My Own “Back to Basics” List for El Salto – June 2022
Hanna recently penned a column about her plans to go back to basics on our upcoming trip to Lake El Salto. It made me think that I’ve overcomplicated the process of fishing down there, to the point that I’m wasting casts and wasting time by retying or through indecision. Prior to just about every trip I put together a list of lures that I intend to try, such as this one from November 2020 and this one from June 2021. While I’ll likely do that again before we head back, I’d like to spend at least as much time recommitting to proven winners.
With that in mind, here are three lures that are likely to be in heavy rotation in June if their category is in play, especially since I expect that the most consistent bite will be offshore:
Strike King 6XD and 10XD
There are lots of great deep-diving crankbaits out there, including the OG Fat Free Shad, but I still spend way too much time testing out models and colors when that’s not necessary. The XD models run true, come in great colors, and simply get bit. I’ll retie if I think I need a different color, or if my line is frayed, but I’m not going to go through the full rotation until someone else proves that necessary. I’ll keep my color choices simple, too – a Citrus Shad, a dirty water color like Chartreuse/Blue, and a more natural hue. Cuts WAY down on the weight on my cranking box.
I’m by no means a swimbait expert, but I’ve caught lots of fish, including some megas, in Mexico with a variety of baits. The longtime standard down there is the Storm Wildeye Shad in 4-6” sizes. They’re cheap and they catch fish. I’ve also done well with a variety of soft baits including the Money Minnow and the Optimum Boom Boom. So why the Zoom? Well, first of all they’re amazingly consistent and thump harder than the Storm for better feel. More importantly, I can vary the weight of the same lure – using anything from 3/8 ounce to 1.5 ounces, depending on wind, depth and the mood of the fish. I can also rig them weedless or on an underspin, as conditions demand.
I carry way too many plastics when I’m in Mexico, and most of them never get used. The Power Worm is proven – it catches both numbers and giants – and I can fish it effectively on both a Texas Rig and a Carolina Rig, even a magnum shakey head. Not only will I stick to this rather than initially rotating through lizards and other baits, but I’ll also limit my colors. I don’t need plum and motor oil and other shades until proven otherwise.
The goal is to focus on presentation and to be “in the moment” on each particular cast when we’re offshore. The bite can be en fuego, or it can be time-specific – the goal is to have a proven producer in their face when they’re ready to eat. If someone in my boat or in our group gets on a bite where a DD22, or a Money Minnow or a full-sized Brush Hog is clearly better than the three choices listed above, I’ll switch. Having the lures available to me is not an issue. What has been an issue historically is wanting to try everything out and not taking away any meaningful data or information from that process.
That’s three rods that I’m pretty sure will be my constant companions, but since I normally tote at least five (and usually six) I can double up or add in some other known producers.
Other Deep Water Options
Of course, all of the above assumes that the offshore bite is the dominant paradigm. The water was super-high when we were at the lake in January, and while recent pictures show that it has come down since then, I don’t know if the atypical early-season conditions will produce an atypical summertime bite. I’m betting they’ll still be in their usual haunts, doing their usual things. If that’s the case, I will have football jigs for dragging offshore, flipping jigs and punch weights for dropping on channel-hugging trees, and flutter spoons for triggering the lethargic biters.
Shallow in Summer
The shallow bite is always a wild card at El Salto in June. Sometimes it exists just in the morning, sometimes it’s there all-day, and sometimes it doesn’t happen at all. Of course we’ll be prepared, ideally for a low light topwater bite. Again, I’m going to simplify, with a shad-colored Rico and/or a black or bone Whopper Plopper. I always seem to mess around with a buzzbait and a walking bait and they’re just not as good for me down there. I’m willing to be proven wrong. On one trips we had some shallow fish on a feeding flat every morning, but while they’d occasionally react to a topwater, the numbers and quality were far better on a jerkbait. I’ll have my Vision 110 and Hanna will probably have a Lucky Craft Slender Pointer, but I’m not going to mess around with unproven deals when I know those work. If she wants to mix in a Super Fluke, that’s up to her.
Occasionally in summertime we’ve come upon schooling fish in the afternoons, usually chasing pinky-sized shad rather than tilapia, and in that instance a lipless crankbait has been the best option. Among that class, the ½ ounce Berkley Warpig in chrome with a blue back seems to outfish even similar baits side-by-side.
And yes — I am restocking my Senko supply after we used dozens if not hundreds of them on our group’s January trip. They’re a given.
The Rules
The goal of this exercise has been to remind myself that 95% of the time there is no magic bait. Pick one that gets in the strike zone, presents a realistic profile and provides a proven action. There are some that are better than others, but too much ruminating over the “right” choice when there are some clear winners is simply wasted energy. At the same time, it’s imperative to be flexible. I’m not going to die on the hill of any particular lure when something else seems to be working noticeably better – whether that means a different brand, different color or different style of lure. I’m just going to try to simplify when that’s an option.
Still, I’m self-aware enough to know that I’ll want to try out some new gear. I just need to limit the experimenting on a finite trip.
Stay tuned for that list, coming soon.
