Recon for Bass Champs
Amistad: Deep Thoughts

Photo: ESPN Outdoors If he was fishing the tournament, Byron Velvick, recent Bassmaster Wildcard winner, would crank deep this weekend.

Well, tournament anglers in south Texas will get their opportunity to fulfill their dreams this weekend at the Bass Champs season opener that will launch out of the Diablo East Ramp in Del Rio, Texas.

Although the lake got its fame as a shallow-water fishery, anglers on the water this weekend will have to change-up tactics as the lake is in full winter mode. That means you probably have to fish deep to have a chance to win.

To get an idea of what anglers can expect this weekend, BassFan talked with recent Elite Series Wildcard winner, Berkley pro and Amistad resident Byron Velvick about the current bite and what he might do if he were fishing the tournament.

Right Fish Are Key

Fish can be caught all over the lake, but with the water temps in the 55-degree range, they're concentrated in their deep-water haunts.

"The better fish are on a main-lake pattern in 20 to 40 feet of water," Velvick said. "They're everywhere and they're eating. The problem will be finding the right fish to win. Anyone can go out now and catch fish at will, but you're either on small fish or you're on big fish. There's no middle ground.

"I've heard a lot of reports from guys. Some of them aren't too excited about the tournament this weekend while others are chuckling at how good the lake is fishing. You just have to find the right areas and hope to get the big bites.

"I had a customer out today (Velvick owns a lodge on the lake) who had a 10-13 a 7 and a 5, and yesterday he had an 8," he said. "That's the type of fish you can get into right now if you find them."

Tactics

"The fish are eating everything – dropshots, jigs, spoons, Carolina rigs with 10-inch worms, you name it – they aren't too picky right now," Velvick said. "If you can find them on your electronics, you can get them to eat. You just need to concentrate on the deep water and move until you find the right fish.

Photo: Berkley Amistad's water is clear, so Velvick likes Berkley's Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line.

"The jig fish have been coming off the breaks and ledges. I've been using a football-head jig with a chigger craw trailer in watermelon or green pumpkin. Those are the two best jig colors on the lake.

"There's also a great deep crank and swimbait bite," he added. "I've been having my best luck on the River2Sea High Dep 88 crank (color: citrus sunfish) which dives down to 22 feet. The key with this pattern is you can't be afraid to hit the wood. That's really important on this lake. But you'll need a good lure retriever because you'll snag a ton of baits if you fish them properly."

He's also catching fish on the swimbait.

"The swimbait bite is also great right now, but you have to hit the bottom and the wood," he said. "The River2Sea 6-inch Bottom Walker has been my best bait so far. It's the only bait that can be fished in that 20- to 40-foot range with consistency. Just remember to fish it like a jig. The fish are eating bluegill down deep right now and this is the best way to get them to eat.

"I'm fishing both the deep crank and the swimbait on 17- to 20-pound Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line and a Rogue Jr. Swimbait rod," he said.

Notable

> "There's still some surface activity, but they're all small fish," Velvick said. "I'd stick with the deep, main-lake stuff and if I did go back into a pocket, I wouldn't go that far."

> If he were fishing this weekend, he'd concentrate on the deepwater crank and swimbait bite: "I wouldn't fish any shallower than 25 feet, and if the wind blows, I'd fish the deep crank and swimbait all day."

> He noted that although his resort, Amistad Lake Resort in Del Rio, is booked full Friday night, he's offering all BassFans that want to stay over Saturday night a 10% discount on their room: "Make sure they say they got the word from BassFan."

> His resort also offers a new restaurant called "The Waypoint Cantina and Mexican Grill" that serves Tex-Mex food along with beverages. "We're having a soft opening right now before the grand opening in a couple of weeks. We'd love to have all the anglers come by and check us out."

> You can contact him at www.amistadlakeresort.com or by phone at 830-775-8591.