The health of the bass population is getting rave reviews from the anglers. From their perspective the bass are chunky, look well fed and are eager to bite. And that goes for the largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. All three bass are found in Texoma and in abundance.
All of the above accolades are supported by tournament stats. On average it takes about 20 pounds a day to hold a lead. Less than a decade ago that magic weight was only about 10 pounds.
The reason?
B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Gene Gilliland says it’s because of a combination of three factors. Those are abundant baitfish, fewer predators in the food chain, and believe it or not, the high water.
“Texoma is better than it’s ever been as far as a bass fishery,” remarked Gilliland, a fisheries biologist who recently retired after 30 years with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Gilliland said the benefits of a Florida largemouth stocking program are evident. Oklahoma and Texas Parks and Wildlife have stocked the fish in Texoma over the past 15 years.
The conditions in recent years have been optimal for threadfin shad reproduction and there are fewer predators eating those baitfish. That is due in part to last year’s historic flood that raised the lake by 30 feet.
“An enormous number of huge striped bass got swept downstream due to the flooding and long-term discharges,” added Gilliland.
That puts largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass at the top of the food chain.
Finally, the high water comes with a silver lining.
“It creates great nursery habitat for bass,” said Gilliland.
To the point the wildlife agencies in Texas and Oklahoma successfully persuaded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to keep the lake a bit higher than normal during late spring, during the prime spawning season.