Photo by Ron Sinfelt.

If you've fished Texoma lately, you'll have to admit that the fishing seems to be getting better and better! While striped bass are the main attraction, sand bass have their own festival. And the fishing for black bass is pretty good as well, and overlooked by far too many anglers these days.

But serious bass anglers who ply Texoma's waters would just as soon keep it that way. Here's a great place in southern Oklahoma where anglers can hit a triple on just about any bass outing.

True, Texoma is home to the whole black-bass trinity, which includes largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass. Angling for this trio of bass is splendid, and it seems primarily that only tournament anglers recognize the value of Texoma's great bass fishing versatility.

The lake's record is noteworthy, having yielded several state smallmouth bass records in the not-too-distant past. According to experts, the old lake still has the potential to yield several more. So whether you are an ardent bass angler looking for a new lake to prowl, or maybe just a novice, read on and consider the merits of this fabulous border fishery.

THE LAKE AT A GLANCE
Texoma is the 10th largest lake in the United States with over 89,000 surface-acres and a maximum depth of 100 feet. This giant border impoundment is one of the most popular fishing destinations for Oklahomans and Texans alike. Though known as the "Striper Capital of the World," Texoma boasts incredible fishing for several species of fish.

Although Texoma lacks the aquatic vegetation found in most lakes, the old reservoir does have adequate rocks, boulders, sunken logs, sandy flats, and stump beds that provide great habitat for fish.

ABOUT LAKE TEXOMA'S BASS TRIO
Second in size only to the striped bass, largemouth bass are found throughout Texoma. There are two recognized subspecies, the Florida strain and the Northern strain. These subspecies do interbreed, and though Texoma has both species, the primary one is the Northern largemouth.

Texoma's largemouths are opportunistic feeders and lie in ambush behind structure awaiting a chance to attack shad, minnows, bluegills, insects, and crawfish. They've also been known to eat lizards, snakes, mice, small birds, and earthworms and are most active in water temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees.

Smallmouth bass are well suited to Texoma, since they prefer large, clear lakes with rocky habitat, sandy flats, or submerged logs. Smallmouths are sometimes called "brown bass," "bronzebacks" or "brownies," but many that you'll find at Texoma are actually green or yellowish in color, depending on the part of the lake they're caught in, water clarity and time of year.

Smallmouths grow to about half the size of largemouths, but are sleeker, faster, and considered more aggressive fighters. Smallmouths are generally green to bronze in coloration with a small mouth and a red eye. Their sides typically are marked with vivid bars.

Smallmouth bass like to work rocky shallows in the early mornings and late evenings where they prowl for food. Their main diet is similar to that of a largemouth with crawfish, insects, and shad making up the bulk of the diet.

The spotted bass is an important fish in the Sooner State, although it is not widely stocked. Common nicknames are "spot" and Kentucky bass.

The bulk of a spotted bass' diet consists of crawfish, small bluegills, and immature insects. Spotted bass usually inhabit deeper water than largemouths, and congregate around rocky points.

Spotted bass resemble largemouth bass except they have a smaller mouth and a rough patch on the tongue. They have distinct rows of dark spots along their backs, hence their name, and are excellent fighters.