The Starting Spot: Fuzzy Dice Lures are Hot, the Best Trophy Lake in TX, and a Would-Be VT Record Smallie

The Starting Spot Daily Bass Fishing Headlines are the perfect way to start your day with some of the top bass fishing articles on the internet. It’s the quick, informative, how, where, and who you need to know. So, rub the sleep from your eyes, pour that first cup of the day, and head to your Starting Spot.

Today on The Starting Spot: Fuzzy Dice Lures are Hot, the Best Trophy Lake in TX, and a Would-Be VT Record Smallie | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

In this edition of The Starting Spot:

-Fuzzy Dice lures are the hottest lure trend of 2025 and several of the biggest name bass pros have made them part of their arsenal. Find out what all the fuss (or, should I say fuzz) is about.

-O.H. Ivie Lake in west-central Texas is well known as a trophy bass factory. There are lots of jaw-dropping stats and legendary tales in this article, plus some good info on where, when and how to catch your own giant bass here.

-Good to know Vermont is producing giant smallmouth bass, but it’s kind of sad that a fish that likely would have beaten the current state record by more than half a pound was eaten for dinner. Obviously, if a bass is caught and harvested within state laws, then it’s the angler’s choice and I support their choice. But I would have chosen differently.

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Fuzzy dice could be the hottest new game in bass fishing

by Tyler Brinks

From an article on MajoeLeagueFishing.com: If you’ve paid attention lately, you know that the hottest trend in American bass fishing (courtesy of Japan) is the increasing popularity of small, square or spherical soft plastics with protruding skirt material — or, in tackle nerd vernacular, “fuzzy dice” baits.
American anglers first caught wind of these unique soft plastics from Japanese pros such as Taku Ito and Kyoya Fujita, both of whom have scored top finishes on the Bassmaster Elite Series with this bait style. Initially, it was easy to write them off as a gimmick (and many still do). But with more and more American pros learning that these crazy-looking baits really work – and, as a result, more tackle companies producing their own versions of “dice-style” or fuzzy baits – the trend has become hard to ignore. At ICAST in July, more new fuzzy baits made their debut than just about any other category…MORE.

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Texas’ Big Bass Factory: O.H. Ivie Lake

by Brent Frazee

From a story on Wired2Fish.com: Dalton Smith remembers the dreary December day in 2022 when he discovered just how special O.H. Ivie Lake is.

Fishing with a friend on the reservoir in west-central Texas, he caught the fish of a lifetime – a 14.59-pound Florida strain largemouth bass. That in itself was reason to celebrate. But after taking a lunch break, Smith landed a second bass weighing more than 14 pounds.

Two giants…in one day…MORE.

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New “Unofficial Record” Smallmouth Bass

by Vermont Fish & Wildlife

From a story on EINPresswire.com: If Andrew Oestringer had brought his bass to a certified scale before filleting the fish, he would probably hold a new state record.

“It’s rare but not unheard of for anglers who plan to keep a nice fish for dinner to grab an unofficial weight at home, realize their catch might have been a record, and reach out,” said Shawn Good, a fish biologist with the department and the State Record Fish Program and Master Angler Program administrator.  “That’s exactly what Andrew did.  Even though Fish & Wildlife can’t accept the weight from a non-certified scale for our official record books, we can all agree this new ‘unofficial record’ is one heck of a fish story.”…MORE.

Thanks for starting your day with Fishing On SI. Lines in!