Trophy Bass Lodge
Date: February 8-11, 2009
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKt3ZJuYQ50

Photos: Click Here For Hogpen

A group of 10 anglers joined me at Trophy Bass Lodge on Lake Huites for an incredible fishing trip February 8-11, 2009. The group consisted of anglers from North Texas, Houston, Galveston, and even a Southern Oklahoma stray! While several of these guys have significant saltwater experience, only one in the group besides myself had any bass fishing experience. However, what they lacked in experienced they made up for in tenacity! For the three days, the group averaged 74 bass per day per boat, and had an amazing 152 bass over 5 pounds. These included five over 9, seven over 8, sixteen over 7, twenty-nine over 6, and the balance being over 5! Incredible for a group of beginner bass fishermen! The temps were in the low 50’s in the morning, and warmed up to the mid 70’s during the afternoon.

The first day of the trip, we had a front come through that kept us on our toes in regards to the patterns. While Bomber Fat Free Shad BD6F crankbaits Emerald Sparkle and Dance’s Pearl White were awesome producers throughout the three days, other baits definitely came and went. One of my big fish came on a new bait, the El Grande 9” Shad. This bait was in a specially designed color for Huites that I was testing. The first two days, Texas rigged lizards and YUM Dingers would not produce, but the third day they were very good. Flukes like the YUM Houdini Shad in Pearl White produced well each day. While there was some topwater action, it was rather inconsistent. Spinnerbaits also produced some nice quality as well. But the bread winner, hands down, was the Fat Free Shad.

There was a big wave of spawning bass while we were there, as most of the big bass caught had bloody tails. They were spawning in 6 to 20 feet of water, and surprisingly they were all over. Backs of coves, main lake points, giant cliffs, straight banks, boulders, pea gravel, you name it. They were simply all over. We did not catch big numbers off any type of structure, as they were scattered all over the lake. This is typical of Huites during the spawning months, and unlike the summer months when big concentrations of bass load up on the points and humps. We fished every section of the lake successfully, from both rivers all the way to the dam. The water was a consistent 71 degrees from end to end.

Usually February is when the spawn starts on Huites, however this year we had a big wave the first of January which is unusual. The weather during January was stable, but most importantly there have not been any big snow falls in the mountains. This prevented the cold water runoffs we sometimes see in January, which is why the spawn started early. When we see this happen, it usual means incredible fishing in April, May and June. The bass will be fully recovered from the spawn, and should be crushing swimbaits, deep crankbaits and Texas rigged plastics. We still have some good availability remaining for these months, so book now to make sure you are there for all the action! Lake Huites has continued to improve each year, and it appears this summer will be exceptional as well.

Give me a call to get your spot booked, and come on down and get your Huites!
Brett Graham
Trophy Bass Lodge

Just as all who are reading this, we were very pessimistic of all the hype that you tend to read and hear about and were just hoping for a good time fishing with family that was long over due. Well, get ready for some straight talk from someone who has been there! THIS WILL BE THE TRIP OF A LIFE TIME!!!!

We booked our trip and all preparation, arrangements and planning were handled with the utmost professionalism! And as almost all, I had a lot of stupid questions venturing across the border that were addressed as normal (not stupid).

We were met at the Airport at Los Mochis, Mexico by George the Lodge manager. George speaks relatively good English and is extremely easy to communicate with. Be ware, his sense of humor is fantastic! He is also willing to share any and all knowledge about the area, its history and what to expect fishing and a pretty darn good chauffer!! Unlike America, you can drink a beer in the car if you so please and there are plenty for your ride.

The trip to the Lodge is an experience in its own. They tell you the first ¾ is paved road and it is! The unpaved part is as good as any theme park you have ever been too! You will experience about every obstacle you can imagine. You will also be humbled by the 2 or 3 villages along the way including the community well in one that sits in the middle of the road. You will realize just how little you really need to survive. This is also one of the most picturesque places you can imagine as you are traveling to the lodge. I highly recommend traveling this in the day time just for the views you will never forget!

We were greeted at the lodge by several guys who readily had our bags out of the Suburban and in our rooms. Within minutes they were catering to us with Margaritas, beer, soda, water and tea. At the same time, was an excellent meal sitting in front of us as we looked out over the lake on the porch area. One thing you have to envision, you are in the middle of NO WHERE and getting this kind of service. The food the entire trip was nothing but fantastic. Even the shore lunch was put on with outstanding service! If only America still did things this way! The lodge is kept extraordinarily clean and is very comfortable and relaxing.

Now for the part you want to hear about, FISHING!! You will be greeted by your guides first thing in the morning or the evening before. You will be advised what to throw but that is still 100% your call. If you are wrong though, you will hear about it with friendly razzing from your guide. I had the opportunity to have (pronounced) Louie. He speaks excellent English and is a very accomplished fisherman! Don’t be surprised if he picks up one of your rods and wacks an 8 pounder out from the same spot you just hit and then looks at you and just smiles. His sense of humor is non stop as well as his work ethics. You will be entertained and probably take back a few jokes you haven’t heard yet. If you dish it out you better be ready to take it too. My dad had a HUGE fish break his knot that Louie had tied on. Of course out came the Bad Mexican knot stuff flying. With in minutes his American knot did the same thing and the war of words was on. I laughed till I was sick! You are fishing with real professional guides so don’t even try to take a fish off , fix your bait or tie one on. It is almost insulting to them. And besides, after lipping 75-100 fish a day you will be thankful, you still have a thumb after it all!
Your guide will also periodically suggest different baits too. PLEASE LISTEN TO THEM!!

The first morning, we went out for numbers he called it. We caught 2-4 lb fish till we were sick of it and topped that morning out well over 130 fish with several in the 5-7 lb range. Main bite early was on stick worms in watermelon with red flake and buzz baits fished on points with brush and deep in pockets with brush. When the sun came up I put on a demonstration with shad colored DT6 rapalas, Spro BBZ1 and even a wiggle o! Late afternoon we went to cliffs and then back to the shallows. The swim bait was not on but the rubber bite was unbelievable as was the crankbait bite. This was uniform through out the 3 days.

DO NOT USE LIGHT TACKLE!!! These fish fight harder than any I have ever experienced including Lake Fork! I had 4 lb fish rip the drag like whales! You have to remember also that you may be 30 feet from bank and sitting in 70 feet of water too and they want to go that deep! I had one fish hit me on a cliff bank fishing a stick worm that never moved when I hit him! After showing himself through acrobatics 4 times he decide that was enough and the fish (9+) went down and there was no stopping it! 14 lb line snapped like 4. This is not a one time happening either. I would say conservatively I was broke off cleanly from overpowering 10-12 time in the 3 days. All 4 of us had the same experience too. We were
Greeted at the beech by the truck and wisked off to the lodge for a quick delicious lunch. After comparing a few notes and resting we were back after it!

That afternoon we went for better quality fish and man did we find them. I never thought it possible to catch back to back, doubles and triples in the 6-7 lb range but I now have witnessed it! That afternoon Louie pitched a jig by a bush, I on the left side and dad in front. 3 fish on at the same time. Largest was 8 ½ smallest was 7! Talk about a fight for the net! OH yeh, Louie had the 8 ½ for the record! I lost count of fish over 6 lbs after 60 that afternoon! The other party registered almost identical #’s too.
Amazingly there is a boat and tackle watchman that stays with the boats all night! Boats are cleaned and tackle organized ready for the next day fishing. You are then rushed back up the hill to the lodge where your favorite drink is waiting for you. In about 15 minutes you have a dinner placed in front of you that is a welcome site. The atmosphere of the lodge is very informal and relaxing and you pretty well do as you please and come as you are.

Day 2 was even better if you can imagine that. We pulled in between to cliffs and before my guide had the trolling motor down he was heading for the net! 7.5 first cast! 2nd cast sported a nice 4 lb and the 3rd cast was a 6. Now the motor is down and my partner finally gets to land one around 5lbs. This action is all within 5 minutes fishing in around 40’ of water with buzz baits! The biggest fish I had hold of that day was by far the largest fish I have ever seen on a line! It too showed itself 3 times before saying Adios! That fish would have easily been over 12 and made Louie say words not meant for church! Day two the lake must have been on fire with the big fish bite because we caught very few under 4 all day! The numbers were also outstanding like the first day! Bad thing is by this time all 4 us had hands that did not function any more! I work with my hands daily and I could not close them after the second day!

Day 3 started very slow for some reason. The pattern changed and after 30 minutes with very little to show we went for some deeper water points and Texas style worming. There they were and the numbers increased. Our numbers for my boat were around 125-140 that day and had fine quality 5-9 lb fish for the most part. Oh yeh, Louie talked me out of a BBZ 1 that day! Also NOW MY HANDS WILL HARDLY CLOSE!!!

The day was a little off mainly because of our depression of having to leave such a God Sent Place and the reminiscing of the entire trip and having to go back to 5 degree weather!

If you don’t think I am telling it straight, give me a call and look at just a few of the 100’s of pictures! I’ll tell you a little secret, we are all getting ready to book for next year already and may even sneak back in April when the BIG ONES HIT according to Louie.

Thanks Guys for a life time of memories with my Dad, son and cousin and see ya soon,

Bruce West

FISHING REPORT
TROPHY BASS LODGE
LAKE HUITES, MEXICO
DECEMBER 3-7, 2007

The recent report I read said that one angler averaged 175 bass per day. WOW! I had to see that for myself, so my fishing partner, Dan Basore, and I headed to Trophy Bass Lodge on Lake Huites, Mexico, to prove it to ourselves.

It had been 8 years or more since we visited the lake, but I remembered it to be the most beautiful lake I had ever fished. It is a deep canyon lake of perhaps 30,000 acres, nestled in the Copper Canyon area about a 3 hour drive from Los Mochis, and the scenery must be seen to be believed. It is simply spectacular and a photographer’s delight!

Well, what about those fishing reports? While Dan and I are not fish “counters”, I can assure you that we certainly experienced days where we caught well over 200 bass up to 8 pounds. The schools of bass from 2 to 7 pounds are truly amazing, and on several occasions we sat in one spot and caught bass after bass ‘till the world looked level.

Compared to many other lakes in Mexico, Lake Huites is very lightly fished by sportfishermen, and the small amount of commercial fishing was no problem whatsoever. Additionally, healthy fish of all sizes are caught, indicating great past spawns and the promise of super fishing for years to come.

While they weren’t attached to our lines---unfortunately---one lucky guy caught 10, 11, and 12 pounders while we were there---on topwaters! The big fish weighed 12.13 on digital scales and I’m including a photo of the guide, Raoul, proudly displaying her.
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n129/GJCFish/Raoul.jpg

Our host, David Fields, had told us prior to the trip that our visit in early December might well be a transition time from torrid topwater action to deeper crankbaits, spinnerbaits and plastics, and his prediction was right on the money. We had good topwater results the first morning, but spotty action thereafter. No matter---we couldn’t wait to get to those huge schools of bass lurking in deeper water that were eager to hit just about anything we threw to them. Crankbaits, slow-rolled spinnerbaits, soft plastics rigged Texas or Carolina style, or simply attached to heavy jigs---everything produced. One day we even nailed the 3 to 7 pounders on every “drop” right under the boat using heavy spoons and ¾ ounce Rattletraps.

My report would never be complete without telling you some things about Trophy Bass Lodge. What a first class operation! The rooms are immaculate and comfortable with private bathrooms, hot showers, and plenty of space to hang clothes and store gear. George, the camp manager, takes care of all the transfers from the airport to the Lodge, and efficiently attends to any special needs or requests. The boats are 19’ Carolina Skiffs, with 50hp Yamahas or Hondas, MinnKota trolling motors, Eagle electronics, and premium Optima batteries. The boats are comfortable, roomy, and very stable and Dan and I often both fished from the front platform without any problem at all.

The guides are courteous and very experienced. Our guide for the week, Louis, spoke fluent English, and has guided for over 30 years. What a comic he was, keeping us laughing all day with jokes and stories. More important, he was always ready to go well BEFORE we were, and suggested some terrific fishing techniques that Dan and I had never considered. For good reason, David calls him “Drill Sergeant! Actually, ALL
the guides are quite happy to fish from sunup to sundown.

TBL maintains a well-stocked tackle shop at the Lodge, complete with a huge selection of rods and reels for use by guests. You may bring your own tackle, of course, but if you prefer to avoid the hassle of traveling with rods, you certainly won’t be disadvantaged by fishing with some of his during the trip.

I must not forget the food. Indeed, I will NEVER forget the food! Freddy the gourmet chef, constantly surprised us with different gastronomic delights every time we sat down for a meal. For instance, when was the last time you had Chicken Cordon Bleu at a fish camp for LUNCH??? A great shore lunch one day with fantastic scenery was appreciated and box lunches can be provided if you prefer to stay out all day.

All in all, it was one of the best fishing trips we have ever made, and I recommend it highly to everyone reading this report. The entire staff make you feel like family, and that’s perhaps the best compliment of all. It’s very important to us to fish with honest operator/owners of high integrity.

In conclusion, was there anything bad about the experience? Yes, definitely. Dan and I are both thoroughly spoiled for quite awhile now! We can’t wait to get back next May, when we’re told the huge schools of monster fish are concentrated on deep structure. Got to check out that report!!!

Bass wishes,

Gary Clark
Kissimmee, FL

Brett,

The trip in November 2007 was awesome. You literally Eat, Sleep, and Fish. The scenery was spectacular every morning. I caught numerous fish from 2 - 5 pounds. My biggest was 7.12. Even though the double digit fish eluded me this trip, I will be back. You can count on that. The hospitality and the food were great. The guide was awesome and kept you entertained all day. You can catch fish all day long

Here are a couple of the pics from my trip.

Thanks,
Donnie

Brett
Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the Huites trip in November. It was awesome catching 250 bass a day in our boat and we were really impressed by the quality and health of the fish. We averaged 40-50 fish a day from 3# to 7# and lost some that were better. I will never forget the moster that pulled off both treble hooks from my DD14,he she straightened out the split rings and took the hooks. The lodge, food and margaritas were excellent. Raul was a very good guide, who did exactly what we asked. Looking forward to the next trip in February.
Skip

I had a great time fishing Lake Huites November 1-4. The food and service was the best I have ever had in Mexico. The fishing was excellent, we could catch 100 fish per day. The quality was the best I have ever seen on Lake Huites in my four years I have been going. We caught fish on every bait we used. The guides will do whatever you want. If you want to leave at lunch early that’s ok. Most Mexico lake guides take 2 hour siestas. This was my 6th trip to Mexico. The lodge has good showers and good a/c units. I lost some really big fish also. I finally started holding rod down in water to keep them from throwing the lure. If you are planning a trip to Mexico try Trophy bass lodge!
Dale Loggins
Paris, Texas

November 12, 2007
When George, my lodge manager, called and told me about the fishing at Lake Huites, I immediately got on the phone and starting calling anyone I could think of that might want to head down. When the dust settled, there were five of us. Myself, Al Goetz from Pittsburg, Texas, Dale Loggins from Paris, Texas, Skip Johnson from Plano, Texas, and Frank Johnson from Michigan. As we approached Los Mochis in the plane, after several hours of traveling, I remember thinking to myself that I wish it were easier to get down there. Traveling in this day and age has certainly become more difficult, more tedious. But then I thought about something I learned long ago, that anything worth doing is never easy. There are many little things that make a trip to Lake Huites so special, and you must make the journey to be able to reap the rewards. The incredible stars at night, the stunning beauty of the surroundings, incredible sunrises and sunsets, and being able to share them with friends. And, of course, the incredible fishing. To me, it is all worthwhile.

We arrived to Lake Huites and Trophy Bass Lodge with high hopes. We had been getting some phenomenal fishing reports, and you never want to hear "you should have been here yesterday". Huites did not let us down.
As we prepared to head out for our first morning of fishing, I asked Louis, our chief guide, what baits we should focus on. His answer was this: use any bait you want, they will eat them all! So off we went. I decided to head up the canyons to some clearer water to get started. It quickly became apparent that Louis was right, as we caught fish on every bait we used. Over the course of the next 2 and ½ days, we fished clear water, stained water, deep water, shallow water, it really made no difference. We caught fish on YUM Dingers, Senkos, trick worms, small, medium and large crankbaits, big lizards and worms, buzzbaits, Zara Spooks, Chugbugs, flukes in pearl and bubblegum, Heavy Cover Tilapia spinner baits, and swim baits. I am sure I left something out but you get the picture.

By the second day we had begun to close in on a big fish pattern. Al and I had noticed that when we fished flukes in the tops of trees in deep water, the average size of the fish went up substantially. It was critical, however, that the tree top be in the shade. We were catching 3, 4 and 5 pounders out of most of the trees we fished. However when we fished some tree tops the 2nd morning, we caught several 6’s and a 7 pounder. So as we headed off to fish the afternoon of the second day, we had a plan. Fish tree tops, and more tree tops.

By 4 pm that afternoon, the sun had set enough for us to start the pattern. We immediately began catching fish in the 4 to 6 pound range. There was one bank, however, that we had missed what we thought were some big fish that morning. And the bank seemed to have less small fish on it as well. Not 5 minutes after we started down that bank, I had a big bass come up and hit my fluke just on under the surface. I set the hook, and since I had watched the fish come up I knew it was big. Now I really don’t know what makes these Mexico bass so dang strong, but they just seem to pull so much harder than our bass at home. This fish grabbed my fluke, and down in that tree he went. There was simply nothing I could do. As you can imagine, Al immediately started razzing me about losing a big’un. But his turn was coming.

After several more 5 and 6 pounders in short order, Al had a giant blow up on his bait but missed it. It looked like a bomb went off in the water. We both knew it was huge. Since Al is 6’5” and about 300 pounds, and was pretty rattled over missing his first really big Mexican bass, I decided I had better not give him too much of a bad time. Then just a few casts later, Al threw his fluke in the top of a tree in about 25 feet of water. Repeat my story. This fish exploded on the bait, Al set the hook, and down goes the fish and “dink”. Fish gone. I could not pass up the chance this time and preceded to give him a good scolding, although I knew there was nothing he could do. At this point I had picked up my big swim bait rod with 20 pound mono and tied my fluke on in an attempt to prevent a repeat. Unfortunately it did not seem to matter. In the next 15 minutes Al and I both had two more giants come up out of those trees and hit our fluke, and there seemed to be absolutely nothing we could do to get them out. I have fished, successfully, for big bass all over Mexico, and Al grew up fishing East Texas in the 70’s and 80’s when there was an abundance of big fish. My point is neither of us are amateurs in how to man handle big bass, and we were just amazed that we could not get even one of this pigs out of those trees. The only thing we could have done different was go to braid, and in hindsight I suppose we should have. As the sun set, we headed back to lodge dejected, with our tails between our legs.

It was apparent that the bigger fish, for whatever reason, really turned on that afternoon. In addition to having our shots, Frank Walker boated a 10.57 as well as an 8 and a 7. Dale and Skip, while not boating anything over 7 pounds had a bunch of quality fish as well. That seems to be the way those big bass operate at Huites. We tried to go back and get those big dogs the next morning, but with only a ½ day of fishing it just did not happen. We had plenty of quality fish but the window on the big boys just did not open for us. Overall, however, it was an incredible fish. I have fished most of the lakes in Mexico, and don’t ever recall catching as many fish over 4 pounds as we did on this trip. Over the course of those 2 and ½ days, here is our estimate of the results from 5 anglers:

Total Bass (5 fishermen, 2 and ½ days): 1445
4 pounds: 111
5 pounds: 58
6 pounds: 47
7 pounds: 7
8 pounds: 2
9 pounds: 0
10 pounds: 1