The Texas Hill Country has a couple of hot spots for bedding bass that don’t require a boat, or even accommodate one
If you aren’t looking forward to the long lines at the boat ramps when the bass spawn starts, or if you have no boat to launch, don’t be discouraged. The Texas Hill Country has a couple of hot spots for bedding bass that don’t require a boat, or even accommodate one.
Rivers are often overlooked as productive fisheries in comparison to the abundance of reservoirs in Texas, and, as such, are a vastly untapped resource. One, situated about an hour from San Antonio, stands out.
The Blanco River, located in Blanco State Park, is actually classified as a “community fishing lake.” Several small dams have widened the river, creating a slow current that is very favorable to bass fishing.
For such a small area, there is a large variety of textbook bass terrain located in this state park. Drop-offs, bottom grass, and overhanging and submerged vegetation offer plenty of opportunities for the land-bound angler.
The best drop-off in the river is located in the upper end of the park. This is also the widest area. Fishing from the right-hand side (when facing downstream), the drop begins about 10 feet off shore and runs for quite a fair distance.
When the water is clear, you can observe the telltale color change that denotes the depth difference. Jigs and Texas-rigged soft plastic baits, especially watermelon flukes, worked slowly up the edge, can produce good strikes from hungry largemouths, as well as the occasional Guadalupe bass. Spinnerbaits worked up to the ledge, and then bounced up it, can entice aggressive fish, too.
This section of the river also contains some good submerged vegetation and boulders, as well. Bass like to relate to structure, waiting for unsuspecting baitfish to come their way, and for crawfish to crawl out from under their rocks.
The crawfish in the Blanco are brown and good-sized. Pumpkinseed skirted grubs on a football head jig work well to imitate the crustaceans. Worked slowly on the bottom around the rocks, they can be too much to resist for a hungry lunker.
In the lower half of the park, the terrain changes, but still favors bass fishing at its best. Starting about 50 yards from the low water crossing, the bottom of the river is covered with grass. Shallow-running crankbaits and spinnerbaits worked across the tops of the grass at varying speeds can draw the lurking lunkers from the depths, looking for an easy meal. The aforementioned flukes work well here, either weightless or Carolina-rigged.
The main forage fish here tend to be sunfish, so crankbait and spinnerbait patterns should reflect that. Fire tiger, bluegill and clown patterns are big producers.
There is a good amount of overhanging foliage on this section of the river, past the 281 bridge. This is where you can find the lunkers on their spawning beds.
Because of the dense foliage on the right-hand side of the river, you can almost walk right up on them. And since you can see the fish and how they react to your bait, selecting what works is simply a matter of trial and error.
The crawfish imitations used around the rocks on the upper end will work just as well here inched right up to the beds. The defensive bass will attack anything it perceives to be a threat to its eggs and nest. Try twitching the rod tip lightly to get the bait to imitate a defensive reaction when the bass investigates, and the fish will strike!
A little crawfish-flavored fish attractant for extra authenticity can’t hurt here. X-Spurt Pro Formula makes a great one that bass really seem to love. While attractants alone won’t cause strikes, they do tend to help in getting the fish to hold the bait longer.
When fishing the Blanco for bass, be sure to experiment with all the techniques mentioned, as well as some of your own. You’ll have plenty of room to try things out, because the banks are never crowded. Just be sure to wear some good shoes to cover all the opportunities.
Tom Taylor is a freelance outdoor writer and bass fishing enthusiast based in west Texas.