Date: 4-29-25
Lake: Tara Lake
# of Fish Caught: Over 50 bass (up to 5 ½ lbs, most in the 2 to 3lb range) and a catfish
Conditions: Warm, partly cloudy with some wind gusts. Lake at full pool, stained water with about 1 ½ ft visibility. 
Lures: Primary baits were a hot craw chatter bait with a pumpkin green cowboy or craw trailer, and a green/pumpkin Texas rigged brush hog

Braving what we anticipated might be a muddy path with a high creek to the lake, we arrived without incident, finding many of the trees cleared by the water and an easy overall passage. The lake was as full as it gets. There was flooded vegetation that provided new targets for bass that we discovered after we launched at about 7:15 am. We typically start at the nearest brush pile. Nothing. After making our way up towards the dam, we fished the right brush pile. Nothing. Then we headed up towards the dam, starting in the far right corner. The first catch was a solid 2lb bass by throwing a chatter bait up towards the shallows. Others were caught in the same manner while working across the dam to the left side. Then we tried those brush piles on the left side. Nothing, until we started throwing around the grass (small reeds) on a point that enters the large cove. Then, the action accelerated. We caught several hard-pulling bass stacked up there in the shallows on that point. We then worked the cove and back down the bank opposite the launch side. There wasn’t much going on until we reached the other (lower) end, again having success in the shallows around grass and rocks, especially around and on the primary points. By noon, we had about 25, with the largest about 5 lbs. Great action, just not where we expected to find them. After lunch, the same thing. We had one on briefly from one of the marked brush piles, but the rest of the action was primarily on the points. There were flurries of snagging several, then they’d cool off, then another flurry. Before we knew it, it was about 4:30 and we decided to end on what we think was the largest bass of the day, about 5-½ lbs, once again, caught off a main point in the shallows, this time on a brush hog. What’s great about Tara is the strength and health of the overall fish population, and knowing some lunkers might hit at any time. Although we didn’t manage to catch any giant donkeys, it was still quite a “stringer” of really solid bass, over 50 in total, many pulling drag. Also, we caught several with tails red from fanning spawning beds. We assume that’s the latter wave of spawning bass. And although the typical Tara “pattern” was different, it was one of the best overall days one could ask for. Oh, and watch for snakes. We noticed several on the water, but we steered clear, and they didn’t bother us. Good fishing!