Mixed Bags and Mystery Weather the Keys to Tackling Texoma
The Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Southwestern Division continues its season March 25-27 on Lake Texoma. One of the few Southwestern Division stops where smallmouth bass routinely factor into the event, Texoma nearly always features interesting fishing.
Tournament Details
Toyota Series Southwestern Division
Durant & Madill, Oklahoma
March 25-27, 2021
How the Fishery Sets Up
Fed by the Red River on the state line of Oklahoma and Texas, Lake Texoma offers more than 89,000 acres to fish with great numbers of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass to catch. Bass Pro Tour angler and winner of a B.A.S.S. event on Texoma in 1998, Jeff Kriet, says there’s plenty of structure and cover to fish, just don’t go looking for it in the wrong places.
“Don’t go out there looking for vegetation because you won’t find it,” Kriet said. “Rock, docks and wood are what you should be looking for. I got my win in 1998 by just fishing about five different logs.”
Jeff Reynolds, a winner on Texoma in the Toyota Series in 2017 and the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine in 2013, agrees with Kriet about the lack of vegetation. However, his recommendation is to stay away from the wood if the water level isn’t high.
“There’s a little bit of wood, but not a whole lot,” Reynolds said. “I would mainly just focus on rocks and docks. If the water is high, that’s when that wood will start coming into play. If it’s low, I wouldn’t expect to see a ton of guys flipping and pitching around wood.”
What to Expect
When it comes to fishing in March in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas, it’s all about the weather. While it’s too far out to give an accurate prediction for Mother Nature, Kriet and Reynolds both give possible scenarios for the two most-likely outcomes.
“The two biggest factors are going to be the weather and water level,” Kriet said. “We’re in the middle of a massive cold front right now and it’s possible for Lake Texoma to even get snow in March. If the water level is high and it gets warm, watch out because these guys will catch ‘em everywhere and doing just about anything.”
“I think you’ll still see spawning and prespawn bass by the time the tournament rolls around,” Reynolds said. “If we can see some warmer weather, it’s going to be a fun one.”
Mixed Bag a Must-Have
Kriet says there’s hardly ever a tournament on Texoma anymore that won’t take 20 pounds or more to win in a single day. With that being said, both of the anglers advise that focusing solely on the quality largemouth that Texoma has to offer and ignoring the sizable smallmouth in play may not be the best course of action.
“The last three or four years on Texoma have really been all about the largemouth,” Reynolds recalled. “Lately, the smallmouth have started to getter larger and healthier. They’re definitely going to be a big player that weekend. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 20-pound stringer of smallmouth.”
“There’s some giant smallmouth over there that guys are going to have to try and catch for a mixed bag,” Kriet advised. “I don’t think a guy will win it with 15 smallmouth over three days, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see the winner with five or six smallmouth when it’s all said and done.”
Baits and Techniques
Once again, it’s all dependent on the weather. Both anglers agree that preparing for both cold and warm fronts is a must.
“If it’s cold and the water level is down, expect those crankbaits, jerkbaits and jigs to be big players,” Kriet predicted. “Warmer weather will bring out the spinnerbaits as well as flipping and pitching plastics.”
“If the fish are staging around those suspended docks, swimming a jig or a spinnerbait would be good to use,” Reynolds added. “Jerkbaits and crankbaits will be in play as well. But, if the weather stays cold, don’t rule out an Alabama rig.”
Reynolds also leaves his fellow competitors with this final tidbit of advice while they’re out practicing:
“These fish in Texoma don’t handle pressure very well,” Reynolds said. “If guys start jerking on them in practice thinking they can catch two or three a day just to get an idea, I don’t think that’s a good idea. These areas don’t replenish that well and when you start hooking fish, those fish are going to be done for the weekend.”