Feb. 1, 2010

 

David

 

Thank you and your staff  for once again for 4 of the best fishing days of my life. This is the 3^rd year in a row I have gone to Trophy Bass Lodge and each time it gets better. I know Mexico has had its challenges and many people are afraid to travel. But I can say without hesitation we were very comfortable and never felt threatened or in danger. In fact, the opposite was true. Coming back and seeing George at the airport, Louie, Freddy, Hector and the same staff at the lodge made us feel like we were among friends.   In 4 days we caught over 400 bass. Most in the 4-6lb range and several in the 7-8 lb range.  The mornings started off with several fish on a Lizard and Senko and moved to rattle traps and spinnerbaits in the afternoon.  I’m looking forward to either going again this fall, if not then definitely in the spring. 

 

Bob Rankin

 

 

 

David.... Just returned from the Lodge on 11/6/09.

We had a blast at Trophy Bass Lodge and I am sure that we would have caught twice as many fish if that hurricane had not come through.... but 100 fish a day up to 8# is not all that bad. We understand as die hard fisherman that nobody can control the weather, and we just make the best of things.  Luis learned some fishing tips from us as well. I used a lure that he was fascinated by. It was a simple white 3/8 oz. bucktail with a white painted head, and tipped with a small fin-s. We caught over 400 bass over a 4 day period.  
The food was fantastic !!!  The cook was second to none. He was great !!!! The accommodations were super and the everything was done on a timely fashion. It was very organized.
 
Thanks again for helping to make this one of our top 3 trips that we have ever taken.

Jim Vescovi

That is me smiling...Frank is the one who does not have a smile...but he has a Big Fish!

Jim Wyatt Group Report of Nov. 24, 2008

Trophy Team,
Well, we got back last night after the best 3 days of catching any of us has ever had.

All 6 of us said this had to be the best trip we had ever taken.

Freddie has got to be the best cook in Mexico. He was waiting for us to get back every day with a snack and something cold to drink.

The guides knew where the fish were and were very helpful.
I got the biggest fish of the trip at 10.5 #. I also had a 10.0#
My 19 year old grandson had one on that would have gone well over 12 but it wrapped around a tree and broke off.

You have an excellent staff and should be very happy to have them.

We will be back next year.

- Jim Wyatt

David,

My wife Pam and I recently returned from our trip to TBL on Lake Huites and it was a truly amazing experience! We are both biologists in fisheries management so this trip was sort of the ultimate "busman's holiday" for both of us. I am involved in reservoir fisheries management so it was very intriguing to see this spectacular highland reservoir first hand. 



First and foremost, the average size of the largemouth population is amazing, with fish in the three to six pound range being common. The first afternoon I was fortunate enough to boat an 11.53 lb. and a 10 lb fish on swim baits on deep water points. Per your advice, we tried to time our trip to coincide with the large female bass staging off the spawning beds in the central and downstream portions of the reservoir and the timing was perfect. The surface water temperatures ranged between 670 and 690 F.   The beauty of this system is that due to the large surface area and varied habitat, anglers can experience different stages of the spring spawn at the same time depending on where you chose to fish.

While we were there the water levels were very stable which indicates that the dam was being operated in a "run -of -river" mode which is very beneficial to the fishery during the spawning period. We were able to take advantage of the many habitat types Huites offers by choosing protected and shaded coves for excellent surface bait action in the morning, then switching to submerged brush for Texas rigged soft plastics or spinner baits later in the morning. We saved the mid day high sun periods for slowly working 4 or 5 inch swim baits up the main lake points for the egg laden females.  The condition factor of these gravid females is truly amazing with several of the specimens we caught exceeding 18 inches in girth.  We spent part of the day going for numbers of 3 to 6 pound fish on spinnerbaits and lizards and then concentrated on fish over 7 lbs for the second part of the day. Catching over 100 fish per day was not uncommon. We simply lost track of the number of fish seven pounds or less and only photographed fish over 8 pounds!  My wife boated 6 fish between 7.5 and 9.8 pounds while I was fortunate to land a 10, 10.4 and 11.53 lb fish. On the final day we had run out of swim baits however two other anglers in camp, George from Las Vegas and Hank from Texas generously offered us their remaining baits for the final day!


 
Thanks to these folks we landed an 8, 10 and 10.4 pound fish on the swim baits they had given us at the final spot we fished . Thank you gentlemen!

Our guide Louis was exceptional, very knowledgeable and highly entertaining. Evening refreshments, meals and accommodations were excellent. It was also a treat to see our friend Frank Walker at camp while we were there.

The forage base of tilapia and threadfin shad makes for a perfect size range and abundance of prey for optimal growth. As long as anglers continue to practice catch and release, this system should continue to provide world class trophy bass angling for years to come.

Thanks much David and Frank for a memorable trip.

- Pam & John Thiel

Hey Guys…  I just thought I would share with you just a few highlights from our last R&R. 

We went to Trophy Bass Lodge on Lake Huites.  It was a beautiful trip.  This lake is in Mexico near Los Mochas which is on the West coast.  It is a premier bass fishing lake.  One of the top rated in the world. 

We caught a lot of fish every day and almost all of them were 2 pounds and up.  We caught so many fish I lost track and we caught fish every single time we went out. 

I have never caught so many fish, or fish of this size.  I had several around 7 pounds and had one almost 10!  If you like to fresh water fishing, this is a great place to go.

- George and Valerie Johnson

The recent report I read said that one angler averaged 175 bass per day.  WOW!  I had to see that for myself, so my fishing partner, Dan Basore, and I headed to Trophy Bass Lodge on Lake Huites, Mexico, to prove it to ourselves.  

It had been 8 years or more since we visited the lake, but I remembered it to be the most beautiful lake I had ever fished.  It is a deep canyon lake of perhaps 30,000 acres, nestled in the Copper Canyon area about a 3 hour drive from Los Mochis, and the scenery must be seen to be believed.  It is simply spectacular and a photographer's delight!

Well, what about those fishing reports?  While Dan and I are not fish "counters", I can assure you that we certainly experienced days where we caught well over 200 bass up to 8 pounds.  The schools of bass from 2 to 7 pounds are truly amazing, and on several occasions we sat in one spot and caught bass after bass 'till the world looked level.

Compared to many other lakes in Mexico, Lake Huites is very lightly fished by sportfishermen, and the small amount of commercial fishing was no problem whatsoever.Additionally, healthy fish of all sizes are caught, indicating great past spawns and the promise of super fishing for years to come.  

While they weren't attached to our lines---unfortunately---one lucky guy caught 10, 11, and 12 pounders while we were there---on topwaters!  The big fish weighed 12.13 on digital scales and I'm including a photo of the guide, Raoul, proudly displaying her.


Our host, David Fields, had told us prior to the trip that our visit in early December might well be a transition time from torrid topwater action to deeper crankbaits, spinnerbaits and plastics, and his prediction was right on the money.  We had good topwater results the first morning, but spotty action thereafter.  No matter---we couldn't wait to get to those huge schools of bass lurking in deeper water that were eager to hit just about anything we threw to them.  Crankbaits, slow-rolled spinnerbaits, soft plastics rigged Texas or Carolina style, or simply attached to heavy jigs---everything produced.  One day we even nailed the 3 to 7 pounders on every "drop" right under the boat using heavy spoons and ¾ ounce Rattletraps.

My report would never be complete without telling you some things about Trophy Bass Lodge.  What a first class operation!  The rooms are immaculate and comfortable with private bathrooms, hot showers, and plenty of space to hang clothes and store gear.  George, the camp manager, takes care of all the transfers from the airport to the Lodge, and efficiently attends to any special needs or requests.  The boats are 19' Carolina Skiffs, with 50hp Yamahas or Hondas, MinnKota trolling motors, Eagle electronics, and premium Optima batteries.  The boats are comfortable, roomy, and very stable and Dan and I often both fished from the front platform without any problem at all.  

The guides are courteous and very experienced.  Our guide for the week, Louis, spoke fluent English, and has guided for over 30 years.  What a comic he was, keeping us laughing all day with jokes and stories. More important, he was always ready to go well BEFORE we were, and suggested some terrific fishing techniques that Dan and I had never considered.  For good reason, David calls him "Drill Sergeant!  Actually, ALL the guides are quite happy to fish from sunup to sundown.

David maintains a well-stocked tackle shop at the Lodge, complete with a huge selection of rods and reels for use by guests.  You may bring your own tackle, of course, but if you prefer to avoid the hassle of traveling with rods, you certainly won't be disadvantaged by fishing with some of his during the trip.  

I must not forget the food.  Indeed, I will NEVER forget the food!  Freddy the gourmet chef, constantly surprised us with different gastronomic delights every time we sat down for a meal.  For instance, when was the last time you had Chicken Cordon Bleu at a fish camp for LUNCH???  A great shore lunch one day with fantastic scenery was appreciated and box lunches can be provided if you prefer to stay out all day.

All in all, it was one of the best fishing trips we have ever made, and I recommend it highly to everyone reading this report.  David and the entire staff make you feel like family, and that's perhaps the best compliment of all.  It's very important to us to fish with honest operator/owners of high integrity, and I can assure you David is all of that.

Contact him at www.LakeHuitesMexico.com or toll free (877)755-4950 to book a trip and see for yourself.  

In conclusion, was there anything bad about the experience?  Yes, definitely.  Dan and I are both thoroughly spoiled for quite awhile now!   We can't wait to get back next May, when we're told the huge schools of monster fish are concentrated on deep structure.  Got to check out that report!!!

Bass wishes,

- Gary ClarkKissimmee, FL 

"David:  Sincere appreciation to you and your staff for my trip to Lake Huites. The lodge was as beautiful as ever the food and accommodations were great as usual; and the fishing was spectacular!
I had two days of the best topwater fishing I have ever had in my many trips to Huites, with bass from 4-8 pounds. Of the lakes I fish in Mexico, Lake Huites is still my favorite for scenery and big fish! I look forward to my next trip to your lake!"
- Delbert Davis, Jr.

Here's the note I received from Dan shortly after we returned from Trophy Bass Lodge and Lake Huites last June:

" For years the late Wild Bill Skinner had advised my fishing partner and I to come fish Huites in May or June. "The big bass school up and you can really catch them", he said.

These words were repeated by David Fields and Head Guide Louis as Gary Clark and I fished early in the last season. Why should an angler who has suffered through a tough Illinois winter and finally now had some good open water fishing go to a place we anticipated would be hot we wondered?

 But Gary, I and our mutual friends set a date to give the lake and Trophy Bass Lodge a shot in late May. As the date approached we heard reports that the lake was down 60 feet and it was difficult to locate quality fish in any numbers. Wow was a trip this late in the season going to be a bust?

 Anticipating the fish would be in a summer pattern recalled an episode on the Ultimate Match Fishing television show. Host Joe Thomas and viewers were blown away as Kelly Jordan would wait till near the end of the contest to pull up on a deep underwater river ledge to cast a large spoon and pull in lunker after lunker on every cast.

 Several of the large Lake Fork spoons Kelly had used were purchased and helped to push the weight of my tackle box up. As owner of the Historical Fishing Display™ and a 'Lureaholic' it wasn't unusual to have to pay the airline extra for over- weight luggage. Time after time though, specific lures have made a big difference on a trip. Anticipation of these journeys and packing for them also add so much to the actual experiences, so I paid the extra without a second thought.

 Arriving at Trophy Bass Lodge I was pleased to find the evening temperatures very tolerable. The new loose fit Under Armor long sleeved shirts were a help but donning rain gear for warmth on early morning take offs made them briskly comfortable. My fishing partner was a late cancel due to his mother's illness so the first day I was partnered with a man on his first trip to this lake. That morning we caught a great number of fish on top water lures and my partner was ecstatic with more bass action than he had ever enjoyed.

However I was after "lunkers" and numbers didn't mean much to me. David Fields saw us late in the morning and waved us over to an underwater island where we did catch some nice fish.

After lunch guide Chalo and I went out and I said it's time to go deep for the big-un's. As Buck Perry, the father of structure fishing used to say. "When they're biting where are they caught? Then go out and find the deep structure where they live."

 Chalo and I proceeded from the underwater island out to the main river channel and the locator lit up with fish from 20 to 60 feet. Many were suspended but a number of them were near the bottom positioned as biters.

I cast the spoon, let it fall to the ledge, lifted it sharply and let it flutter down like a dying shad. Bam...it was game on… Big bass after Big bass! The afternoon winds blew us off the ledge and we had nothing to mark it with but we were high as a kite that we were on a winning pattern. The next day we were equipped with homemade markers from water bottles, old braided line and small sections of conduit for weights.

 Each morning our group switched guides and it was a pleasure to go with each one to his different favorite areas then to expand by finding the ledges. The spoon was the best way to find the fish, but a 5/8 ounce jig with a Zoom Ultra Vibe trailer would mop them up to as would a hard bodied swim jig with the Tsunami's leading the charge there. There were bass up to 25 inches in big numbers with fish after fish on consecutive casts. It doesn't get any better than this.

 Talking with Kelly Jordan, following this trip, I asked if he had a video on spoon fishing. He directed me to Bass Pro Shops' Classic Patterns Collectors' Edition Series 2 titled: Kelly Jordan CLASSIC PATTERNS for deep bass. The primary lure he used is a swim bait but the spoon works as well or better he said. I can't recommend this DVD highly enough. Too often we anglers concentrate on the equipment when knowledge is the key.  

Watching this DVD brings back May memories as the multiple hits on so many casts and huge sizes of fish… finding, marking and staying on structure is exactly the way it was for us on this trip. The only difference, we caught a lot more big bass on the fabulous Lake Huites!"

This truly was a "Text Book Perfect" trip for those of us that enjoy the challenge deep water structure fishing. A set of marker buoys; a good depth finder; a Lake Fork casting/jigging spoon, a Tsunami swim bait or a 12" YUM PaddleTail worm along with a couple gallons of cold bottled water and as Dan says, "It was game on!"

I know most folks make their trek "South of the Border" to catch the giants of these Mexican waters. But I must say that when everything lines up just right and the 5 - 9 pounders start schooling on structure in May and June each year, there is just something incredibly awesome about spending a few hours catching fish after fish of this size.

Maybe you like to pull the trigger in the States during the fall…perhaps April - June fits your schedule better but you've worried that it's "too hot" in Mexico or that the fishing is "tough". I've consistently said, " the hotter the weather…the hotter the fishing." It proves true year after year…post spawn equals Big Bass on structure and it can be "Text Book Perfect."

- David Fields, Outfitter

When I received this report from a client I just had to get it up on the reports page. So many times I've read reports and responses by anglers with this comment..."I don't care anything about catching numbers. I just want to catch a Big Bass"...like anything less would be a disappointment. Well check out what Bruce West had to say about his trip last week to Lake Huites and Trophy Bass Lodge.

Report Date 1/14/2009
Dates fished January 8-10 2009
Trophy Bass Lodge, Lake Huites, Mexico
Dwight, Bruce, Brian West and Dennis Johannes
Total fish 950-1000
Largest fish was in excess of 11
Average weight all fish around 5-6 lbs (NO JOKE)
20+ over 8
50+ 7-8
600+ 5-7

Bruce West: "DO NOT USE LIGHT TACKLE!!! These fish fight harder..."

Just as all who are reading this, we were very pessimistic of all the hype that you tend to read and hear about and were just hoping for a good time fishing with family that was long overdue. Well, get ready for some straight talk from someone who has been there! THIS WILL BE THE TRIP OF A LIFE TIME!!!!

We booked our trip and all preparations, arrangements and planning were handled with the utmost professionalism! And as almost all, I had a lot of stupid questions venturing across the border that were addressed as normal (not stupid).

We were met at the Airport at Los Mochis, Mexico by George the Lodge manager. George speaks relatively good English and is extremely easy to communicate with. Beware, his sense of humor is fantastic! He is also willing to share any and all knowledge about the area, its history and what to expect fishing and a pretty darn good chauffer!!

The trip to The Lodge is an experience in its own. They tell you the first ¾ is paved road and it is! The unpaved part is as good as any theme park you have ever been too! You will experience about every obstacle you can imagine. You will also be humbled by the 2 or 3 villages along the way including the community well in one that sits in the middle of the road. You will realize just how little you really need to survive. This is also one of the most picturesque places you can imagine as you are traveling to the lodge. I highly recommend traveling this in the day time just for the views you will never forget!

We were greeted at the lodge by several guys who readily had our bags out of the Suburban and in our rooms. Within minutes they were catering to us with Margaritas, beer, soda, water and tea. At the same time, there was an excellent meal sitting in front of us as we looked out over the lake on the porch area. One thing you have to envision, you are in the middle of NO WHERE and getting this kind of service. The food the entire trip was nothing but fantastic! Even the shore lunch was put on with outstanding service! If only America still did things this way! The lodge is kept extraordinarily clean and is very comfortable and relaxing.

Now for the part you want to hear about, FISHING!! You will be greeted by your guides first thing in the morning or the evening before. You will be advised what to throw but that is still 100% your call. If you are wrong though, you will hear about it with friendly razzing from your guide. I had the opportunity to have Louie. He speaks excellent English and is a very accomplished fisherman! Don’t be surprised if he picks up one of your rods and wacks an 8 pounder out from the same spot you just hit and then looks at you and just smiles. His sense of humor is nonstop as well as his work ethics. You will be entertained and probably take back a few jokes you haven’t heard yet. If you dish it out you better be ready to take it too. My dad had a HUGE fish break his knot that Louie had tied on. Of course, out came the Bad Mexican knot stuff flying. Within minutes his American knot did the same thing and the war of words was on. I laughed till I was sick! You are fishing with real professional guides so don’t even try to take a fish off, fix your bait or tie one on. It is almost insulting to them. And besides, after lipping 75-100 fish a day you will be thankful, you still have a thumb after it all! Your guide will also periodically suggest different baits. PLEASE LISTEN TO THEM!!

The first morning, we went out for numbers he called it. We caught 2-4 lb fish till we were sick of it and topped that morning out well over 130 fish with several in the 5-7 lb range. Main bite early was on stick worms in watermelon with red flake and buzz baits fished on points with brush and deep in pockets with brush. When the sun came up I put on a demonstration with shad colored DT6 rapalas, Spro BBZ1 and even a wiggle o! Late afternoon we went to cliffs and then back to the shallows. The swim bait was not on but the rubber bite was unbelievable as was the crank bait bite. This was uniform throughout the 3 days.

DO NOT USE LIGHT TACKLE!!! These fish fight harder than any I have ever experienced including Lake Fork! I had 4 lb fish rip the drag like whales! You have to remember also that you may be 30 feet from bank and sitting in 70 feet of water too and they want to go that deep! I had one fish hit me on a cliff bank fishing a stick worm that never moved when I hit him! After showing himself through acrobatics 4 times he decide that was enough and the fish (9+) went down and there was no stopping it! 14 lb line snapped like 4. This is not a onetime happening either. I would say conservatively I was broke off cleanly from overpowering 10-12 times in the 3 days. All 4 of us had the same experience too. We were greeted at the beach by the truck and whisked off to the lodge for a quick delicious lunch. After comparing a few notes and resting we were back after it!
 
That afternoon we went for better quality fish and man did we find them. I never thought it possible to catch back to back doubles and triples in the 6-7 lb range but I now have witnessed it! That afternoon Louie pitched a jig by a bush, I on the left side and dad in front. 3 fish on at the same time. Largest was 8 ½… smallest was 7! Talk about a fight for the net! OH yeh, Louie had the 8 ½ for the record! I lost count of fish over 6 lbs after 60 that afternoon! The other party registered almost identical #’s too.

Amazingly there is a boat and tackle watchman that stays with the boats all night! Boats are cleaned and tackle organized ready for the next day fishing. You are then rushed back up the hill to the lodge where your favorite drink is waiting for you. In about 15 minutes you have a dinner placed in front of you that is a welcome site. The atmosphere of the lodge is very informal and relaxing and you pretty well do as you please and come as you are.

Day 2 was even better if you can imagine that. We pulled in between to cliffs and before my guide had the trolling motor down he was heading for the net! 7.5 first cast! 2nd cast sported a nice 4 lb and the 3rd cast was a 6. Now the motor is down and my partner finally gets to land one around 5lbs. This action is all within 5 minutes fishing in around 40’ of water with buzz baits! The biggest fish I had hold of that day was by far the largest fish I have ever seen on a line! It too showed itself 3 times before saying Adios! That fish would have easily been over 12 and made Louie say words not meant for church! Day two the lake must have been on fire with the big fish bite because we caught very few under 4 all day! The numbers were also outstanding like the first day! Bad thing is by this time all 4 of us had hands that did not function anymore! I work with my hands daily and I could not close them after the second day!

Day 3 started very slow for some reason. The pattern changed and after 30 minutes with very little to show we went for some deeper water points and Texas style worming. There they were and the numbers increased. Our numbers for my boat were around 125-140 that day and had fine quality 5-9 lb fish for the most part. Oh yeh, Louie talked me out of a BBZ 1 that day! Also NOW MY HANDS WILL HARDLY CLOSE!!!

The day was a little off mainly because of our depression of having to leave such a God Sent Place and the reminiscing of the entire trip and having to go back to 5 degree weather!

If you don’t think I am telling it straight, give me a call and look at just a few of the 100’s of pictures! I’ll tell you a little secret, we are all getting ready to book for next year already and may even sneak back in April when the BIG ONES HIT according to Louie.

Thanks for a life time of memories with my Dad, son and cousin and see ya soon,

Bruce West


The "all round" fishing on Lake Huites may be the best on the planet. If it's not, with a report like that, I'll take second place any day! Call me soon to arrange your fishin' adventure of a lifetime! Then "Come on down and get some!"

David Fields

CEO/Outfitter

Trophy Bass Lodge

Call me soon...

toll free 877.755.4950