simple presentations for 7 lb lake el salto bass

The Major League Baseball All Star game is coming up fast. NFL training camps start soon. The NBA finals recently concluded. All around us, teams are getting built, rebuilt and deconstructed. Why should I be any different?

If all goes according to plan, 24 hours from now we’ll be arriving at Anglers Inn Lake El Salto. After dropping off our luggage, making sure our travel companions are settled, and catching our breath, we should have a few hours to fish. The purposes of that first “half” day are several: to have fun, catch a few fish and start to tune in our bite. Getting rigged up should be a simple process, because if you let the perfect be the enemy of the good you’ll end up missing out on precious casts.

I’m sure that my guide will have his own favorite lures, and certainly more recent time on the water than I’ve enjoyed, so I’ll heed his advice. Nevertheless, if left to my own devices, here’s what I’d be likely to tie on preceding that first short session.

10 inch Berkley Power Worm black with blue tail

Strike King 6XD Crankbait Chartreuse Perch

Realistically, those three would probably get the job done. When rigging up that first afternoon you don’t want to bring too many rods or too much tackle. Keep it simple, both to save time on land and also so you don’t waste time unnecessarily changing baits. Still, it’s hard for me to go out with fewer than four rods, and I’m actually more likely to take five. With that in mind, here are two other options I’ll almost certainly have ready:

Watermelon Candy Zoom Brush Hog with painted Carolina Rig weight

Remember, these options are just suggestions. Your mileage may vary but they’ve been very good to me in the past, and unless conditions or my guide tell me otherwise, you can be assured that they’ll get playing time at some point this week. Stay tuned for our post-trip reports.