We wish everyone had a chance to read a recent Internet article published by Tackle Tour. You’ll find it at www.tackletour.com. The Tackle Tour article says some of the same things you’ve seen in our fishing reports this season. It’s simply this: The tough season some have experienced at El Salto this year was caused by the hurricane last October. That storm was only the third hurricane we’ve experienced during our operation at El Salto. Anglers went from about 75 fish per boat daily the day before the hurricane to about two fish per boat daily the day after the storm hit. Normal rainfall had the lake 94 per cent full before the hurricane. A couple of days later we were at 122 per cent of full pool. Water went over the spillway for six weeks. The lake turned over and the bass suspended. The tilapia also suspended allowing the bass to feed on them with ease. Good fishing started to kick in a couple of weeks before the Shimano and Berkley groups arrived. It should get better through the balance of this season. Historically seasons after a hurricane have seen super fishing. Better take advantage of it. And don’t forget our coming Anglers Inn El Salto Lake Fall Special. You can qualify for an extra day of fishing at no charge.
Here’s what some of the anglers in the Shimano party had to say about their recent El Salto Lake fishing.
Jimmy Houston, television host: “El Salto continues to be a Bass Factory! Anglers Inn outdoes itself with service every day. For sheer numbers, a ¾-ounce Fat Free Shad in the submerged trees is a great way to go. Use a stop and go technique. We got many quality bass up to 7-pounds in the shallows by slow rolling a white Terminator ½-ounce spinnerbait.”
Tim Woods: “We had great action! I caught more bass on buzzbaits than any time in my life. Also lots of quality fish on soft plastics and crankbaits. Chartreuse green and blue & white were the best colors.”
Greg Drown: “I caught between 90 and 100 quality bass, including one about 7-pounds and another about 8 pounds. I got them on a variety of baits.”
Greg Pullen: “I caught 140 to 150 fish in 3-1/2 days – unbelievable! My best baits were 8-inch Zoom Lizards in watermelon with red flakes and Fat Free Shad crankbaits. My biggest fish weighed 7-pounds.”
Alex Mei and Jack Ip, from Tackle Tour, were also with the Shimano party. They are authorities on what’s up with tackle, baits, equipment, etc. When you visit their web site read the article on fishing El Salto with pre-release Shimano products. Also check out the story on Jimmy Houston. Again, you’ll find them on the Internet at www.tackletour.com .
Many of the anglers in the Berkley group reported similar experiences. Here’s what some of them said.
James Hall, Editor Bassmaster Magazine: “The topwater bite was very good in the mornings with a popper out-catching walking baits. The action was very consistent in both deep water and around structure. Berkley 10-inch Power Worms and 6-inch Power Lizards were very good Texas Rigged and Carolina Rigged. Gulp sinking minnows caught a ton of fish as well. The number of fish we caught was outstanding – nearly 100 per day. The big fish bite eluded us, although I did break off a couple of large fish. El Salto, in my book, is still reigns as King of the World’s largemouth fisheries.”
David Sams: “I had a 7.7 pound bass on a Berkley Frenzy Pop’r and a bunch on topwater as well. Trolling big cranks worked great.
I got several 5-pounders and one 7.2-pounder trolling---yes, you can catch bass trolling! We found most of our fish on deep water humps with trees. There was also lots of fish in the submerged trees. Go to http://www.lonestaroutdoornews.com and look for the El Salto trip that I made with the Berkley group for more on this story.”
Steve Quinn, editor In-Fisherman Magazine: “I caught the biggest bass I’ve had in the last four years, a 9.12-pounder. The lake is full of healthy bass from 1-pound to up to lunker sizes, and there is plenty of shad and tilapia to keep them growing fast. The Anglers Inn staff once again set the gold standard for hospitality and accommodations.”
Ryan Gilligan, Managing Editor of North American Fisherman: “During my stay fish were pounding watermelon Berkley Power Lizards and 10-inch Gulp worms. Bass ranged in size from 1 to 5 pounds, with most between 3 and 5-pounds. The best pattern was dragging Texas Rigged baits down points and channel breaks, although on the last day of the trip a hot crankbait bite developed. Throwing a deep diving Frenzy to a subtle creek channel drop-off produced 39 fish in the span of about 2 hours.”
Hank Parker, TV Personality: “Fishing was great! Carolina Rig fishing with big 10- worms produced 70 bass a day. No big fish for me this time but lots of bass in the 3 to 4-pound class. The water temp was 86 degrees and the air temp in the high 90s. Not bad for a hot day of summer.”
Steve Sharp and his son, JB, were also among our late June guests. Here’s what JB said: “This past trip has been the most fun and productive trip I’ve had. My dad has been an A-Team member since 1991 and this was my fourth trip. In 3-1/2 days we caught 300 fish, the most of any our previous trips with multiple 6-pounders and a 10-pounder apiece. I can honestly say this is the best all round fishing experience I have ever enjoyed and I look forward to coming back to the wonderful fishing and magnificent hospitality for years to come.”
Steve added these comments: “Every fish we caught was put on a clicker counting device. We had 300 fish in 3-1/2 days. The clicker doesn’t lie. The experience of fishing with my son makes lifetime memories. We look forward to returning year after year. I don’t know how you do it but Anglers Inn just keeps getting better and better.”
We’ve still got space available for the remainder of July. Give us a call and we’ll save a spot for you.
Fishing Reports 
