I got a great idea....lets hire a fishing guide !

With the holidays and a side order of warm water and poor Corvina fishing Team X is kind of on  a 'launch hold' mode as they say at NASA.  So when my friend Dave the bum invited me on a freshwater Bass trip to a new lake just  35 miles from Mazatlán I jumped on that deal. The lake is an impoundment that's finally full after 6 years and is kenai sockeye like full...and I mean full of bass. The problem is they have no infrastructure yet, we were some of the first to ever fish this wonderful place. As a matter of fact it was a day of firsts for me, I'd only bass fished once with few results and being a guy who has spent more time in a boat than 99% of the world I set a new personal speed record....holy moly 50 mph in a boat....

That's our guide Louis Gamez, what a guy. We got handed off to Louis in the small town of El Habal by Daves friend. He drove us to the lake in the back of a Chevy truck that's much like mine but missing the Mexican custom features if ya know what I mean. I had a bit of a flashback. Louis really reminded me of somebody.....he's so passionate, so happy to be fishing while knowing he's lucky to have this lifestyle. He's so patient, we pitch it into the trees for the 30th time (literally) and he just smiles and takes care of it....and he laughs so easy and fishes so well, he's just in tune and that's what it takes to make the A-team.

We get to the lake and its so new that there are only 3 other boats on the entire lake. Its just getting light and the lake has that flat light glow of sunrise as Louis motors out. It's been a few years since I've been around 2 stroke motors so I was kinda smiling by the way it coughed and belched. He had a 4 blade stainless prop that seemed to be wrong as it took forever to waddle up on step. It was painfully slow as the bow stuck up into the sky and ever so slowly started down towards the level when it went WwwwwwwwwAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa 50 mile per hour....jeez. I've never gone that fast in boat, heck I didn't know they could do that. The speed reminded me of that first liquid cooled snowmachine I owned.

So being a brand new lake we're fishing trees that look to be still growing and around fences that just disappear into the water. But where those bass really like to hide is in the graveyard...now that's my idea of fishing the 'structure'...I don't know what ol Pablo did in life but he's sure helping us out in death.

If we caught one bass we caught 80, I would guess Dave and I caught 30 to 50 apiece and Louis, well he manged to clear lines, run the electric, eat a burrito, release fish and still catch as many as me. Here's a pic of Dave fishing in a typical area. We caught them on everything and in every way. I felt like I was on ESPN doing some crankbaits, worms that were texas rigged, looney worms, Carolina rig...I had it going on. Then the topwater action, what can I say you throw your popper or spook or a top dawg and...kerSplash....fish on. Accuracy of your cast is everything. The bass are right next to the trees so whether you're flipping or casting you have to get close and of course theres a few tangles...mmmm...maybe more than few.

And a pic of Dave with what might be the biggest of the day. I'd guess that most of the fish were 2 to 4 pounds. But Louis says that if we keep sorting through them someone will catch a 10 pounder, next time Louis, next time.

Ol Dave there was pretty hard on them with a crank bait. The one that worked the best for me was a Pirate colored Magnum Wiggle Wart that I brought from Alaska. It was as deadly on Bass in 2014 as it was King Salmon in 1988. I remember the first Wart I ever owned...it was.......ahhhhhh, that's another story. But hows this for deadly, two fish, one lure....you still got it Jethro.

And a picture of yours truly, the guided guide. Ya know, I've hired a charter before but yesterday with Louis the light went on....People who are really good at this craft like us polish a great day into an exceptional day. I always say the best fishing trip I've ever been on was the one I'm on right now...well yesterday was an exceptional memory to make. I learned so much, saw new things, made new friends, it's the essence of guiding. For those hours we're only about three things, each other, the fish, the smile. It's us.

Here's a pic of us at the end of the day. Louis is on the ground floor of this new place and excited for it like I was when I started. He has a lot to overcome, they need reliable transportation and he needs to get Gringo's feeling safe to come to these area's. He needs a network of people who are trusted to show others the way....well Louis, you met a couple of the right guys yesterday, we can help.....and mucho gracias for a great....no....exceptional day. One of the best I've ever had and that says a ton.

And oh....its not just fish. We had eagles, gorgeous yellow Oriole birds, deer and how about his guy sunning himself in the middle of the lake. Just like the Galapagos islands, a marine Iguana.