When fishing these community-managed waters, be sure to check local regulations before heading out, because many of them require that you purchase a "local" or city license in addition to your state fishing license. The same can hold true for your boat. Over the years, however, I learned that paying for the city of Olathe tags was well worth it for a couple of reasons. First, the lakes were close to home, so I didn't eat up a lot of gasoline getting to and from launch ramps. Second, many anglers pass up these smaller waters to go to the bigger lakes nearby, so there wasn't as much pressure on them.

But there were plenty of bass, and some really nice ones. As you plan your bass fishing this season, think about those kinds of tradeoffs, and you might just find some really good spots that you've never fished before.

And of course, when it comes to really good spots, there are two other groups of Kansas waters you have to remember, although neither of them gets included in the KDWP's annual samplings.

First, farm ponds: They remain among the best largemouth bass waters in the state, year in and year out. They're private, though, and you'll need permission to fish them.

The other group comprises that gaggle of public strip pits in southeast Kansas on the Mined Land Wildlife Area. It's possible to argue that they represent the best bass public bass waters in Kansas in terms of sheer numbers. And several of them are home to some really big largemouths.

Only a few will accommodate you if you want to launch a boat and fish that way, but all of them will be worth the effort you put in to visit and fish them. They truly are jewels in Kansas' bass-fishing crown.

Because of the nature of this story -- a forecast of statewide bass fishing for the whole year -- it's tough to get very specific when it comes to baits and locations on given waters. There are, however, some general recommendations you should have.

From my experience, soft plastics are the No. 1 choice for Kansas bass fishing. That's because they give you the ability to cover every kind of situation and every depth level that bass might be using throughout the year. All you'll need is a selection of hooks, weights that will let you rig plastics either Texas- or Carolina-style, and some swivels for the latter rigging.

My tackle box includes 4-inch straight worms, 6-inch straight and curlytail worms, soft-plastic jerkbaits, 4-inch curlytail grubs and "creature"-style baits. Colors include purples and punpkinseeds, the latter with chartreuse tails. In the grubs and creature bodies, I'll also include colors that suggest a crawfish, because bass love them anytime, anywhere.

You also should have some spinnerbaits, but my recommendation is going to be lighter than you're probably used to. I rely on 1/4-ounce baits because I can fish them just under the surface without a lot of effort, or slow them down and work them at virtually any depth.

I also include a selection of hard baits. Among them are stick baits, lipless lures like the venerable Rat-L-Trap, medium-diving minnow imitations, topwater poppers and crawfish imitations. That might sound like a lot, but it's really not. You only need a few of each in natural colors, and a couple in bright shades for those days when the water is off-color or the overcast is heavy.

Another element of reality is that 2005 promises to be another pretty good bass year on Kansas' waters. You have some excellent options, and the ability to take some truly large fish at spots around the state.

Low water could prove problematic out west, but there'll be enough other options to keep you fishing regardless.