The guides at Lake Picachos pay no attention to the Groundhog and its prophecies for Spring. This far south in the Sierra Madre Mountains is always the season for fishing and February followed this forecast. The guests at our lodge on Lake Picachos continued to experience big numbers and big fish every day. One of the great consistencies of our Mexico operations is that the bait selection doesn’t vary. Berkley Choppos, Berkley Warpigs, Berkley 10-inch PowerWorms, Senkos, chatterbaits, shallow/deep crankbaits and the Umbrella (Alabama) Rig remained the leading baits chosen.

This enthusiastic video will really get your Picachos juices started, watch this exceptional video, thanks to Jesse Simpkins (St. Croix Rods VP of Marketing) and his film crew (Fish Creek Videos).

Our Brazil operations for the 2024-2025 season closed in February and our last group was just as happy with their trip as the other groups. The Rio Negro, along with its tributaries, lagoons and sloughs, produced 17 to 20-pound, and a few 22-pound-plus trophies throughout each week.  

Folks at our Crystal River, Florida, destination took a slightly different look at how Phil the Groundhog perceived the opening of spring. The good thing is that being a subtropic locale, occasional cool “winter” snaps of weather and wet fronts that can ease down from the north are short-lived and have minimal impact on our guests.

Lake Picachos February Reports    

Not everyone who visits Anglers Inn is a die-hard baitcast enthusiast. A fair number are devoted to flyfishing. Grab an 8-weight or heavier rod/reel, bring along some poppers, clouser minnows or streamers and be prepared for the fight of a lifetime. Even the smaller bass are so strong you’re tested with each fish. 

Charlie Hinds and Sean Florence took the fly challenge and Sean caught his first ever largemouth bass. Said Charlie: “Sean caught the biggest on the trip though as usual I probably lost the big one. We’ll never know but it grows in my mind every day. We both hope to come back soon. The food and service are amazing.”

Eric Farabaugh and buddies Herbert, Andy and Sam made a return engagement to Lake Picachos and relied heavily on the crankbait for their catches. Pacifico was considered the fifth member of the party.

Rich Noble and the “Doc" (his brother Mike) are not newbies to Anglers Inn. “We’ve been coming to El Salto and Picachos since at least 2009,” said Rich. “Great trip as always. Picachos is the place to go if you love catching big numbers of fish. The fish get bigger every year. We caught 674 fish in 3 1/2 days of fishing. It is fairly typical for us to have 200 fish days at Picachos. The food was great. The staff is the best in the world.”  

The pair mainly used Senkos. The Lizards were also good. They caught a few on a rattletrap and a squarebill.

Shasta and Matt Moser along with Brandi and Clint King returned to Lake Picachos and had a great time. Black/blue and green Senkos were their best baits. “The staff was amazing as always!!!!” said Shasta. “We’ve already booked our next trip.”

Making their 8th trip with Anglers Inn were Steven and Debra (Jean) Vittetow, who already booked another return. The couple used black/blue Senkos, pearl flukes and blue/yellow crankbaits.

Jesse Simpkins, of St. Croix Rods, brought a film crew to the lake, with their drone.

Looks like the film crew found some break time.

Healthy doubles are everywhere at Lake Picachos.

Amazon Peacock Bass February Report  

Our January and February peacock bass fishing trips on the Rio Negro were so great that we’re already being booked for the next season. Call 1-800-GOTA-FISH now to book your trip for 2026. Stay tuned for exciting news about our planned eco-tours.  

Let’s start with the important stuff. Anglers Inn introduced the first and only banana split in the Amazon jungle. It’s a delight to this very day. You can lump the two worlds of ice cream and huge peacock bass into the same sentence with Anglers Inn.

Crystal River  

Yes, the manatees are still in Kings Bay, by the hundreds. But soon, in just a few weeks, many will start their migration out into the Gulf. No worries, there are plenty of manatees that reside year-round in the spring-fed waters. Guests in our Anglers Inn Floating Suites docked at Pete’s Pier, are often entertained by the huge sea cows as they lumber past the houseboat.  

Patricia Morrisey and friends spent a few days on the Floating Suite in February. Patricia reported a great time was had by all, especially the evening sunsets on the deck with a fire. “Just wanted to say thank you! We had such a great time this past weekend! It was wonderful!!!” said Patricia in her note to Billy.

Patricia also created this wonderful video during her stay.

Fishing never seems to let up in the area. Snook fishing is solid and getting hotter as the water warms. Redfish and seatrout remain steady as ever. Largemouth bass enthusiasts were treated to a winter bonanza with many nearby lakes producing pre-spawn fish.  

Anglers Inn University  

Industry expert George Large will take you through any of the six Anglers Inn University courses offered at our campus at Pete’s Pier. Go to Anglers Inn University Crystal River Campus to learn how to take your fishing experience to the next level. It’s a great way to introduce fishing to a friend, child or significant other.  

Our sponsors  

Anglers Inn is proud to be associated with the following manufacturers: Abu Garcia,Berkley, Fishing Tackle Retailer, Gray Taxidermy, Huk, Humminbird, MinnKota, Mossy Oak Fishing, Old Town, Penn, Plano and St. Croix Rods.

Fridays on anglersinn.com  

Check the anglersinn.com Stories section of our News tab for our archive of Friday 5s and Friday Flicks. These short narratives and videos give our readers one location to see the entire inventory as the Friday posts grow in number and popularity. They also help our guests plan for their trips, guide them on packing needs and answer questions we typically receive.    

Social Media  

Make it your routine to check Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updated posts on the happenings at the various Anglers Inn destinations and services. We typically post on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

On Fridays, we feature a Friday Flicks video or Friday 5s with things you need to know.