Marcos Rodriguez and Johnny Quiroz are The Guides of Texas. They are river fishing guides on the wonderful rivers that constantly tug at my heart. They have been featured in articles on the internet, magazines, and on TV shows. They cut their teeth on the exact rivers that I did, and know the passion involved in man-powered fishing.
I was lucky enough to track Marcus down for an interview, and he gave some of the best answers that anyone has ever given. I was also able to tap into Johnny for the pictures. There are some truly wonderful shots of what they do. This is Part Two. (To read Part 1, click here: Interview with Marcus Rodriguez - Part 1) Enjoy:
PK: Ok, now it's time to spill the beans. Fish Tattoo is a Kayak Fishing blog, that is dedicated bass fishing, and river fishing. So...lets get into the river bass fishing tips. If you could only fish one technique or lure for river bass for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? Would you say you could always catch at least a few fish this way?
MR: With a spinning rod, I could fish with a light action rod, six pound test, and a weightless fluke for the rest of my life. With a fly rod, I could use a five weight, floating line, and a brown wooley buggar for the rest
of my life. It is almost how I fish now. I have not been skunked in over 20 years. Last weekend, I fished the Llano River near Mason with a couple of friends. I used the above two methods and caught several really nice river bass between two and four pounds.
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PK: Any good tips to target monster bass in the river?
MR: Use sharp hooks, and check knots and line often. Learn to feel where big bass might hang out. Do not second guess yourself. If you have a chance to catch a monster bass, you need to capitalize on that chance, because you most likely will not get a second chance. I have had clients lined up on huge bass, but they did not act quickly enough. Also, know your quarry. Huge largemouths fight different from huge smallies. If you fight fish back, you will usually win.
PK: I love to river fish, but I often still fish lakes. I pretty much live on Lake Amistad. In your opinion how is fishing a river for bass different from a lake? Do the fish behave differently in a river than in a larger body of water?
MR: River fishing is different from lake fishing. For the most part, if you can find moving water, you can find fish. Fish on a river tend to hang in the same spots as other fish in the river. River fish are almost always catchable. I feel that river fish are also easier to find. If you can present a lure or fly to a river fish, without spooking it…you will most likely get a strike. I have gone into Del Rio after a guided trip on the Devils. I have talked to guides and other anglers. Normally, a bad day on the lake is a pretty good day on the river. I guess, fish on the river are more concentrated.
PK: Being a river kayak bass angler, I have developed a desire to catch pretty bass, cool bass,
local native bass. Someday, I do want to get a bass slam. Being a river guide, do you have any desire to chase the slam?
MR: I live for Guadalupe Bass! I would rather catch a 15 inch Guadalupe Bass than a 10 pound largemouth. I had a client who was chasing the bass slam. I took him on the South Llano to catch a 10 inch Guadalupe. We got to the river and then he told me that he had to be back in Austin by 5 PM to catch his flight back east. We had to rush to catch a Guadalupe. It was so hard….we hooked a couple of really nice Guads, but lost them. Finally, we hooked and landed a 10 incher. We took a picture and measurements and paddled like hell to the take-out. I would love to chase the bass slam. Almost every fish I catch is beautiful.
PK: What do you consider to be some of your greatest achievements in fishing?
MR: My greatest fishing achievement is that I am happy just catching a few fish. If the fish are huge….great! If the fish are small….great! Also, I have had the opportunity to fish with or guide some of the best fly fishers in the game. Johnny and I have been featured in newspapers, magazines, and on television. I guess those are pretty big achievements, but I have never been the kind of person to dwell on my achievements. There is so much to learn yet….I may be a great angler, but I hope never to master all facets of angling. I am more than willing to be the person who makes other anglers look good. Now that I think about it, I want to be a angling Yoda and whoever is in the front of the canoe can be my Luke….which now goes against what I just said about not wanting to master all facets of angling. I am conflicted.
PK: Multifaceted question here, guys. Has the sport of river fishing grown in popularity the past few years, or am I imagining this? Are you seeing more anglers on stretches of water that you really haven't seen them in the past? If so, do you see this as a positive or a negative for river fishing, the environment, and your business?
MR: You are not imagining anything…the sport of river fishing is growing in popularity. On any given day, you can drive down IH 35 and see cars with topped with canoes and kayaks and fishing gear. I do see more anglers, but I tend to take longer floats that the not so hard core angler will not do. I do see a few guides here and there. I do see more anglers now than in the past. I would rather have rivers all to myself, but people fishing rivers is a good thing. If people are made aware of rivers and their beauty, then they will tend to be more protective of that resource. I think that if every angler or paddler realizes that a river is a resource to be protected, then it can only be positive. However, rivers like the Devils are seeing great increases in angling pressure. I used to fish the Devils when I was young. Nobody knew about that river and there were huge and uneducated fish everywhere. Now, it is fairly difficult to catch more than a couple of big fish on a trip down that particular river. I think that the Devils is getting more pressure than some of the other rivers closer to San Antonio and Austin. As a result, I have backed off of the guiding and fishing on that river. I do not need to exploit that river and I will not...
PK: What is the main issue facing river fishing in the future? Is it protection of the river, protection of the fish, access to water, etc?
MR: I think the main issue for rivers, especially in Texas is water use. Rivers are going dry. Water is a resource that will become more valuable than gold. There are many rivers that are no longer flowing right now! Take for instance the Blanco River…when I was a child, the river would flow for years at a time. Now the river goes dry every year. The Blanco sits between two huge metropolitan areas. As we pull water to survive, the Blanco slowly dies. We cannot stop progress, so the death of this particular river may be inevitable. I am confident however that the earth will take care of herself…where one river dies another river will start flowing again.
PK: If you weren't a river fishing guide, what would y'all be?
MR: Johnny would be a photographer and he would be fishing the flats and surf in South Padre. If I was not a fishing guide, I would just be an angler on the river.
PK: Outside of river fishing, what other hobbies do you have?
MR: My hobbies are spending time with my wife and three girls. We hike and fish a lot…I do love to travel, read, write, and observe life as it happens. I am a fairly boring person.
PK: Any future goals for yourself?
MR: I want to teach my three daughters to guide and take over the guiding business. My next immediate goal is to start building my house on the San Marcos River this next year. I want to travel with my wife and girls and show them all of the places I have traveled before. I want them to walk in my footsteps and see the beautiful world I have seen. There is something to learn everywhere and every day.
PK: Who has been your favorite fishing partner?
MR: Growing up…James Ruston. My adult years…Johnny Quiroz. Today….my wife Angela and my girls Aurelia, Ava, and Angelina.
PK: Who is the best angler that you have had the chance to fish with?
MR: Dang this is a hard question….Joey Lin (far out fishing trips) is the best all-around fly angler I have ever had the opportunity to fish with. Dave Whitlock is the best popper fisherman I have ever seen…but Johnny Quiroz is the most fun and naturally talented spin and fly angler out there. He has become a way better angler than I could ever hope to be.
PK: Who is one person you would love to take fishing, dead or alive?
MR: Another hard question….Alive, Flip Pallot, because he just gets it. Otherwise, Jesus…apparently, he likes the company of fishermen, fishing would most likely be miraculous, and we would always float on a few potential glasses of wine.
PK: Thanks for your time. I appreciate the interview.
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