Latest Fishin' Expeditions News
| Pan & John Thiel: "Biologists in fisheries management" Speak Out! |
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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 |
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| The Johnsons "have never caught so many fish, or fish of this size" |
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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 |
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| Gary ClarkKissimmee: "will NEVER forget the food! ... gastronomic delights" |
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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 |
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