Top Places to Go February Bass Fishing in Texas

February 18, 2014 By Bob Hood

Let's take a look at a few of the options available for February bass fishing in Texas and other great species.

Here's a sample of some great destinations to help you plan your next fishing trip and be sure to check out the solunar fishing calendar on In-Fisherman!

FEBRUARY

Catfish, Lake Texoma

If there is one month out of the year that has proved "best" for blue catfish, it's February, and anglers only have to look at the number of boats on the lake to see that.

Big blue catfish averaging from 30 to 60 pounds are caught there annually during February, with a large majority of them taken by jugliners who set their lines along the main river channel and creek tributaries on the upper reaches of the big border lake.

A lot of big blues also are caught by drift-fishermen. Stout rods and lines are the name of the game because it isn't unusual to catch one weighing 50 pounds or more. Live shad and perch drifted on Carolina rigs with No. 5 to No. 8 hooks are favored by many drift-anglers who target the edge of the main river channel or along edges of humps and other dropoffs.

TRITON 21 TrX

www.tritonboats.com

Triton's 21 TrX measures 21 feet and features a 95-inch beam. The bow has a 20 percent larger fishing area than last year's model. A bow panel is ready for flush-mount electronics up to 12 inches, and has an organizer for pliers and baits. Stows 24 rods in the bow, 10 more in the center locker and another 14 in the port side. tri-tonboats.com.

YUMPHIBIAN

www.lurenet.com

The YUMphibian creature bait has two small swimming arms at the top, a pair of longer curl tails at the end, and two big 'flappers ' at the mid-point. Pitch it, flip it, or work it deep. Customize by pinching off appendag-es to create less water disturbance for finicky or pressured fish. 4 1/2, 5 1/4 and 6 inches in 10 color options.

SUZUKI DF15A/20A EFI

www.suzukimarine.com

MSRP: $3,329/$3,738.

Suzuki's two new four-stroke, two-cylinder portable outboards have a compression reduction system for easier starting. The 20hp tiller model weighs 97 pounds the eletric-start model weighs 106 pounds. Single overhead cam, four-valve engine with Suzuki's Lean Burn Control and bat-tery-less electronic fuel injection. Built for running in skinny water, both motors come with five tilt pin positions and 15- or 20-inch shaft.

SHAKESPEARE MICRO SERIES

www.shakespeare-fishing.com

MSRP: $24.99-$29.99.

Shakespeare's new Micro Series Combos provide lightweight actions and are suited perfectly for panfish. They come in spinning and spin-casting models with high-quality components and each is spooled with Stren monofilament.

STRATOS 186 VLO

www.stratosboats.com

MSRP: Pricing starts at $22,195.

The 186 VLO measures in at 18 feet 9 inches with an 89-inch beam. The boat is built on a fiberglass, foam-filled hull and weighs in at 1,450 pounds and can hold a payload of 1,320 pounds. Maximum room is devoted to rod and tackle storage and fishing deck. VLO comes with a cus-tom-built, single axle trailer with submersible lights, a swing jack and a swing-away tongue.

RANGER'S ALUMINUM BOATS

www.rangerBoats.com

MSRP, $14,895-$19,395.

Ranger Boat is introducing a line of aluminum boats called The Tourna-ment Series. There are three models:
€¢ RT 178 sports a 17-foot, 8-inch bass configuration.
€¢ RT 178C has a similar platform (17 feet, 8 inches) but designed for crap-pie and multispecies angling.
€¢ RT188, an 18-foot, 8-inch bass de-sign rated for 115 horsepower.

SCATTER RAP

www.rapala.com

MSRP, $8.99.

Rapala is hoping the new Scatter Rap Series lures and their 'evasive action ' will be as popular as the original 'wounded minnow ' style action that the company is famous for. The new lure has a 'Scatter Lip ' that creates an evasive, erratic, aggressive sweep-ing action. Ideal for multispecies gamefish, the Scatter Rap Series is available in 14-16 classic and new color patterns. Baits 5- to 9-feet deep.

MIGHTEE WORM

www.lurenet.com

MSRP, $4.99.

YUM's F2 MightEE Worm is 10 1/2-inches long, has an arrowhead shaped bulge toward the end and is made for big bass. Because the worm tapers to a smaller circumference before blow-ing back out to the bulge, the tail sec-tion wags back-and-forth in the water with each breath of current.

FLEX 'N GO TACKLE SATCHEL

www.planoMolding.com

MSRP, $24.99-$29.99.

On-the-go anglers will find a lot to like in Plano's new Flex 'N Go Tack-le Satchel. It features adjustable built-in storage with a deep bin on one side and framework for the pair of swap-pable Plano 3600 StowAway boxes on the other, each Stowaway held with a flexible strap.

HONDA OUTBOARD

www.marine.honda.com

MSRP, $24,025.

Honda Marine's BF250 outboard is a 24-valve 3.6-liter V6 that uses varia-ble valve timing and lift electronic control (VTEC). Programmed fuel injection delivers the precise amount of fuel and air to each cylinder for easy starts and instant throttle re-sponse. 20-, 25- and 30-inch shaft models.

GEAR GRABBAR

www.geargrabbar.com

MSRP, $18.95 per pair.

The original Gear Grabbar is a unique way to hold lures and tools at the ready in boats. But the new Lure Hangar is a step beyond. This is a 12- by 16 1/2-inch plate,m ade to mount on your gunwhale, that holds 16 or more lures. There's enough room for a selection of jig, plugs, topwaters or whatever other baits you want to hang.

HAVOC JUICE WORM

www.berkleyfishing.com

MSRP,Package of 12 Juice Worms $3.49.

Designed by Boyd Duckett, the new Havoc Juice Worm gives anglers more action which produces more strikes than any other worms on the market. The slim ribbed 8-inch body has a long, flexible ribbon tail that produces a unique swimming action. 20 colors.

G-LOOMIS GLX

www.gloomis.com

MSRP,$410-$450.

G-Loomis'Jig and Worms Serie GLX rods offer sensitivity to feel the bite and the power to control the fish. GLX models feature Fuji Titanium SIC guides, along with a new proprie-tary reel seat and split-grip handle configurations.

CRESTLINER VT19

www.crestliner.com

MSRP, $23,168.

Crestliner's VT19 has a .100 gauge aluminum hull, is 19 feet long with a 91-inch beam. Rated for 150 horse-power and has a top speed of 60 mph. 1,085 pounds and a maximum pay-load of 1,300 pounds. An elevated starboard console has a windscreen, switch panel, gauges and in-dash Lowrance depth finder. 30-gallon aerated livewell. Motor Guide trolling motor.

TACKLE TOTE VEST

www.fishandhunt.com

MSRP, $19.99.

If you wade when you fish, Fish-N-Hunt Pro Gear designed a Tackle Tote Vest that to keep gear accessible but dry when you're standing in deeper waters. It's adjustable, sturdy, has lots of pockets and a modest pricetag.

CABELA'S RAINGEAR

www.cabelas.com

MSRP, Jacket $249.99-$269;
Bibs, $229.99-$249.99.

Cabela's Guidewear raingear now comes in four distinct series. Bass Angler (pictured) jackets and bibs are built with the tournament bass angler in mind. Xtreme parkas and bibs will help anglers fishing Northern lakes and rivers. Tidal jackets and pants offer lightweight, waterproof and breathable protection. River Runner jackets are perfect for wading anglers.

CAROLINA SKIFF DLV SERIES

www.Carolinaskiff.com

MSRP, $18,178-$22,950, no motor, trailer.

Carolina Skiff's DLV Series is an unsinkable, all-fiberglass, modified-V hull designed for offshore or shallow-water fishing. The series has five siz-es, from the 17-foot DLV 178 with a 90-horsepower outboard to the 25-foot DLV 258 that powers up with a 200hp. High-speed bilge pump, cush-ion seat set, built-in cooler and plenty of storage.

ABU GARCIA REVO SX

www.abugarcia.com

MSRP, $159.95.

Abu Garcia's Revo SX baitcasting reel is now 25 percent lighter than before. The SX frame is crafted of a strong alloy while the handle sideplate are built with weight-reducing C6 carbon. Holds 145 yards of 12-pound mono.

BERKLEY JAR BAIT FOLDER

www.berkley-fishing.com

MSRP, $14.99-$19.99.

Anglers who use jar baits know it's a pain to carry more than a few. Berk-ley now has two Jar Bait Folders to keep the baits at hand and make them easy to transport. Model 1170 holds 10 jars. Model 1490 holds 16. Both have various pockets and a D-ring for pliers.

BERKLEY TRILENE XL

www.berkley-fishing.com

Berkley says they've improved a classic. New Trilene XL lines are now 10 percent stronger 20 percent more flexibility then they had been. Knot strength has also improved, said the company. Trilene XL has been around since 1972.

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