Lake Fork Marina Fishing Report

February Bassin at the Fork

February is Hog time! The pre spawn period is here and the fish will
be moving towards the staging areas close to the spawning grounds this
month. This time of year alot of fish will move into the staging areas
and hang there to feed until they move up on the beds later on. The
spawning usually does’nt begin until march but trust me, the fish will
holding near by those early spawning areas and some big ones at that!
I am so ready to catch some of those big ole pre spawn female mamas!
This is when the females will be at their heaviest body weights of the
year. Some of the fish you catch will look like they are about to
explode! So with that said lets talk about how to catch em. Here are
the top three ways in my book for February pre spawners. Cranking,
spinnerbaiting and flipping. Big line, big baits and big fish. Sounds
good to me! On the cranking end of things lipless crank baits and
shallow to mid runners in red or crawfish patterns are a staple here
on Lake Fork and other east Texas lakes this time of year. We were
already catching fis on these type of baits last month as the fish are
starting to move up into shallower water.The lipless crankbait is one
of my favorites and this time of year the big ones will smash them.
Good ones to try are the Sebile Flatt Shad in Craw Perch or
MattOrange/Yellow Crawdad. On the spinnerbait I like to roll the Talon
Light in the 3/4 ounce in chartreuse and white with tandem blades. And
for the flipping stuff I like to flip the 1/2 ounce Talon Jig and
Berkley Chigger Craw for a trailer in black and blue or green pumpkin.
I also like to flip and pitch a texas rigged Berkley Havoc Pit Boss or
Craw Fatty in the same colors rigged on a 1/2 ounce Tungsten weight by
Affordable Tungsten and a 5/0 Mustad Mega Bit Extra Wide Gap Hook. And
by all means don’t forget about swim
baits. Keep a 6 inch Berkley Hollow Belly Swim bait rigged up for
those early morning and late afternoon times. The big ones like it!
Good areas to try are the bigger creeks that traditionally have the
earliest spawning activity. Glade creek, Birch Creek are two of the
best ones. With the water low this year you may not have to go to far
back to find them. Start on the main points and work a few pockets and
secondary points in the larger pockets.Also fish along the channels
the wind through the pockets. Pay close attention to the bends in the
channels as the fish tend to load up in the bends of the channels. The
fish will be holding tight on the wood as a result of the lower water
levels. Run your crank baits and spinner baits close to the bigger
stumps and lay downs and even make contact with the wood on the
retrieve to trigger
reaction strikes. Also pick up the flipping stick and flip the baits
mentioned tight to the wood and keep your bait at the base of the
stump as much as you can. make repeated cast to the good looking
trees. Sometimes it takes 5 or 6 flips to get the big ones to bite so
be presistant and have patience. I would suggest to flip with 25 pound
test Berkley Big Game or even Berkley Trilene 100% Flouro and I would
crank and spinner bait fish with 20 pound. It may seem heavy to some
but it is worth it when one of those Lake Fork beast attacks your
lure. My rod and reel choices are the ABU Garcia Revo reels and ABU
Garcia Vendetta and Villain Rods. I really like the New Revo MGX reels
and the Villain rod in the 7′-3″ heavy action. Talk about a sweet rig!
Get by you local dealer and check them out. Now I would like to tell
you about some awesome new baits that will be introduced this month at
the Bass Master Classic by Berkley. I am so excited about these new
baits. In the Berkley Power Bait Line there will be new soft plastics
as well as in the Berkley Havoc brand. In the Power Bait we will have
the all new “Power Claw” and the “Thief”. These will be awesome
flipping and pitching baits as well as awesome jig trailers. In the
Berkley Havoc line we will introduce the Havoc ” Hawk Hawg”, the
“Juice Worm” in 6 and 8 inch and the ” Smash Tube”. Be on the look out
for these new baits and load up on them when they hit the shelves so
you can ” Catch More Fish”. February is time to go
big. Big baits and big bass! Thank you for reading this article and
hopefully it will help you catch more and bigger bass this month.
While you are here stop by and visit our local Ranger Boat and Mercury
dealer Diamond Sports Marine over on hwy 154. They have another
location in Rockwall on hwy 276. They carry a full line of Ranger
Boats and have a full line parts and service dept.Tell em tanner sent
ya ! Or if you are interested in a factory demo, I have a 2011 Ranger
Z521 rigged with a Mercury 250 pro XS for sale at an awesome low
price. This boat has a power pole and other extras. If you are
interested in this boat or would like to inquire about a guided trip
here on Lake Fork call 903-569-7451 or drop me aline at
tanner@lakeforkbassguide.com. For more booking info check us out
online at www.lakeforkbassguide.com or our ministry website
www.tanneroutdoors.com. You can also find me on facebook under John
Tanner. I am thankful to God for allowing me to do what I do and for
where He lets me do it. Lake Fork is a treasure and it is such a
blessing to fish this awesome lake. Please pray for our country and
its leaders. also pray for the sick and the lost. Read Matthew 4:19

For a look at the products mentoned check them out on the web at
www.rangerboats.com, www.mercurymarine.com, www.berkley-fishing.com,
www.sebile.com, www.abugarcia.com, www.talonlures.com, www.mustad.no,
www.affordabletungsten.com .

*GOD BLESS*
**
*John Tanner*
*Outdoors ministry*
*John Tanners Lake Fork Guide Service*
*FLW Angler
**
*Website www.tanneroutdoors.com*
* www.lakeforkbassguide.com *
*Email tanner@lakeforkbassguide.com*
**
*Phone 903 569 7451*
**
*Matthew 6:33*