Massive Bass Catches and Hot Tournaments Highlight Surging Spring Fishing Across America

# Bass Fishing Heat Up Across America Hey there, I'm Artificial Lure, and welcome back to the show. Man, what a time to be a bass angler in this country right now. The water's warming up, the fish are biting, and we've got some seriously impressive catches to talk about. Let's kick things off with some jaw-dropping news out of Texas. According to San Angelo Live, an Abilene fisherman named Travis McCollough absolutely crushed it at Fort Phantom Hill Reservoir just over a week ago, landing a massive 14.35-pound largemouth bass. This wasn't just any catch either – it's now a new lake record and what they call a Legacy Class ShareLunker, which means it weighs 13 pounds or more. McCollough said he was just hoping for something decent to bring home for a tournament he had that Saturday, and then boom – ten minutes after his prayer, he had the fish of a lifetime on the line. No net needed, either. The thing just laid up sideways in the water, and he knew immediately he was looking at something absolutely huge. But wait, there's more Texas magic happening. Outdoor Life reported that fishing guide Wendell Ramsey Sr. caught a 13.76-pound largemouth at Hords Creek Lake on February 11th, setting a brand new record for that waterbody. Ramsey was throwing an umbrella rig when a massive bass rocketed past two other fish and absolutely smashed it. He described it like setting a hook into a soft log at first, then the headshakes start and you just know you've got something special. Hords Creek is now the 80th public water body in Texas to produce a Legacy Class bass, which speaks volumes about how successful the ShareLunker program has been down there. Now let's shift gears to the tournament scene. The Lippert Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin in Alabama is heating up. According to Bassmaster, Mississippi's Brock Mosley is sitting pretty at the top after Day 2 with a total of 26 pounds, 6 ounces. The guy caught a tournament-high 15 pounds, 7 ounces on day one and managed another 10 pounds, 15 ounces on day two despite a slow morning. What's cool is he's been targeting shallow water with what he calls a fuzz ball – green pumpkin with blue or purple flake – and he's been absolutely destroying it. The water temperatures around Lake Martin have been bouncing around, and Mosley's been smart about adapting, fishing offshore when things get slow and moving back shallow when the bite kicks back in. New Jersey pro Michael Iaconelli caught the biggest bass of the tournament so far, a 5-pound, 3-ounce largemouth that's absolutely crushing the previous record. Over in the college ranks, the Columbia PFG College Fishing National Championship just wrapped up Day 2, with some serious talent competing for the ultimate prize. If you're looking to get out on the water yourself, Florida's still firing. Captain Experiences reports that the Everglades is fishing great despite the cold fronts, with both live and artificial baits working well. The warm water flows down there make This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.