If finding bass during the spring is simplified on Reedy Lake, it is even easier on Arbuckle. This is a shallow, bowl-shaped lake with only a few spots dropping to 12 feet. Very little offshore structure exists, but there is a large littoral zone loaded with lily pads, maidencane and bulrush.

"There will always be some bass on the outer portion of that shallow vegetation," Reno Alley assured. "There will be some every season of the year, because it is the prime feeding area. During the spring, it is also the doorway to the shallow spawning areas, and that makes this lake pretty simple - everything centers on the outer weedline in 3 to 5 feet of water."

Bass begin to spawn on Arbuckle in January and are normally finished by early April. Given the water clarity, which is even darker than Reedy Lake, those bass spawn very shallow in 2 1/2 feet or less of water. Before they actually move onto the beds, however, they can stack up on that outer weedline. And they have definite preferences as to what areas they want to stage on.

"The first thing I am looking for on this lake," Alley explained, "is a point of bulrush extending out from the main weedline, and that has a bunch of pads just inside the point. This combination of bulrush and pads seems to be a magnet for Arbuckle bass through the entire spawning period and even well into the summer. Even when the bass are spawning on the inside shallows, there will be bass coming and going on these points. Concentrating on this cover, especially during the morning hours, is the surest way to find bass on this lake."

Unfortunately, finding them and getting them into the boat can be two entirely different matters. Hooking one of the big bass - Alley knows of 15-pound fish that have come from this lake in recent years - in a tangle of pad roots requires some serious tackle if you want a fish instead of a fish story. Alley considers 14-pound-test line on baitcasting gear to be as light as he wants to go on this lake, and normally restricts it to tossing topwater plugs and crankbaits along cover edges. For running worms, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits through the pads, a stout 20-pound casting rig gets the nod, while a heavier 30-pound rig is reserved for flipping chores. If shiners are used, 40- to 50-pound line is his choice.

"This is not a lake where you need much in the way of finesse," Alley mused. "This is a real power bait lake."

Among Alley's favorite lures is the same outsized spinnerbait recommended for Reedy Lake. It can be fished in the same quick manner to locate fish, but he also finds it very effective when slow-rolled through pad roots. An overlooked, but deadly choice, is a black-skirted, single-blade buzzbait. A lot of anglers may think that January and February are too early for a surface-frothing buzzer, but Arbuckle bass crush them from pre-spawn to after the post-spawn.

If quicker moving blade baits fail to produce, Alley shifts to a plastic worm. These can be cast or flipped - the latter being very effective in those areas of pads that have floating vegetation drifted in around them to form an overhead cover. When it comes to colors, he is convinced that June bug is invariably the best choice; and when it comes to size, he wants to make certain he gets their attention.

"I seldom throw a worm smaller than 8 inches on this lake," he argued, "and 10 inches isn't too big. I always use a rattling sinker and an inserted glass rattle when I am flipping. You're only flipping 3 to 5 feet of water and it is very dark. Most of my hits don't come on the fall. I don't think the fish get a real look at the bait as it falls. Most of my hits come after the bait has hit the bottom and I jiggle it around a few times and make a little noise. This is one lake where you need to slow down, take your time and keep the bait on the target a little longer when you are flipping."

If the outer cover doesn't produce, especially during an afternoon on a warming trend, Alley moves inside to look for bedding fish. Again, there is a key cover area.

"Several years back, they did mechanical cattail removal in the extreme shallows and opened up a well-defined band of shallow water in the 1- to 2-foot range," he said. "There are cattails on the shallow side, emergent vegetation on the outside, and a clean band of water in between. That band is where the majority of the bass spawn."

Even in that extremely shallow water, bass are very difficult to spot on a bed before you get close enough to spook them off. The best you can expect is to see is a light-colored, "orangish" spot, and maybe some water movement as a bass patrols the bed. Savvy anglers sight-cast those targets with tube jigs or plastic worms, and 6-inch worms can sometimes outproduce larger offerings. Alley also notes that hard-plastic jerkbaits can be deadly when worked along cattail edges.

"It's not a difficult lake to fish," Alley said. "There are only a few basic patterns and area types you need to consider during the spring."

The best access to Arbuckle is from the Polk County Parks and Recreation Department boat ramp on the north end of the lake off Arbuckle Road. It is free to use and easily handles the largest bass boat.