This remote Panhandle fishery, J.B. Thomas, is quietly cranking out the big ones like no other.

Story and photography by Matt Williams

Another little West Texas lake is quietly gaining the attention of big bass junkies across the state and beyond.

J.B. Thomas is the name. Fishing guide Christian Gladfelter thinks “Slaunchville” might be a more befitting title for the tiny Pandhandle Reservoir 12 miles southwest of Snyder.

“Slaunch” is a term coined several years ago by former Bassmaster commentator, Mark Zona. It’s a catchy expression popularized in Zona’s colorful descriptions of thick shouldered bass with serious weight problems.

The analogy found a permanent spot in Gladfelter’s vocabulary. He calls his business slaunchedguideservice.com.

“It’s the land of the giants out here — a double-digit factory, for sure.” said Gladfelter. “I’m glad I found it.”

Gladfelter is a 28-year-old angler from Albuquerque, N.M. Admittedly, he discovered the remote fishery out of blind luck.

Like many anglers, Gladfelter was originally lured to another West Texas fishery — O.H. Ivie — after the lake caught fire with big bass during the big freeze of February 2021. ‘Ivie has since been at the epicenter of an endless stream of fairy tale fishing reports built around armies of giant fish to shock the imagination.

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