Hola Huites
By Larry Bozka
page 3

I got an update from Middleton in late January, and he told me things are still going strong around Lodge De Montes Claros. "The fish are growing," he reported. "We're still catching them left and right. Right now, the biggest concern that everyone foresees is what the El Nino weather pattern will be. We had a lot of rain from December through January that we don't normally get," Middleton noted. "It knocked the catch rates down from 150 to 200 fish a day to around 100 a day (too bad, huh?). "But," he added, "the lake level has since gone up 30 feet. The lake is set up to put water into Lakes Dominguez and Hidalgo. Both of those lakes are now at levels that I've never seen before, and despite that, we still have more water in Huites than we would normally have going into the rainy season in May."

When the water level stopped altogether, fishing slowed dramatically-at least in Lake Huites terms. "My worst trip was about 60 fish," Middleton said. "The water temperature was 50 degrees; they were all 1- to 3-pounders caught in 20 feet of water. Traditionally," he explained, "our top periods for 'angler-friendly' fishing are from September through November and then again from late February through May." The most spectacular one-day catch on record so far, Middleton said-and these guys must have almost collapsed pulling it off-is the 346-bass total taken by anglers Trip DuPier and Jeff Schaffer of San Antonio.

Fishermen who hit the lake before it closes May 31st can expect to encounter some splendid topwater action. "You can also always catch fish by flipping worms and spinnerbaits around the brushpiles," Middleton said. "In retrospect," he continued, "the topwater bite we had when you were here in October was fair at best. Then again, if I ever had that many bites in a B.A.S.S. tournament, I'd win it," he adds with a laugh.

Middleton, 32, grew up in the Southern Oklahoma town of Ardmore before going into the Air Force. Afterward, he began doing private fisheries work and guiding, and eventually ended up splitting his time between fishing bass tournaments and setting up the operation at Lodge De Montes Claros. He trained the guides-who on the whole, all have extensive guiding experience-and he now books trips to the lake through Champion Travel Inc., in San Antonio. Working closely with his clients and serving as the lodge's resident pro, Middleton still makes the time to fish Lake Huites several times a month.

Incidentally, visiting anglers needn't have any concern about speaking Spanish; all of the Montes Claros guides speak adequate English. Even more important, they know what they're doing.

"When the lake re-opens in October, fishermen will find the same basic weather patterns they did during the spring-highs in the mid-80s to low 90s, with lows at night in the 60s," Middleton said. "The bite should be virtually identical.

"At that point, the lake will not have been fished for several months. All the camps are closing down in late May. It just gets too hot, with too much rainfall at that time of year. So," he emphasized, "you'll have an opportunity to fish water that's literally untainted and untouched."

Though Neves and I commuted back and forth from the base lodge in El Fuerte, Lodge De Montes Claros' new waterfront facility is now completed and in operation. Resting almost within casting distance of the shoreline on a scenic slope, the recently-opened lodge boasts a full-service kitchen with air-conditioned rooms and running hot and cold water. It also affords the Huites basser a chance to catch a siesta between morning and evening fishing trips-a luxury you can't really appreciate until you've experienced the frenzied action that the lake is noted for.

By the second day, Neves and I would have almost killed for a nap. Now, the bed or hammock rests only a short uphill walk from the boat launching area.

Still, if you're man (or woman) enough, you can catch fish all day if you like. Though the surface bite chills down a bit during the heat of the day, you can keep on hooking bass after bass by throwing worms, cranks and spinnerbaits.

Lake Huites camps-including Lodge De Montes Claros-generally operate under a catch-and-release management philosophy. However, when anglers want a fried-bass lunch they're allowed to bring in 5 fish measuring no more than 17 inches or so. Though that sounds a bit small, on Lake Huites, 17 inches translates to a solid 2-pounder.

Huites' bass are privy to an immense forage base of shad and perch. They also enjoy warm weather considerably longer than their Texas-bred counterparts. Accordingly, fish in the lake tend to grow anywhere from 1 to 2 inches more per year than the bass we chase after here in Texas. They're also, as you'd expect, substantially heavier.

So far, gill nets have been virtually nonexistent in Huites' waters. However, according to Middleton there will probably be some degree of netting allowed in the future. "It'll be directed toward tilapia and perch, but there'll no doubt be some bass caught as well," he said. "Still, the lake will continue to be protected from netting during the four-month spawning period."

Rest assured, this brand-new Mexican bass haven is not going to run short of fish anytime soon. I suspect it's probably a blessing that some degree of harvest is taking place, so as to avoid the very real possibility of over-population and stunting down the road.

Again, you can name your weapon on Huites. Aside from conventional baitcasting gear, anglers are having a ball landing largemouths on everything from ultralight spinning rigs to 8-weight fly rods. Just be sure that whatever you take is quality-made gear. This is no place for low-end fishing tackle.

Trips with Middleton to Lodge De Montes Claros start out in Midland. From there, it's around a 3-1/2-hour flight through the customs stop at Chihuahua and on to the base lodge at El Fuerte. The Beechcraft King Air and Queen Air aircraft utilized on the trip have weight limitations, so anglers are encouraged to bring along no more than 40 pounds of clothing, gear and tackle.

"Whatever you do, don't bring wimpy tackle," Middleton remarked. "Most of these fish have never been caught before, and they're full of fight. And," he concluded, "I can guarantee you that there's not going to be a sporting goods store for miles around. Bring gear you can count on, and then count on using the heck out of it."

(Editor's Note: For more information on Lodge De Montes Claros, contact Wade Middleton at 210-342-7425; Fax 210-340-2156. Or, write: Champion Travel, Inc., P.O. Box 791362, San Antonio, TX 78279. A four-day, three-night all-inclusive package goes for $1,795 per person, excepting gratuities. )