Thanks to good rainfall and replenished lakes, the South Texas bass fishing has boomed over the past couple of years. The proof: chunks like this hefty largemouth caught on Lake Falcon by fishing guide Charlie Haralson. Photo by Matt Williams.

Texas is a huge state blessed with some of the very best bass fishing lakes in the universe. It's no wonder that casual and professional anglers alike, from across Texas and beyond, sometimes label the Lone Star State as "Bass Fishing Central." When it comes to quality and quantity, you'd be hard pressed to find another state that compares to Texas in terms of what the state has to offer bass anglers.

Perhaps BASS Elite Series pro Bobby Lane summarized it best last April after spending the better part of the month involved in a series of bass fishing slugfests that sent him packing to his home state of Florida figuratively battered and bruised. The "beating" he took came from battling thick-shouldered largemouths on three of the state's powerhouse lunker lakes -- Falcon, Amistad and Fork.

"You'll definitely have it going on in Texas from a fisheries management standpoint," Lane said. "The fishing there is outstanding -- some of the best in the country. I have to tell you, I was pretty glad to get out of Texas and get back to reality!"

Indeed, Texas bass fishing ranks second to none. Having soaked my baits in some of the best lakes in Texas and all across Mexico, I can attest to the fact that this place can ruin a man.

What follows is a rundown of some of the state's top-ranked bass fisheries by region, along with descriptions of what you can expect to find if you decide to make a visit this spring.

EAST TEXAS
Sam Rayburn
• Lake Record: 16.80 pounds
• Surface-Acres: 114,000

• Lake Description: A massive body of water with some 560 miles of shoreline that consumes real estate in five different counties, this lake is fed by countless creeks and two major river systems, the Angelina and the Attoyac, both of which enter at the lake's northern reaches.

Though much of the standing timber has decayed since the lake was impounded in 1965, boaters still need to be cautious of stumps and other underwater obstructions, especially during periods of low water.

Fallen timber and manmade brushpiles provide bass with all sorts of underwater hangouts, but hydrilla beds, lily pads, pepper grass, shoreline willows and buckbrush are the most abundant forms of cover.

• Springtime Fishing Tips: March and April are considered peak spawning times on Sam Rayburn from the midlake area south to the dam. If you're planning a trip there over the next 60 days or so, think shallow -- 8 feet deep or less.

Lipless crankbaits that are red crawfish in color have a rich springtime history at Sam Rayburn. Rattling baits typically work best when retrieved over submerged grassbeds situated on flats, points, ridges or humps near creek channel breaks. Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swimbaits, Senkos and jerkbaits can work equally well in these areas at times. Another good pattern is dragging a Carolina rig along inside grasslines when the water level is right.

Texas-rigged creature baits, lizards and jigs pitched around shoreline bushes will come into play if the water level is near full pool or above. Often, the better bushes are found in about 3 feet of water on isolated points or situated in close to creeks or drains. In periods of extremely high water, the fish can move so far back into the brush that getting to them can be difficult, if not impossible.