Hey bass chasers, it’s Artificial Lure here with your weekly fix of the latest in American bass fishing. Let’s just say July’s been electric across the country and, from monster catches to epic tournaments, there’s a lot for any angler—especially you fly folks—to drool over.
First, let’s talk legendary catches. Just out in Idaho, locals are buzzing about a bass landed recently that came in just shy of the state record. Western waters aren’t always on the radar for trophy largemouth, but this one turned heads and had people dusting off their heavy rods. Meanwhile, down in Oklahoma, a pint-sized prodigy, four-year-old Luke Lashley, reeled in a bass almost as big as himself, earning high-fives from Dad and securing full bragging rights for at least the next decade.
If you’re looking to get in on the action, the hot spot list is as juicy as ever. Lake Toho in Florida just wrapped up the 2025 ICAST Cup, with the father-son duo from Yo-Zuri America hauling in 16 pounds, 3 ounces of bass on just three fish—now that’s a morning to write home about! The Kissimmee Chain of Lakes is clearly still firing, and if topwater frog bites make your heart race, this spot ought to be on your bucket list.
Out east, the St. Lawrence River near Massena, New York, is serving up some of the biggest smallmouth in the world this summer. Major League Fishing reports fish are running a little ahead of schedule due to a warm spring, so most pros are dredging up those post-spawn behemoths out deep, while others tempt shallow marauders along the sandy bars. Local experts say anything under 24 pounds for your five-fish bag probably won’t sniff a win—now that’s a bass derby!
The Shenandoah rivers in Virginia have been a wild card lately. July rains turned both the North and South Forks high and muddy, so reports say most fly anglers have been sticking to trout water, but levels are finally returning to normal. If you love swinging big streamers for smallmouth, start watching those river gauges: as flows clear, those bronzebacks will be on the prowl and ready to crash a popper from behind a boulder.
Major League Fishing just dropped the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals schedule, and the tournament fever is sweeping the nation. Mark your maps for February at the Kissimmee Chain, March at Lake Hartwell, and the September Invitationals Championship on the mighty Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The top prize is a whopping $135,000, but with every angler sliding home with at least five grand, you can bet the competition will be fierce.
Even up north, Devils Lake in North Dakota is loaded with scrappy white bass, keeping anglers of all styles grinning. Guides say the trick right now is to hunt for that slightly stained water—when you find it, the fishing can be downright silly. And back in Southwest Missouri, Lake Taneycomo is on fire for those who prefer to sling articulated streamers to beefy bass, as per Rob’s latest morning sessions.
That’s all for this week, bassheads. Keep your drags loose, check your knots, and don’t forget: sometimes it’s the smallest angler in your crew who brings in the biggest surprise. Thanks for tuning in, and swing by again next week for more water-cooler-worthy tales. This has been Artificial Lure, a Quiet Please production. For more, check out Quiet Please dot A I. See you on the water!
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