TULSA, Okla. – Before the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour kicked off, an annual ritual took place. MLF Commissioner Don Rucks and a group of seven MLF officials packed their bags and headed south for a week of fishing on Lake Picachos in Mexico.

Rucks takes a group of officials to fish Lake Picachos with guides of Ron Speed Jr.’s Adventures, a company that he has used for many years with much success.

MLF Executive VP Don Rucks shows off his catch at Lake Picachos in Mexico.

“I’ve gone to Mexico many times over the past 20 years,” Rucks said. “From a total trip standpoint, including the fishing, this is the best one I’ve ever been on.”

From the beginning of the trip to the very end, Ron Speed Jr.’s Adventures helped guide the MLF crew to the best spots on the lake, where they reeled in countless monster bass. Lake Picachos is a relatively new lake, just about 10 years old, and the fish are growing larger and larger with every passing year.

Dan Hayes has been fishing with Ron Speed Jr.’s Adventures for five years now and he says he’s constantly impressed with quality of fish in the lake.

“It’s probably the best bass fishing in the world,” Hayes claimed. “The climate is so nice and the bass grow so crazy. We average 150 to 200 fish per day. It’s fish all you can from sun up to sun down.”

Rucks says it’s common to land 7-pounders on Lake Picachos. In fact, at times his latest adventure turned into more of a workout than Rucks had bargained for.

“The morning of my last day was my best of the trip because we reeled in so many big fish that my arms and wrists just about stopped working from exhaustion,” Rucks laughed. “That just shows how many fish there are to be caught.”

But it’s not just about the fishing when you plan a trip with Ron Speed Jr.’s Adventures. Hayes says the amenities are also impressive.

“They take really good care of you and their staff is willing to do anything you want or need,” Hayes explained. “They really make it an adventure of a lifetime. We just happen to make it a lifetime every year.”

Year after year, one word comes to mind when Rucks thinks of his time in Mexico.

MLF Official Mike McCormick shows off one of the many bass he caught on Lake Picachos

“Consistency,” Rucks said. “You get exactly what they tell you you’re getting at Ron Speed Jr.’s Adventures. Consistency is a big deal to me, and they are as consistent as it gets. The service, the fishing and the guides are all top notch. If anything, it gets better every year.”

With the brand-new MLF Bass Pro Tour underway, it will be a long, busy season for Rucks and the MLF officials. While they’re excited to watch the inaugural year of the Bass Pro Tour unfold, they’re already looking forward to their next trip to Mexico.

“We already have our trip booked for next year,” Hayes said. “If you’re a bass-fishing enthusiast you should go at least once in your life. It will be the first time that you literally get tired of catching fish, if that’s even possible.”