“I had already caught a 10‑ and a 12‑pounder off this point earlier in the week,” said Anglers Inn guest Rick Owen. “I just knew it held more big fish, so I made a long cast to the honey spot. It was about ten feet deep along a running point with sixty feet of water dropping off to the side. Once the black‑and‑blue 10‑inch PowerWorm hit bottom, I started working the bait. I pulled it over a rock and suddenly the line moved. I reeled in the slack and set the hook. My guide and I both had wide eyes once we realized what I was holding — a thick‑bodied, 14½‑pound Lake El Salto bass.”  

That moment summed up Owen’s nine‑day trip. His final tally included seven bass over 10 pounds, two over 11, three over 12, and the giant 14½‑pounder. The number of fish under nine pounds was simply too high to count.

Owen, a retired home builder from the west slope of Colorado, now spends his days on his ranch fishing and hunting as much as possible. A motorcycle enthusiast, he and his wife Suzette also ride Colorado’s high mountain trails in their side‑by‑side.

“I’ve been blessed with a wonderful wife and nearly 25 years of retirement,” Owen said. “I usually make four trips a year to Anglers Inn, often pairing El Salto with Picachos. I already have my four trips booked for the coming season — as early as November this year and finishing in July next year. I first started fishing with Billy Chapman over 45 years ago in Brazil for peacock bass, an experience Suzette and I love repeating.”  

Owen often fishes solo, taking full advantage of the custom Anglers Inn bass boats designed for two anglers. “I love the design — it’s really built for fishing,” he said.

His go‑to baits include big PowerWorms, chatterbaits, and baits rigged on shaky‑head or rocker‑head jigs. A bubble‑tail worm, such as the Berkley PowerBait Flat Worm, suspends off the bottom when rigged on these heads, creating an ideal presentation for largemouth. True to his old‑school roots, Owen likes to work the bottom slowly or drop a jig vertically into trees or along bluffs.