Smallmouth Bass in NM

[jrabq]

Today I went to a lake that used to be my #1 honey hole for walleye, but the last 4 years it's been mostly a bust after some severe water level fluctuations (or at least that's my excuse). I usually give it one try a year, then go elsewhere if the fishing still sucks. The walleye were still AWOL, but the SM bass fishing was great. Caught 12, kept a limit (5), including two at 3.5 and 3.7 lbs. They sure fight better than walleye, or even largemouth bass, it was great fun!

 

[Elkmagnet]

Some beautiful smallies! I think I'll go sit on the boat and pretend I'm not in the garage.

 

[AggieOutlaw]

Nice smallies! Which lake do you fish?

I went to Conchas and Santa Rosa on back to back weekends and got skunked for walleye on a kayak. First weekend it was near freezing, the next it was 90F+. Both weekends had terrible wind. I'm almost as bad a fisherman as I am an elk hunter. Got some intel that Lake Sumner was pretty good on walleye.

 

[JohnCushman]

Awesome!

 

[jrabq]

Nice smallies! Which lake do you fish?

I went to Conchas and Santa Rosa on back to back weekends and got skunked for walleye on a kayak. First weekend it was near freezing, the next it was 90F+. Both weekends had terrible wind. I'm almost as bad a fisherman as I am an elk hunter. Got some intel that Lake Sumner was pretty good on walleye.

This was Santa Rosa, I talked to a couple of other guys who also had no luck on walleye. It used to be a great spot, not sure what happened, I keep waiting for it to come back. Fishing report from last week had a couple of large walleye mentioned (like 8 lbs.), which peaked my interest. Sumner has been good for me last couple of years, I posted a thread a couple of weeks ago from there. Went back a week later with a friend and we did OK with 8 walleye and 2 bass, but all the walleyes were smallish (~15").

"Terrible wind", par for the course in NM, I plan my trips around it if possible.

 

[JonathonJEB]

nice fish