When it comes to fishing striped bass, people take the subject pretty seriously. From the East Coast to the west, striped bass can be discovered in lakes and reservoirs in which they are stocked, As they are indigenous to saltwater coasts and Only swim up freshwater streams and rivers to lay their eggs.
Known to put up a good fight, they provide a great time for both experienced and novice fishermen looking to advance their fishing knowledge and skills. Because of this, striper fishing is some of the most sought after fishing in the United States. Luckily, many of the United States water bodies have a healthy amount of striped bass to fish for. However, today we are going to discuss striped bass fishing in the state of New Mexico.
Location
New Mexico, sometimes called “The Land Of Enchantment,” is a one hundred twenty-two thousand square mile state in the southern United States. The northern and eastern parts of the state are colder and covered with scattered vegetation, while the southern and western parts are more flat and dry. Due to its varying climate, many various activities take place in the state, including oil drilling, farming, and lumber work.
Located along the border of Mexico, Texas, and Arizona, New Mexico is said to have some of the best striper fishing in the southwest United States. Some states don’t warm up enough for Striped Bass to survive year-round. Fortunately, New Mexico stays warm throughout the majority of the year, bearing a fantastic few months from winter to spring for angling.
Not to say that summer and fall fishing in the state is bad, however statistically, reported catches are happening in the colder seasons. Let’s continue on and go over a few of the best places to fish for striped bass in New Mexico.
- Elephant Butte Reservoir
- Caballo Lake
Elephant Butte Reservoir
Let’s begin discussing some of the various areas in New Mexico that would be hot spots to check out if you are a striped bass enthusiast. As previously mentioned, striped bass are not necessarily a beginner fisherman‘s best friend. It does take a bit of skill to search for and successfully snag stripers.
The good thing is that developing these skills in the state of New Mexico proves to be easier than other states with less striped bass population. Elephant Butte Reservoir Is not only a great place to start, because of its wide variety of fish species, but because it has a superb Striped Bass count. Since 2015, the reservoir has been stocked with over 20,000 striped bass, and the number grows each year.
The reservoir itself has lowered quite a bit since the 90s, however, it is still one of the most highly acclaimed fishing spots in the state. Located in southwestern New Mexico on the Rio Grande, the man-made reservoir spans about 36,000 acres.
There is plenty of shorelines that allows access for fishing in the embankments. There is water deep enough for striped bass to hang around comfortably while nibbling on bait.
Lots of grassy covers and natural rock formations in the water allow for some great fishing with no boat required. Similar to most other striped bass fishing areas, these guys tend to buy on anchovies and Shad, along with crank baits and topwater baits in shady areas with grass. Don’t forget that where there is one striper, there are bound to be many more. Fishing is about patience!
Caballo Lake
Caballo Reservoir is named after the hills and mountains located to its east. Wild horses used to roam around and visit the lake often, however they do not roam around nearly as much nowadays as the lake has become more of a popular recreational use body of water.
Caballo lake lies just miles south of elephant butte reservoir, downstream of it. It is about half the size of Elephant Butte reservoir and proves to be nearly just as good of a place to snag a few striped bass. Because of this, many visitors and locals in It is about half the size of Elephant Butte reservoir and proves to be nearly just as good of a place to snag a few striped bass.
Because of this, many visitors and locals alike Will visit both reservoirs to catch striped bass as they are virtually only a short drive from each other. Caballo is around 75 feet deep at its lowest point, more shallow than that of the Elephant Butte Reservoir, which declines to around 157 feet or so at its deepest point.
Because of its more shallow depth, topwater fishing has become even more sought after in the fall and winter months, as the surface is perfect in temperature for striped bass with the depths being almost too cold for comfort.
Hey FISHMONGER – make sure to check out my FISHING RESOURCES page.
In the many sandy areas, Crappie and bluegill tend to congregate, So fishing there might not reap many striped bass, compared to the fishing in the rockier areas towards the south of the lake.
Officials have warned against fishing near the whirlpool at the damn, as it is hazardous and not safe for anglers to attempt fishing near it. Stick to the rocky shores if you intend to fish without a boat.
The rocky areas have plenty of grassy cover and plant life which can house feeder fish for the stripers along with the cool shaded water that attracts them in the summer. Shad, anchovies, even plastic baits have been reported to be exceptional in luring stripers at Caballo.
Record Catches
It’s every fisherman’s dream to make the catch of a lifetime. Being able to go home and tell your fishing story— without having to make anything up— is sought after by every fisherman.
There have been records of anglers catching 100 pound plus stripers throughout the United States, which is crazy to think about in the first place. Imagine having a set up with around 30-pound test just to be safe and winding up catching something heavier than a small child! In the state of New Mexico, one lucky gentleman fulfilled that dream in 1992.
On April 1 of 1992, Mr. Jim Secour was fishing at Elephant Butte when he hooked and reeled in a 54 1/2 pound striper. It put up a fight but was eventually dragged in. Another lucky man caught New Mexico’s second-largest striper, also caught at Elephant Butte.
Eighty-year-old Joe Ford pulled in a behemoth weighing 54 pounds even, just half a pound shy of Secour’s trophy catch. Joe and his family revived and released the monster, saying there were a few reasons he’d let something like that go. First off, he mentioned that when some fish grow to that size, their meat isn’t much good. Also, the fish was a female carrying tons of eggs around inside her, so they released her back as not to disrupt the life cycle of Elephant Butte and the lakes downstream.
Although this article is meant to discuss striped bass, there are some other noteworthy catches straight out of New Mexico’s waters. The New Mexico largemouth bass record is held by Steve Estrada who made the catch at Bill Evans lake in March 1995. The record northern pike is still set at 36 pounds since the year 1974.
This pike was caught by Samuel Roy in Miami Lake. The most recent record set Was the record for the biggest Kokanee salmon caught anywhere in New Mexico, which is set at 4 pounds. This was set by Brad Williams at Navajo lake in October of the year 2000. We are all here to find the biggest striped bass in the United States, but records for other species are interesting to see as well!
Abide by the Law
When it comes to dealing with wildlife, nature, and the well-being of any state’s environment, abiding by the laws that are set by officials is very important in keeping up the cleanliness and organization of wildlife in general.
Without the cooperation of the park and lake goers, Our lakes and wildlife will decline drastically and we will no longer be able to enjoy the outdoors that we are provided. Here are some of New Mexico‘s fishing laws that should be taken into account before going out on a fishing trip.
- If you are looking to fish in Black Canyon, mineral Creek, Sapillo Creek, or Gilita Creek, you will need a Gila Trout fishing permit. It is free of charge and can be found online. It is also available at all license vendors.
- Warm water and bass species all have a limit for daily bagging. There is only one striped bass allowed per day, with the exception of the Animas and San Juan Rivers. 5 Largemouth or Spotted bass are allowed per day. Twelve inch minimum
Fishing for Hybrid striped bass? Click Here! to checkout my article.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the thrill of bass fishing in New Mexico is definitely something you want to experience in your lifetime. Head on over to Elephant Butte and you might snag the next state record.
Or fish the rocky shoals and shaded grassy areas of Caballo, and you might reel in a striper to feed the whole family. And always remember to enjoy the nature and beauty of our earth’s fishing waters. Happy fishing!
You can check out the top 5 Best Striped Bass Fishing States Blog post I wrote Here.