Our state waters are the most diverse in the nation, featuring superb habitat for a variety of game fish in both fresh water and salt. While there's debate about the top places to fish throughout the year, this 12-month breakdown of outstanding fishing is sure to please any true Texas angler.

JANUARY
Largemouths, Choke Canyon
This body of water located about 65 miles south of San Antonio down Interstate 37 is as hot a bass lake as there is in the state. Choke produced its highest number of entries (six) into the ShareLunker program last season, and those fish averaged 14.21 pounds! Included in that haul was the lake record, a 15.45-pound largemouth caught Jan. 21, 2009, by Brad Bookmyer of Leander while fishing a crankbait in about 10 feet of water.

The water during January might not be as warm at Choke as it is on Falcon or Amistad, but the chances of hooking a double-digit fish are just as high if not higher. Big fish will be holding close to vegetation, so you should consider using braided line or heavier monofilament or fluorocarbon to cut down on the chances of losing a hawg to abrasion.

Popular big-bass baits include lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits, soft plastics and jerkbaits fished around staging areas, such as humps and points, which can be found easily using even a modest depthfinder. Texas-rigged worms, lizards and Senkos work well when flipping and pitching around vegetation that isn't kind to treble hooks.

FEBRUARY
Crappie, Toledo Bend
This massive 181,000-acre reservoir straddling the Texas-Louisiana border on the Sabine River features superb habitat and is a crappie angler's dream with a variety of fish-holding structure, including hydrilla.

You can keep an aggregate of 50 white and black crappie. All crappie caught this month at T-Bend must be kept as there are no length limits. And with a lake-record black crappie of 3.69 pounds and a record white crappie of 2.88 pounds, the chances to stock a freezer or plan for a fish fry are greater here than at possibly any other lake in the state.

The first places to look for crappie during February are in back cove areas in the many fingers that extend from the main portions of the reservoir. The fish won't be as shallow as when they begin their spring spawn as temperatures rise in coming months, but they still should be holding at intermediate depths in and around any type of consistent structure. You can never go wrong by tying up to a stump or even dropping an anchor while dabbling minnows around vegetation, but if you're looking to have some fun, try working small, dark-colored jigs on a lightweight spinning outfit.

MARCH
Largemouths, Lake Fork
The numbers don't lie at this East Texas mecca. Of the 50 biggest largemouths caught in Texas, 34 came from Fork, including the 18.18-pound state record caught in 1992 by Barry St. Clair.

The restrictive slot limit of 16 to 24 inches and phenomenal habitat have made Fork the trophy destination for anglers in the whole United States. As temperatures begin to rise this month, it's easy to see why. Big sow bass will start to move into the shallows to spawn and are at their most vulnerable for the whole year during time spent lurking near bedding areas cleared off by smaller males.