This has been a season of highs and lows where Lake El Salto water levels are concerned. When our current season started water levels were about as high as we’ve ever seen them. Now the lake is way below its high water mark and is still falling due to the demands for irrigation.
But Anglers Inn clients are still catching some dandy fish. One of our recent guests---Sachiko Takeno, of Japan---went home wearing a big smile. He boated a 12-pound, 5-ounce beauty. Sachiko caught his trophy bass on a jerkbait he fished in submerged timber.
Right now the submerged timber is where most El Salto Lake lunkers seem to be holding. They are suspending up tight to the wood cover. Anglers who manage to get their lures where these fish are have taken some heavyweights.
Our clients have been scoring on a variety of lures lately. Some have done well on Booyah Boogie Baits as well as Chatterbaits in white or chartreuse colors. Medium and deep diving crankbaits have also produced good fish. We’ve also had clients who have taken fish of more than 10-pounds on Senkos, Yum Dingers and plastic lizards as well as Storm Swimbaits. Watermelon shades have been the best color in the plastic baits.
As is usual at El Salto this time of year, anglers have opportunity to try just catching numbers of fish or to concentrate on larger bass. You’ll find more average size fish around shallow water cover. As we’ve mentioned, most of the big ones are being caught close to cover in deeper water.
Keith and Mo Guenther are a father and son team who visited Anglers Inn recently. They found fishing on the slow side in deep water, but had no problem finding action closer to the bank. “We caught a bunch of fish off points along the shore,” Keith says.
“Most of our fish were in the 2 to 3-pound range, but with an occasional 5-pounder mixed in.”
Rick and Lori Spliter went home happy from their recent Anglers Inn experience. “As usual,” the pair say, “we were treated like a king and a queen. We were upgraded to the Honeymoon Suite. We had our own table for both lunch and dinner. They even prepared our breakfasts ‘to go’. All together we caught 95 fish. The largest ran between 5 and 6-pounds.”
Both air and water temperatures are warming up here. The early morning and late evening boat rides can still be on the cool side. You’ll likely be more comfortable wearing a light jacket going out and coming back in.
