TWA Conchas Reservoir Wrap-Up
by Brian Stangel (aka MexicoNM)

Last weekend, the Q King (Dan Duren) and I headed to Conchas to find some Walleye for the Texas Walleye Association tourney March 8th. Dan and I started out with some slow trolling at the upper end of the lake with plugs and bottom bouncers. We contoured the shoreline all the way down the east side of the north end and had a lot of white bass action, but none of the golden toothed critters (Reef Runner Red Oahe). We saw some other people fishing and had run into Paul Rossignol from Montana who had been at Conchas since the 4th of February.

Paul was all excited to get away from the hard water MT had and get some mild winter fishing in at Conchas and Ute. With the mild winter we had been having Paul should have been in for a treat. NOT SO! Our winter finally hit after Paul arrived and the weather had turned for the worse. Paul was able to catch a few eyes a day, but it was getting worse toward the end of the month. The weather the last week of February produced snow, wind, and temps in the teens. All we could figure is that it had sent the fish back down into a winter pattern.

Dan and I had fished the points, flats, and channel breaks for 2 days and not produced one single Walleye. Not to be discouraged I kept telling myself that they had to be there and they had to bite, right??? I also noticed the weather pattern and gained more confidence seeing that we were heading into a warming trend. I knew a team from Wyoming and 2 from Colorado that were all good fisherman and amongst all of us we had to catch some eyes, right??? WRONG!

Thursday came and I had to pick up my partner, famed Walleye Central creator Scott Golden. Golden and I had joked about it at the WC Western Get Together last year and we each had to come to terms that we could not back out of the deal as it would give the other too much leverage in future strategy meetings around the campfire. Golden's plane was late getting into ABQ so I picked him up at the Sunport at 11:00 PM. After we hit the road, we heard from the WY contingent that they were waiting on us. We made it to Conchas at 1 AM and began our strategy session. With the lack of fish I had produced (I knew they were thinking "well, that was him, now we are here…") the strategy meeting got off to a good start with them telling me what I should have done. After every suggestion, I said I had tried it.

The strategy meeting wrapped up about 5:30 AM Friday and there was no point in going to bed (obviously none of us were thinking clearly at this point). We packed up and headed for the dock. We were determined to find the fish and get them to bite. The CO teams had not shown up yet, but we were already on the water as the sun came up. 

It was tough fishing and the sleep deprivation was not helping. We started across from the North Dock in some coves and worked our way down the lake. Wheels and Bighorn were working the gravely shorelines up north with their techniques, as I had failed the week before. The structure was picture perfect for Walleye, but there were none to be had. 

We were still working south and I was trying my new underwater camera that I had gotten from Charlie's, but with all that fancy technology, a camera is a camera and only sees what we could if we were under water, not much in the murky Conchas water, it was very stained. My Genetron was telling me we should have been catching, but we were still fishing.

Kooser and Frank finally showed up to also take a shot at the Walleye on Friday. Wheels, Bighorn (formerly SW), Golden, and myself all headed in at noon to talk and grab a bite to eat at the marina. Nobody had any thoughts and although it may seem that the lack of sleep was hindering us, we managed to cover a lot of water with a lot of presentations with no luck. We fished until off limits until 5 PM and then loaded up. Tally for the day with all of the people we saw or talked to was 1 Walleye. Not very promising, but of course some of them may have been holding out. NOT!

After a lengthy rules meeting and some more strategy we headed back to the North Dock made dinner and called it a night early, or late depending on how you count when we last slept was. Wheels and I won a bonus $20 bill in the door prize. Thanks to Audrain Heating and Cooling and CJs Bait Shop both in Fritch, TX.

Saturday morning came, earlier for some, and we were ready for battle. Kooser and I had drawn 1 and 3 in the shotgun with Wheels pulling up the back with 16. Shortly up the river we were in the lead and were able to pick our first spot on the sun side of the channel (thanks FJH). Golden and I hammered the spot with every jig and crank we could. Nothing. We lost at least 60 jigs in the first 3 hours. Walleye Flasher's tipped with just about everything under the sun from crawlers, Sassy Shad, to live sucker minnows, nothing worked. Reef Runner Ripsticks, Rogues, Husky Jerks (check out the new Prism Pearl(?) at Charlie's), Hot n' Tots, Wally Divers, etc… Golden picked up a largemouth in a tree on a jig, but nothing else. It was time to move, we concentrated heavily on one type of structure and decided to try another with bouncers, jigs, and cranks. 

We moved down the lake and Kevin Audrain was fishing a spot off the dam we had marked the day before (after plowing my Minn Kota AP into an underwater pile of boulders). The spot was holding quite a few fish during pre-fish and it was as close to the dam as they could get with the low water. The camera revealed some fish by the rock but it was too difficult to see with the lack of water clarity. With that being our number two spot, we had to go to plan C on the other side and hope Kevin would give up on it and let us take a shot. No luck, we tried some stuff with spinners, cranks, jigs across from him on the opposite flat with no luck. We went back up the river to see if the submerged hump up the river still had 3 boats on it. Just one, Jeff Alexander and his dad, no luck again, Golden and I would not move in on someone unless there was plenty of room, and there wasn't.

We owe Jeff and his dad some thanks. They forced us back to the other side to wait and we again tried the cove that was showing fish, but not producing. This time was different, the Genetron was showing fish that were coming off the bottom checking out the spinner and crawler and heading back down. We tried it all, dropping it back, lifting it, siding it, etc… no luck. The fish were more active but were not sure of the presentation. We decided to long line a crank out the back, Reef Runner Deep Little Ripper in Bubble Gum, and try pulling it through the forest below. We made our first pass and as we were making the inside turn on the point, the long line had a fish. I wasn't too excited until I saw it at the surface about 20 feet from the boat. Golden saw it when I did and with a single leap cleared the windshield and had the Beckman at the ready. He netted and I hit my Minn Kota Co-Pilot (without having to get to the foot pedal) to retrace our steps. The Co-Pilot is about the slickest thing I have used in a trolling motor.

We were making our turn just in time to see Gerald Gray and Scott Sylvester pick up a fish right behind us heading the other direction. Oh well, they beat us out for second, but I won't hold it against them (publicly) (thanks for the shirts G and G advertising, but that fish was ours Jlol)). Golden and I scrambled the rest of the day for another fish because we were confident 2 would put us in the money and get us points toward the Cabela's National Team Championship. No more fish. We had to head in as we saw the parade of boats heading toward weigh-in. 

I told Golden I was happy to have a fish to weigh no matter the outcome. It was tough.

We ended up third and were in good company at the weigh-in. Kevin and Kalin Audrain showed us again why they fish together with another 1st at Conchas (I think that is 3), Gerald and Scott in 2nd, Golden and I in 3rd, Big Jon and Scott Jolly in 4th, Jeff Cooper and Bill Spurier 5th, and Hank and John McWilliams in 6th. Tough bite for all 18 teams and some got lucky, and I'll take lucky over good any day.

After the tourney we headed back to North Dock for de-briefing with the group and ended up heading back to the trailer late for some friendly card playing and more lies. Not really sure how I ended up with the larger stack at the end of the evening, but someone else might tell the story differently.

All in all, a great couple of weeks on the water and a reminder why Walleye fishing is still one of the hardest games to play, better lucky than good.

Thanks to Jeff Alexander and Alexander Outfitters for putting the TWA together this year. The rest of the tournaments prove to be more fun with more people and prize money. The TWA is a Cabela's Team Championship qualifier and proves to soon be one of the best circuits in the Southwest. Thanks to Audrain Heating and Cooling and CJs bait shop for the door prizes along with many others I can't remember right now.

I am looking for a partner for the March 29th TWA Canton, OK tournament if anyone is available and wants to have some fun fishing for Walleye on one of Oklahoma's best producing Walleye lakes.

Until then, you will find me at Elephant Butte guiding for Striper (looking for the occasional Walleye), we still have a lot of spring openings and the chance for some big fish.

Tight lines,

Brian (aka MexicoNM)