Category: Extremadura

Almaraz lake is characterised by its high density of fish, especially of black bass and we can fish there practically all year round. I have fished it mainly in winter, so I am going to choose the lures for Almaraz that have worked best for me at this time of year, especially if we are looking for nice fish.

Jig

If I had to go to Almaraz with just one lure, that would be the jig. Generally crawfish are very dark and quite red there, so the colours in this line usually work well. However, as the waters are always quite murky, high contrast colours such as PB&J or black & blue usually work well too. When the fishing pressure rises we can also vary towards more natural colours such as brown, pumpkin and their variants…

As for the size of the jig, half an ounce is usually the most versatile. Sometimes we can use 3/8 but only if we fish the edges of the covers. If the fish are well placed in the cattails, half an ounce is the minimum we should use if we want to access without problems the “heavy cover” areas. Flipping heads will always be more suitable for reducing hooking.

And finally, as far as the type of trailer is concerned, I usually use large craws to select a little bit the size of the catches. On days with a lot of wind, crabs that emit a lot of vibrations and on quieter days more “realistic” crabs.

Vinyl worms

When the fish are far away from the shore, which is more often the case in the “cold” zone, the vinyl worm has given me very good results. Usually heavy rigs, like carolina or heavy shakey to be able to throw really far, to reach the position of the fish.

In these cases, and mainly focused on this area where there is usually current, we will use large worms and usually emit some vibration. Worms like “ultravibe”, “cut tail”, “u tail” or similar type of tails are the ones that have worked best for me. Dark colours that make a good contrast with the murky water are usually the best option, although sometimes we can also pull a chartreuse touch.

Frogs

Frogs are never going to be the most productive lures for Almaraz, but they will probably give us the best fish. We can use vinyl frogs, hard frogs, or hollow rubber frogs which have given me the best results. Mainly because we can cast them practically in the middle of the covers with hardly any hooks.

As far as colours are concerned, dark colours at sunrise and sunset are the ones that have given me great results. In the middle of the day, natural brown or green colours with a whitish or yellow belly are usually my choice. It is very important that the cast is accurate and as close as possible to the coverage, as that is where the frog makes the difference. If we are casting into open water, a stickbait will probably give us a much higher catch/bites ratio. It is also important to let the fish eat and not to rush to set the hook.

Vinyl jerkbaits

Those days when fish are found hunting in the vicinity of the cattail line and in which they take better presentations without lead, will be the days for these lures. Normally the fish are found more at the bottom eating crawfish, or stuck in the cattails where we cannot fish with this kind of lures. However, on the days when they are wandering around the line of cattails we can have a real festival with these lures for Almaraz.

Their erratic movements and the fact that they fall slowly to the bottom are 2 factors that can give us excellent results. I must also say that these conditions do not occur very often, but carrying a couple of packages of vinyl jerkbaits is never too much just in case. Normally 5″ is ideal (if we go down to 4 we will get a lot of small fish) and the colour is not excessively important, for me at least it hasn’t been. In recent years the population of bleak has increased so any bleak imitation will work well for us. On the other hand, white or even black colours, especially in low light conditions, have also worked well for me.

It’s not a secret that Cíjara lake is not at his best… I think I’m not exaggerating if I say that it was one of the best reservoirs in Spain for predator fishing, if not the best in its golden age. Even so, it is a reservoir that is slowly recovering and in which we can still enjoy good journeys, even if only sporadically. I haven’t fished too much in Cíjara, a little more than a dozen times, but he was almost always good to me… Here are the lures for Cijara that have worked best for me.

Jig, lures for Cíjara

Cijara is a reservoir that has always had plenty of crawfish so the jig has always worked well. After the decline in the bleak populations, the crawfish has once again become a key part of the predator’s diet. With jigs we can catch black bass as well as pike, zander or even barbel.

As it is a reservoir where stone structures dominate, we can use all types of jigs. Football if we want to fish with long stops on the bottom in areas with few hooks. With a flat triangular head if we want to hook a little less and have the trailer “standing” . But also more compact jigs or even jigs for finesse. Ultimately, depending on the time of year, the area we want to fish and the behaviour of the fish we can vary.

In terms of weights I would generally move between half an ounce and 3/8, as that would cover most of the water layers with enough speed. Of course, if budget allows, tungsten jigs will always be a better option, as they are more compact and go deeper at a higher speed. In terms of colours, Cijara is usually a clear water reservoir, although not as crystal clear as its neighbours García Sola or Orellana might be. I opt for natural colours, which imitate the colour of the crabs at each time of year, although we can give it a more colourful touch if the water has a certain turbidity.

Stickbaits

Although the population of bleaks is not what it used to be, predators got very used to looking “up”, especially black bass and barbels. With rare exceptions, those moments of hunting in which shoals of fish of bearing attacked simultaneously will remain for the memory, nevertheless a stickbait will always be an option to bear in mind.

Cijara’s fish usually have a big mouth in comparison with the body, so we should not be afraid to choose the size (if we think about bass). Walkers from 11 to 13 centimeters will usually be the best option. I prefer models that “splash around” especially if the surface is curly, as they will lift the fish from below. In terms of colours, any imitation bleak will do, although we can opt for both light and dark models in low light.

Vinyl worm, lures for Cíjara

Cíjara’s fish are under a lot of pressure, so vinyl worms should always be headline lures. In the summer months they will always be an excellent choice: with a fine thread, either drop shot, split shot or weightless, depending on the depth and attitude of the fish. Personally, I have found senko type worms in a waky rig or even smaller worms in 3 or 4″ to work very well. However we can also use much longer worms if we fish with a shaky head for example.

As for colours, I return to my theory for a clear water reservoir: natural colours like watermelon, brown, pumpkin are usually a safe bet. However, bleak-type colours or even bright colours such as red can give good results under certain circumstances.

Crankbait

In a reservoir with as many kilometers of shore as Cíjara has, the crankbait always has to be an option, especially if we do not have controlled fish. In both cutting and rip rap areas, a crankbait hitting the rocks with its shovel will trigger bites at almost any time of the year. Besides, we can use them with any predator: black bass, zander, pike, iberian barbel… so it is a very versatile lure.

I have had days in which I saw many fishes, and after throwing them all type of vinyls without success, I have caught fish with crankbait. Of course, the opposite can also happen, but I recommend you to give it a chance frequently. As the reservoir is usually quite steep, I usually bet on models that go down between 3 and 6 meters. The colours are of the bleak or crawfish type, to the taste of the consumer (or rather to the taste of the fish) and with that striking touch when the waters are turbid.

Despite the diversity of environments that can be found along the sections of the Guadiana River and its tributaries mentioned in the tables of Guadiana, I’ve decided to choose theses Guadiana’s top lures. All of them will be productive in multiple circumstances, but once again we will have to adapt to them. As black bass is the most abundant predator, it will be the main target of these lures. However, pike and iberian barbel will not hesitate to attack them either if we put them within their reach.

Frog

There are several species of frogs that naturally inhabit these ecosystems and are part of the diet of these predators. Beyond the similarity that lures may have with the frogs themselves, it is their versatility that is key. Their ability to work in areas where it would be impossible to fish with other lures is the main reason for choosing them. We can use both vinyl frogs and “rubber” frogs or other floating material. I preffer “hollow” frogs due to their resistance that will offer us the best results most of the time.

It’s very important that we use them properly. It doesn’t make much sense to throw a frog in the middle of the pond, although sometimes we can have catches that way too. Usually they work better the thicker the cover is, since many times the fish are lying down or just resting, and this lure passing over them causes the bites.

It is also important that we master the “skipping” casting technique. Only this way we will be able to accede to the interior of submerged trees suitably, or to introduce the lure under the vegetation of bank (brambles, trees or bushes), to achieve that it is posed where the fish are many times. Fishing with them among water lilies is also an exciting fishing… Sometimes we have big extensions of water lilies and we do not know very well which one to cast… The experience will help us to select the casts according to the irregularities of the cover or the bottom.

As far as colours are concerned, the black ones work very well at dawn and at dusk, and for the rest of the time I usually use more natural colours depending on the level of turbidity of the waters.

Jig. Guadiana’s top lures

If I could only bring one lure to fish in the river, this would be the jig, for me one of the best Guadiana’s top lures. To fish in an environment with so much coverage the ideal is to use flipping jigs since football jigs penetrate worse. Another very interesting option is to use punch weights, which allow us to penetrate it even better.

In terms of size, half an ounce is the most versatile, but if the pond we are going to fish in has very thick cover, we will have to go up to 3/4 or even 1 ounce. It is very important, as with the frogs, to use a powerful rod (heavy at least) and a good braid since many times we will need to literally “pull” the fish out of the cover.

As for the type of trailer, the river waters are usually murky, so I would go for vinyl that emits quite a bit of vibration. Mainly crawfish, although we can also use creatures, grubs or even fish shaped vinyls. There are mythical colors like PB&J or black and blue, but the ideal is to imitate the color of the crawfish or the prey fish that the match the hatch fish are eating. If the water is turbid we will try to give it a solid or striking touch, and if it is clearer a more natural or translucent touch.

Spinnerbait

If we are not very clear about where the fish are located, and the river table we are going to fish is quite open, the spinnerbait is going to help us a lot to locate the fish. Nowadays fishes feed both on bleak and crawfish so I decided to select 2 lures to fish the covers and other 2 to fish in more open areas.

The big advantage of the spinner is that we can cover a lot of water in a short time and get an idea of the location of the fish. Are they near the shores? Near the underwater vegetation? Near fallen trees in the middle of the river?  Once we have bites, we can decide whether to continue fishing with spinner or to change to another lure more suitable for that situation.

Besides, not having treble hooks allows us to fish in moderately entangled areas. Also the vibration will help the fish to locate the lure, especially in turbid waters. The white / chartreuse colour is very versatile, but it will be convenient to make adjustments according to the color of the water, as always. I usually use half an ounce and spinner with “little body” so they can better penetrate between the gaps in the cover.

Hard swimbait. Guadiana’s top lures

Finally, and if we focus on the search for big bass or pike, the hard swimbait is a very good option. We can’t forget its limitations in environments with a lot of coverage and hooks… But if the board is full of bleak we should give it a try. Casts parallel to submerged trees, vegetation or any other type of cover will give us the best results, always working at the right speed.

There are some models that have interchangeable tails, which we can attach according to the color of the water. In some models we can even replace the rubber tail with a paddle. Although we can use it all year round, it is a lure that works especially well in spring, but also during autumn. In my opinion, it is more productive to use it on tables with not very turbid waters and natural colours… However, on certain days, and especially if we’re looking for pike, bright colours can also bring us great joy.

Alange lake was always famous for its great pike, however in recent years it’s easier to get hold of a good barbel or quality black bass than a great pike. Below I show you the best lures for Alange based on my experience, mainly focused on these 3 predators.

Hard jerkbait

Hard jerkbait, once again, is a versatile lure that we can use in almost any scenario. The abundance of bleak in Alange lake makes it an even more interesting option. I like to work it very quickly from the post-spawn to trigger the reaction bites. Barbels, pike and black bass, any of the 3 predators can be caught with this lure.

Sometimes, I even use floating models to get rid of weeds or stones more easily. As the water gets colder, the suspending jerkbait becomes the headline, as it allows me to make stops of different duration. In terms of colours, Alange is not usually a reservoir that stands out for the clarity of its waters, so I usually opt for solid colours. Imitations of bleak, barbel or crucian carp will always be a safe bet, being able to choose more striking colors if the water is specially murky.

Crankbait, lures for Alange

This reservoir is not characterized by a high density of fish. Sweeping water with a crankbait will often be the best option to locate them. Alange is a reservoir in which the fish are not particularly suspicious, and although they can of course reject it, they will often take the crankbait without any problems.

Since there are both crawfish and bleak, we can pull imitations of both, although always with an eye on the color of the water. In turbid waters, brighter colours, both red and firetiger type can work well. As the reservoir is quite deep on most of its banks, it is usually not necessary to use very deep cranks, unless we are going for suspending fish. Squarebills and midwater cranks are usually sufficient, as long as the fish are near the shore.

Vinyl shad

If we want to fish deeper, both barbels and pikes, the vinyl shad is a guarantee of success. Barbels in this reservoir are really aggressive, triggering bites that sometimes take the rod out of your hands. A good echo sounder and knowledge of friendly areas are key to improving the results with this kind of fishing.

If the main target are barbels, I prefer to use medium sized shads (4″ or 5″), but if I go for pike I can go up to 6″ or 7″ without problems. We can fish dragging on the bottom, let it come down and retrieve it to a certain depth, or even fish vertically without moving the lure at all. It all depends on the attitude we see in the fish, many times a slow retrieveng from the bottom to the surface can also trigger bites. As far as colours are concerned, I prefer imitations of barbels or bleaks, sometimes with a chartreuse touch if visibility is low.

Vinyl worm, lures for Alange

We are in a reservoir where the waters get very hot in summer, and where medium sized fish are also abundant. So the vinyl worm cannot be missed. We can fish by dropshot if the fish are very deep, by split shot if they are half water or weightless if they are on the same shore or very shalow. In addition, the abundance of weed makes a worm falling slowly among them a very appetizing morsel.

In terms of sizes and colours there is something for everyone, however here are my favourite options. If I go fishing without weight, I prefer “senko” worms for waky rig. For split shot fishing, I like worms with a vibrating tail like U-tail, C-tail or similar, so that the fish can locate them from distance. For dropshot fishing, we can use either small 3″ or 4″, even small vinyl shads without paddle tail. The colours will vary depending on the turbidity of the water.

I hope that these tips have been useful and can help you to have better results in future journeys.

Alcántara lake is probably the reservoir in Extremadura where I’ve spent the most time. I have not caught my biggest fish in it, but it is probably the reservoir where I have been able to learn more about fishing. It is a very big reservoir, from the dam to Serradilla bridge there are 65 km in a straight line… So we will find very different fishing situations even in the same day. Within the great variety of lures we can use, I show you below the best lures for Alcántara, in my humble opinion.

Having an open mind is perhaps more important in Alcantara than in any other reservoir. We will be able to catch fish with different lures at the same time, but small details will make the difference in terms of size. It is a reservoir with usually clear waters in winter and spring, but quite murky in summer and autumn due to the proliferation of algae in suspension. Due to this turbidity, I’m going to choose “power fishing” lures, since fish here are not usually as suspicious as in other reservoirs.

Topwater, lures for Alcántara

It’s probably not the kind of lure we’ll use the most, but if we want to catch big fish, we must never forget it. Bleak populations continue to grow, and although Alcantara has been and continues to be a reservoir of many crawfish, bleak is becoming more important in the fish’s diet year after year. We can use it practically at any time of the year, with prespawn and autumn being the best times.

Alcántara may be a reservoir where it is not so important to be close to the sunrise and sunset to use topwater lures… At least I’ve had quite a few catches with him during the central hours of the day as well. As for the colour, once again natural and translucent colours with clear waters and more solid colours in turbid waters. White is a color that works very well when the water is murky. As for size, I usually move between 100 and 130mm, depending on the aggressiveness of the fish.

Spinnerbait

The spinnerbait is a lure that will not only help us locate fish but we can catch many fish with it throughout the day. We can use it “slow rolling” close to the bottom when the fish are apathetic. But also fast and practically at surface level when they are aggressive. Unless we are fishing in areas with many trees, I usually use a trailer hook and most of times putting a vinyl trailer on them.

As far as colours are concerned, white is usually the headline, with some chartreuse skirts when the water is a bit murky or other greys, greens and blacks when it is clear. We do not need to constantly scratch the bottom with it, but it is important to let it go down enough for the fish to catch it better. And finally I advise you to cast parallel or diagonal to the shore, but never perpendicular… If you don’t want to lose a good bunch of spinners on the slates!

Chatterbait, lures for Alcántara

The chatterbait or bladed jig is one of the lures that has given me the best results in this reservoir. Especially in terms of the quality of the fish, because there are days that the fish eat “equally” a jerk, a crank, a spinner or a chatter, but the chatter often gives the biggest fish. Ideally it works better with a little wind, although there are days when the reservoir was “plate” and the catches have followed suit. As for the trailer, both the crawfish and the paddle tail have worked well for me.

With this lure I have managed to catch pike, barbel, bass, catfish and zander in the same day, so it is a very versatile lure. As for colors, brown, pumpkin and occasionally white are my favorites. However when the water is murky, and in Alcantara there are times when it is really murky, the choice of colour is perhaps more a matter of confidence. In this case, I would always go for solid colours. As in the spinnerbait, for me the most versatile size is half an ounce, but sometimes 3/8 works better, specially when fish are really close to the bank.

Crankbait, lures for Alcántara

It’s probably the lure I’ve thrown into the water the most times in this reservoir, and perhaps also the most effective, in terms of number of catches. Of course, we can also catch big fish with it, but I usually use it when I’m looking for quantity, or when I’m not getting results with other lures. We can use anything from squarebills that barely go deep to big cranks that go 6 meters deep, depending on how deep we think the fish are. I usually bet on intermediate models, which work at about 3 or 4 meters.

There is one detail that is important to me in this reservoir and that is the body of the crankbait. As it is a reservoir where medium sized fish are very abundant, crankbaits with little body have always been better for me. It does not take away that in certain occasions we bet for more “bulky” models, but always if we are looking for big fish. As far as colours are concerned, both the bleak and the crawfish imitations have worked very well for me. But I also take into account the turbidity of the water, using translucent colors if they are clear and changing to solid colors if they are turbid.

García Sola lake is characterized by really clear waters, which added to the enormous fishing pressure makes it a very difficult reservoir. It is very important to take this into account when choosing lures for Garcia Sola. Only at certain times we will find turbid waters, coinciding with large floods due to high rainfall, usually in spring.

Once again I remember that the choice of the right lure will depend on many factors: time of year, luminosity, presence or not of wind, attitude and depth of the fish… Even so, I share with you the lures that have worked best for me the times I have visited it.

Vinyl craws, lures for Garcia Sola

Whether rigged on a jig, or with a Texas or Free rig, with either a lead or a tungsten, the vinyl craw will give us bites at any time of the year. Being a reservoir with a lot of loose stone and where the bait fish is a bit has been rare in recent years, the craw is one of the main sources of food. A slow and methodical fishing, always in contact with the bottom, will generally give us the best results.

Although theoretically it is a lure designed for deep fishing, we must keep an open mind, as we can catch fish even really close to the shore. When the level is high, we will find quite a lot of semi-submerged vegetation, an excellent place for predators. The small holes and corridors that form between this vegetation should be our target when fishing with this lure. . Of course, the steps formed in the rock or the rip rap areas are good places, it depends on where the fish are. Whether it’s mounted on a jig or Texan rig, natural colours have worked especially well for me: brown, PB&J, pumpkin… and their variants.

Jerkbait

The jerkbait is one of the most versatile lures, and although theoretically it is a cold water lure, it is another lure with which we can catch fish all year round. Without forgetting that our line will have to be compensated with the size of the hooks, we will try to lower the diameter as much as possible here. I like to fish with fluorocarbon straight since most of the year I fish with suspended jerks but we can also use braided or monofilament.

In winter and early spring I prefer to use larger sizes (11 to 13cm for black bass and pike, 13 to 17 for pike) and as spring progresses reducing the size. Any colour that imitates a minnow is a good option, although we cannot forget about white, especially in cold waters. Although I prefer to fish with suspending jerks, if we want to fish in areas of algae, the floating models also work very well.

Vinyl tubes, lures for Garcia Sola

Few lures are more effective than an unleaded vinyl tube in the fall. However, we will have to be very patient since it is a slow fishing and we will not be able to cover large extensions… If we are sure that there is an area with quantity of fish, we should invest time in “combing” it with vinyl tubes, as we are sure that we will have bites.

Personally I like models that have a lot of salt incorporated in the vinyl, as they are thrown further and fall faster. And I assure you that waiting for a vinyl tube to go down to 5 or 6 meters can make us desperate if we fish for a long time with them, but there are times when it is the best way to do it. Here we can use a wide range of colors, from bleak colours  to crawfish or sunfish. We can even opt for more striking colors if we want to arouse the aggression of apathetic fish.

Vinyl shad

Just like in the  Orellana’s top lures post, the vinyl shad should also be one of our headliner lures in Sola lake. The bleak population is recovering very fast and a soft swimbait among the bleak balls is often irresistible. Of course we can also use it for deep fishing, either looking for fishes suspended or stuck to the bottom. Black bass, pike or zander, any of them can bite a vinyl shad, we just have to make some adjustments depending on the species.

Once again, like all clear water reservoirs, I usually go for natural colours and white. Translucent colours work very well too and the more striking chartreuse or pink colours can give us very good catches in low light conditions. The shape and size will depend a lot on the species we are looking for, the depth and the time of year. Generally speaking, we will increase the size of the shad in late winter / early spring and decrease it in early summer.

Orellana lake is one of the reservoirs with the most transparent waters in the region, and this is something that is usually maintained throughout the year. I will now tell you about the Orellana’s top lures according to my experience.

Due to this, fish are very suspicious and we must choose very carefully our presentations, both lines and lures. Here are my best Orellana’s top lures.

While the choice of lures will depend on the time of year, water temperature, weather conditions… Here are the lures I would never leave at home when I visit Orellana, especially if we start from 0 and if our objective is to catch large fish, always in my humble opinion.

Vinyl shad, Orellana’s top lures

In this reservoir there is a very high density of bleak and fry of other species: black bass, zander, perch… The vinyl shad, therefore, is always going to be one of the best lures for Orellana. In very different sizes, depending on the time of year, the natural colors are the ones that have worked best for me. The baby bass color, bleak color, grey, white and their variants are my favorites.

Slow or fast retrieves? This will depend on the condition of the fish. Leaded or unleaded? If we want to fish for black bass generally will not need lead, as the waters are very clear and they rise from below. If we want to fish for pike or zander we will have to go to 8, 10, 12 meters or even more… For this we will have to use leaded heads of between 15 and 45 grams, depending on the size of the vinyl and the depth at which we want to fish.

We should also vary the shape of the shad, depending on the layer of water we are going to fish. Here there are multiple opinions and different tastes… For me, shads with “slim body” and a lot of mobility work well in deep layers for fishing vertically, and in more superficial layers I would prefer more “stubby” models.

Walkers, Orellana’s top lures

Focused mainly on black bass, (although pikes also love) the walker is a lure that we can use practically any time of the year in these waters, since they do not usually cool down below 10ºC. I usually go for natural colors, but in low light conditions white colors and chartreuses work very well too.

In summer the twilight hours will be the best, but in spring, autumn and winter we can use it practically at any time of day, always with better results on cloudy and windy days.

Big swimbaits

Due to the large size of the fish in this reservoir, the choice of large swimbaits can help us to select the catches. We can also use them at any time of the year, although probably the prespawn time is when they are most effective with all species.

I’m back to natural colors as my favorites, but in this case as it’s a lure that can awaken the aggressiveness of the fish, different colors can also work. For my taste the “slalom” bait take the lead, although the “wake” bait also works, of course.

Vinyl tube

If Orellana is really calm, no matter how much we like hard lures, many times we will have to use vinyl. That’s where the vinyl tube makes the difference for me, whether we want to save the bolo or catch a big specimen that has been reluctant to other presentations. Yamamoto ikas have worked great for me in this reservoir but there are other brands that also make really effective vinyl tubes. By clicking on the image again you can see a large collection of tubes and buy the one you like best.

In my case, I usually go for watermelon, green pumpkin and green pumpkin colors. As I said the waters are very clear and natural colors are usually the ones that work best. However in fishing there are no rules and sometimes there will be times when crab, fish or even bright colors can work better. However, for me an important detail is that the vinyl has a lot of salt, so we can cast it farther and it will go deeper faster.