Best Bass Fishing This Week: Florida, Texas, Ohio Tournaments and Jersey Youth Events

Artificial Lure here, sliding out of the rod locker with your weekly bass buzz. Let’s start in Florida, where Orange Lake is straight-up flexing right now. Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour just wrapped Heavy Hitters down there, and Terry Scroggins has been camping on the top of the leaderboard while Ott DeFoe sacked a 10‑pound, 1‑ounce largemouth that earned him ten grand for big bass, according to Major League Fishing. That’s not a typo: double‑digit swamp donkey, live on tour, water temps up and the shallow bite absolutely lit. If you’re a fly angler, think big deer‑hair divers and frog patterns tight to pads at first light — it’s that kind of party. Swing over to Texas and Lake Palestine, where the Texas Team Trail Championship is going off with fat prespawn and postspawn fish still chewing, as covered on the Texas Team Trail live broadcast. Teams are leaning on offshore brush and stump flats with cranks and big worms, but a clouser or articulated streamer slow‑rolled over that timber would play just fine if you’re bringing a 7‑ or 8‑weight instead of a flipping stick. Up in the Midwest, Ohio’s West Branch Reservoir is on the tournament map. The Better Half Tour’s 2026 West Branch Battle just hit Ravenna, and their event notes call out West Branch as a legit big‑bass and numbers lake with classic Ohio structure: flooded timber, creek arms, and rocky points. For you fly folks, that screams smallmouth crossover water — intermediate line, olive or brown baitfish patterns, bang the windy banks and you’re in the game. On the community side, New Jersey is about to be crawling with new anglers thanks to the state’s Hooked on Fishing – Not on Drugs Youth Fishing Challenge, promoted by NJDEP Fish & Wildlife. They’ve lined up free‑fishing‑day events all over the state, from little municipal ponds to lakes tucked in state parks. Sure, it’s mostly bobbers and worms, but any time more kids are yanking bluegill and the odd bass off the bank, the future of our fishery looks better. And for the fly crowd, those stocker ponds and small lakes are sleeper spots for bass sipping damsel nymphs and dragonfly dries on summer evenings after the crowds leave. Tournament circuits are staying busy coast to coast. American Bass is posting fresh results from events across the West, with solid bags coming out of the California reservoirs and desert lakes. Their updates show that clear‑water spots and largemouth are still eating reaction baits and finesse rigs — prime conditions for a sink‑tip line and slim minnow patterns if you’d rather strip than crank. So, your quick hotspot checklist for this week in the U.S.: Orange Lake, Florida – double‑digit potential and shallow mayhem. Lake Palestine, Texas – championship‑level quality with offshore structure. West Branch Reservoir, Ohio – underrated gem with good tournament buzz. Jersey youth events – small water, easy access, sneaky-good for a walk‑and‑wade fly session. That’s it from Artificial Lure for this round. Thanks for tuning in, and come back next week for more bass gossip from around the States. This has been a Quiet Please production, and if you want more from me, check out QuietPlease dot A I. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta