Catch Trophy Bass Across the U.S. with These Hot Spots and Lure Tips

What’s up, bass fishing fanatics! Artificial Lure here with your weekly scoop on what’s hot in the world of U.S. bass fishing—and this week, it’s all about big catches, prime locations, and some fun stories that fly fishers will love. September’s been a wild ride, with tournament action and big bass making headlines from coast to coast. Let’s start out West at California’s Clear Lake. Reed Frazier had a tournament day for the ages, sacking up two bass over 9 pounds—yup, you heard that right—anchoring a 38-pound bag. The key? Putting a Crush City Mooch Minnow on those cruising fish in 10-20 feet of water and using live electronics to stay locked on his targets. Meanwhile, kayak angler Matthew Brannon pulled in a jaw-dropping 26.5-pound five-fish limit. His secret was slow-rolling a chatter bait against docks and grass near the bank. The top fish are shallow, and they’re all about the bait moving up—a classic clue for fly anglers looking to imitate those movements with big streamer patterns. If you’re itching to catch your own toads, here are a few hot spots to circle on the map this September: In the Midwest, Lake Erie is stacked with smallmouth, especially around reefs and drop-offs. Mille Lacs in Minnesota is firing on all cylinders, with weedlines loaded up for fall feeding frenzies. If you head to the Great Plains, Lake Texoma straddling Oklahoma and Texas is the place to find hybrids and largemouth moving along ledges, while Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and Fort Peck in Montana have rocky banks holding plenty of aggressive bass. Spinnerbaits and soft jerkbaits like Zoom Flukes are working magic right now, but don't skip tossing finesse rigs around suspended fish—fly folks, think weighted clousers or crayfish imitations for that same bottom-hugging action. Texas is always bass central, and local guides say the topwater bite is on fire early and late in the day across Lake Hawkins and Jacksonville. As the temperatures hover in the upper 80s to low 90s, look for grass on humps and underwater points—Texas-rigged worms, creature baits, or big streamers and surface poppers for fly fans will get the strikes. The key across much of Texas lately is to watch for schooling bass erupting for just moments at a time—have your gear (or rigged fly) ready and move fast when the action pops off. Tournament buzz has been nonstop in the Midwest, with Michigan’s West Michigan Bass Series underway and payouts so big, they’ll make your rod shake. Over in Colorado, the Ridgway Smallmouth Bass Classic handed out a $10,000 top prize for the most smallmouths turned in. Why? Because in Colorado’s high country, smallmouth are considered invasive and are outcompeting native trout. Fly anglers can totally get in on these removal tournaments—grab a streamer rod and help keep those waters wild! Some cool news for the younger crowd—the 2025 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team was announced, bringing together 33 of the best student anglers from across 25 state This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.