Winter Texans who love to fish and spend time relaxing with friends have found the perfect place to do it.
Zapata, Texas, located approximately 100 miles west of McAllen on Highway 83, is a favorite winter spot for fishermen because of its location on Falcon Lake. Falcon Lake, which serves as an international boundary between the United States and Mexico, offers the best bass fishing in Texas, the locals say.
Although the city is much older, the site of the current city of Zapata was set up in the 1950s when the original city was flooded to create Falcon Lake. What was once a small hamlet on the Rio Grande River is now a thriving community known for its fishing and outdoor recreation sports such as hang gliding.
About half the mobile homes in the Lakefront Lodge RV Park have boats in their driveways. The park has its own boat launch and several days a week many of the residents head out on the lake to fish for wide mouth bass and catfish.
On a recent outing, Fred Nolting of Wyoming and R.C. Dickson of Alabama began their fishing day at 8:30 a.m. and concluded about 1 p.m.
Dickson said the lake is known for catfish, which are easy to catch, but the bass offer more of a challenge.
Nolting said they caught a female fish, but because it was spawning season, they threw her back in the water as most of the fishermen did. That would help assure fish for the future if she were allowed to spawn. According to Nolting many of the fishermen in the park practiced catching and releasing of fish. They enjoy fishing for sport but do not want to deplete the fish population in the lake.
Dickson said that on a weekday about 50 boats from their park would be on the lake. With those from other area parks there would be about 100 people fishing. He said that in March and April when the bass spawn, they could be caught in shallower water of two to six feet deep. Other times of the year, they live in deeper water.
The two friends go fishing two to three times a week depending on the weather. The two men said they favored the Zapata area because it offered year-round fishing, something they did not have at home.
Another fishing enthusiast, Helga Kopp of Indiana said she had been fishing on Tuesday and caught 10 bass, but threw back five. This is her third year in Texas and she loves it. Last year, her husband, Larry, went fishing every day. This year, he has fished at least three days a week.
Like most fishermen, it is the elusive big one that keeps them going back. The largest bass they ever caught was 10 pounds. The average weigh in at five pounds.
Helga said that in addition to fishing, she and her husband enjoyed the relaxing lifestyle. They have made good friends and enjoy getting together with them and having fish frys and potlucks or playing games such as crazy golf. Although Zapata draws a lot of angling enthusiasts, its quaint lifestyle offers something for everyone.
Across the way neighbors Tom and Loretta Towle of Illinois, who were tossing beanbags with visiting grandchildren, said they enjoyed the location, the scenery and the friendships they made while wintering in Zapata. They do not fish and don’t really enjoy eating fish, but they love the area.
One visitor said she enjoyed bird watching. The area has about 290 different species of birds including a white collared seedeater, a rare bird found at the San Ygnacio Wildlife Sanctuary about eight miles away but not found in many other locations in the United States.
A popular attraction is the new courthouse, built to resemble the old one that went underwater when the dam was built. Many historical pictures hang on the wall telling the story of the area, which was first settled in the 1763 when Spanish colonists settled a colony called Dolores, which failed. Other settlements such as Laredo and Old Guerrero on the Mexican side of the river thrived.
The city also has a museum depicting local history but it is currently closed for renovation.
For a taste of what the area was like in the 1760s visitors can go to San Ygnacio, just eight miles away where homes built in the 18th century still stand. An old Spanish fort home there is currently under renovation.
For those who love fishing, hunting and the great outdoors, Zapata seems to be a great place to spend the winter.