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Event Article:
El Salto at the Anglers Inn |
The El
Salto Experience – Inside the Anglers Inn
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Date: |
8/05/07
(updated 11/09) |
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Location: |
Lake El
Salto, Mexico |
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Price: |
Varies |
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Reviewer: |
Zander |
Introduction:
When anglers go down the list of “must” fish bass lakes, El Salto usually makes
the top ten. What is the allure of this lake? Is the grass really greener on the
other side….of the border? Are there really that many double digit fish left in
the lake? We received so many emails after our initial beta test at El Salto
with Shimano that we realized the mystique of this lake truly transcends country
borders. We take a closer look at the El Salto experience, with an inside look
at the legendary lake and Billy Chapman Jr.'s bass paradise called "Anglers Inn."
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The Angler's
Inn is perched on the shore of El Salto |
A closer look
at Lake El Salto: To separate fact from fiction,
Lake El
Salto is located just over seventy miles from central Mazatlan, Mexico. It took
us just over an hour and a half to reach the lake with the shuttle from the
airport. Mazatlan is just a short plane ride from Arizona, and is also a popular
destination for cruise ships traveling the region. The Lake is located on the
edge of the Sierra Madre Mountains, which provide an attractive scenic backdrop
to the lake.
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To get to El
Salto fly into Mazatlan, a short hop from Phoenix Arizona |
The
actual lake is man-made and built on the Rio Elota River. It covers
approximately twenty five thousand surface acres, though this varies a great
deal during the dry months when water is used for irrigation. The main lake
isn’t all that deep, and the deepest point is near the Dam and just over 200
feet when the water level is high.
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At the
terminal you will be greeted by transportation staff which will take you by
shuttle to the resort |
The lake has
many arms and countless points and rocky drop offs, when the water level is low
trees stick right out of the middle of the lake. You may have heard about the
submerged cemeteries, and this is absolutely true. There are two such ancient
cemeteries in the ruins of two towns where you can see crosses and headstones
protruding from the water. It’s actually more serene than it is eerie, and the
fish do congregate near the unique structure.
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The main
fleet at the Anglers Inn |
There have
been varying reports about the water clarity, ranging from crystal clear to
murky. When we went to the lake the water level was near its lowest point, and
the water was stained, with a visibility of about four to five feet. Even with
this clarity the fish would strike topwater lures in the morning and evening
hours.
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The resort
location and a satellite view of El Salto, notice the numerous arms and
coves that line the lake |
The Anglers
Inn: The Angler’s Inn is owned and founded by Billy Chapman Jr. and his
trademark is the “service,” and the Angler’s Inn caters to anglers and
non-anglers, with a combination of fine food, massages, and yes….let’s not
forget great fishing too. The facilities were top notch, and I’m convinced that
I caught more fish because of the quality of the guides, and the fact that I was
ready to fish each and every minute I was on the water. No sleeping in
uncomfortable beds, or roughing it without air conditioning, the Angler’s Inn is
a first class resort.
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El Salto at
maximum capacity |
Many well known anglers
who have visited Anglers Inn including top bass pros like Kevin Van Dam, and
tackle industry leaders like Dave Pfeiffer, President of Shimano, and Bruce
Holt, the chief executive officer for G.Loomis Rods who caught four bass of more
than 10-pounds the very first time he fished El Salto.
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Billy
Chapman Jr. is not only a world class angler and the founder of Anglers Inn
but has also recently been inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall
of Fame in 2009 for his contributions to bass anglers worldwide |
The service here was exceptional, and the staff
here is outstanding. The minute we arrived we were served nachos and margaritas,
and five minutes before we head back to the Mazatlan airport we were served
lunch and cervesas. Now that’s what I call service.
The lake was down when we visited,
and from the lodge you can see what is normally submerged trees
The
Fish:
Catching a double digit bass at El Salto is a possibility each and every time
you fish on El Salto. The bass population here is healthy and if you get on the
pattern it is achievable to boat 50 plus fish per day.
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Nothing like
margaritas to cool you down during Siesta |
In terms of
quality the smallest fish we caught were a pound in weight, but the average was
around 3lbs, and almost everyone at the event caught a few 4 to 7lbrs a day, and
few of us even landed double digit fish each day. JIP’s personal best fish was
7.3lbs and Zander’s weighed in at 11.5lbs. There were bigger fish caught during
the trip by other members of our group.
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Jeremy
Sweet, Shimano Reel PM, and Zander work the tree line with deep diving
cranks |
Next
Section: Big fish & when and how to get to El Salto
