. Every time you cast, there’s a good chance you could catch a bass that weighs 10 to 15 pounds, maybe more. And like our friend Gary Jacob says, that’s just the gravy! We promise ever time you stay at Anglers Inn you’ll enjoy the best service, the most delicious food and the finest accommodations available on any bass lake in the world. Call us soon and plan a visit. We’re looking forward to seeing you!

ANGLER'S INN
FISHING REPORT UPDATE
Apr 1st thru 30th 2008

Burning Crankbaits Hot For El Salto’s Trophy
Post-Spawn Bass

As the normal water level begins dropping due to irrigation, anglers fishing El Salto are witnessing a phenomenon seen repeatedly during the past 18 years. Post-spawn bass are stacking up on points, humps and islands, and the best baits for catching them are fast-burned deep-diving crankbaits. Most anglers are starting their early-morning fishing sessions by casting topwater lures. The topwater bite has picked up a notch recently, with Rico Pops and Zara Spooks in the colors mentioned above being the best producers. The best spots are shoreline shallows wherever shad schools can be found. As the morning progresses, however, topwaters go back in the tacklebox, and its time to change over to crankbaits, swimbaits or lizards. All these lures will catch fish if you cast them near a school of hungry bass, but crankbaits have been super hot, particularly the deep-diving, citrus-colored Fat Free Shad or a hot mustard- or parrot-colored Rapala DT16. The key is burning the crankbait fast—real fast—as guests Jack and Michael Fitch learned by accident. Jack explains. “It was late in the afternoon on our final day of fishing,” he says. “We were fishing a spot that had already proven to produce good fish, but my dad had an unfortunate accident and lost his rod and reel over the side. I was trying to retrieve the rod and reel by burning my deep-diving crankbait, but instead I hooked the best fish of the trip—a nice 11-pounder.” Another father and son team, Bob and Will Worthington, also had good luck on big bass. During three days fishing, they landed more than 370 largemouths, including many that fell for crankbaits. “My son Will caught bass weighing 11 pounds, 9.1, 8.8, 7.14 and 7.3,” Bob says. “The best baits were the Fat Free Shad, 10-inch Power Worms and Storm swimbaits. Nothing could have made our trip any better! Thank you for all you do to make the experience world class.” If you’re keeping track, the two big bass up to this point in our report weighed 11 pounds each. Could there be a third 11-pounder this month? Indeed! Al and Sandy Wells of Medford, Oregon sent a photo of an 11-pounder they caught, too, along with this note from Al. “We enjoyed our stay at Anglers Inn immensely,” he said. “The food was fantastic, the camaraderie was great, and it all added up to the best vacation we have ever had! Sandy loved the pampering and special treatment. Say ‘Hola!’ to everyone, and tell them thanks from both of us!” And if you thought that was all the 11-pounders possible … well, think again. Loren Smith from California was on El Salto with fishing partner Zack Gruner. Loren says, “I have fished bass my whole life, and my biggest bass was 6.7 pounds. In four days on El Salto, I caught 8.2-, 9.0-, and 10.1-pound largemouths. The pure numbers of big bass are amazing. Most of my bass came on deep-diving crankbaits and Storm swimbaits. Zack landed his biggest bass of 11 pounds on a Fat Free Shad crankbait.” We had other special guests at Anglers Inn this month, too. TV personality Larry Dahlberg, who hosts the show “The Hunt for Big Fish,” fished both El Salto and Lake Mateos on his recent visit. He and Jeremy Sweet from Shimano Corporation landed more than 300 bass on film in just 1-1/2 days of fishing! Also visiting Anglers Inn were Wayne Black and Joe Nickols, winners of an all-expenses-paid trip for two sponsored by Florida Fishing Weekly. As you’ll understand after reading the paragraphs that follow, these guys, like many other guests, say a trip to Anglers Inn isn’t just about the fishing; it’s about the whole experience.  “We arrived at Anglers Inn around noon, and cold drinks were brought to the van as the staff took our fishing gear and baggage to the cottage,” Wayne says. “We were asked what we wanted to drink in the morning and if we had any special needs or requests for food or lodging. Then, at 2 p.m., José said it was time to go fishing. He took us and our gear to the boat where we met our guide Manuel. Manuel asked if we wanted big fish or numbers, and we told him numbers. We caught 63 fish the first afternoon, including several 4s and 5s. Even the smaller ones fought like much bigger bass. “When we came in that afternoon, we were greeted by José, Armando and Sammy whose politeness and obvious enjoyment of working at Anglers Inn were very plain to see,” Wayne continued. “They were just fantastic, and it got even better when they brought the filet mignon to our table cooked just the way we said we liked it. Then it was off to a very clean, air-conditioned room and comfortable beds for a great night’s sleep.” According to Wayne, he and Joe’s first full day at El Salto started just like the day before had ended—with great food and great service. Then their bass fishing began in earnest. “Manuel greeted us with a smile, and we proceeded to boat 77 quality bass, including a lot of 3s and 4s, with several in the 6-pound-plus range. We came back to the lodge for lunch and had an appetizer on our way to the room to freshen up before the terrific lunch. After lunch, it was siesta time, and we rested up for another great afternoon. Shrimp Rockefeller for supper; need I say more?” Day 2 included more great fishing, with Wayne and Joe landing more than 100 bass. “I started using 65-pound braid with a 3-foot, 20-pound Vanish leader tied with a uni-knot,” Wayne says. “This worked very well, even when throwing the 6-inch Storm swimbaits. We caught fish on swimbaits, deep-diving cranks, chrome-and-blue 3/4-ounce Rat-L-Traps, 9-inch worms, 8-inch Zoom lizards and 5-inch craws. The colors on the worms, lizards and craws were black with blue tail or watermelon red. The crankbaits were Fat Free Shad, white with a green back, and Bandit watermelon-red, 16-foot divers. We also caught a few on a Spittin’ Image white with a blue back topwater very early. The topwater bite was just starting to get good, and by May, I’m sure it will be a hot bite. “Day 3 was more of the same,” Wayne continued, “and I had to put an Ace bandage on my wrist, which was sore from setting the hook. Now isn’t that something! We caught well over 300 bass in our three and a half days.” Wayne concluded by reemphasizing that great fishing is just one facet of the El Salto experience. “It’s not just the outstanding fishing that made this trip a bass fisherman’s dream; it’s the whole experience, service and accommodations and, more importantly, the people,” he says. “We were made to feel like family. And to get that on a fishing trip … Wow! The sunsets, sunrises and scenery were wonderful. The quiet and peaceful nights were relaxing. Think about taking your family, too. If they like to fish or just get away to a quiet, hassle-free place, Anglers Inn is where to take them. We’ll be back!” As you can see, the fishing on El Salto has been red hot. The number of bass being caught each week by all the guests combined is in the thousands. And these are good quality bass in the 6- to 8-pound range, with countless more weighing 3 to 6 pounds. The bigger bass take a little more skill and/or luck to land, but I’ve heard many stories of “the ones that got away,” and quite a few about those 10 and 11-pounders that didn’t get away. When you come down, be sure to come prepared with 17- to 20-pound-test line and the baits mentioned above to improve your chances of landing the big bass of a lifetime. And finally, with your sons and daughters getting out of school soon, you may want to take Wayne Black’s advice and bring your family to El Salto for a visit. That’s exactly what David Crook did with his daughter Gabby. Dave said, “We fished for one day and caught 50 bass. And Gabby caught the biggest fish of the day at 8.4 pounds. Gabby is just 9 years old, but she’s quite a little fisherwoman. She caught her bass on a lizard.” Give us a call to find out about our Summer Camp special. You and your son/daughter won’t regret it!