This fun loving Toledo Bend Guide has earned a well deserved reputation as one of Toledo Bend’s best guides and a first rate tournament fisherman. Mike lives on the shores of Toledo Bend with his wife Janice and daughter Amanda in a beautifully rustic Cypress home that he built with his own hands. Behind their home is a guest house with a loft where Mike has a tackle workbench equipped with every type of spinnerbait blade and skirt imaginable. Mike builds all of his own spinnerbaits and jigs from components sent him by one of his sponsors, Bull Dog Lures. On those days when he’s not on the lake guiding or competing in tournaments he sets at his workbench building lures or just looking out over the lake planning his next guide trip or tournament strategy.
Mike is a south Louisiana native. He and his family moved to Aimwell, Louisiana 10 years ago, after building their new home, and started guiding full time. Since that time he has joined forces with tournament pros, John Dean, Jack Haines, and about 10 other local guides to form Toledo Bend Guide Service.(318-645-4415)
I met Mike four years ago at the Houston Boat Show where he was working a booth for his guide business. Since then I have come to know him through fishing Anglers Choice tournaments. He is well known by other tournament fishermen as a very good fisherman and a formidable competitor. He especially likes to look for big fish. Just a limit of keepers doesn’t interest him. A couple years ago Mike teamed up with one of his sponsors, Bill Kistler, of CastAway Rods to fish Anglers Choice Team Tournaments with great success. Last year they finished in the money many times and ended up qualifying for the Classic and finishing 8th overall for the season.
Last year while fishing a Honey Hole Team tournament on Sam Rayburn I had the pleasure of witnessing the largest 5 fish stringer I’d ever seen. Mike Cortelloni and Harold Stalcup brought 35 pounds to the scales to win the tournament. Think about it. As I recall they had a 10, a couple 8’s and that’s still only twenty six pounds. It takes me a year to get that many big fish. So you can see it is not only on his home lake of Toledo Bend that Mike does well.
Mike is sponsored by Bass Cat Boats, Mercury, Motorguide, CastAway Rods, Fred Arbogast Lures, Dri-Rind, Bull Dog Lures, Bill Lewis Lures, Triple Fish Line and Riverside Lures.
For some great fishing on one of the State’s best bass lakes call Toledo Bend Guide Service and ask for Mike Cortelloni. (318-645-4415) – Lake Havasu
– Lake Havasu
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