While it doesn't have the fanfare or crowds of the trout opener, bass season kicked off June 15 to a smaller cadre of anglers, but ones who are extremely dedicated to their species. The opener allows creeling fish however few anglers do, while wisely practicing catch-and-release.

Without a doubt, more angler money is spent on tackle, gear and boats for bass fishing than any other Pennsylvania fish species. The largemouth bass is king on local lakes while the smallmouth reins in rivers.

Local anglers will customarily head to the "big three" for their bass action. This trio, comprised of Beltzville Lake in Lehighton, Blue Marsh Reservoir in Reading and Lake Nockamixon outside of Quakertown, are the top local bassin' waters. But there are others, most of which are in the Pocono region. If you're new to the Lehigh Valley area, they are as follows.

* Shohola Lake: While it's a shallow lake, it still holds some sizable bass. This Game Commission waterfowl lake (there still may be a bald eagle's nest here) can be found off Route 6 between Milford and Lake Wallenpaupack, the largest lake in the northeast.

* Fairview Lake: Popular among Lehigh Valley anglers, this 194-acre, limited-access, deep lake is only minutes from Lake Wallenpaupack and Promised Land and located off Route 390.

* Promised Land Lakes: the larger 420-acre upper lake holds largemouth and an occasional smallie. There's also the lower lake, both of which are located in the state park off Route 390.

* Pecks Pond: With 300 acres, the lake's abundant shallows are a buzz bait treat. It's located off Route 402 north of Marshalls Creek.

* Gouldsboro Lake: Situated on the Monroe-Wayne County line, the lake is part of Gouldsboro State Park and is accessed via I-380 and Route 507.

* Tobyhanna lakes: A short drive from Gouldsboro on I-380 in Monroe County are two Tobyhanna State Park lakes – one of them is 170 acres in size. They're located off Route 423 west of the village of Tobyhanna.

* Brady's Lake: Located on a paved road off Route 940 between Pocono Manor and White Haven, this 230 acre Big Bass regulation lake is a popular bassin' spot.

* Locust & Tuscarora lakes: Part of Tuscarora State Park is in Schuylkill County, but these sister lakes offer 52 acres at Locust and 100 acres at Tuscarora. They're located west of Barnesville, near Route 52.

* Mauch Chunk Lake: This popular 330-acre Big Bass regulation lake west of Jim Thorpe on Lentz Trail Road, offers good bassing, however the fish are traditionally small.

* Lake Minsi: This frequently fished Northampton County lake situated in Bear Swamp park northeast of Nazareth, has bass and stocked trout, but again, the largemouth's are small in size.

While the list is impressive, you may prefer to stay local and fish a farm pond, some of which harbor 5-6 pound bass. Since they're private, stopping by a nearby house to find out who owns it and then asking permission to fish it, may bring big surprises from small waters.

If you catch some bass, it's recommended you don't remove them from the water (unlike the TV fishing shows) to remove the hook from the fish's mouth. And before touching the fish, wet your hands. Wildlife agencies say that handling the fish as little as possible is best as it reduces the loss of slime coat. And if using a landing net, it's best to use a knotless nylon or rubber-coated net instead of the typical knotted nylon net.