Fork-obviously-too many great memories to begin, but I missed out on its best or so I hear-didn’t fish there until 93-dang!
Sam Rayburn-89-92-big Florida strain toads in grass
Alan Henry-2004-2006-best sight fishing ever-almost never went a spring day that I didn’t see a DD cruising or bedding
Falcon-2010-2011ish-bang the rocks crankin-wow!-lots of really big ones
Sorry went over

Looking ahead for next great peak somewhere.
Maybe it’s here now-I should be fishing not typing!!!

Fork - Night fishing at Fork through the 90’s was the most fun non tournament fishing I have ever done. Some of those all nighters were magical.
Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend - Will never forget the first few times I went to these lakes for tournaments. Just the drive to Rayburn was awesome and could not believe the size of the lakes. Still look forward to going back to those lakes when I have the opportunity.

It was off the beaten path you might say, but Lake Corpus Christi (We called it Lake Mathis back in the day). In the mid 80's it was one of the top lakes in the state. Low water killed it like so many other lakes. I lived in Corpus for 13 years when I worked for a Refining company, fished it all the time.

Choke Canyon was another lake that was dang good but filet knife and low water knocked it down no doubt.

Thanks, Billy

O.H Ivie
Amistad
Brady Lake

I was going to say Toledo bend in the late sixties and early seventies. I remember running back into the timber and fishing in 4 to 7 feet crystal clear water. My dad hooked one in there that had to be well into double digits. I watched her take the bait it was so clear.

Isn’t it weird that the majority of the time frames on here came before catch and release was popular? Not all, but definitely a lot. It’s almost like keeping bass helped the population, and or made the fish easier to catch because the didn’t get pressured. Once they were caught they didn’t get put back in where they knew to be line shy or bait shy. I’ve just always wondered if some harvesting doesn’t help. Started thinking about it years ago when I was on Falcon watching the Mexicans running their gill nets every single day. Day after day, and thinking how the fishing was awesome.

The pressure back then was nothing compared to the relentless pressure those same older lakes receive now. Add in better boats and electronics, it's no comparison. Some of our lakes mentioned were similar to going to Mexico when they would open a new lake it was easy

^^^In a borrowed Pond Hopper from the BPS days before they killed the grass, those were good times Dave^^^


Fork - Before they sprayed the grass, killed the fish and called it LMBV - first time I went with Dean Strohman RIP

Purtis Creek - Before they sprayed the grass

Ray Roberts - Before they sprayed the grass

Oh and I almost forgot BBR park in HEB area, only needed one bait, a superfluke...

I think there might be a common theme here...

No, we can't have anything that's not native to Texas. If we start importing life forms from elsewhere we will destroy the ecosystem.

Well...except horses and whitetail deer...and Florida bass.

Fork
Ray Roberts
Squaw Creek
Nacogdoches

Thats four^,lol

Yea, I know, couldn't limit it to just 3. Same way with soft plastics colors I have in the boat,,,,,way too many colors.

dang, we used to be young.

Being that I grew up and stayed in West Texas I'll go with:
1.Oak Creek-in the 60's and 70's it could put out some good fish for a small lake,I want to say during that time it was in the top 5 for average pounds per fish in tournments.A really good tube lake also.
2.O H Ivie thru the 90's and then off and on.
3.J.B. Thomas,I know some will say it is just an old mudhole,but I saw my first 5-25lb stringer come out of that lake.Tube fisherman caught that also!

BBR before it was a park, before superflukes were invented - weightless Fliptail Lizards