I fished alone this afternoon at Ben Wheeler Twin Lakes. I fished only the West Lake. Both lakes are brim-full. The water temperature all over the west lake was 89°, and the water was very clear.  The bass wanted Rattletraps today. I was using a ½ oz ‘trap in Chartreuse Flash, just a little ways toward the dam from the launch area. I was fishing in mid-lake, just ripping the bait over the top of the coontail moss. All 10 that hit the 'trap came from an area the size of a billboard sign)

I harvested 4 under 14”, but most of my bass – 16 of them - were good ones. The biggest 5 were 19”, 19.25”, 19.5”, 20.25, and 25” in length, and the biggest one weighed 6-12.  It hit a wacky-rigged, 5” Senko in green pumpkin/black flake. It had a huge head and shoulders, but a very thin body; it hit in 8’ of water by the dam. The 20.25” fish weighed only 3-12, and hit the Rattletrap. The 19.5” bass hit a C-rigged 8” purple worm with yellow tail – in 9’ of water near the dam. The 19.25” also hit a wacky-Rigged Senko by the dam in 9’ of water. That was the deepest water I found. The 19” was the largest of the 10  I caught on the Rattletrap. The shallow part of the lake produced only one bass. It was over 14”, and hit a ½ oz. shad Yellow Magic. I caught another surface fish by the dam by twitching a  #11 original balsa in Rainbow Trout pattern between the dam and the weed mat. I only lost one bass today, but it was a drag-puller - it took my Rapala near the old dock and after about 15 seconds of pulling the drag (only 8# line on that UL rod), went into the coontaiI and then got off.

I had no luck at all on drop shot, T-rigged worms or lizards, Zara Spook, frog (I did miss one strike from a small fish on it), chatterbait, buzz bait, or deep-diver. I fished the first two hours in a major Solunar period, but the bite remained pretty steady all afternoon. The landowner came down as I was launching, and showed me another way to get back to the gate when it’s dry. He’s a very nice person.

I’m looking forward to a return to the west lake in the fall, and again next year before the coontail gets so thick. Overall, it was a good day with quality bass. I hope this detailed report will help some of you catch some Twin Lakes bass this summer.