Where Is The Best Bass Lake?

[BassChaser57]

I have fished many midwest lakes from north to south but am always looking for the new hottest water for both numbers so when I take the kids, and size for when I go it alone. Let me hear the good news. 8-)

[RoLo]

For overall quality bass fishing (mix of size & numbers),

LAKE GUNTERSVILLE in Alabama is currently a very strong contender.

[Lightninrod]

Well, I d/k if you're willing to come to GA but the Dodge County PFA is mamaged by the State for big Bass and other species.  It has docks and clean banks for non-boaters too.

That's a 7+ lber I caught there back in 2005.

Dan

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I'm thinkin,,."whichever one is under my boat at the moment"

I havn't been fortunate enough to fish any of America's warm water impoundments being that I live in RI but I'll be at Fork in March so I'll let you know how that one is on a personal level.

[Randall]

Stick Marsh/ Farm 13. I think this one wins hands down for both numbers and big fish. I have two great lakes where I live here near Atlanta. Lake Varner is one of the best big fish lakes anywhere and Lake Kedron is incredible for numbers but I am still willing to travel to Florida to fish Stick Marsh/ Farm 13. I cant say that for any other lake unless I went to Mexico.

[Hula_King]

Well, let's see here.  The best bass fishing lake is the private farm pond about 3 miles from my house.  I don't think the lake even has a name?!?!?!?

[RoLo]

Randall,

"Kedron Lake" caught my eye (Peachtree City).

You're right about numbers of bass, and the fellow at the Fairburn Bait Shop

told me that he weighed-in a 10-pounder from Kedron. When I lived in Rico (Palmetto),

I used to row a cartopper from the metal docks on Kedron to the causeway bridge.

I found a sharp drop-off beside the bridge that's always good for a few bass.

Now I live in Florida, less than an hour from the Stick Marsh. It certainly has the size,

but I hesitated to mention it with regard to numbers (I was thinking of the kids).

I don't fish the Stick Marsh because I live on the shore of Lake Walk-In-Water.

But I have a neighbor who does and he complains about the consistency of action.

It may very well be that it's his fault and no fault of the lake.

[Randall]

Randall,

"Kedron Lake" caught my eye (Peachtree City).

You're right about numbers of bass, and the fellow at the Fairburn Bait Shop

told me that he weighed-in a 10-pounder from Kedron. When I lived in Rico (Palmetto),

I used to row a cartopper from the metal docks on Kedron to the causeway bridge.

I found a sharp drop-off beside the bridge that's always good for a few bass.

Now I live in Florida, less than an hour from the Stick Marsh. It certainly has the size,

but I hesitated to mention it with regard to numbers (I was thinking of the kids).

I don't fish the Stick Marsh because I live on the shore of Lake Walk-In-Water.

But I have a neighbor who does and he complains about the consistency of action.

It may very well be that it's his fault and no fault of the lake.

My wifes grandmother lives just a few minutes from the Stick Marsh near Palm Bay. I have only fished it once but I caught a bunch of fish with a bunch of six and seven pounders. I have heard it is a tough place when the conditions arent right. I dont know when the last time you fished Kedron was but it has got even better in the past few years because of all the grass growing in the lake. Its a great topwater and frog lake in the summer. I have had kids and beginners out on the lake with me catch 50-100 fish in one day when the conditions are right. I have also caught and seen plenty of 7-10 lb fish there but you still catch mostly 10-14 inch fish. I was on a TV show called Lunkerville and we fished at Kedron. You can watch it at www.lunkerville.com . The title of the show is "Georgia On My Mind". It might bring back memories of your old fishing hole.

[BassChaser57]

Keep 'em coming guys. I will be glad to travel. Lake Fork is one of my favorites but can be tough at times. Where else?? 8-)

[FALCON]

I'M A LITTLE PARTIAL, BUT I THINK YOU CAN'T BEAT LAKE ST. CLAIR. IT WAS VOTED ONE OF THE TOP TEN ON BASSCENTER AND IF YOU ASK KVD HE WILL SAY IT IS ONE OF HIS TOP FIVE. FOR SHEER NUMBERS ALONE YOU CAN'T BEAT IT, NOT TO MENTION IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO CATCH BRUTES LIKE THE ONES IN ROAD WORRIOR'S AVATAR.

[cart7t]

Basschaser, if you're in Southeast Missouri then you're very close to 2 of my picks.  One would be Lake Girardeau just west of the Cape and the other is just up I-55, Perry County Lake in Perryville.  

I'm talking big bass here, not necessarily the best lake overall.

[Rattletrap]

Lake Seminole....

[Guest avid]

Now I live in Florida, less than an hour from the Stick Marsh. It certainly has the size,

but I hesitated to mention it with regard to numbers (I was thinking of the kids).

I don't fish the Stick Marsh because I live on the shore of Lake Walk-In-Water.

But I have a neighbor who does and he complains about the consistency of action.

It may very well be that it's his fault and no fault of the lake.

Stick Marsh has a great reputation even among Floridians as The best big bass lake.  There are days when both numbers and size are common, but unlike some other lakes in Florida, Stick Marsh/13 can be very fussy.  There are days when catching anything can be a real challenge.  

[RoLo]

Randall,

I watched your video and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was so nice to see Kedron again,

one my favorite row-only lakes. I last fished it during the mid-90s before the hydrilla explosion

and basically had the whole lake to myself. The overpass where you fellows had to duck down,

is the "causeway bridge" that I mentioned. My wife and I did very well on culprit worms

from the drop-off before that bridge to the left along the rip-rap bank (pre-weed era).

Thanks again Randall, my wife and I really enjoyed your video and our walk down memory lane.

[Upnorth]

You are gonna get a lot of different responses, and all of them will probably be correct.  I can only speak from experience.  Lake Guntersville is my all time favorite, I get down there several times a year.  The Big G has both numbers and size, plus you can catch them in some of my favorite ways: frogs on top, flipping 1oz. jigs in grass and ripping lipless cranks.  I also have to give a nod to Lake Erie.  Best smallmouth fishing I have ever seen.  30+ fish days with plenty in the 4+ class.

[RoLo]

"UpNorth" has jogged my memory.

Several years ago, I trailered my Silverton bassboat to a ferry that shuttled from the Ohio shore

to Bass Islands, Lake Erie. It was the best smallmouth fishing I have ever experienced anywhere.

A bassboat however, is the wrong boat for Lake Erie. I understand that since that time the emphasis

on smallmouth has shifted from the Western Basin (Bass Islands) to the Eastern Basin in New York

(giant walleyes too).

Now Back To Largemouth Bass:

I live in central Florida, a place that many bass anglers only dream about.

Be that as it may, the very best largemouth bass fishing I have ever experienced

was at 30,000 Islands, Georgian Bay on Lake Huron (A long way from Florida).

Years back, the Lindner brothers delineated what they called the "Bass Box",

i.e. the black bass capital of the world. Once again, the Lindners boys got it right.

BASS BOX

With Lake Ontario at the hub, the bass box may be outlined by joining the following 4 corners:

Danforth, Maine; south to Hartford, Connecticut; west to Toledo, Ohio; north to Sault Saint Marie,

Ontario; then east back to Danforth, Maine.

Granted, Lake Huron lies at the northern edge of the bigmouth range, but in my experience,

3-pound bass are just as common in Lake Huron, Ontario as they are in Lake Kissimmee, Florida.

[jagdbdg]

In Virginia i would have to say Briery Creek Lake.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

What about lake Champlain.  I think it was Rick Clunn that said it was the best bass lake in the country and I think it's a favorite among the touring pros.

[RoLo]

KU_Bassmaster,

Lake Champlain too, is in the Bass Box. I've fished Champlain several times (Vermont side)

and it is super water for largemouth, smallmouth and walleyes. More frequently though,

we used to fish the Thousand Islands area of the St Lawrence River (also in the bass box).

I'd have to say that the Thousand Islands was our favorite bassing water in the United States,

though I mainly targeted pike and muskies. If you include Canada (as noted above)

then I'd go with the Thirty Thousand Islands in Lake Huron.

Wellesley Island in the Thousand Islands, used to be my secret annual hideaway, that was,

until B.A.S.S. held it's first tournament in the Thousand Islands. The next thing I knew,

I was watching Larry Nixon on TV, fishing in Lake of the Isles, which I once had all to myself.

The last time I fished the Thousand Islands it was crawling with bass boats :'(

[Upnorth]

KuBassmaster, you are right, Champlain is incredible.  I only got to spend 6 days on the water out there 2 summers ago, but they were great.  We launched out of Plattsburgh, NY.  You need way more than a week to really see that lake, but we caught tons of bass, both smallmouth and largemouth.  There were also more perch in that lake than I have ever seen.

[JayDub]

Lake Fork is great... the only problem is it's so popular now, theres usually ALOT of people on it.  People come from all over the world to fish this lake.

[Matt Fly]

I am proud of Lake Fork, but, one needs to ask if we are talking quanity or quality.   If Quality is the issue, then California being the only state to produce more than one 20+lb bass would be leader.   Georgia being the exception with the world record.    Sheer numbers of Trophies, Texas and Florida deserve a big pat on the back.

If you want both, numbers and trophies, Mexico is the place to go.  With the restricted fishing season in Mexico on bass, and less pressure due to rigors of travel to get there, the warm winters, the Florida strains and the common 50-100 fish days with several pushing double digits, and teens, Mexico wins hands down.

I haven't read current Mexico regulations, but for years, they have a closed season on bass, and I always thought the spawn was  protected.  But the number one reason bass get so big so fast is the 365 days a year growing season.

I bet every body thought I would say Lake Fork hands down.

Fork is good for numbers and size, (lst 5 trips to fork, nothing less than 2.12 lbs) I havent had over 50 fish in awhile on Fork, it can be done, still done, but the pressure it receives year around make it a better trophy lake overall.      Could I duplicate 50 every day?  certain times of the year and select occassions.  Yes

[PeterF]

X marks the spot. Here's a birds eye view of what I think is the best lake. The red dot is where my house sits. We have two areas to fish, the lake and the marsh area. A normal day will produce at least 40 fish. Largest fish was 8.5 lbs and we has a two 5 lb day last month. You guys are more than welcome to come down, just give me a ring. This is located in South Fla.

http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=11&Z=17&X=1416&Y=7182&W=2&qs=3961+sw+145+ave%7cmiramar%7cfl%7c&Addr=3961+SW+145th+Ave%2c+Hollywood%2c+FL+33027&ALon=-80.3394103&ALat=25.9731023

[Matt Fly]

Peter F,  I like that, "better bring your A game".  

[thegreatestfisher]

Jap Beaver lake which is the old Waurika lake in Waurika Oklahoma is a real good lake for Bass fishing i have fished it many times and caught about 30 bass that have weighed over 8 pounds.