Is Mateos the next El Salto? We talk to Chappy Chapman to find out more about Mexico’s “forgotten lake”

Introduction: When you think of the top Mexican Bass lakes there are a few bodies of water that truly make the short list when it comes to south of the border largemouth paradises. Of course on top of that list is famed Lake El Salto, followed by Baccarac, Aqua Milpa, Huites, Cuchillo, Comedero and Guerrero. While all of these lakes have cycled up and down El Salto has produced more double-digit bass than any other lake in the world. But watch out there is a new lake called Mateos, which is actually a very old lake that has rebounded and is now rising up in the ranks to challenge all the other famous Mexican lakes, including El Salto itself.

Lake Mateos in Mexico has been garnering a lot of attention recently for incredible topwater fishing for both conventional and fly anglers

Just where is Mateos? Located near the city of Culiacan in the Mexican State of Sinaloa, Lake Mateos is a 55 minute ride by car. The village closest to the lake is El Varejonal. Many anglers do not realize that Mateos is not a brand new lake but was actually once regarded as one of Mexico’s very best bass fishing destinations. The fishing there was red hot in the early 1990s. Then in 1994 the lake was almost drained completely to meet the demands of farmers who needed its waters for their crops. As the lake’s water drained away, so did its bass fishing. The fishing pressure faded as the water dropped and then almost disappeared completely.

Mateos is not a new lake, but rather one of Mexico's oldest back lakes, one that has rebounded in recent years

For years Mateos was ignored and over time it refilled and rebounded. When the team at Angler’s Inn, the largest resort on El Salto, looked for a new lake to build their next resort they aggressively pre-fished many lakes, Mateos being one of them. After considerable test fishing at Mateos they knew they had found something special in the long ignored lake. The lake’s bass fishing population has come back strong and fast and to find out more about the lake and how to take advantage of the invigorated fishing we talk to Chappy Chapman, son of Billy Chapman Jr. the owner and founder of Anglers Inn.

Chappy Chapman shows us that Mateos isn't just about big numbers but is home to big fish too

Zander: Hi Chappy, please tell us about yourself and how you got into this business?

Chappy: My grandfather started out at Lake Baccarac, then my father came to El Salto and was the one who originally seeded the lake with Bass, and then went to work the Amazon for a few years, then came back to open the very first lodge here at El Salto. I personally came down here 10 years ago to help with the business and have been here ever since.

Mateos doesn't have the submerged trees like El Salto, instead it is full of rocky structure, submerged islands and cliffs

Zander: El Salto really is the stuff of legend for Bass Anglers, what makes this particular lake so distinctive?

Chappy: The bottom line is the fish. There is no other lake that has yielded so many double digit fish, and the other thing that makes this lake so special is that you really don’t have to be a pro to catch that fish of a lifetime. Anglers come from all over the world and often leave with their biggest bass to date.

Zander: So what makes Anglers Inn unique?

Chappy: Great fishing of course, but our service, staff, food, and accommodations are what keep people coming back; in fact 80% of our business is repeat business. To be honest last season was a tough season, not one of the best we have had in terms of fishing, and yet many of our customers are back, and the good thing is that the fishing has really picked up nicely. What made the difference for this year is we had two major hurricanes pass through last September and October and the lake filled all the way back up.

There is plenty of brush that lines Mateos providing cover for fish

Zander: I’ve noticed that the guides here know the lake very well here, is there a prerequisite to be a guide on your staff?

Chappy: All of our guides have been with us a long time, many actually grew up around the lake, and the guide with the least experience has been with us five years. We have very little turnover with our guides and ¾ of them have actually been with us for over 10 years. Some of the mistakes that anglers make when they come here is that they want to fish the baits that work for them back at home, but our guides always give recommendations they know work, and they know the lake very well.

The lake is connected to numerous rivers, one of which is home to the new Anglers Inn Mateos lodge

Zander: There is a now lot of buzz about Lake Mateos, can you tell us more about the lake and how it is different than El Salto?

Chappy: Mateos is actually an older lake, one that was once among the best bass lakes in all of Mexico for Florida Strain largemouth until a massive drain in 1994. The lake has since rebounded nicely, and is even nicknamed “the forgotten lake.” Mateos is vastly different than El Salto starting with the fact that it is 55 thousand acres in size, making it two and a half times bigger than El Salto. When it comes to fishing the lake is now garnering a lot of attention for outstanding topwater. The lake is much clearer than El Salto and the numbers are excellent, in fact they are better than El Salto. This is not to say that the size of the fish is not good either. While El Salto still holds more big fish Mateos is coming up quickly.

Welcome to the new lodge

The lake record is 14lbs, and the biggest fish caught by our clients is 11.3lbs, not long ago a ten year old boy visiting the lake caught a 10lbr. In terms of structure the lake is also very different than El Salto. You won’t find the submerged trees that populate El Salto but there is brush everywhere and plenty of rocky structure including many submerged islands as well as cliffs. Anglers visiting Lake Mateos will observe the same catch-and-release procedures that we introduced so successfully at El Salto Lake. We encourage anglers to bring their cameras. Go ahead and shoot pictures of your big ones, then get them back in the water. You’ll find they will still be there when you come back and that they’ll also have added weight.

The Mateos lodge is a smaller camp than El Salto and anglers stay in individual cabins

Zander: What are some of the best lures to use at Mateos?

Chappy: There are many days when you can fish topwater all day on Mateos and never have to go deep at all. Rico poppers are excellent, as are spinnerbaits, and spooks are responsible for many of the largest fish caught here. Plastics are also effective and lizard and creature baits have also been very good. Because the topwater is so good Mateos has also been garnering a lot of attention from fly anglers. Fly fishermen can come here and never use a sinking line, catching all their fish on poppers. The right fly rods to use on Mateos are 8 and 9wt. as the fly anglers have also been landing fish near 10lbs right on the surface.

The perfect base camp in the pursuit of big topwater bass

Zander: So when is the best time to fish at Mateos?

Chappy: The best time to come for the topwater is the colder months when the fish here are closer to the surface. It doesn’t get very cold here but this time would be from November to April. However, July is also fantastic at both Mateos and El Salto because of the lower water level and the sheer the concentration of the shad, it as at this time when there is really a good chance of landing a monster bass. We close our facilities through the rainy season which is through the end of July to early September.

Dine in style in the Angler's Inn outdoor patio which overlooks the river

Zander: You have a new property at Mateos, is the experience different that that of the Anglers Inn here?

Chappy: Mateos is a slightly different atmosphere as it is a smaller camp. The accommodations are actually better at Mateos than at El Salto. It is constructed on the Humaya River, one of the major rivers that connect Lake Mateos. The lodge is only 4 minutes away from the launch site near the dam. The camp is built on the river and on one side you hear the tranquil running river, while on the other side of the camp you hear the crackling from our fire pit, the combination make for an excellent ambiance.

Owner and Founder of Angler's Inn Billy Chapman, Jr. holds up a Mateos lunker

The facilities are top notch and there is a bar that is half inside and half outside and we offer fine dining as part of the package. Anglers are treated to great food during the day and can dine either inside our outside overlooking the river. The ideal way to reach the lodge is to fly into Culiacan rather than Mazatlan. Guests will be picked up in air-conditioned vans for the 55 minutes drive to the lodge. Mateos is about two and a half hours by auto north of Lake El Salto.

A view from the lodge

Zander: Moving forward can we expect to see other destinations and properties open up in Mexico or will you be focusing on El Salto and Mateos?

Chappy: We are currently hosting groups to the Amazon, but we are working on a number of exciting new destinations including a new beach resort in Mazatlan which will open within the next 18 months. There are many places anglers can fish but Mazatlan is unique in that it offers such a wide variety of activities for anglers, hunters, and the entire family. Rather than just be an outfitter we offer a true sportsmen’s resort. Where else can you land a bass of a lifetime, fish light tackle for billfish, go dove hunting, ride Harley Davidson's through the Sierra Madre Mountains, and feel good about bringing your entire family out.

Steve "Bear" Babbidge and Chappy Chapman know how to put together a great trip fro anglers

We really are family friendly and a good example includes our already current father and son fishing promotions, but will soon be offering complete summer camps which include Kayaking, clay shooting, go kart racing, ATV riding, and even remote control bass fishing (where you operate remote control boats which troll lures.) All of this starts on June 1^st. In terms of new bass fishing lakes we are always looking to expand and we watch both the new and old bass lakes very closely, and if any of them really come on strong then Anglers Inn will have a new resort there.

Earlier this season 10 year old Sawyer Thompson landed this 10lbr out of Mateos

Zander: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us Chappy, and we look forward to checking in on the reports for Mateos this season.

Conclusion: I came back to El Salto to field test a few rods, lines, and a few new lures. After a phenomenal few days of fishing and over 160 fish later it is hard to imagine any place that can beat the action and quality that anglers routinely experience at El Salto, but from what it sounds like the return of Mateos might just do exactly that.

Is Mateos the next El Salto, time will tell, but there is no doubt this fishery is back and better than ever

The team at Angler’s Outfitters makes it incredibly easy for anglers to focus simply on fishing, and when the day is done it is easy to recharge for the next with top notch food and accommodations. If the experience at Mateos is anything like that of El Salto then there is no doubt that this old lake, made new once again, is going to be a prime destination for anglers. I know that the next time we need to field test a batch of topwater lures and possibly even swimbaits we are going to remember the forgotten lake.

Want to fish Mateos? Contact Hook Adventure Travel
(Ask for Bear at 800-583-8133 and tell him you want the TackleTour treatment)

This article reprinted courtesy of Tackletour.com