Que Sara Sara! Two Wisconsin PBs in Mexico
Que Sara, Sara
Whatever you catch, we’ll see
It’s two giant bass, for thee
Que Sara, Sara
Not only did I make two new great female fishing friends at El Salto in January, but they were both from Wisconsin and both had the same first name — Sara Smith and Sara Gerondale. They both put steel to big fish on their first sessions on the lake on what I assume will not be their last trip to Anglers Inn El Salto. They both experienced immediate gratification via personal bests in their first time on the lake. Taking it up a notch, Sara Smith caught a personal best on her first cast and then beat It by a pound just 45 minutes later. I’d call it “lady luck” but they both worked hard and deserved their rewards.
Both of them escaped the blistering cold Wisconsin weather and they were rewarded not only with big fish, but also with great food and drink, exceptional company, and just an all-around blast. Here are their stories, in their own words:
SARA SMITH
HPFC: Where are you from?
Sara Smith: I am from Mazomanie, Wisconsin.
HPFC: What was your personal best largemouth Bass prior to this trip?
Sara Smith: Prior to this vacation my previous personal best largemouth bass was probably like a 4-pounder on Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota.
HPFC: What was your largest fish at Anglers Inn El Salto on this trip?
Sara Smith: First cast out, on a Rico topwater before the sun was up, I caught a 6.92. And then probably 45 minutes later on the blue Senko, I caught an 8.92.
HPFC: What was your tackle setup?
Sara Smith: St Croix Bass X 7’4 casting rod, Lew’s reel, 18-pound test Seaguar fluorocarbon line and a sapphire blue with blue fleck homemade 6-inch worm (Senko lookalike).
HPFC: What type of structure or cover did you catch your fish on?
Sara Smith: It was on a point hitting towards rock, bush on the left bush on the point, to the right. It hit in the middle, it almost got in the bush on the left before getting in the net.
HPFC: Describe your cast from the beginning to the end.
Sara Smith: We were close to the wall. From what I remember, I think it thumped hard. Halfway back on the retrieve it pulled the pole down really, really heavy. Pulling, pulling, pulling, never saw it, never saw it, then it went towards the bushes and I had to pull it back. Just as it got in the net that hook popped out — probably happened when I was pulling it back out of the bushes because I didn't want it to get tangled.
HPFC: What do you remember about the bite?
Sara Smith: It thunked hard. It did, it wasn’t tap-tap, it thunked hard.
HPFC: When did you realize it was a big fish and what did you think when you first saw it?
Sara Smith: Seriously, like my arm was heavy and sore for two days after because of the 6.92 and then this one. Stuart (her husband and fishing partner) said this is bigger than the last one. I was like, “No way!” because they're just so chunky. Daniel, our soft spoken, veteran guide was super happy so I knew it was big. It was bigger and it was heavy to hold up even with two arms.
HPFC: Was there a moment when you thought it might escape?
Sara Smith: Yep, in the net, the hook popped out. So, we're really lucky.
HPFC: What did you feel after you got the fish in the boat?
Sara Smith: I needed an inhaler. I couldn’t breathe, I just kept taking deep breaths. It was just crazy and I felt like I needed my inhaler, just crazy.
HPFC: What did you feel on the next cast after you threw the big one back in the water?
Sara Smith: I think it was a terrible cast because my whole body was shaky and I was whipped and wobbly.
HPFC: What do you think of Lake El Salto?
Sara Smith: Oh man, it's awesome. It really is. I would have been fine not catching another fish. It's beautiful and when the fish aren't biting, I just looked around at the mountains. The people here are really fabulous, really fabulous.
HPFC: What would you tell somebody coming for their first time to Anglers Inn?
Sara Smith: They. Will. Love. It. For sure. I mean, absolutely. The fishing is excellent and the service is even more excellent.
HPFC: What is your next on your bucket list?
Sara Smith: Apparently people can catch nines here, even tens, so anything over 8.92 will be great.
HPFC: Is there another type of fish you want to catch?
Sara Smith: Um, it'd be fun to catch a big, over 50-inch muskie. Now if that doesn't ever happen it's fine (fish of a 1,000 casts). Panfishing is fine too. I like catching little guys, but man, I mean it's gonna be hard (tongue tied), I mean you can't, you can't pass it up here. How can you be better than here?
HPFC: So, you're coming back?
Sara Smith: Oh, for sure. Okay, yeah. We want to try summer fishing here.
SARA GERONDALE
HPFC: Where are you from and what do you fish for on your home lakes?
Sara Gerondale: Hi, I live in Green Bay, Wisconsin. We have a wonderful smallmouth fishery right nearby, but I'm part of a club that does either smallmouth or largemouth.
HPFC: What was your personal best largemouth Bass prior to this trip?
Sara Gerondale: I don't even know if I have a weight on that. I think 4.12 is where I'm going to put that.
HPFC: What was your largest fish caught at Anglers Inn, El Salto?
Sara Gerondale: (Sara claps and with a huge smile on her face she says….) Near double, eight pounds.
HPFC: What did you catch it on?
Sara Gerondale: St Croix Mojo Bass BXC71MHF 7’1 med-heavy casting rod, Shimano Curado DC reel, Seaguar fluorocarbon 15-pound line and a white Z-Man Jackhammer Chatterbait with a Zoom green pumpkin Super Fluke trailer.
HPFC: What type of structure did you catch your fish on?
Sara Gerondale: It was a point. We had brush, a little bit of rock, not a cliff so there was a slower slope.
HPFC: Describe your cast to the strike - beginning to the end.
Sara Gerondale: We spent most of our morning using a completely different lure and I switched to a chatterbait. We threw it a few times. I had a few strikes and misses, DON’T TELL EVERYONE. We were coming around the edge of the point to a net, which we're not supposed to throw over. The guide, Juan, said “One more cast.” I threw it. It hit it. My lure stopped but I knew it wasn’t stuck. It was stuck in a fish.
HPFC: What do you remember about the bite?
Sara Gerondale: It was an immediate stop. I could feel it, behind it. There was a little give and it pulled me the opposite direction. So, I knew I wasn't hung up. And honestly, all the giggles, all the goofiness that we had up until that moment stopped. I was really very serious. Both the guys on the boat were like, “Whoa, whoa, what you got there? What you got there?” It wasn't a long fight, it was a heavy weight, a heavy pull, the entire time and I brought it back securely. A very nice hookset on that one (I’ll pat her on the back). It was really really caught.
HPFC: Was there a moment when you thought it might escape?
Sara Gerondale: There was no point that I thought the fish might escape but I almost fell in the water twice. THAT would have been the escape. I don't know if it would have been the fish or me.
HPFC: Did you know it was a big fish, did you actually see it?
Sara Gerondale: I didn't see it. But I just knew, it was weird. I don't know how to explain that feeling. It was just entirely different than all the other ones.
HPFC: What did you feel after you got the fish in the boat?
Sara Gerondale: Okay, so normally, after any sizable fish, I have like the shaky hands, the quaking knees and I felt like, ah, well shit, if I can do this, I can do anything, really. This time it was more of a confidence boost. So, any of the missed fish prior to that, I think we're just gone. It wasn't anything that affected me. You know, I had the success in that moment and I knew I could carry that on. It was awesome.
HPFC: What did you feel on the next cast after you threw the big one back in the water?
Sara Gerondale: I didn't feel it at all. I did not feel it. It was like just throw it out there and try again because lord knows what's gonna happen. So, you just give it a moment. Give it a moment.
HPFC: What do you think of Lake El Salto?
Sara Gerondale: Normally I would know a lot about the body of water. I'm going
HPFC: What would you tell somebody coming for their first time to Anglers Inn?
Sara Gerondale: El Salto was exciting. First of all, it’s surrounded by such incredible views, at times it was hard to keep my attention on the water. Yet the lake itself did not disappoint. From the number of bites and quantity of fish, I still have to say the most incredible part was catching fish of that size. I went into it with the normal, “Yeah, get ready for big ones,” but a lot of fishermen have their stories about which lake holds the big ones and I wanted the lake to show me firsthand. It was so much fun, we’re already booking our next trip. If I’d have set high expectations, I’d consider them met. Normally I would know a lot about the body of water I'm going to before I arrive, but Adam had already packed what seemed like all the tackle we own. That meant there was nothing to worry about plus our guide would be showing us the way. I think the thing that surprised me the most was when our guide, Juan, shared how much the water levels change. That's a pretty big variable and I'm impressed with how well they made adjustments.
HPFC: What is your next on your bucket list?
Sara Gerondale: I’m not sure if I have a next bucket list fish but I’ll try just about anything! I can give you a bucket list lake though! I can’t wait to try my hand at Lake Fork.
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I love seeing new friends get the full Anglers Inn experience! Personal bests aren’t required, but they certainly make it sweeter. In this case, lightning struck twice!
