Fishing Report: World-Class Tiger Muskie Fishing at Bluewater Lake

Southwest New Mexico Fishing Report

• Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing conditions have been adversely affected in the aftermath of the Trout Fire.
• Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for catfish was slow to fair when using minnows from the bank. Fishing for white bass, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass was fair to good when using black bait silver bombers, worms and minnows from the bank. 
• Gila River: Streamflow near Gila Wednesday morning was 131 cfs.
• Gila Waters: Streamflow near Gila Hot Springs Wednesday morning was 38.7 cfs.
• Quemado Lake: The most recent report was received Oct. 9. At that time, fishing  for trout was good when using Pautzke Fire Balls.
• Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Dam on Wednesday morning was 0 cfs. The most recent report was received Oct. 2. At that time, fishing for catfish was fair to good when using worms in the San Marcial area.
• Young Pond: The most recent report was received Oct. 9. At that time, fishing for bluegill was very good when using hot dogs and shrimp.

We received no reports for the following waterbodies over the past three weeks: Bill Evans Lake, Caballo Lake, Escondida Lake, Glenwood Pond, Lake Roberts, Percha Dam, Rancho Grande Ponds, Snow Lake and Trees Lake.

Related: Even More Mean Green: Toxic algae detected in Quemado Lake

---

World-Class Tiger Muskie Fishing at Bluewater Lake

By Darren Vaughan

Jeremy Pitts has a feeling that there’s a world-record tiger muskie lurking underneath the surface of Bluewater Lake, and he wants to be the one to catch it.

That’s why he spent most of September on his fishing boat, hoping to reel in that elusive monster.

“I’m in a unique position right now, where I’m semi-retired and I can spend a lot of time out there,” he said. “I’m finding myself as about the only guy on the lake four or five days a week. I’m really trying to see how big a muskie we can produce out of that lake, but it takes a lot of time and patience.”

Jeremy Pitts caught this 46½-inch, 30-plus-pound tiger muskie using a chartreuse spinnerbait on Sept. 30 at Bluewater Lake. Pitts’ catch nearly matched the state record, set by Justin Easley in 2012 with a 46-inch, 31-pound, 14-ounce fish. 

On Sept. 30, Pitts nearly matched the New Mexico state record by reeling in a 46½-inch, 30-plus-pound behemoth using a chartreuse spinner bait at Bluewater Lake State Park, located 25 miles west of Grants in Cibola County. The current state record was set in 2012 at Bluewater Lake by Justin Easley, whose catch weighed in at 31 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 46 inches in length. The world record was set in 1919 by John Knobla, who caught a 51-pound, 3-ounce fish at Lac Vieux-Desert in Michigan.

“It took about 20 minutes to get the fish into the boat,” Pitts said. “I was by myself, I did not have a steel leader and my line was wrapped around its jaw, so I had to really finesse that fish.”

As soon as the fish surfaced, Pitts knew it might be a state record – and he got such a thrill out of reeling it in, he wanted others to have that same opportunity.

“As soon as I saw the width of its back and the distance from the nose to the tail, I knew as hard as those fish are to catch, that whether that fish was a record or not, I wanted it to live,” he said. “They literally poke their heads up and look me in the eye while I’m fishing – they laugh at me.

“The funny thing, I told my wife, that 46½(-inch fish), when it first surfaced, there was a palpable anger in its eyes, like it wanted to fight me,” he added. “And it fought me. Even once I got it in the boat, it fought me. I’m a big guy. I’m 6(-foot)-3, 270 (pounds). I was having to wrestle with that fish to get the pictures I got. And, so, there’s just something about that. There’s a visceral experience there. And that is why I wanted that fish to live. That fish was fighting to live, and I was going to let it live, whether it was a record or not.”

Jeremy Pitts caught a 37-inch tiger muskie using a jointed minnow lure on Sept. 20, following several weeks of slow fishing at Bluewater Lake. 

Pitts’ big catch came just 10 days after he caught a 37-inch tiger muskie using a jointed minnow lure, also at Bluewater Lake. As for any secrets to catching these giants, Pitts had some simple advice for his fellow anglers.

“Most people go out and thing they need a 12-inch-long lure – you know, something huge and massive, and that can work,” he said. “But, generally, the trick out here, I think, is fish with something that the trout might actually bite as well, and you have just as much of a chance of hooking into a really world-class tiger muskie.”

For more information about Bluewater Lake, visit Bluewater Lake State Park’s website.

Remember to let Game & Fish know how your fishing trip goes! Share your tips, tricks and stories with your fellow anglers by filling out the iFish form and let’s help the next generation of anglers find success. If you would like to submit a story for Tips, Tricks and Stories, please email Communications Director Darren Vaughan at Darren.Vaughan@dgf.nm.gov.