Drug violence along the Rio Grande is scaring fishermen away from the top-two-rated bass fishing lakes in the country.
Falcon Lake and Lake Amistad are known for their black bass, but fishermen have been cautioned about safety since Mexico began cracking down on drug cartels in 2006.
In March, the FLW Outdoors canceled a tournament scheduled for Falcon Lake and moved it to Beaver Lake in Kentucky. Each of the tournament's 11 events produce between $1.5 million and $3 million for the local economies, spokesman Jeff McCoy said.
"We would never put our contestants in harm's way," McCoy said. "So when prospective tour fishermen expressed fear over border violence, our antenna went up."
Two armed robberies were reported three days apart in April and, in September, a woman told authorities that gunmen killed her husband while they were on jet skis on the Mexico side of the lake.
Tom Bendle, the co-owner of Falcon Lake Tackle in Zapata, said publicity related to border violence has hurt his business.
"My brother and I had our goals set for a million dollar-plus year, and for our small family business that would have been great," he said. "Now, we're not going to make it. I hope we make half our goal."
Bendle and others believe it is safe to fish Falcon on the Texas side of the lake.
"I advise anglers to file an agenda of their plans when fishing Falcon or Amistad," said Alfonzo Vielma of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in San Antonio. "Tell friends where you are going and what time you're planning to return. Always take a cellphone and list the number of the county sheriff and local game warden. If you decide to venture into Mexico waters, don't go too far. Keep yourself in a position to exit quickly if necessary. We have had no known incidents occur on the Texas sides of either lake."
Larry Scruggs of Del Rio has been connected to Val Verde County outdoors for more than 40 years. He owned Anglers Lodge and Amistad Lodge near Lake Amistad. For the past year, he has operated Amistad Lodge and Adventures, "a bass and breakfast" establishment near Box Canyon.
But now he's closing the business and moving to San Antonio.
"Border violence, most of it occurring at Falcon, has wrecked my business," he said. "Fishermen are afraid to come here."
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