When fishing Davy Crockett and Gibson County, you’re going to fish two different types of water: one new and eye-grabbing the entire time. Davy Crockett is not established as a traditional big-bass fishery, but it has big-bass potential as well as plenty of overall fish potential.

If you haven’t fished either one of them, spend half a day at Crockett first. I think the lake is overlooked as a bass fishery and provides many anglers one vital thing that any angler needs once in a while: the likelihood of catching a large number of fish.

Gibson County, on the other hand, provides something just as special: the chance at fishing a lake at the beginning of its prime and that presents you with the opportunity to hook a fish that will make a serious effort to break your rod in.

Earlier, I mentioned that the lake has already produced a 12-pound, 8-ounce largemouth; the state record is just over 14 pounds. Given that Gibson County Lake has just started to enter its most productive years, it has a chance of producing double-digit bass for some time to come.

“Gibson County is my pick as one of the best bass lakes in West Tennessee. Right now it exceeds all our expectations,” Rizzuto said.

But there’s also one other question you have to ask yourself: If you could go to a lake and catch between 20 and 50 bass in a day, with six to 10 fish being above 12 inches and one fish weighing over 5 pounds, would you fish it regularly? If the answer is yes, then your other hotspot is Davy Crockett.

Find more about Tennessee fishing and hunting at: TennesseeSportsmanMag.com