Introduction: We have all heard the
stories of the 2008 Elite Series and those colossal 130 plus pound weigh ins are
now legendary. We head to Zapata Texas and with the help of local pro Dan
Schoonveld I hoped to experience a little Tex-Mex bassing for myself and see if
Falcon, even in the middle of Winter, could still live up to all the hype.
About Falcon Lake:
Falcon Lake has long been known as a bass paradise on the Texas/Mexico border
but it really catapulted into the spotlight two years ago when the Elite Series
came into town during the “Lone Star Shootout” and the Pros weighed in some
incredible records. Paul Elias won the April 2008 event weighing in 132lbs and
8ozs. Terry Scroggins weighed in just 4ozs less and Byron Velvick came in third
with only 2.5oz. less than Terry, now those are some absolutely absurd numbers!
During the entire event a total of 1386 fish were caught for a total weight of
6,811lbs 2ozs.
We head to Zapata Texas
right on the U.S. border to fish Falcon Lake in the hope that the Bass are as
big as everything else in Texas
Since that epic event we
have put Falcon high up on our list of “must fish” lakes and we finally had the
opportunity to travel to Texas and see firsthand what the lake was all about
just a few days ago. Falcon Lake is forty miles southeast of Laredo or sixty
five miles west of McAllan Texas, both cities have airports that can accommodate
anglers from all over the country. The lake itself is nearly 84 thousand acres
in size and has a max depth of just over a hundred feet. Falcon is cut right
down the middle by the border and half of the lake resides in Texas while the
other half belongs to Mexico.
A look
at the Dam at Falcon Lake
The reservoir was formed
by the construction of a dam on the Rio Grande river to provide water
conservation, irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectricity to the area. The
dam was dedicated by Mexican President Adolfo Ruiz Cortines and US President
Dwight D. Eisenhower in October, 1953 and is currently managed jointly by
governments of the United States and Mexico through the International Boundary
and Water Commission. The lake was named after María Rita de la Garza Falcón,
for whom the town of Falcon, displaced by the creation of the reservoir, was
named.
The shoreline at the State Park on
the Texas side of the lake, half of the lake resides in the U.S. the other side
belongs to Mexico
In addition to the bass
that draws most anglers to Falcon there are also resident Channel Catfish and
even the occasional blue or flathead catfish. Recent drought conditions have
adversely impacted the white bass and crappie populations. The current rod and
reel Largemouth Bass record for Falcon is 15.12 pounds with a length of 24
inches. The record for an Alligator Gar is a whopping 213 pounds!
My guide for the day is local pro
Dan Schoonveld
About Dan Schoonveld:
While Cal was busy fishing with Trey and Kyle Kistler on day one of our
trip I hit the water with FLW Pro and Local Guide Dan Schoonveld to learn
more about what makes Falcon Lake such an impressive fishery. Dan has been
guiding on the lake for just over two years and spends over 250 days on the
water both guiding and tournament fishing. He has extensive knowledge of
structure fishing from Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas to Toledo Bend Lake on the
Texas/Louisiana border where he grew up.
