3.5 lbs Bass Caught at Buffalo Springs Lake

When I rolled into Buffalo Springs Lake, the electronic marquee said 46 degrees.  The sky was gray and somber, much like my mood.  I honestly wasn't expecting a lot.  Then I caught this beauty.

That's a 3.5 lbs largemouth bass!  Here's a side view.

If it seems like I'm excited, it's because this was my first bass.  I caught the fish on nightcrawlers.

I had the front portion of the worm pierced onto the hook.  The remainder was left off the hook to allow good action in the water.  I have a whole post dedicated to nightcrawlers that will show you how to bait the worm.  Although that post is geared toward carp, you bait the worm in exactly the same way.

The difference with regard to bass is that they're more aggressive.  They are predators who will hit a moving target.  Keep that in mind when you're reeling the line in for a bait check.  Reel in fast enough to avoid getting hung up on the bottom but not so fast that a bass couldn't strike the worm if it so desired.

So where do you find bass?  Like so many other fish, bass tend to be fans of structure and points.  Here's a shot of the area I was fishing.

Above you have large underwater boulders and cattails that come to a sort of point.  This practically screams, "Good fishing spot!"

Take a look below as to another reason I pegged this area.

In the upper left portion of the picture is the bridge that goes over the dam.  On the other side of that bridge is the spillway.  All of this equals deep water and current.  When you're fishing an actual lake rather than a pond or a playa, the dam's where you want to be.  This is especially true in winter when fish tend to stay close to, but not necessarily in, the depths.

Take a look at the photo below.

In most instances, I cast a couple of yards beyond the cattails.  This will keep you from getting hung in them.  If there's a bass in the neighborhood, it will either come looking or stay by the brush and strike as you're reeling in.  My fish grabbed the worm before I ever started reeling.

In addition to the bass, I caught two nice bluegill.  See below.

Last but not least, Buffalo Springs Lake yielded three baby flatheads.

It's rare to catch more than one fish in winter, let alone five fish representing three different species.  Buffalo Springs Lake (5 mi east of Lubbock) delivered today!  And I'm not just talking about fish.  See below.

That, my friends, is how you top off the perfect fishing trip.  As usual, it was all catch and release.

Tight lines!