Her mission also included visiting Del Rio, Texas and Lake Amistad so she would be more prepared for Tour Stop # 1 of the 2007 Women’s Bassmaster Tour in February. Denese wanted to share her experience with those of us who have never been to Del Rio or fished Lake Amistad.

 
photo courtesy of Denese Freeman
A view of the Alamo after dark.

Day One - left Lawton around noon and headed to OK City to catch a plane to San Antonio. Once I arrived, my first mission was to find the Alamo. It was already dark but I knew I was in the area, I could just feel it. As I got closer, I could see the rock wall surrounding the area behind it. My eyes began to water, I got a lump in my throat and my heart started to race. I walked around the corner and there it stood in all its glory – The Alamo. I had done reports on it, drawn it in pencil and even made a model of it out of sugar cubes in Jr. High. But, I never thought I would lay eyes on it. I was speechless. I couldn’t move. I just wanted to stare at it. Here I was, at the Alamo. I  walked up to it and gently touched a corner – letting it know I was in awe and that I was appreciative of what it stands for. It may seem silly to some, but it is and was a big deal to me. I will never forget that moment. Just knowing the history behind it, I was amazed that it still existed for all of us to enjoy. It is a beautiful structure; there are no bad angles from which to view it. Old oak trees still stand on the grounds around it. If the Alamo could only talk.

photo courtesy of Denese Freeman
An angler casts blindly into the heavy fog that hangs over Lake Amistad.     

Day Two – Left San Antonio and headed for Del Rio. I didn’t know what to expect of the city or the surrounding area but I was about to find out. As I got closer, the flatter the land got and the scrubbier the trees. I just thought being in Oklahoma was out in the middle of nowhere. There were mile after mile of tall fences that surrounded ranches where people could go hunting for deer, elk, hogs and anything else you can imagine. The closer I got to Del Rio I began to see white dirt/rock that ran the length of the roads, alternating sides along the fences. I was told that the border patrol drag tractor tires chained together along the dirt so that if any illegal Mexicans cross the border and travel onto that dirt, they can track them by their footprints. I never knew such a thing existed.

Del Rio is a very nice city. It is big and spread out over a very wide area. The people at the Chamber of Commerce were very nice and welcoming. They gave me lots of information about the city, recommendations on where to eat, where to stay and how to get around town.

I got my Texas fishing license ($55.00 for out-of-state for one year) and Mexico fishing license ($42.70 for a year) at Fisherman’s Headquarters.

I stayed at the Ramada Inn.

I got my Amistad map at the National Park Service Visitor Center.

I drove down to see where we will be launching. It is a nice area with lots of parking. The ramps are very long and steep.

photo courtesy of Denese Freeman
A beautiful Lake Amistad sunset.

Day Three – I wanted to get on the lake early, but there was a temperature inversion due to a front that came through and there was fog. I got a late start, but managed to get on the water a few hours before it got dark. I didn’t catch any fish that day, but I got to see a lot of the lake on the Texas side.

Lake Amistad is a very large lake. The water is very clear. You can easily see to about 20 or 30 feet. When the sun is out, the water is so beautiful and blue. The terrain around it is rocks, scrubby little trees and the ground is white in appearance. The trees you see on the land are the same trees you can see submerged in the water. The trees have thorns, so beware. I could hardly fish for being amazed at the water clarity and staring down below the surface of the water. You could literally see the fish, yes I mean bass, suspended just above the hydrilla and on the bottom.

There’s lots of wild life to see on shore along the banks. There are cows, sheep, jackrabbits, cranes and all varieties of ducks. For the girls that have never seen or fished Amistad, you are going to be in for a treat. It is too beautiful to describe and photos cannot do it justice. It is large enough to where I really don’t think you will know you are in a tournament. (by that I mean that anglers won’t be on top of each other – you probably won’t run into another angler unless they are on the same fish in the same spots).

I would really like to thank BASS for making Amistad one of our 2007 tour stops. It will be a treat to be able to fish it in February with my fellow anglers there to share it.

I saw for a fact that there are active border and lake patrols and it is best to have both Texas and Mexico fishing licenses and other necessary paperwork just in case you get checked. There are buoys to mark which side is which, but if you get your directions mixed up, it is easy to get confused. I wouldn’t want to risk having to be hauled in to Mexico and placed in jail for not having proper paperwork. It is not worth the risk in my opinion.

After I got back to the hotel and freshened up, I decided that since I had come all that way, I might as well experience crossing the border into Mexico. There are places right before the border where you can get a taxi to take you across and that is what I chose to do. It was a fun trip. I was taking photos right and left of just about everything. I ate at Crosby’s and had a beer at the Corona Bar. There were lots of people on the streets with roses and other items trying to sell them to tourists. All of the businesses and shops were crowded together. There were even attendants in the restrooms. Lots of neon lights everywhere. All in all it was a nice trip and I am glad I got to go there. Next time, I would like to make the trip during the day instead of at night. To be honest, it was kind of scary. Coming back across, the taxi didn’t have any door handle so they had to let me out. Strange thoughts ran through my mind when I saw I was unable to get out of the taxi on my own – but I made it back across safe and sound and all in one piece. You have to declare any purchases you make to the guards at the border when you cross back on to US soil.

photo courtesy of Denese Freeman
The main drag in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico.

photo courtesy of Denese Freeman
Panchos is a shop for tourists to buy souvenirs and party.

photo courtesy of Denese Freeman
Three Mexican waiters at Crosby’s Restaurant, a popular place to eat.

Day Four – Again, since a front came through, there was more fog. I ate a nice, hearty breakfast at Fisherman’s Headquarters in order to give the fog some time to lift. Got a late start, but was able to get on the lake and see a lot of the lake on the Mexico side. I caught a bass in Mexico and one in Texas. Both were keepers. The lake seems like it keeps going on forever. After I got off the lake, I ate a steak supper at Wright’s Steak House. I highly recommend you eat there at least once during your stay.

photo courtesy of Denese Freeman
Fisherman's Headquarters

Day Five – Since I had to leave and there was still early fog on the lake, I decided to go to Choke Canyon on my way home. I got to fish a couple of hours there before I had to head back to San Antonio and catch a plane back home. Choke Canyon was a bigger lake that I expected. It was windy and the fish were not biting.

I loaded up and packed up my things into my suitcase and headed for San Antonio, caught a plane back to OK City and was finally home in Lawton. It was a very fun and refreshing trip, but I am glad to be back home. Again, I just thought I lived out in the middle of nowhere here in Oklahoma, but it sure feels like home to me – and there’s no place like home.

photo courtesy of Denese Freeman
Another day ends as the sun sets over Lake Amistad in Mexico.