Here’s the skinny on a pair of Texas’ heaviest bass of 2025.

Story and photography by Matt Williams

Anybody who likes a good ol’ fashioned big fish story is sure to love the ones behind the Lady Bird Lunker and the Alan Henry Double Dipper.

Both are grass roots fishin’ tales built around fun-loving Texas anglers who happened across the biggest bass of their lives earlier this spring while soaking their baits in some rather unlikely places. Here’s the skinny on a pair of Texas’ heaviest bass of 2025:

Lady Bird Lunker:  14.05

Fittingly, the story unfolded along the shores of Lake Bird Lake. Located near the heart of downtown Austin, the 468-acre reservoir may not seem like a good spot to catch a monster bass.

Willie Pipkin knew better.

Pipkin is a husband, father and professional musician from nearby Dripping Springs who earns a living picking blues and country tunes at night in Austin-area pubs. Each spring, the 47-year-old angler grabs his fishing gear and spends the mornings walking the banks of the lake in hopes of catching a few bass before he picks up his daughter from school.

Sweet Spot

One of his favorite spots is a spring-fed stream that flows into the lake near Zilker Metropolitan Park. Pipkin says the warm water temperature in the creek is heavily influenced by a popular swimming hole upstream called the Barton Springs pool. The water is clear enough to see all sorts of fish finning around a considerable distance from shore.

Shift to the morning of February 4.

Pipkin had already caught several bass up to six pounds on his watermelon/red Zoom Fluke when he spotted what looked to be a much bigger bass about 20 yards from shore. The fish was suspended in the water column and acting aggressively towards others. There was a tannish piece of structure directly beneath it.

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