May 12, 2011 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - Bass are wrapping up the spawn and concentrating on eating in both the shallows and out on deep structure.  Hordes of spawning shad and bluegill plus a lot of new weed growth, in addition to the tons of stumps and stained water, mean that a lot of bass will be hanging out shallow for quite a while.  For these fish, crankbait, topwaters, chatterbaits and soft plastics will provide a lot of action.   If fishing offshore structure is your deal, more and more fish are migrating to classic summertime haunts each day as the water temps keep rising.  And in between, fish can be caught on the same points and creek channels where they staged before spawning.  Shallow, deep, or in-between, May is a wide open month on Fork that allows you to fish your strengths and catch lots of good fish. 

As the bass 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 and moving baits early or all day on cloudy days.  If the sun comes out, it is offshore structure fishing the rest of the day on possibly the best structure fishing lake in the country.  So if your plans didn’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.  In addition to catching a lot of big fish, it is also the premier time to learn how to read your electronics to graph big schools of bass on deep structure.

If you haven’t caught it yet, I’m a frequent participant and host of “The Big Bass Battle” on Versus.  The show also runs on WFN (World Fishing Network), as well as on Time Warner cable in the Dallas area.  More new episodes will air soon, with trips to Fork, LA, and MS.

If you want to learn more about the shad and bluegill spawns and how to catch bass following them, you can check out my May article called “The Other Spawns” here: http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com/fishingarticles/may2011.htm

Lake Conditions:  Despite a few storms, the lake level remains low.  Currently it sits at 399.66’ (about 3’ 4” below full pool) and a ton of stumps are visible.  The boat lanes are still safe to run in general, but definitely exercise caution when heading out of the clear-cut areas.  Water temps are currently reading in the low to mid-70s.  The main lake is the normal greenish clear color but many creeks and the upper end of the lake are pretty stained due to all of the wind.   A decent amount of milfoil and hydrilla are showing up around the lake now, but the coverage is still significantly less than in past years.

Location Pattern:  For the last of the spawners, check out the main lake flats on the south end of the lake.  The slightly deeper structure like points, creek channels, and ledges in 4’ to 12’, adjacent to areas with numbers of shallow spawning bass, is where we’ve found most of the bigger females, staging on their way back to deep water.  On the northern half of the lake, timber or grass flats and clay points will continue to hold numbers of fish until the bluegill and shad finish their spawns and temps turn hot.  Some of the early spawners are showing up on offshore structure in 12’ to 30’ as well.

Presentation Pattern:  Topwaters are not only fun to fish, but producing some big fish all day, so try your Lucky Craft G Splashes, Kelly J’s, and Gunfish.  You can work these baits all day long and catch good fish, especially if you are in areas with lots of bass fry.  Work these lures on a floating mono line like 15 lb PowerSilk.  If the wind kicks up, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and vibrating jigs work well in shad or bluegill color schemes.  ¼ oz Redemption spinnerbaits, Lucky Craft RC 1.5 square billed cranks, and Phenix Vibrator jigs with 3.5” Live Magic Shads will all catch good bass, especially on the windy and cloudy days.  For a real pig, try slow swimming a 5.5” or 8” Live Magic Shad on a swimbait hook through the same areas.  You’ll get fewer bites, but some real monsters.  If the action slows, rig a Hyper Stick or Ring Fry on a 12” leader and a ¼ oz weight on a Carolina rig with 17 lb FHP line and you’ll keep on catching them.   Finally, I’ll pitch a 3/8 oz green pumpkin MPack jig with a matching Fork Craw with a 7’4” Dobyns Extreme DX745C rod to shallow cover like stumps, laydowns, and clumps of grass, plus pitch to the deep weed edge.  Big females hang out here before and after the spawn and this is a great way to catch a lunker in the late spring.

On offshore structure like humps and points, deep diving cranks and Fork Flutter Spoons will catch suspended fish while Carolina and TX rigs will get the bottom dwellers.  The key is to first locate fish on your graph, then let their position dictate your lure selection.  Lots of bass suspend early in the season and super deep cranks like Lucky Craft’s Flat CB D20 and RC3.5XD are very effective, with Sexy Chartreuse Shad and Chartreuse Light Blue being my favorite colors.  To get the most depth out of them, use a small diameter sinking line like 12 lb FluoroHybrid Pro and launch them as far as you can.  The hands down best deep cranking rod these days is the 8’ Dobyns 805CB RM—it’s a unique blend of a rod that can cast a country mile, yet has the power to handle a leaping lunker at great distance.  Deep cranks are notorious for losing fish and this rod will help you keep them on-line.  Fork Flutter Spoons will trigger a lot of these same fish too as they slowly wobble down through the schools like a dying shad.  When bass group up on the bottom they are easier to catch.  Simply keep a Carolina rigged Baby Fork Creature or a TX rigged 10” Fork Worm in front of them long enough and they’ll eat sooner or later.  

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

Good Fishing,

Tom  

May 2, 2011 - Lake Fork - - Submitted by David Vance - The Bass fishing here on Lake Fork is going strong! Top water fishing and deep structure fishing with Carolina-rigs and crank baits have been good this week. April has been a great month and you can only expect it to get better as we get into May. The water clarity has been clear in most areas of the lake with some stained water due to all this wind. Right now you can catch fish shallow or deep. The lake is 4 foot low but in great shape.

FIRST PLACE GRIFFIN 42.05 POUNDS
SECOND PLACE HARALSON/HARALSON 41.50 POUNDS
BIG BASS GRIFFIN 10.00 POUNDS

NEXT TOURNAMENTS
MAY 14, 2011 MATHIS LAKE
MAY 15, 2011 CHOKE CANYON

April 7, 2011 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - Bass are in all stages of spawn right now on Lake Fork —prespawn, spawning, and postspawn.  I’d estimate about 50% of the fish have spawned so far and we will have fish on beds into early May as usual.  Because of the variety of patterns, Fork is fishing wide open right now and you can fish your strengths.  Either pick a style of fishing that you’re good at and find a part of the lake where the fish are doing that, or pick a part of the lake you know well and figure out what spawning stage the bass are in there and work them over.  The prespawn fish are heavier but a bit more here today, gone tomorrow.  The spawning fish are moody but make for fantastic fishing if you find them moving up, either by sight fishing or fishing soft plastics.  The postspawn fish feed the most aggressively and are predominately females right now because the males are still guarding beds in most cases. 

We’ve had so much wind lately that I’ve concentrated mostly on the postspawn patterns on my guide trips.  The wind allows for big baits with heavy gear and you can run the patterns from spot to spot and catch a lot of fish.  Most of these fish are skinny, beat up females that now weigh 3 to 6 lbs, with some 8s thrown in the mix.  Because there is very limited grass on Fork this year, bass are transitioning to points and structure very quickly and grouping up already.  When another major wave of spawners hit the bank, it’ll be time to move back up shallow to take advantage of the easy pickings. 

Look for the spawn to continue for about another month.  After that, it’s topwaters for post spawners and then our best deep water structure bite of the year for big fish with deep cranks, Carolina rigs and football jigs from May into July.

If you haven’t caught it yet, I’m a frequent participant and host of “The Big Bass Battle” on Versus.  The show also runs on WFN (World Fishing Network), as well as on Time Warner cable in the Dallas area.  More new episodes will air in a couple weeks, with trips to Fork, LA, and MS.

Lake Conditions:  Storms and fronts have the lake level, clarity, and temps bouncing around a bit.  The lake level is currently 399.71’ (about 3’ 3” below full pool) and a ton of stumps are now visible.  The boat lanes are still safe to run in general, but definitely exercise caution when heading out of the clear-cut areas.  Water temps were reading 61 to 67 yesterday in the main lake, after being up to 71 on Saturday.  The main lake is the normal greenish clear color but many creeks and the upper end of the lake are pretty stained due to all of the wind.   There remains very little grass on Fork but I’m starting to see more and more milfoil popping up and a bit of hydrilla coming back too.

Location Pattern:  For prespawn and staging fish, key on points and along edges of flats or creek channels.  With very little grass on the lake this year, bass are relating to the timber.  During warming trends, follow bass back into the creeks and check the edges of flats and creek channels.  After the fronts, drop back to deeper water adjacent to where the fish were before the front and you’ll quickly relocate them.  For spawning fish, look for protected bays in the north end of the lake or at the very backs of major creeks.  As the water continues to warm and we move through April, bass will start spawning nearer the mouths of creeks and in deeper creeks.  The main lake flats are typically the last areas to spawn, often as late as early-May. 

Presentation Pattern:  For prespawn and postspawn bass, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs, and lipless crankbaits will catch bass, especially on overcast and windy days.  First and foremost are lipless crankbaits in ½ or ¾ oz, like the Lucky Craft LV500 and LVR D-7.  Red and crawfish colors are most popular and they often work well, although oddball colors often produce better on any given day.  ½ oz Redemption spinnerbaits with tandem or double willow blades with white or chartreuse and white skirts will produce some nice bass in the same areas that the lipless cranks work, as will shallow running crankbaits like Lucky Craft RC 2.0 or BDS4 square bills.  For big bass, try swimming a 4.5” Live Magic Shad on the back of a ½ oz Phenix Vibrator Jig and fish it in the same areas you’d throw a spinnerbait.  White or white/chartreuse vibrator jigs with Sun Perch or Albino Shad Live Magic Shads work well.  And 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 MPack Jig in black and blue or green pumpkin with a Lake Fork Craw or Hyper Freak trailer in matching colors.  For the Texas rig, I’ll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper or Hyper Freak in black neon, Bama Bug or watermelon/red with a 1/8 to 3/8 oz bullet weight and slowly work it around cover.  The new Dobyns DX745C Extreme rod rigged with 40 lb HyperBraid has been landing the light biting bass from the thickest timber without fail.

For bass that have moved onto spawning flats, weightless Texas rigged or wacky rigged soft plastic jerkbaits like Magic Shads, Live Magic Shads, and the Hyper Stick become your best option.  The Hyper Stick combines the shape of Senko-style stick worm baits with the segmented body action of the Live Magic Shad.  The result is a worm with unique action from even the slightest rod movement.  Shades of green pumpkin and watermelon are normally top colors, but don’t forget Magic Craw Swirl and Blue Bruiser with the muddy water this year.  These fish are often spooky, so long casts are key.  For weightless soft plastic jerkbaits, I like using the Dobyns Champion 733C with 20 lb FluoroHybrid Pro line.  The 7’3” rod whips the baits out there, while it still has enough backbone to drive the hook through thick worms on long casts.  The FluoroHybrid Pro line has the feel and invisibility of fluorocarbon, yet it casts well and ties strong knots like mono—it’s truly the best of both worlds. 

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

Good Fishing,

Tom  

March 20, 2011 - Lake Fork - - Submitted by David Vance - The bass are starting to spawn here at Lake Fork big time. For those of you that are looking for the opportunity to catch a bass of a lifetime, this is the time of year you can do it. There are a lot of Big bass up shallow right now just looking to be caught. Here are a few tips for catching these spawning bass. Key areas to fish right now are in the back of the creeks and points that are adjacent to spawning flats. Creek channels leading to these flats will produce good results also. Fish can be found in a number of creeks and pockets on the lake right now and can be found moving on the beds just about everywhere with this warm weather.

Water Conditions, Lake Fork is 4 foot low but in great shape, the water clarity is clear to slightly stained . The water temperature hit 68 degrees in the areas that I was fishing today. We have been catching the majority of our fish on weightless Trick Worms. A Trick Worm fished slowly over the flats where these bass are making beds is hard to beat. Best colors have been watermelon red, and green pumpkin, also a Texas rig or short Carolina rig with a Brush Hog or a Lizard.

Today was a great day to be on the lake the weather was in the eighties , and it looks like the rest of the week the weather is going to stay in the eighties. Yesterday Michael Chilton and his dad from Iowa fished with me and we put 38in the boat, today Bill South from Louisiana fished with me we put 33 in the boat with two over seven and one that went 8 lbs 9oz, most of these bass came on the Brush Hog and Trick Worm. With this warm weather the bass are making a mad rush to shallow water to spawn. Good areas to try right now are Big and Little Mustang, Williams, a lot of bass are moving in on beds in these creeks. If you would like to book a Guide Trip and get in on some Great Spawning Action My Cell # is 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 Check out my Web Site http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance

Fishing the grass with ½ and 3/4 oz. lipless Crank Baits also a Mans One Minus in red & orange, and with some chartreuse in it are great. Cover a lot of water with these baits to locate the Bass, ripping the bait off the grass will produce some Big reaction strikes from these big pre-spawn Bass feeding up in preparation for the coming spawn. One of the best big bass baits for this time of year is a suspending Jerk Bait, fished over the grass very slowly can be deadly for those Bass that will not move far to hit a bait, fish it slow with long pauses between jerks and hold on! My most productive color is black, gold & orange. Another good pattern this time of year is slow rolling a 3/4 or 1oz Spinner Bait with a # 5 or 6 Willow Life Blade. You can almost fish these big Spinner Baits like a Jig pulling the bait just enough to turn the blade, this pattern works good on these windy days.

Most of the bass we have caught the last two days have been on the Spinner Bait and suspending Jerk Bait and the One Minus. All the bass we have caught have been fat and healthy. Bill Nash from North Carolina fished with me yesterday and we put 22 bass in the boat with two over seven pounds and one that went 10 lbs8oz Bill caught her on the suspending Jerk Bait in 8 feet of water and she was full of eggs, It is definitely Big Bass time hear on Lake Fork. Good places to try right now are North West Bay, Running Creek, Long Branch, these creeks always produce big pre-spawn Bass. This weather has been a roller coaster up and down one day it’s in the thirties and the next it‘s in the seventies, but that is Texas weather I have been Guiding on this lake a long time and I have had some of my best Big Bass days on some of the worst weather days, so don’t let the bad weather keep you off the water this time of year.

If you would like Book a guide trip and get in on some of this pre-spawn action now is the time to book, my Spring days are booking up. On my trips all Tackle is included. You can reach me at 903-629-7699 or Cell 903-629-5085 or check out my web site at http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com e-mail bassrus@peoplescom.net

Good Fishing,
David Vance

The bass fishing here on Lake Fork 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 come on lipless Crank baits and a Suspending Rogue, these baits will producing some big bass this time of year. Yesterday we stayed with the lipless Crank baits and Suspending Rogue all day, and we boated 19 bass with one that weighed 9 lbs 3oz. This big bass came on the Suspending Rogue on the edge of a grass line, most of the bass we caught were all in the 3 to 5 pound range all fat and healthy. 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.

The weather is a lot warmer this year than last year at this time, and they are calling for above average tempters this winter and it looks like they are right so far, and if the weather stays mild these big pre spawn bass will kick into gear early this year.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 always good for catching big bass in January and February.

There are several different ways to fish lipless Crank baits this time of year, 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 on the edge of the grass lines in 8 to 15 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 temps are 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 and my days are going fast so book early to get best available dates. Call . 903-629-7699 or 903-629-5085 Cell. Check out my website http;//www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance