Texas Fishing Report from Anglers 2008

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Texas Fishing Report 2008

Submitted by Anglers Like You

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Good Fishing,

Tom

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