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Texas Fishing Report 2008
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.
Video and instructions
to help prevent the spread of Zebra Mussels
Click on Photos for Larger View
December 21, 2008 - Lake
Fork - Submitted by David Vance - With this
weather up and down one day it's 75 the next it is 35 fishing
has been slow for numbers, but the quality of the bass we are
catching right now makes up for the numbers. This week most of
our bass have came on lipless Crank baits and a Suspending Rogue.
These baits have been producing some big bass this past week.
Yesterday we stayed with the lipless Crank baits and Suspending
Rogue all day, and we boated 12 bass with one that weighed 11
lbs 3oz. This big bass came on the Suspending Rogue on the edge
of a grass line. Best water depth for me has been 5 to 10 feet
of water over the grass. The bass we caught this week have come
from mid lake to the dam.
Creeks that are producing good fish are Wolfe,
Little Caney, Ray Branch and Williams Creek. I have been keeping
my boat in ten feet of water and fishing the outside edge of
the grass. A medium to fast retrieve on the lipless Crank baits
have worked best. These bass are very scattered, so fish these
areas 2 or 3 times before you leave and come back later in the
day and hit them again. The best bite has been 10am until dark.
This pattern is only going to get better on into January and
February.
There are several different ways to fish lipless
Crank baits. The most common way is reeling it straight back
to the boat. Another is the yo-yo retrieve in which you are pulling
the bait straight up with your rod and pulling in the slack and
repeating this over and over above the grass. There is also ripping
the bait where the bait hit's the grass and you use a sideways
motion to rip the bait out of the grass. My favorite is reeling
it in straight with slight twitches of the rod every 4 to 6 cranks.
Try all of these retrieves and let the fish tell you how they
want it. On the suspending Rogue the colors I like are black/gold/orange
or blue/chrome/orange. Fish these baits over grass in 4 to 10
feet deep. The retrieve I use is very basic with a twitch-twitch-twitch
pause. Now the length of the pause depends on the water temp,
under 50 degrees requires a long pause up to 20 seconds. When
the water warms above 50 degrees try working the bait a little
faster.
The key to catching these big bass this time of
year is to fish the greenest grass you can find. If you are not
familiar with Lake Fork the best way to locate the best grass
beds is to look for the Coots. These birds only feed on grass,
and if you see a huge concentration of these birds you can bet
you will find a lot of green grass in the area. I always look
forward to this time of year because it is the start of our Big
Bass Season, and on Lake Fork you are just one cast away from
catching that Bass of a lifetime. I am now booking Spring trips.
Book early to get best available dates. Call . 903-629-7699 or
903-629-5085 Cell. Or Check out my website http;//www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com
Good Fishing,
David Vance
December 20, 2008 - Lake
Fork - Submitted
by Lake Fork Guide Trips -
Photos
are Tom with lunkers from his recent trips to Lake Baccarac in
Mexico . A couple 10s and an 11!
Happy Holidays to everyone. Thanks to all of my
friends, family, and customers for a fabulous 2008 and I hope
everyone has a year of great catches in 2009. After a couple
of wonderful fishing trips to Mexico , I'm gearing up for another
season on Lake Fork and for the start of the FLW Tour season
too. Heading 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 prespawn
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.
Best of all, you'll have the lake mostly to yourself, especially
on the cold and nasty days when the lunkers bite the best!
Lake Conditions: Heading into the prespawn, Fork
is in great shape. The lake level is currently reading 402.22'
(about 9" below full pool). Most of the lake is clear, with
some stained water on the north ends. Thanks to mostly stable
water levels this year, copious amounts of hydrilla, milfoil
and coontail are growing in the lake, making for awesome shallow
water fishing all spring. Water temps are dropping with the parade
of cold fronts, reading in the low 50s in the main lake. We caught
a number of big bass in much colder than normal conditions last
spring, with water temps as low as 38, so don't let the temps
discourage you from going.
Location Pattern: Many big bass are schooled up
in deep water right now and it's a great time for spoon fishermen.
If you're like me though, from late-December through much of
March, I concentrate on the early 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 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 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. Red and crawfish colors are most
popular and they often work well, although oddball colors often
produce better on any given day. Buzzing these over the top of
the grass on a quick retrieve is normally best, but after cold
fronts, letting the trap fall and ripping these out of the grass
will trigger most of the bites. 14 to 12 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 a 4.5" Lake Fork Live Magic Shad on
the back of a 12 oz chatterbait and fish it in the same areas
you'd throw a spinnerbait. 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
Mega Weight jigs with a Lake Fork Craw trailer in the blue bruiser
color. For the Texas rig, I'll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper or the
new Hyper Freak 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 a great 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.
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 18, 2008 - Lake
Fork - Submitted
by Lake Fork Guide Trips -The fall fishing really turned
on this past week at Lake Fork with the long awaited end to our
warm temps. Even after the cold fronts, numbers of bass have
been good to great. Big fish have been hard to come by for my
customers and me lately, with regular catches of 5 and 6 lb bass,
but we haven't been landing many 7 or bigger for the past few
weeks. I know some of you don't want to hear me complaining about
"only" catching 5s and 6s, but that's the warped reality
we live with at Fork. Big fish have started coming into the marinas
more regularly again, including double digits in the last few
days, so I expect the big bite to return now that the water is
cooling again. Until then, we're having a blast catching loads
of quality bass shallow and deep as they feed up for winter.
With the holidays just around the corner, I do
have gift certificates available for those looking for a present
for their angling buddies. 2008 has been another super year on
Fork, with the lake being full and in great shape for the coming
season. Prespawn starts in late-December, so it won't be long
until my favorite lunker time of the year is here, January through
March. If you're looking for a fish of a lifetime, prespawn is
the time to head to Fork
Lake Conditions: Nearly 4" of rain and frequent
cold fronts are rolling over Fork, which seems to have turned
on the fishing. The lake level is currently reading 402.42' (about
7" below full pool). Most of the lake is clear despite the
rain, with some stained water on the north ends. Water temps
are dropping with the cool nights, reading from 61 to 63 in the
main lake on Sunday, while we found temps in the creeks as low
as 57 early in the morning.
Location Pattern: Both the shallow and deep fish
have bit well some days this past week, but the best pattern
depends on the day. Fishing shallow grassbeds on the main lake
all the way to the backs of major creeks has produced a lot of
fish. 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, and then catch several in a small area.
I'm also catching bass back in the coves along creek channel
bends. For the deep anglers, concentrate on main lake structure
in 18' to 33' and you can load the boat when you find them. The
best areas and depths change daily, so you'll need to do some
scouting to find the schools each day. Watch your graph closely
and key on schools located tight to the bottom if you can find
them, because they are normally easier to catch than the suspended
schools.
Presentation Pattern: During fall, bass 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, I'm
using smaller baits that are about the size of the shad I'm seeing.
I'm throwing these
lures on the new fluoro/mono hybrid line from Lake Fork Tackle
called Fluorohybrid FH. Its zero memory and tiny diameter allow
me to boom casts way out there, even with finesse baits. Shallow
running crankbaits and lipless cranks, small spinnerbaits, and
Lake Fork Tackle's 4" Hyper Worm are all working well, especially
on windy banks. When the bite slows, weightless rigged Magic
Shads and Live Magic Shads in shades of watermelon or the Magic
Shad color are catching less active fish. Work these slowly with
a few twitches and a long pause. For bigger fish, a 3/8 oz watermelon
red Mega Weight Jig with a matching Fork Craw or a TX rigged
watermelon/red or Bama Bug colored Hyper Freak pitched to timber
or grass on points or along creek channels are your best bet.
Out deeper, Carolina rigs, drop shots, and jigs
will catch bass from schools located near the bottom on deep
structure. Watermelon, green pumpkin, or purple haze colored
Baby Fork Creatures, Baby Ring Frys, and Magic Shads are on the
business end of my Carolina rigs. Drop shots will catch good
numbers of fish and the occasional big bass, rigged with a watermelon
or Bama Bug Hyper Finesse Worm. When the bass are suspended,
Fork Flutter Spoons, and 1/2 to 3/4 oz slab spoons are working
best.
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 6, 2008 - Lake
Fork - Submitted by David Vance - The Fishing
here on lake fork has been good. The deep bite continues to become
much better as the shallow water bite has remained strong. The
fishing will continue to get better as it gets closer to winter.
Even with the warm weather the fish are starting to bunch up.
I have found most of my big fish holding in 20
to 30 feet of water. The best places have been humps, points,
ridges, and roadbeds. Your electronics will be a big key as to
how successful your day on the water will be. Watch for balls
of shad and bass stacked up on the screen. To catch these deep
fish I have been using a Carolina Rig and a Smoking Shad Fluke
on a 1/4oz-Football Jig Head. On my Carolina Rig I am using a
7 foot medium heavy action Lake Fork Pro Series Rod, a 3 to 4
foot leader, and a 1oz weight. Dragging behind it on a 3/0 hook
will be a Super Fluke. My best colors have been Watermelon, and
Watermelon/Red. You can play with different variations of speed
during your cast. They seem to hit it good, moving slowly. The
bite has been pretty hard so it is easy to tell when you get
a bite. A drop shot is also taking some good numbers of fish.
I have been fishing it with a 12 to 24 inch leader with a Trick
Worm or a Fineness Worm in Watermelon, and Watermelon/Red.
The shallow water bite has really turned on for
some good fish. The fish have been stacking up along the grass
beds. The best depths have been 2 to 4 feet. If you like top
water fishing the bass have been very aggressive. The Frog bite
has been good; Stanley Ribbet or Frog type baits have been excellent
around the grass. Yesterday we put 36 bass in the boat and four
were over seven pounds. More than half of these bass came on
the Carolina Rig and the rest early on a Trick Worm. Good places
to try right now are the tire reef off the SRA point at dam,
the old road bed at the mouth of Chaney Branch, the road bed
at the mouth of Wolfe creek, 515 East road bed. These areas always
produce good fish this time of year.
I always look forward to this time of year, the
weather is great and the big fish are starting to turn on. If
you would like to book a trip and get in on some great fall fishing
you can reach me at 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 web site http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com
Good Fishing,
David Vance
October 30, 2008 - Lake
Fork - Submitted
by Lake Fork Guide Trips -
Bass are settling into regular fall patterns here
on Lake Fork. Normally, I'm catching fish consistently out deep
at this time of year, but the offshore bite has been slow for
me lately. I expect it to pick up again soon, and in the meantime,
there are a lot of fish chasing shad in the shallows right now.
I'm covering a lot of water to catch fish shallow, but you can
normally pick up several fish from a single area once you find
them. The mild days and the start of fall colors make it a joy
to be on the water this time of year, and a big fish or two are
just icing on the cake.
With the holidays just around the corner, I do
have gift certificates available for those looking for a present
for their angling buddies. 2008 has been another super year on
Fork, with the lake being full and in great shape for the coming
season. Prespawn starts in late-December, so it won't be long
until my favorite lunker time of the year is here, January through
March. If you're looking for a fish of a lifetime, prespawn is
the time to head to Fork
Lake Conditions: High pressure has dominated Fork
lately, resulting in little rain and light winds, and as a result,
the water conditions are quite stable. The lake level is currently
reading 402.40' (about 7" below full pool). Most of the
lake is pretty clear now, with some stained water on the north
ends. Water temps are slowly dropping with the cool nights, reading
from 69 to 73 in the main lake on Saturday.
Location Pattern: The best pattern for numbers
of bass is fishing shallow grassbeds on the main lake and the
backs 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, and then catch several in a small area.
I'm also catching bass back in the coves along creek channel
bends. For the deep anglers, concentrate on main lake structure
in 12' to 32'. As the lake settles down from turnover and cools,
this pattern will really turn on. Watch your graph closely and
key on schools located tight to the bottom if you can find them,
because they are normally easier to catch than the suspended
schools.
Presentation Pattern: During fall, bass 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, topwaters are catching fish early and
late, as well as Fork Frogs in the lily pads. As the sun gets
up a little higher, shallow running crankbaits, small spinnerbaits,
and Lake Fork Tackle's 3.5" and 4.5" Live Magic Shad
& Hyper Worm swimbaits work better, especially on windy banks.
When the bass aren't in a chasing mood, switch to a Texas rigged
watermelon/red or watermelon candy 8" Fork Worm or the new
Hyper Finesse Worm with a 1/8th oz bullet sinker and work 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 or a TX rigged watermelon/red or Bama Bug colored Hyper
Freak produce well when pitched to the deep weed edge.
Out deeper, Carolina rigs, drop shots, jigs, and
Texas rigs will catch bass from schools located near the bottom
on deep structure. I go with a green pumpkin or watermelon red
8" or 10" Fork Worm for my Texas rigs. Meanwhile, watermelon
candy, watermelon/red, or green pumpkin Baby Fork Creatures,
Ring Frys, and Twitch Worms are on the business end of my Carolina
rigs. Drop shots will catch good numbers of fish and the occasional
big bass, rigged with a watermelon or green pumpkin Hyper Finesse
Worm. When the bass are suspended, Fork Flutter Spoons and deep
diving crankbaits in shad or yellow bass patterns are working
better than the bottom presentations, and catching some lunkers
too.
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 30, 2008 - Lake
Fork - Submitted
by Lake Fork Guide Trips -
After a couple of tumultuous weeks in early September
dealing with many rainy days and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, we've
had several of the most consistent weeks of weather I can remember
at Lake Fork. Every day starts off cool and clear, warming into
the mid-80s under mostly sunny skies. Once you figure out the
fish it is easy to stay with them, since there aren't any fronts
to change things up. Don't expect it to last forever though,
as fall is just around the corner and we'll start getting cold
fronts and chances of rain on a regular basis once again. And
that's good news, because cooling water temps usually result
in good bass fishing at Lake Fork until things turn really cold
in late November.
On a personal note, I finished up my season on
the FLW Stren Series and did well enough to qualify for the Walmart
FLW Tour next year. I'm looking forward to an exciting year in
2009, guiding for lunkers on Lake Fork and also competing against
some of the world's best anglers on the FLW Tour.
Finally, I'm headed to Mexico to fish Lake Baccarac
in Nov and Dec this year for trophy bass. Our group had one angler
drop out of our first trip due to health reasons, so I'm looking
for someone to fill his spot for that trip. It's Nov 21-26 and
we're flying a charter plane directly to the lake. If you're
interested, please let me know.
Lake Conditions: With no rain and light winds,
the water conditions are quite stable at Fork. The lake level
is currently reading 402.58' (about 5" below full pool).
Some creeks are quite clear, although much of the main lake is
brownish due to the fall turnover. Water temps remain fairly
warm due to the sunny days, reading in the upper 70s in most
areas. As the water level has dropped this summer, the expansive
hydrilla and milfoil beds are really matting up, which makes
for good fishing in late summer and fall.
Location Pattern: The best pattern for numbers
of bass is 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, and 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'. As the lake settles down
from turnover and cools, this pattern will really turn on. Watch
your graph closely and key on schools located tight to the bottom
if you can find them, because they are normally easier to catch
than the suspended schools.
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 fish early and late, as well as Fork Frogs in the
lily pads. As the sun gets up a little higher, shallow running
crankbaits, small spinnerbaits, and Lake Fork Tackle's 3.5"
and 4.5" Live Magic Shad swimbaits work better, especially
on windy banks. When the bass aren't in a chasing mood, switch
to a Texas rigged watermelon/red or watermelon candy 8"
Fork Worm or the new Hyper Finesse Worm with a 1/8th oz bullet
sinker and work 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 or a TX rigged watermelon/red or Bama Bug
colored Hyper Freak produce well when pitched to the deep weed
edge.
Out deeper, Carolina rigs, drop shots, jigs, and
Texas rigs will catch bass from schools located near the bottom
on deep structure. I go with a green pumpkin or watermelon red
8" or 10" Fork Worm for my Texas rigs. Meanwhile, watermelon
candy, watermelon/red, or green pumpkin Baby Fork Creatures,
Ring Frys, and Twitch Worms are on the business end of my Carolina
rigs. Drop shots will catch good numbers of fish and the occasional
big bass, rigged with a watermelon or green pumpkin Hyper Finesse
Worm. When the bass are suspended, Fork Flutter Spoons and deep
diving crankbaits in shad or yellow bass patterns are working
better than the bottom presentations, and catching some lunkers
too.
Tom
September 4, 2008 - Lake Fork - Submitted
by David Vance - This cool weather has been great, with
nighttime temperatures already starting to cool down, the water
temp here at Lake Fork is from 82 degrees. Lower water temps
mean that the Bass are starting to get more active. This past
week the Bass fishing has been good. We have had a good early
morning Spinner Bait bite. This time of year I like to throw
a 1/4oz Colorado Willow, Nickel and Gold blades, with a Chartreuse
and White skirt.
In the last few days we have been starting out
fishing main lake and secondary points, covering the edge of
the grass lines. Best presentation for the Spinner Bait has been
fishing it fast, just barely under the surface of the water.
Our best day was Monday when the front was coming in we had 45,
and one that weighted 8lb 4oz, most of these bass came on the
Spinner Bait. Also we are still catching some good fish early
on a Wacky Worm. The best color for me has been a June bug colored
Trick Worm, fished weightless on the edge of the grass lines
in 2 to 4 feet of water.
By 10am the bass have been coming up schooling.
Best bait for me to catch these schooling bass has been a 1/4oz
Chrome and Blue or Bleeding Shad Rattletrap. When they are up
you can catch them on just about every cast. A lot of the bigger
bass are suspended under the schools of Shad. I have been using
a Smoking Shad Fluke on a 1/4oz Football Jig Head to catch these
bigger Bass. The schooling activity has been off and on throughout
the day, and when it slows down I have been switching to a Carolina
Rig, with a Watermelon Seed Baby Brush Hog. I am still fishing
the Carolina Rig with a 1 oz. weight and a 3 foot Leader on a
7 foot medium heavy action Lake Fork Pro Series Rod. Good places
to try right now are main lake and secondary points, there has
been a lot of schooling Bass under the 515 West Bridge, and also
the old 514 Road Bed in Birch Creek has been good.
With all the rain we have had this Year, Lake Fork
is in great shape. By the time we get into early October, the
Fall Bass fishing will be in full swing. I love this time of
year with good weather and great fishing. If you would like to
book a guide trip and get in on some of the Fall Bass fishing
hear on Lake Fork, you can reach me at 903-629-7699 or 903-629-5085
cell. Or check out my web site http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com
Good Fishing
David Vance
July 24, 2008 - Lake Fork
- Submitted
by Lake Fork Guide Trips - Fishing patterns are starting
to change at Lake Fork , as a couple good rains and cooler temps
have some fish just starting on fall patterns. September is always
a popular month on Fork, as the fall tournament season really
cranks up. It's perfect timing for tournaments too, because the
cooling water turns on the fishing in both the shallows and out
deep. September-November normally produces our fastest action
on Fork for numbers, with lots of keeper sized fish chasing bait
in the shallows, while big groups of bass school up out deep.
Whether you like topwaters, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits up shallow
or fishing with soft plastics and spoons out deeper, fall is
a fun time to fish Lake Fork .
As a side note, for those of you looking for some
direction for fall tournaments on Lake Fork , check out my September
article on fall tournament strategies: http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/fishingarticles.htm
Lake Conditions: Cooler temps and some good rains
have Fork in great shape heading into the fall. The lake level
is currently reading 402.94' (less than 1" below full pool).
Most of the lake is pretty clear, with some stained water in
the north ends. Water temps cooled significantly, reading anywhere
from 81 to 85 in the main lake. As the water level has dropped
this summer, the expansive hydrilla and milfoil beds are really
matting up, which makes for good fishing in late summer and fall.
Location Pattern: Early and late, focus on grass
beds in the main lake or near deep water in larger creeks. Deep
structure like points, humps, and roadbeds in 18' to 28' continues
as my main pattern during the day, producing both good numbers
and size. Some days these bass are suspended and other days they're
on the bottom. Many of these schools have been small and are
relating to a few pieces of isolated cover, so watch your depth
finder closely. As the water continues to cool, look for lots
of bass and some lunkers to come from shallow water, especially
on cloudy and windy days
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 starting to catch fish early and late, as well as Fork Frogs
in the lily pads. As the sun gets up a little higher, shallow
running crankbaits, small spinnerbaits, and Lake Fork Tackle's
3.5" and 4.5" Live Magic Shad swimbaits work better,
especially on windy banks. When the bass aren't in a chasing
mood, switch to a Texas rigged watermelon/red or watermelon candy
8" Fork Worm or the new Hyper Finesse Worm with a 1/8th
oz bullet sinker and work 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 or a TX rigged watermelon/red or
Bama Bug colored Hyper Freak produce well when pitched to the
deep weed edge.
Out deeper, Carolina rigs, drop shots, jigs, and
Texas rigs are catching bass from schools located near the bottom
on deep structure. I go with a green pumpkin or watermelon red
8" or 10" Fork Worm for my Texas rigs. Meanwhile, watermelon
candy, watermelon/red, or green pumpkin Baby Fork Creatures,
Ring Frys, and Twitch Worms are on the business end of my Carolina
rigs. Drop shots will catch good numbers of fish and the occasional
big bass, rigged with a watermelon or green pumpkin Hyper Finesse
Worm. 12 oz Mega Weight jigs with matching Fork Craws are also
catching some big bass out deep. When the bass are suspended,
Fork Flutter Spoons and deep diving crankbaits in shad or yellow
bass patterns are working better than the bottom presentations,
and catching some lunkers too.
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.
Tom
August 24, 2008 - Lake
Fork - Submitted by David Vance - The bass fishing
continues to be good hear on Lake Fork. We are already starting
to see some changes in the weather and with the recent rain storms
that are popping up just about ever other day, conditions are
starting to cool down a bit. We are catching good numbers of
bass, you can load the boat right now if you're in the right
place when these bass come up schooling. The water temp at the
time of this report was about 83 degrees on the main lake. In
the last few days both shallow and deep patterns are working.
The shallow bite has been good working the edge of the grass
lines early.
The best bait for me has been a Wacky Worm, Watermelon
& June bug have been the best colors. By mid morning the
bass are starting to school and the best bait to catch these
schooling bass for me, has been a 14oz. Chrome and Blue Rat-L-Trap
and a 1/4oz Little George, you can cover all depths with this
bait. When these bass go down I am still using a Smoking Shad
Fluke on a 14oz. Jig Head. Most of our bigger bass have come
on the Fluke, also I am starting to catch some bigger bass on
a 1/2oz White Jig with a White Salty Chunk Trailer. When the
schooling slows down I have been going to the Carolina Rig, best
depth has been 15 to 25 feet on main lake and secondary points.
Best bait for me on the Carolina Rig has been a Watermelon Seed
Fluke and a Watermelon Seed Centipede. I am using a four foot
leader with a 1oz weight, 15 pound line, on a 7 foot medium heavy
action Lake Fork Pro Series Rod.
Good places to try are the mouths of the major
creeks, Chaney Branch, the Tire Reef off the SRA point, Hobbs
Point, and the old 2225 road bed are producing good numbers of
bass. We are catching 25 to 30 bass a day using the above pattern.
The fishing will continue to even get better as we head into
the Fall Season. Look for there to be a lot of small bass up
close to the grass while most of the bigger bass are still in
deeper water for now. As conditions cool down over the next few
weeks the bigger bass will start to move up. The Fall fishing
here at Lake Fork can be some of the best anywhere, so don't
miss out on some of the upcoming best bass fishing of the year.
If you would like to Book a Guide Trip you can reach at 903-629-7699
or cell 903-629-5085 check out my web site http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com
Good Fishing,
David Vance
August 12, 2008 - Lake
Fork - Submitted by David Vance - This weather
change has been nice and now we are finely getting some rain,
and it has turned the fishing on the last few days. There has
been an early top water bite that has been good for about an
hour and a half each morning, a shad colored Pop-R has worked
best for me. This top water action has been on main lake points
in 15-25 ft. of water where the bass are chasing the shad to
the top. After these bass go down we have been using a 1/4 ounce
Jig Head with a smoking shad Fluke, this works great to catch
the bigger bass that are suspended. The bass are really starting
to school all over the lake and when you get into these schooling
bass you can catch them cast after cast. Right now I am keeping
one rod rigged with a 1/4 ounce Little George, this is one of
the best schooling baits you can have in the boat and you can
cast it a mile. When the schooling activity slows down we are
switching to a Carolina Rig working the edges of the deeper grass
lines and main lake humps and roadbeds. Right now I am using
a 1-ounce weight with a 4-ft. leader and a watermelon seed Fluke
on a 7-foot medium heavy action Lake Fork Pro Series Rod. Areas
that have been productive are the 2946 and 514 roadbeds also
the mouth of White Oak, Pinson and Wolfe has been good.
With the above patterns we are averaging 30-40 bass a day. Aug.
Sept. Oct. are great months for schooling bass on lake fork
I am now booking fall and spring dates. Book early
to get the best available dates! Call 903-629-7699 cell 903-629-5085
or check out my website at http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com
Good Fishing,
David Vance
July 30, 2008 - Lake Fork
- Submitted by David Vance - The fishing
this week has been good for numbers of good slot fish. The bass
are starting to school and when they come up they will hit just
about anything that looks like a shad. . The best bait for me
to catch these schooling bass has been a 14 oz Chrome and Blue
Rat-L-trap, when they come up you can almost catch them on every
cast. Most of the schooling activity I have seen has been on
the main lake and around the SRA point at the dam and the bridges,
515 east and west; also the 154 bridge has been good. When these
bass go down I am using a Salt &Pepper Grub on a 14 oz. jig
head to catch the bass that are suspended. When the schooling
action slows down I have been changing to a Carolina Rig. I am
using a 1oz weight and a four-foot leader 15lb line on a 7ft
med heavy lake fork pro series rod. Best baits for me on the
Carolina Rig have been a Watermelon Seed Centipede and a Watermelon
Seed Fluke, water depth 15 to 25 feet we have been catching 30
to 35 bass a day. The weather has been hot but the fishing has
been good and not many boats on the lake so you just about have
the lake to yourself and that is nice. If you would like to book
a guide trip you can call me at 903-629-7699 or 903-629-5085
Good Fishing
David Vance
July
24, 2008 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - My
Lake Fork Report is below. In addition, I've attached a pic of
Richard holding a deep water 10 lb 4 oz lunker caught with me
on 7/20. Thanks for posting my report!
It is the normal summertime scenario on Lake Fork
-lots of hot days and a lot of hot fishing action. Fishing has
been good for numbers most days with some big fish mixed in,
like the 10 lb 4 oz and 8 lb lunkers we had on our last trip.
It appears that the thermocline has developed as usual and many
bass are now scattered or suspended, often making for smaller
schools that are concentrated in small key locations. The big
bass seemed to be mixed in with a lot of smaller bass, so watch
your depth finder closely until you find a school, then work
them over thoroughly until you've caught every bass in the area.
Lake Conditions: A couple weeks without significant
rains has Fork's water level slowly dropping, but still in great
shape for the summer. The lake level is currently reading 403.21'
(about 3" above full pool). Most of the lake is now clear,
with some stained water on the north ends. Water temps are normal
for the summer, reading anywhere from 84 to 89 in the main lake.
As the water continues to drop, the expansive hydrilla and milfoil
beds are starting to mat up, which should make for good fishing
later this summer and fall.
Location Pattern: Early and late, I'm finding good
bass feeding on points and flats near or in the main lake. These
fish are mostly in 8' to 15', often around the deep edge of the
hydrilla or milfoil. Deep structure like points, humps, and roadbeds
in 18' to 30' continues as my main pattern, producing both good
numbers and size. Some days these bass are suspended and other
days they're on the bottom. Many of these schools have been small
and are relating to a few pieces of isolated cover, so watch
your depth finder closely.
Presentation Pattern: First thing in the morning,
I'm working shallow grass on the main lake and in the 1st half
of creeks. Pitch a 3/8 oz Mega Weight jig or a Texas rigged 8"
or 10" worm a few feet inside the deep weedline and work
it out slowly. I'm using a green pumpkin/black or a watermelon
seed jig with a watermelon/red flake Fork Craw trailer, and a
watermelon/red or green pumpkin Fork Worm on the Texas rig.
Out deeper, Carolina rigs, drop shots, jigs, and
Texas rigs are catching bass from schools located near the bottom
on deep structure. I go with a green pumpkin or watermelon red
Twitch Worm or 10" Fork Worms for Texas rigs. Meanwhile,
watermelon candy, watermelon/red, or green pumpkin Baby Fork
Creatures, Ring Frys, and Twitch Worms are on the business end
of my Carolina rigs. Drop shots will catch good numbers of fish
and the occasional big bass, rigged with a watermelon or green
pumpkin Twitch Worm. 12 oz Mega Weight jigs with matching Fork
Craws are also catching some big bass out deep. When the bass
are suspended, swimbaits, spoons, or deep diving crankbaits in
shad or yellow bass patterns are working better than the bottom
presentations, and catching some lunkers too.
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 9, 2008 - Lake Fork
- Submitted by David Vance - The fishing
this week on lake fork has been good on Deep Diving Crank baits
and a Carolina Rig. The Norman DD 22 has worked best for me color
chartreus with a blue back. Water depth 15 to 25 feet. Good places
that are producing good fish are the old roadbeds, 515 west &
2946 and main lake points and humps. Today we had 28 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 Baby Brush
Hog and a Smoking Shad Fluke. At this time, I am using a 1 oz
weight with a four-foot leader line size 15-pound test on a 7
foot med heavy lake fork pro series Carolina rig rod. 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 in a solid
summer pattern. So if you are coming to lake fork, the deep-water
pattern will be the most consistent, if you would like to book
a trip you can call me at 903-629-7699 or my cell 903-629-5085.
Good Fishing
David Vance
July
3, 2008 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - (pics
of Greg with a 7 and Tim with an 8 lb'er.) Bass have settled
into their normal summertime patterns on Lake Fork and the fishing
is pretty consistent. Grassy points produced some nice bass early
and late, while I'm spending most of my days fishing deep structure
for schools of big fish. Once we've found a school with our graph,
it has been pretty easy to catch at least a few of these fish
most days. Some days the fish are more scattered and the schools
have been smaller and harder to find, while other days there
seem to be big schools on every piece of deep structure. Keep
graphing until you find a good school, then fish a variety of
deep water techniques until you hook up. Once you do, the bass
are coming up and jumping several feet out of the air, then diving
back down and pulling like freight trains. Needless to say, we've
been having a lot of fun on the water for the last few weeks!
Lake Conditions: A few more rains continue to keep
Fork's water level high for summertime. The lake level is currently
reading 403.55' (about 6" above full pool). Most of the
lake is now clear, with some stained water on the north ends.
Water temps are mild for this time of year, reading from 83 to
86 in the main lake.
Location Pattern: Early and late, I'm finding good
bass feeding on points and flats near or in the main lake. These
fish are mostly in 8' to 15', often around the deep edge of the
hydrilla or milfoil. Deep structure like points, humps, and roadbeds
in 18' to 30' continues as my main pattern, producing both good
numbers and size. Some days these bass are suspended and other
days they're on the bottom. Many of these schools have been small,
so watch your depth finder closely.
Presentation Pattern: First thing in the morning,
I'm working shallow grass on the main lake and in the 1st half
of creeks. Pitch a 3/8 oz Mega Weight jig or a Texas rigged 7"
or 10" worm a few feet inside the deep weedline and work
it out slowly. I'm using a green pumpkin/black or a watermelon
seed jig with a watermelon/red flake Fork Craw trailer, and a
watermelon/red or green pumpkin Fork Worm on the Texas rig.
Out deeper, Carolina rigs, drop shots, jigs, and
Texas rigs are catching bass from schools located near the bottom
on deep structure. I go with a green pumpkin or watermelon red
Twitch Worm or 10" Fork Worms for Texas rigs. Meanwhile,
watermelon candy, watermelon/red, or green pumpkin Baby Fork
Creatures, Ring Frys, and Twitch Worms are on the business end
of my Carolina rigs. Drop shots will catch good numbers of fish
and the occasional big bass, rigged with a watermelon or green
pumpkin Twitch Worm. 12 oz Mega Weight jigs with matching Fork
Craws are also catching some big bass out deep. When the bass
are suspended, swimbaits, spoons, or deep diving crankbaits in
shad or yellow bass patterns are working better than the bottom
presentations, and catching some lunkers too.
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,
June
14, 2008 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - I've
attached a pic of the Drew family's outing. From left to right
they are Homer (head coach of Valparaiso men's basketball), Bryce
(former NBA player and Valpo assistant) and Scott, Baylor head
coach.
Due to high water, flooded vegetation, and relatively
cool water temps, the bass fishing patterns continue to be wide
open at Lake Fork. Up shallow, bass are chasing shad and spawning
bluegill in the flooded cover, with lots of big bass still coming
from less than 8'. Meanwhile, I'm catching fish out deep with
regularity now. As the water warms up, look for the numbers of
big bass to increase on the deep structure. With so many options,
anglers can fish with their favorite techniques and catch good
fish, so go with your strengths.
Best of all, the perpetual overcast & windy
days have not only kept the shallow fish active, but it has also
made the days very comfortable for us fishermen. From lunkers
on topwaters to structure fishing for schools of big bass on
crankbaits, swimbaits, and Carolina rigs; it's hard to beat the
summer for numbers of bass in the 3 to 8 lb range, with a shot
at a 10+ pounder. Head on out to Lake Fork and find out why the
summer is the favorite time for many Fork regulars.
As a side note, I've added the June article to
my website. It covers my approach to fishing boat docks-from
finding the best docks to effective presentations for catching
bass from them. http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/fishingarticles.htm
And for more info on bass fishing and Lake Fork, check out my
video tips on BassEdge.com http://www.bassedge.com/sections/show_media_center/Videos
(another 7 or 8 videos will be coming in the near future), or
listen to my interview on Wired2fish.com http://www.wired2fish.com/WhatsUp/LakeForkisstillredhot.aspx
.
Lake Conditions: After a couple more rainy days,
Fork remains high for summertime. The lake level is currently
reading 403.55' (about 6" above full pool). Much of the
north end and backs of major creeks are still stained, however,
the south end remains clear. Water temps held mostly steady this
week, reading from 79 to 84 in the main lake.
Location Pattern: As I noted before, many bass
remain shallow on spawning flats chasing after bluegill, fry,
and 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. These fish are mostly in 8' to 15', often
around the deep edge of the hydrilla or milfoil. Deep structure
in 18' to 30' has turned on, producing both good numbers and
size. Some days these bass are suspended and other days they're
on the bottom. Most of these schools have been small, so watch
your depth finder closely.
Presentation Pattern: First thing in the morning,
I'm working shallow grass on the main lake and in the 1st half
of creeks. For bass feeding over the top of the grassbeds, try
a spinnerbait, chatterbait, or shallow running crankbait. Some
days, bluegill color schemes work better, while shad colors like
white or chrome work better for those bass chasing baitfish.
Or try a swimbait like the 4.5" Live Magic Shad. Rig these
weightless and try the watermelon red/pearl, golden shiner, or
Magic Shad colors. For bigger bass, pitch a 3/8 oz Mega Weight
jig or a Texas rigged 10" Fork Worm to holes in the grass
and lily pads on flats or near stumps on points in the deep weedline.
I'm using a green pumpkin/black or a watermelon seed jig with
a watermelon/red flake Fork Craw trailer, or a watermelon Fork
Worm on the Texas rig.
Out deeper, Carolina rigs, drop shots, and Texas
rigs are catching bass from schools located near the bottom on
deep structure. I go with a green pumpkin or watermelon red Twitch
Worm or 10" worms for Texas rigs. Meanwhile, watermelon
candy or green pumpkin Baby Fork Creatures, Ring Frys, and Twitch
Worms are on the business end of my Carolina rigs. Drop shots
will catch good numbers of fish and the occasional big bass,
rigged with a watermelon or green pumpkin Twitch Worm. When the
bass are suspended, swimbaits or deep diving crankbaits in shad
or yellow bass patterns are working better than the bottom presentations,
and catching some lunkers too.
Boat for Sale : My 2008 Ranger Z520 boat was new
in Dec '07 and is for sale. It is fully loaded, rigged with a
250 HP Yamaha Series 2 motor with a 6 year warranty (good until
2014). 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.
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 28, 2008 - Lake Fork
- Submitted
by Lake Fork Guide Trips -With summer just around the
corner, the bass fishing patterns are still wide open at Lake
Fork due to a cooler than normal spring and high water.
Up shallow, some males are guarding fry and a few
bass are still spawning. In addition, tons of shad and bluegill
are spawning in the shallow flooded cover, so big bass are still
coming from less than 8'. Meanwhile, I'm finally starting to
catch some good fish out deep, although the schools are relatively
small. As the water warms up, look for the numbers of big bass
to increase on the deep structure. In between the shallows and
deep is the most productive zone on many days, about 8' to 15'.
I've found a number of bass are relating to deep grass edges
or the first drop near productive spawning areas as they transition
from shallow to deep for the summer.
As I stated in my last report, just about any bait
in your tackle box will work at some point until the water gets
hot, and the fishing will continue to get better as the bass
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; it's hard to beat the
summer for numbers of bass in the 3 to 8 lb range, with a shot
at a 10+ pounder. Head on out to Lake Fork and find out why the
summer is the favorite time for many Fork regulars.
Lake Conditions: After a big rain last week, Fork
is above full pool and clearing. The lake level is currently
reading 403.54' (about 6" above full pool). Much of the
north end and backs of major creeks are still stained, however,
the south end remains quite clear. Water temps warmed steadily
this week, reading from 73 to 79 in the main lake, while some
muddy creeks are reading in the mid-80s.
Location Pattern: Although most of the spawning
has wrapped up, many bass remain shallow on spawning flats 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. These
fish are mostly in 8' to 15', often around the deep edge of the
hydrilla or milfoil. Deep structure in 18' to 30' is starting
to turn on, producing mostly big bass. Some days these bass are
suspended and other days they're on the bottom. 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 and white
chatterbaits are working better along the edges of the grass.
For bass on the grass flats and in the pads, 4.5"
Live Magic Shads and regular Magic Shads are catching some bass.
Rig these weightless 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 8"
Fork Worm to holes in the grass and lily pads on flats or near
stumps on points in the deep weedline. I'm using a green pumpkin/black
or a watermelon seed jig with a watermelon/red flake Fork Craw
trailer, or a watermelon Fork Worm on the Texas rig. Shad colored
medium running crankbaits are also catching some good bass over
grass flats and on timbered points. Out deeper, Carolina rigs,
jigs. and Texas rigs are catching some really big bass from schools
located on the bottom on deep structure.
For jigs, I use 12 oz Mega Weight jigs in watermelon
with watermelon colored Fork Craw trailers, while I go with a
green pumpkin Twitch Worm or Flipper for Texas rigs. Watermelon
candy or green pumpkin Baby Fork Creatures, Ring Frys, and Twitch
Worms are on the business end of my Carolina rigs.
When the bass are suspended, swimbaits or deep
diving crankbaits in shad or yellow bass patterns are working
better than the bottom presentations, and catching some lunkers
too.
Boat for Sale: My 2008 Ranger Z520 boat was new
in Dec '07 and is for sale. It is fully loaded, rigged with a
250 HP Yamaha Series 2 motor with a 6 year warranty (good until
2014). 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.
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 27, 2008
- Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - (I've
attached pics of Gary (right) with an 8-5 and Louis with an 8-6.)
As we enter May, I'm still seeing some 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,
10' and less has been my best depth range this week. As a result,
I expect the shallows will remain the best pattern for a couple
more weeks. 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: With a little less rain this week,
Fork is about normal pool and clearing. The lake level is currently
reading 402.86' (about 2" below full pool). Much of the
north end and backs of major creeks are still stained to muddy,
however, the south end remains quite clear. We've been catching
the bass equally from muddy and clear water, so don't let the
stained water keep you out of productive coves. Water temps were
reading from 65 to 70 in the main lake, while we found some creeks
as warm as 80.
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. The slightly deeper
structure like points, creek channels, and ledges in 8' to 18',
adjacent to areas with numbers of shallow spawning bass, is where
we've found most of the bigger females. Deep structure in 15'
to 30' is also starting to hold a few good fish, but the bite
is very sporadic.
Presentation Pattern: Shad colored topwaters, crankbaits,
spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits have been productive for actively
feeding post spawners this week. Concentrate on areas with a
lot of spawning shad, bass beds, or bluegill beds for the fastest
action. For the bass holding in the newly flooded vegetation,
swimming a green pumpkin red/pearl Fork Frog is hard to beat.
Meanwhile, for bass around beds and on the spawning flats, 3.5"
and 4.5" Live Magic Shads have produced well this week.
Rig these on the new Swimbait hooks from Lake Fork Trophy Lures
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.
When the bass are more finicky, a regular Magic Shad rigged weightless
or on a light Carolina rig has done well. Try watermelon candy,
watermelon/red or bull bream colors for this. For spawning bass,
white or watermelon Fork Craws and Merthiolate twitch worms have
worked well. Out deeper, 12 oz Mega Weight Jigs in black/blue
with blue bruiser or watermelon candy colored Fork Craw trailers
or Texas rigged Fork Creatures in the same colors are catching
some big bass on points. And swimbaits or deep diving crankbaits
in shad or yellow bass patterns are catching some suspended bass
as well.
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.
Tom
April 16, 2008 - Lake
Fork - Submitted by David Vance - The fishing
on Lake Fork has been good for big fish this week in spite of
the windy weather. Today Steve Dacus from Dallas fished with
me and caught his personal best bass that weighed 10 lbs 8oz.
This bass came out of 10 ft of water on the edge of a grass line.
It was a post spawner. Right now on Lake Fork there are several
different patterns that are working. One pattern that is working
well is fishing secondary points off the spawning plats in 10-12
ft of water with a Carolina Rig and a Crank bait. The bait that
has been working for me on the Carolina Rig is an 8 inch Green
Pumpkin Lizard and on the crank bait a Norman Deep Little N in
shad color. Also right now on Lake Fork there is one of the best
flipping bites I have seen in a long time. With the Lake full
there is tons of flooded vegetation in 2-3 ft of water. Alot
of the bass have spawned under this shallow vegetation and has
made it a flippers dream. The bait that has worked well for me
is a June Bug or Red Shad Brushhog. This pattern has produced
2 bass over 9 lbs this week for us and several in the 5-6 lb
class. Good areas to try right now are Ray Branch, Wolf Creek,
and Dale Creek. May is Top Water time on Lake Fork and I think
this year will be one of the best with all the new flooded vegetation.
If you like throwing a Frog, Lake Fork will be the place to be.
If you would like to book a guide trip you can
reach me at 903-629-7699 or my cell# 903-629-5085.
Good Fishing,
David Vance
April 13, 2008
- Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - (I've
attached a couple pics of the Cotton brothers, Brent (center)
and Mike (right), with 8-2 and 8-8 lb fish, along with me (left)
with a nice prespawn fish) With bass in all 3 phases of the spawn
and sections of the lake that are clear, stained and muddy, it's
possible to catch big Lake Fork bass on just about any shallow
water technique right now. Spawning and post spawn patterns are
producing the biggest numbers of fish, with some good ones mixed
in. My customers and I concentrated mostly on slightly deeper
structure just outside shallow spawning flats, a pattern that
catches big prespawners moving into the shallows and also big
females on their way back out. With so many bass up shallow right
now and so many different patterns working, anglers can concentrate
on their strengths and fish the pattern that suits them best-be
it flipping heavy cover in muddy water, finesse fishing with
light line or sight fishing in clear water, to anything in between.
In general, the windier and cloudier the day, the better our
fishing results, while sunny and calm winds made things a lot
tougher.
I expect the spawn to continue into early May,
as it does most every year on Fork. By the end of April, many
fish will already be in post spawn and early summertime patterns.
As those females feed up after the spawn, the result is our most
consistent fishing of the year for numbers of quality fish in
the 3 to 7 lb range, with a shot at a 10+. That means topwaters
early and all day on cloudy days, and then deep water structure
fishing the rest of the day. So if your plans don't allow you
to take advantage of the spawn this year on Fork, don't despair,
you can still enjoy what most locals consider the best fishing
of the year on Fork-May through July.
Lake Conditions : Another couple rounds of storms
brought Lake Fork up over full pool once again, currently reading
403.10' and falling fast (about 1 inch above full pool). Much
of the north end and backs of major creeks are stained to muddy,
but the south end still remains quite clear. We've been catching
the bass equally from muddy and clear water, so don't let the
stained water keep you out of productive coves. Water temps were
reading from 64 to 69 degrees on Saturday, perfect for spawning.
Location Pattern: For prespawn bass, concentrate
on points, creek channels, treelines, and inside or outside grass
lines near shallow spawning flats. For these big prespawn females,
we did better around grass and wood cover in 4' to 10' in the
middle to mouths of creeks or on cover on the main lake. For
spawning fish, concentrate on the very back ends of large creeks.
In addition, flats and protected bays nearer the mouths of coves
are also holding some spawners. Spawning activity seems to be
sporadic, so you may need to move around to a few coves to find
an area with a wave of bedding fish.
Presentation Pattern: For prespawn and postspawn
bass, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, topwaters, jerkbaits, and lipless
crankbaits are catching big fish, especially on overcast and
windy days. With lots of stained and muddy water, bright color
schemes that include a lot of orange, chartreuse or red have
worked best. For a big bass, try slow rolling swimbaits through
the shallow grass and wood, like a 4.5" or 5.5" Live
Magic Shad on a matching Lake Fork Trophy Lures' Ultimate Swimbait
hook. On calm days, you'll typically do better by pitching a
jig and a Texas rig to shallow cover. For the jig, 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
colors. Meanwhile on the Texas rig, I'll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper
or Top Dog Lizard in black neon, green pumpkin or watermelon/red
with a 1/8 to 3/8 oz bullet weight and slowly work it around
wood cover and in any holes in the grass. For bass on 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 top colors in clearer water, while blue bruiser, black neon,
and June bug work better in the murkier water.
For spawning bass, white or watermelon Top 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. Most
spawning areas have water that is too muddy to see bedding fish,
so pitching Texas rigs and weightless soft plastics to any wood
cover and holes in the grass will catch the spawners that you
can't see. Work your bait very slowly and keep it in place on
the bottom for a long time or you'll pass up all but the most
aggressive fish.
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
March 30, 2008
- Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - (Photos
Darlene and Craig with a couple of nice bass from a couple of
trips this week.) Heading into April, the spawn is in full swing
at Lake Fork. While muddier than normal water has made sight
fishing options limited, blind casting traditional spawning areas
has produced good catches. Based on the number of small males
I've seen caught in the shallows in the past few days, I suspect
another big wave of females will be moving up shortly. Instead
of catching the mostly smaller males up shallow, my customers
and I have been keying on the 4' to 10' range for the past week
and we've caught mostly bigger prespawn females. Best of all,
by focusing on the slightly deeper water, you can fish in areas
with lots of other anglers and still consistently catch fish.
I expect the spawn to continue through April into
early May, as it does most every year on Fork. By the end of
April, many fish will already be in post spawn and early summertime
patterns. As those females feed up after the spawn, the result
is our most consistent fishing of the year for numbers of quality
fish in the 3 to 7 lb range, with a shot at a 10+. That means
topwaters early and all day on cloudy days, and then deep water
structure fishing the rest of the day. So if your plans don't
allow you to take advantage of the spawn this year on Fork, don't
despair, you can still enjoy what most locals consider the best
fishing of the year on Fork-May through July.
As a side note, I added my April article to my
website. It details the finesse Carolina rig, one of the most
deadly rigs for catching big bass in the spawn in tough conditions.
You can check this and all of my other bass fishing articles
out at http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/fishingarticles.htm
.
Lake Conditions: More rainstorms this weekend has
Lake Fork rising up over full pool once again, currently reading
403.22', about 3 inches above full pool. With more rains forecast
for Monday, expect it to be high and muddy for much of this coming
week. Many creeks started clearing this week after being muddy
for almost a month now, while the water on the south end remains
pretty clear. We've been catching the bass equally from muddy
and clear water, so don't let the stained water keep you out
of productive coves. Water temps were reading from 61 to 67 degrees
on Saturday, perfect for spawning.
Location Pattern: For prespawn bass, concentrate
on points, creek channels, treelines, and inside or outside grass
lines near shallow spawning flats. For big prespawn females,
we did better around grass and wood cover in 4' to 10' in the
middle to mouths of creeks or on cover on the main lake. For
spawning fish, concentrate on the very back ends of large creeks.
As the water continues to warm, flats and bays nearer the mouths
of coves will start holding more spawners, too.
Presentation Pattern: For prespawn bass, spinnerbaits,
crankbaits, and lipless crankbaits are still catching big fish,
especially on overcast and windy days. With lots of stained and
muddy water, bright color schemes that include a lot of orange,
chartreuse or red have worked best. For a big bass, go with a
12 oz chatterbait with a shad colored 4.5 Live Magic Shad trailer
and swim it in the same areas you throw a trap or spinnerbait.
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 or clown
colored 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 colors. For the Texas rig, I'll pitch a Lake
Fork Flipper or Top Dog Lizard in black neon, green pumpkin or
watermelon/red 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/red baits with the tail
dipped in chartreuse being the top producer lately.
For spawning bass, white or watermelon Top 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. Most
spawning areas have water that is too muddy to see bedding fish,
so pitching Texas rigs and weightless soft plastics to any wood
cover and holes in the grass will catch the spawners that you
can't see. Work your bait very slowly and keep it in place on
the bottom for a long time or you'll pass up all but the most
aggressive fish.
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
March 18, 2008 - Lake
Fork - Submitted by David Vance - The fishing
on Lake Fork this week has been good for big fish. With the last
few days of warm weather, the bass have made a major move to
the shallows to spawn. Also there has been two fish over 13lbs
that were weighed in. To say the least, the spawn is on hear
on Lake Fork. Most of the fish we are catching right now are
in 2 to 5 ft. of water over the spawning flats. Today we had
22 bass, one that weighed 9lbs. 7oz and one weighed 8lbs. 3oz.
All these fish came on a Watermelon Red Baby Brushhog. The way
we are fishing the Brushhog is on a Texas rig with a 1/8oz weight.
This week we have also caught fish on a June bug Trick worm fished
wacky style. Good areas to try right now are Chaney Branch, Little
Caney, and Wolfe Creek. These areas have been producing some
good fish this week. So far with a cooler than usual March, April
is lining up for some great spawning action. Lake Fork is full
and in great shape water temp today at noon was 61. One mistake
that I see a lot of fisherman make this time of year is fishing
too fast. Once these fish start spawning, there strike zone is
small and with a slow presentation you will have a much more
successful day. So if you are looking for some great Spring fishing,
Lake Fork is the place to be.
Good Fishing,
David Vance
March 16, 2008
- Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - (Photos
- Jeff with 8-8 bass caught March 15 and tom with 8-12 caught
on March 3) A major warming trend has Lake Fork bass rapidly
heading towards the first wave of spawning. After recent days
of sun burnt customers wearing shorts, it's hard to believe that
we fished all morning in a major snowstorm on March 7th with
water temps dipping into the upper 40s. While the bass had been
biting very strong in the backs of creeks before the cold front,
I've caught most of my fish on an "outside" pattern
since then--around grass and timber on points and creek channels
leading into spawning areas. As the water warmed back up, the
bite was slow for numbers most days with a lot of 6 to 10 fish
days, although we did manage to catch some big bass. In addition,
Fork anglers donated two fish over 13 lbs this week to TX's ShareLunker
program. With a few more warm days and the full moon next week,
I expect a major wave of spawners to hit the shallows any day
now in warmer areas of the lake. As usual, we'll have waves of
spawners move up through April, with a few stragglers on beds
into mid-May.
Lake Conditions : Since a few heavy rains brought
Lake Fork up well over full pool, the water level dropped steadily,
currently reading 402.84', about 2 inches below full pool. The
current created by drawing water from the lake pulled a lot of
muddy water from the very backs of creeks and much of the lake
is stained to muddy. Meanwhile, the south end and some protected
creeks remain clear. Water temps were reading from 56 to 67 degrees
on Saturday, up considerably from last week.
Location Pattern: For prespawn bass, concentrate
on points, creek channels, treelines, and inside or outside grass
lines near shallow spawning flats. With the water being cold
this week, we did better around grass and wood cover in 4' to
10' in the backs of creeks or on cover on or near the main lake.
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.
A few spawning bass are currently located in protected bays and
typically in the very back ends of creeks. As the water continues
to warm, flats and bays nearer the mouths of coves will start
holding spawners, too.
Presentation Pattern: For prespawn bass, spinnerbaits,
crankbaits, and lipless crankbaits are still catching a lot of
fish, especially on overcast and windy days. For a big bass,
go with a 12 oz chatterbait with a shad colored 4.5 Live Magic
Shad trailer and swim it in the same areas you throw a trap or
spinnerbait. 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. 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 colors. 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 green pumpkin baits with the tail dipped in
chartreuse being the top producer lately.
For spawning bass, white or watermelon Top 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. Most
spawning areas have water that is too muddy to see bedding fish,
so pitching Texas rigs and weightless soft plastics to any wood
cover and holes in the grass will catch the spawners that you
can't see. Work your bait very slowly and keep it in place on
the bottom for a long time or you'll pass up all but the most
aggressive fish.
Good Fishing,
Tom
March 6, 2008 - Lake Fork
- Submitted by David Vance - Hello from
Lake Fork. This past week the fishing has been good on suspending
rogues. Black back, gold sides, orange belly has been the best
color for me. Water depth five to ten feet of water. The best
places to look for is at the mouths of the major creeks. Mustang,
White Oak, Birch and Pinson have been good this week. Today we
put 15 bass in the boat and one that weighed 10 pounds 5oz all
on the suspending rogue. The key right now is to jerk this bait
down and as it is suspending, slowly twitch your line. Most of
the bass right now are taking the bait and moving off with it.
The suspending rogue here on Lake Fork is a great bait to catch
Big pre-spawn bass this time of year.
Right now I am using 15lb test line and a high
speed reel on a medium action Lake Fork Pro Series Cranking Rod.
Also we are catching some fish on a wacky worm. The best colors
for me have been watermelon red and green pumpkin. The weather
has been up and down and we have had some pretty nasty days.
Don't let the nasty weather keep you off the lake. I have caught
some of my biggest bass this time of the year in some of the
worst weather. Now is the time to be at Lake Fork. The bass are
moving to the shallows to spawn and your chances of catching
a trophy bass are better right now than any other time of the
year. If you would like to book a Guide trip you can reach me
at: 903-629-7699 or cell# 903-629-5085.
UNTIL NEXT WEEK GOOD FISHING,
David Vance
March 1, 2008
- Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips -Photos
- (Left) Tom Redington with 8-10, (Center) Brian wth 7-4 and
(right) Dave with 7-8
Heading into March, the bass are still prespawn
on Lake Fork and more big fish are showing up all the time. I'm
back fishing daily on Fork again now after fishing the FLW Stren
Series on Sam Rayburn in mid-February. I was able to put together
a good limit each day using my Fork prespawn pattern and finished
with a check in 27th place, good enough to boost me to 8th place
for the season standings. Back at Fork, numbers have been inconsistent
this past week but the size has usually been pretty good. Even
though we've had a number of warm days, cold nights as low as
23 degrees have negated the daytime heating and kept water temps
from getting warm enough to trigger a big wave of spawners. I
expect the next warming trend we get with a few warm nights should
have a flood of bass heading for the flats.
My fishing patterns remain mostly unchanged from
my last report and will remain that way for another week or two,
when the spawning patterns start to dominate.
As a side note, I've added my March article to
my website. It answers one of the most common questions I get,
"How do you rig and fish the new Lake Fork Trophy Lure's
Live Magic Shad?" It was killer last spring and it's a great
producer during the spawn and post spawn. http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/fishingarticles.htm
Lake Conditions: Fork is holding steady at less
than an inch below full pool, currently reading 402.93'. Because
of a big rain a couple weeks ago and some very windy days, many
creeks and the north ends of the lake are pretty muddy. Meanwhile,
the south end and some protected creeks are quite clear. Water
temps were reading from 52 to 57 degrees on Friday and have remained
in the 50s for the past couple of weeks.
Location Pattern: Until the spawn starts, 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. 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.
Presentation Pattern: My prespawn arsenal is pretty
simple for fishing along grasslines and creek channels. First
and foremost are red, crawfish, or shad pattern lipless crankbaits
in 14 to 34 oz. Buzzing these over the top of the grass on a
quick retrieve works best some days, but after cold fronts, letting
the trap fall and ripping these out of the grass will trigger
most of the bites. 3/8 to 1 oz spinnerbaits with double willow
blades or a single Colorado blade in white, red, black, 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" Live Magic
Shad in the same areas you'd throw a spinnerbait during warming
trends. Rig it on the new Lake Fork Trophy Lures 7/0 wide gap
hook and swim it slowly back to the boat with a few pauses. 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 silver 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 Fork Craw trailer
in the blue bruiser or watermelon candy 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. When the bite is really slow, weightless
soft plastics are starting to produce some buck bass and an occasional
good fish. A watermelon or green pumpkin colored soft plastic
like the Magic Shad, Ring Fry, Zig Zag, or Live Magic Shad fished
slowly on a lightly weighted Lake Fork Ultimate Swimbait Hook
has put a few extra fish in our boat several days this week.
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 as big bass move shallow.
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
February 8, 2008 - Lake
Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips -
Despite the wind, cold and rain, I've been fishing
almost every day on Fork for the past 4 weeks now. As the water
cooled and warmed over the past
two weeks, our fishing has been exceptional. By that I mean it
was either exceptionally awesome or exceptionally tough! After
a good bite in the
first half of January, the extended cold period at the end of
the month made fishing very slow and we had a number of 4 to
6 fish trips. Last weekend saw a big warm up and the fishing
was awesome on Monday through Wednesday this week. Tuesday was
one of my best numbers days ever for February, with the fish
biting all day. Right before the second hailstorm of the day
at dark, the action was continuous, with fish after fish and
a lot of doubles for the last hour of daylight. Numbers slowed
down on Wednesday after the front came through but the big fish
were on. Bernie from MN caught a 10-00 and a 7-06 that morning,
with our biggest 5 fish totaling over 35 lbs for the day. A couple
more cold fronts on Thursday and Friday slowed the fishing for
us once again, with only 8 and 11 fish caught the past 2 days.
February is big bass time, so concentrate on warming
trends and fish patiently in key staging areas. Even on the slowest
days we caught some big bass, so fish thoroughly and you might
be rewarded with the biggest bass of your life. My fishing patterns
remain mostly unchanged from my last report and will remain that
way until sometime in March when the spawning patterns start
to dominate.
Lake Conditions: Fork is holding steady about 3"
below full pool, currently reading 402.77'. The lake is full
of aquatic vegetation, with a deep weedline anywhere from 8'
to about 15'. The main lake is clear in most areas, while the
creeks are ranging from clear to muddy, depending on how much
wind exposure they have. Water temps were reading from 50 to
53 degrees on Friday, down from the mid- to upper-50s earlier
this week.
Location Pattern: From now 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, crawfish, or shad pattern 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 works best some days, but after cold fronts, letting
the trap fall and ripping these out of the grass will trigger
most of the bites. 14 to 12 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" Live Magic Shad in the same areas you'd throw
a spinnerbait during warming trends. Rig it on the new Lake Fork
Trophy Lures 7/0 wide gap hook and swim it slowly back to the
boat with a few pauses. 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 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.
Here's hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams.
For those of you looking for a guide trip, I'm booked for February,
but I do have March 5 and 31 available, as well as a number of
good dates for the spawn in April.
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 21, 2008 - Lake
Fork & Lake Baccarac - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - 2008
is off to a good start for my customers and me. I spent the first
part of this month fishing the FLW Stren Series event on Falcon
and caught them well, sitting in 5th place on day 2 before struggling
on day 3 and finishing in 19th place. Now I'm back to fishing
Lake Fork on a daily basis and although the weather has been
chilly, the bass don't seem to mind. We had 11 to 17 fish in
the boat on most days this past week, although we only boated
7 fish on one slow day. Early prespawn females are starting to
show up in their usual locations, and we caught a lot of fish
with big bellies, including a 9 lb 3 oz beauty and a good number
of chunks in the 5 to 7 lb category, with only 1 or 2 dinks each
day. Regardless of the weather over then next two months, staging
fish will continue to show up in the shallows in preparation
for the spawn, making this the best time of the year to catch
a true giant on Fork. Until bass start to spawn in March, my
fishing patterns will remain basically the same. That's good
news for those of you who find fish now, as you'll be able to
hammer them for the next two months.
Lake Conditions: Fork is holding steady around
about 4" below full pool, currently reading 402.66'. 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 were reading from
47 to 52 degrees on Monday, normal wintertime water temps for
Fork.
Location Pattern: From now 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. 14 to 12 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" Live Magic Shad
in the same areas you'd throw a spinnerbait. Rig it on the new
Lake Fork Trophy Lures 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 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.
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
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