I
lofted my DB16 crankbait about 30 yards ahead and made three rotations of the handle before the lure
bounced off the rocky bottom structure. The big largemouth slammed the lure after the ricochet and pulled drag for several seconds. This fish was not like the smaller one- to three-pounders that my
partner and I had just caught and released along that stretch. The bass headed toward the surface and boiled the water before heading back down.
David Fields and I watched the action unfold in the
crystal clear waters of the beautiful lake. The largemouth also was well aware of our battle position and tore away from the boat each time I pressured
it close to our gunwale and Pedro's waiting net. Time was on my side and we enjoyed the show until the guide scooped up the big bass with the net.
"Once libras … 11 pounds," the guide estimated
before a short picture taking session and the lively fish's quick release into the blue-green waters. "That may be big fish of the week," pointed out David, who is co-owner of Trophy Bass Lodge where we were staying.
We were fishing Lake Huites, a deep-water highland lake in the Sierra Madre Mountains which may be Mexico's most productive waters. In fact, the 10-year old lake formed by the El Fuerte and Chinipas Rivers
may be the world's best largemouth bass factory. If our 100-plus largemouth per day in one of the hottest months of the year is any indication of the lake's productivity during cooler times, finding a better bass
lake than Huites would be difficult if not impossible.
During the 3-day trip, I was a guest on David's television show, Bassin' Mexico on the Men's Channel,
but the filming didn't seem to interfere with our catching. In addition to the 11-pounder and another 150 small bass, I was able to catch 8 other largemouth between 6 and 9 pounds. Guide duties were split between Pedro
and Luis, who had a plan for pulling big bass from submerged humps in the canyon.
The days weren't entirely consumed by fishing of course; we spent ample time in siestas after a hot lunch
at the 4-year old lodge. Comfortable rooms surround a veranda that overlooks the mountainous lake. The reservoir's distinct topography is responsible for much of its successful bass fishery. Huites has a lot of steep
banks, rock ledges and shelves, and long heavy chunk rock points. The three primary areas are the main lake area or lower part, the river arm or the El Fuerte River
area and the canyon arm or the Chinipas River area. The lake was stocked with largemouth bass by virtue of an introduction of the fish during the early 1960s in the El Fuerte River. After the lake was
impounded and filled to capacity, two subsequent stockings of Florida-strain bass occurred.
Lake Huites is 30,000 acres at full pool, but we were fishing at the end of the dry season (May) when it
was at about 55 percent capacity. The high mountain, canyon-style impoundment averages about 225 feet of water in its deepest parts and does have 350 feet of water in a couple
of spots. The rainy season normally starts in June and rains go on through October. The late fall then is when the lake generally will be at full pool and not coincidentally, is when the lodge
reopens for the season. The season ends in mid-June.
The Lodge's typical fishing package consists of a 3-day fishing, 4-night stay for $1,250 per angler from Los Moches
airport. That's all-inclusive and includes lodging, ground transfer to the lodge, all meals, guides, boat, cooler with soft drinks, etc. Air transportation is not included nor are guide/staff
tips. Longer stays are available for an additional per day rate. The lodge supplies quality baitcasting and spinning Shakespeare and Pflueger rods and reels for visiting anglers.
The lake record is an impressive 15 pounds, 3 ounces caught by Wild Bill in 2003.
Trophy Bass Lodge at Lake Huites, Mexico is normally open from October through June. For more information on the bass
fishing packages, contact David Fields of Fishin' Expeditions at 1-877-755-4950, email david@fishinexpeditions.com or visit their websites at www.fishinexpeditions.com and www.trophybasslodge.com.
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