Lake Fork Marina Fishing Report

 *I want to thank Chris Sinkey for taking time to do reports for the website, he is a competitive tournament fisherman and not a guide and does these reports just to be helpful.* On to his report:

Fishing this last week at Fork has really been incredible! Even with the rains, and slight drop in water temps we have really been putting some good numbers and size in the boat. Early last week the average water temp in the areas I’ve been fishing have been around 53 to 55 degrees. Later in the week, after the rains, they dropped down to around 51. Fished 3 times last week, with one trip only producing 9, the other 17, and on tournament day around 30. Im spending most of my time in Northern creeks targeting shallower fish that have moved up in the grass.
Im throwing a 1/4 to 1/2 oz. lipless crankbait to find these fish in Chrome/Blue or shades of Red. These fish will be on one or the other. Some days they wont even touch red, and others, they wont touch chrome. Throw these baits up in 4 to 8 ft. of water and keep in contact with the grass. That will be the key for most of your strikes.
After finding an area holding a few fish, Ill go back and work the area with a split shot rig or drop-shot rig with a 4 in. GrandeBass Trickster worm. http://www.grandebass.com Throw these baits up in and around the grass and slowly work it back to you. Bites have been very aggresive this last week, so you might want to hang on to your rod.
I did not flip a jig much this last week, but I know that most of the bigger females are just holding out ready to move in at any time. Flipping a jig can catch you the fish of a lifetime right now. Flip every piece of cover lining the creek channels, thesse larger females will be sitting waiting to move up to spawn and the jig will get them to bite most of the time.
With March basically here, I expect to see some big fish brought to the scales in the next couple of weeks, with a few Sharelunkers very possible.
Good luck, and hope to see you on the water.

Please visit Chris at www.chrissinkey.com

Chris Sinkey November Fishing Report
Lake ForkThis last week of fishing was actually very good on the days the weather would allow you to fish without being drenched and cold.
Fish are being caught both shallow in the grass and scattered deep on humps and roadbeds around the baitfish. I didn’t have as much luck out deep, so my report concentrates more on the shallow fish.
I have been using five techniques up shallow: Rattle traps, Spinnerbaits, Drop-Shotting, Split shot rigs, and whacky rigs. For the traps, Im using a 1/2oz. trap in either Chrome/Blue or Tennessee Shad. The secret is to keep this bait in contact with the grass at all times. Even ripping it thru the grass every now and then. Same goes with the spinnerbait. Im using a 1/2oz. Blue Shad Nichols spinnerbait by http://www.Nicholslures.com. Keep the bait just above the grass and even bring it thru the grass as much as possible. These fish will try to take the rod out of your hands.
On the drop-shot rig, Im using a 6in. GrandeBass Trickster Worm by http://www.Grandebass.com in 2 color shades. When it’s sunny, Im using shades of Watermelon, and when it’s cloudy, Im using darker shades such as Trophy Hunter or Junebug. I am making long cast up towards the bank and working the rig slowly back to me thru the grass. Bites have been real aggresive doing this.
I am also using these same color baits by GrandeBass on my split shot rigs and whacky rigs. Casting these up shallow in the grass or next to timber will get you bit. These bites have been a little softer. The fish just seem to pick it up and swim off with the bait. This is where I rely on the sensitivity of my rods. Im using Kistler Rods by http://www.Kistlerrods.com. These are the most sensitive rods I have ever had my hands on. You feel everything!
I hope this helps anybody that might be making a trip out to Fork here in the next week or so.
If you have any questions for me or would like to know more about my sponsors mentioned above, feel free to shoot me an email or check out my website at http://www.Chrissinkey.com.
Thanks,
Chris Sinkey

Fishing at Fork has been real steady as far as numbers and size goes. Now that McDonalds is over, and their heads are done ringing from all the boat traffic, I look for the fish to go back to the pattern that they were on previous to the tournament.
I have been starting out shallow around points with grass and lilly pads with grass around them with 2 type baits. First is a topwater bait such as a Blue Shad buzzbait by Nichols Lures http://www.nicholslures.com and or a pop’r type bait such as Yellow Magics or chug bugs. Work these baits over the top off the grass and hang on! These strikes are the ones your looking for when fishing topwaters. The other bait for fishing shallow around the grass has been a Fluke or GrandeBass Rattlesnake http://www.grandebass.com in Watermelon or Watermelon / Chart.. I have been putting a light split shot a foot above the bait to give it a little more action on its fall into the grass, and feel this has helped catch a few more fish in doing so.
After mid-morning, I have been heading out a little deeper and graphing secondary and main lake points for fish holding in groups from 15 to 25 ft. in depth. Im using a Lowrance 113c HD to help find these fish. This graph will show you EXACTLY whats down there. After finding these fish, I am using a Carolina Rigged GrandeBass Rattlesnake in Watermelon, Watermelon Chart., and Chart. Pepper. The Watermelon Chart. Rattlesnake helped me land a 10.11 lbs. last Tuesday along with several other fish up to 7 lbs.. Another bait that has been doing good on the C-rigs is a 6 in. Zoom Trick Worm in Green Pumpkin. The other set-up is a Texas Rigged Zoom Ol Monster worm in Plum and Black Emerald. This bait has been very consistant with catching mainly slot fish. Im fishing both of these on 7 ft. Heavy Helium II rods by Kistler Rods http://www.kistlerrods.com with a 1 oz. weight on the Carolina Rig with a 5 ft. leader, and a 1/4 to 1/2 oz. weight on the Texas Rigged worms. Remeber to still check your normal humps, roadbeds, and ledges, because many fish are still relating to them.
Some fish are starting to move back in the creeks following the bait, so I have caught some fish in the middle to back halfs of creeks on Texas rigged Creature type baits and worms fished next to timber and in the grass.

Hope this helps, and look forward to seeing you out on the water.
Chris Sinkey

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Fishing at Lake Fork has been good the last couple of weeks with days averaging 15 to 30 fish a day. The key for numbers and size has been fishing off-shore structure such as roadbeds, humps, ledges, and pond dams. Use your electronics to find these structures and see if the fish are bunched up on them, or just to the sides. Even though they are sitting off to the sides of the roadbed (for example) these fish can still be caught. But when they are bunched up ON the structure, it’s “Game On.” I have been focusing more on the roadbeds and humps in about 15 to 30ft.. For these fish I have mainly stuck with a Carolina Rig with a 1oz. weight and about a 5ft. leader. I am using 2 to 3 different baits to produce bites. First has been a Chart. Pepper Baby Rattlesnake by GrandeBass. This bait has been putting more numbers in the boat, but has produced some fish over 7 lbs.. The second bait has been a Watermelon Red, or Ssabednarg colored Mutant, also by GrandeBass. You can find these baits at http://www.Grandebass.com I have noticed in the last week or two, that the days when it is very sunny and very hot; the bites have been much more aggresive. Another bait I have been having success with is a 1/2 oz. Blue Shad Nichols Jig rigged with a white trailer. http://www.Nicholslures.com Other baits producing well have been, DD-22’s, swimbaits, and drop-shot rigs.
I am also catching some fish shallow around grass in about 4 to 8ft. of water. For these fish, I have been using GrandeBass Stick’s and Rattlesnakes in Watermelon Red, Watermelon Chart., and Ssabednarg. Im fishing these on a light weighted Mustad Power Plus 3/0 hook, Texas rigged. Some days, they want the straight fall, and others they want them fished whacky rigged.

Hope this helps out anybody looking to hit the lake for the first time or just out fishing for fun.
Good Luck

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