Trophy Bass Season Heats Up: Texas and Alabama's Best Fishing Spots for Spring 2026

Hey folks, Artificial Lure here, slingin' the latest buzz on bass fishin' across the US. If you're a fly slinger who digs sightin' rises and strippin' lines, you'll dig how these bass hogs are smashin' offerings right now—kinda like huntin' big browns in a tailrace, but with more chunk and less finicky hatches. First off, Texas is on fire with trophy largemouths. Outdoor Life reports Brad Tucker and Ted Taylor boated a pig of a 14.22-pounder on Lake O.H. Ivie March 30—24.5 inches long with a 22.5-inch girth that'd make any fly guy jealous of the beef. That wrapped the ShareLunker season with 19 bass over 13 pounds donated, topped by Austin Miles' 16.04-pounder from Purtis Creek State Park Lake. O.H. Ivie? Straight-up hot spot for double-digit pigs usin' forward-facin' sonar—veteran locals swear by it east of San Angelo. Headin' east to Alabama, Bassmaster Elite Pake South just dominated the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula with 84 pounds, 1 ounce over three days, includin' a 31-7 final limit. That's back-to-back wins for the Texas pro, makin' him the fourth angler ever to pull it off in one season. Bass Angler Mag says Eufaula's churnin' limits that'd test your 6-weight—think deep ledges and current breaks where a well-placed streamer coulda fooled 'em. Over in Texas again, Major League Fishing highlights Jacob Wheeler's 11th Bass Pro Tour win at O.H. Ivie and Lake Brownwood, sackin' 42 pounds, 13 ounces on 12 scorable bass March 29. Pros are riggin' top baits there, but imagine droppin' a muddler minnow in those pockets. Fun fact for you fly crowd: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission pegs black bass fishin'—largemouth, smallmouth, you name it—at a whopping 2.6 billion bucks yearly for the state, with 711,000 anglers chasin' 'em. Most popular inland target, beatin' out mountain trout. Who knew these bruisers pumped that much green? Hot spots to hit: O.H. Ivie for trophies, Lake Eufaula for limits, Purtis Creek for history-makers. Water's warmin', tides movin'—grab your rod and chase the bite windows like you'd stalk caddis hatches. Thanks for tunin' in, y'all. Come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for me check out Quiet Please Dot A I. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.