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 Texas Fishing Report 2007

Submitted by Anglers Like You

The Angler keep others informed by emailing fishing reports to us. Include your name in the message part of your report if you'd like to receive credit for the report.

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December 28, 2007 - Lake Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - Happy New Year to everyone. Thanks to all of my friends, family, and customers for a fabulous 2007 and I hope everyone has a year of great
catches in 2008. As we head into the New Year, the early stages of prespawn are starting in some areas of the lake. Meanwhile, lunker bass continue to be caught from deep water as well. With big bass smoking jigs, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, and lipless crankbaits now through March, this is my favorite time of the year on Fork. Numbers run lower this time of year; however, the average size of your catch is at its highest for the year, usually in the 3.5 to 5 lb range, with a good shot at bass 7 lbs or greater.

Lake Conditions: Fork came up a little with recent rains and is about 3" below full pool, currently reading 402.72'. The lake is full of aquatic vegetation, with a deep weedline anywhere from 8' to about 15'. The main lake is clear, while the creeks are ranging from clear to stained. Water temps are generally holding in the low to mid-50s, normal wintertime water temps for Fork.

Location Pattern: From late-December through much of March, I concentrate on prespawn and staging fish on points and along edges of flats or creek channels. Areas with submerged vegetation (primarily hydrilla, milfoil or coontail) for cover will typically have the most active fish. While about any grassy area will hold a few fish, start your search in areas that have lots of spawning fish in late February through March. It stands to reason that the coves that hold the most spawning fish in early spring will have the most prespawn fish in the winter. Main lake grass beds near the mouths of these coves are holding a lot of fish now, as are main and secondary points inside the coves, provided there is deep water nearby. During warming trends, follow bass back into the creeks and check the edges of grass flats and creek channels.

Keep in mind, too, that the absolute water temperature is not nearly as important now as the recent water temperature trend. For instance, water temps that are showing 52 degrees can result in slow fishing if the temps were 58 a couple days ago. In contrast, fishing can be great if the temps warm up to 50 while they were 44 a few days before. In general, look for bass on the flats and farther back in creeks during warming trends; conversely, drop back to points and main lake grassbeds after cold fronts. Finally, the day of and the day after cold fronts can be absolutely miserable to fish, but these frontal days after a long warming trend are usually the most productive times to fish.

For deep structure enthusiasts, points, roadbeds, humps, flats and ledges in 18' to 45' will produce some big fish during the winter months as well. Use your electronics to find the schools of bass and baitfish and work them over with spoons and dropshots. I'm primarily concentrating on the shallow bass, so my presentation pattern will focus on that.

Presentation Pattern: My wintertime arsenal is pretty simple for fishing along grasslines and creek channels. First and foremost are red lipless crankbaits in 12 or 34 oz. Stick with the 12 for grass that is near the surface and go with the 34 for grass that is deeper. Buzzing these over the top of the grass on a quick retrieve is working best now, but after cold fronts, letting the trap fall and ripping these out of the grass will trigger most of the bites. 1/4 to 1/2 oz spinnerbaits with double willow blades in white, red, or chartreuse and white will produce some really large bass in the same areas that the lipless cranks work, especially on windy and cloudy days. For a true giant, try swimming the new 5.5" Lake Fork Live Magic Shad in the same areas you'd throw a spinnerbait. Rig it on a 7/0 wide gap hook and swim it slowly back to the boat with a few pauses.\

When the water looks like a toilet just flushed, it's time to set the hook!! When the bite slows or the conditions are sunny and calm, I'll switch to a suspending jerkbait or pitch a jig and a Texas rig. Jerkbaits in gold or clown patterns are my primary colors. Work these with long pauses over the grass and along the edges. For jigs, I go with 12 oz black and blue jigs with a Lake Fork Craw trailer in the blue bruiser color. For the Texas rig, I'll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper in black neon or blue bruiser with a 14 to 3/8 oz bullet weight. Work your jig or Texas rig very slowly along creek channels or through deep grass for your best shot at a lunker.

Cover lots of water until you get bit. Once you catch one, work the area over thoroughly with multiple passes, employing several different baits. Fish tend to stack up in key staging areas during the winter and these spots will replenish themselves with more fish during the prespawn as more and more big bass move shallow. Find some good staging spots and you'll have a milk run of honey holes now through March.

Boat for Sale: My 2007 Ranger Z21 boat is for sale and I've reduced the price. I picked it up in late October of last year and it is fully loaded, rigged with a 250 HP Yamaha with a 5 year warranty. It's value priced and will save you over $10,000 off the cost of a new boat. For more details and pics of the boat, please check my website (www.lakeforkguidetrips.com) or drop me a note.

Tom

December 4, 2007 - Lake Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - With cooler nights and shorter days, the bass at Lake Fork are settling into late fall and winter patterns. With a week of 60s and 70s forecasted, now's a good time to avoid the crowds at Fork and enjoy some good fall fishing. As the water cools, numbers start to run lower on average, although you can catch a boatload of fish on the right days. While numbers start to decline, big fish become more common and will only continue to increase as we move towards the spawn in March and April. Go fishing after several days of stable weather, especially right before a front, and you'll be able to catch big bass in deep or shallow water this month.

With the holidays just around the corner, I do have gift certificates available for those looking for a present for their angling buddies. 2007 has been a fantastic year on Fork, benefiting from ample rains and a full lake. With prespawn starting in late-December, it won't be long until my favorite lunker time of the year is here, January through March. And with the lake in such good shape, Fork should be awesome in '08.

Lake Conditions: Fork is 5" below full pool right now, currently reading 402.58' and dropping very slowly. The lake is full of aquatic vegetation, with a deep weedline anywhere from 8' to about 15'. The main lake is clear, while the creeks are ranging from clear to stained. Water temps are general holding in the mid-50s, good wintertime water temps for Fork.

Location Pattern: Depending on the conditions, the bite may be best in shallow grass or on deep structure. Early and late and all day on cloudy and windy days are typically the best times for the shallow grass bite. When the sun gets up, concentrate on the deep weed edge in 8' to 15' and creek channels running through grass flats in large coves. You'll find fish over the flats more after warming trends, while fronts typically drive them more towards the creek channels or into thick deep grass. Most fish are in groups, so you'll fish for a while without getting a bite, and then catch several in a small area. When the shallow bite is off, concentrate on main lake structure in 14' to 40'. Find the schools of yellow bass and the big largemouth will be with them. Normally, you'll find the fish schooling shallower on windy and cloudy days, while it's not uncommon to catch fish on Fork in the wintertime in 38' or deeper on sunny days after a front.

Presentation Pattern: As the water cools, I start to limit the variety of baits that I throw, sticking with key lures and working areas thoroughly. In the shallows, 1/2 oz chrome, red or crawfish colored lipless
crankbaits and 1/2 oz white spinnerbaits are my top choice for finding fish. When they won't chase, slow down with a suspending jerkbait and you'll trigger inactive bass. Once I've found a school, weightless rigged Magic Shads and Live Magic Shads or wacky rigged Twitch worms in shades of watermelon are catching fish best. For bigger fish, a 1/2 oz blue bruiser Mega Weight jig with a matching Fork Craw trailer is your best bet when pitched to the deep weed edge or stumps along the creek channel. Out deep, Twitch Worms in watermelon or green pumpkin work well on drop shots, as do Carolina rigged Baby Ring Frys, when bass are located on the bottom. Both of these techniques will produce numbers of bass as well as the occasional big fish. For the suspended bass, I start with Lake Fork Tackle's new big Fork Flutter Spoon in the Yellow Bass or Magic Shad colors. These catch fewer yellow bass and are great for catching really big bass. If the bass are finicky and won't hit the big spoons, switch to 12 oz spoons and 1 oz tail spinners and you'll catch some largemouth and lots of yellow bass with these.

Boat for Sale: My 2007 Ranger Z21 boat is now for sale and I've reduced the price. I picked it up in late October of last year and it is fully loaded, rigged with a 250 HP Yamaha with a 5 year warranty. It's value priced and will save you over $10,000 off the cost of a new boat. For more details and pics of the boat, please check my website (www.lakeforkguidetrips.com) or drop me a note.

Website Update: My December fishing article on choosing the right hook has been added to my website. In addition, I've added a discussion forum to my website. It's new, and I'm hoping it will be a great place to find out more information about fishing Lake Fork and my services. Feel free to join the discussion.

Mexico Update: Fishing is off to a very fast start for the 2007-2008 season at Lake Baccarac, with lots of fish over 10 lbs being caught. All Mexico lakes go through boom and bust cycles and Baccarac is certainly peaking right now. I'm also working with a new lodge at Lake Guerrero. The new owners are very friendly and put customer service first, while offering very low rates for such a clean resort. If you're headed to Guerrero this year, let me know and I can put you in touch with them. For more info on a trip to Mexico, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom

November 5, 2007 - Lake Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips -Fishing on Lake Fork was slower than normal this past week for us. Apparently, the warming trend forestalled the good fall bite we were enjoying in October. With another cold front coming tonight and cooler temps forecast this week, look for the bite to dramatically improve as shad gang up in the backs of creeks and on main lake structure. November is historically a good month for numbers of fish, so I don't anticipate the funk will last for long.

With the holidays just around the corner, I do have gift certificates available for those looking for a present for their angling buddies. 2007 has been a fantastic year on Fork, benefiting from ample rains and a full lake. With prespawn starting in late-December, it won't be long until my favorite lunker time of the year is here, January through March. And with the lake in such good shape, Fork should be awesome in '08.

Lake Conditions: Fork is 3" below full pool right now, currently reading 402.75' and dropping very slowly. The lake is full of aquatic vegetation, with a deep weedline anywhere from 8' to about 15'. The main lake is slightly stained, while the creeks are ranging from clear to stained. Water temps slowly warmed last week, reading from 67 to 70 in the main lake yesterday (Sunday).

Location Pattern: The best pattern for numbers of fish continues to be fishing shallow grassbeds on the main lake and in the first half of major creeks. Early and late and all day on cloudy and windy days are the best times. I'm focusing on shoreline grass, openings in clumps of grass, and the inside weedline. When the sun gets up, concentrate on the deep weed edge in 8' to 15'. Key on points, inside turns, and along ledges and you're likely to find more fish. Most of the shallow fish have been in groups, so you'll fish for a while without getting a bite, then catch several in a small area. I'm also catching some bass back in the coves along creek channel bends but this pattern hasn't really picked up yet like it will as the water cools. For bigger bass, concentrate on main lake structure in 15' to 35'. Find the schools of yellow bass and the big largemouth will be with them.

Presentation Pattern: During fall, bass will key on shad and most of my lure choices and colors reflect that preference. Shades of white or chrome are always good choices in the fall on Fork. In the shallows, lipless crankbaits, 3/8 oz spinnerbaits, and shallow running crankbaits have been my best choice. When the bass aren't in a chasing mood, I'm switching to a Texas rigged watermelon/red or watermelon candy 8" Lake Fork Worm, Twitch Worm, or Baby Fork Creature with an 1/8th oz bullet sinker and working it over the tops of grass and along the edges. Other times, Magic Shads and Live Magic Shads in watermelon worked weightless over the grass beds are catching fish best. For bigger fish, a 3/8 oz blue bruiser Mega Weight jig with a matching Fork Craw trailer is your best bet when pitched to the deep weed edge or stumps along the creek channel. Out deep, Twitch Worms in shades of watermelon are working well on drop shots, as are Carolina rigged Baby Ring Frys, when bass are located on the bottom. Both of these techniques will produce numbers of bass as well as big fish. For the suspended bass, I'm starting with Lake Fork Tackle's new big Fork Flutter Spoon in the Yellow Bass or Magic Shad colors. These catch fewer yellow bass and are great for catching really big bass. If the bass are finicky and won't hit the big spoons, I'm throwing small 12 oz spoons and 1 oz tail spinners and catching some largemouth and lots of yellow bass with these.

For more information on how to fish big flutter spoons, check out my November article: www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/fishingarticles.htm

My 2007 Ranger Z21 boat is now for sale. I picked it up in late October of last year and it is fully loaded, rigged with a 250 HP Yamaha with a 5 year warranty. It's value priced and will save you about $10,000 off the cost of a new boat. For more details and pics of the boat, please check my website (www.lakeforkguidetrips.com) or drop me a note.

Lake Baccarac Update: Fishing is off to a very fast start for the 2007-2008 season at Baccarac. I've updated the fishing reports on my website and they are staggering. In the past few days, two over 12 lbs, 4 over 11 lbs and lots and lots of 10s have been caught. All Mexico lakes go through boom and bust cycles and Baccarac is certainly peaking right now. There are still a few openings left for this coming season, but the remaining dates are booking very quickly. Anyone interested in fishing Baccarac this winter or spring should finalize their plans soon, as the lodge only holds 24 anglers and many of the premium dates are already booked solid. For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com .

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom

October 18, 2007 - Lake Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips -

After a much warmer than average fall, a big rain and cooler nights seem to have the bass on Lake Fork shifting to more of a fall pattern. Until a couple days ago, water temps were staying in the low to mid-80s. Contrast that to this time last year, when water temps were running 68 to 72 degrees. In the last few days I've noticed a distinct shift in bass position in deep water from summertime structure to my favorite traditional fall deep structure locations, with tons of shad and yellow bass showing up in those locations as well. At the same time, I'm finding a lot of shad starting to move into shallows, so I expect the back of creek pattern to pick up shortly as well. For the past 3 weeks, my customers and I have enjoyed excellent action most days for numbers of keeper sized bass shallow early and then all day out deep. While some good fish were mixed in, most of our bass were under 3 lbs, with some 5s and the occasional 7 pounder being the exception instead of the rule, with catches between 40 and 60 bass some days. As much fun as the action is, I'm more of a trophy hunter and am looking forward to getting into the lunkers again. With the water finally cooling, expect the bigger bass to become more prevalent both shallow and deep, while good numbers of keepers should continue through November. The fall is typically our best numbers time of the year, so it's an excellent time to get a child or a non-fishing buddy hooked on bass fishing.

Lake Conditions: Fork is exactly at full pool right now after a 2+" rain on Monday, currently reading 403.00' above sea level and dropping very slowly. The lake is full of aquatic vegetation, with an inside grassline at about 6' and a deep weedline anywhere from 8' to about 15'. The main lake is slightly stained, while the creeks are ranging from clear to stained. Water temps cooled 5 to 10 degrees recently, reading from 74 to77 in the main lake yesterday (Wednesday).

Location Pattern: The best pattern for numbers of fish continues to be fishing shallow grassbeds on the main lake and in the first half of major creeks. Early and late and all day on cloudy and windy days are the best times. I'm focusing on shoreline grass, openings in clumps of grass, and the inside weedline. When the sun gets up, concentrate on the deep weed edge in 8' to 15'. Key on points, inside turns, and along ledges and you're likely to find more fish. Most of the shallow fish have been in groups, so you'll fish for a while without getting a bite, then catch several in a small area. I'm also catching some bass back in the coves along creek channel bends but this pattern hasn't really picked up yet like it will as the water cools. For bigger bass, concentrate on main lake structure in 15' to 35'. I've found a number of good schools this past week that were relating to the bottom and easy to catch once you found them with your graph. Other days, the bass are more suspended and a little tougher to catch.

Presentation Pattern: As fall approaches, bass will start keying on shad and most of my lure choices and colors will reflect that preference. Shades of white or chrome are always good choices in the fall on Fork. In the shallows, topwaters have been hot some days, with poppers and black buzzbaits leading the way. Other days, lipless crankbaits and shallow running crankbaits have worked better. When the bass aren't in a chasing mood, I'm switching to a Texas rigged watermelon/red or watermelon candy 8" Fork Worm, Twitch Worm, or Baby Fork Creature with an 1/8th oz bullet sinker and working it over the tops of grass and along the edges. In addition, Magic Shads and Live Magic Shads in watermelon/red worked weightless over the grass beds are catching some big fish and good numbers, as well. For bigger fish, a 3/8 oz watermelon red Mega Weight jig with a matching Fork Craw trailer is producing well when pitched to the deep weed edge. Out deep, Twitch Worms in shades of watermelon are working well on drop shots, as are Carolina rigged Baby Ring Frys, when bass are located on the bottom. Both of these techniques will produce numbers of bass as well as big fish. For the suspended bass, I've had some excellent days recently on Lake Fork Tackle's new big Fork Flutter Spoon in the Yellow Bass color. The dying shad action of this big bait while it flutters is irresistible to the bass and it was the only bait we threw on several days this month and most of September. Big fluttering spoons have been the secret bait of Fork guides for the past 3 years and now the secret's out, so try them out on Fork or your home lake while they're hot!

More information on fall fishing patterns is available in my two most recent articles on shallow and deep fall fishing: www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/fishingarticles.htm

My 2007 Ranger Z21 boat is now for sale. I picked it up in late October of last year and it is fully loaded, rigged with a 250 HP Yamaha with a 5 year warranty. It's value priced and will save you about $10,000 off the cost of a new boat. For more details and pics of the boat, please check my website (www.lakeforkguidetrips.com) or drop me a note.

Lake Baccarac Update: Fishing is off to a very fast start for the 2007-2008 season at Baccarac. I've updated the fishing reports on my website and they are staggering. In the past few days, one group of 6 anglers had 23 bass over 10 lbs in 4 days. Another angler at the lodge caught 6 over 10 pounds in one day!! All Mexico lakes go through boom and bust cycles and Baccarac is certainly peaking right now. There are still a few openings left for this coming season, but the remaining dates are booking very quickly. Anyone interested in fishing Baccarac this winter or spring should finalize their plans soon, as the lodge only holds 24 anglers and many of the premium dates are already booked solid. For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com .

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom

September 29, 2007 - Lake Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips -
After a record breaking McDonald's tournament with 35 bass of over 24" being
weighed in, the bite has remained strong at Lake Fork. It appears the lake
has finished turning over and the deep bass are starting to bite regularly,
while very good numbers of bass are coming from the shallows. Whether you
like fishing shallow, deep, or in-between, all depth ranges and almost any
lure in your tackle box will produce on Lake Fork during the months of
October and most of November. The key (and the fun part) will be
determining what bait at what depth is best on any given day. Fall is
historically the bite time of the year for numbers on Fork, with a decent
shot at catching a true lunker as well. And before you know it my favorite
time of the will be here-prespawn fishing for lunker bass in January through
March. Based on the fishing this summer and in recent tourneys, we're on
pace for an excellent fall and spring. And best of all, you'll have much of
the lake to yourself on these mild days filled with fall colors because many
sportsmen have left the lake to take up hunting.

Lake Conditions: Although we had another good rain this week, Fork's water
level has remained essentially the same, currently reading 403.18', about 2"
above full pool. The lake is full of aquatic vegetation, with an inside
grassline at about 6' and a deep weedline in 8' to about 15'. The main lake
is at its clearest in a number of weeks, while the creeks are ranging from
clear to muddy. Water temps remain about the same, reading from 80 to 83 in
the main lake yesterday.

Location Pattern: The best pattern for numbers of fish continues to be
fishing shallow grassbeds on the main lake and in the first half of major
creeks. Early and late and all day on cloudy and windy days, I'm focusing
on shoreline grass, openings in clumps of grass, and the inside weedline.
When the sun gets up, concentrate on the deep weed edge in 8' to 15'. Key
on points, inside turns, and along ledges and you're likely to find more
fish. Most of the shallow fish have been in groups, so you'll fish for a
while without getting a bite, then catch several in a small area. I'm also
catching some bass back in the coves along creek channel bends but this
pattern hasn't really picked up yet like it will as the water cools. For
bigger bass, concentrate on main lake structure in 15' to 35'. I've found a
number of good schools this past week that were relating to the bottom and
easy to catch once you found them with your graph. Other days, the bass are
more suspended and a little tougher to catch.

Presentation Pattern: As fall approaches, bass will start keying on shad and
most of my lure choices and colors will reflect that preference. Shades of
white or chrome are always good choices in the fall on Fork. In the
shallows, topwaters have been hot some days, with poppers and buzzbaits
leading the way. Other days, lipless crankbaits and shallow running
crankbaits have worked better. When the bass aren't in a chasing mood, I'm
switching to a Texas rigged watermelon/red or watermelon candy 8" Fork Worm,
Twitch Worm, or Baby Fork Creature with an 1/8th oz bullet sinker and
working it over the tops of grass and along the edges. In addition, Magic
Shads and Live Magic Shads in watermelon/red worked weightless over the
grass beds are catching some big fish and good numbers, as well. For bigger
fish, a 3/8 oz watermelon red Mega Weight Jig with a matching Fork Craw
trailer is producing well when pitched to the deep weed edge. Out deep,
watermelon/red Twitch Worms are working well on drop shots, as are Carolina
rigged watermelon/red Baby Ring Frys, when bass are located on the bottom.
For the suspended bass, swimming weighted 4.5" and 5.5" Live Magic Shad
swimbaits, spoons, deep diving crankbaits, and oz jigs are working best
and catching some lunkers too.

My 2007 Ranger Z21 boat is now for sale. I picked it up in late October of
last year and it is fully loaded, rigged with a 250 HP Yamaha with a 5 year
warranty. It's value priced and will save you about $10,000 off the cost of
a new boat. For more details and pics of the boat, please check my website
( www.lakeforkguidetrips.com ) or drop me a note.

Lake Baccarac Update: After being closed for a short summer break, the
lodge reopened and is already producing excellent catches. Following is the
report from legendary coach Bobby Knight's group, after their first two days
of fishing (September 27 and 28). "Opening afternoon, Russ Johnson caught an
11.2 in Norte Canyon. All boats reported excellent fishing. Today, September
27, was a special day for the Bobby Knight group. Ross Jones caught an 11.5
and a 9.9. Also, he caught 30 fish between 7 and 8 lbs. Tim Knight landed an
11.12 and a 10.4. He reported that he caught more fish today than at all his
previous trips combined to El Salto. Pat Knight's big fish of the day was a
10.2. Randy Farley caught a 10.2, a 10.0 and six fish over 8 lbs. Chris
Cassidy caught an 11.2 and reported excellent, excellent fishing. Coach
Knight didn't break the 10 lb. mark today, but we are confident he will
tomorrow! On September 28th, as a group the Knight group caught 8 more fish
over 10 pounds. Tim Knight found one spot where he caught 23 bass over 6
pounds and 8 over 9 pounds. Crankbaits, rattletraps and swimbaits are
working up the river and in the small canyons near the lodge. Topwater is
very slow." The lodge was briefly opened for a couple of groups this summer
during the break and the results were spectacular for big fish, including a
15.6 caught on July 20 by Wendell Bennett along with a 16.1 caught by Joe
Dillard and a 15.2 caught by Tom Secrest on their trip in mid-August. Full
reports are available on my website.

There are still a few openings left for this coming season, but the
remaining dates are booking very quickly. Anyone interested in fishing
Baccarac this winter or spring should finalize their plans soon, as the
lodge only holds 24 anglers and many of the premium dates are already booked
solid. For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website:
http://www.bigmexicobass.com .

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of
assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027
(evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com , where
your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom


September 26, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - The fishing hear on lake fork has been good the bass are schooling big time. The water temp at the time of this report is in the mid eighties on the main lake. Lake Fork is in great shape the water is clear and we have grass showing up all around the lake. We are catching good numbers of small fish with a few good fish mixed in. Right now we are catching 40 to 50 bass a day. Best pattern for me has been a lipless crank baits in shad color the schooling bass are killing it, also a Carolina Rig with a watermelon Red brush Hog. The fish we are catching on the Carolina Rig are in 15 to 20 feet. Yesterday Steve Casto from Dallas fished with me and we boated 65 bass most of these fish were average but a lot of action. The Bass Fishing should continue to improve as we head into October. Good places to try right now are the old roadbeds 515 west and 2946 are good right now; also the bass have been schooling in the mouth of Ray Branch. There are lots of small Bass up close to the grass and pads while most of your bigger Bass are still in the deeper water for now. As conditions cool down over the next few weeks that will change rapidly and the bigger Bass will start to move up. The fall fishing here at Lake Fork can be some of the best fishing anywhere; so don't miss out on the fall fun. If you would like to book a fall guide trip you can reach me at 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 e-mail Bassrus@peoplescom.net Web site http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing, David Vance

September 9, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - Tournament season is in full swing on Lake Fork, with 4 tournaments yesterday and the McDonald's Big Bass Splash, Berkley Big Bass tourney, and many others happening in the next few weeks. Just in time, lots of keeper sized bass are showing up in the shallows, while big fish are still available for the experienced structure fisherman. As the lake continues to cool, Fork will turn over in the next couple of weeks and fishing will become very good both shallow and deep in October and November. With much of the angling emphasis on tournament fishing at Fork right now, my report will focus on those patterns.

As a side note, for more information on shallow water fall fishing, my September article is now posted on my website:

Lake Conditions: After a 3" rain this week, Lake Fork's water level is now steady, currently reading 403.30', about 4" above full pool. The higher water levels have flooded a bunch of shallow vegetation that is holding fish and is acting as a nursery for young baitfish and bass. Meanwhile, there is an inside grassline at about 6' and a deep weedline in 8' to about 13'. The main lake remains stained in most areas, while the creeks are ranging from clear to muddy. Water temps dropped during the past week, reading from 81 to 86 in the main lake. The thermocline is still showing at about 25' to 28' but the lake is starting to show signs of turning over, which typically occurs around mid-September.

Location Pattern: The most consistent pattern this past week has been fishing shallow grassbeds on the main lake and in the first half of major creeks. Early and late and all day on cloudy and windy days, I'm focusing on shoreline grass, openings in clumps of grass, and the inside weedline. When the sun gets up, concentrate on the deep weed edge in 8' to 13'. Key on points, inside turns, and along ledges and you're likely to find more fish. Most of the shallow fish have been in groups, so you'll fish for a while without getting a bite, then catch several in a small area. I'm also starting to catch a few fish back in the coves along creek channel bends but this pattern hasn't really picked up yet like it will as the water cools. For bigger bass, many fish are still suspending in timber or in open water over deep structure. These fish are holding 12' to 25' down over deeper water, so watch your graph closely to pinpoint their location.

Presentation Pattern: As fall approaches, bass will start keying on shad and most of my lure choices and colors will reflect that preference. Shades of white or chrome are always good choices in the fall on Fork. In the shallows, topwaters are catching a few fish early and late. More consistent are shallow running crankbaits, small spinnerbaits, and Lake Fork Tackle's new 4.5" Live Magic Shad swimbait. Rig the swimbait weedless Texas style with a 1/16th oz weighted hook and slowly swim it over the grass. Hits have been pretty hard and easy to detect. When the bass aren't in a chasing mood, I'm switching to a Texas rigged watermelon/red or watermelon candy 8" Fork Worm or Twitch Worm with a 1/8th oz bullet sinker and working it over the tops of grass and along the edges. For bigger fish, a 3/8 oz watermelon red Mega Weight Jig with a matching Fork Craw trailer is producing well when pitched to the deep weed edge. For the suspended bass out deep, weighted 4.5" and 5.5" Live Magic Shad swimbaits, spoons, or deep diving crankbaits in shad or yellow bass patterns are working best and catching some lunkers too. The key is counting your bait down to the level of the bass and keeping it in front of them for as much of the retrieve as possible.

My 2007 Ranger Z21 boat is now for sale. I picked it up in late October of last year and it is full loaded, rigged with a 250 HP Yamaha with a 5 year warranty. It's value priced and will save you about $10,000 off the cost of a new boat. For more details and pics of the boat, please check my website or drop me a note.

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com <http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/> , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom

September 4, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - This September will be a good month to catch some nice Bass here at Lake Fork. We are already starting to see some changes in the weather and with the recent rain we got this week end, conditions are starting to cool down a bit. The water temp at the time of this report was about 84 degrees on the main lake. Lake Fork is in great shape the water is clear and we have grass showing up all around the lake. We are just now starting to catch some good numbers of small fish with a few big fish mixed in right now we are catching 30 to 40 bass a day. Best pattern for me has been lipless crank baits in shad color and a Pop R, also a Carolina Rig with a watermelon seed fluke. Yesterday B.J. Rone from Dallas fished with me and we boated 32 bass and had two over seven. The Bass Fishing should continue to improve as we head into the fall season. Look for they,re to be lots of small Bass up close to the grass and pads while most of your bigger Bass are still in the deeper water for now. As conditions cool down over the next few weeks that will change rapidly and the bigger Bass will start to move up. The fall fishing here at Lake Fork can be some of the best fishing anywhere; so don't miss out on the fall fun. If you would like to book a fall guide trip you can reach me at 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 e-mail Bassrus@peoplescom.net Web site www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,

David Vance

August 15, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - The heat of summer finally hit Lake Fork this week. Other than a couple of slow days, the deep structure fishing is hot as well, with several days with catches from 33 to 47 bass. While we didn't catch any monsters this week, fishing has been very good for slot fish, with a lot of fish being caught in the 5 lb to a little over 7 lb range. I expect the good deep structure fishing during the day to continue until mid-September when the lake turns over.

Fishing in both the shallows and deep water typically picks up in late September each year and stays strong through most of November. With all of the newly flooded cover and the abundance of shad, it's shaping up for a great fall season on Lake Fork. Look for lots of good fish to come in during the McDonald's Big Bass Splash, Berkley Big Bass tourney, Irving Bass Club Open and the rest of the fall tournaments. Best of luck to those of you headed this way!

Lake Conditions: Lake Fork's water level is dropping very slowly, currently reading 403.56', about 7" above full pool. The higher water levels have flooded a bunch of shallow vegetation that is holding fish and is acting as a nursery for young baitfish and bass. Meanwhile, there is an inside grassline at about 6' and a deep weedline in 8' to about 13'. The main lake remains more stained than normal for this time of year, while the creeks with lots of vegetation have cleared considerably. Water temps warmed this past week, reading from 86 to 94 in the main lake. The thermocline has developed at about 28' and will remain in place until the lake cools dramatically and turns over, typically in mid-September.

Location Pattern: My location and presentation patterns remain largely unchanged, and I expect it will stay that way until the lake turns over. Although some bass remain in shallow water, I'm concentrating on offshore structure. Points, ledges, pond dams, channel bends, road beds, and humps in anywhere from 10' to 36' is where I'm looking for fish with my Z21 Ranger. Most days, shallower structure, about 18' and less, is best early and I'll work progressively deeper as the sun gets higher. Basically, look for significant depth changes anywhere from the middle of major creeks out to the main lake and you'll be in business. Some days these bass are suspended and other days they're on the bottom, although fishing is easier and usually more productive if you can find schools on the bottom.

Presentation Pattern: Texas rigged watermelon/red flake or blue fleck 10" Lake Fork Worms are catching some big bass from schools located on the bottom on deep structure. In these same areas, drop shotting watermelon candy or watermelon/red flake Twitch Worms are catching lots of keeper sized fish and some big ones, too. Or switch to a Carolina rigged Killer Craw or watermelon/red colored Baby Fork Creature or Baby Ring Fry and steadily drag it along until you find a piece of wood, then slow it way down and get ready for a big one. When the bass are suspended, weighted 4.5" and the new 5.5" Live Magic Shad swimbaits, spoons, or deep diving crankbaits in shad or yellow bass patterns are working best and catching some lunkers too. The key is counting your bait down to the level of the bass and keeping it in front of them for as much of the retrieve as possible.

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom

July 30, 2007 - Lake Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - I've attached photographs of Kevin (right photo) with a 7.25 lb'er and Turner (left photo) with another big bass. - Although the bass fishing on Lake Fork normally slows somewhat during the dog days of summer, the cool and wet weather has the bass biting very well on most days this past week. Even better, the big ones seem to be biting well, with a couple of bass over 11.5 lbs being caught during the daytime this past week. After a slower morning trip on Saturday, the bite was strong again yesterday, with 44 fish on the line, including a 7-1/4 pounder and a lot of nice slot fish. With the lake water now stratified and the thermocline in place around 28', the bass have repositioned on deep structure but are biting well nonetheless once you find them.

With a full lake and cooler than normal temps, fishing should remain good through August this year. Fishing in both the shallows and deep water typically picks up in September each year and stays strong through most of November. With all of the newly flooded cover and the abundance of shad, it's shaping up for a great fall season on Lake Fork. Look for lots of good fish to come in during the McDonald's Big Bass Splash, Berkley Big Bass tourney, Irving Bass Club Open and the rest of the fall tournaments. Best of luck to those of you headed this way!

Lake Conditions: Lake Fork's water level remained fairly stable this week, currently reading 403.42', about 5" above full pool. The higher water levels have flooded a bunch of shallow vegetation that is holding fish and is acting as a nursery for young baitfish and bass. Meanwhile, there is an inside grassline at about 6' and a deep weedline in 8' to about 13'. Due to all of the vegetation, most of the lake has remained fairly clear, while the backs of some creeks are stained from runoff. Water temps continue to run below normal for this time of year, reading from 84 to 88 in the main lake most days. As I mentioned before, a thermocline has developed at about 28' and will remain in place until the lake cools dramatically and turns over, typically in late September.

Location Pattern: Although many bass remain in shallow water, I've concentrated on offshore structure this past week. Points, ledges, pond dams, channel bends, road beds, and humps in anywhere from 6' to 38' is where I'm looking for fish with my Lowrance. Most days, shallower structure, about 18' and less, is best early and I'll work progressively deeper as the sun gets higher. Basically, look for significant depth changes anywhere from the middle of major creeks out to the main lake and you'll be in business. Some days these bass are suspended and other days they're on the bottom, although fishing is easier and usually more productive if you can find schools on the bottom.

Presentation Pattern: Texas rigged watermelon or blue fleck 10" Lake Fork Worms are catching some really big bass from schools located on the bottom on deep structure. In these same areas, drop shotting watermelon candy or watermelon/red flake Twitch Worms are catching lots of keeper sized fish and some big ones, too. Or switch to a Carolina rigged Killer Craw or watermelon/red colored Baby Fork Creature or Baby Ring Fry and steadily drag it along until you find a piece of wood, then slow it way down and get ready for a big one. When the bass are suspended, weighted 4.5" and the new 5.5" Live Magic Shad swimbaits, spoons, or deep diving crankbaits in shad or yellow bass patterns are working best and catching some lunkers too. The key is counting your bait down to the level of the bass and keeping it in front of them for as much of the retrieve as possible.

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com <http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/> , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom

July 28, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - The fishing this week has been good on Deep Diving Crank baits and a Carolina Rig. The Norman DD 22 has worked best for me color chartreuses with a blue back. Water depth 15 to 25 feet. Good places that are producing good fish are the old roadbeds, 515 east & 515 west, and main lake points and humps. Today we had 47 bass, 10 of these bass came on the crank bait and the rest on a Carolina Rig best baits for me have been a Watermelon Seed fluke and a Watermelon Seed Centipede. At this time, I am using a 1 oz weight with a three-foot leader line, size 15-pound test. The top water bite has been off and on the past few days. The top water action that we have had in the last week has come on a shad colored Pop R and a Zara Spook. Most of these bass have been chasing shad to the top, early in the morning. The bass are getting into their summer pattern. So if you are coming to lake fork, the deep-water pattern will be the most consistent, for most of the day. If you would like to book a trip you can call me at 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699.

GOOD FISHING,

David Vance

 

July 15, 2007 - Lake Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - Photos are of Darlene with a 7 lb 1 oz bass, Joe with an 8-9 and me with a 9-3 and another 8 lb'er.

With lots of fresh runoff and cooler than normal temps, the bass at Lake Fork remain scattered from the backs of creeks to deep water structure. For those who enjoy fishing shallow, bass are scattered all over the shallow grassbeds in all of the newly flooded cover. Anyone familiar with Texas summers knows that throwing spinnerbaits and topwaters midday in low 80 degree air temps is pretty unusual. On the other hand, deep water continues to produce our biggest bass, with a number of good ones in the 6 to a little over 9 lb category coming recently. The rising and falling water levels coupled with the quick changing weather conditions have changed the best fishing pattern daily and often even hourly, so stay flexible until you start catching good ones.

Lake Conditions: Lake Fork's water level is on the rise again after falling earlier this week, currently reading 403.89', about 11" above full pool. While many area lakes are way over their banks causing ramp closures, there are no problems with any of the Fork boat launches. The higher water levels have flooded a bunch of shallow vegetation that is holding fish, along with an inside grassline at about 6' and a deep weedline in 8' to about 13'. Due to all of the vegetation, most of the lake has remained pretty clear, while the backs of some creeks are stained from runoff. Water temps have stayed moderate because of the rains and overcast days, reading low 80s in most areas.

Location Pattern: Many bass are remaining shallow near spawning flats and chasing after bluegill, fry, and shad in the shallow grass. Although the bass are feeding in only 1' to 8', most of the bass and especially the bigger fish are holding near deeper water. Look for creek channels or ledges on the edge of flats or find grass on main lake points or flats next to quick drop-offs. Deep structure in 14' to 36' is once again where we've caught most of our big fish this week. Some days these bass are suspended and other days they're on the bottom. And most of these schools have been small, so watch your depth finder closely.

Presentation Pattern: First thing in the morning and on cloudy days, poppers and black or white Fork Frogs have worked well some days. Once the bass stop chasing topwaters, switch to a spinnerbait or a wacky rigged watermelon or Junebug Twitch Worm in the same areas and you'll continue to catch fish. For bigger bass, pitch a Mega Weight jig or a Texas rigged Flipper along the deep weedline and key on any timber in the area. I'm using a green pumpkin/black or a watermelon seed 3/8 oz jig with a watermelon/red flake Fork Craw trailer and a green pumpkin or watermelon/red flake Flipper on the Texas rig with a 3/16 oz sinker. Another great way to catch hogs is to go with a 4.5" or the new 5.5" Live Magic Shad in white or shad colors and slow roll it over the top of grassbeds, while pausing and letting it flutter down into the holes. Out deeper, Texas rigged green pumpkin and black neon 10" Lake Fork Worms are catching some really big bass from schools located on the bottom on deep structure. In these same areas, drop shotting watermelon candy or watermelon/red flake Twitch Worms are catching lots of keeper sized fish and some big ones, too. Or switch to a Carolina rigged watermelon candy or green pumpkin colored Baby Fork Creature or Fork Creature and steadily drag it along until you find a piece of wood, then slow it way down and get ready for a big one. When the bass are suspended, swimbaits, spoons, or deep diving crankbaits in shad or yellow bass patterns are working best and catching some lunkers too. The key is counting your bait down to the level of the bass and keeping it in front of them for as much of the retrieve as possible.

Lake Baccarac Update: Fishing has remained excellent since the end of May for both numbers and size. Here are a couple of reports from the last 2 weeks. Will Garrison's group of 26 anglers recorded an unbelievable trip with 40 fish over 10 pounds. 23 out of the 26 anglers caught a fish 10 pounds with the biggest fish weighing 15.6 and the second biggest weighing 14.9. David Davies catching the 14.9 along with 5 others over 11 pounds on the same day! Many boats report catching between 150 and 200 bass a day. Mark Barton reports, there were 5 of us, from Phoenix, Scott Anderson, Bill Meredith and myself. We had two buddies from Flagstaff and Sedona, Dan Bright and Steve Ash. Steve and Dan used swim baits and caught a bunch of great fish in the rancho padre area. Dan had an 11.10 and Steve a 9.6, they also caught numerous fish in the 6 to 9 pound range. Scott, Bill and I also did very well, with Bill bagging an 11.9, Scott a 10.14 and me with a 10+. We caught a bunch of fish in the 6 to 9 range and tons in the 4 and 5 pound range. Baits used were swim baits in white and/or chartreuse, jigs in white, black and green, worms or lizards in darker colors with watermelon the best.

The fall and winter of 2007/2008 are booking very quickly, with already only limited dates left in most months. Anyone interested in fishing Baccarac next season should start finalizing their plans soon, as the lodge only holds 24 anglers and many of the premium dates are already booked solid. For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com <http://www.bigmexicobass.com/> .

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com <http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/> , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom

July 15, 2007 - Falcon - Submitted by Larry Bridgeman - July 14-15, 2007:There were eight teams with a 5 fish limit per boat that fished the McAllen Bass Anglers tournament out of the State Park. All but a couple of the fish were released in good condition. Lalo Alvarado and Tony Garcia won with a 2 day total of 35 lbs (23.83 lbs on Sunday alone, including two 8 pounders). Martin Contreras and Juan Rivera got 2nd with 30.33 lbs. Al Malone and Dezi Lopez ended up in 3rd place with 30.04 lbs , including Dezi's Big Bass weighing 9.63 lbs . We missed several bass because the bite was really subtle. The lowest 2 day weight with 8 teams was 22 1/2 lbs Most of the fish were caught on creature baits and other plastics, in the usual colors, an some on crankbaits. With the rising water the fish were pretty scattered and at various depths. You either found them or didn't. Some liked the newly flooded weeds, but most were still deep. Sorry, no photos, the 103* heat cooked my camera batteries. We are still accepted new members. If anyone is interested, please see our website under "Links" Thanks to Al Malone for the report.

July 1, 2007 - Falcon - Submitted by Larry Bridgeman - July 1, 2007: Capital Bass Club:The club held their tournament this weekend and enjoyed some good results. Gary Flint had the heavy stringer of 53 8 Oz. Dean Waldon was a very close second with 53 Lbs. The fish were caught on a combination of deep plastics and crankbaits. Third and forth place weighed 47 and 44 lbs respectively and Jack and Michael Waldrop were fifth with 43 lbs. Thanks to Jack Waldrop for the results because we were unable to attend the weigh in held at the State Park.
The Hall of Fame Fishing Tournament was held at Oso Blanca lodge this weekend.

The Hall of Fame Legends tournament as held this weekend and our neighbor James Bendele provided this report:
Fished the Zapata Chamber of Commerce "Legends" tournament over the last weekend. It was a well run Tournament and the organizers took special care of the fish, and even went as far as having a Private Fisheries Biologist on hand to pamper any fish that were stressed or not feeling too well.
There were also many other festivities going on during the weekend, but fishing till 4:00 both days kinda takes the urge to join a Conga line after dark out of you. But this is supposed to be a fishing report and not a social happenings review. There were 54 teams entered, from what I understand, and I believe that was in the same range as the inaugural event last year. The weather was fantastic for the first week in July.. With Highs in the low to mid 90's. The tournament had a three fish per day format and it took over 40 pounds to win.. I am not sure what the exact weight was as it did not belong to me.. (Not uncommon) That's almost a 7 pound average.. Pretty salty.. The winners did have a 11 pound fish on day one I believe, and there was a fish almost eleven on Sunday also.

My partner and I started where we caught a lot of big fish last weekend, in School Bus creek. There were a LOT of boats in there, and a lot of our water was previously viewed before we go to it. I'm not sure if it made any difference or not, as fishing was pretty slow for us most of the morning.. By noon we had a lot of keepers, but none that were going to win you any money. We probably had about 10 pounds for three fish. I was starting to think about how it would be good to get home early on Sunday.. Then at 2:00 my partner caught a 8.25 beauty.. Which kicked us into a heavy grind to try and help that fish. But we were unable to improve as we fished right up to the wire and ended up weighing in just over 15 pounds of fish.. Not terrible but not what we had expected. And that put us in 15th place.. Not in the $$ And not unusual..

On Sunday morning we started out in the same area, and there was only one other boat in sight. And after a couple of hours we only had a two three pounders in the well, and were not feeling too cocky. But at about 10:30 I flipped in the right bush and was rewarded with a good fish. Didn't weigh her but figured her at about 7.5. We were feeling a little better but fished about two more hours with only a one pound cull. I decided to do what usually screws me up, and make a huge deviation from the game plan. I knew there were good fish where we were fishing, but we could not get them to bite. So we decided to try an area where I had caught a lot of fish last fall, but hadn't fished in a long while. On my second pitch into a big bushy tree, I hooked a nice fish. And after a miracle net job in the middle of the bush with the line wrapped around everything, the hook fell out of the fishes mouth. Didn't weigh her either but figured her at a big six. Two flips later I caught a four in the next bush over.. Things were looking better. We continued catching fish, and about twenty minutes later I caught a five pounder. I figured we had about 17-18 pounds for the tree fish. We worked back thru the area again and I'll be darn if I didn't hook a BIG fish in the bottom of another tree. She took a couple chunks of drag and wrapped me up and it was all said and done.. I thought about getting mad.. But I figured I'd already been blessed getting the last two in.. But this fish was a difference maker..(There's always the one that got away)

We fished till quittin time again trying to cull the five, but it didn't happen. I was surprised at the scales though, when the biggest fish went 8.1, and the second was a big seven. We had a little over 20 pounds for the three. We ended up in fifth place overall, with just over 35 lbs for six fish.. Not a bad weekend of fishing. Even made expenses for a change.. By far the best bait for us was a Watermellon Red Brush Hog.. Lightly weighted, and fished in 5-7 feet of water. And this trip the fish were more in the bushes than on the hardwoods. We caught a lot of small fish on the Zoom Mag II in Plum. But one of the eights was caught on one also. Anyway we had a great time and if you get the chance to fish this event next year you should give it a try.. Falcon as a fishery is pretty much on fire and if you have the opportunity to get there you should take it. You will not be disappointed. There are a lot of big events coming to Falcon, and deservedly so. It should be fun the watch what happens. See you on the water! James

Jimmy Steed and Richard Cremo took heavy stringer honors with a little over 44 Lb for six fish, They had a lot of fish Saturday & Sunday and most were caught on Senkos. Richard Mims team had a 11 LB big bass for Saturday. Big Bass Sunday was 10.88 Lbs. Altogether, 278 fish weighing 1088 lbs were caught for an average of 4.2 Lbs per fish. The SureLife Catch and release biologists were in charge of the live release and they needled about 70% of the fish that were caught deep. A minimal number of the bass succumbed to the stress and deaths were minimized due to the involvement of Lane and Tony Gergely. Good Job Guys! Ed Calderone President TABC assisted with the weigh in and live release. His help and assistance was appreciated.

June 18, 2007 - Lake Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips -With many cloudy and rainy days, the shallow bite at Fork has remained good with all of the flooded grass, aquatic vegetation, and reasonable water temps. Until the rains stop and the water temps warm up, the deep bite will remain a little inconsistent. Some days we have found good schools on the bottom and you can catch a number of big fish very quickly. Other days, we're finding only small schools out deep or lots of suspended bass, so it's more of a one here and one there approach. As we move into our hot and dry season in July, look for water temps to rise quickly and the ever popular deep bite will turn on with it.

Lake Conditions: Lake Fork's water level has continued to creep up during June, currently reading 402.67', about 4" below full pool. With more rain today and a chance of storms all week, Fork is in great shape this summer with lots of newly flooded vegetation and deep grassbeds all over the lake. While there are thick hydrilla and coontail beds in some areas of the lake, milfoil really seems to be coming on strong in many areas of the lake this year. Due to all of the vegetation, most of the lake is clear right now, although a few places are stained from runoff and wind. Water temps have stayed moderate because of the rains and overcast days, reading in the upper 70s to low 80s in most areas.

Location Pattern: Many bass are remaining shallow near spawning flats and chasing after bluegill, fry, and shad in the shallow grass. Although the bass are feeding in only 1' to 8', most of the bass and especially the bigger fish, are holding near deeper water. Look for creek channels or ledges on the edge of flats or find grass on main lake points or flats next to quick drop-offs. Deep structure in 14' to 33' is once again where I've caught most of my big fish this week. Some days these bass are suspended and other days they're on the bottom. And most of these schools have been small, so watch your depth finder closely.

Presentation Pattern: First thing in the morning, poppers and Spooks are working well and these baits have worked all day long if it's cloudy. Once the bass stop chasing topwaters, switch to a spinnerbait or a wacky rigged watermelon or Junebug Twitch Worm in the same areas and you'll continue to catch fish. For bigger bass, pitch a Mega Weight jig or a Texas rigged Flipper along the deep weedline and key on any timber in the area. I'm using a green pumpkin/black or a watermelon seed 3/8 oz jig with a watermelon/red flake Fork Craw trailer and a green pumpkin or watermelon/red flake Flipper on the Texas rig with a 3/16 oz sinker. Out deeper, oz Mega Weight tungsten jigs in green pumpkin/black with watermelon candy or Blue Bruiser colored Fork Craw trailers or Texas rigged green pumpkin Twitch Worms are catching some really big bass from schools located on the bottom on deep structure. In these same areas, drop shotting watermelon candy or watermelon/red flake Twitch Worms are catching lots of keeper sized fish. Or switch to a Carolina rigged watermelon/red flake or Killer Craw colored Baby Fork Creature and steadily drag it along until you find a piece of wood, then slow it way down and get ready for a big one. When the bass are suspended, swimbaits or deep diving crankbaits in shad or yellow bass patterns are working best and catching some lunkers too. Light line and a stop and go retrieve are working best with the crankbait and the swimbaits.

Lake Baccarac Update: Fishing has remained very good since the end of May.
Here are a few snippets from recent reports. Tommy Baxter reports excellent fishing trip with fish up to 9 pounds caught up around the ranch. At one point Tommy reports catching 17 fish in a row that totaled 107 pounds. Glen Burda caught 11.4 and 10.5 and his partner also caught two over 10. Don Regus while fishing with guide Jesus caught 11.9, 11.7, 11.6, 10.1, and 10.0 on the morning of the 28th. David Lundsford reported that his group has had a great trip with 4 out of 6 in his group catching fish over 10 pounds. On May 31st Jeff Hannes while fishing with Chino caught 2 over 8, 1 over 10 and a true trophy that weighed 14.8 pounds, while using spinning gear rigged with 17 pound test. Jack Prewitt caught 4 fish over 10 pounds. Bill Cromer's first day on the water caught 2 over 10. Most fish are on the main lake suspended in 18 feet of water. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and swimbaits are all catching these fish.

There are still a few openings left for this season, while the fall and winter of 2007/2008 are booking very quickly. Anyone interested in fishing Baccarac next season should start finalizing their plans soon, as the lodge only holds 24 anglers and many of the premium dates are already booked solid. For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com .

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom

June 11, 2007 - Falcon - Submitted by Larry Bridgeman - June 9-10, 2007: The Atascosa Bass Club fished Falcon this weekend. Lake water temperatures were about 85 degrees and temperatures Saturday were hot at 99 degrees before a wind change occurred and showers cooled the air temperatures. The bite was slow in the morning for most of the anglers but after the wind change the bite improved. Allen Parks caught an 8lb 8 Oz bass early on a sweet beaver but most of the other anglers settled for smaller bass to fill their limits.Plastic baits and crankbaits were the best producers and Carolina rigging was the best technique. Watermelon red and plum apple were the best colors.
Sunday was a bit more productive then Saturday and Shane Pfullman walked away wih heavy stringer honors with 32.60 Lbs for two day 10 fish weight. Dub Billings came in third with 29.99 Lbs and Ted Wayland was second with 31.32 Lbs.

June 4, 2007 - Report on Lake Fork Skeeter Owners Tournament - Submitted by Mark Kirkpatrick -

What a great time at the Skeeter Owners Tournament, Even though I didn't Catch that 10 pounder! I did walk the stage with a under slot. All the fish I caught; and it was a boat load of fish! Where taken on 15lb's Vicious, and Snack Daddy BLK/BLU Pro Tubes, fishing the Tree lines in 1-6 foot of water.

Tournament will be shown on The Outdoor Channel " BASS CHAMPS"

 

 

 

 

May 27, 2007 - Lake Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips -

Fishing hasn't changed much this past week, with a few really good days and a few really slow days.  When the deep bite has been on, we've caught a lot of 6 to 10 pound bass.  Other days, the fish just seemed to disappear out deep.  Shallow fishing has been very good at times on topwaters and wacky worms, making for lots of excitement with repeated jumps from 2 to 5 pounders, along with the occasional big fish.  And with the continued rains, rising water, and more newly flooded vegetation, look for the shallow fishing to remain good at least through June.  Until the rains stop and the water temps warm up, the deep bite will remain a little inconsistent. Once the summertime patterns really get going, late May, June, and July is my 2nd most favorite time of the year, with big fish coming regularly on swimbaits, crankbaits, and Carolina rigs out deep and on jigs along deep weedlines.

Lake Conditions:  Lake Fork's water level rose a little after a couple rains this week, currently reading 402.05', about 11" below full pool.  With rain forecast for all week, Fork should be in great shape this summer with lots of newly flooded vegetation and deep grassbeds.  Due to all of the vegetation, most of the lake is clear right now, although a few places are stained from runoff and wind.  Water temps have stayed moderate because of the rains and overcast days, reading in the mid 70s in most areas. 

Location Pattern: While almost all of the spawning has wrapped up, many bass are remaining shallow on spawning flats and chasing after bluegill, fry, and spawning shad in the ever expanding submerged and emergent weeds.  For bigger females, fish slightly deeper structure such as points, creek channels, and ledges; any of which are in close proximity to spawning areas.  Deep structure in 18' to 30' is once again where I've caught most of my big fish this week.  Some days these bass are suspended and other days they're on the bottom.  And most of these schools have been small, so watch your depth finder closely. 

Presentation Pattern: First thing in the morning, frog baits like a Fork Frog in black neon or watermelon/red flake/pearl belly are working well some days.  Cast these all the way to the bank and drag them across the newly flooded grass, then let them drop after coming across the mat.  Other days, poppers are working better, and these baits have worked all day long sometimes.  For bass on the grass flats that won't chase a topwater, a wacky rigged watermelon or Junebug Twitch Worm is hard to beat. For bigger bass, pitch a 3/8 oz Mega Weight jig or a Texas rigged Flipper to holes in the grass and lily pads on flats or near stumps on points and creek channels.  I'm using a green pumpkin/black or a watermelon seed jig with a watermelon/red flake Fork Craw trailer and a green pumpkin or watermelon/red flake Flipper on the Texas rig.  Out deeper, oz Mega Weight tungsten jigs in green pumpkin/black with watermelon candy or Blue Bruiser colored Fork Craw trailers or Texas rigged green pumpkin Twitch Worms are catching some really big bass from schools located on the bottom on deep structure.  When the bass are suspended, swimbaits or deep diving crankbaits in shad or yellow bass patterns are working best and catching some lunkers too.  Finally, my Carolina rig and drop shot bite came on a little this week.  Try a watermelon/red flake or Killer Craw colored Baby Fork Creature on your Carolina rig or a watermelon chartreuse Twitch Worm on your drop shot.  

Lake Baccarac Update:  Fishing was very good for numbers this past week but after all of the 10 to 15 pounders for most of May, double digit bass were scarce for a few days last week.  Things returned to normal on Thursday, with 4 over 10 caught, including a 12.2.  There are still a few openings left for this season, while the fall and winter of 2007/2008 are booking very quickly.  Anyone interested in fishing Baccarac next season should start finalizing their plans soon, as the lodge only holds 24 anglers and many of the premium dates are already booked solid.  For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website.

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams.  If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com <http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/> , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom 

May 20, 2007 - Lake Belton - I caught that fish out of Lake Belton in Texas, it weighed in at 8lbs 9oz 24 1/2 inches. We were fishing out of my dad's bass boat and I caught him on a pumpkin seed worm.

 

 

 

May 20, 2007 - Lake Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - Fishing has been inconsistent at Lake Fork this past week.  When the deep bite has been on, fishing is good and we're catching mostly postspawn females in the 4 to 9 lb range.  Other days, we're only finding a few small schools out deep and I've had to resort to shallow water fishing, where the bite has been sporadic at best.  Flipping jigs and Texas rigs up shallow will produce some good bass but lower numbers, while weightless plastics often produce better numbers but mostly smaller fish.  And on a few days, it was slow on just about everything.  As we move out of the spawn and into postspawn and summertime patterns, fishing will stabilize and good fish will be caught on more predictable patterns. And once the summertime patterns get going, late May, June, and July is my 2nd most favorite time of the year, with big fish coming regularly on swimbaits, crankbaits, and Carolina rigs out deep and on jigs along deep weedlines.

I've also added a fishing articles section to my website, with monthly articles on techniques to help you catch bass on Fork or on most any other lake.  You can check them out at http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/fishingarticles.htm .

Lake Conditions:  Lake Fork's water level is the highest it has been in almost 2 years heading into summer, currently reading 401.91', about 1' 1" below full pool.  With normal rains in May and June, Fork should be in great shape this summer with lots of newly flooded vegetation and deep grassbeds.  Due to all of the vegetation, most of the lake is clear right now, although a few places are stained from runoff and wind.  Water temps continue to rise, currently reading in the mid 70s to mid 80s. 

Location Pattern: While almost all of the spawning has wrapped up, many bass are remaining shallow on spawning flats and chasing after bluegill, fry, and spawning shad in the ever expanding submerged and emergent weeds.  For bigger females, fish slightly deeper structure such as points, creek channels, and ledges; any of which are in close proximity to spawning areas.  Deep structure in 18' to 30' is where I've caught most of my big fish this week.  Some days these bass are suspended and other days they're on the bottom, and most of these schools have been small, so watch your depth finder closely. 

Presentation Pattern: First thing in the morning, frog baits like a Fork Frog in black neon or watermelon/red flake/pearl belly are working well some days.  Cast these all the way to the bank and drag them across the newly flooded grass, then let them drop after coming across the mat.  Other days, poppers are working better.  For bass on the grass flats, 4.5" Live Magic Shads and regular Magic Shads are catching some bass.  Rig these weightless on an Owner 4/0 or 5/0 Wide Gap Plus hook and try the watermelon red/pearl, watermelon seed/red flake, golden shiner, or Magic Shad colors.  For bigger bass, pitch a 3/8 oz Mega Weight jig or a Texas rigged Flipper to holes in the grass and lily pads on flats or near stumps on points and creek channels.  I'm using a green pumpkin/black or a watermelon seed jig with a watermelon/red flake Fork Craw trailer and a green pumpkin or watermelon/red flake Flipper on the Texas rig.  Out deeper, oz Mega Weight Jigs in black/blue with watermelon candy colored Fork Craw trailers or Texas rigged green pumpkin Twitch Worms are catching some really big bass from schools located on the bottom on deep structure.  When the bass are suspended, swimbaits or deep diving crankbaits in shad or yellow bass patterns are working best and catching some lunkers too.  

Lake Baccarac Update:  As in the past seasons, the May/June lunker period at Baccarac is producing once again!  Check out the recent reports.  Orlean Smith and his fishing partner Leo Osburn from OK on May 4th caught 10 fish over 10 pounds using topwater and swimbaits. Donny Harkey in Leo's group caught 2 over 13. Out of the 12 fishermen in Orlean's group, 20 fish over 10 where caught. In total, the lodge has added 36 more fish over 10 pounds to the trophy board this week. Stephen Jones, Executive V.P. of the Dallas Cowboys, caught a 12.4 the first 20 minutes on the water at Baccarac. Joe Hickman caught a 12.7. Pryor Blackwell caught 10.0 and the list goes on.  There are still a few openings left for this season, while the fall and winter of 2007/2008 are booking very quickly.  Anyone interested in fishing Baccarac next season should start finalizing their plans soon, as the lodge only holds 24 anglers and many of the premium dates are already booked solid.  For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com .

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams.  If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com, where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom  

May 7, 2007 - Falcon - Submitted by Larry Bridgeman - May 5,6 2007: For the first weekend since April 14, 5 Bass Cubs held their May tournaments on Falcon. Helotes, SWRI and McAllen all weighed in at the State Park. Freedom Bass Club and SAPD Bass Busters. weighed in at the Zapata County Ramp. On previous occasions we have complained to the Sheriff's office about the use of the launching ramp and adjacent parking area by 3 wheeler, 4 wheeler and motorcycle traffic. The riders use the area as a playground impervious to the boat traffic. A SA boat exiting off the boat ramp struck a motorcycle entering the ramp and the rider was not watching for outgoing traffic. Today several parked tow vehicles were also broke into. Why the sheriff's department cannot patrol this area and address the problems especially on weekends is a mystery to us.This incident today is an example of what this problem can escalate into. A few judicious tickets to the riders that run rampant over the boat parking areas might prevent some of the accidents that are happening or waiting to happen. Also patrol of the parking areas might make the perpetrators of the recurrent breaking into the tow vehicles less brazen.

Freedom Bass Club's Butch Drake had the heavy stringer weighing 29.1 lbs Alex Gonzales
was second with 21.5 Oz and Bill Berry was third with 21.3 Oz. Butch Drake had the heavy bass weighing 7.4 Lbs together with patch fish of 5.7 and 6.3 Lbs. Most of the Freedom fisherman were using baby brush hogs Carolina rigged in 4 to 10 ft of water.

 

 

SAPD Bass Busters big bass weighed 9.25 Lbs and it was caught on a Zara Spook in about 8ft of water by Tommy Joiner. The heavy stringer weighed 26 .53 Lbs and was caught by Dean Amos on California Sweet Beavers. Shawn Markgraff was second with 24.69 Lbs and Robert Drzmalya was third with 23.90 Lbs.

 

 

 

Susan Osbourne had ladies big bass weighing 6.51 Lb Ladies heavy stringer was Ann Drzmala with 17.53 Lbs. Sunday: The club's 24 anglers had a great day fishing and most anglers were culling fish by early morning. Aubrey Freeman Sr. had the two day heavy stringer with 42.39 Lbs. Aubrey Freeman Jr had the second heavy stringer with a very close 42.34 Lbs. Richard Flores was third with 37.82 Lbs and Susan Oborne had the heavy stringer for ladies with 25.39 lbs. Richard Flores weiged a 7.49 lb bass for the Big BASS Sunday

SWRI's Bass Busters had two fish over 9 lbs including a 10 Lb 22 Oz fish by Jerry Campos and a 9 plus Lber by Jason Kalonski and a 29 lb and 26 Lbs heavy Stringers respectively. Their best 5 fish weighed just over 41 Lbs\

Helotes Bass Club heavy stringer winner for the two days was Bob Buchanan with 52.29 Lbs for 10 fish. Danny Delhunt was second with 41.63 Lbs. Al Reyna was third with 35.27 lbs and zngarm Ball was 4th with 34.59 Lbs. Richard and Ngarm Ball had the heavy stringer for a husband and wife with 65.65 lbs. Bob Buchanan had the Big Bass weighing 9.98 Lbs

Seventeen members from the McAllen Bass Anglers fished Falcon this weekend. Conditions were 20 mph winds out of the SE and 78 degree lake water temperature. The lake level has dropped to 266.10 ft only the two middle lanes of the launch ramp were working with 3 to 6 foot in the channel. Joe Martinez had the heavy stringer of 44.74 lbs. He also had the big Bass weighing 10.5 Lbs. Jessie Warren was second with 39.38 Lbs and John Struthers was third with 38.65 Lbs. Altogether the club caught weighed and released 68 bass weighing 146.91 Lbs

April 26, 2007 - Lake Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - As we near May, I'm still seeing a number of spawning pairs in the shallows at Lake Fork .  Between the fry guarders, spawning fish and the bass chasing the hoards of shad spawning in the grass, 8' and less has been my best depth range this week.  I expect the shallows will remain my main pattern for a couple more weeks, too.  Meanwhile, a few fish are starting to show up on deep structure and a number of fish are hanging out in mid-range depths (8' to 18').  Just about any bait in your tackle box will work at some point in May, and the fishing will continue to get better as the females wrap up their spawning rituals and put on the feedbag.    From lunkers on topwaters to structure fishing for schools of big bass on crankbaits, swimbaits, and Carolina rigs, the annual summer whack-fest is about to begin.  Head on out to Lake Fork this summer and find out why May, June, and July are the favorite months of many Fork regulars. 
 
Lake Conditions :  Lake Fork 's water level is currently reading 401.93', about 1' 1" below full pool.  Recent rains and winds have resulted in some areas that are still muddier than normal; however, the visibility is still very good in most places.  Water temps continue to rise, holding in the mid-60s in the main lake to the mid-70s in the creeks. 
 
Location Pattern: I'm finding most of the bigger spawning fish nearer the mouths of coves and on main lake flats in 8' and less.  While some bass are spawning in the newly flooded grass and cattails, many are spawning or staging along the inside grassline in about 4'.  In addition, many bass are also holding amongst the rapidly burgeoning lily pads.  Near where we found numbers of shallow spawning bass on slightly deeper structure such as points, creek channels, and ledges is where we've found most of the bigger females. 
 
Presentation Pattern: Shad colored topwaters and jerkbaits have been very productive for actively feeding post spawners on some days this week.  For the bass holding in the newly flooded vegetation, swimming a green pumpkin red/pearl Fork Frog is hard to beat.  My jig bite produced a few big fish when pitched to timber on points and creek channels or on the deep grasslines.  I go with a 3/8 oz Mega Weight green pumpkin jig with a watermelon candy 4" Fork Craw trailer.  For bass around beds and on the spawning flats, weightless Texas rigged 4.5" Live Magic Shads have produced very well this week.  Rig these weightless on an Owner 4/0 or 5/0 Wide Gap Plus hook and try the watermelon red/pearl, watermelon seed/red flake, golden shiner, or Magic Shad colors.  While some bass are biting on the swim, our best retrieve has been dead-sticking on the bottom, followed by swimming it a few feet and letting it fall back to the bottom, repeating this all the way back to the boat.  For spawning bass, white or watermelon candy Fork Craws and Merthiolate twitch worms have worked well.
 
Lake Baccarac Update: 
Baccarac is on fire for big bass!  Check out a few snippets from the latest reports.  James Fraioli writer for Bassmaster on April 22 caught a 13.10, 11.5 and 10.14. On April 23rd James's camera man Kevin Goodrich caught a 15.2 using a Storm swim bait then James again landed a 10, 10.7 and 11.4.  On April 24th James Frioli caught 2 more over 10 and Kevin Goodrich caught a 14.1.  April 23rd John Thurston caught 11.4 and 9.14 and Barry Weiland also caught 11.4.  Mike Hammer had a great topwater day April 19th catching 3 fish over 10 on topwater.  Wilo Blackwell caught 11.10 using a 7" senko.  April 20th Mike Hammer had another great day, his 3 biggest fish 13.6, 10.7, 10.4 all on swimbaits.  Awesome!! May is historically one of the best trophy bass months, so look for this trend to continue.  There are still a few openings left for this season, while the fall and winter of 2007/2008 are booking very quickly.  Anyone interested in fishing Baccarac next season should start finalizing their plans soon, as the lodge only holds 24 anglers and many of the premium dates are already booked solid.  For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com .
 
Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams.  If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.
 
Good Fishing,
 
Tom  

April 13, 2007 - Lake Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - Lake Fork is rebounding nicely after a major cold front dropped our water temps by 10 to 15 degrees. Although our numbers slowed this week, big fish are still being caught and another wave of spawning fish seem to be pulling up shallow with the recent warming trend. A couple of 13 pounders were donated to the ShareLunker program on Wednesday and we found prespawn fish this week on the first break near spawning areas. In contrast, a few early spawners are ahead of schedule and already starting to show up in typical May areas. Meanwhile, newly flooded vegetation is starting to hold a lot of bass and should make for awesome frog and buzzbait action very soon. Whether you want to fish prespawn, spawn, or postspawn patterns, you have a good shot at a lunker on Fork right now.

Lake Conditions : Lake Fork 's water level is currently reading 401.78', about 1' 3" below full pool. After a big rain and a few windy days, some areas are still stained but much of the lake is starting to clear up. Water temps fell dramatically after a strong cold front, dropping from the low 70s into the upper 50s. Temps are on the rise again, holding in the low 60s in most places.

Location Pattern: For prespawn bass, concentrate on points, creek channels, treelines, and inside or outside grass lines near shallow spawning flats. In many cases, we've caught multiple fish from very small areas, so really work an area over once you've caught a fish there. Spawning activity has spread from protected bays and typically in the very back ends of creeks all the way to the mouths of creeks as well as onto some main lake flats. Basically, if you can find a 2' to 8' flat with ample grass and wood cover, you'll likely find spawning fish right now.

Presentation Pattern: For late prespawn bass, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, jigs and Texas rigs are producing some big fish. Go with gold jerkbaits on cloudy days, while silver color schemes work better on sunny days. Work these baits with a few twitches and long pauses. For a real prespawn monster, pitching heavy cover along the first breakline and creek channels is the way to go. I go with a 3/8 oz Mega Weight green pumpkin jig with a Lake Fork Craw trailer in the watermelon candy color. For the Texas rig, I'll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper or Top Dog Lizard in green pumpkin or watermelon/chartreuse with a 1/8 to 3/8 oz bullet weight and slowly work it around cover. For bass that have moved onto spawning flats, weightless Texas rigged or wacky rigged soft plastic jerkbaits like Magic Shads, Live Magic Shads, Twitch Worms, and Ring Frys become your best option. Once again, shades of green pumpkin and watermelon are top colors in clearer areas. In muddier water, try Junebug color plastics or use chartreuse dyed tails on your baits for more bites.

For spawning bass, white or watermelon Dog Lizards, Flippers and Craw Tubes work great. White baits allow you to clearly see your bait on the bed, while more natural shades of green are often needed to catch the more finicky bass. My favorite is the Lake Fork Baby Craw. Its tiny size and realistic look catch many bass that will run off the bed when bigger baits are pitched in there.

Lake Baccarac Update: The spawn is winding down and postspawn fishing is the main pattern right now at Baccarac. Numbers are still running strong, with several 10s weighed in this week. As the big girls set up on summertime patterns, look for the giant fish to start showing up again shortly, as May is historically one of the best trophy bass months. There are still a few openings left for this season, while the fall and winter of 2007/2008 are booking very quickly. Anyone interested in fishing Baccarac next season should start finalizing their plans soon, as the lodge only holds 24 anglers and many of the premium dates are already booked solid. For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com .

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom

April 2, 2007 - Lake Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - Heading into April, the spawn is in full swing at Fork. Prespawn and postspawn bass are still available all over the lake as well. As evidence, we had an 8 lb'er that was clearly prespawn and full of eggs at the back end of a creek way, way up north this week, while we also saw some bass fry on main lake flats on the south end. As usual, I expect the spawn to continue into early May. A strong front with heavy rain muddied or stained much of Fork while raising our lake level almost a foot. The front and new muddy water significantly slowed the bite for us this weekend; however, the new flooded cover will be home to many beds in the coming weeks and a real boon for catching actively feeding postspawn lunkers.

Lake Conditions: Lake Fork's water level is basically done rising, currently reading 401.88', about 1' 1" below full pool. High winds followed by a big rain have most of the creeks muddied, while much of the main lake is stained. Water temps continue to rise, with the main lake reading in the upper 60s and protected bays registering well into the 70s.

Location Pattern: For prespawn bass, concentrate on points, creek channels, treelines, and inside or outside grass lines near shallow spawning flats. In many cases, we've caught multiple fish from very small areas, so really work an area over once you've caught a fish there. Spawning activity has spread from protected bays and typically in the very back ends of creeks all the way to the mouths of creeks as well as onto some main lake flats. Basically, if you can find a 2' to 8' flat with ample grass and wood cover, you'll likely find spawning fish right now.

Presentation Pattern: For late prespawn bass, crankbaits, jerkbaits, jigs and Texas rigs are producing some big fish. Go with gold jerkbaits on cloudy days, while silver color schemes work better on sunny days. Work these baits with a few twitches and long pauses. For a real prespawn monster, pitching heavy cover along the first breakline and creek channels is the way to go. I go with a 3/8 oz Mega Weight green pumpkin jig with a Lake Fork Craw trailer in the watermelon candy color. For the Texas rig, I'll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper or Top Dog Lizard in green pumpkin or watermelon/chartreuse with a 1/8 to 3/8 oz bullet weight and slowly work it around cover. For bass that have moved onto spawning flats, weightless Texas rigged or wacky rigged soft plastic jerkbaits like Magic Shads, Live Magic Shads, Twitch Worms, and Ring Frys become your best option. Once again, shades of green pumpkin and watermelon are top colors.

For spawning bass, white or watermelon Dog Lizards, Flippers and Craw Tubes work great. White baits allow you to clearly see your bait on the bed, while more natural shades of green are often needed to catch the more finicky bass. My favorite is the Lake Fork Baby Craw. Its tiny size and realistic look catch many bass that will run off the bed when bigger baits are pitched in there.

Lake Baccarac Update: Lots of 10 to 11 pounders are coming from the shallows right now, with fish up to 13 lbs being reported in the last week. There are still a few openings left for this season, while the fall and winter of 2007/2008 are booking very quickly. Anyone interested in fishing Baccarac next season should start finalizing their plans soon, as the lodge only holds 24 anglers and many of the premium dates are already booked solid. For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com <http://www.bigmexicobass.com/> .

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com <http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/> , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom

March 26, 2007 - Falcon - Submitted by Larry Bridgeman - March 25, 2007: 42 fishermen contested the Southern Region Bass Federation Tournament at Falcon. The hands down winner was Frank Adams weighing a big bass of 8.84 Lbs and a heavy stringer of 21.59 Lbs Tim Griffin was in third place with 18.49 Lbs Heavy Stringer.Mannie Lackey weighed a 5.90 Lb and a 6.08 Lb bass to round out his 20.24 Lb Second heavy Stringer. Fishermen were catching fish on Magnum Watermelon Red Lizards, Brush Hogs, Chatterbaits and Bill Lewis 1 OZ Rat-L-traps in 72 degree water slightly stained to muddy with 28 Mph winds and 80 degree high temperatures.

March 25, 2007 - Falcon - Submitted by Larry Bridgeman - March 24, 2007: 207 teams of fishermen launched at day light to contest the annual Falcon Bass Champs tournament. Because of a predicted continuation of yesterday's 41mph wind gusts, fishermen were allowed to trailer their rigs to the ramps closest to their intended fishing destinatons. Fishing started at 7:00 am and last cast was at 3:00 pm Scales were open for weighin until 4:45 PM. Winds were gusting to about 29 mph and temperatures were mild with high temperature reaching 82.5 degrees with a cooling cloud cover most of the day. The open launching policy obviated the necessity of unpleasant boat trips fighting high winds to make the weighin at Beacon Lodge.

Laredoans Nicolas Rocha and his partner Abelardo Lozoya weighed in the Heavy Stringer of 31.72 Lbs and the third big bass of 10.48 Lbs to win the top honors and a check for Twenty Thousand dollars. Gerald Goff and Ed Matthews took 2nd Heavy Stringer honors with 30.24 Lb and they took home 10,000 dollars including the 5,000 dollar bonus for fishing out of a Skeeter boat.

Eric White caught the big bass of the tournament weighing 11.42 Lbs and earned a check for 1,000 dollars. The majority of the fish were caught on watermelon red brushhogs, Falcon Lake Tackle presented gift certigicates to the heavy stringer and big bass winners.

Magnuum 8" Lizards, Berkley 10" Power Worms. brush hogs and watermelon red sweet beavers were the most productive lures.The depth range in which most of the fish were caught was 12 ft to 2 ft but 8 to 10 ft was the most frequent depth producing fish. A few fish were caught on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Altogether eleven fish were caught over 6 Lbs, 10 fish were caught weighing over 7 Lbs. 8 fish were caught over 9 Lbs, 5 fish were caught overover 10 Lbs and 1 over 11 Lbs.57 Teams weighed over 20 Lbs and 27 places received checks.

March 25, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - If you have not come to Lake Fork in March, you missed out on some of the best early Spring fishing we have had in a long time. To date, there has been six Bass over thirteen pounds caught, and a huge number of seven to ten pound Bass reported for March. The best pattern for me right now is three to eight feet of water. The Baits that have produced best for me have been a 8in Lizard, Wacky Worm, and a Short Carolina Rig.

On the Carolina Rig this time of year, I like to use a 5/16 weight with a 12 inch Leader, and a Green Pumpkin Lizard. On the Wacky Worm I am using a Green Pumpkin Trick Worm on 15 pound line. Right now we are averaging 20 to 30 Bass a day and the numbers will increase as we get into April. There are a lot of Bass on the beds and still more moving up. Good areas right now are, Glade, Chaney Branch, No Name, Little Caney, and Long Branch. Something else to look for in these areas are the old Lilly Pad Stems, this is where a lot of the Bass are bedding. The Wacky Worm and the Short Carolina Rig work great in these places.

With March being such a great month, April will be twice as good. I had four clients this March catch a Bass over ten pounds and the largest was eleven pounds and nine ounces. This is the time of year we all wait for, so don,t miss out on an April that is going to be fantastic. If you would like to book a Guide Trip you can call me at: 903-629-7699 or my cell 903-629-5085 http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

GOOD FISHING

David Vance

March 16, 2007 - Lake Nasworthy - fishing at lake nasworthy in san angelo crappie good on minniows 3 feet off bank catfish good on stenk bait bass slow but were catching some on crappie minniows

March 13, 2007 - Falcon - Submitted by Larry Bridgeman - March 10-11, 2007: Fifteen club members participated in this McAllen Bass Anglers individual tournament. Saturday was a pretty nice day with mild winds from the Southeast. On Sunday the wind increased to 20-25 mph which made fishing difficult, but there were still lots of limits and several big fish caught, including some 7-8 pounders. Water temperature was 68-72 degrees. Most of the bass had apparently already spawned, although there were a few that still had eggs. Most fish were caught in anywhere from 3-17 feet of water. Congratulations go to new member Jessie Warren, for the 1st heavy stringer 35.79 Lbs, to Joe Martinez for the 2nd Heavy Stringer 34.02 Lbs, and to J.D. Penny for the 3rd heavy stringer 33.28 Lbs. Altogether the anglers caught 115 bass weighing 321.59 Lbs.

March 12, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - (Photo is of Tom with a 10 lb 4 oz bass from March 11) Many warm and sunny days resulted in a big bass catching spree at Fork and kicked off the spawn in earnest. While numbers were up and down this week, size has been very good most days, including a 10.25 pounder we caught yesterday. In addition, dozens of giant bass have been reported at the local marinas this week, including two 13s and a 15.32! With our cold winter, the spawn is just starting and I'd estimate that only 10% of the bass population is spawning right now. As is usual, lunker bass will be spawning throughout April and into mid-May.

Lake Conditions: Lake Fork's water level has remained relatively stable, currently reading 400.89', about 2' 1" below full pool. Many areas that were quite stained last week are clearing nicely, while the backs of some creeks remain muddy and most of the lower end of the lake is clear. Water temps continue to rise, with the main lake reading in the mid-50s and protected bays reading into the upper-60s.

Location Pattern: For prespawn bass, concentrate on points, creek channels, treelines, and inside or outside grass lines near shallow spawning flats. In many cases, we've caught multiple fish from very small areas, so really work an area over once you've caught a fish there. Spawning bass are currently located in protected bays and typically in the very back ends of creeks, with more beds showing up daily. As the water continues to warm, flats and bays nearer the mouths of coves will

Presentation Pattern: For prespawn bass, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits are still catching some big fish, especially on overcast and windy days. On calm days, you'll typically do better by switching to a suspending jerkbait or pitching a jig and a Texas rig. These baits also produce most of my biggest bass in March. Go with gold jerkbaits on cloudy days, while silver color schemes work better on sunny days. Work these baits with a few twitches and long pauses. For a real prespawn monster, pitching heavy cover along the first breakline and creek channels is the way to go. I go with a 3/8 oz Mega Weight black and blue or green pumpkin jig with a Lake Fork Craw trailer in the blue bruiser or watermelon candy color. For the Texas rig, I'll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper or Top Dog Lizard in black neon or watermelon/chartreuse with a 1/8 to 3/8 oz bullet weight and slowly work it around cover. For bass that have moved onto spawning flats, weightless Texas rigged or wacky rigged soft plastic jerkbaits like Magic Shads, Live Magic Shads, Twitch Worms, and Ring Frys become your best option. Shades of green pumpkin and watermelon are normally top colors, with watermelon baits with the tail dipped in chartreuse being the top producer lately.

For spawning bass, white or watermelon Dog Lizards, Flippers and Craw Tubes work great. White baits allow you to clearly see your bait on the bed, while more natural shades of green are often needed to catch the more finicky bass. My new favorite is the Lake Fork Baby Craw. Its tiny size and realistic look catch many bass that will run off the bed when bigger baits are pitched in there.

Lake Baccarac Update: With the water on a warming trend, 10 pounders are being caught daily in the shallow water, including some giants on topwaters. There are still a few openings left for May and June (historically one of the best times for trophy bass). I'm starting to plan my group trips for Fall & Winter 2007/2008. Our trip last year was fun and productive for double digit bass; let me know if you want to be part of the lunker action. For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com <http://www.bigmexicobass.com/> .

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com <http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/> , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom

February 28, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - (Left photo is client James with one just under eight pounds, right photo is of Guide Tom with one just under ten pounds) A sustained warming trend has the big bass on the move at Fork, with fish up to 10 lbs caught in my boat this week and lots of big fish being reported at local marinas.  Typical of this time of year, we've had several days with well over 20 bass caught, while a couple days were downright tough.  A number of very windy days, including a few days with gusts in the 40s and mid-50s have muddied up large areas of the lake; however, the bite has been best for us on windy days.  While some areas are warming very quickly and reading into the upper 50s and low 60s in the afternoons, the boat ramp temp is reading 48 the last couple of mornings and we even found the backs of some creeks reading 49 late in the afternoon.  Based on these temps, some spawning will start soon if the warm sunny days continue, while it will be quite some time before the bass spawn in many other areas of the lake.  As is the norm, I expect we'll have fish spawning into early May.

Lake Conditions:  Lake Fork's water level has remained stable, currently reading 400.97', about 2' below full pool.  Due to recent strong winds, many areas of the lake are stained to muddy.  Water temps are on the rise, reading 48 to 55 in main lake areas and up to the low 60s in some protected pockets late in the day.

Location Pattern: I'm still concentrating on prespawn and staging fish on points and along edges of flats or creek channels.  Areas with submerged vegetation (primarily hydrilla, milfoil or coontail) for cover will typically have the most active fish.  While about any grassy area will hold a few fish, start your search in areas that have lots of spawning fish in March.  It stands to reason that the coves that hold the most spawning fish in early spring will have the most prespawn fish in the winter.  The specific location of the bass within creeks has seemed to change daily.  Check productive coves and creeks from main lake points and flats to the very back to find active fish each day.  In many cases, we've caught multiple fish from small areas, so really work an area over once you've caught a fish there.

Presentation Pattern: My prespawn arsenal is pretty simple for fishing grass flats and creek channels.  First and foremost are lipless crankbaits in or < oz, in red, orange and crawdad patterns.  Slow rolling lipless cranks was best last week in the cold water, but a faster stop and go retrieve is working better now. oz to 1 oz spinnerbaits with double willow or single Colorado blades in white, red, or chartreuse and white will produce some really large bass as well.  With the deeper grass and colder temps, switch to smaller blades and slow your retrieve until the bait is just ticking the top of the grass.  On calm days, you'll typically do better by switching to a suspending jerkbait or pitching a jig and a Texas rig.  Go with gold jerkbaits on cloudy days, while silver color schemes work better on sunny days.  Work these baits with a few twitches and long pauses.  My flipping bite has been slow the last few days, but for a real monster, it's normally your best option.  I go with oz Mega Weight black and blue jigs with a Lake Fork Craw trailer in the blue bruiser color.  The Fork Craw has an air pocket in its belly and it stands up on the back of a jig, making a very realistic looking presentation for dead-sticking around cover.  For the Texas rig, I'll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper or Top Dog Lizard in black neon or watermelon/red flake with a 1/8 to 3/8 oz bullet weight and slowly work it around cover.  Finally, when the bass move onto the flats, weightless Texas rigged or wacky rigged soft plastic jerkbaits like Magic Shads, Live Magic Shads, Twitch Worms, and Ring Frys become your best option.  Shades of green pumpkin and watermelon are normally top colors; work these baits very slowly and pay attention for subtle bites from that big mama!

Lake Baccarac Update:  With the water on a warming trend, bass are making a move to the backs of creeks and many big bass up to 13 lbs have been caught shallow in the last few days.  There are still a few openings left for March and April and there is good availability for May and June (historically one of the best times for trophy bass).  I'm starting to plan my group trips for Fall & Winter 2007/2008. Our trip last year was fun and productive for double digit bass; let me know if you want to be part of the lunker action.  For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com <http://www.bigmexicobass.com/> .

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams.  If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com <http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/> , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom  

February 27, 2007 - Falcon - Submitted by Larry Bridgeman - February 24-25, 2007: Six clubs are hosting club tournaments at Falcon this weekend. Two clubs from Austin the River City Bass Club and Austin Bass Clubs, Two clubs from San Antonio Texas the Helotes Bass Club and the San Antonio Bass Anglers, South Texas Bass Anglers and Atascosa Bass Club and Humpie Howie are all hosting tournaments at Falcon, Prefishing was good for most anglers but 9 1/2 lbs was the big bass landed and it reportedly hit a jig, Fish were caught on brush Hog and Magnum Lizards in Watermelon Red and Sweet Beavers in the same color. lots of good fish were caught in 63 to 68 degree water.

Atascosa Bass Club weighed in 23.36 Lbs for heavy stringer by Craig White and Tinker Pfullman had the Big Bass weighing 8.69 Lbs. Dick Mittnick was second heavy stringer with 19.46 Lbs Sunday: Craig White's two day total was 34.16 Lbs and Keith Sutherland weighed in 33.72 Lbs. Shane Pfullman suffered a blown motor on his boat and still managed to weigh in 27.21Lbs for the two days thanks to some buddy chips he called in with Keith Sutherland. Roger Dove had the Heavy Stringer weighing 36.81 Lbs Jim Marsh was second with 35.93Lbs Heavy Stringer. Pat White had 29.49 Lbs for ladies heavy stringer with a 6.88 Lb kicker bass.

South Texas Bass Anglers Cris Pike had the heavy stringer Saturday weighing 34.86 Lbs and the Big Bass weighing 7.62 Lbs. Jim Burgess was second with 20.37 Lbs and Dan Lejman was third with 20.04 Lbs

River City Bass Club had 51 Angler's contest the tournament and the team weights for Saturday were 44.59 Lbs 1st Heavy Stringer Garrett Nelson and Justin Pollei with a 10.25 Lb Anchor bass, Wake and Jake Eastman father and son with 34.37 Lbs and Andy Zavala and Kanena Foeitas were third with 33.68 Lbs. Luke Larsen weighed in 19.19 Lbs with a 6.54 Kicker fish. SUNDAY:Robert Johnson had the Sunday heavy Stringer weighing 23.97 LBS with a 7.30 Kicker fish. Marcus Slade weighed in a 8.66 Lber for Big Bass.

 

Austin Bass Club's 20 anglers weighed in at County Ramp. The first place Saturday heavy stringer of 40.54 Lbs was weighed by Martin Jakubowsky and Brian Koraska wth a 7.55 lb anchor fish. Second place team Mike and Nicholas weighed in 36.34 lbs with a 8.24 Lb Big Bass. Third place was 30.48 Lbs. Sunday: John Givens caught the big bass of the weekend for all clubs weighing 11.34 Lbs with a 24.63 Heavy Stringer. Brian Koraska and Jake Jakubowsky took the weekend two day team heavy stringer honors with 68.73 Lbs. John Givens and his partner had the second place heavy stringer weighing 61 .72 Lbs. Ray Ceder and Randy Roe were third with 61.42 LbsMike Shields and Keith Nichols were fourth with 58.31 Lbs. Altogether, the Club caught 166 fish weighing 474.88 Lbs
Fish were located in 2 to 12 ft of water on hardwoods and humps and brush hogs, magnum lizards and Sweet Beavers caught the most fish. Five to eight foot of water was the dominant depth in water warmed to 68 degrees by the afternoon. Air temperatures reached 86 degrees and winds gusted to 23 mph on Sautuday. Sundays weather was a little lighter for winds and temperatures reached 78 degreesThe bigger bass were located in 5 to 10 ft of water and have not yet moved to the shallows in preparation for spawning. The buck bass were prevalent in the shallows. Magnum watermelon red Zoom Lizards and Zoom Brush Hogs in the same color produced the biggest fish.

February 16, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - Another cold week has the numbers being caught on Lake Fork down, but the average size is very good and big fish are still being caught on a regular basis. Despite the cold temps, bass are still holding in staging areas and I suspect they will quickly move onto the flats again with the warming trend forecast for next week. Until we get a prolonged warming trend and the water stays in the 60s overnight, the prespawn pattern that I'm fishing will remain the same.

Lake Conditions: After another good rain on Saturday, Lake Fork's water level is currently reading 401.00', 2' below full pool. Due to recent strong winds and rain, the north ends of the lake remain muddy; however, much of the lake is still very clear. Water temps are once again on the decline, reading 45 in most places yesterday (Wednesday).

Location Pattern: From now through mid-March, I concentrate on prespawn and staging fish on points and along edges of flats or creek channels. Areas with submerged vegetation (primarily hydrilla, milfoil or coontail) for cover will typically have the most active fish. While about any grassy area will hold a few fish, start your search in areas that have lots of spawning fish in March. It stands to reason that the coves that hold the most spawning fish in early spring will have the most prespawn fish in the winter. Main lake grass beds near the mouths of these coves are holding a lot of fish now, as are main and secondary points inside the coves, provided there is deep water nearby. During warming trends, follow bass back into the creeks and check the edges of grass flats and creek channels.

Presentation Pattern: My prespawn arsenal is pretty simple for fishing along grasslines and creek channels. First and foremost are lipless crankbaits in 12 or 34 oz, in red, orange and crawdad patterns. With the cold water, yo-yoing the baits in deeper grass with a lift/drop retrieve and switching to tighter wobbling 34 oz baits worked best this week. 12 oz to 1 oz spinnerbaits with double willow blades in white, red, or chartreuse and white will produce some really large bass in the same areas that the lipless cranks work, especially on windy and cloudy days after a warming trend. With the deeper grass and colder temps, switch to smaller blades and slow your retrieve until the bait is just ticking the top of the grass.

Some days, I've done better by switching to a suspending jerkbait or pitching a jig and a Texas rig. Go with gold jerkbaits on cloudy days, while silver color schemes work better on sunny days. Work these with long pauses over the grass and along the edges. For jigs, I go with 12 oz Mega Weight black and blue jigs with a Lake Fork Craw trailer in the blue bruiser color. The Fork Craw has an air pocket in its belly and it stands up on the back of a jig, making a very realistic looking presentation for dead-sticking around cover. Dead-sticking is the key phrase with the jig-put it around heavy cover and let it soak for best results. For the Texas rig, I'll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper in black neon or blue bruiser with a 14 to 3/8 oz bullet weight and slowly work it around cover.

Lake Baccarac Update: After a very cold week that resulted in slower than normal fishing, things are warming up and fishing is returning to close to normal. A few bass are starting to spawn in the backs of creeks, while most of the 10 pounders are still coming closer to deep water. The lodge has a few openings left for March and April, while there is still good availability for May and June (historically one of the best times for trophy bass). I'm starting to plan my group trips for Fall & Winter 2007/2008. Our trip last year was fun and productive for double digit bass, let me know if you want to be part of the lunker action. For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com .

Good Fishing,

Tom

January 29, 2007 - Falcon - Submitted by Larry Bridgeman - January 27-28, 2007: San Antonio Bass Club and Atascosa Bass Clubs contested their January Tournaments at Falcon and they were combating a slow bite courtesy of 49-55 degree lake water temperatures. The water upriver from Beacon has turned off muddy due to last week's rains but the upper,mid and lower lake water quality is still good. Atascosa 's heavy stringer of 22.40 Lbs was weighed by Tinker Pfullman and he also had the Big Bass of 8,54 Lbs. Craig White had the third Big Bass of 7.28 Lbs and second heavy stringer of 16.76 Lbs. Shane Pfullman had third Heavy Stringer of 15.40 Lbs and Ted Wayland had the second Big Bass of 7.57 Lbs and fourth Heavy Stringer of 15.12 lbs. The big fish were caught on sweet beaver plastic lures in 8 ft to 20 ft of water.

Sunday: Tinker Pfullman held on for first place Heavy Stringer with 38 Lbs

 

 

 

 

San Antonio Bass Club had 30 fisherman vying for heavy stringer/big bass honors. Marshal Drake caught the big bass weighing 5.50 Lbs and he had the second heavy stringer weighing 14.25 Lbs. Tracy Tolbert had 16.50 Lbs for first place heavy stringer.

Sunday: Tracy Tolbert held on for 2 day, heavy-stinger honors with 24.35 Lbs. Carter Thompson captured second heavy stringer with 17.25 Lbs and Dr. Richard Drake overtook his son with 5 fish Sunday to give him a third place heavy stringer of 16.50 Lbs. The big new was Matt Poarch's 9.15 Lb big bass caught on a watermelon red paddle tail worm purchased at Falcon Lake Tackle. Marie Rose Holiday took the Ladies Heavy Stringer honors with 3.45 Lbs. Other successful lures catching fish on Sunday were the Sweet Beaver and the Zoom Magnum Watermelon Red Lizard. Sunday's water temperature rose to 56 degrees and water clarity was good. Winds were cool out of the North to 18 MPH.Many of the anglers commented that the bite was very light.Heavy Team honors went to Bob and Glenn Hahn with 28.3 Lbs.

Sonny Osborne Sr and Jr were here Saturday prefishing for next months SAPD Tournament. Sr had 18 # Heavy stringer and Jr weighed a 31 Lbs heavy Stringer. They fished both sides of the lake on the lower mid and upper lake.

January 24, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - My Lake Fork Report is below.  In addition, I've attached a pic of me with a 9 lb 4 oz lunker from Tuesday.  I'm off to a boat show this weekend, then to the FLW Stren Series on Rayburn next week, look for my next report in mid-February.

Despite cold water temps and some stained water, lunker bass are showing up shallow as they stage for the spawn.  As a result, even on our slowest days we're catching some good bass, with numerous fish in the 5 to 7 lb range this week.  And the fishing has been very good some days, including hooking 17 bass from 3 to 7 lbs in the cold rain on Saturday afternoon after blanking in the morning and a 9 lb 4 oz lunker on Tuesday.  While fishing has been slow in the muddy areas of the lake, good bass are still being caught in the stained areas and now numbers of bass are starting to pull up shallow in the clear water on the south end of the lake.  The current prespawn pattern will hold through mid-March, giving anglers their best chance of the year for a true monster bass.

Lake Conditions:  After another good rain on Saturday, Lake Fork's water level is currently reading 401.09', about 1'11" below full pool.  According to my records, this is the highest Lake Fork has been since early August 2005.  Moreover, the ground is still very wet right now, so any rains in the near future should help fill the lake.  As you might expect, the water is stained to muddy in most creeks, while the main lake remains clear on the lower end.  Water temps dropped significantly last week, bottoming out around 45 degrees in the main lake, with some large creeks reading well into the 30s.  As of yesterday (Wednesday), most areas of the lake were reading 46 to 47 degrees.

Location Pattern: The recent cool down didn't dramatically change the bass' location; rather, it changed how the fish related to the nearby cover and structure.  In general, I'm still catching bass from the same areas I was catching them earlier this month.  From now through mid-March, I concentrate on prespawn and staging fish on points and along edges of flats or creek channels.  Areas with submerged vegetation (primarily hydrilla, milfoil or coontail) for cover will typically have the most active fish.  While about any grassy area will hold a few fish, start your search in areas that have lots of spawning fish in March.  It stands to reason that the coves that hold the most spawning fish in early spring will have the most prespawn fish in the winter.  Main lake grass beds near the mouths of these coves are holding a lot of fish now, as are main and secondary points inside the coves, provided there is deep water nearby.  During warming trends, follow bass back into the creeks and check the edges of grass flats and creek channels.

The higher water levels have also created multiple new cover options for bass.  In addition to the deep outside weed edges, you'll now also need to consider the inside weedline.  Meanwhile, newly flooded terrestrial plants, bushes, and laydowns are also starting to hold bass at some times; whereas bare hard bottom areas, devoid of any cover, have been very good at other times.  There are lots of variables to play with.  Fish only the areas that were productive last spring or even a few weeks ago and you have a surefire recipe for failure.  The bass have quickly adapted to the higher water levels and their cold & muddy environment, will you?

For deep structure enthusiasts, points, roadbeds, humps, flats and ledges in 30' to 50' are still producing some big fish as well.  Use your electronics to find the schools of bass and baitfish and work them over with spoons and dropshots.  As water temps drop, these deep fish will be unaffected and will continue to bite on days when the shallow bite is slow.  I've been concentrating on the shallow bass, so my presentation pattern will focus on that.

Presentation Pattern: My prespawn arsenal is pretty simple for fishing along grasslines and creek channels.  First and foremost are lipless crankbaits in or < oz, in red, orange and crawdad patterns.  With the cold water, yo-yoing the baits in deeper grass with a lift/drop retrieve and switching to tighter wobbling < oz baits worked best this week. oz to 1 oz spinnerbaits with double willow blades in white, red, or chartreuse and white will produce some really large bass in the same areas that the lipless cranks work, especially on windy and cloudy days after a warming trend.  With the deeper grass and colder temps, switch to smaller blades and slow your retrieve until the bait is just ticking the top of the grass.  Some days, I've done better by switching to a suspending jerkbait or pitching a jig and a Texas rig.  Go with gold jerkbaits on cloudy days, while silver color schemes work better on sunny days.  Work these with long pauses over the grass and along the edges.  For jigs, I go with oz Mega Weight black and blue jigs with a Lake Fork Craw trailer in the blue bruiser color.  The Fork Craw has an air pocket in its belly and it stands up on the back of a jig, making a very realistic looking presentation for dead-sticking around cover.  Dead-sticking is the key phrase with the jig-put it around heavy cover and let it soak for best results.  For the Texas rig, I'll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper in black neon or blue bruiser with a to 3/8 oz bullet weight and slowly work it around cover.

Lake Baccarac Update:  Texas isn't the only place receiving cold precipitation.  The mountains at Lake Baccarac received a lot of rain and snow recently, bringing up the lake level to 80% of capacity.  The cooler temps put the bite off a little for a few days but is now back in full swing, with several 11s and a 12.5 lb'er caught recently.  Most everyone reported good fishing, with a least 40 fish per day and lots of quality bass from 7 to 10 pounds being caught.  The lodge has a few openings left for March and April, while there is still good availability for May and June (historically one of the best times for trophy bass).  I'm starting to plan my group trips for Fall & Winter 2007/2008. Our trip last year was fun and productive for double digit bass, let me know if you want to be part of the lunker action.  For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com <http://www.bigmexicobass.com/> .

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams.  If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com <http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/> , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom  

January 23, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - This weather has been up and down, but that is typical for Texas weather this time of year. The best fishing has been from 10am until dark. Best depth has been 6 to 12 feet of water on the edge of the grass lines at the mouth of the creeks.

Most of the bass we have caught in the last couple of days have been from mid lake to the dam. As cold as it has been I am not fishing the upper end of the lake. With water temperatures in the upper 40,s you want to fish the clearest water. And at this time mid lake to the dam you will find the clearest water after all of this rain we have had. I only have three baits tied on right now a lipless crank bait, a suspending rogue and a 3/4 ounce spinner bait with a #5 gold willow leaf blade. With the bass so scattered these three baits allow me to cover a lot of water fast or slow. In the last 2 days our best fish came in the last three hours of the day on the spinner bait and a suspending rogue. I am fishing the spinner bait and the rogue in the same places as the lipless crank bait only slower. Slow rolling a 3/4-ounce spinner bait has produced our best fish in the last 2 days with one over eight and two over 7. Good places to fish this pattern right now are the mouth of Little Caney, Ray Branch, Chaney Branch and Big Mustang. The best color spinner bait that has worked best for us have been white chartreuse and blue. Line size 17lb test on a medium heavy lake fork pro series rod when slow rolling a 3/4-ounce spinner bait l like to use a 7ft rod, it gives me more control over the bait when making a long cast. What worked best for us was making a long cast and letting the bait hit the bottom and turning the reel handle just enough to turn the blade and keeping it in contact with the grass.

Right now do not expect to catch a lot of fish, but the ones you do catch will be good ones. On into Feb. the numbers will increase and so will your chances of catching a bass of a lifetime. January and February are great times to fish Lake Fork. The big bass are moving in and you will get the jump on the crowd that will be here in March and April. Spring dates are booking fast so if you would like to book a guide trip now is the time to get best date selection you can call me at 903-629-7699 or my cell 903-629-5085. http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing

David Vance

January 21, 2007 - Falcon - Submitted by Larry Bridgeman - January 20-21, 2007 Rebel Bass Club San Antonio Tx brought 11 anglers to brave the chilling weather and contest their January event. Morning temperatures were 42 degrees and warmed to 50 degrees by weigh in. Wimds gusted to 22 degrees making it feel cooler than it was. The lake water temperature dropped to 46 degrees and fishing was a challenge even though the heavy stringer weighed by Troy Lynn was a very respectable 19.90 Lbs and the big bass weighed 8 .68 lbs. Troy Zipperer had the second heavy stringer weighing 18.71 Lbs and his big bass weighed 7.27 Lbs. Third and fourth heavy stringers weighed 14.68 and 14.48 Lbs respectively. Alex caught his fish on a jig in the hardwoods in about 10 ft of water. Some fish came off spinnerbaits in about 8 ft of water and magnum lizards produced a few good fish.Launching is still working OK but the trailer has to be backed a long way out to float and load the boat.

Troy Lynn caught a limit of big bass on a crankbait out of a tigers brush pile and weighed 21.65 Lbs for heavy sringer with a 7.06 big bass to take two day heavy stringer honors with 41,55 lbsThe other day 1 leaders failed to get on the fish and ed Manning weighed in second heavy stringer at 20.90 Lbs.

 



January 16, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - At long last, it appears that the drought in East Texas has broken and heavy rains have Lake Fork on the rise. A warming trend and lots of freshly flooded vegetation had bass biting very well last week. An artic cold front, heavy rain and the impending ice storm had the bass really active this weekend, with an even 20 bass in a half day of fishing on Saturday and 16 quality bass again on Sunday. Best of all, we only saw 1 other bass boat each day, along with the occasional home owner that came to his dock to inquire what in the world we were doing on the lake in such conditions. While the temps stayed a few degrees above freezing over the weekend, things have now turned colder, with the high staying under the freezing mark both yesterday and today.

While cold, muddy water is often labeled as the kiss of death for a good bite in the short term, the fish will quickly adjust and get back to a regular pattern in a few days. While I expect the numbers caught to go down, adaptable anglers will still be able to catch lunker bass by adjusting their approaches. Look for many of the bass in the backs of creeks to move tighter to creek channels and move to the points nearer the mouths of coves. Meanwhile, the many bass that were hanging out in main lake grass beds or still residing in deep water will only be minimally affected by the cold front. 070114tom2.jpgFinally, with all of the newly flooded cover, look for a number of bass to be active in extremely shallow water, especially during our next warming trend.

Lake Conditions: Lake Fork's water level continues to rise and is currently reading 400.47', about 2'6" below full pool. This is 2' 10" higher than the level was on 12/15 and the ground is very wet right now, so any rains in the near future should help fill the lake. Due to the rains, the water is stained to muddy in most creeks, while the main lake remains relatively clear on the lower end. Water temps were reading around 53 degrees in the main lake and as warm as 59 in the backs of creeks on Friday. By late Sunday, the main lake was reading around 50 degrees in most areas and some creeks with lots of runoff were reading as low as 42 degrees. After the cold days yesterday and today, I'm sure many areas are reading well into the 40s, while the deeper waters on the south end of the lake should remain warmer and clear for a while.

Location Pattern: While the cooler temps will change the fish location slightly, my main patterns will remain basically the same for the next couple of months. From now through February, I concentrate on prespawn and staging fish on points and along edges of flats or creek channels. Areas with submerged vegetation (primarily hydrilla, milfoil or coontail) for cover will typically have the most active fish. While about any grassy area will hold a few fish, start your search in areas that have lots of spawning fish in late February and through March. It stands to reason that the coves that hold the most spawning fish in early spring will have the most prespawn fish in the winter. Main lake grass beds near the mouths of these coves are holding a lot of fish now, as are main and secondary points inside the coves, provided there is deep water nearby. During warming trends, follow bass back into the creeks and check the edges of grass flats and creek channels.

Keep in mind, too, that the absolute water temperature is not nearly as important now as the recent water temperature trend. For instance, water temps that are showing 52 degrees can result in slow fishing if the temps were 58 a couple days ago. In contrast, fishing can be great if the temps warm up to 50 while they were 44 a few days before. In general, look for bass on the flats and farther back in creeks during warming trends; conversely, drop back to points and main lake grassbeds after cold fronts. Finally, the day of and the day after cold fronts can be absolutely miserable to fish, but these frontal days after a long warming trend are usually the most productive times to fish. Saturday and Sunday were perfect examples of this.

For deep structure enthusiasts, points, roadbeds, humps, flats and ledges in 18' to 45' are still producing some big fish as well. Use your electronics to find the schools of bass and baitfish and work them over with spoons and dropshots. As water temps drop, these deep fish will be unaffected and will continue to bite on days when the shallow bite is slow. I've been concentrating on the shallow bass, so my presentation pattern will focus on that.

Presentation Pattern: My prespawn arsenal is pretty simple for fishing along grasslines and creek channels. First and foremost are lipless crankbaits in or < oz, in red, orange and crawdad patterns. While the water warmed last week, quickly retrieving oz baits over the top of grass was working best; however, yo-yoing the baits in deeper grass with a lift/drop retrieve and switching to tighter wobbling < oz baits worked better as the water cooled this weekend. oz spinnerbaits with double willow blades in white, red, or chartreuse and white will produce some really large bass in the same areas that the lipless cranks work, especially on windy and cloudy days after a warming trend. When the bite slows or the conditions are sunny and calm, I'll switch to a suspending jerkbait or pitch a jig and a Texas rig. Gold jerkbaits with orange bellies and black backs are my primary color. Work these with long pauses over the grass and along the edges. For jigs, I go with oz Mega Weight black and blue jigs with a Lake Fork Craw trailer in the blue bruiser color. The Fork Craw has an air pocket in its belly and the craw stands up on the back of a jig, making a very realistic looking presentation for dead-sticking around cover. For the Texas rig, I'll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper in black neon or blue bruiser with a to 3/8 oz bullet weight.

Good Fishing,

Tom

January 16, 2007 - Falcon - Submitted by Larry Bridgeman - January 13-14, 2007:Three Bass Clubs Uvalde, Alamo and McAllen Bass Busters held their club events on Falcon this weekend. Uvalde Bass Club's Saturday heavy stringer was weighed by Xavier Ybarra for 20 lbs. The big bass weighed 8 lbs and was caught by Jimbo Beard. He had the second heavy stringer weighing 19 lbs. Pete Arredondo had the third heavy Stringer weighing 17 lbs. Ricky McNeil had the second big bass weighing 6.73 lbs. A total of 23 Anglers fished the tournament.A number of the anglers found fish up the river in the coves and creeks. Jimbo wrecked his boat coming in off the lake when the hot foot hung up and ran him aground. Jimbo was sent to the hospital for observation. His new ranger suffered some sever damage.

Sunday: Karl Gager had the Big Bass for Sunday weighing 7.28 Lbs. Lucas Hiler hd the heavy stringer weighing 19.43 Lbs Cris Kinsey had the second heavy stringer weighing 17.62 Lbs and Mark Leinweber was third with 16.06 Lbs.
The Alamo Bass Club had `17 members fishing and they based out of the State Park. Art Tabler had the heavy stringer weighing 37.79 Lbs. The second, third and fourth heavy stringers weighed 37.56, 32.50 and 31.30 Lbs. The big bass caught by Westin Hiatt weighed 6.89 Lbs. Brian jones and Becky Sexon had the couples heavy stringer weighing 59.50 lbs. Most of the fish came from 4 to 8 ft of water on spinnerbaits and magnum lizards. Lake water temperature was 64 degrees and water was stained.

McAllen Bass Busters had 14 fishermen contest the January 13-14 tournament.Joe Martinez got the year's first win with 35.03 lbs for 6 fish. Oscar Ramirez was second witth 32.58 Lbs and Al Malone had the tournament big bass weighing 7 Lbs and third Heavy Stringer weighing 31.56 Lbs. The female fish were moving shallower and most of the fish were caught in 4-6 ft of water on plastic creature baits.The 7 Lber was caught in 3 1/2 ft of water.

January 8, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - With the spawn just around the bend, more and more big bass are showing up in prespawn locations on Lake Fork. Recent rains brought up the lake over a foot and muddied up many creeks; however, we're still catching some good bass by diligently working key staging areas. With warm sunny days forecasted for this week and the clearing water, look for the lunker bite to really get going in the coming weeks.

Lake Conditions: Lake Fork's water level is currently reading 398.85', about 4'2" below full pool. This is 1' 2" higher than the level was on 12/15 and the ground is very wet right now, so any rains in the near future should help fill the lake. Even with the low water, almost all of the main ramps are still useable without any issues. Due to the rains, the water is stained to muddy in some creeks, while the main lake remains relatively clear. While we haven't caught many bass in the extremely muddy areas, the bass haven't seemed to mind the stained water (areas with 6" to 18" of visibility). Water temps are running about normal for early January, reading between 51 and 53 degrees in most areas.

Location Pattern: From now through February, I concentrate on prespawn and staging fish on points and along edges of flats or creek channels. Areas with submerged vegetation (primarily hydrilla, milfoil or coontail) for cover will typically have the most active fish. While about any grassy area will hold a few fish, start your search in areas that have lots of spawning fish in late February and through March. It stands to reason that the coves that hold the most spawning fish in early spring will have the most prespawn fish in the winter. Main lake grass beds near the mouths of these coves are holding a lot of fish now, as are main and secondary points inside the coves, provided there is deep water nearby. During warming trends, follow bass back into the creeks and check the edges of grass flats and creek channels.

Keep in mind, too, that the absolute water temperature is not nearly as important now as the recent water temperature trend. For instance, water temps that are showing 52 degrees can result in slow fishing if the temps were 58 a couple days ago. In contrast, fishing can be great if the temps warm up to 50 while they were 44 a few days before. In general, look for bass on the flats and farther back in creeks during warming trends; conversely, drop back to points and main lake grassbeds after cold fronts. Finally, the day of and the day after cold fronts can be absolutely miserable to fish, but these frontal days after a long warming trend are usually the most productive times to fish.

For deep structure enthusiasts, points, roadbeds, humps, flats and ledges in 18' to 45' are still producing some big fish as well. Use your electronics to find the schools of bass and baitfish and work them over with spoons and dropshots. I'm concentrating on the shallow bass, so my presentation pattern will focus on that.

Presentation Pattern: My prespawn arsenal is pretty simple for fishing along grasslines and creek channels. First and foremost are red lipless crankbaits in 12 or 34 oz. While they are more work to throw, the bigger 34 oz lipless cranks, with their larger profile and tighter wobbles, have
been producing more fish lately in the cold muddy water. Buzz these over the top of the shallowest grass, then slow down and yo-yo them on a lift/fall retrieve over the deeper grass. 12 to 1 oz spinnerbaits with double willow blades in white, red, or chartreuse and white will produce some really large bass in the same areas that the lipless cranks work, especially on windy and
cloudy days after a warming trend. When the bite slows or the conditions are sunny and calm, I'll switch to a suspending jerkbait or pitch a jig and a Texas rig. Gold jerkbaits with orange bellies and black backs are my primary color. Work these with long pauses over the grass and along
the edges. For jigs, I go with 12 oz black and blue jigs with a Lake Fork Craw trailer in the blue bruiser color. The Fork Craw has an air pocket in its belly and the craw stands up on the back of a jig, making a very realistic looking presentation for dead-sticking around cover. For the Texas rig, I'll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper in black neon or blue bruiser with a 14 to 3/8 oz bullet weight.

Cover lots of water until you get bit. Once you catch one, work the area over thoroughly with multiple passes, employing several different baits. Fish tend to stack up in key staging areas during the prespawn and these spots will replenish themselves with more fish during the spawn period
as more and more big bass move shallow. Find some good staging spots and you'll have a milk run of honey holes now through March.

Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing,

Tom

January 7, 2007 - Falcon - Submitted by Larry Bridgeman - South Texas 5 January 7, 2007: Twenty two teams contested Falcon's first tournament of 2007 Sunday. Fish were located deep in 12 to 14 ft depths and shallow in as little as two-three foot of water. They were caught primarialy on watermelon red plastic baits and the shallow fish were showing good egg formation and bloody tails. The water temperature was 59 degrees Sunday dropping from 62 degrees Saturday.

One of the participants Pat Ball found his fish on the rocks and in adjacent trees along the river channel. Here is a tip. His best bite came from dead sticking the brush hogs in 8 to 12 ft of water. Wind was less than yesterday especially early but it got up by weigh in and those fishing in the Salinilias had a rough ride back to Zapata.

Charles Haralason fishing by himself weighed the heavy stringer for 31.00 Lbs and the Team of Fowler and Fowler had the big bass weighing 10.68 Lbs.

Emily Ball had the ladies big bass. The team of Ralph Celedone/Fred Vannoy had the second heavy striinger weighing 25 lbs and there were a number of fish caught over 8 lbs including a 9.02 Lber by Derek Kukendahl who was fishing with Jim Edwards. They came in third with 24.20 Lbs

January 5, 2007 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - Hello from Lake Fork, with the rain we got this past week the fishing on Lake Fork has been good on lipless crank baits. Red has been the best color for me, and water depth three to five feet over the grass. The best places to look for are at the mouths of the major creeks. Mustang, Little Caney, Birch and Pinson have been good this week. Wednesday of this week we put 15 bass in the boat that weighed up to 8lbs all on 3/4 oz red lipless crank baits. The key right now is to cover as much water as you can. These fish are scattered over the grass, therefore when you go down a bank turn around and fish it again. These fish are not chasing the bait; you have to get it close to them before they will hit it. So each place you fish, hit it 2 or 3 times before you leave. Most of the bass right now are from the main point half way back in the creeks. By the middle of the month this pattern will be red hot and will be great through February.

Right now I am using 15lb test line and a high-speed reel on a medium action lake fork pro series rod; A medium to fast retrieve has worked best for me. Most of the bass are just stopping the bait almost like you hit a stump. So at first don't assume you have hung up. If the bait stops go ahead and set the hook. Throughout the day we have had a lot of short hits, so it is very important to have sharp hooks. I always change the hooks on all of my crank baits. The ones out of the pack just will not do. This pattern is a lot of work so do not lose a big fish over a bad hook. Also, when casting this much don't forget to re-tie your bait several times in a day. It's easy not to re-tie but it will save you the frustration of losing a big bass, because you had a nick in your line. I always look forward to this time of year, because it is the start of our big bass season. So all of you that are serious about catching a trophy bass mid January and February are hard to beat. These big pre-spawn bass will be feeding before they start to get on the beds in March. Even with the rain we got the lake is still 5 feet low so be careful running the lake. If thinking about booking a guide trip now through the spring, Book Early for Best Date Selection. You can reach me at 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

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