Texas Fishing Report from Anglers 2012

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For this deep water bite your electronics will play 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, and also watch for the birds if they are working the water you can bet they are on a big school of Shad. To catch these deep bass I have been using a ¾ oz Jigging Spoon and a ¼ oz Little George, also a Smoking Shad Fluke on a 1/4oz-Football Jig Head, also a Carolina Rig, I am using a 3 to 4 foot leader, and a 1oz weight. Dragging behind it on a 3/0 hook will be a Watermelon Seed Super Fluke or a Watermelon Seed Baby Brush Hog. Good places to try right now, all the roadbeds are holding bass 515 East and West 154 and 2946 are always good this time of year. Also the roadbed and old Bridge in the mouth of White Oak Branch, and the roadbed at the mouth of Big and little Mustang are good place to start.

December is an excellent time to be on Lake Fork There is less pressure on the lake and it is the start of our big bass season and you can have the opportunity to catch a bass of a life time, And for you bird watchers I have seen at lest 4 to 5 Bald Eagles a day a lot of Eagles on the lake right now. I am now booking 2013 spring trips and lodging book now for best available dates. I am also booking winter trips on Lake Monticello you can reach me on my Cell 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 or check out my web site at

http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance's
Lake Fork Guide Service

November 19, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - The fishing here on Lake Fork is picking back up after that last cold front it was tough right after the front came through, but in the last three days the fishing has been great! The bigger bass are starting to show up and you will have the opportunity to catch some big bass. Water conditions at Lake Fork are good with most of the lake fair to clear. Water temperatures have been in the 60’s with the weather warming back up in the last few days. The shallow bite has been good from the mouths of the creeks to the backs of some of them. Top water frogs, buzz baits and poppers have been good late in the day. Wacky worms and Tiki Sticks are also doing well, best colors have been watermelon seed and green pumpkin. Shad colored shallow running crank baits, chrome lipless cranks, and spinner baits are also catching fish up shallow slow rolled around cover, especially on wind blown points and pockets off the main lake with baitfish present.

The deep fishing for those big Lake Fork Bass is also starting to pick up. Deep humps, road beds, points, ridges and old pond dams in 20-30+ feet are starting to hold schools of bass feeding on shad, bar fish and even crappie this time of year. When the weather cools off more, the fish will be ganging up more on the deep structure areas and feed! If you are on one of these spots at the right time, you can catch some big bass! A Carolina rigged centipede, or fluke, 3-4 foot leader and a 3/0 wide gap hook is what I am using for the deeper bass. Best bait colors for me have been watermelon seed, green pumpkin, Watermelon Red or chart. pepper. Also Jigging Spoon and Tail Spinners are catching a lot of our bigger fish out deep so you’ll want to keep one of these tied on at all times.

John Clark and Robert West from Mississippi fished with me the last two days and we had a blast we boated over 70 bass and Robert landed the big bass of there two day trip 7 lb 14oz this was his personal best the bass came on a Jigging Spoon in 25 feet Great job Robert. November & December is an excellent time to be on Lake Fork There is less pressure on the lake and it is the start of our big bass season and you can have the opportunity to catch a bass of a life time. I am now booking 2013 spring trips and lodging book now for best available dates. I am also booking winter trips on Lake Monticello you can reach me on my Cell 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 or check out my web site at http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance's
Lake Fork Guide Service

November 5, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - The fishing here on Lake Fork has been good!!, the bass are now in a full fall pattern , you will find plenty of feeding activity on all parts of the lake, and have the opportunity to catch some big bass. Water conditions at Lake Fork are good with most of the lake fair to clear. Temperatures have been ranging from the mid to upper 60’s. The shallow bite has been good from the mouths of the creeks to the backs of some of them. Top water baits like a Yellow Magic, and buzz baits have been good early and late. Trick worms, fished wacky style are also doing well, best colors have been watermelon seed, and green pumpkin. Shad colored shallow running crank baits, chrome & blue lipless cranks and spinner baits, are also catching some good bass. This past week we have been averaging 25 to 35 bass a day, the bigger fish we have caught have come on Spoons, out of deeper water we had 3 bass over 7 lbs in the last 3 days on the West 515 road bed.

For the deep bite look for humps, road beds, points, ridges and old pond dams in 15-25+ feet will all hold schools of bass feeding on shad, and bar fish this time of year. When the weather cools off more, the fish will be ganging up on the deep structure areas and gorge! If you are on one of these spots at the right time, you can load the boat. Jigging Spoons, &Tail Spinners are hard to beat this time of year for catching these deep fall bass. Also a Carolina rigged centipede, or fluke, 3-4 foot leader and a 3/0 wide gap hook is what I’m using, best bait colors have been watermelon seed, Watermelon Candy Red, or chart pepper. I am also starting to catch some good fish on a 1/4 oz. football jig head with a smoking shad fluke, I have good luck catching suspended fish with this bait this time of year.

November is a great time of year to be on Lake Fork the weather is cool, and the fishing is Hot!! If you would like to book a guide trip and get in on some of the best fall Bass fishing anywhere Lake Fork is the place to be. I am now booking 2013 spring trips book now for best available dates. I am also booking winter trips on Lake Monticello you can reach me on my Cell 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 or check out my web site at http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance's
Lake Fork Guide Service

October 18, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - Fall is here on Lake Fork and with it brings cooler temperatures, and less fishing pressure and lots of bass that are feeding up on big schools of shad. The bass are biting!! and the weather is beautiful, yesterday Steve Gentry and his son Rob from Okalahoma fished with me and we boated 45 bass, our biggest of the day only went 5 lbs 10 oz but a nice fish, Rob caught her on a Yellow Magic, in the first hour of the morning, what a day and a lot of action we had a blast. Fishing in the last few days has been great!! For numbers no giants but a lot of fun!! This is a great time of year to bring your kids fishing. Water temperatures are in the low 70's and water clarity is fairly clear on most of the main lake and clear to stained in the back of some of the creeks.

The morning and evening bite has been good on top water baits, and buzzing a 1/4 Spinner Bait, best top water baits have been a Yellow Magic, and a Zara Spook, have work best for me. The shallow bite has been good on wacky worms, around points and pockets in the creeks, a Trick Worm in Red bug or Watermelon Red have been working good. We are also catching a lot of fish on lipless crank baits, and shallow running crank baits. The deeper fish we have been catching have been on a Carolina rig in 15 to 20 feet. On the Carolina rig I am using a 1 ounce weight and a 4 foot leader, and a 3/0 hook, with a Watermelon seed centipede or a Watermelon seed Baby Brush hog.

Right now you will also want to keep a jigging spoon handy as the water cools, jigging spoons and tail spinners can be deadly this time of year. Good places to try right now are main lake points, pockets and humps roadbeds and pond dams. Right now there is a lot of fish on the old 515 East and West road beds also on Hobs Point, just above the 515 East Bridge, Also on the old 2225 road bed in both Running and Coffee creek, and the mouth of Chaney Branch, and in Little Caney from the Second Pipeline to Hideaway Harbor has been good for schooling Bass late in the day, As the water cools down more, the deep fishing will turn on and the Bigger bass will start feeding as we get into November.

It’s a great time of year to be on the water the weather is beautiful, and the fishing is Great!! If you would like to book a guide trip and get in on some of the best fall Bass fishing anywhere Lake Fork is the place to be. I am now booking 2013 spring trips book now for best available dates. I am also booking winter trips on Lake Monticello you can reach me on my Cell 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 or check out my web site at http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance's
Lake Fork Guide Service

October 2, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - October is here and with it comes beautiful weather and great fall fishing here on Lake Fork. The lake is about 3 1/2 feet low but is in great shape as far as the fishing go’s and will only get better as the month rolls along. Now that we are on the tail end of the turnover, the fishing will be more consistent and patterns will hold. October and November offer some of the best fishing of the year, I have been catching fish on a number of different patterns and baits this past week. We have been catching fish shallow and deep, yesterday Mark Stone and Jim Freeman from New York fished with me and we put 38 bass in the boat and more than half, came on a Spinner bait and the rest on a Wacky Worm, and a lipless Crank Bait, big fish of the day went 6 lbs 3oz Mark caught her in 3 foot of water on his second cast of the morning what a way to start the day!. Buzzing a Spinner bait in and around cover this time of year is a pattern that will work great all day.

The Spinner bait that works best for me this time of year is a Stanley ¼ oz Chartreuse & White Colorado Willow Nickel and gold blades. The areas we are fishing the Spinner bait have been points and pockets on the main lake and half way back in the creeks, there is a lot of Shad in these areas right now. This time of year I have my best luck fishing a Spinner bait fast, keeping the bait just under the surface these bass are coming up and killing the bait. The grass is making great comeback good places to find grass right now is up in Running Creek all the way to the 2225 Roadbed there is a lot of good Spinner Bait water up in this area right now.

Other patterns that are working good right now are Wacky Worms and Flukes, they have been real productive in the same areas. Best colors have been Red Bug, June Bug, and Watermelon. The deep fishing is starting to turn back on now as the lake is in the tail end of the Fall turnover. As we get to the middle of the month and into November the deep bite will be on! This will be time to break out your Spoons, deep diving Crank baits, and your Swim Baits. Look for the deep fish to start getting bunched up in big schools in 20-30 foot of water to feed up for Winter.

Good places to try right now for the above patterns are Pinson Bay, Little Caney from the mouth to the first pipe line, points and pockets in Running Creek, and the old Brood pond Just South of Sun Eagle Bay, and the Mouth of Indian Creek, SRA point and the first half of Chaney Branch. I always look forward to this time of year it is the start of our Big Bass Season, the weather is cool and the fishing is Hot. So don’t miss out on one of the most productive times of year to be on Lake Fork. If you would like to book a guide trip and get in on some great fall Bass fishing you can reach me at my cell 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 check my web site http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance

September 10, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - - September is here and it is the start of our fall season, and patterns have change some from my last report. The bass have been biting a little better up shallow. For the shallow water bite look for bass to be holding around shallow stick ups, in 3 to 12 feet of water on the main lake and secondary points, also in the first half of the major creeks. We have had a good top water bite from first sun and expect it to last for about an hour or more, the best top water baits for me have been a Yellow Magic, and a Zarz Spook, all in shad colors. If you are coming to fish some of the tournaments this month the fishing should be good if you are on the right pattern. One good thing the grass is coming back in a lot of places and it is going to be holding a lot of fish.

After the top water actions slows, I will switch to a Texas Rig and fishing it in the same area as the top water, baits that have work best for me have been a Watermelon Red Brush Hog, and a 6in black blue fleck Worm. Once this bite slows down I am hitting main lake and secondary points located in 10-15 feet of water with a Carolina rigged Watermelon seed Fluke or a Watermelon candy Red Baby Brush Hog, I am fishing these baits on a 1 ounce weight with a 3 to 4 foot leader along with a 3/0 hook. Try to stay on points that have a lot of timber around the area that you are fishing, this has been where I am catching most of the fish, this pattern will hold through out the day. Yesterday Rob Davis from Oklahoma fished with me and we boated 33 with one that went 6 lbs 8oz no big ones but not a bad day for right now. For the most part September is not one of the best big fish months regardless what some might say, the big tournaments held here in September prove that, with that said any time you fish Lake Fork you have the opportunity to catch a bass of a life time, but September is a good numbers month.

Also be on the look out for schooling bass that are suspended in depths of 20 to 40 feet of water that are pushing shad to the top, I kept a swim bait and a lipless crank bait handy all day for these fish. Good places to try right now for the above patterns are Hobbs point, and the mouth of Bell Branch, points and pockets on the main lake, also the bridge ends in big and little Mustang, and they have been schooling at the mouth of Indian creek, and there are still a lot of schooling bass on the 154 and 515 east and west bridges, also the old 2946 road bed is holding some fish right now. I always look forward to this time of year it is the start of the fall Season, the weather is cooling down and on into the end of the month and October fishing is going to be good!! So don?t miss out on one of the most productive times of year to be on Lake Fork. If you would like to book a guide trip and get in on some great early fall Bass fishing you can reach me at my cell 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 Check out my Web Site http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance
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August 3, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - Not much has changed since my last report the lake is about two and half feet low but in great shape. The bass are schooling early and late in the day. The fishing is still one day to the next, one day you will catch 35 and the next day have a hard time catching 15 that’s the way it has been this summer, it‘s all about timing on these schooling bass hit the right spot at the right time and you can load the boat. One good thing the size of the bass we are catching right now has been great! Yesterday Jim Wilson from Austin fished with me we had 21 for the day and Jim landed the 2 biggest of the day that went 8 lbs 9oz and 7 lbs 6oz he caught these 2 big bass on a DD22 on the first pipeline in Little Caney The top water bite has been on!! for the first three to 4 hours of the morning. the best baits for me has been a shad colored Yellow Magic, and a Zara Spook, & a Swim Bait. Most of the bass we have caught in the last few days on top have been suspended in 30 to35 feet of water, the bass are running the shad to the top early in the morning, after about 10am, the top water action starts to slow down.

After the top water bite slows I have been changing to a Carolina Rig, and a DD22 this deep water pattern has worked best for me the rest of the day. At this time I am using a one ounce weight with a three to four foot leader line size 15 pound on a heavy action rod. A watermelon seed super fluke & a watermelon red Brush Hog, have worked best for me on the Carolina Rig. Good places to try are the mouth of Little Caney, SRA point, and the ridge left of the dam to the first point, also the tire reef on Chaney point, and look for schooling bass on all the bridges right now. There are still fish being caught on shallow main lake points, on Wacky Worms and Texas Rigs, but the deep water pattern has been the most consistent for me Right now.

The weather may be hot but the fishing can be to!! If you would like to book a guide trip you can call me at 903-629-7699 or 903-629-5085. All tackle is included on my trips. Web site www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance

July 21, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - Overall the summer bass fishing here on Lake Fork has been pretty good, but still very inconsistent, one day you will catch 25 and the next day 15. I have heard of 50 and 60 fish days lately but take away the white bass and the count for black bass would be a lot less. The bass are schooling on shad all over the lake but in smaller groups than at this time last year. Yesterday Steve Berry from Dallas fished with me, and about 10am we got in a big school of bass that were running shad to the top, this school of bass stayed on top long enough for us to put 12 in the boat in that one spot its all about timing on these schooling bass, this one spot saved the day, every bass we caught in that school came on a 1/2oz lipless Crank Bait, color Chrome and blue and a Zara Spook, most of these bass were 2 to 4 lbs and full of shad no big ones but a lot of action, we ended up with 19 for the day and one that went 7 lbs 4oz.

I have found many fish holding on deep cover in 18 to 25 feet of water, the best places have been humps, points, ridges, and roadbeds. Here are a few of the baits I been throwing lately and this is the rundown of them, for the bass that are suspended I have been using a 1/2oz white Jig with a white salty chunk trailer, and a 1/4oz Storm Swim bait, on my Carolina rig I have been using a 4 to 5 foot leader and a 1oz weight, Dragging behind it on a 3/0 hook will be a Watermelon seed Centipede or a Watermelon red Baby Brush Hog, Green pumpkin is working good to, for the schooling bass the best baits for me have been a 1/2oz lipless Crank Bait, and a Zara Spook or a Yellow Magic.

Good places to try right now are the mouth of Chaney Branch, SRA Point, and there is always bass to be caught this time of year on the 515 East and West Bridges, the bass are starting to school under the bridges in the middle of the day, they always do this time of year, also look for schooling bass around the Dallas pump station. The weather is getting hotter, but don’t let that keep you off the water, the summer fishing can be tough at times, and it can be fantastic! because you can get into some awesome schooling action! this time of year here on Lake Fork, as I always say a slow day on lake fork is a great day on most lakes. If you would like to book a guide trip you can reach me at 903-629-7699 or my Cell 903-629-7699 Web site http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance

July 2, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - The fishing here on Lake Fork has been tough the last two weeks, and that was due to the unstable weather we had, it had the bass suspended witch made them hard to catch. Now with a solid summer pattern setting in, the fishing is starting to pick up. Yesterday we caught 27 bass and one that went 6 lbs 7oz. The bass are schooling on shad all over the lake, the first place we went to a big school of bass was running shad to the top, this school of bass stayed on top for a long time it was a blast we put 15 in the boat in that one spot. Every bass we caught in that school came on a Yellow Magic and a Swim Bait, most of these bass were 2 to 3 lbs and full of shad no big ones but a lot of action.

After the top water actions slows, I have found fish holding on deep cover in 18 to 25 feet of water, the best places have been humps, points, ridges, and roadbeds. Your electronics will be a big key to how successful your day on the water will be, watch for balls of bait and bass stacked up on the screen. I have been throwing very few baits lately, on my Carolina rig I have been using a 4 to 5 foot leader and a 1oz weight, dragging behind it on a 3/0 hook will be a Watermelon seed Centipede or a Watermelon seed Fluke. For the schooling bass the best baits for me have been a Yellow Magic, and a 1/4oz Storm Swim Bait Shad pattern.

Good places to try right now are the mouth of Chaney Branch, and at the mouth of Ray Branch, SRA point, and there is always bass to be caught this time of year on the 515 East and West Road Beds, also the old 2946 road bed and the 154 bridge. The weather has been hot but don't let that keep you off the water because you can get into some awesome schooling action this time of year here on Lake Fork. If you would like to book a guide trip you can reach me at 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 web site www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance

June 18, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - Lake Fork bass are well into summertime patterns now and I’m concentrating on deep structure almost all day on most trips. Although the storms and clouds have made for the most temperate week of June fishing in recent memory, the normal hot and sunny summer weather is typically better for the deep bite. The hotter the water gets and the brighter the sun, the more bass group up in tight schools and relate closely to the bottom. Wind, clouds, and storms tend to leave the fish a bit more scattered and often suspended, making us work harder to catch good numbers.

Powerful electronics and gps maps have turned many secret deep water honey holes into community spots. Bass still live in these areas, but pressured fish become very selective and you have to be on your game to keep catching them. This isn’t unique to Fork, as anglers on Guntersville, KY Lake, Rayburn, Falcon and other top structure lakes have to figure out how to beat the crowds too. Therefore, a combination of small factors like lure profile and color, type of retrieve, speed, line size, and angle can be the difference between no bites or 30. Use your same old baits in the same old ways on the same old spots and watch your results plummet. To get away from the crowds, Lowrance StructureScan helps you locate schools of fish that are buried in thick timber, so move off the obvious points and humps on your gps maps and find more subtle features that others miss and you’ll have some schools to yourself.

While summer is known for deep structure fishing, many bass are still caught up shallow. If you’re getting frustrated with the deep water community holes, here’s an “old school” option. My June article covers summer bass in the shallows: http://lakeforkguidetrips.com/fishingarticles/june2012.htm

A couple recent videos might help you as well. My video on reading sonar, side scan and down scan sonar is available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tdYT3i9ip8 And here is an inexpensive product that will completely rustproof your tackle boxes and enitre boat. They aren’t a sponsor of mine, but I’m definitely sold on them after a couple years of great results: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5GdXXQKQB0

Lake Conditions: A few rains have kept Fork in good shape. The lake level is currently 401.03’ (about 2’ below full pool). Water temps in the main lake are in the low to mid 80s, with creeks running warmer. The main lake is the normal greenish stain of Lake Fork, although creeks are more brownish than normal because of the limited grass.

Location Pattern: Early and late and when it is cloudy/windy/rainy, you can still find bass feeding on points and flats near or in the main lake. Many creeks have flooded shoreline vegetation and you’ll find bass holding here too. Some big bass are still shallow but you can find schools of big fish offshore, so I spend most of my time off the banks on structure. Deep structure like points, humps, creek bends, and roadbeds in 8’ to 20’ are best on the cloudy days, while I look more in 20’ to about 33’ on brighter and calmer days. Bass suspend over many deep structure spots, but finding places where they are on the bottom usually results in better catches. Most of these schools are relating to a few pieces of isolated cover, so watch your depth finder closely or you’ll bypass the mother lode.

Presentation Pattern: Topwaters like Lucky Craft G Splashes, Sammys, and Gunfish are still getting some active fish early and late, as well as schooling fish when they come up during the day. Shad or chrome colors work best. Weightless rigged soft plastic jerkbaits like Magic Shads and Hyper Sticks will catch fish when the sun gets up a bit more. When the fish go down, you can often catch a few more on a TX rigged 8 or 10” Fork worm in the same areas until they start schooling again.

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 during the summer and super deep cranks like Lucky Craft’s Flat CB D20 are very effective, with Sexy Chartreuse Shad and Chartreuse Light Blue being my favorite colors. Fork Flutter Spoons will trigger a lot of these same fish too as they slowly wobble down through the schools like a dying shad. Try both aggressive rips and small hops with the spoon to determine the mood of the bass. A 7’8” Dobyns Extreme DX784C rod with 20 lb FluoroHybrid Pro line handles the heavy spoons very well and keeps those leaping lunkers hooked up.

When bass group up on the bottom, they are easier to catch. Carolina and Texas rigs are my first choice. I’ll try a variety of baits on both rigs and let the bass tell me how much or how little action they want. Hyper Worms, Fork Worms, Fork Creatures, Hyper Lizards, & Hyper Freaks have a lot of action and trigger big aggressive fish. If the bass are more finicky, straight tail baits like Hyper Finesse Worms, Hyper Sticks, and Twitch Worms are normally more productive. The most productive bait seems to change daily, so experiment until you find what they want. Many of the bites are light, so a super sensitive Dobyns Extreme DX744C handles the regular rigs, while the 7’4” Mag Heavy DX745C handles big worms and football jigs better. If the bass won’t respond to those offerings, switch to a Hyper Finesse Worm on a drop shot with 12 lb FluoroHybrid Pro line and a Dobyns Extreme DX702SF spinning rod and you can still catch them, although the average bass size will run a bit smaller. In the darker water, June bug, plum and blue fleck have been good, while the various shades of watermelon and green pumpkin have worked best in the clearer water.

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. If you're in the Lake Fork area and need any boat service or want to check out the new line of Ranger boats, stop by www.DiamondSportsMarine.com on Hwy 154 on the East side of Fork, Ranger Boat's #1 dealer for 2011.

Good Fishing,

Tom Redington
www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com

May 4, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - The Bass fishing here on Lake Fork is going strong! Top water and deep structure fishing with Carolina-rigs and crank baits have been good this week. May is top water time! the bigger bass are moving out of the spawning flats and feeding on schools of shad, on main lake and secondary points. The water clarity has been clear in most areas of the main lake with some stained water due to all this wind. Right now you can catch fish shallow or deep, but the bigger bass I am catching have been in deeper water. The lake is 2 foot low but in great shape.

If you like top water action May is the time to get out to Lake Fork! The top water bite has been very good on Zara Spooks and Yellow Magic’s. Steve and Beverly Smith from Alabama fished with me the last 2 days and we put over 50 bass in the boat we had some awesome top water action, all these bass came on the Yellow Magic and a Carolina Rig, Steve caught the big bass of the day that went 9 lbs 3oz he caught this big bass in 25 feet on the Carolina Rig with a Watermelon Candy Red Baby Brush Hog.

The deep water fishing has really picked up and we are catching good numbers of quality bass in 15-25 feet of water. Main lake and second diary Points, humps, roadbeds, pond dams and ridges are good areas to start looking, Carolina rigs have been working best for me targeting these deep post spawn bass. On the Carolina Rig I have been throwing a 3/4 oz. weight and a 3-4 foot leader with a 3/0 wide gap hook, best baits for me have been Brush Hogs and flukes, DD 22’s in shad patterns has been good on suspended fish.

If your looking for top water action and some great deep water fishing Lake Fork is the place to be. If you would like to book a guide trip, all tackle is included on my trips. You can reach me on my Cell 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 web site

http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,

David Vance

April 6, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - April is in with a bang the fishing this past week has been on fire. Another wave of bass have made a major move to shallow water to spawn. I seen a lot of new beds today. The fishing will get even better as April rolls on. The fishing conditions have been good to great at Lake Fork, with many big Bass being caught on a daily basis. Water temps are now in the upper seventies in some places. Water is clear to stained in some areas due to the recent rain and winds. But if you don't mind a little wind and an occasional storm trying to blow in, the fishing can be tremendous this time of year. My pattern to fishing for these April Bass hasn't changed too much from March.

I am catching a number of bass fishing wacky rigged Trick Worms, best colors have been green pumpkin and Watermelon Candy red, also a Brush Hog and a lizard are working good. Yesterday Allen Green and Steve Wood from Iowa fished with me and we boated 38 with one that went 7 lb 9oz the action was almost nonstop. The bass have moved into the new flooded cover and the Frog bite is coming on strong!! With all this new cover April, May, and June will be some of the best fishing we have seen in years, the Top water action will be off the chart!! this is one time you do not want to miss coming to Lake Fork it’s like fishing a new lake.

Good places to try right now are Ray Branch, Little Caney, Chaney Branch, these creeks always produces big bass this time of year. The lake is still coming up and in good shape and the fishing is as good as it gets. If you would like to book a guide trip and get in on some great spring bass fishing my Cell# is 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699

Check out my web site

http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance

March 19, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by Lake Fork Guide Trips - Waves of bass keep moving up to spawn at Fork and the fishing is very good all over the lake right now because another wave hit the banks in the past few days. A big group moved up a couple weeks ago and just about everyone on the lake was whacking them. A little front and 1 foot rise in the lake had the bass a bit funky earlier this week, but consistently warm days and nights really had them hitting by the end of this week. The fishing has been so fun that after my customers said uncle and quit for the day the past two trips, I stayed out until dark by myself and took advantage of the biting bass.

I’d estimate maybe 30% or 40% of the fish have spawned already but there is a bunch yet to do their thing. With prespawn, spawning, and postspawn fish all available, fishermen have a lot of patterns to choose from. The cornucopia of options allows you to find some fish biting in just about any conditions Mother Nature throws at you. If you’re not getting bit, keep changing up tactics and locales until you find them.

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

Lake Conditions: Regular rains are slowly bringing up Fork’s water levels and most boat ramps are in good shape. The lake level is currently 398.55’ and holding steady (about 4’ 6” below full pool and up nearly 4’ since the fall). Water temps in the main lake are in the low 60s and some shallow creeks are considerably warmer in the afternoons. The rising water and wind has Fork more stained than normal, especially on the northern half of the lake and in the backs of major creeks. In general, I like the clearer water on the cloudy and windy days, while I feel more comfortable in muddier water when it’s sunny and calm.

Location Pattern: For prespawn and postspawn fish that are staging on their way in and back out, key on points and creek channels near spawning flats. With virtually no grass in the lake this year, bass are relating to the timber so make sure you are casting tight to the stumps. 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: Just about every category of lure in the tackle box will be working by later this month. For prespawn and postspawn bass, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs, and lipless crankbaits will catch bass, especially on overcast and windy days. A great search tool are lipless crankbaits like the new Lucky Craft LV RTO. Red and crawfish colors are most popular and they often work well, although oddball colors often produce better on any given day. ½ oz 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 LC 2.5 or BDS4 square bills. Square bills are notorious for losing fish and missing bites, so I use the fiberglass 7’ Dobyns 705CB MF for my shallow cranks. The fiberglass rod lets bass take the bait a bit deeper and the soft tip also keeps them hooked up. For big bass, try swimming a 4.5” Live Magic Shad on the back of a ½ oz bladed jig and fish it in the same areas you’d throw a spinnerbait. White or white/chartreuse bladed 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 with a jig or TX rig 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 Craw Tube in black neon, Bama Bug 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, and the Hyper Stick become your best option. 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 shallow fish are often spooky, so long casts result in more fish. For weightless soft plastic jerkbaits, I like using the Dobyns Champion 733C. 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. A finesse Carolina rig with a ¼ oz sinker and a 12” leader is another great way to present those same soft plastic jerkbaits to slightly deeper fish in 4’ to 8’ and it also keeps you in contact with your bait in shallow water when the wind is howling. When everyone is up beating the bank to a froth, move out a little deeper with the light Carolina rig and you can catch fish from under where everyone else’s boats are sitting.

Good Fishing,

Tom

March 10, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - The bass are spawning here at Lake Fork. 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 on the lake. This cold front is going to be short lived, and water temp will rebound quickly, the weather is going to be back in the mid seventy’s this coming week and more bass will be moving in to spawn.

Water Conditions, Lake Fork will be on the rise after all this much needed rain and there will be a lot of new cover to fish. We have been catching the majority of our fish on weightless Trick Worms, a Trick Worm fished slowly over the flats where the bass are making there 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 has been working good. With the lake on the rise a Spinner bait is going to be hot! With all the new flooded cover, the Spinner bait I like to throw with all this new new cover is a ¼ oz White & Chartreuse with Nickel and Gold Willow leaf blades.

Yesterday Bob Davis and Jeff Wilson from Las Vegas fished with me and we put 27 in the boat with one that went 7 lb 10 oz, and 7 lb 4 oz most of these bass came on the Brush Hog and Trick Worm. Good areas to try right now are Big and Little Mustang, in these creeks starting from the 17 bridge working your way to the mouth is a good place to start, also North West bay in Little Caney and working your way to Quail Hollow a lot of bass are moving in on beds in these creeks. The next three months is the best fishing of the year so make your plans to get to Lake Fork. Hope these tips will help on your next trip to the lake, 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

February 19, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - The bass have been on the move into the shallows here at Lake Fork. You can expect many more big bass to start showing up with the current warm weather trend and rising water temperatures in the shallow spawning areas. This spring is shaping up for another great spawn here at Lake Fork, so if you haven’t made your plans to come out and do some fishing in the next couple of months now is the time to start making arrangements to get in on some of the best fishing of the year. Even with the lake being low conditions are great right now going into the spring spawn. With hopeful expected spring rains, the lake could fill to capacity real fast and give the bass a tremendous amount of shallow cover to spawn.

Water temperatures have been ranging from 54-57 depending on what areas you are in, with the warmest water being at the very backs of the creeks during the peak of the day. The water clarity has also varied from stained to fairly clear in some areas, but the fish have not seemed to mind either way. Water temperature and the lack of grass have been the biggest factors in locating productive fishing areas. Best baits and presentations have been a combination of several things right now, with the warming trends and cold fronts playing a role in what is most productive from day to day, and even from morning to late in the day. On cold front days or cooler mornings, I have been starting out with a lipless crank baits, Red or red/orange 1/2 oz to 3/4 oz sizes have been best around, secondary points, ditches, or drop offs located next to spawning flats in 2-8 feet of water.

The spinner bait bite has also been good early and late in the day, I have been throwing a ½ and 3/4oz best colors have been white, white/chart with double willow blades. Also a great bait to catch a real giant bass on right now, is a Suspending Rouge best colors have been black back chrome side orange belly, fishing this bait around creek channels near spawning areas as well as isolated trees or stands of timber on points and fishing it slow can put some big bass in your boat. Creeks that have been producing some good fish right now have been Penson, Duck Call Cove, Post Oak, White Oak. Long Branch, Yesterday Jeremy Cole and Stan West from California fished with me and we put 17 bass in the boat with one that went 8 lbs 9oz Jeremy caught this big bass in White Oak on a Suspending Rouge in 8 feet of water way to go Jeremy! It is big bass time here on lake fork and if you would like to get in on some great spring fishing you can call me at 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 check out my web site

www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance

February 3, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - February is big Bass time here on Lake Fork. For all you fisherman that have been waiting for those big females to start moving to the shallows, now is the time. Lake Fork is about 6 feet low but still in great shape for another fantastic year of fishing in 2012. The fishing has been good for size the last few days. Numbers of quality Bass can be found starting to stage on the timbered secondary points and ditches, and creeks near spawning flats. Starting at the mouths of the creeks and working your way back is the best approach to locating pre spawn Bass this time of year. Dearing a cold front the Bass will be more active and concentrated on main lake and/or secondary points. On warmer days, you will find that the bite is better at the very back of the creeks. Once you locate a fish or two it is good to make another pass back through the area as there will usually be several more in that location and come back and hit it again later in the day. Fishing in depths of 4-10 feet has been good and will get better as the water temps rise.

The weather this time of year is always up and down, but don’t let the cold nasty weather keep you off the water. Because this is the time of year your chances of catching a bass over ten pounds will be the best. I have been guiding on this lake a long time, and Most of the bass I have caught over ten pounds were on nasty cold weather days. Expect the bite to be shallow and more consistent as the month rolls along. Suspending Rouges, ¾ oz Lipless crank baits in red/orange colors have been best also shallow divining crank baits in same colors. Chartreuse and white or white Spinner baits and Chatter Baits will also produce their share of Bass as well. I use a Stanley 1/2 oz or 3/4 oz Spinner bait with double willow leaf blades, Slow Rolling a 3/4oz Spinner bait on the outside edge of the timbered secondary points and flats will produce Big pre spawn bass this time of year.

Good areas for me right now have been White Oak Branch, Leafy Branch, Penson, and Wolfe Creek. These creeks have been producing some nice fish in the last few days. Brad Stevens from Kansas, fished with me yesterday and late in the day we had one over 6 and one that went 10 lbs 12oz in Leafy Branch, Brad caught this big bass on 3/4oz Spinner bait in 11 feet of water, this was the biggest bass he has ever caught he released her back to the lake and is having a replica made great job Brad!! I think this Spring is going to produce a lot of big Bass with the lake low it is going to concentrate the bass and make them easy to locate. February is one of the best months to catch a Trophy Bass on Lake Fork, the weather can be miserable but the rewards can be Big. My spring days are booking fast! So book early for best available dates.

If you would like to book a guide trip and get in on some pre spawn action, give a call on my cell 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699

web site

http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing,
David Vance

January 10, 2012 - Lake Fork - Submitted by 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 the bass we have caught have come on a Spinner Bait, lipless Crank baits, and a Suspending Rogue, these baits will produce some big bass this time of year. Yesterday we stayed with the lipless Crank baits Suspending Rogue and a Spinner Bait all day, and we boated 19 bass with one that weighed 9 lbs 7oz. And one that went 7 lbs 4oz These big bass came on the Suspending Rogue on a timbered secondary point in 15 feet of water most of the bass we caught were all in the 3 to 5 pound range all fat and healthy. Best water depth for the Suspending Rogue has been 10 to 15 feet of water. The bass we caught this week have come from mid lake to the dam. On the suspending Rogue the colors I like are black/gold/orange or blue/chrome/orange. Fishing a Suspending Rogue 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, when the water temps are above 50 degrees try working the bait a little faster.

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 but you never know this is Texas and it can change overnight, 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 Leafy Branch. Most of the bass we have caught shallow came on a ¾ oz lipless crank bait and a ½ Chart & White Spinner Bait, with the lack of grass I like the ¾ Trap you can fish it slower and it has a wide wobble I have been keeping my boat in ten feet of water and casting to 3 to 5 feet of water fishing flats and pockets off the main lake. A medium 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. With all this rain the lake is on the rise and with the new flooded cover the Spinner bait bite is going to be Hot!

I always look forward to this time of year because it’s prime time for the next 4 months for Big Bass 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

FIRST PLACE Griffin/Pena 31.55 Lbs.
SECOND PLACE Bauer/Haralson 26.06 Lbs.
THIRD PLACE Reyes/Villiaral 25.15 Lbs.
FOURTH PLACE Vannoy/Celedon 25.11 Lbs.
FIFTH PLACE Bendele/Romane 22.08 Lbs.
SIXTH PLACE Parten/Spitzmiller 21.95 Lbs.

January 1, 2009 - Lake Fork - Submitted by David Vance - Lake Fork is in great shape going into the pre-spawn period for the 2009 spawn.Patterning pre-spawn Bass will be the primary focus from now through the month of February and even into early March. This is the time that the lake will produce some of the bigger Bass of the year. Big females will be staging in key areas to feed up for their annual migration to the shallows. Finding main lake and secondary points or pockets that are closest to spawning flats that have good grass on them is ideal. The Bass will concentrate in these grass beds ranging from 2-8 foot. A lipless Crank bait is my bait of choice during this time. Best colors are a variety of reds and oranges, chrome and blues, and crawfish colors with a little chartreuse. Different sizes and colors will produce better than others depending on the weather conditions or depth of the grass and the water clarity. I throw 1/2 oz. sizes in the shallower grass and opt for a bigger 3/4 oz. for the deeper grass. Vary the retrieve of the bait and keep in contact with the top of the grass. Letting the bait dip down in it then ripping it free is what will trigger a bite.

Water temperature is an important element during this time of year. Finding areas that have warmer water than others will give you the best opportunity at catching fish. Even if it is just a degree or two. I rely on my temp gauge to give me a very accurate surface temperature. Right now the water temps have been cool and have not been rising much during the day. With water temperatures recently dipping into the high 40's, I will throw a suspending jerk bait also, jerking the bait down to the grass and then just letting it sit for several seconds, then twitching it again can be deadly for a big bite.

Concentrating on the creek channels leading back to the spawning flats is also a very productive pattern for these big pre-spawn bass. Good places that have been producing some nice bass and always do this time of year, Spring Branch, Board Tree Branch, Post Oak Branch, White Oak, Wolfe Creek. This is not the time of year to catch numbers but if you are looking to catch a Trophy Bass, Lake Fork is the best place to start putting in your time.

If you would like to book a trip for this spring to get in on the pre-spawn and spawning action, Contact me at 903-629-7699 or 903-629-5085 cell. Check out my Web Site At http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com