A trip to Mexico is truly an adventure. This was my second. I traveled with a group that has been going on fishing trips for twenty years. We left Pensacola at 3:00 p.m. and drove for the next 22 hours.
As we crossed the border we discovered once again how much fun it is to try to communicate with the Mexicans with a very limited Spanish vocabulary, but after some delays we were permitted to cross into Mexico.

There is some advance preparation needed to tow a boat into Mexico. You need Mexican boat and truck insurance and a Mexican fishing lisence. These things speed up your crossing process tremendously.

Once into Mexico we had about a four-hour drive to our destination, Lake Espanol. We arrived without incident passing two military checkpoints. Our accommodations were very adequate.
A clean room with two beds a bathroom and shower with hot water. There is a kitchen and community room for cooking and eating, all over looking the lake.

Lake Espanol is a small lake approximately five miles across nestled in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Crystal clear water filled with hydrilla and flooded mesquite trees. Don’t be fooled by its size there are some 80 foot holes throughout the lake.

Our first day of fishing found us sharing the lake with about ten local guides. Pete and I started pounding the bank just as we had at home, but a short time later with only one fish we moved out into the open water where the guides were. We saw a guide catch an 8.5# fish in the hydrilla over in 26’ of water. He was using a tequila ribbon tail worm. We drifted the open water and ended the day with about 15 two to three pound fish. I had one in the four-pound range.

Day two. We awoke to cool temps and high wind. Today we went to the river channel first thing
(as instructed by one of the local guides). We picked up a few fish on topwater and flukes.
After the sun got up we moved into the heavy timber where we caught several fish on crankbaits just kissing the top of the grass. The wind was reaching 50 mph and it was tough handling the boat or feeling the bait. Mid afternoon found us fishing a windy point. Pete landed a 6#10 oz beauty on the first cast. A short time later I boated a 6#9oz challenger. We ended the day with about 20 fish.
All hard hitting strong and beautiful bass.

Day three and four continued with about the same pattern. A lot of good solid two to four pound fish and the anticipation of that big lunker with every cast. We found the final day still cool but a little less wind. Again we worked the topwater bite until the sun came overhead with fair success. Then we moved back on our windy point. It was slow until about 11:00 a. m. when I got lucky and boated a 7.0# largemouth. We continued the day and had our best catch of the trip.

The Mexico adventure is well worth the travel time to get there so if you have the opportunity don’t pass it up.


Keep your line wet.

Fred