Wild, Wild West

Two anglers recount fairy tale days on Texas’ hottest big bass lake, O.H. Ivie

  • Dalton Smith, 24, with the 14.69 (left) and 14.26 pounders he boated on December 30, just hours apart, on Lake O.H. Ivie. Both were caught on light spinning tackle. Smith’s Wild, Wild West encounter prompted him quit his job in Kentucky and relocate to Texas less than a week later to launch a guide business on the 19,000-acre reservoir. PHOTOS COURTESY OF DALTON SMITH/COLE LOGSDON
    Dalton Smith, 24, with the 14.69 (left) and 14.26 pounders he boated on December 30, just hours apart, on Lake O.H. Ivie. Both were caught on light spinning tackle. Smith’s Wild, Wild West encounter prompted him quit his job in Kentucky and relocate to Texas less than a week later to launch a guide business on the 19,000-acre reservoir. PHOTOS COURTESY OF DALTON SMITH/COLE LOGSDON
  • Oklahoma big bass hunter Josh Jones claims he caught 31 bass over eight pounds at O.H. Ivie in a single day in mid-December, including two 13 pounders, four other double digits, 11 over nine pounds and 14 over eight pounds. The heaviest five added up to 61.37 pounds. Jones calls it the heaviest five-fish catch from a public lake ever recorded cast-to-catch on video. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSH JONES
    Oklahoma big bass hunter Josh Jones claims he caught 31 bass over eight pounds at O.H. Ivie in a single day in mid-December, including two 13 pounders, four other double digits, 11 over nine pounds and 14 over eight pounds. The heaviest five added up to 61.37 pounds. Jones calls it the heaviest five-fish catch from a public lake ever recorded cast-to-catch on video. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSH JONES
    We’re on the heels of what turned out to be a fairy tale December for big bass catching at Lake O.H. Ivie. It’s downright spooky to think what the next three months might bring for the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Toyota ShareLunker program, which launched its 37th collection season on January 1. The West Texas reservoir has a history of catching fire with whopper bass in January ...

    Premium Content is available to subscribers only. Please login here to access content or go here to purchase a subscription.