Reservation Number : 38996
Property Name : BlackJack Ranch
Reservation Date : 03/12/2024 All Day -
Total Fish/Sizes : 20 bass 12-16"; 5 harvested
Lures Used : Pop-R; squarebill; stick worm

I enjoyed an extended topwater bite at BlackJack Ranch on March 12^th.  While the action wasn’t frantic or even rapid, it was consistent from dawn until about 10:30 when the sun broke through the overcast and the breeze increased.  There was a significant small chop on the surface yet a Pop-R worked slowly 15-20 feet off the bank over the submerged vegetation was the only lure that I could consistently get bites on.  I landed 12 on topwater, all between the pier and the dam, plus another five from the pier using a squarebill.  The bass were all slender and torpedo-shaped rather than fat egg-bearing females and ranged from 12” to 16”.  Once that bite died I launched the boat and started hitting deeper water spots, outer weed lines, depth transitions, and the shallow end of the lake.  Not a bite for nearly three hours. I then picked up another three bass from the same bank using a pink stick worm.  The third bass jumped and threw the worm and that was the end of my catching for the day as it appears they only wanted pink at that point.  I only caught one bass from the dam or the opposite bank.

The lake is at a “typical”, almost full level (a foot of air gap under the pier).  Submerged vegetation is still abundant and robust out to about 11 feet of water where is becomes more scattered.  Almost none of the vegetation reaches the surface but it is thick just 1-2 feet down.  Visibility is almost 3 feet if standing on the dam looking down but maybe 2 feet when sitting in the boat (with party coudy skies).

This is a beautiful property and a very relaxing setting, just me and the cattle for the bulk of the day.  I saw a distant ranch truck early in the morning and an oilfield truck mid-day but that was it.