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Stories, History, and Tributes Got a story to tell about your childhood, someone you admired, or some interesting history to share? This is the place!

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  #1  
Old 02-14-2011, 12:41 PM
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Raymond Raymond is offline
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Default Lake Gurrero 1972

I was eight years old in 1972 and lived to bass fish morning, noon, and night. My grandparents had ponds on their property in Campti La that they could not keep me out of the summers I stayed with them.
On short notice, my dad informed me that we were leaving to fish a new lake in Mexico. Imagine an 8 year old getting to fly into a lake thousands of miles from his home in Alexandria La. Dad made sure we had all of of our rods,reels, and baits together. We would have to travel light since there were two more teenagers and two adults flying in with us on a Cherokee Six single engine plane. It felt like it took hours to get out to Esler Field and I was more than ready to get into the air. The plane looked like a sardine can once all the gear was loaded and I heard our pilot question if it was over the load limit? Our take off was uneventful and soon I could see the massive city of Houston Tx below us.
Hello Brownsville Tx for customs. Some guys without smiles met our plane and began to poke around in the seats and ask the adults plenty of questions. Evidently, everything was good because they let us board and taxi to the runway. Our next flight did not last long since we also had to stop at customs on the other side.
Matamoras Mexico would be a whole nother story my friends. I sat quietly while dad showed the customs officials my birth certificate and communicated the best he could with them but something was wrong.
My dads friend and pilot got involved with the discussion and they finally understood that the customs agents needed permission from my mother to cross the border. Dad used the customs phone and called my mother collect and she informed them that it would be ok for me to go fishing. How you figure they knew it was her???
Back on the plane for our hour long flight to a bush strip in the middle of nowhere Mexico. Howard our pilot had a 67 International pickup he kept in Mexico at the strip and we loaded all of our gear into the bed and took off for Howards apartment another hour away.
The next day we would strike out for Lake Gurrerro in our pimped out ride.
Dad rented a 14' V bottom Grumman with an 18hp Evinrude for us to fish out of, I think it cost him $5 per day. We started off fishing with white touts and it was non stop action until our pre determined time for shore lunch and fish cleaning. I had managed to fill up three metal stringers with 3 fish on each hook that morning including one bass close to 6 pounds. The fish cleaners met us at the bank and started cleaning our fish lickity split using of all things,machetes!! Little did I know, they were also the game wardens. We fished the afternoon and next morning with great success, our party probably caught in excess of 1000 bass. We were the only people on the lake, and very few people even knew about Gurrerro at that time.
It was probably my most memorable fishing trip ever, Thanks Dad!!
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  #2  
Old 02-14-2011, 01:12 PM
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Great story. I would love to see pics of that!
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Old 02-14-2011, 01:46 PM
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Good story!!!!
How things have changed
& I do remember the chain stringers!
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Old 02-14-2011, 05:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by I make oil View Post
Great story. I would love to see pics of that!
Remember, this was 1972 and video equipment and digital cameras were not even thought of yet. We did not think to bring the trusty old Kodak instamatic. Like you, it would be pretty neat to show my boys their 8 year old dad in Ole Mexico catchin bass'es.
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Old 02-14-2011, 05:33 PM
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cool story Raymond
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Old 02-14-2011, 06:09 PM
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Shawn Braquet Shawn Braquet is offline
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So how much marijuana can a Cherokee Six single engine plane carry with people and gear? I mean hey it was the 70's right? lol cool story Raymond
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Old 02-14-2011, 07:55 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawn Braquet View Post
So how much marijuana can a Cherokee Six single engine plane carry with people and gear? I mean hey it was the 70's right? lol cool story Raymond
Dunno, we had 3 48qt ice chest of fillets to fly home.
Howard and dad drove back, and that is another story!
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Old 02-14-2011, 10:06 PM
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back in the early 70's was that Pflueger reels or Ambassadors? I still have 2 of the old Pflueger direct drive reels.
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Old 02-14-2011, 10:37 PM
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I did not graduate to a ambassador 5000 until I turned 9. In Mexico I was fishing with an Abu spincast.
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Old 02-15-2011, 08:51 AM
Will"E"Fish Will"E"Fish is offline
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1973 was my first trip to guerreo with the knowCajun Phil he was my neighbor and being a strong marsh fisherman I was all for trip south of the border. We hooked up and I towed a18 ft boston whaler and made the trip of a life time. One afternoon Phil and Ilost track of time wearing that AZZ out and almost spent the nightout there;we luckly found our way back. Again that was one many to follow trip's of a lifetime to Lake Guerreo.Thank'sRaymond for bringing back memory's that of long ago.
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Old 10-29-2012, 08:01 AM
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i too made a trip down in 72 or so there was no resorts then we met a guide there he let us camp on a high spot on river which i later heard was site of a big resort we stayed a week there fished morn and evening caught bass almost nonstop had some pics of stringers of fish hung in trees i remember the cleaners to hard to believe what they did with their version of a filet knife many happy memories of that trip i was 22 or 23 then still have a few items my dad used on that trip put up a rod and reel and a couple baits enjoyed trip but dont think i will leave the usa again
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