A few big smallmouths reportedly were caught below the lake's dam in the 1980s, but the lake itself never has produced many. Fisheries officials are hoping three stockings of approximately 254,000 smallmouth fingerlings this year, including 54,224 last week, will give the lake the boost it needs. We put some on the lower end of the lake along some rocky bluffs where there were a lot of boulders, and some went in on the upper end where there were some reeds. We are hoping last week's stocking will help a lot. Most anglers who fish Benbrook regularly catch hybrids off an underwater ridge at the mouth of Richardson Slough.
Anglers usually use live shad and jigging spoons to catch hybrids and schooling sand bass.
Bank fishermen at Mustang Park and at Mercer Slough also have reported catching some of the 4 to 6-pound hybrids. Also, Benbrook's blue-catfish fishery has almost been neglected, even though a 1991 stocking of 75,692 fingerlings should have boosted catches by trotliners using live bait. Flathead catfish and blue cats both prefer live bait, whereas channel catfish are scavengers and prefer such baits as shrimp and commercial blood-cheese baits and minnows and earthworms. A 13.66-pound largemouth bass caught at Benbrook is the largest of that species from all three lakes, although records seem to be something most Benbrook anglers have neglected. There also are no certified records for crappie, channel catfish, or blue catfish.