Bassmaster 100 Best 2022

[WRB]

The Bassmaster top 100 list is out in Sept/Oct 2022 issue.

Always some questionable lakes listed and this year has few.

Lake Pyramid in the Western division is rate #4. I doubt if anyone outside SoCal has ever heard of lake Pyramid north of Lake Castiac about 15 miles. Pyramid kicks occasional DD LMB but overall catching a 5 bass limit is tough. Reason is Stripe bass and the lakes wild fluctuations is water levels. Very bazaar choice to be listed.

Tom

[Hammer 4]

It is strange. Most guys I know, go there for Stripers. I went there in the early 90's and it o.k., but nothing special.

[MN Fisher]

Minnetonka made the list again - #21 in the Central Division. Mille Lacs is #9 and the Mississippi by La Crosse (last Elite tourney this year) is #25

[NorcalBassin]

Guessing my home lake is finally off the list now that it's 203 ft from full. Sure be nice if they put the plug back in at some point instead of just wasting all that water.

[Bluebasser86]

Glad to see no lakes from Kansas on the list again. Never seen so much pressure as the year they put a couple of them on that list. None of them should be on there anyways, there's no bass in Kansas ?

[FrnkNsteen]

28 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Glad to see no lakes from Kansas on the list again. Never seen so much pressure as the year they put a couple of them on that list. None of them should be on there anyways, there's no bass in Kansas ?

Guessing there isn't anything from Indiana on there either.

 

As Billy McDonald said,... Indiana only has 6 or 7 fish and we just take turns catching them!! ?

[ironbjorn]

13 minutes ago, FrnkNsteen said:

Guessing there isn't anything from Indiana on there either.

 

As Billy McDonald said,... Indiana only has 6 or 7 fish and we just take turns catching them!! ?

Thank God Matt Allen didn't do any good on Patoka a few years ago.

[Bluebasser86]

3 minutes ago, ironbjorn said:

Thank God Matt Allen didn't do any good on Patoka a few years ago.

I fished a BASS Weekend Series Regional tournament on Patoka many years ago. In 3 days, I caught 4 bass, 1 was a 2 3/4lb keeper, I almost qualified for the final day with that fish. 10 and change won for the non boater side over 3 days. Some of the worst fishing I've ever experienced. 

[ironbjorn]

5 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I fished a BASS Weekend Series Regional tournament on Patoka many years ago. In 3 days, I caught 4 bass, 1 was a 2 3/4lb keeper, I almost qualified for the final day with that fish. 10 and change won for the non boater side over 3 days. Some of the worst fishing I've ever experienced. 

It can be horrible. Had Matt done any good, horrible would have become abominable. This state sucks. Somehow it's managed to be infinitely worse than Illinois.

[A-Jay]

https://www.theitem.com/stories/bassmaster-releases-its-rankings-of-best-bass-lakes,348217

 

Seems this article is listing their version of 100 Best Bass Lakes of the Decade.

Also they divided the nation into four regions and rank the lakes in each region to give anglers perspective on the fisheries they can most likely reach.

 

As for bragging rights on which state has the most fisheries in the all-decade rankings,

that title goes to Michigan with seven lakes.

Right behind the "Great Lake State" there is a three-way tie

with California, Florida and Texas each placing six lakes on the list.

 

I can honestly say I'm not surprised by the bold type, just that they actually acknowledged it.

So many Lake Menderchucks, so little time.

Fish Hard 

A-Jay

 

[FrnkNsteen]

15 minutes ago, ironbjorn said:

It can be horrible. Had Matt done any good, horrible would have become abominable. This state sucks. Somehow it's managed to be infinitely worse than Illinois.

Yeah,... I'm born and raised Minnesotan, and the fishing is the biggest thing I miss living down here.

[ironbjorn]

15 minutes ago, FrnkNsteen said:

Yeah,... I'm born and raised Minnesotan, and the fishing is the biggest thing I miss living down here.

Packing up after a day of fishing in Indiana be like

 

[TnRiver46]

I bet chickamauga has been removed from that list, probably for a couple years now 

[WRB]

#3 West division is Bullards Bar located in the foothill region of NorCal 35 miles to a hotel, not easy get to.

What put Bullards on the bass map is giant Spotted Bass, 4 world records in as many years currently 11 lbs 5 oz.

Overall bass fishing at Bullards is tough to catch a 5 bass limit. At best Bullards Bar deserves a notiable mention for it’s record Spots, not rated #3.

Lakes Castias, Castiac, Cachuma in So Cal are far better bass fisheries.

Tom

[Columbia Craw]

I read the rankings.  There was one location and comments that was clearly accurate. The Columbia River.  What was once one of the premier fisheries in the west has suffered in large part to the states of Oregon and Washington classing all warm water species as invasive and trash fish.  

[volzfan59]

19 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I bet chickamauga has been removed from that list, probably for a couple years now 

I agree, before I moved to AR, Chick had become a shell of what it was.

 

I used to really enjoy the "Top 100" issue. I don't even read the article anymore, haven't for a few years now.

[KP Duty]

Looks like my home lake came in at #14 (Grand Lake).  It was on the news a week ago or so when KVD paid a chunk of $ to help stock the lake.  He said "This lake has been very good to me...I've won several events here and wanted to give back to the lake."  Pretty cool.  Fishing pressure is always bad on Grand...but the lake seems to always cough up me some bass or crappie.  

[webertime]

Champlain and St Lawrence are amazing because you can't fish them for 4-5 months a year.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

On 9/2/2022 at 6:31 PM, WRB said:

#3 West division is Bullards Bar located in the foothill region of NorCal 35 miles to a hotel, not easy get to.

What put Bullards on the bass map is giant Spotted Bass, 4 world records in as many years currently 11 lbs 5 oz.

Overall bass fishing at Bullards is tough to catch a 5 bass limit. At best Bullards Bar deserves a notiable mention for it’s record Spots, not rated #3.

Lakes Castias, Castiac, Cachuma in So Cal are far better bass fisheries.

Tom

Did you ever gun for the Alabama Bass record like you did for the LGM one?

 

Also what's your assessment about Bullard's Bar currently as a trophy Spotted Bass fishery?   Has it suffered the same fate as the LGM lakes?

 

Thanks for knowledge in advance!

On 9/2/2022 at 7:43 PM, Columbia Craw said:

I read the rankings.  There was one location and comments that was clearly accurate. The Columbia River.  What was once one of the premier fisheries in the west has suffered in large part to the states of Oregon and Washington classing all warm water species as invasive and trash fish.  

Hired a guide for a day to get skunked on Steelhead when I was out there.....so apparently the State isn't doing good at cold water species either.

[WRB]

Bullards Bar was a hidden gem for a long time and the giant Spotted bass didn’t get a lot of fishing pressure because it’s out of the way to get to and tough bass fishing overall.

The lake I fish for big Spots was lake Perris during it’s prime, never caught a big Spotted Bass.

Most local club derbies a Bullards are won with 10 lb 5 bass limits.

Tom

 

[Big Hands]

On 9/1/2022 at 3:50 PM, WRB said:

Always some questionable lakes listed and this year has few.

Lake Pyramid in the Western division is rate #4.

"Questionable" is being too kind. Pyramid Lake isn't even #4 on any list with more than four other lakes on the list. . . . unless Puddingstone is also on that list. The only time I fish Pyramid Lake is when Castaic is closed for some local disaster (happens more than you would think, mostly weather or fire related) or it's been so long since I've been to Pyramid Lake that I forgot why I don't fish Pyramid Lake.