El Salto Makes for Big Memories – Three More Personal Best Largemouth Bass

Big Dreams, Big Expectations, No Disappointments. That’s the El Salto promise. I’ve already detailed how two of our lady anglers notched new personal bests on our recent trip, but now it’s the guys’ turn. Jimmy Keller, Brian Saari and Adam Cherry, three Wisconsin tournament anglers, all crushed their previous PBs. Listen to their stories – I’m pretty sure you this will make you a little (a lot) jealous. The best way to fix that is to book a trip of your own.

JIMMY KELLER

HPFC: What is your name and where are you from?

Jimmy Keller: Jimmy Keller from Fox Valley, Appleton Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

HPFC: Before today, what was your previous personal best largemouth bass?

Jimmy Keller: My previous personal best largemouth was 4 pounds.

HPFC: What was your largest fish at El Salto?

Jimmy Keller: I caught an almost 9-pounder.

HPFC: What kind of structure or cover did you catch it around?

Jimmy Keller: Bushes.

HPFC: Describe your cast to the strike - beginning to the end.

Jimmy Keller: My dad had thrown a topwater out. The fish blew up on it and missed it. I cast my Texas rigged Power Worm in there right in between two bushes, wherever the blowup was and right when it hit the water the fish just came up and mowed it. I set the hook and reeled it in.

HPFC: What do you remember about the bite?

Jimmy Keller: At first, I knew it was big as it was very loud. I saw the mouth come up and it was like, “Holy crap! This is big!” I set the hook and it just didn't move. Then the guide grabbed the net and I started freaking out and it was pretty awesome.

HPFC: Was there a moment when you thought it might escape?

Jimmy Keller: Yes. Once I got him up to the boat, he went screaming underneath it and was pulling drag while it was clamped all the way down. It was underneath the boat and was trying to pull more out. That's pretty crazy.

HPFC: What did you feel when you finally got the fish in your hand?

Jimmy Keller: Relief at first and then I was pretty excited because it was huge and was the biggest bass I had ever seen. It was pretty awesome.

HPFC: What did you feel on the next cast after you threw the big one back in the water?

Jimmy Keller: I didn't really even know what I was doing. I kind of just threw it out there. I wasn't really paying attention. I was still on the high of catching the other one. I was kind of done after that because it was almost dark and I was on adrenaline.

HPFC: What rod, reel, line and lure did you catch it on?

Jimmy Keller: I used a St. Croix 7’4 heavy rod, a Daiwa Tatula CT baitcast Reel (right-handed), 8.1:1 gear ratio, 30-pound braid with a 20-pound fluorocarbon leader and then a Texas rigged Berkley Power Worm.

HPFC: What do you think of Lake El Salto?

Jimmy Keller: It is pretty awesome. It’s very big and there’s of different stuff you can fish. Very, very large fish compared to what we have in Wisconsin so it's definitely more exciting. Every cast you don't know what you're going to get, as back at home you usually catch a fish that is just a pound or two. Here you can get a 10-pounder, you never know.

HPFC: What would you tell somebody coming for their first time to El Salto?

Jimmy Keller: I would say that if your hopes are high, that's probably not a bad thing because I had very high hopes coming in here and I wasn't disappointed - that's for sure.

HPFC: What is your next on your bucket list?

Jimmy Keller: Oh boy. I still haven’t caught a musky and I live very close to Minnesota. I NEED to catch a musky.

HPFC: Will we see you back here some day?

Jimmy Keller: I hope so. I know my dad wants to come back. So, if he's coming, I'm coming!

BRIAN SAARI

HPFC: Where are you from?

Brian Saari: I’m from Madison, Wisconsin.

HPFC: Before today, what was your previous personal best largemouth bass?

Brian Saari: Six thirty-four, I believe.

HPFC: What was your largest fish caught at El Salto?

Brian Saari: I caught a 7-pounder on a Zoom Super Speed Craw, Yabby mudbug.

HPFC: What rod, reel, line and lure did you catch it on?

Brian Saari: St. Croix 7’4 heavy, 20-pound test, Lew’s reels. All Lew’s, all the time.

HPFC: What kind of structure or cover did you catch it around?

Brian Saari: We were just kind of flipping some brush today, over rock banks.

HPFC: Describe your from the beginning to the end.

Brian Saari: Good Lord, flipped in a bush and the thing just smoked it. Started running to deep water, I set the hook and the thing just rocketed up. It was awesome. It jumped up like three feet in the air. It was like “Whoooo hooo hoo.”

HPFC: Was there a moment when you thought it might escape?

Brian Saari: No, actually, I got a good hook it BUT THEN we got it on the boat and I barely had it skin hooked like all the way up in the gullet. Yeah, barely hooked.

HPFC: What do you remember about the bite?

Brian Saari: One of the best bites I’ve had. I mean it just knocked it.

HPFC: When did you realize it was a big fish and what did you do when you first saw it?

Brian Saari: Immediately. Then I set the hook, it came straight up and jumped three feet out of the water.

HPFC: What did you feel on the next cast after you threw the big one back in the water?

Brian Saari: Oh, actually, we got on a pretty good bank. We caught a 5-pounder just before that and we caught multiple fish along that bank. So, it was like, you know, you're on point every cast because there's big ones around.

HPFC: What would you tell somebody coming for their first time to El Salto?

Brian Saari: I have been to El Salto one other time and I will for sure keep coming back. Don't pack too much tackle like I did!  You know it's hard to not pack too much tackle but just pack Senkos and Speed Craws. You don't need 100 pounds of tackle to catch bass down here, they will eat anything.

HPFC: What is your next on your bucket list? Perhaps a different species?

Brian Saari: Well, I’d like to catch an 8-pounder, 9-pounder or maybe a 10. But I’ve always wanted to catch Mahi, that’s my bucket list fish. I’ve done some saltwater fishing a few times, just haven’t connected with a Mahi. So perhaps a saltwater trip with Half Past First Cast for a Mahi.

ADAM CHERRY

HPFC: Where are you from?

Adam Cherry: I’m from Green Bay, Wisconsin.

HPFC: Before today, what was your previous personal best largemouth bass?

Adam Cherry: Personal best largemouth was probably about six and a half or seven pounds, somewhere around there.

HPFC: What was your largest fish caught at Anglers Inn, El Salto?

Adam Cherry: This week we crushed that; it was 9 pounds. Then we had additional three that went over 8. So, pretty incredible. And we had only just begun.

HPFC: What kind of structure or cover did you catch it around?

Adam Cherry: Rock shoreline with some brush and we fished a little bit off the shore quite a bit of the time. The lake’s up a lot right now so we were trying to visualize where that next round of brush would be at underwater and kind of fishing in between those two.

HPFC: Describe your cast from the beginning to the end.

Adam Cherry: It was actually a pretty long cast so that was nice. Using a shaky head with a Senko and you're waiting for it to sink and then I just slowly pulling it back and I feel the weight of the fish and then just felt it start to move and load up and gave it a good smack.

HPFC: When did you realize you had a big fish?

Adam Cherry: I realized it was a big fish when it didn't move towards me. The line started to move away from shore and didn’t come towards me.

HPFC: At what point did you see the see the fish?

Adam Cherry: First time I saw it, it kind of came up, did a little boil but didn't come completely out of the water, I was trying to keep it down and just saw it kind of circle back and that's when I knew it was something exciting. I also knew it was a big one because the guide got really excited and at that point it was just a matter of trying to hold on.

HPFC: Was there a moment when you thought it might escape?

Adam Cherry: You know, when you get the fish close to the boat, right, that's when you always start to be concerned. I'm not gonna say that I thought it was just gonna come in with no problem because you never know what's gonna happen.  When it was time to net the fish, BUT WAIT, I take that back, we didn't have a net that day. Yes, when it was next to the boat the entire time, I was very concerned it might escape.

HPFC: What did you feel once you had the fish in the boat?

Adam Cherry: It's a little bit surreal, right? I mean, largemouth bass, that large, 9 pounds. You see pictures of them and you see videos and things but actually to be in the moment, it was hard to believe that it was happening to me.

HPFC: What did you feel on the next cast after you threw the big one back in the water?

Adam Cherry: You want it to happen again! I was ready, I was very much ready, the adrenaline's going strong and you're just really jacked up and ready to just keep going after it.

HPFC: What did you catch it on?

Adam Cherry: St. Croix rod with a 1/8 oz WOO! Tungsten Shakey Head, with a 5-inch black Senko.

HPFC: What do you think of Lake El Salto?

Adam Cherry: Can’t beat it, especially when it is subzero temperatures back home in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Fishing with friends, being guided by the greatest guides, having unbelievable hands-on service by the staff. You will never find your drink empty or your bed unmade.

HPFC: What would you tell somebody coming for their first time to El Salto?

Adam Cherry: What are you waiting for? This is a trip of a lifetime and you aren’t getting any younger. Make it happen, call my friend Hanna.

HPFC: Will we see you back here some day?

Adam Cherry:  Didn’t have to twist my arm, I am already booked for next February 2023.

I thought I would have to drag their asses to take them aside to have a one-on-one with me but Jimmy, Brian and Adam were thrilled and excited to talk about their BIG accomplishments. Pictures don’t do these catches justice. The smiles on their faces and the excitement in their voices makes me as excited as when I had caught my personal best (9-12, still just 4 ounces short of our next taxidermy phone call). Everyone’s rebooked to aim for that next PB.