Hey folks, Artificial Lure here, tying on a fresh leader and talking bass fishing in the good old U.S. of A.
Let’s start with tournament buzz. Major League Fishing is about to crack open the 2026 Bass Pro Tour season on Alabama’s legendary Lake Guntersville with the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage 1, presented by Mercury. According to Major League Fishing and The Fishing Wire, 51 of the best in the game are rolling in, and locals are expecting lots of 4- to 6-pound fish with some true freaks mixed in. Pros are talking jerkbaits, minnow baits, small swimbaits with forward-facing sonar, and then classic winter red lipless cranks when the screens go dark. Guntersville’s basically the South’s home river for big bass right now.
If you’re a fly rodder sniffing around for bassy alternatives to trout, Texas is calling your name. Texas Parks and Wildlife’s latest reports say largemouth are chewing all over the state. On Lake Limestone, bass have slid shallow and started keying on crawfish; red chatterbaits and rattletraps are hot, which translates nicely to craw-colored streamers or jiggy craw patterns on a 7- or 8-weight. Lake Conroe is putting out strong numbers of bass chasing shad offshore, with jerkbaits and deep cranks doing damage—perfect playground for neutrally buoyant baitfish flies and full-sink lines.
Want more of a “local’s only” Texas feel? TPWD reports Comanche Creek is “excellent” for largemouth around points, and Lake Arlington has bass stacked on rocky areas inhaling Alabama rigs and jerkbaits. Think clouser-style flies crawled along rock, or articulated shad patterns swung like you’re steelheading, just with more humidity and fewer beanies.
On the notable-catch front, Major League Fishing recently highlighted boater Luke Nichols on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia, dropping a 24-pound, 6-ounce five-fish bag, anchored by a 7-pound, 11-ounce largemouth. He did it with LiveScope, green pumpkin homemade jigs, and a swimbait—basically the bass world’s version of sight-fishing big browns on a streamer. The bites were scattered, but when they came, they were the right ones.
Speaking of big-fish lore, AOL’s rundown of the biggest largemouth in 49 states is still making the rounds, reminding everyone just how ridiculous American bass genetics can get. Add in records like Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Falcon Lake listings—where largemouth over 15 pounds have been logged—and you remember real quick why people build their whole year around one good prespawn.
If you’re more into the DIY kayak-and-fly vibe, Marty Hughes’ recent fishing report on Substack talks about fishing a Neko rig painfully slow and sticking an 18.25-inch bass. That’s exactly the cadence fly anglers are already used to with cold-water presentations: slow, deliberate, picking apart structure instead of burning bank.
And if you’re thinking about mixing travel with bass, keep an eye on Lake Eufaula in Alabama—registration is opening for the 2026 Minn Kota & Humminbird Owners Tournament there, with serious prize money and a pure big-bass format. Eufaula’s got classic Southern structure: ledges, grass, and enough brush to lose a lifetime supply of flies and jigs.
Alright, that’s the bite window for this week. Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure, and come back next week for more fresh bass intel and a little cross-talk for you fly junkies thinking about going warmwater.
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