Falcon is coming back strong, too. "When a drought hits Falcon, the majority of habitat can disappear, since it is a more shallow, spread-out lake than Amistad," Dean explained. "Right now we have thousands of acres of flooded terrestrial vegetation, including trees, that grew during the drought. Some of the areas are too thick to get boats through, but other areas will provide great places to fish.

"We expect tons of small fish to be caught, along with very good numbers of legal-sized fish. There are still reports of 10-pound-plus fish being caught, so the trophy potential still exists."

The TPWD stocked the lake with 313,739 Florida bass in 2003 and followed up in 2004 with more than 664,000 Florida bass fingerlings, 185 Florida bass brooders and 174,000 northern largemouth fingerlings.

As for what baits to use, Dean says that you should stick with what you have confidence in, although he adds that tackle-shop talk runs to white spinnerbaits, red plastics, shad-colored crankbaits and crawfish-colored crankbaits and plastics.

One thing's for sure: The improved habitat for bass also produces more shad, and you'll seldom go wrong with a lure that imitates what the fish are used to eating.

Sleeper of the year has to be Lake Alan Henry, a 2,800-acre reservoir about 45 miles southeast of Lubbock. In October 2003 Baldomero Singleterry of Lubbock landed a 13.14-pound largemouth. On April 2 Bruce Butler of Canyon hauled in a 14.8-pound lunker. Guide T.J. Taylor caught a 13.85-pounder in mid-April.

Taylor reports having caught 22 bass over 10 pounds between Jan. 1 and April 13. Soft plastics in 3 feet of water seem to have been the secret. If you want to catch a trophy bass, Lake Alan Henry deserves a look.

REGION 2: BASS DOWN THE MIDDLE
Bruce Hysmith's territory includes lakes Texoma and Ray Roberts, but his first two picks were tiny lakes in the Caddo National Grasslands: Lake Davy Crockett (350 acres) and Coffee Mill Lake (650 acres).

"I have to go with these two lakes based on catch per unit of effort," Hysmith said. "These lakes are mighty small by Texas standards, but they offer great largemouth bass fishing. I have referred many float-tube anglers to these lakes, especially Davy Crockett, and have received rave reviews. One angler reports it is the best largemouth bass fishing he has ever encountered. He likes to topwater early and follow up with a Texas-rigged worm."

At Coffee Mill, throw spinnerbaits along the willows and the dam in spring; switch to worms and crankbaits in summer.

Small lakes can get crowded, but huge 89,000-acre Texoma has plenty of casting room. Texoma is primarily known for its striped bass fishing, but smallmouths have come on strong since being stocked in the 1980s, Hysmith says. "They seem to shine the best in the spring," he offered, "especially in the lower lake around rocky shorelines and in partially submerged willows on the north bank of the main pool. Largemouth bass are distributed fairly well lake-wide."

Hysmith is also bullish on "Ray Bob," though recent surveys have shown the bass population to be down somewhat. "The surveys don't really do this lake justice," he said. "We have witnessed or showed up right after anglers caught 10-pound-plus bass during creel surveys. Jerry Rogers of Wichita, Kan., who holds the lake record of 14.59 pounds, still comes to the lake and reports some of the best largemouth fishing anywhere."

According to TPWD fish and wildlife technician Wes Dutter, Arrowhead, Kickapoo and Millers Creek reservoirs benefited from 2004's good rains. "The rain inundated a large amount of terrestrial vegetation," he observed, "and these areas should stay flooded and, hopefully, catch more water before spring arrives. This means that the bass will be easier to target in the vegetation."