WON staff and WON BASS pro confirm bass bounce back while field testing at Lake Skinner

August 25, 2026

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BY MIKE STEVENS

WINCHESTER – After a brief lull a few weeks ago amid an otherwise outstanding year for bass fishing, Lake Skinner’s largemouth have returned to form and are once again biting in very respectable numbers.

Late last week some Western Outdoor News staffers including WON BASS Tournament Director, Billy Egan, hit Skinner to but some gear in play with WON BASS pro, Todd Kline. Okuma Helios reels and Tournament rods, new Plano tackle storage solutions, the Power-Pole Charge system, Stealth Batteries and even a Turtle Box Bluetooth speaker were part of this field test.

According to lake Skinner staffers, many bass anglers are running in to good numbers of smaller largemouth but there are some larger models in the mix. At times they are being found boiling on shad in open water, and anglers finding themselves within casting range of that activity are generally able to do pretty well on jerkbaits.

Striped bass fishing has been very slow, but catfish and panfish have been picking up the slack to some extent. The catfish are being caught in various coves, around the inlet and even in some open water spots by anglers using shrimp, sardines, dip baits and garlic nightcrawlers. The bluegill bite has slowed a little but they’re still biting close to shore, especially throughout the East End on red worms, mealworms, and pieces of nightcrawler.

SWIMBAITS are on the menu right now at Lake Skinner where the bass are returning to form after a brief slowdown.

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WON Staff