Truth or Consequences is known for its hot springs, historic buildings, and shopping plazas that resemble something from the Old West. If a trip into times past doesn’t sound like a convincing enough reason to make the trek, a short drive down the road to Elephant Butte offers some top-notch catfishing — and not the internet kind.
The Butte is known for boating and watersports, and during the Fourth of July, upwards of 100,000 people gather to watch the fireworks display reflected in the water. New Mexico residents who have been around long enough have likely heard a legend or two about catfish lurking in the depths by Elephant Butte Dam that are as big as Volkswagen Beetles. While not every fishing story can be believed, a quick scroll through local social media forums will provide photographic evidence of 30-plus pound blues yanked out of the lake.
Catfishing can be tricky in any large lake if you don’t know where they’re hiding, but the Butte has fishing guides for hire who can help newbies narrow down the search for those big blue monsters. Kris Flores at Muddy River Catfishing Guide Services will steer novice anglers in the right direction. For those looking for bass, the lake is full of large and smallmouths, white bass so plentiful the water “boils” as they come to the surface and recently-introduced striped bass that have grown big enough to tip the scales at 30 pounds this year. Crappie, walleye and even carp enthusiasts won’t be disappointed by the potential to hook some big, beautiful tasty fish.
A big propane tank painted to look like a fishing bobber outside Bud’s Bait Shop is one of the first things drivers might see as they exit I-25 and head toward the City of Elephant Butte. Bud’s is the spot for extra-large hooks and tackle. Their “medium” sized minnows are large enough to entice a lunker, and the salamanders known as water dogs at Bud’s are the largest specimens of the unique live bait that this experienced fisherman has seen in person.
There is, of course, plenty to do in Truth or Consequences before or after a full day on the water.
The marquee on the El Cortez movie theater advertises some quintessential older horror movies and the calligraphy blazoned above the entrance to Xochi’s Bookstore gives the building a rustic, vintage look.
The small city named after a 1950s game show also offers a handful of quaint little spots to grab a bite, such as The Great Full Grill, which is about as tiny as a restaurant gets with a handful of dishes that hit the spot after a long day of casting lines, such as a green chile cheeseburger, fish and chips and a portobello mushroom burger.
The two-hour jaunt from Downtown Albuquerque to the Butte makes the area an easy destination for a day trip. But for those looking for a longer getaway, Truth or Consequences also offers a plethora of lodges and motels equipped with natural hot spring-fed tubs — where the only consequence is extended relaxation and rejuvenation.