Lake Fork Marina Fishing Report

Happy New Year! That’s right folks another one has come and gone. Last year was a good one with plenty of good memories. For one Lake Fork produced a ton of big bass and another, we were blessed with a good amount of rain fall that put the lake level back in good shape. This is key going into the first part of the year and into the pre spawn period which will be here before you know it. Amazingly you can catch some really big bass in shallow water this time of year. One would think that the place to fish would be in deep water but I am here to tell you that once it gets into January you can catch em pretty dog gone good in the shallows. But where in the shallows do you say? Good places to concentrate your efforts would be points. Points are always good going into January. Main lake points and secondary points leading into the creeks and large flats are key areas to find fish especially if the area has good green hydrilla beds present. Also keep an eye on the weather and the air temps, particularly the low temps at night. If you have a week with the day time highs in the 60’s and lows in the upper 30’s or low 40’s you can expect a good drop in the surface temp at night. This will hold a lot of the fish on these points. If you have warmer lows say in the 50’s this will change the way you fish and the location of some of the schools of bass. When you have warmer night time lows this will keep the surface temps warmer. As a rule when the water temps rise and stabilize after some warm nights a lot of those fish you have been catching on points will move back into the pockets or creeks adjacent to the points. Then, when the next cold front comes rolling in back to the points they go. I have seen it happen many times, so keep this in mind while fishing this time of year. How deep? Good depths to concentrate in would be 4 to 8 ft. What baits? Well, probably the most popular would be lipless crank baits. Any shade of red, orange or crawfish colors are standard for this time of year. Good ones to use are the Strike King Diamond Shad, Rattle Traps, Rattlin Milos, etc. Fish these baits over and down the edges of the grass beds with a steady retrieve making contact with the grass pulling it free as you hit it. You can also try the snatching technique. As the bait hits the grass give the rod a quick snap thus making the fish go into reaction mode as the bait deflects as it jumps out of the grass. Slow rolling a spinner bait through the grass is another excellent way to catch the big ones. Go with the ½ ounce Talon Spinner bait in white or white/chart. with double willows. You will be amazed how well this spinner bait comes through the grass. On the lipless crank baits there are some changes you can make to make this style of fishing easier on you. Fishing like this all day can be a lot of work. But the proper rod, reel and line can make a huge difference. I use a Shimano Crucial 7ft. in the cranking series (CRC-C70MH). I even use Gamma Edge flouro carbon line because of its less stretch or even Power Pro braided line if the grass is really thick. On the reel I like to use the Shimano Chronarch. You can still catch some fish (numbers) out deep on the road beds and humps with drop shots and shaky heads. As always look for them on your graph before you even stop. Have you seen the new Lowrance X-38CHD units? They are awesome. My new Ranger Z-520 has one on the console and I tell you it is like playing a video game. You can find the exact spot with your GPS using one of the new Navionics maps with the one foot contour lines (which is awesome by the way) and then you can see the schools of shad and the fish around them. You know exactly where to drop your drop shot or shaky head, it is unbelievable. This a fun way to catch fish, and have a good time while using light tackle. For my drop shot and shaky head rig I use a Shimano spinning reel , usually a Stratic2500 and for the rod I like to use a Shimano Crucial 6-10 Med/heavy spinning rod. On the line I will use 8 or 10 pound Gamma Edge Flouro carbon. On the drop shot try the Tru Tungsten drop shot weights. These weights make a lot of noise down there, thus attracting the attention of the fish. You also have maximum feel with these weights over lead because of the hardness of the tungsten. For numbers check out the deep stuff but for size and quality hit the shallows and work that grass over with the lipless crankbaits, spinner baits, jerk baits and even flip a jig or a tube on the wood along the grass edges. New year bassin can be a blast on Lake Fork and very rewarding.

If you would like to book a trip with us here at Lake Fork call toll free at 1-800-865-2282 or drop us a line at tanner@lakeforkbassguide.com. Or for more booking info check the trip info page. From the beginner to the expert we will make your trip to Lake Fork one to remember. Be sure and check out the photo section for a look at plenty of happy folks holding their Lake Fork trophies. While you are in the area be sure and go by and visit our local Ranger Dealer Diamond Sports Marine. They carry a full line of Ranger boats powered by Yamaha including the all new for 08 the Z-520. Go by and schedule a test ride. Tell em Tanner sent ya! If you can’t make it by the dealership you can look at their website at www.diamondsportsmarine.com or www.rangerboats.com. Yamaha has introduced the new HPDI series 2 engines for 08’. Check them out at www.yamahaoutboards.com. Many thanks to my sponsors.

Please pray for our troops and their families as they sacrifice so much for our freedom. Read Romans 16:17-20.

Good fishin and God Bless,
John and Robin Tanner
Visit www.lakeforkbassguide.com for more info.
Many thanks to my sponsors.

Week of August 14th.
This week here at the great Lake Fork fishing has been pretty good considering the hot weather. The fish are definitely in their summer patterns as the surface water temps climb into the 90’s. It has been hot but that is a good thing for those of us who love to fish the deep water structure for school of hungry summer time bass. It was a little slow last week but with the weather staying the same for while now the fish have been easier to pattern as they feed along the drop offs on the deep points and other off shore structure. We have been catching them the best on Carolina rigged Baby Brush Hogs and fry baits, Texas rigged 10 inch Zoom Ole Monster worms and large spoons. Most of the bigger fish we have been catching have been positioning themselves in and around the underwater timber along these areas. As in most cases this time of year good electronics make a huge difference when going after these deep fish. I use Lowrance Electronics and wouldn’t even think of going out in my Ranger Boat with out one. The sonar units they make have the best resolution and will show the fish clearly even in the trees and brush along the deep structure. Lake Fork is known for its awesome deep water fishing in the summer and I would have to say it one of my favorite ways to catch them here. The main reason is that you are fishing for schools of fish verses one fish here and one fish there going down the bank. In other words once you find them you can catch several at one location and usually they are all good ones. And if you have never got on a school of big ones in 25 to 30ft of water and had the experience of reeling in several of those hogs in from the deep, you are really missing out on what we call signature Lake Fork. With these fish being in the deep timber be ready by spooling up with some strong line that is very abrasion resistant. My Shimano Rods and reels will be spooled with 20 pound test Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon line on my Texas rig, spoon and on one of my Carolina rig rods. I will usually have 2 Carolina rig rods rigged up with one having the Gamma and then another with Power Pro braid for the main line. Some days they will hit the one with the Gamma Fluorocarbon better than the one with the braid. It makes a different sound down there and some days they will hit one over the other. For the weight on the C-rig and the Texas rig I use Tru Tungsten bullet weights. Most of the time I use a one ounce on the C-rig and on the Texas rig I will use a 3/8 ounce. These weights are by far the best tungsten weights on the market. The folks at Tru Tungsten have come up with insert free technology which makes their weights more sensitive than the other tungsten weights out there. A lot of the others have an insert in them to protect from line abrasion which muffles the feel of the weight which defeats the purpose of using them. Tru Tungsten has figured it out and makes there weights without it making them the best. They even come in an assortment of colors to match the plastic you are fishing with. As a rule when we are looking for fish along the structure, if they are on the bottom we are dragging the Carolina rig and Texas rig through them. If they are suspended we are catching them on the spoon by counting it down and working it through them. Boat position is critical so pay close attention where you are when you marked the fish and use a buoy marker to mark the school of fish. If you are off by 20 feet and not working your bait directly through them you will have a hard time catching them.

If you would like to book a trip and see what this deep water basin is all about or book your fall, winter or even book your spring fishing trip here on Lake Fork call toll free at 1-800-865-2282. Or drop us a line at tanner@lakeforkbassguide.com. From the beginner to the expert we will make your trip to Lake Fork one to remember. Be sure to take a look at all the pages of the photo section for a look at some happy anglers holding their Lake Fork trophies.

While you are in the area be sure to go by and visit the folks over at our local Ranger Boat dealer Diamond Sports Marine. They carry a full line of Ranger Boats powered by Yamaha. They are located on hwy 154 about a mile north of the lake bridge. Tell em Tanner sent ya! And have you heard the news? There is a new model of boat hitting the market by Ranger for 08’ It is the awesome new Z-520. This awesome new boat is everything for the serious bass tournament angler and being a 20’ boat rated for a 250 HP motor it should really run. I have one on order and can’t wait to see it arrive over at Diamond Sports. Go to www.rangerboats.com for details. If you are in the market for a Z-20 I have an awesome deal on a factory pro staff boat. Click on the boat for sale section for a look.

On another note we will be speaking tonight August 14th in Arlington at the University Baptist Church on Park Row at 7:00pm. There will be a brief bass club meeting and we will begin speaking immediately following. All are welcome.

Please pray for our troops as they keep us safe and also continue to pray for my friend Mr. Gary Blair as he battles cancer.
Read Colossians 3:12-14

Good fishin and God Bless,
John and Robin Tanner
Visit www.lakeforkbassguide.com for more info.
Many thanks to my sponsors.