egreene photo

Everyone gets excited about heading to Amistad early in the year. Both major circuits hold tournaments on the big border lake in January, February and March and it never disappoints. High water, low water, cold temperatures or desert heat – the bass are still there, both numbers and big’uns.

But once the fishing heats up elsewhere in the country, tracing a slow line through north Texas and Alabama, up into the Carolinas, and then blooming ever northward, people forget about Del Rio. Sure, FLW held a Stren there last week, but now’s the “off-season.” One caveat: NOBODY TOLD THE FISH.

“The pressure starts dropping exponentially,” said Del Rio’s most famous resident, Byron Velvick. “You can fish any way you like. There’s a good topwater bite in the morning. You can catch them on a swimbait. And you can catch them 50, 60 or 70 feet deep.”

Another Texas transplant, former Elite Series pro Kurt Dove, agreed that the summer months can be phenomenal. He’s joined forces with Stan Gerzsenyi to found Amistad Bass guide service (www.amistadbass.com). “The fish loosen up and bite a bit better because they don’t have all of those boats buzzing around,” he said. Their website features a frequently-updated fishing report, so whether you bring your own boat or hire a guide, you’ll get the straight scoop on what’s working.

For anglers looking to take advantage of the decreased traffic now is the time to book a trip. To encourage you to travel down to Del Rio, there are several offers to entice you further. Now through the end of the year, if you mention Wired2Fish, Dove and Gerzsenyi will give you a $50 discount off a full-day trip (marked down from $350 to $300) and $25 off a half-day trip (from $250 to $225). Making it even sweeter, if you catch a 10-pounder with them, your entire trip is free!

If you don’t want to be out in the mid-day heat, the guides will run a split trip – 3-4 hours in the morning and then 3-4 more in the evening. “That provides optimal conditions,” Dove said. Velvick believes that the late afternoon hours are the best time to catch an Amistad monster. “Don’t be afraid to fish from 4pm to dark,” he said.

Velvick’s hotel, Amistad Lake Resort (www.AmistadLakeResort.com) is also providing anglers with a way to save money in these tough economic times. Starting June 1^st, they’ll discount rooms down into the $50-60 range, and offer an additional 5% discount if you give them the code “WF.” But keep checking the website – the rates may even get better than that.