THE PEACOCK BASS AND AMAZON RAINFOREST…NOTHING COMPARES IN THE OUTDOORS!!!

That’s right, folks. This trip is without question, the greatest fishing adventure in all of the outdoors! I know, I know, different strokes for different folks. That said, the Good Lord has blessed me to have been a son of a man that helped pioneer the bass fishing lodge operations in Mexico and had other fishing operations in Canada, Cuba, Venezuela and the Yucatan. I was blessed to be able to fish at all of those operations as a kid and young adult prior to getting into this business in 1987. So I can honestly speak from experience that NOTHING compares to fishing for Peacock Bass in Brazil’s mystical Amazon Rainforest. NOTHING. I’ve told people for years that this is one of those fishing adventures that you do not have to be a good fisherman to have success catching fish. Furthermore, you don’t even have to like fishing to enjoy this trip! Our trip is filled with HIGH ADVENTURE! Our manager, Franz is top notch, speaks several different languages FLUENTLY, and is willing to please and meet your expectations. Franz and staff are always willing to spend a morning or afternoon taking you into the jungle to meet and trade with the natives of the Rainforest.

During your 6 full days of guided fishing, you may encounter various species of wildlife in the jungle. Franz and staff of the mothership Amazon Otter, specialize in Eco/Nature tours all across the Amazon Basin. Simply put, THEY’RE EXPERTS! That’s a bonus for those who place SAFETY FIRST as well as wanting to get the FULL experience of what the Amazon Rainforest has to offer. The Amazon Otter will cover anywhere from 40 – 80 miles of river and tributaries in a week with water levels dictating locations. Yes, seeking the best water conditions for FISHING is a priority. In other words, if fishing conditions and water levels are not ideal for “catching peacock bass”, the Otter houseboat will be on the move searching for conditions more compatible for great fishing! Due to the constant fluctuation of water levels throughout the Amazon is why I have never used a “fix based facility” in my 34 years of offering fishing in Brazil. It is imperative to always be MOBILE so if water begins to rise, we can move in a moment’s notice. The bonus of covering so much water is being able to experience as many areas of the remote jungle as possible…and adding to the ADVENTURE! This is why I stated that you don’t even have to like fishing to enjoy this trip! You’re getting a major TWO-FOR-ONE…fishing for the most exciting and powerful fish that swims, the mighty Peacock Bass, and a first class Eco/Nature trip in the process! Again, nothing in the outdoors compares to this trip!

THE PEACOCK BASS…POUND FOR POUND THE MOST POWERFUL FISH THAT SWIMS!!!

I’ve been fishing for Peacock Bass since 1988 when I first began offering fishing trips to Lake Guri, Venezuela. I was not only amazed at their power during that first trip but just as amazed at how MEAN this fish can be! They are extremely territorial and nothing is allowed to trespass into their territory without paying a severe price! I’ve told folks for years and years that I have come to the conclusion that almost half of your strikes from the peacock bass are territorial and not necessarily “feeding strikes”…which means unlike largemouth bass and other species where the full moon or barometric pressure plays a significant role in the amount of strikes you experience each day, NOT WITH THE PEACOCK BASS! When you start ripping these giant 7” long propeller topwater lures in their territory, it triggers them in a way you cannot imagine. In fact, they get downright ornery!

The destruction to lures and line…and even fishing equipment, will blow your mind. I’ve had 100lbs test spectra braid line snapped like it was sewing thread. I’ve had 4.0 saltwater treble hooks straightened out like toothpicks! Most of the time I will fish with my reel drag tightened all the way down, only to watch a big powerful Peacock Bass strip off 20 – 30 yards of line AT EASE! This is no fish story, no fabrication…IT’S A FACT! Most folks (if not all) who have experienced hooking up with a peacock bass in excess of 13 lbs will tell you the same thing! Their power is unmatched by any fish that swims.

The topwater explosions cannot be described in words! When these big powerful Peacock Bass explode on your lure, it’s heartstopping! One time I was fishing in the Amazon and at noon of the first day of fishing, we all met back at the Otter houseboat for lunch and a siesta. One of my customers from Tyler, TX said to me while eating lunch, “Ron, I thought you were exaggerating about the topwater explosions when you sold me this trip. This morning I found out you were telling the truth! I had a Peacock blow up on my big topwater lure and it was like someone dropped a refrigerator 30 feet from the tree on top of my lure! That fish moved some serious water!” I just grinned and said, “Well, glad the fish didn’t make a liar out of me”

I have literally hundreds if not thousands of stories to tell about the extreme power of these fish but you might be reading a while if I told all of them BUT, here’s one that’s memorable I’d love to share…
It was a “few” years ago, actually in the early 90’s after we moved from Venezuela to Brazil to chase these big peacock bass. After my 2nd trip to Brazil, I realized we were no longer dealing with “lake peacocks” as we did at Lake Guri in Venezuela but rather dealing with an even more powerful peacock that swims in the strong current of the rivers in the Amazon. Yes, the peacock bass was super strong in the lake in Venezuela but in the Amazon, they are SUPER STRONG ON STEROIDS!!! Anyway, on those first couple of trips to the Amazon, I was fishing with the same lures and line I had fished with in Venezuela. The line was 30lbs Trilene Big Game. No doubt that was a strong line but it was no match for the mighty Peacock Bass of the Amazon! I was getting that Trilene Big Game snapped on Peacocks that were only 10 lbs in the Amazon but had caught a 16 lbs bass on Lake Guri with no problems.

So going into my 3rd trip to the Amazon in 1994, I decided to go better equipped. I stepped up to the Big Game Woodchooper topwater instead of the smaller Bass Agitator lure I used in Venezuela. The Big Game Woodchooper was longer, bigger and had much bigger hooks. I also stepped up to 80lbs braided line instead of the Trilene Big Game monofilament. So I was READY! So I thought…ugh. The first day while fishing a lagoon off the Araca tributary (of the Rio Negro), I got absolutely BLASTED by big mean Peacock Bass! My drag was tightened down as tight as I could get it with my hands. The monster Peacock exploded on my big topwater about 10 feet from the boat and immediately headed back to the line of trees we were casting towards…about 40 – 50 feet away. That monster started taking drag so hard and fast I thought the gears in my reel were going to burn up! I mean he SMOKED IT! Within less than .5 seconds, that big monster made it to a tree. For a few seconds I could feel he was still hooked but wrapped around that tree. Then by the time we arrived at the tree, the movement stopped. My guide was able to retrieve the lure from the tree and when we first got our eyes on the lure, I literally sat down in disbelief! These big Woodchoppers are equipped with THREE BIG TREBLE HOOKS. The first two set hooks near the head of the lure had at least one of the hooks completely straightened out. Like “most” fish, they attack near the head of their prey. That wasn’t all…the split rings that attach the hooks to the lure were almost completely opened up! These were big SALTWATER split rings! That was a powerful, powerful fish to be able to do THAT. I never got a look at the fish so I can’t tell you how big it was (?)…but up until that time, that was the most powerful fish I’ve ever had on the end of my rod…well, with the exception of an 80lbs Tarpon in the 70’s at my Dad’s Isla Aguad tarpon operation. Nevertheless, I realized I still wasn’t properly equipped for these big powerful Amazon BEASTS!

It didn’t take us long to realize we needed to step up to heavier hardware on our lures. Now we provide the lures for all of our customers and have them CUSTOM MADE by our good friend Jim Kempfer! Jim is the best in the business at building lures for these powerful Peacock Bass.All of our lures are equipped with the strongest 4.0 / 4x strong Gamakatsu saltwater treble hooks and strongest split rings. Years back we decided to offer our customers lures in the package so they have the best chance at landing these beasts. That and we wanted to make it easier for our customers to have to travel with a lot of fishing gear. Which is why we also offer our customers Lew’s Rods that are custom made strictly for the mighty Peacock Bass. So nobody has to lug those big rod cases through airports. Again, we seek to make this trip as easy and fun for our clientele. We offer the heavy braided line as well. The only thing you need to bring for fishing is your fishing reels. Since those don’t take up much space in your bag and many have different preferences between baitcaster, spincast or even fly rods, we just decided to let our customers bring what they desire to fish with during the trip. I will say that you will not find a better brand of reel on the market than Lew’s Reels. I own over two dozen now and use them in Brazil, Mexico and here at home. Lew’s is truly THE BEST in the business for top of the line rods and reels. Visit Lew’s online: www.lews.com

THE AMAZON OTTER MOTHERSHIP…A 5-STAR FLOATING HOTEL!!!

I’m sure most have either been on The Otter Houseboat OR read my past newsletter talking about the big beautiful Amazon Otter. If you have never experienced our fishing adventures in the Amazon and particularly this 5-star mothership, you owe it to yourself to try at least one time! The Otter offers 8 spacious air conditioned cabins with two twin beds (NO BUNK BEDS!), private bath/shower and closet space for clothes. The Otter also offers a nice closed-in air conditioned restaurant, two front back lounge decks with jacuzzi and bar. This boat also offers internet, sat tv. so you don’t miss your favorite sports contest, along with wifi to use for calling home on WhatsApp. As mentioned earlier in this update, the Otter is constantly moving and searching for water levels compatible for good fishing. If we hit on a “hot spot” with great fishing results, naturally the Otter will stay there as long as customers are happy with great fishing. The guides know where the Otter is located or moving at all times and generally fish lagoons and areas within 20 minutes of the Otter. That way if you get tired or have too much sun Or just want to go in and lounge and get in the “hot tub”, the Otter isn’t far away. This houseboat and crew is SECOND TO NONE! Your home away from home while battling the mighty peacock bass and enjoying the sites and sounds of the awesome Amazon Rainforest! Come experience it for yourself!

RSJA…NOBODY HAS MORE YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE AMAZON FOR PEACOCK BASS!!!

RSJA has been sending Americans and customers to Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest since 1992. At that time there were two operations getting started but those operations “closed shop” years ago. Nobody in Amazon has more years of experience than RSJA. Others have come, some have gone but we’ve operated there going on 34 years now. Prior to that, we operated in Venezuela for 3 1/2 years but decided to explore Brazil as the fishing declined on Lake Guri in Venezuela. Our fishing guides are second to none in the Amazon and “most” have been with us for at least 20 years with a couple that have been with us for 30+ years. They’re still going strong and do an outstanding job of trying to get you on those BIG PEACOCK BASS! Also, when visiting a third world country, I know many that call and inquire about our trips and ask about “Safety”…and I don’t blame them. This is another reason to choose RSJA as I’ve been at this going on 40 years in Mexico for the black bass and 38 years in South America for the Peacock Bass. One doesn’t last that long by putting SAFETY FIRST. Our track record speaks for itself. While our fishing and service is a distant second to SAFETY, they speak for themselves as well.

CALL US TODAY TO PLAN YOUR AMAZON FISHING ADVENTURE AND TRIP OF A LIFETIME! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!!

Good fishing and God Bless.
RON SPEED, JR

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Lance Wilson won his battle with this GIANT El Salto lunker!!!

A recent picture of our beautiful Picachos camp!!

The lakes are in great shape from a water level standpoint. Picachos is FULL…as it always fills before the end of August. Based on a phone call I received today and video footage, El Salto appears to be close to 70% filled with at least a few more weeks left of “rainy season”…and I don’t care if the lake doesn’t fill as it always fishes better in the Fall time of year when it’s NOT full. I do, however, want it to start October at least 70% so we don’t have to worry about oxygen depletion causing a fish die off in May/June…the final two months of the dry season.

Rockie Kalsoe (L) of Lew’s landed this 9lbs 2oz toad his first morning on Picachos!!

I’m going to keep this one short and sweet as I wanted to get this message out NOW to let everyone know it’s about to be GAME ON!!! It’s been a while since the bass in these two lakes have seen a lure and that’s GREAT for the angler…our valuable customers!!!

Our longtime guide Hector produced this 9lbs Salto GIANT!!!

Call us today to book your bass fishing adventure on two of the best bass lakes in the world!

Mike McGowan landed this 8lbs 2oz Picachos HAWG!!!

Good fishin’ and God Bless!
Ron Speed, Jr.

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David Blocksom 8lbs 12oz on a 6XD Crankbait!!

LAKE PICACHOS HAVING IT’S BEST FISHING SEASON EVER ON BIG BASS!!!

Greg Keys (L) day one 9.5lbs on a Ned Rig and JW Peterson (R)  used an underspin and 4” swimbait for his 9.2lbs Picachos toad!!!

Every time I think this lake cannot get any better, it proves otherwise. If you’ve read my updates since the lake opened 11+ years ago, you’ll know there are no adjectives left for me to use to describe how great the fishing is at Picachos. You may remember the many times I’ve stated that until the overall numbers of bass in the lake depopulate, the bigger bass won’t move to and live in the shallower water. That’s a fact. Well, the depopulation of bass still hasn’t happened…which is extremely rare for a lake that’s going on 12 years since opening. Normally on all other lakes I’ve had fishing operations, the numbers start to decline in years 7 or 8. That’s NOT the case on Picachos. What I have seen different THIS SEASON is the size has really jumped to that next level. Not only have we seen the overall average size of the bass increase, we’ve seen our customers hook and land more bass OVER 7 LBS! Throw in a couple of 10 pound bass this past fall and a dozen in the 9 pound range, and several dozen in the 8 pound class. Couple that with crazy numbers of 125 – 200 bass per day, per boat, with 30% being over 5 pounds and 40% over 4 pounds….well, that’s not a bad day at the bass office. No, not every boat experiences those type of days but these are the AVERAGES since we started the season last October.

Barry Holt had a nice 7.10lbs on his last trip to Picachos!!

The truth about Lake Picachos is that there are big bass in the lake and has been since the beginning. However, and as I’ve stated numerous times in these updates, the majority of those bigger bass (over 7 lbs) will live year round (except during spawn) out deeper and particularly along the deep river ledges. I know…every time I fish Picachos, I find those big bass out there on sonar…and hook many. So you ask why they live out deeper year round? Simple…a bigger/older bass does not want to compete with smaller/faster swimmer bass for food. Therefore if an older/bigger bass can find that magic location for food, oxygen, cover, water temp and less pressure, that’s where they’ll make their home. I’ve seen this on other lakes I’ve had operations on…in the first 5 years especially when there are millions of 1.5 – 3.5 pound bass living in the shallow depths. Once the number of bass declines, meaning, once we start averaging LESS than 100 bass per boat (2 anglers), per day….then the migration of big bass to the shallows takes place. That just hasn’t happened…YET.

Gary Manos with a nice double digit bass weighing in at 10.2lbs!!

So let’s go over what I just stated about those bigger bass living out deeper and especially on deep ledges and river ledges. My dear friend and customer Gary Manos, who is an outstanding fishermen and very versatile, fishes those deeper ledges every time he’s on Picachos. He primarily fishes with a jig, a shaky head jig at that, trailing it with a craw worm or Senko. Gary always finds those bigger bass on ledges that break anywhere from 20 ft to 35 ft…sometimes deeper. This past November Gary and Mike McGowan, another dear friend and longtime customer, were fishing at Picachos for 5 days. Their first 4 days they went for NUMBERS because Mike has always been an action/numbers angler. They had decent numbers of bass up to 6 lbs those first 4 days but for the 5th and final day, Gary was able to convince Mike to go out deeper for the bigger bass. Well, not only did they find those bigger bass out deeper but shockingly caught MORE numbers. Their final day saw Gary land a 10 lbs 2 ounce giant and Mike landed a 8 lbs 10 ounce lunker. Now get this…they landed 18 bass OVER 6 LBS!!!! Their total numbers for the day was 126 bass. Well folks, it doesn’t get much better than that in bass fishing. Gary told me those numbers only represent what they actually put in the boat….and not the ones that got away. Which was A LOT because when fishing those deep river ledges, there is TONS of brush from the tree tops that fell and stacked around the base of those trees along the river ledge. Oh and…Gary said this time he trailed that big shaky head jig with a watermelon/red TRICK WORM!

Mike McGowan with his 8lbs 10oz Picachos trophy!!!

I mention the deep water big bass to every customer I personally talk with prior to their trip to Picachos BUT very few spend much time offshore…if at all. The few that listened to my advice and told their guide they wanted to try the deep water pattern, found similar success. Cory Elling and Tiny Hare were at Picachos recently and had similar success when one day they landed 50 bass over 5 lbs using a big swim bait. Other days 12 over 5 lbs and 7 over 5 lbs. Each day their big bass was in the 7 lbs class but multiple 7’s each day. As successful as they were this recent trip at finding the bigger bass out deep, it did not compare to their trip to Picachos in April of 2023 when one day they landed 83 bass OVER 5 lbs! That particular day they were throwing a big Swim Bait upon a 25 ft shelf and dragging over the river break/ledge into 40 ft. So the whole point in mentioning the deep water pattern is to let everyone know that there ARE BIG BASS in Picachos. You simply have to fish the right pattern for them. Our guides are conditioned to take our customers to catch numbers…because most or 99% of our customers that choose Lake Picachos, want NUMBERS first and foremost. However, the guides do know where to fish for big fish…you simply have to tell them your desire to fish deeper or for BIGGER bass. Of course most of the time you’re going to sacrifice numbers when fishing deeper, slower and more vertical in that thick brush. But you still have a chance to land 60 – 80 bass in a day fishing deeper. Yeah….”only 60 – 80 bass in a day” HA!

Cory Elling was happy after landing this 7lbs 6oz beauty on a recent trip to Picachos!!

PICACHOS RED HOT ACTION OF BASS NUMBERS CONTINUES TO AMAZE!!!

Ricky Stewart Jr with a nice 7.2oz Catch!!

So let’s talk numbers real quick. I’m very reluctant to mention this because it’s truly UNBELIEVABLE…but I would be remiss if I didn’t share. First let me say I believe this fishing report/story 100% because I know this couple. Their names are David and Cindy Bednar. They have fished Picachos with me since BEFORE our first official season of opening the lodge was November 2014. Our first “checkout” groups started in January 2014 before the lodge was completed and we were housing our customers in the village of Puerta de San Marcos. David and Cindy first fished Picachos in March or April (forgive me, I’m old and my memory is not so good) of 2014. I was there with them on their initial trip. David and Cindy are ALL ABOUT THE NUMBERS! They don’t care if the bass are small as they just love feeling “the pole bend”…and they admit such. So they fish with us at Picachos 3 different times each season…Fall, Winter and Spring. Each time their goal is to break their previous records with the “most fish in one day” being their main goal. Going in to their most recent trip a month ago (Feb), their all time best numbers in one day was in the high 400’s…like 470 something? Well, that record got shattered the first day of their most recent trip when they landed 503 BASS IN ONE DAY! That’s right…you did not read that wrong. You see, first I know David and Cindy well and they are great honest people. I’ve also been there with them and watched them fish. They “mostly” fish small to medium diving crankbaits in less than 10 ft of water and a lot of the time in 5 ft or less. That’s where TONS of bass live and feed in Picachos. Also, by using crankbaits, they fish faster and cover more water. They each have numerous rods rigged and ready to go so when they get a fish close to the boat and guide pulls it in, they drop the rod and pick up another rod. All I can say is that I’m so thankful I am not a guide for Ron Speed Jr’s Adventures and having to guide for David and Cindy! LOL…I am joking. Well, sorta. LOL. WOW! Talk about earning your pay! Seriously, all of our guides absolutely love David and Cindy and consider them FAMILY. Our staff feels the same. They are part of our family and we love them dearly. Such great folks! Here, if you don’t believe ME, here’s what Cindy posted on Facebook upon returning from Picachos last month…

Our good friend Cindy Bednar with one of her many Picachos bass!!!

“Just returned from an absolutely PHENOMENAL trip to beautiful Lake Picachos in Mexico with Ron Speed Jr. Adventures. You know the old saying “Never tell someone more than they will believe” – but this is really the truth, I swear!!

In our 13 ½ days of fishing, we caught 4,291 fish, for an AVERAGE of 318 fish per day!! (and I didn’t even fish in the afternoons for 3 days!). We had one day with over 500 fish, 3 days with over 400 fish, 4 days with over 300 fish, and another 3 days with over 200 fish. It was absolutely incredible! I have heard some naysayers say “oh, that is not possible”! But David and I don’t fish deep water with those monster crankbaits. We are after numbers, so we fish shallow water with mostly medium dive crankbaits, Oldam spinners and Rattletraps. David estimates we each cast and retrieve about 1,800 times in 7 hours of fishing, so surely it is possible to catch that many fish if they are hungry!

The staff at the lake is just incredible as well, and the guides are top notch. Jorge is a terrific manager, and has assembled a great team. They are just amazing, and spoil us rotten when we are there. Javier continues to amaze us with his culinary skills, Humberto and Javi take great care of the boats. The wait staff and kitchen helpers (Valentin, Juan, Victor, Abel and Memo), the housekeepers (Vero!) and all the guides were just terrific.

We just can’t think of enough adjectives to adequately describe how incredible the trip was. Looking forward to our next one in April!” – Cindy Bednar

Tracy Pace with a 6lbs 8oz Picachos bass!!

There you have it, folks. Picachos never ceases to amaze. History says this lake won’t sustain these types of numbers and great fishing forever…even though it is “currently” proving history wrong. So take advantage of this incredible fishing Picachos provides and get there SOON!

RSJA Picachos Lodge!

RON SPEED JR’S ADVENTURES OFFERS THE BEST FLEET OF BASS BOATS IN MEXICO…XPRESS BOATS!

All of our boats are XPRESS Boats. Some are 18 ft and some are 17 ft. All have Lowrance sonars up front and each boat is equipped with powerful Minn Kota trolling motors UP FRONT so customers can operate if desired. Also these boats provide TWO fishing decks front and back. They are 100 gauge all-welded aluminum to withstand the rough terrain (rocks and hardwood trees) found in these western Mexico mountain lakes.

Here are those XPRESS Boats ready for blast off at first safe light in the morning! Take a minute to watch….

COME EXPERIENCE PICACHOS THIS SUMMER AT A DISCOUNT…WE’RE GOING TO BE OPEN!!!

Lake Picachos from the lodge.

Yep, not since our first “checkout season” in Summer of 2014 have we kept our operation open during Summer months (July, Aug and Sept) due to that being monsoon season. This year we’re going to stay open during those months as there is still a very good chance to get 8 hours (or more) of fishing each day. A normal day during monsoon season sees the heavy rains at night. The first wave usually arrives late afternoon. However, during that time of year it doesn’t get dark until around 8:30 – 8:45 pm. So many times after that first round of rain hits around 5 pm, it often ends by 6:30 pm and one can get back out and fish another couple of hours. Regardless, we believe you can still get a solid 8 hours of fishing each day. Of course there will always be a day here or there where we see some rain earlier in the day. This is why we have chosen to offer a Summer Discount. The fishing can be incredible and sometimes even better during the rainy season. YOU WILL CATCH BASS! Kids and grandkids out of school for the summer. Great opportunity to treat them to a fishing trip of a lifetime!

Good fishin’ and God Bless!
Ron Speed, Jr.

Ron Jr enjoying a beautiful sunrise on the water in Mexico

Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

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LAKE EL SALTO IS ON A MEMORABLE BIG BASS RUN IN 2024!!!!

Mike Sanders with a beautiful 10.4lbs El Salto HAWG!!

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen our customers catch so many 5 – 7 pound bass per day, per boat! One might think that 5 – 7 pound bass aren’t really that big but when you take into consideration how many are being caught per boat per day WHILE WAITING FOR THAT GIANT to bite, well…it’s quite impressive! It’s also incredibly FUN! This is definitely not a “feast or famine” type of season we’re having in 2024. Meaning we’re not having a “catch a bunch of 2 and 3 pound bass while waiting for that big girl to bite. Quite the opposite as I’ve had numerous customers call me after their trip to tell me the insane amount of 5 – 7 pound bass they caught each day. In fact, just last week we saw one boat (2 anglers) land 20 bass OVER 7 POUNDS!!! We all know that on trophy bass fishing or trophy hunting trips, not everyone will bag a trophy. So what’s there for the angler or hunter that doesn’t land that trophy of a lifetime? THAT…is what makes outdoorsmen happy or disappointed with their fishing and hunting experience. The true word is “FUN”…did you have fun on your fishing or hunting trip? Did the trip meet expectations? Well, I can honestly say that the majority of our El Salto customers this season have returned with having everything meet, if not exceed expectations!

JW Peterson with one of his 3 Salto bass of 10 pounds recently!!

Our longtime friend J.W. Peterson from Dallas just returned from 11 days of fishing Lake El Salto. J.W. was there for 11 days because he had 3 different groups come to fish over that period. In those 11 days, J.W. landed 5 bass of 8 lbs; 4 bass of 9 lbs; 3 bass of 10 lbs; and his largest weighed 11.2 lbs!!! Even though he was there for that many days, that’s still amazing numbers of big bass “LANDED”…and does not include the big ones he lost. Also, just as amazing, J.W. reported that he would guess that nearly 50% of the total bass he landed were OVER 5 POUNDS!!!! Now that is truly amazing when he and his fishing partner were averaging approximately 40 – 60 bass per day. That backs up what I said (above) of numerous customers reporting a lot of 5 – 7 pound bass being caught each day!!!!

Karl Kouns with a nice 8 pound Salto trophy!!

Lastly, while this season has been (so far) our best season on average size and trophy bass, the total number of bass landed each day has been fewer than last year. We’re talking about 40 – 50 bass per boat, per day since December. However, nobody is complaining about less action because of the average size being so incredible. Plus, everyone that books with us to fish at Lake El Salto, does not book to El Salto to go catch NUMBERS…but rather SIZE. For those looking for more numbers or making action/numbers the main priority, those customers book to fish with us at Lake Picachos. MORE on the latest for Picachos below.

JW Peterson with another 10 pound Salto GIANT!!!

Don’t miss the great season we’re having at Lake El Salto NOW. We never know from one season or year to the next what the fishing will be like. Too many variables involved and of course Mother Nature and the Monsoon Season will play a HUGE part each year. We know what’s “in the pudding” right now…this season.

JW….Just another 10 pounder at El Salto!!

Call us TODAY to get in on the big bass action at El Salto while it’s HOT. There’s about 4 months left until the Monsoon Season begins (mid-July)…and even then, the fishing can still be superb for most of July after the rains begin. CALL US NOW!

JW Peterson 11pound Salto Monster!!

LAKE PICACHOS…IT’S ABOUT TO GET CRAZY!!!

Larry Green landed this 11.25 pound Picachos GIANT in late February!!

Remember my “FALL 2023 NEWSLETTER”? If you didn’t read it, you absolutely need to read it NOW. That Picachos section of the newsletter was focused on what Picachos produced last April and May 2023 or during the BIG GIZZARD SHAD SPAWN. We had tons of bass caught over 5 pounds during April and May as those big gizzard shad spawning drew those bigger bass out of the deep water to hem up those shad in the shallow mud creeks and “guts”. Many days we had boats landing well over 30 bass per day OVER 5 POUNDS…with many in the 6 and 7 pound class! Also some 8 and 9 pounders. It happens every April…and some years in May as well…especially early May. It’s almost like clockwork. Soooo, as I stated in the title, “IT’S ABOUT TO GET CRAZY” (at Picachos). There’s still time, Folks!

I won’t post anymore in this Picachos Update as all you need to do is click on that link above to go read our FALL 2023 UPDATE about Picachos fishing in April/May. I will say this about a recent big bass landed by one of our customers (Larry Green) at Picachos last week on a white spinnerbait. That big bass weighed 11.25 pounds!!! Yes, you read that right….11.25 POUNDS!!!

This update is short but sweet as we’re still in the middle of the fishing season. Lake El Salto is absolutely on fire. Picachos is steady but about to get CRAZY over the next couple of months. I’ll update near the end of the dry season (June). I fully expect to bring you MORE great fishing reports and stories.

Good Fishin’ and God Bless!
Ron Speed, Jr.

The post Spring 2024 Mexico Fishing Update appeared first on Ron's Fishing Blog.

It’s that time of year, folks…Christmas is almost here. Time to give that special someone in your life a special gift. A fishing trip of a lifetime in Mexico with Ron Speed Jr’s Adventures? Well, I remind you that we offer a special “2 For 1” May 15 – July 31 of our fishing season and it applies to immediate family members…such as wife, husband, father, son, daughter, dad, brother and sister. You can purchase the special now or make a deposit now, present to that someone special at Christmas and take the trip during one of our selected months for the special. Many have taken advantage of our offer the past two years and it truly made a gift of a lifetime for that special person in their life.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM YOUR FAMILY AT RON SPEED JR’S ADVENTURES!!!

Call us today: 800-722-0006
GOOD FISHIN’,
RON SPEED, JR.

The post 2023-2024 Seasons Greetings and Our 2-For-1 Gift! appeared first on Ron's Fishing Blog.

IT’S TIME, FOLKS…BRAZIL AND MEXICO FISHING TIME!!!

John Speed with his Picachos 9.8lbs GIANT!

Well I’ve been wanting to get out an update on our fishing in Brazil as well as Mexico. The only reason it has not happened sooner is because I was waiting for the monsoon season in Mexico to end…which is generally mid to late October. Now that we are at that point, I want to bring everyone up to date.

Ron Jr enjoying a beautiful sunrise on the water in Mexico

This summer was NOT our normal monsoon season. This means we did not receive much rain during the normal heavy rain months of July, August and September. At the first of October, all the lakes were down from their “normal” levels for October. Well I am happy to report that recent Hurricane Norma dumped a lot of rain/water at the lakes last week. More importantly, Hurricane Norma dumped a lot of rain/water up in the mountains that provided a lot of runoff into the lakes. Two weeks ago Lake Picachos was around 65% – 70% full. After “Norma” finished with her torrential rains, Picachos is now approximately 95% full. Prior to “Norma” arriving, El Salto was approximately 50% – 55% full but today it is approximately 70% full…AND still rising. This is GREAT NEWS when you consider the dry months (Nov – June) are long and the lakes normally become very low in April, May and June. If not for “Norma” hitting the lakes, those late dry months could have been …well, I don’t even want to think about it but thank the Lord, all is well again and the outlook for great fishing has me feeling very confident!

Picachos is almost full after Hurricane Norma

LAKE PICACHOS…I HAVE A FEW AMAZING FISH STORIES FOR YOU! THIS IS A MUST READ!!!

John and Neil got in on the BIG bass action at Picachos!

Just when I didn’t think this lake (Picachos) could surprise me any more than it has over the past 10 years, well…it’s done it AGAIN! I have been sitting on this story for 6 months and just itching to share it with you. Unfortunately the timing wasn’t the best to share any sooner. You see, in my business, everything is “seasonal”…during the warm to hot months here in the U.S., very few are thinking about places south of the border where everyone believes it’s even HOTTER. This is why I try and refrain from sending out updates during our hot summer months in the U.S. Now that summer has ended and our first cool/cold temperatures have arrived, well….IT’S TIME! Boy do I have a fish story for you…but this one is not your typical “fish story”…I was there…and it’s 100% TRUTH!

Tammy Smith with her 8.82lbs Picachos bass caught on a sexy shad Strike King Pop R.

Off and on over the past 10 years of operating on Lake Picachos, I’ve sent out several updates strongly recommending you fish Lake Picachos during April/May time of year as that’s when those giant Gizzard Shad spawn. These giant shad are so big that it requires at least a 4 lbs bass and larger to eat it. These Gizzard Shad generally spawn on mud bottoms and banks. When those big shad move shallow to the mud creeks and coves, the bigger bass move in from deep water and “hem them up”…and FEAST! This makes those bigger bass in the lake much easier to locate and of course produces more big bass opportunities for the angler…our valuable customers! That also causes a mass exodus of the smaller bass from those mud bottom coves/creeks. Bass do eat bass…ya know?

Dan Hayes of Major League Fishing enjoying his time at lake Picachos!

Alright, on with it…I spent 3 weeks at Lake Picachos last April. We had 4 really big groups of customers booked to fish at Picachos during that time. I won’t waste time sharing the catch numbers of every angler and group during April but rather the “eye-popping” ones that stand out. Just know that every group in April/May landed a lot of bass over 4 and 5 lbs with the bigger bass weighing 8 and 9lbs!

Ron Jr landed this 8.4lbs Picachos chunk on a KVD Splash topwater!!

Let’s start first with a big bass topwater story…
It was mid-April and I was fishing with my brother John Speed. My brother had already spent two days in the back end of this “mud creek” hammering mostly 5 – 7 lbs bass on Strike King’s 8xD and 10xD crankbaits but on his last day, John landed a beautiful 9 lbs toad! Upon releasing that giant back to the lake, the sun was getting low which meant topwater time was quickly approaching. John told me he wanted to go to a cove up the river that he and his partner Dickie Sorrell had great afternoon topwater action the previous 3 days. I told John that we should not waste good topwater time and a 15 – 20 minute boat ride when we already have BIG bass right here where we’re fishing. These big bass didn’t go anywhere. John agreed. So I had our guide Rigo get on the trolling motor and head for the nearest shoreline….a muddy shoreline. I sat in the back of the boat enjoying a diet coke while watching my brother cast toward the shore and work his topwater lure (KVD Splash) vigorously back to the boat. I told my brother to “slow that topwater down…pop it, let it sit for 5 seconds or more…then pop it twice and let sit another 5 seconds”…the bigger bass “generally” like that topwater lure sitting or moving slooooooow. My brother couldn’t help it as he was absolutely ramped up to catch a big bass on topwater. So…twist my arm…I got up from my backseat of the boat, grabbed my rod with a KVD Splash topwater lure on it, and cast toward the muddy shoreline. I actually cast the topwater ON THE SHORE and slowly dragged it into the water. I was just going to show him how slow to work the topwater. I then gave it a quick “pop”…then let it sit…after about 6 or 7 seconds and before I could pop it again, this HUGE bass jumped completely out of the water and did a nosedive on top of my KVD Splash topwater lure! The deepest water near the strike was approximately 8 feet so the giant bass couldn’t surge but rather run sideways. She ended up jumping 4 times in her attempt to throw the lure but to no avail. I let her wear down and slowly led her to the net that our guide Rigo was patiently holding. After a nice round of “High Fives”, we put her on the Boga Grip scales…EIGHT POUNDS!!! That was the largest bass I’ve caught on topwater AT PICACHOS! I’ve landed bass over 10 lbs on Picachos but that was the largest on topwater…at Picachos! I had to apologise to my brother for robbing him of that big topwater bass. Honestly I did not intend to be “that guy”…a bass thief. I only wanted to cast one time to show him how I recommend fishing that topwater sloooooow. Oh well, John was happy for my big catch…but he got so excited that big bass topwater action was along that shore, I think my catching that big girl had a reverse effect….he started fishing his topwater even FASTER! LOL.

Cory Landed this 8.2lbs Picachos beauty in April 2023

During this same week in mid-April, I was hosting longtime friend and customer, Leighton Haselgrove, and his group of friends. The numbers his group of 15 anglers caught during their 4 days of fishing has to have broken most records for Lake Picachos! IT. WAS. INSANE! At least the records for most bass over 4 and 5 lbs in 4 days of fishing! We’re really talking about 5 and 6 lbs bass here. After their first day of fishing, I’m having dinner in the RSJA Restaurant with my brother and Leighton’s group. My manager “Little Jorge” was going around to each table and customer asking them their numbers/catch for the day, like he does every night….so he can send back to the office in Texas to get on our website’s fishing report. When Little Jorge asked our customer Cory Elling for his report, Cory said, “Tiny (Cory’s fishing partner) and I landed 105 bass today on swim baits. We landed three bass over 7lbs but we landed 35 over 5 lbs”…I immediately got up from my table and went to talk with Cory about his great day of fishing…particularly the “35 over 5 lbs” claim. Cory said he and “Tiny” (Michael Hare real name) were fishing the backend of mud creeks and coves. I was like “Ya don’t say?”…of course knowing this is the main pattern for catching bigger bass on Picachos during April and most of May. It’s not the only pattern but it’s the easiest to locate and isolate those bigger bass in the lake…and in big numbers. Cory and Tiny would split up and fish with other anglers on Days 2 and 3…with Tiny landing a 9.87 lbs whopper on Day 2…and Cory landiing a 8lbs hawg on Day 3. Well as staggering and incredible those numbers were for Cory and Tiny that first day, that would not even come close to their best day! After three days of hammering 5 and 6 lbs bass in shallow mud creeks/coves, their last day they decided to head to deeper water and try that pattern for a possible 10lbs or larger bass. While they did not land or hook a double digit size bass that last day, what they DID land was beyond incredible. Cory and Tiny landed 80 bass over 5 lbs that last day. Again…EIGHT BASS OVER 5LBS IN ONE DAY! Cory told me “It was just stupid”…lol. Okaaaay…that’s one way to put it. I asked about the pattern…depth? Structure? Cory told me the exact location…mid-lake and next to the river. He and Tiny were sitting their boat in 40+ feet of water but throwing their big swim bait lures on top of a 25 ft shelf…and dragging the swimbait off the deep water ledge/break…then BAM! It was almost every cast for about 2 hours. That, my friends…has to be as good as bass fishing gets short of catching double digit size bass! That’s what Picachos has become…making fishing memories of a lifetime! The bass in Picachos have continued to grow larger every year. It’s on the verge of becoming a true trophy bass lake. Until it finally arrives at that trophy status, one can have a great opportunity at catching a lot of quality bass up to 8 and 9 lbs!

Tiny with his largest bass on Picachos in April 2023! 9.8lbs HAWG!!!

As for the rest of Leighton’s group? Well most if not all got to experience tons of action on “quality” size bass. The group of 15 ended up with 4,248 bass landed…and right at 200 bass over 5lbs! Tiny’s 9.87 lbs and Cory’s 8lbs ended up being the two largest bass caught by the group but there were a half dozen over 7 lbs…and the number of 5 and 6 lbs bass were just too many to count. To say Leighton and his group were happy would be the ultra understatement!

Cory with one of the 80 bass over 5lbs he landed at Picachos in April 2023

The last week of April had us host Legendary Pro Angler Denny Brauer and longtime friend and President/Owner of Strike King Lures, John Barns…and their group of 13 anglers.

Ron Jr with former pro Football players (Billy Klemstein and Terrance Mann) Both part of the Pony Express at SMU.

They were supposed to have 14 anglers but one of their members became ill the day before trip departure and could not make it. Therefore Ron Jr decided to fish with the odd man out…my good friend and longtime customer Greg Wilkinson. Greg has fished with us at Lake El Salto for many years as he’s more about the TROPHY BASS…but decided to come give Picachos a try with his friend that was unable to make the trip. The first day I asked Greg if he preferred topwater? Crankbait? Plastics? Jig? Spinnerbait? Greg responded with, “I’m just happy to be here and get to fish with you. Whatever you want to do is fine with me.”…well I was glad to hear that as I knew then I was going to stick with the backend of creeks/coves pattern that was already established. The first 3 days of the 4 days the group was fishing, was very good…but my Hole #1 that was holding a lot of bass over 5 lbs prior to Denny and John’s group arriving, saw the size drop “a little” as it was stacked full of 3 – 4.5 lbs bass…a few over 5 lbs but not like the week before. So the afternoon of Day 3, I moved us up the lake to a different “mud cove” and it was absolutely FILTHY with bass 5 lbs and larger. I had told Greg on the first day to have at least one rod rigged with a 1 oz Oldham Spinnerbait and at least one rod rigged with a 1 oz Oldham jig…trailed with a Rage Tail Rage Craw (chartreuse/pepper color). Every time we would enter one of these coves, we would start with Oldham’s giant spinnerbait…positioning the boat right in the middle of these narrow coves and throwing the spinnerbait toward each shore. The average water depth once we got halfway back in these coves was around 10 feet or less…but the “drainage” depth in the middle was around 12 – 15 feet. We would cast those spinnerbaits and work the coves all the way to the back…usually hooking up with a lot of 3 – 5 lbs bass. Then after the bite would slow down, we would pick up our rods with the big Oldham jigs and Rage Craws…dropping right over the side of the boat as the bass had piled up in the belly of these coves/drainages when the feeding or bite slowed down. Lord have mercy…those “guts” were jam packed with quality size bass…and even though the spinnerbait bite had slowed, which meant they were no longer chasing…you could still drop that jig right on their noggins and get a bite…a reaction strike or whatever you want to call it. Again, it was insane! The bass never left these shallow narrow mud coves for the better part of 2 months. Those bigger bass kept those shad hemmed up until the shad spawn ended…about the 3rd week of May.

Scott Lomax landed this Picachos 9.1 lbs HAWG on an Oldham tilapia-color jig in May 2023.

Denny and John’s group of 13 actually fished just 3 1/2 days as they decided they had caught enough bass and needed some “healing time” before flying home. So they spent the last afternoon/night in Mazatlan. Their total numbers for the group was just shy of 4,000 bass (3,965 to be exact) for 13 anglers in 3.5 days of fishing. Greg and I had right at 100 bass that last morning…IN ONE COVE! Denny landed the largest bass of the trip with a 8.9 lbs toad…and John Barns landed one of 8.0 lbs even. There were several landed over 7 lbs and again, tons of 5 lbs! Just another day at the office for this incredible lake…LAKE PICACHOS!!!

Cory with another 5lbs Picachos Toad he landed at Picachos in April 2023 !!

I cannot stress enough the importance of experiencing Lake Picachos in April/May. Don’t get me wrong about the “other months” as they are outstanding as well. It’s just that April/May are for the guys that want to catch as many bass over 5 lbs in one 3-day or 4-day trip as possible. Those two months are when the percentages are much higher of experiencing such catches! It’s warm but hasn’t really gotten “summertime hot” during April and early May. If you’re from the southern part of the U.S., you know “Hot”…especially July/Aug “Hot”…and it’s nowhere close to that in April/May. Book it NOW. You won’t be sorry.

LAKE EL SALTO STARTS NEW SEASON OFF WITH A BANG!!!

Long time customer Ric Younkin with one of his many El Salto topwater trophies !! Ric fishes El Salto every year for his Birthday!

While I don’t have much to report about Lake El Salto “at this time,” I have enough to share that you should like. One, as I reported above, the lake has caught a lot of water after being struck by recent Hurricane Norma. That is excellent news for us and all of our valuable customers scheduled to fish with us there this season! Two…we just hosted Denny Brauer and John Barns group (reported about their Picachos trip above) of 20 anglers earlier this month and prior to Hurricane Norma’s arrival. While there were no “giants” caught…giants meaning 10 lbs and larger, There were several bass landed of 9 lbs as well as several 8 lbs. What was great to see is the overall numbers and overall size being 5 – 7 lbs. Last year we saw big bass landed by our customers for most of the season but the overall numbers per day/per boat (2 anglers) were down considerably…with the average total numbers per boat being around 50 bass per day…again, LAST season. During Denny/John’s 4 days earlier this month, the average was around 75 bass per day, per boat but every day there would be one or two boats exceeding 100 bass for the day…and these weren’t a lot of “dinks” either.

RSJA guide Jorge with a GIANT El Salto lunker!!

One day saw Todd Melson and his fishing partner Brian Shows land bass of 9.3 lbs, 2 over 7 lbs and 2 over 6 lbs…and many bass 4 and 5 lbs! Mike Grimes and his fishing partner Travis Owen landed 100 bass one day with the largest weighing 9.5 lbs and many in the 4 and 5 lbs class! Chris Nunnelee got in on the big bass action with his 8.5 lbs hawg. Hal Hanes also landed a 8.0 pound beauty. Ross Jewel and his partner landed one of 8.0 lbs along with several over 7 lbs while catching a total of 84 bass…in one day. Denny and John had bass of 8 and 9 lbs and lots of bass in the 5 – 7 lbs category!

Ron Speed Jr’s Adventures offers the best bass boats in Mexico. XPRESS BOATS!!

So while there’s not much to report “at this time,” the first group of the new season had good to great fishing. Our next groups will be arriving on or around the time this update goes out. So hopefully there will be MORE good news to report on soon. Again, it’s great to have more water in the lake and also great to see the fishing started out GREAT with the first group of the season! After 33 years since it’s opening, El Salto still produces big bass and great fishing. IF you want that giant bass of a lifetime, El Salto should be your choice! Even our customers that don’t land that GIANT, most report “I HAD HER ON”…which is what most anglers want…a shot. A chance. El Salto usually provides the angler with the best CHANCE!

Nobody leaves Ron Speed Jr’s lodge hungry!

BRAZIL PEACOCK BASS…IT’S ABOUT THAT TIME!!!

Dale Morrell loves fishing for GIANT peacock bass with RSJA!!

Last Spring I put out an update on Brazil. In that update I mentioned some changes for the better…changes that most of our Brazil customers have been wanting to see. Better flights, particularly non-stop direct flights…and no more mandatory showing proof of Covid-19 vaccination. Well, the new flights are still flying and so far so good…the feedback we’ve received has been VERY POSITIVE. There are several options…two non-stop direct from Florida (Ft. Lauderdale being the best) and one from Houston through Panama City on United and Copa respectively. This is great news on both as these two issues (air schedules and vaccine mandates) are what was holding many of our customers back and not going. Well, for the time being, those two issues are fixed. If you’re one of those that’s been waiting for these issues to change for the better, NOW IS THE TIME TO GO!!!

We’ll have more updates on Brazil and the FISHING (hopefully the catching) after our groups fish in January/February. In the meantime, I strongly encourage you to call Bill in our office and see the dates we have available. Also, I strongly recommend that you call our travel agent Kevin Martin of Martin Travel. Kevin and his assistant David can give you the very latest on current flights to Manaus, Brazil from the U.S. Kevin and David are on top of this and can give you all the details of each airline/flight. Kevin 954-558-8154 David 954-748-6881 Ext 2

Call us today to book your next TRIP OF A LIFETIME!

Good Fishin’ and God Bless!
Ron Speed, Jr.

The post Fall 2023 Newsletter appeared first on Ron's Fishing Blog.

Holden Harrison with one of his many GIANT peacocks he caught during his trip.

SAY GOODBYE TO VACCINE MANDATES (BRAZIL)…WELCOME NEW FLIGHTS TO MANAUS!!!

Great news, peacock bass enthusiasts….it is no longer mandatory to show proof of Covid Vaccine for American citizens to enter Brazil!!! I know many of our customers that fished with us this past season already had the vaccine but there were also many that had been booked over the past couple of years that cancelled their trips due to the mandatory vaccine being enforced. Well, that’s no longer a requirement…as of now. We’re hoping it remains that way.

No more vaccine mandate for Americans to enter Brazil!!!

More great news…several airlines have started flying to Manaus from the U.S. again. There are TWO airlines with direct flights to Manaus now. One is AZUL AIRLINES and they depart from Ft. Lauderdale on Fridays. The other is GOL AIRLINES and they depart from Miami on Wednesdays…which doesn’t quite fit our fishing schedule but the Azul schedule does work better. Now, all this being said, I personally prefer a different airline and schedule and it’s NOT non-stop direct. It is United Airlines from Houston, TX to Panama…then change to Copa Airlines from Panama direct to Manaus. The United flight departing Houston on Thursdays. Copa is partnered with United Airlines and therefore you can get a “through” ticket all the way from Houston. Also you can fly United from Dallas, TX. Then change to United in Houston and on to Panama. Again, all the way a “through” ticket. The reason I prefer the United/Copa through Panama is because the two airlines have a very high rating where I don’t know much about Azul or Gol. I spoke at great length with our partner in Brazil who operates nearly year round for Eco/Nature Tours in the Amazon. He told me he has nature tour customers that have used all three airlines and routes with ZERO problems. That is great news! However, I still prefer the Houston-Panama-Manaus on United/Copa since their schedule fits better with our fishing schedule. The best news of all is now our customers do not have to travel all the way to Sao Paulo and backtrack north to Manaus anymore. Hallelujah!!!

PEACOCK BASS FISHING IN BRAZIL’S AMAZON RAINFOREST…THE BEST FISHING ADVENTURE IN THE OUTDOORS!!!

Danyelle Hemphill caught the most BIG peacocks out of her group!!

Ron Jr’s early years with Peacock Bass Fishing on Lake Guri, Venezuela (1989 – 1992)…

My first experience and battles with the mighty peacock happened in June of 1989. My father had made a deal with Steve Shoulders who was manager of the beautiful “Puedpa” fishing lodge on Lake Guri, Venezuela. My father had gone there a month before my trip to check it out. He returned with some video footage of the lodge and the fishing. I was amazed at the loud topwater explosions and watching my father and Steve try and get these beasts in the boat. They didn’t catch many “big”peacocks during the week. The largest was 16 lbs caught by my father but most ranged from 8 lbs – 12 lbs…but lots of them. Still, I was amazed and could not wait to get down there to sample some of this explosive topwater action! I asked the outdoor writer (at the time), Buddy Gough, from the San Antonio Express newspaper, to join me on the trip. Buddy and I just thought we were prepared for these bass on steroids. Boy were we WRONG! We were fishing with baitcast rods/reels but using 20 and 30 lbs Big Game Trilene monofilament line. We were also using a small wood topwater lure with a propeller called “Bass Agitator” created by renowned bass angler and manufacturer of wood lures, Sam Griffin. While the “Bass Agitator” did it’s part in attracting massive topwater explosions from the peacocks, the rest of our equipment did NOT do it’s part. We were constantly getting our monofilament lines snapped…so much we started hesitating to throw the Agitator anywhere near brush or rocks. Still, we were able to put almost half of our fish in the boat. HALF.

Stefani Hada seems to always land the big ones!!

During that very first peacock bass experience on Lake Guri, Venezuela, Buddy and I landed approximately 10 peacock bass per day, lost approximately 10 per day…and most ranged from 8 – 12 lbs. We did manage one giant of 18 lbs caught by Buddy. My largest was 16 lbs. All the rest were 12 lbs or less. Still, we thought we had died and gone to Heaven! The peacock lived up to expectations and we could not wait to return. It was truly the trip of a lifetime!

My father and I became the exclusive outfitter and booking agent for Puedpa Lodge on Lake Guri. We promoted/sold many trips for 3 years. Then the fishing started to decline and I decided to venture further south to Brazil’s Amazon rainforest.

Heath Hemphill got in on the BIG fish action!!!

Ron Jr’s trips to Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest (1992 – Present)…

A breathtaking view from above the Amazon Rainforest.

In 1992, I found an operator for peacock bass who had a houseboat operating on the Trombetas River in the far eastern regions of the Amazon. I put together a group of 10 anglers for a checkout trip that my father would accompany. About the same time (August of 1992), I received a call from a man that was referred to me by Dallas Morning News outdoors editor/writer, Ray Sasser. This man was living in the DFW Metroplex but had spent many of his adolescent years in the Amazon as his father did missionary work there. This man told me he was quitting his job in DFW area and moving back to the Amazon to start a peacock bass fishing operation using a houseboat for accommodations. So I met with him to learn more about him personally and his experiences in the Amazon. After approximately 2 hours of meeting, I decided to set up a second “checkout trip”…one I already had set up for my father and this second one would be with the son of a former missionary. Surely these two checkout trips would result in success and a new location to promote our peacock bass fishing in South America? Weeeeell… it did not quite work out that way. Let’s just say that the fishing with the second checkout showed me enough to explore further into the Amazon but neither operations were….well, let’s just say I was hesitant to make a business relationship with either of the two men. I’ll leave it at that.

The Amazon waters are full of toothy creatures like this Pirandia fish.

I was not ready to give up on the Amazon as it’s potential to provide good peacock bass fishing was there….but I loved the Houseboat concept as it added HIGH ADVENTURE for everyone and especially for those who may not be diehard anglers or not want to rip big topwater lures all day long. Therefore I continued to scour the earth in hopes of finding another operator for peacock bass in Brazil…but there simply wasn’t anyone else. Well, so I thought. One day in March of 1993, I was visiting my friends at Fishin’ World in Dallas, Texas…then owner Key Puckett. In Key’s store he had a brochure/magazine rack with tons of brochures. I was just talking with Key while thumbing through a few brochures and I came across this one that had a picture of a houseboat on it…and said, “Join us for our couples Nature and Fishing in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest”….wow, BINGO! As soon as I returned to my office, I called the number on the brochure….a number in California. The man heading up this trip was Harry Gualco…who later became a great friend and booking agent for us in Mexico. Anyway, I told Harry what I was looking to accomplish and finding a new place to fish for peacock bass…and focus was on Brazil. Harry informed me that he and some couples do this trip to the Amazon once a year…but it was more for eco/nature purposes and that the operator in Brazil doesn’t really offer a full time “fishing” operation. Harry was kind enough to give me the Brazilian owner’s name and contact information so I could deal with him directly. I didn’t waste any time calling. That Brazilian operator is named Carlos Probst. We immediately set up a checkout trip….actually TWO checkout trips for September 1993. Again, one group of 10 for my father to lead, one group of 10 for me to lead. This time I would be the one leading the first group.

Another happy client after fighting this beauty into the boat.

To fast forward on this…BOTH trips were beyond anything we could have expected or hoped for with the fishing. We landed several peacocks over 20 lbs and MANY in the 15 – 19 class! It was incredible. We also learned that we needed to get away from any type of monofilament line as these monsters would snap even the strongest mono line with ease. We were using the 7 inch wood topwater lures with props made by Luhr Jensen. These were giant lures with huge propellers…that could really create a lot of water movement and attract those giant peacock bass…not just attract them but really make them FURIOUS!

This baby black caiman (alligator) just hatched.

We had found our new home and partner! Since the Amazon Clipper Houseboat operation was more of an eco/nature tour operation, we had to transform it into a fishing operation. The boats we fished from were long 25′ wooden pongas…big enough to carry up to 30 bird watchers. LOL….nope, those won’t sit well with our anglers! So we purchased a fleet of 10 AlumaWeld boats made in Arkansas…now known as Xpress Boats. We purchased them fully equipped with trolling motors and all the bells and whistles. Now it was time to start promoting. That next fall of 1994, we filled every trip to maximum capacity for Sept/Oct Season. We also filled every trip to maximum capacity for January through March Season. Fishing was incredible and we knew we were going to be there for a very long time barring any unforeseen “hiccups” with the country/government. Well, little did we know that 30 years after those first two exploratory trips, we would still be there…but here we are. We also have the same partner, Carlos Probst. His son Gustavo runs the day to day stuff and is an absolute pleasure to work with in this business. Also, of all the current operations in the Amazon for Peacock Bass fishing, nobody has been there longer than Ron Speed, Jr’s Adventures!

THE AMAZON OTTER HOUSEBOAT FISHING OPERATION….THE BEST IN THE AMAZON!!!

The 5 star Amazon Otter… the Mothership for RSJA customers!!

The Otter houseboat or mothership is a 5-star floating hotel and offers 8 luxurious cabins (double occupancy) with each cabin offering it’s own private bath and air conditioning. These rooms are spacious with NO BUNK BEDS!!! These are TWIN size beds. The rooms also offer closet space to hang clothes. The Otter also offers a HUGE dining room and the food is awesome. Nobody leaves the dining room hungry! Most tell us they can’t believe how good our food is considering we’re in some of the most remote regions of the Amazon! The Otter also offers a lounge area on top deck with two more lounge decks front and back of the 3rd deck…and with a bar as well. Last but not least, the Otter now offers Starlink Satellite Internet service on the boat! Now our customers don’t have to rely on our satellite phone to call home. Now with very good internet, one can download communication Apps such as WhatsApp to call or text back home. Just need to make sure the family or people you want to contact also have WhatsApp downloaded on their phones. WhatsApp is much clearer than a cell phone call as I communicate with all of our staff in both Brazil and Mexico via WhatsApp! It’s WONDERFUL!!!

First class cabins aboard the Otter!

The fishing boats and guides…again, we use all welded 100 gauge aluminum boats by Xpress. This is the best aluminum boat on the market…the same we use in Mexico! The guides? Well, I personally do not think any operation offers better guides with more experience. Most of our guides have been guiding our customers for 20 years or more and several for 25. One guide (Amaral) has been with us since that very first checkout trip in 1993. These guides know about boating/driving safety and of course where to find those BIG peacock bass! Our manager (Franz) is second to none. Franz has been with us for 20 years and is an expert in everything he does…and that goes for managing a fishing/houseboat operation to managing Eco/Nature tours. He is by far the best manager I’ve had in South America…and it’s not even close! Franz will be happy to take you and your friends on a jungle hike through the forest to meet and trade with the natives. Trade for bows, arrows, spears, paddles…whatever you desire. Everyone loves Franz!!!

Visit and trade with the natives of the Amazon Rainforest.

Our staff in Manaus is also THE BEST! Gus or Franz are usually the ones that meet our customers upon arrival at the Manaus Airport. From the time they meet you in the airport on Arrival Day till the time you leave Manaus on Departure Day, you are in very good hands! There are many years of experience in our overall staff. They are the reason we’ve been there so long and have the most years of experience operating in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest. The peacock bass is pound for pound the strongest and most explosive fish that swims…in fresh or saltwater. However, this TRIP…offers so much adventure and that is why I say it’s THE BEST FISHING ADVENTURE IN THE WORLD! No other fishing trip I’ve been a part of can stack up to the high adventure this trip offers! Whether it’s a “Bucket List” trip or wanting to find a new fishing adventure, you can’t go wrong with this one. Call us today and find out for yourself!

MARTIN TRAVEL SERVICES…CALL THEM TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR AIR TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS!!!

GOOD FISHIN’ AND GOD BLESS
Ron Speed, Jr. 

The post 2023 WINTER/SPRING PEACOCK BASS UPDATE appeared first on Ron's Fishing Blog.

WE HERE AT RON SPEED JR’S ADVENTURES WANT TO WISH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU A PROSPEROUS AND BLESSED 2023!!! WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR CONTINUED LOYALTY, SUPPORT AND TRUST IN OUR FISHING AND SERVICES! GOD BLESS!

Tom Overbeck landed many El Salto TOADS like this one last week.

LAKE PICACHOS STARTS 2022/2023 SEASON WITH A MAJOR BANG!!!

Picachos trophies showing up this year. Logan Zimmerman with his 8.0lbs Picachos lunker.

Folks, the bass are growing up in Picachos! Actually they have been growing every year as far as average size but now we’re seeing more and more in the “trophy” size being caught by our customers! When I say “trophy” I mean 7 lbs and larger. I visit with a lot of our customers in person at the lakes as well as by phone after their trip and you would be shocked at how many have told me that they’ve bass fished for 20+, 30+ and even 40+ years and never caught a bass 7 pounds and larger! We hope to change that for all that have never experienced landing a bass that size…and bigger.

First let’s talk about numbers because “most” that choose to fish with us at Picachos are choosing numbers over size.

David Bednar with one of his bigger Picachos bass he landed this past December.

David & Cindy Bednar fished from November 22nd to Dec 2nd (1/2 day on Dec 2nd)…and in 10 1/2 days of fishing, this great husband/wife landed 2,920 bass! Their largest was 6.18 lbs. Landed many 4 and 5 lbs bass. Also, and this is eye popping…In the 10 full days they fished, 5 of those days they landed over 300 bass. The other 5 days they landed 210,154, 203, 258 and 293. Then their last day of fishing which was only a 1/2 day, they landed 246 bass! Yes, in 1/2 day of fishing!!! These two fish every year with us and usually 2 – 3 times each year. They just love Picachos and the great action it provides. I think they love our manager (Little Jorge), staff, guides, food and service just as much as the fishing. We love Cindy and David too!!!

Cindy Bednar with her Picachos trophy she caught this past December.

J.W. Peterson took 10 anglers to fish at Picachos from Dec 10th – 14th. J.W. and his partner Mike Sanders landed 789 bass in 4 days of fishing. According to J.W., most of their bass were 3 – 6 pounds with many in the 4 and 5 lbs category.

Now let’s talk about the increase in size of the bass in Picachos…

Cory Rose was all smiles after landing this big Picachos bass.

About 2 weeks ago, we had 14 anglers at our Picachos Lodge and on January 4th, Cory Rose and Todd Harrington landed 190 bass in one day. Their 4 largest bass weighed 10 lbs, 9lbs, 8 lbs and 7 lbs! That’s a great sign that not only has our average size increased at Picachos but the trophy size bass are really starting to show up as well.

Ron Speed Jr’s Adventures offers prime cut grilled ribeye steaks.

On Jan 2nd, Logan Zimmerman and Amanda Kesler landed 250 bass in one day with their biggest weighing 6.12 pounds…but LOTS of 3 – 5 lbs! The next day Logan and Amanda landed 270 bass in one day with their four largest weighing 7.0, 7.0, 6.5 and 6.3. Logan’s largest Picachos bass this trip weighed 8.0 lbs (see photo). These numbers do not include the many bass they landed in the 4 and 5 lbs range. Again, it was A LOT.

Rick Campbell snagged this 7.5lbs Picachos beauty back in December.

Also on Jan 2nd, and this goes back to the incredible “numbers” of bass in Picachos…Steve Cummings and his son Payton fished only 1/2 day their last day…they only caught 300 bass by noon! That’s right…you did not read that wrong…this father and son landed exactly 300 bass by noon (1/2 day of fishing). THREE HUNDRED!!! Picachos never ceases to amaze me and we’ve seen some incredible catches over the years, but this one caused me to call Steve upon his return to verify. Steve told me when asked about their incredible catch, “Yes sir, Ron…we caught 300 by noon. Our guide pulled the trolling motor up at 11:50 and said ‘Lunche’…but we told him no way we’re going in for lunch before we get to 300 bass. So we fished another 10 minutes or so and got our magical 300” There you have it, folks…straight from the horse’s mouth! Steve’s son had never been to the lake nor had he been to Mazatlan. Steve wanted him to enjoy the whole experience and not just catching bass but also experiencing the gorgeous 5-star beach resort of Mazatlan. Otherwise they would have fished a full day that last day. Makes me wonder what their total catch would have been had they fished for an entire day? That’s just another incredible story a customer has shared with me over the years about the amazing fishing at Lake Picachos. It just keeps getting better!

UPDATE (Jan 30): As I was finishing this portion of the newsletter/update, I received today’s fishing report from Lake Picachos…and it’s a dandy! Please read…

Mitch Frankfurt enjoyed catching some heavy Picachos bass. Here is is with his 8,8 pounder.

Today, Mitch Frankfurt and his partner Ed McGehee landed 88 bass…but their four biggest bass weighed 8.8 lbs, 7.2 lbs, 6.8 lbs and 6.1 lbs. That’s not all….they also landed 21 bass over 5 lbs!!! That’s just more evidence of the bass growing up in Picachos!
Also today…Gary Manos and his partner David Pigg landed 48 bass. While that doesn’t seem like a lot, especially for Picachos, Gary called me tonight to tell me they were targeting bigger bass out in deeper water. Well they found them…in 20′ – 30′ on Carolina Rig Fluke. Gary landed bass of 7.9 lbs, 7.3 lbs and 7.65 lbs..but told me lost at least 5 more that were that size and bigger. Gary’s partner (David) landed bass of 6.5 lbs, 6.0 lbs and another 6.0 lbs. David lost 2 more bass he said were of that size and bigger. So that’s 6 bass landed of 6 – 7 lbs with 6 more of that size and bigger LOST! I’ve said for years that Picachos has the big bass and even over 10 lbs (lake record is 13 lbs 14 oz) but most of the time, one has to change how they are fishing in order to find those bigger bass. That’s been true and still true today BUT…we’re seeing more and more big bass work their way to shallower depths.

We’re really just getting started with the “main season” as everyone wants to come from January through April (cold here in the U.S.)…even though the fishing is just as good in all other months. This has started out as our best season ever on Picachos and I don’t see the fishing slowing down. Nobody leaves Lake Picachos unhappy…NOBODY! Get there while this incredible lake is on fire! Picachos has yet to hit it’s peak…and that’s just hard to believe after being open 9 years! The big bass are really starting to make their presence known!!!

Ed McGehee with is 6.8 lbs Picachos Bass.

EL SALTO NUMBERS HAVE RETURNED WITH A THUNDEROUS EXPLOSION…BEST IN THE PAST 5 YEARS!!!

El Salto is starting to produce some BIG bass like this Beauty caught by Kurt Baker late this past January.

While we haven’t hosted a lot of anglers this fall or prior to the New Year, we’ve hosted enough to honestly say the number of bass and daily action has returned…and I’m talking better than I’ve seen in at least 5 years or more! We’re seeing our boats (2 anglers per boat) averaging 80+ bass per day BUT…there have been many land over 100 bass in a single day. That did not happen last season…and if it did, it wasn’t too often. Last year. for the most part, the numbers were dismal…to put it lightly. The big bass catches were great between January 20th and until the first few days of April. Then we saw something happen that I’ve personally haven’t seen in the 33 years of operating on El Salto…and that was when the Tilapia started spawning in early April. Literally billions of them in big dark clouds (schools) all over the lake. In “most” years, the Tilapia start spawning in May…and usually the latter half of May. That wasn’t the case last season/spring. What this caused was a major decline in the number of bass caught each day. It was the smaller bass catches that were affected the most as it did not take the smaller bass to fill up on the tiny Tilapia …and most of the time it was in the first 15 minutes of the day. Then we would experience one more bite of 15 minutes in the afternoon. THAT WAS IT! I was there most of May and half of June fishing the lake and my fishing partner and I would average 10 bass per day BUT…most of the bass were 6 lbs and larger to include several in the 8 – 10 lbs class each day. It was the first time in my life and fishing Mexico for 45 years that I caught more trophy bass on a trip than smaller bass under 6 lbs. The big bass would fill up quickly each day but naturally that bite lasted a tad longer. So my partner and I just sat on my favorite big bass spot the entire day and waited for those big ones to move out of the super deep and feed on the shallower feeding shelves….usually two 30 minute bites each day. That early big Tilapia spawn was GREAT for the future of the lake…but terrible for the short term and our end of season customers.

Here’s Tom Overbeck with a another El Salto giant caught this January.

Now on to this season…as I stated, the overall action/numbers have returned to El Salto with a fury. The bass are in great shape. The only fish that have been missing (at the time of this writing) are the bigger bass 10 lbs and larger. It appears as though we didn’t have many bass spawn on the full moon in early January. That means February “could” be incredible…as well as March (the third and final month for bass to spawn). The majority of “bigguns” have weighed 5 – 7 lbs. Most would not complain with that when coupled with the great action. Tom Overbeck just returned Saturday after fishing 4 days last week. Tom caught numerous bass between 5 – 7 pounds. Tom told me he PERSONALLY CAUGHT 325 bass in 4 days of fishing and nearly half of his catches weighed over 4 lbs. Tom told me the bass are FULL OF EGGS. So the upcoming moon should see a lot of giants being caught. I’m just glad to see the incredible numbers of bass come back after last year’s low numbers and action. Mind you, these numbers aren’t a bunch of “dinks”…small bass. Nope, all good quality size bass!!!

Ric Younkin tricked this 9.2lbs El Salto bass with a white swimbait!

Ric Younkin, who fishes with us every year, arrived last Friday and his first day landed 60 bass total with a fat 9.2 lbs toad. Then yesterday Ric hit the jackpot again landing a 8.8 lbs lunker with a total of 111 bass…FISHING BY HIMSELF BOTH DAYS! So Ric has only fished two days and already landed 171 bass with two bigguns over 8 and 9 lbs…and a bunch of 5 and 6 pounders! We’re still waiting on those 10 – 11 lbs bass that our anglers come for when choosing El Salto. They’re still there and I believe it’s only a matter of time given we’re really starting the main “spawn” time…tick, tock, tick, tock.

Everyone loves our beautiful El Salto Camp.

Oh and one more thing…we rebuilt the bar next to the big Capuli Tree. Now it’s even nicer to have a cold drink, watch your favorite sports team on the TV mounted in the tree…and of course play CORNHOLE. Yes, those of you that haven’t visited us at El Salto in the past year, we now offer Cornhole Boards for playing. I’ve never played and never heard of it until my office/sales manager Bill Mullins recommended we build some boards to offer at El Salto. He was right too as many of our customer groups love playing Cornhole. Bill is “supposedly” the Cornhole King around our parts or locally. Personally, I can’t get into it….probably it’s “the name” that gets to me. Yeah, that’s probably it.

Our 130 year old Capuli tree,Bar and Cornhole Game Site.

LEW’S RODS ARE THE BEST FISHING RODS ON THE MARKET…AND WE OFFER THEM AT ALL OF OUR LAKES/LODGES!!!

Lew’s… There is no substitute!!

Yes, folks…our lodges in Mexico and our Peacock Bass operation in Brazil, offer Lew’s Rods so you do not have to lug those big heavy rod cases through airports. We do not offer any reels for your trip as they are small and very light so as to be able to pack in your luggage. However, if you’re looking to buy the best reel(s) on the market, you will NOT find a better reel than those Lew’s offer.

For those who possess an unquenchable passion for fishing, the rods and reels of Lew’s boast the finest materials, elite craftsmanship, and a built-in legacy of over seventy years of exceptional performance. Ron Speed Jr’s Adventures partnered with Lew’s 3 years ago and we could not be any happier. Our customers tell us the same thing and many of our customers return home wanting to purchase Lew’s rods and reels. The team at Lew’s made it their mission to offer our guests the perfect cast, the smoothest retrieval, and the unmistakable feeling of fishing the best.

In 2023, Lew’s launched the highest achievement in baitcast performance with the all-new Elite-Ti. Pronounced casting distance, unprecedented palming control and comfort, and machined for on-the-water excellence. The Elite-Ti’s exceptional performance is matched only by its brilliant black titanium aesthetic, overlaying a powerful, yet lightweight, all-aluminum frame. With the Elite-Ti, Team Lew’s has reimagined a casting system that breaks barriers and boldly sets a new standard of casting excellence. Lew’s exclusive ParaMag Braking System eliminates typical magnetic interference, creating a longer cast with complete spool control. The angler is in full control of the cast in all wind conditions and with all lure weights. The Elite-Ti represents the perfect intersection of striking form and second-to-none functionality. Redefine exceptionalism on the water with Team Lew’s.

Lew’s Rods and Reels best in the fishing industry!!

Team Lew’s new Elite Rod offers the perfect balance between overwhelming rod strength and cutting-edge sensitivity. It is subtlety and power all at once. Extreme sensitivity for sensing the slightest lure movement and the softest strikes. Powerful hooksets. A strong and durable tip. All at the lightest weight and thinnest diameter. There is simply no finer rod for elite-level performance. This year, Lew’s is pleased to unveil eight Elite Series casting models and five Elite spinning models to put the angler in charge of the chase in any fishing scenario. Sensitivity and power in a beautifully refined package. When only the best will do, reach for Lew’s.

For a wide range of products to meet every challenge on the water, visit Lews.com and learn more! You’ll be very happy!!!

ATTENTION DEER HUNTERS…IF YOU WANT TO GROW BIGGER BUCKS, YOU NEED TO READ THIS SECTION!!!

Many of you that know me personally, know that I am an avid deer hunter. I have been for 40+ years! Early on in my younger years, I was what most refer to as “a meat hunter”…meaning I didn’t care if the deer was a 6 pt or an 8 pt or a 10 pt trophy. I just wanted to kill a buck. If a buck wasn’t available, I’d shoot a doe for meat. It wasn’t so much that I liked eating venison (I’ve always loved the taste of venison), it was about coming back to the deer camp after a morning hunt or an afternoon hunt, with a deer in the back of my truck. As time passed and continued with my chasing after the deer, I graduated to more of a trophy hunter. The desire for a trophy buck was there, but due to time and of course money, I couldn’t travel all the way to south Texas to just hunt the weekends. Just too far…and of course, in my early years, I couldn’t afford it. So most of my life, I’ve hunted west Texas…the first 20 years in Coleman County and now the last 20 years in Mitchell County…which is just two counties west of Coleman.

Barrett/Ag’s Fortified Cottonseed grows big bucks!

My current lease (2500 acres) is between Colorado City, TX and Robert Lee, TX (just north of San Angelo). I took that lease over 13 years ago. The hunters that had it leased before me must have been all “meat hunters” as it was overrun with your “run of the mill” 8 pt bucks…with many being cull mature 7 pt bucks. However, I saw enough evidence of 10 pt genetics to know I had something to work with…and hopefully change those genetics. So the first 4 or 5 years, I told my group of 5 hunters that trophy bucks were off-limits. Trophy being 10 pt or bigger…both juvenile and mature 10’s…DO NOT SHOOT! So we spent those first 4+ years just knocking down culls and of course taking our doe limits. We also began feeding protein pellet 9 months out of the year. After a few years, we started to see “some” improvement in our antlers and genetics and therefore we kept with the same feeding program for the next 7 years. Now we’re 10 years completed and to be honest, I wasn’t too pleased with what we were doing. We had A LOT more 10 pt bucks and bigger on the lease but they seemed to be lacking mass and length. We had fed the protein pellet (20% minimum) long enough that I felt like we should have more bucks scoring 150 and even 160 or more. We would see a few each season on camera that would score 150 or better but most of our mature bucks (5 years and older) were topping out in the high 140’s. So three years ago, we added cottonseed from a local cotton gin. It was dirty, dusty and just plain nasty to work with…filling bags with cottonseed out of the big trailer we had it stored on. Dust getting up in the nose and eyes caked up with that dust. I knew there had to be a better way to feed cottonseed.

Two and a half years ago, I was in the Tractor Supply (TSC) store in Sweetwater, TX. I saw they had 50 lbs sacks of cottonseed with vitamins and minerals AND 20% protein…which is plenty since a deer won’t absorb more than 20% anyway and actually less than 20%.. It said “Fortified Cottonseed” and I decided to purchase a pallet (40 bags). We started feeding this clean cottonseed in hog wire rings we made (see photo). Like anything new, we had to “entice” them to start eating it. While it offers an attractant in it, we doubled up by spraying it with a liquid apple flavored deer attractant. After about 3 months, we saw the cottonseed feed rings starting to go down faster…meaning they were eating more of it. We fed it in addition to the protein pellet for 9 months (January through September 2019). The next year we started seeing a MAJOR improvement in mass/length with the antlers. We also saw our deer MUCH HEALTHIER…to include the doe. We continued this feeding program for two years until I had seen all I needed to see. THIS STUFF WORKS AND WORKS TREMENDOUSLY! In fact, it works so well that we’ve dropped feeding the protein pellet and now feed strictly Fortified Cottonseed made by Barrett/Speer Ag in Hale Center, TX John Sewell of Harris Ranch/Turkey Creek is one of many. John’s deer are doing great on this magnificent Fortified Cottonseed! If you’ll visit their website https://fortifiedcottonseed.com/ , you can watch John Sewell talk about the success he’s had with it.

This Fortified Cottonseed not only helps grow big antlers but it’s cost effective in that the deer fill up on it rather quickly…as where with protein pellet, they literally gorge themselves but doesn’t produce nearly as good as the fortified cottonseed. Therefore you spend WAY MORE money feeding protein pellet than you do when feeding THIS cottonseed! It saves you money and you get better results! Add to that…anyone that feeds protein pellet like I “have” knows the cost of that stuff has gone SKY HIGH in the past 12 months! This cottonseed is “FORTIFIED” with vitamins, macro/micro minerals, and unique flavoring. These levels help support the development of the fawn, the milk production during lactation, and antler growth. Fortified Cottonseed by Barrett/Speer Ag is all you need. TRUST ME! Give them a call today! Office: 806-839-2122; Cell: 806-724-5856.

Fortified Cottonseed by Barrett/Ag even makes the 8 pt bucks BIGGER!

A BIG THANK YOU…

I want to thank each and every one of you that called, text and e-mailed me to offer your heart warming condolences on my father’s passing. I want you to know that I have read every e-mail and text that was sent and it meant so much to me and my family…to include my Mom. I thank you all so much and know that even though I have not been able to respond to all messages, I have read them ALL…and will eventually get around to responding to 100% of them. We’re talking over 1,000 condolence messages. I’m responding to each one in order received. In the meantime, please accept my HUGE “THANK YOU”…and with much love! God Bless!

Good Fishin’,
Ron Speed, Jr.

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