Comedero Commandos - Where To Toss The Bags |
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Where To Toss The BagsMost trips to Lake Comedero start in Mazatlan, a progressive city that sits east of Cabo San Lucas on Mexico’s central Pacific coast. Major airlines including Continental, U.S. Air, Delta, and Northwest fly into Mazatlan’s General Rafael Buelna International Airport (valid passports are required for entering and exiting Mexico). From the city, passenger vans transport fishermen on the 3 1/2-hour ride to Lake Comedero Lodge. Mazatlan offers a wide array of hotel, dining, shopping and entertainment options, so many choose to spend a day or two here before or after the drive to Comedero. Ron Speed’s Lake Comedero Lodge sleeps 26 guests in comfortable, air conditioned, multi-room cottages originally built for the Japanese engineers who oversaw construction of the Presidente Jose’ Lopez Portillo Dam in the early to mid-80s. The shower/bathrooms are a little tight, but clean and functional with bottled water for teeth brushing. Located in the 200-year-old village of Higueras, the lodge includes a separate dining hall complete with ample seating and hardy meals. Photos of giant bass illustrate Comedero’s history, while satellite television indulges guests with American programs in English. Meals are served buffet style with a blend of American and Mexican cuisine ranging from bacon-wrapped shrimp rolls to ribeye steaks. Breakfasts include pancakes, bacon, eggs, cereal, juice and coffee. After each day of fishing, a fresh plate of bean and cheese nachos and a pitcher of frozen margaritas were placed in the common area of our cottages. Lake Comedero Lodge hires local police officers armed with automatic weapons to oversee group travel and guard the premises. My trip’s uneventful conclusion was the norm, but Mexico’s rural regions can get a little rough, so the security allows guests to enjoy their trips with looking over their shoulder. For details about Mexican bass fishing, visit www.ronspeedadventures.com
Bring Your CameraBetween bass strikes, the majestic mountainscapes embracing Lake Comedero constantly compete for your attention. Evidence of harsh geological events contrast the subtlety of arduous layering displayed in the nearly vertical faces. Each stratum exudes all the intrigue of historical drama witnessed through eons of formation. Follow a creek to its conclusion and you may find nearly artistic scatterings of immense boulders, weather-worn tree trunks posted like scarecrows, or the persistent carving of a hillside drain. Foggy mornings see hazy specters dancing across these backwater reaches like benevolent spirits welcoming adventurous anglers. On forested hillsides, brilliant pink amapa blossoms seem to burst from the greens and browns like delicate lava spouting from volcanic vents. Peek through a telephoto lens to see the long tail feathers of a Mexican blue jay, the crimson red plumage of a scarlet tanager or the head twitching displays of a crested caracara. Survey the cliffs and hillsides and you may spot an iguana sunbathing on a ledge. Whitetail deer, wild turkeys, coyotes, and the playful coatimundi complement the natural photo subjects. You’ll find a particularly photogenic view atop the road descending to Lake Comedero’s boat ramp. Here, a tall white monument to the dam project overlooks the lake on the dam’s upstream side. Also, declining lake levels reveal Native American Indian petroglyphs on rock walls near the boat ramp. Likewise, low water uncovers stone walls and other remains of pre-lake rancheros. On the way to and from Comedero, you’ll pass through the bold white archway of Cosala. This charming little town bustles with daily duties and emanates provincial pleasantries. Decades ago, gold and silver mining provided steady employment to sustain a population of 500,000. Today, Cosala is home to about 25,000, with farming and copper mining the main occupations. The town’s museum herald’s its mining history. Cosala features a classic colonial center with a wonderfully ornate Catholic church and a shady park dressed with lush foliage surrounding a wooden gazebo used for weddings and other special events. Vendor carts offer light meals and snacks while merchants tend shop in a vibrant business center sporting traditional bright pastels. Points of InterestAbout Mexico
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