The water temps are rising quickly, and the fishing is getting ready to explode on Fork! There are a lot of suspended fish right now with the spike in temps, but there are also some big fish still susceptible to a jig. If you stick with it all day, you will come up with a big one. Overall, the fishing is tough, but now is the time to go for that one big bite. Its there to be had, you just have to keep your confidence up and be alert, because you never know when its coming.
Posts Tagged ‘Lake Fork Bass fishing’
Lake Fork Guide Andrew Grills 2-22-2012 update
February 23, 2012Andrew’s Lake Fork Report 1-20-2012
January 21, 2012The warm weather coupled with strong winds really helped the bite today on Fork. The wind is definitley your friend on sunny days. Today I caught fish swimming a jig in the same areas I would normally drag it. I was fishing 3-6′ deep. The rising water temperatures really had the fish in an aggressive mood. Remember that the creek channels are highways for the fish and they don’t sulk all day next to a stump. They’re constantly moving, especially in the warmer weather. So when you find an area that holds fish, fish it several times through the day. When the bite is on, a key area can produce multiple fish. Anywhere you get one bite, can often hold several catchable fish. Timing is everything, it can seem like a slow day, and then its non-stop action for a half hour or longer. 
Lake Fork Water Level 7-6-2011
July 7, 2011Lake is 4.36 foot low. Despite rumors of it being 7 or 8 foot low… Sabine River Authority kept Lake Fork at 404.10 for an extended period of time, which is the reason it looks much worse than it actually is.
Lake Fork Guide Stephen Fatherree Post Spawn Video Report 5-2-2011
May 2, 2011Hey bass fishing fans, here is my most recent Lake Fork video fishing report. Lake Fork is fishing great right now. Currently the water temperature here on Lake Fork is in the low to mid 70′s and the bass are very active. Also there are areas on Fork that healthy grass is finally growing and the bite is steadily getting better. I have also seen more balls of shad this spring than most other years which should make for a great late spring and summer fishing season! Look for bass in 1-10 foot of water. Cast reaction baits such as topwaters, crankbaits, and chatterbaits during low light conditions and fish a dropshot or a neko rig when the bite gets tough. I hope this report is helpful and informative to all bass fisherman. Good luck fishing and be safe!
Check out my video fishing report to see how Lake Fork is currently fishing.
You will learn:
-the current most productive DEPTH
-where to experience some great fishing ACTION
-the BEST lures for low light conditions
-what points will hold the most BASS
-my favorite late April TOPWATER lure
James Caldemeyer Lake Fork Report
January 15, 2011The weather has been frigid these past few days as Texas experienced a cold blast of snow, sleet, and ice in most areas of the state. I was able to escape the brunt of the storm as I headed south to begin pre-fishing for the FLW Ever-Start tournament at Choke Canyon. The weather here is not much warmer but definitely a bit more comfortable than at home. Right before I left we were catching some real nice bass on a variety of winter time baits and patterns on both Lake Fork and Monticello (power plant lake). Here are some tips that may help you if you are headed out to the lake to tackle a big winter time bass.
Lake Fork is still about 3 and a half foot low. Water temps dipping into the high 40’s some and low-mid 50’s during the warmer days. Water clarity is good in most areas. Right now the best pattern to follow is fishing shallow grass beds in 2-8 feet of water. Main lake points and secondary points at the mouth of the major creeks has been best. Lipless crank baits are the top dog on Fork this time of year through the first part of March. Red, orange, or a combination of as well as shad colors are good choices. I like to use a ½ oz most of the time but will often break out the ¾ oz around the deeper grass and cold fronts. Jerk baits are an awesome choice for a big pre-spawn bass also. Suspending models are best in gold and clown colors. Chatter baits in chartreuse/white are catching some and will become better when the temperatures rise. If your New Years resolution was to catch a new personal best bass this year, I would highly recommend fishing a jig a lot right now. I like to use a Talon flipping jig in 3/8 or 1/2 oz sizes. Best colors are Black/Blue, Bama Bug, or Texas Craw. Hang a matching trailer on the back like a Berkley Chigger Chunk and you are ready to flip up a pig. Target stumps, lay downs, and docks in creeks adjacent to spawning areas. I have not fished deep lately but I am sure you can catch them on spoons and drop shots around bridges and roadbeds right now.
Lake Monticello bass are full swing into the spawn. I have had a number of trips that we have fished Monticello in the morning and Fork in the afternoon that have been VERY productive. Best baits on Monticello have been weightless soft plastics like flukes and senko type baits in green pumpkin or watermelon colors, Texas rigged Berkley Chigger Craws, shallow running crank baits, and chatter baits. Fish any of these around timber lined spawning flats in 2-8 feet of water and you will do well. You can also fish the bridges or discharge area and do well with Carolina rigs, drop shots, and deep diving crank baits.
I would like to encourage anyone who is considering a new boat this year to come by the Diamond Sports Marine/Ranger Boats booth at the Dallas Boat Show. I will be there the weekend of February 4-6 and the show continues through the following week. The new 2011 Rangers are in so come by and check them out. If you are interested in booking a guided trip on Lake Fork this year, feel free to contact me anytime at (903)736-9888 or by email lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com You can also visit my website for more information about Lake Fork www.officiallakeforktrophybass.com A special thanks to all my sponsors for their continued support in 2011: Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, Diamond Sports Marine, I Am Second, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance, Navionics, Talon Lures, Power Pole, BTS Protectant, Line & Lure Conditioner, and Interstate Batteries.
Matthew- Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Tight Lines and God Bless,
James Caldemeyer
Lake Fork Report Tom Redington September 15, 2010
September 15, 2010It’s tournament season on Lake Fork, with a big tournament or two every weekend for the coming month. The Big Bass Splash this weekend kicks things up a notch with the 3000+ anglers competing for $500,000 in cash and prizes. The good news for the tourney crowds is that the shad and tons of keeper sized fish are hitting the shallows of Fork right now. Bass are visibly chasing shad all around the lake, including in the backs of many creeks and we are catching a lot of fish on most of our trips. Although we are still catching a big fish now and then, it has been more of a quantity than quality deal for the past few weeks. There are still some fish in deep water holding in about 14 to 22’, but the shallow fish are more consistent day-in and day-out.
Considering most of the attention on Fork right now is on tournament fishing, I’ll deviate a bit from my normal report and include my article about tournament fishing on Lake Fork. Good luck to everyone this fall and I hope some of this info helps.
Boat for Sale: My 2010 Ranger Z521 boat is for sale. It is a demo boat through my dealer and you’d be titled as the first owner. She’s value priced to save you big bucks 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. Here’s a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OatBx6KpyJk
Lake Conditions: Fork’s water level continues to drop. The lake level is currently 401.00’ (2’ below full pool) and a lot of stumps are now visible. Water temps are in the low-80s (I was reading 81-82 this morning) and water clarity is clear on the south end and stained up the lake. The hydrilla and milfoil are really starting to mat up in the shallows as the water drops.
Fork Tournament Fishing in the Fall
Fall is tournament season on Lake Fork, with thousands of anglers in several big bass tournaments, as well as a number of regional trail events. Due to the restrictive 16” to 24” slot limit on Fork that remains in effect for all tournaments, anglers’ strategies are a little different on Fork than on most lakes. Since the vast majority of prizes for Fork tournaments are won by anglers with fish under 16”, I’ll focus on those patterns.
During the fall tournament season (Sep-early Nov), numbers of bass are available in both the shallow and deep sections of Fork. As the water cools, many bass move back into creeks and onto the flats near creek channels chasing shad. At the same time, shallow main lake grassbeds and timber hold lots of bass, too. After spending most of the summer fishing deep water structure, the shallow fisherman can consistently catch bass in the fall, so begin your fishing there.
Start your search for productive areas with moving baits, and then switch to soft plastics to catch numbers from those areas. Keeping in mind that you’re looking for bass that are 16” and smaller, downsized lures typically work best. Topwaters are a great starting lure, and the smaller sizes of poppers and walking baits like Lucky Craft’s Sammy, G-Splash, and Gunfish are very productive. The G-Splash is a popper that works best on calm days, while the walking and spitting Sammys and Gunfish work great when there is more chop. With the G-Splash, you can work it very slowly like a regular popper, or work it fast and it will spit while walking side-to-side. Depending on the mood of the fish, they’ll prefer one retrieve over the other. Remember to cast these on a floating line like with low memory PowerSilk mono so you can cast these baits a long ways and still keep them on the surface. A long rod with a soft tip helps a lot too, with the Dobyns Champion 7’ long 704CB being a good example. After the sun gets up and bass won’t commit to surface baits, shallow crankbaits and lipless crankbaits work best. Bass are keying on small shad now, so chrome or shad colors of LVR Mini lipless crankbaits work all fall long. While the water stays warm, wider wobbling crankbaits like RC 0.5 or BDS 0 and BDS 1 square bill cranks move a lot of water and catch fish. Once water temps cool into the lower 60s, tighter wiggling cranks like the SKT Mini MR will garner more attention. And certainly don’t forget spinnerbaits. A ¼ oz Redemption spinnerbait with two silver blades and a translucent white skirt fools many bass in the fall, especially on windy banks. Cover water with these baits until you get a couple of bites in an area and locate a school.
Once you’ve found a few fish in an area, soft plastics will normally produce more bass from the spot. The #1 option is a wacky worm. Rig a Hyper Finesse Worm on the weedless wacky weight system from Lake Fork Trophy Lures and cast it to the edge of grass, concentrating on points or along creek channels. If conditions are a little windier, the Hyper Finesse Worms and 4” Hyper Worms work great on a 1/8 oz jighead, fished shaky style. Fish these very slowly around areas where you’ve picked up fish with the moving baits and you’ll be able to seine out more bass. When the bite is off and bass bury up in the grass a little more, or when they’re holding in deeper water just off the edge of the grass, a finesse Carolina rig with 12 lb FluoroHybrid Pro on a 7’4” Dobyns Extreme DX743 rod, a ¼ oz sinker and a 12” leader can be dynamite. Rig a Fork Baby Creature, Baby Ring Fry, or the Hyper Finesse Worm on the hook and you’ll be in business. Finally, a 3.5” Live Magic Shad rigged on a weighted 3/0 Ultimate Swimbait Hook will catch neutral bass that are suspended around the grass. I primarily like shades of green for these lures in clearer sections of the lake, with green pumpkin and watermelon shades being consistent producers. In murkier water, June bug does well on Fork.
For a shot at a 24”+ over the slot bass, normally the largest bass are caught very first thing in the morning before the fish become pressured. Try a 10” Fork Worm on a TX or Carolina rig, or a ½ oz MPack Jig with a matching Fork Craw or Pig Claw trailer early in the morning along the deep grass edge on main lake points.
Best of luck to those of you tourney fishing Fork this fall. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 or e-mail me through my website, www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com.
James Caldemeyer July Fishing Report
July 6, 2010This slideshow requires JavaScript.
July is a HOT time for some great summer bass fishing on world famous Lake Fork! This time of year offers so much in the way of great fishing. Whether you like to catch big bass from deep structure on a variety of techniques during the heat of the day or you are prefer to beat the heat and take advantage of the fabulous night fishing Lake Fork has to offer, now is the time to do it. Here are some tips and techniques that will help you in pursuit of a trophy bass. Water conditions on the lake a good right now with the lake level at 402.68 which is about 5 inches below full pool. We have had some rain to keep the lake close to full which is a blessing. As much as we loose to evaporation this time of year, every little shower we get helps. The water temperatures have remained steady in the high 80’s to low 90 degree range. Visibility in most areas is clear to 3 feet. Fishing has been excellent still with most trips producing 30-60 fish a day with the exception of a few off days here and there. There are a number of fish shallow both early & late in the day and at night or out deep where you will find some very large schools of bass concentrating on shad and bar fish. The shallow bite is best around grass in 4-10 foot. Fishing these grass beds with top waters, wacky worms, and light Texas rigs has been very good early in the morning, late evening, and at night. For the top water, I go for the yellow magic or zara spook in shad patterns. On the wacky worm, best baits have been trick worms or Berkley Shaky Worms in watermelon red, blue fleck, or pumpkin chartreuse. On the t-rig the 7” and 10” Berkley Power Worm are hard to beat in the summer out here. I usually opt for the 7” size during the day when the fish are more finicky and the 10” when they are biting real good or at night. I try to rig my Texas rig with as light of a weight as I can get away with in the wind. Usually a 1/8-5/16 will work best in the shallow grass and a 3/8-1/2 is best out deep. Working these worms along the edge of the grass around main lake points and creeks can be amazing. Best colors are watermelon red, blue fleck, tequila sunrise, red shad, and “The General”. After the sun gets up in the morning, I am concentrating on deep structure all day. Humps, roadbeds, points, ridges, and pond dams in depths of 18-28 feet are all great areas to look for these deep bass. My Lowrance HDS 8 is an instrumental part of my deep water agenda and it will tell me exactly where the fish are. Look for on your electronics for bait fish in these areas and the bass will not be far away. If you graph a spot and see bait but no fish, try it again later. You can leave and come back in 30 minutes to find that the fish have just shown up to feed. It’s all about timing! Once I have located a school of fish with my electronics, I am targeting them several different ways depending on how the fish are arranged in the water column and relating to structure or cover. If the fish are on the bottom the number one producer has been a Carolina rig. I like to use a long leader (5ft.) and a big heavy 1 oz weight to drag the bottom. Trilene 20 lb test Fluorocarbon is a must with a 2/0 or 3/0 wide gap hook. Best baits on the c-rig have been Berkley Powerbait 7” or 10” Power Worms, Power Lizards, 4” Power Hawgs, and Wacky Crawlers in blue fleck, watermelon red, green pumpkin, and watermelon candy. www.berkley-fishing.com Drag these baits slowly over the areas you are fishing and hang on! Texas rigged 10” Power Worms have also been doing very well in the same colors rigged with a 3/8-1/2 oz weight and a 5/0 hook. If you want to catch the biggest fish out of the school, you will definitely want to have a Talon Lures 3/4 oz football head jig tied on. www.talonlures.com I like to throw watermelon candy, watermelon red, California 420, Willies Weed, or Texas Craw with a twin tail grub trailer or Berkley Chigger Craw. If throwing a jig intimidates you, now is the time to gain some confidence with it. Just throw it out there in the same areas you would fish anything else and drag it until you feel one thump it then set the hook hard and hold on! For those suspended fish that are so hard to catch you’ll want to have a DD 22 or a spoon like the Talon “Big Dandy” or Joe Spaits Spoon from Weedless Lures here on the lake. These baits have been responsible for catching a lot of big bass lately and will continue to do well thru the summer. The technique of working these big spoons over deep structure is intimidating to most that have never done it but once you get acquainted with it, you’ll be wanting to do a lot more of it. If you are thinking about heading out to Lake Fork this summer and would like to book a guided trip, feel free to email me at lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com or you can reach me by phone at (903)736-9888. I have several mid summer dates still available for both day and night trip packages. Gift certificates are also available upon request. You can also get more information about Lake Fork by visiting my website www.officiallakeforktrophybass.com Again, a big thanks to all my sponsors: Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, I AM SECOND, Berkley, Abu Garcia, All Star Rods, Oakley Sunglasses, Talon Lures, Interstate Batteries, Line & Lure Conditioner, BTS Protectant, Navionics, Sure Life, DFW MRI and Lowrance Electronics. Psalms 27:1- The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Tight Lines and God Bless, James Caldemeyer
Lake Fork July Bassin is HOT, Guide John Tanner
June 29, 2010
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Lake Fork July Bassin is HOT Hello everyone and welcome to Lake Fork. July is here and it is time for some heavy duty summer time Bass fishing. The weather is Hot and so is the fishing so read this article and let us tell you the techniques we use to catch the big ones here on Lake Fork. This time of year the deep bite is normally the way to go while looking for a trophy sized Lake Fork giant. What I mean buy the deep bite is fishing off shore structure away from shore. Out on the middle of most lakes especially Lake Fork there is a ton of off shore structure such as submerged humps, pond dams, road beds, ridges and long points that extend way out into the lake before dropping into deep water. It is like another world out there! Anything like this that comes up off of the bottom with a decent drop off on one or both sides attract baitfish and are excellent feeding grounds for schools of hungry bass. In the summer time many of the Bass will school up in large groups and travel in these schools and feed heavily. Once you figure out where this happens and know the areas out in the lake that the fish are using you are in business. How do I start you say? Well a good sonar/gps unit is a must as well as a good map within your unit. Navionics makes some awesome map cards you can plug into your unit and will show you the bottom contours of the lake in great detail. I like to use the them in my Lowrance HDS8. Lowrance makes the best sonar/gps units on the market and also have the structure scan available which makes them even better. If you haven’t taken a look at the latest and greatest technology from Lowrance go to www.lowrance.com and check it out. Being proficient with your unit and knowing how to use it is crucial to your success while fishing the deep water. Most folks can recognize the bottom but if you can actually see and identify the bass and schools of baitfish and distinguish them over the other fish you are way ahead of the game. You mean you can actually look at the Lowrance and tell a Bass from another species of fish you say? You bet you can! It may be a little intimidating at first but just like anything else the more you do it the easier it gets. When you go to the lake and are trying to learn your unit and what it is trying to tell you always take your owners manual with you. It will be a big help. Another good way to get the hang of it is to go with someone who knows. Let them show you what the bass look like on the screen and then let them test you and see if you can pick them out. Once you are sure what you are looking at then it is time to go fishing. Boat control and positioning is another very important aspect of off shore structure fishing. You must position your boat to where you can cast your lure over and beyond the school of Bass and work you bait back through them. Once you mark a school of fish on you unit idle past them a ways then toss out a buoy marker. This will give you a reference point to the location of the school. Put you boat to either side of the school and then cast over and beyond them. Then work you bait through them. This will increase you catch ratio and is much better than landing you bait right on top of them every cast which will eventually spook the school leaving you wondering why they stopped biting. Now let’s talk techniques. The top five rigs for deep water fishing in my opinion are the Carolina rig, texas rig worm, football jig, big flutter spoon and either the drop shot or the swim baits. I know that is six but they are all good and will boat plenty of fish this time of year. On my Carolina rig I like to use a one ounce Tru Tungsten bullet or flipping weight, Mustad two way swivel with about a 4 foot leader and then a 3/0 or 4/0 Mustad wide gap hook. The reason for the Tru Tungsten weight is for better feel and more weedless fishing. Tungsten is heavier and much harder than lead giving you a better feel than lead. And with the insert free technology offered by Tru Tungsten I would say that they are the best tungsten weights on the market. Other tungsten weights have inserts which can muffle the feel while you are fishing. Go to www.tru-tungsten.com . The baits for me are the Berkley Power Bait Wacky Crawlers, Slim Shaky Worms, regular 7” or 10” Power Worms and the all new Berkley Thump Worm. On the Texas Rig I like to use the ½ ounce Tru Tungsten weight along with the 10 or 12 inch Berkley Power worms. Good colors are green pumpkin, blue fleck and a new color which is watermelon red and purple flake. Talon football head jigs in ¾ ounce with a Berkley 3” Twin tail grub are the deal and on the spoon go with the Talon Fork Flutter Spoon. This time of year use some strong line as these deep water fish pull very hard and will test your equipment. I use the awesome Berkley Trilene 100% flouro carbon line. 20 pound test on the big stuff and 12 pound on the drop shot rig.The drop shot is a blast to use and I like to rig it on my ABU Garcia Vendetta 6’-6” spinning rod and ABU Garcia Soron SX20 spinning reel. This is an awesome rig and really fun to fish with. Good baits on the drop shot are the Wacky Crawler and Slim Shaky Worm in the Power Bait or Berkley Gulp. Green pumpkin watermelon or red bug are good standard colors for deep fishing. For a look at Vendetta rods, ABU Garcia reels such as the Soron Spinning reels and even the awesome long casting Revo reels go to www.purefishing.com . You can even take a look at all of the Berkley line and baits there as well. Lake Fork Marina carries a huge line of the products mentioned so if you are in the area swing by and check it out or order on line at www.lakeforkmarina.com. While you are in the area be sure and visit our local Ranger Boat dealer Diamond Sports Marine located on hwy 154. Tell em Tanner sent ya. Go to www.rangerboats.com for a look at the latest and greatest from Ranger the world leader in Bass boats. If you would like info on booking a trip here on Lake Fork and learn more about deep water fishing or talk about night fishing if the heat is a bit much for ya call us toll free at 1-800-865-2282 or drop us a line at tanner@lakeforkbassguide.com . Or check us out on the world wide web at www.lakeforkbassguide.com for fishing reports cool videos and other helpful fish catching tips. Also click on the trip info page and for a look at tons of photos of big bass click on the photo page. It is awesome! Don’t forget to check us out on Facebook search word John Tanner or John Tanner Pro Fishing. Many Thanks to my sponsors. Please pray for our country and our military as well as the sick and the lost. Read 1 Samuel 12:24.James Henderson Lake Fork Report 3-20-2010
March 22, 2010LAKE FORK REPORT 03/20/10
LAKE CONDITIONS:
Lake is currently above full pool and rising with temps in the low 50‘s rising up to mid 60‘s on sunny warm days. The lake is mostly dingy in the backs of the main arms clearing to stained near the dam. I have been finding new Hydrilla growth in some areas and the Gator Grass is also starting to leaf out along the banks in warmer areas. As of this report I have seen no new growth of Water Hyacinth but there are large areas of dead and decaying Hyacinth vegetation.
Fishing is inconsistent due to frontal passages and night time air temps dropping into the 30’s. The night time temps will be the key to stable patterns developing as we move into the spring. Recent trips have had numbers between 10 and 25 and reports of many fish in the double digit range being caught. There are currently fish in several phases: late winter, pre-spawn and spawn. I have already caught several good females off beds, and there are presently males in great numbers shallow.
LOCATIONS:
With the frequent drops in temperature and frontal conditions, its important to key on funnel areas to increase odds of catching fish. Look for travel routes leading to major spawn flats: tree lines, fence rows, ditches, creeks, points leading out of creeks, are all prime travel routes for fish to migrate in and out of the spawning grounds. Areas where these can converge are sweet spots for staging and migrating fish. Creek channels being the primary travel route with ditches converging, or feeder creeks adjoining, points that taper out to deeper water and or channels are all areas worth working thoroughly. Fish that are commited to the shallows will pull back to the nearest breakline (outside weed edge, or nearby drop off). Post frontal fish will also hold tight to cover(trees, weed clumps, deeper dock pilings), and their strike zone will be small. Frequently this time of year when we think the fish are not biting in the morning, they have just relocated due to cold temps at night. On days with warmer weather or later in the day when the water warms, you can concentrate on the flats themselves. As long as night time temps don’t plunge, the fish will stay in the shallows or very nearby.
LURES/BAITS:
Primary baits for me have been lipless rattle baits, Senko type baits, spinner baits, wacky rigs, jerk baits. Lures that are producing the best for bedding fish are tubes, lizards and creature baits. Another technique that’s producing numbers for the tournament fishermen is the drop shot around vertical structure and deeper locations near bedding fish.
PATTERNS AND PRESENTATIONS:
My bigger fish have been coming on the lipless rattle baits in red and on shad or chrome colors. I prefer to use the chrome/gold color on sunny days and in clearer water, and the red/crawfish colors in dingy water or cloudy days. Work the rattle baits by ticking the tops of grass; in open areas pop and twitch the bait to trigger strikes. It can be a pain to work in the heavy grass beds, but worthwhile in a big way.
The Senko type bait is working well either weightless Texas rigged or wacky. Some days you have to dead stick it, and other days they want it moving faster, so play with the retrieve untill you find what is working best. Best colors have been natural hues of green.
Spinner baits in white or white/chartreuse, 1/4oz to 3/8oz size, are also producing worked around cover. Try varying the depth of presentation, working the bait anywhere from just below the surface to where it can barely be seen.
The wacky rig, although not usually known as a big fish bait if fished correctly can produce as good as any presentation this time of year. I normally rig with a straight tail worm or soft stick bait in natural hues. Fish will usually hit it on the fall so work it slowly, lifting your rod tip to raise it and allow it to fall slowly with occasional twitches.
Stick baits or hard jerk baits are starting to come on strong and will get better as the spawn progresses. I prefer a gold with black back floating jerk bait at this time of year. I like to cast it out and let it set just a few seconds. Then just twitch my rod tip to make it wobble and flit around on the surface. This is excellent for drawing strikes around bedding bass and they will annihilate it at times. After twitching it on the surface then start to work it down with a series of sharp twitches and snaps of your rod tip. The strikes will almost always occur as your raising your rod while the bait is sitting still in the water column. Be sure you have premium hooks on because a lot fish will swipe at the lure and good hooks will ensure you catch fish that slap at the bait. Your rod for this presentation needs to have a slow action, a quality glass, or composite cranking stick will allow you to impart the most action to the bait and still land fish that are hooked in the side or outside the mouth.
SUMMARY:
As you can see a lot of techniques are producing right now, some better than others. The number one determining factor is the stage the fish are in that you are targeting. You can catch lots of pre-spawn still, with plenty of fish moving into full spawn mode. Pick the technique to fit the situation and you will catch fish. It won’t be long(a week or two maybe) before the majority of fish will be in full blown spawn. With the weather as its been, we are looking at having a large spawn centered around this next full moon. Most years we have spawning scattered starting in February increasing numbers into April and stragglers as late as June. This year it will be more concentrated and this coming full moon should see very intense spawning activity.
PICS:
If I can be of any help to anyone or if you have a question, just give me a call. I do have a few days at the end of this month open and several days next month if anyone is interested.
March 2010 Lake Fork Report Guide Clint Wright
February 25, 2010Lake Fork Day and Night Guide Service
Guide Clint Wright
Fishing Report
March 2010
“Let’s Go Fishing”
Hello from Lake Fork. My March report is always a great report to write. Winter is over and warm weather is coming. Many anglers have been looking forward to a warming trend, I know that I have.
Historically, March is known for the spawn here at Lake Fork. I love to fish deep water, but March and April I will be fishing shallow. To me shallow is 10 foot or less, this is where most of the bass in Lake Fork will be. Many anglers fish up in one or two foot this time of year. What they don’t realize is that the really big fish are under their boat in 5 – 10 foot. These big fish did not grow up in one of the nations most pressured lakes by living in one or two foot of water. They got big by learning how to hide out, just out of sight. I’m going to explain a little and give a few tips that will hopefully put you on one of the cold water trophies.
When I am fishing Lake Fork in March, I look for a few key characteristics of an area before fishing it. The number one thing I look for is shallow water, close to deep water. 
Second, Grass (milfoil or hydrilla). Third, a hard sandy bottom. These three ingredients will usually equal quality bites. In these areas I like to throw an array of different baits. For covering water quickly, I throw a Santone Chatterbait on a 7’ Custom Angle Rod heavy action, with 20 pound fluorocarbon on a high speed reel. When I slow down, I like to throw a Texas rigged Gene Larew Biggle Bug or a Grande Bass Mutant, rigged on a 7’ Custom Angle Rod heavy action and 50 lb braided line. When the bite seems tough or the water is clear, rig up a shakey head. My two favorite shakey head baits are a Gene Larew 4” salt craw or a Grande Bass Rattlesnake. These two baits will flat out catch fish year around. I like to fish the shakey head on Custom Angle Rod with 12 fluorocarbon line. Remember that these big fish use the creek channels and ditches as highways, to and from deep water. Find these areas and this will be where they should be. I like to start at the back of a creek and fish my way out. In March, I like a creek that is 10 foot deep with 3 or 4 foot on the sides. This is a really good spot.
A popular fishing method for March and April is bed fishing. Without a doubt it is very effective. Using Costa Del Mar sunglasses, anglers are able to see the fish laying eggs in shallow water. Many times these fish can be relatively easy to catch. Here I like to use a Santone finesse jig with a Gene Larew finesse craw behind it. The Santone jig company uses Gamakatsu hooks, which are the sharpest and most durable hooks on the market. The sharp hook is very important. I have yet to find a bass spawning that does not go nuts over that set up, although you will have to play around with colors of the craw to find one she cannot stand.
If you fish Lake Fork on a regular basis, or if you are just visiting, having a chip from www.boatlanes.com is a must. Just insert into your gps unit, download and whoala, all of the boat lanes right there as waypoints. No more tearing your boat up, not being sure if you should be running there or not.
Please remember that the sun will still cause damage to your eyes while fishing. So wear your Costa Del Mar polarized sunglasses anytime the sun is shining.
Guided trips on Lake Fork are a sure way to have a fun filled relaxing day. Our spring dates are filling quickly and for that we are blessed. Let me be the first one you call for your guide trip, as all I can guarantee is that I will try my hardest to #1 catch fish, #2 have a great time doing it.
Often I get asked about whom I trust to work on my outboard motor or who should I buy a boat from. I have to say Sartin Marine in Yantis, Texas is the go to place. Billy, Wayne and staff will take care of anything you need. Give them a call if you ever have a boat or motor question.
I hope these tips help you catch the bass of your dreams. Please know that I am always here to try and answer any questions you might have. Myself and several other Guides that I work with are available for public speaking, such as bass club meetings, boy scout meetings etc. at no cost to you. We can go over any topics related to Lake Fork or Bass Fishing, Boating etc.
Please practice C.P.R. (Catch, Photo, and Release). It takes many years for these fish to grow to their trophy size. By practicing a quick release, it allows other anglers to enjoy the same experience as you. Replica mounts can be made for your wall that look better and last longer than a real mount. Remember life jackets and kill switches any time the outboard motor is running or anytime you feel it would just be safer to wear it. Your safety is #1!
Lake Fork Day and Night Guide Service uses only professional Lake Fork Guides to ensure your date is available for booking. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Corporate and Group trips – no problem. Please feel free to contact me anytime with questions about Lake Fork, Monticello, Welsh or booking information at 903-342-3497. Or visit www.LAKEFORKDAYANDNIGHT.us for more information. References are available upon request.
Lake Fork Day and Night endorses the following sponsors: Custom Angle Rods, Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Santone Jigs, Gene Larew Baits, Grande Bass Baits and Sartin Marine.
Tight Lines,
Clint
