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With spring on the horizon, now is the time to start planning to hunt for those warm-water fish species. The bass and catfish are hungry. For a state with so little water, we have great fishing, rich fishing culture and opportunities to catch trophy fish in the gorgeous lakes we do have. Figuring out how to catch them, however, can take a lifetime, and I have spent decades trying. Here is a beginner’s guide for anyone looking to get out of the house — or the city — and pick up a healthy new addiction this spring.
I’m not a professional and these are only opinions about the sport and some of the ways I have found success. Please get a license and research the rules carefully on your own. I catch and release all of my fish, but arguing about whether or not to eat the fish you catch is as taboo in the fishing world as discussing religion or politics. Many anglers fish for trophy or sport. For others, a trout fillet for dinner is the best part of a successful fishing adventure. In certain communities, including areas of New Mexico, people fish to survive — so try not to judge other anglers.
The Rules of Entanglement
Check the New Mexico Game and Fish website frequently at wildlife.dgf.nm.gov, because the rules can be complicated and specific. The site has everything you need to know before hitting the water including where to buy a license, boating regulations, rules regarding what types of bait you can use in different areas and bag limits. Bag limits refer to the size and number of fish you are allowed to harvest or keep when you fish, and they differ by species. The website also has cool extras such as maps of fishing waters and which species of fish inhabit each lake, river or stream.
The following rules apply to NM residents, and non-residents should check carefully for price differences. In New Mexico, 100% disabled veterans can get free lifetime fishing licenses. Active military and veterans get a 50% discount. Kids ages 11 or younger don’t need a license to fish, and there are other discounts for seniors and anglers ages 11 to 17. A regular adult license is $25 plus the $4 fee all hunters and anglers pay for habitat management with any type of license. It’s good from April 1 until March 31. A special $10 Habitat Stamp is required for certain waters throughout the state, and I know that includes rivers in the Jemez Mountains. My license with all the bells and whistles costs me $45 a year, which is less than the price of gas for one trip.
That being said, there are private lakes throughout the state that have their own set of rules regarding what types of methods you are allowed to use to catch fish and how many of them you can take out of the water. Be sure to research these rules before you head out to one of those spots, especially if you are fishing on Reservation land.
As a general rule, you shouldn’t fish with more than two poles at once — if you choose to use two be sure to pay the $4 for your second rod validation with your license. And you are cautioned against using fish as bait if they don’t live in the body of water where you are fishing. Some fish are invasive, and you’re supposed to keep them if you catch them. Others are protected, and you have to throw them back depending on their size.
I would recommend checking out the NM Fishing group on Facebook and other social media pages where anglers from all over the state share — and criticize — everything about fishing. NM Fishing has 40,000 members, so eventually you’re sure to find useful comments there.
(Not So) Secret Spots
There are some honey holes and remote spots that I can’t share for fear of finding myself in a Deliverence-type situation with some of the state’s more extreme fishermen, but here are some of my favorites. Most of the best fishing locations in New Mexico are no secret, especially with fishing-related social media content blowing up these days. The following list includes some spots every angler in the state should check out. Take a peek at the Weekly Fishing and Stocking Report (wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/fishing/weekly-report/) on the New Mexico Game and Fish website each week, and sign up for the newsletter to get the scoop on where the fish are biting and the type of gear and bait people are using to catch them.
Elephant Butte
Located about 135 miles south of Albuquerque is the largest and most popular lake in New Mexico: Elephant Butte. It has some of the best pound-for-pound fishing, but with that much area to cover, it can take a lifetime to master “The Butte.” It’s a good thing there are tons of guides who will show you the ropes for a fee. Captain Dave DiBartolomeo with Dave’s Fishing Guide Services is one of the coolest guys I’ve gone fishing with, and he will guide you to boatloads of white bass. Kris Flores is a catfish expert who is well known in local fishing circles and the man behind Muddy River Catfishing Guide Services.
The lake was home to five state record fish and the top three heaviest fish officially recorded in New Mexico. Back in 1978, the largest catch on record was a 78 pound flathead catfish pulled out of The Butte. There are just as many ways to catch em’ as there are locations to hit, which makes for an infinite number of fishing possibilities. Tons of methods work, but it helps to have a boat. I’ve had some of the greatest times of my life catching blue catfish at both the north and south ends of the lake. Right in front of the famous “elephant” rock — it’s impossible to miss — and the area called “Rock Canyon” are good jumping-off points for catching catfish, carp, crappie, walleye and several species of bass and panfish.
Santa Cruz Lake
It’s worth giving a shout out to the San Juan River for its world-class trout fishing, and people pack that river like sardines for a reason. But Santa Cruz Lake is where someone hauled out the state record rainbow trout at just under 32 pounds. I wasn’t surprised to learn that fact, knowing how good the fishing can be when the bite is really good, and Santa Cruz is my top trout fishing spot. It’s about 75 miles north of Albuquerque, and if you fish the right area at the right time, you can use spinners and Powerbait to absolutely slay this lake.
Cochiti Lake
Cochiti is an enigma, and it has broken my heart many times, but the payoff can be huge. Located about 30 minutes north of Albuquerque, it’s a perfect spot for a day trip and a hiding spot for pike above 40 inches and largemouth bass over five pounds. I’ve only experienced the frenzy once, but the channel catfish are known to bite like crazy when they’re in the mood. In the past, I have seen the fishing report print “hotspot for channel catfish” in bold letters for weeks in a row, and the channels seem to bite several different baits during those peak times.
Conchas
Conchas Lake has the all-around best fishing in New Mexico. I have pulled fish onto the boat by the dozen in one day — and several different species in one trip — at countless locations throughout the eastern New Mexico oasis. The 170 mile drive from Albuquerque to Conchas isn’t too bad, and it’s always worth it. Species such as bluegill, sunfish, crappie and walleye are loaded in this hotspot, but the largemouth and smallmouth bass are absolutely gorgeous and colorful at Conchas — and they bite nonstop. Many anglers might not know it, but Conchas is home to some of the biggest channel catfish I have seen — both in photos and in person. I never turn down a trip to Conchas, and it’s a perfect spot to try out new lures and refine your technique.
Bluewater
Bluewater Lake is where anglers are catching those elusive tiger muskie you may have seen in photos — one of the meanest-looking and hardest fighting fish in New Mexico — and the short drive 85 miles west of Albuquerque is worth it just for the chance to battle with one. The lake is also known for great trout fishing, especially in the old days before the muskie were introduced. I have only fished for tiger muskie, which people call the “fish of 1000 casts,” but I see people with stringers full of trout every week on my social media accounts.
Tackling the Sport
Before you head out, get licensed, get a tacklebox and fill it with some essential items including different sized and shaped hooks, weights of different sizes — for casting your bait into the perfect spot — and a few different lures, which mimic live bait. Even the type and strength of the fishing lines you select might determine whether you leave empty-handed or land that trophy-sized fish.
As a newbie, I didn’t realize hook size was so important, and I never imagined that I would be using size 10/0 “circle” hooks — which is much bigger than you use for most species in New Mexico — to catch monster catfish. Conversely, I have reeled in small fish on hooks designed to catch fish that are 20 times bigger. When fishing with real bait, I use big hooks and big bait portions. I would suggest using very small hooks for trout or bluegill, medium-sized hooks for bass, crappie or walleye and huge hooks for catfish and tiger muskie. Keep a variety of hooks varying from sizes 8 (small) trout hooks to 8/0 (large) circle or “octopus” hooks. If you don’t know exactly what you are fishing for, change up your hook and bait size until you get a hit.
Lures are artificial objects that look like bait swimming, floating or sinking in the water. Practice carefully casting your lures somewhere where they won’t get stuck and pull them back quickly. See how they look as they move, you’ll be able to tell what they’re designed to do.
“Spinners” are my go-to fishing lure for catching all species in all bodies of water. I like to reel them in quickly because they usually have triple or “treble” hooks, so they get snagged easily. As your technique improves, try spinning them at different speeds and depths until you feel that unmistakable bite at the end of the line. “Spoons” are similar to spinners and look absolutely ridiculous when you drag them through the water, but they work! I think they are supposed to look like an injured fish which triggers the predatory instinct of a bigger one.
“Plastics” are not always literally plastic; they are made of soft synthetic materials and come in tons of shapes and colors. They’re designed to mimic different baits such as worms, crawfish, small fish and other living creatures fish like to eat. I’ve had the best luck using regular, worm-shaped plastics, “grubs,” and “jigs,” but I only use them for bass and crappie. Match your plastic lures to the type of critters that live in the water where you are fishing. Pro tip: if you decide to eat your fish, when you take out its guts, check the contents of its stomach.
Getting your fishing lure or hook stuck on underwater debris such as sticks, weeds, logs or even thick mud, snapping the line and losing tackle is disappointing. Snapping your line with a fish attached to it is devastating. If you really think you’re gonna catch a big one — and now you know a couple of spots where they hide — or if you are going to be casting your line into a bunch of underwater rubble, you should invest in “braided” fishing line. Braided line is made of a bunch of tiny threads woven together and it’s stronger than fluorocarbon or monofilament lines. There’s always a catch: you will not be able to cast your braided line as far as the “mono” or “floro” lines, and it doesn’t stretch. So if it breaks, it breaks.
My favorite shop in town to buy large specialty lures and live bait and just an all around enjoyable place to visit is Quality Baits and Pond Fish (4257 Isleta Blvd. SE) in the South Valley. Charley’s Sporting Goods (8908 Menaul Blvd. NE) has been in Burque since I was a kid and is a great place to shop locally for fly fishing gear. The big name stores like Sportsman’s and Cabelas have huge selections, but the mom and pop shops are cooler in my opinion.
I’ve had fish tear line designed to support 60 pounds, but I’ve successfully landed at least one flathead catfish I would call a “lunker,” and it tested the limits of heavy gear. I won’t tell you exactly where, but I will say when it comes to those really large fish — and they’re out there — virtually no bait or lure you will find at a local shop is too big.
Good luck and “tight lines!”