Bass Fishing Lake El Salto in Mexico: A Magical Lake With Big Fish

I've been fly fishing most of my life. I've also been enamored with fishing for bass for as long as I can remember. Bass was the fish of the culture I grew up in. Trout fishing? Not so much. Trout was looked at as a novelty, something my father fished for about once a year. Other than that, it was bass, crappie, and catfish.

A Lifelong Obsession: Catching Anything That Swims

I grew up wanting to catch everything and anything that swims. Though I have a preference for the fly rod, I also have the "I'd fish a puddle with a chopstick if I thought it would catch me a fish" mentality. To me, the tug is truly a drug.

An angler holding a bass for the camera on lake El Salto in Mexico. — An average sized El Salto bass. | photo by Reuben E. Reynoso for Season on the Edge

Chasing Giants: An Unforgettable Trip to Lake El Salto

But bass fishing? That is a first love. It's what my fishing foundation was built on. I recently came across some photos from a few years back of a fishing trip I took to Lake El Salto in Mexico. El Salto is a big bass lake in the state of Sinaloa, about an hour's drive north of Mazatlán. The photos brought back memories of how magical a lake El Salto is. The bass that come out of there are indeed large. I remember putting a few 8+ lb bass in the boat and losing a fish that was well over 10 lbs.

One Week of Exceptional Fishing

In the mornings and well into early afternoon bass were feeding on the surface. You could hear and see the splashes as they hit schools of baitfish. Once the day got hot, the fish went deep, and this is when the hunt for the big ones began. We'd tie on big Rattle Traps to cover a lot of water, and when we located fish, we switched to Carolina-rigged Senkos and dragged them across the bottom.

Two anglers fish for bass around a flooded mausoleum in lake El Salto in Mexico. — Knowing you could hook into a bass of a lifetime in a flooded cemetery is a little surreal. | photo by Reuben E. Reynoso for Season on the Edge

A Feeling Like No Other

When you felt that tap-tap, your heart would get pumping because you knew it had the potential to be a trophy-sized bass. I did my best to put a serious bend in the rod when setting the hook. If it was a big fish, the feeling at the end of the line was unmistakable—not a lot of body thrashing, not a lot of head shaking, just a solid "Thunk!" Then the line would slowly peel out, building speed if you had a loose drag. When the fish moved toward the surface, you did everything you could to keep it from jumping. To visually see your personal best throw a hook will damage you.

A fly angler holds a largemouth bass he caught from Lake El Salto — A thick El Salto bass on a fly rod. | photo by Ken Baldwin

Fly Fishing on El Salto Can Be Spectacular

Early in the day when the bass were feeding on or near the surface I would break out the fly rod to get some fly fishing in. I did well with Enrico Puglisi baitfish patterns. Early in the morning at first light I had success on some big topwater poppers. The more commotion I could make the better. Bring an 8-weight rod with a floating line, and a full sinking line if you want to increase your chances of hooking into a 10 lb bass. I made a note that the next time I fish El Salto, I'm bringing a full sinking line and big Blane Chocklett streamers to try hooking into a trophy fish. I know if I'm patient and can fish all day for one good bite, it's realistic to hook one of the big ones.

To Get There Was Easy

To get to El Salto I went through Pro Bass Adventures Mexico. The thought of traveling to Sinaola to fish was a little intimidating but Pro Bass Adventures made it easy and safe. You fly into Mazatlán, and PBA picks you up at the airport. You are driven directly to the lodge on the lake. When the week is up, you are driven back to the airport. Next time I go, I'll probably give myself a few days to spend in Mazatlán and explore some of the saltwater fishing opportunities. TV news and social media will lead you to believe that all of Mexico is a drug infested desert. It's actually a fun place to visit made up of great people. KB