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Fishing Reports for Local Area - Location |
    
Jeff Kirkwood (Guide__jeff_kirkwood)
New member
Username: Guide__jeff_kirkwood
Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 07, 2007 - 6:20 am: | |
Lake Fork
Water Temp: 62 - 68
Water Clarity: Clear
Before I start my report, I have started booking trips for spring 2008 and would be more than happy to be your guide on Lake Fork. So give me a call as I still have many good dates available. Also, I’m having trouble with my www.fishinwithjeff.com site and am trying to figure out why it went down. It should be up soon. All my contact info. is here in this report, but keep checking the site.
Since my last report fishing has been tougher, but with all things given enough time to think and I can usually figure things out. The same baits are still working and in some areas are working well. However, Xcite Baits flukes in watermelon candy are the trick. I thought once I found this that a senko would work but all it got were very light bites. As where the fluke got bit hard and caught fish, these other baits are still working you just have to pick your days for some of them; from on top with Scum Frogs, buzz-baits, pop’rs and the new Injured Minda, to Bandit splatterback, Rat-L-Traps and wacky-rigs using Xcite Bait trick worms. Then there is the ever bottom of the lake throwing Carolina-rigs in 24 to 31 feet of water, focusing on main lake points, humps and creek channels through-out the lake.
The fish are staging for their fall migration even though it still feels like summer here in Texas. We’ve started bass schooling on the surface so keep what you think or what you like to throw ready and available. Right now we’re keying in on main lake and secondary points and that’s where the majority of our fish are coming from. Grass is key and isn’t a hard thing to find.
The pictures of some of our catch are on the 2007 “Fat Girls” page on my site, www.fishinwithjeff.com. All of the fish pictured are of fish over 4 pounds, unless it is a child or woman. However, in a lot of cases those pictures will exceed that barrier throughout the year.
• I’m running a group special right now, two guides, and one night of lodging for $650.00.
If I can be of more help or assistance regarding a trip or “Bassin’ Class” please contact me at 972-853-0949 / 800-965-0350 or by e-mail at jeff@jeffkirkwood.com. My web site, www.fishinwithjeff.com. If your club, organization or church is looking for a guest speaker I’d be happy to come just give me a call and we’ll get it on the calendar.
It’s that time of year to start looking at your calendar for guide trips for fall & winter. The earlier you book your date the easier it will be to get the date(s) you want. I have dates available if you’re looking for a FULL-TIME guide. So, should you want to become one of my many valued customers and a great group of fishermen give me a call, I’d be honored to be your guide. UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOOD LUCK & TIGHT-LINES!!!
Proud Sponsors of Jeff & his guide service: All Star Rods, Amsoil, Bandit Lures, KeelShield, Mercury Marine, Nitro Boats, Pflueger Reels, Rat-L-Trap, Scum Frog, “The” Bass Fishing Forum.com, Xcite Baits. |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 56
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 12, 2007 - 7:12 am: | |
Many warm and sunny days resulted in a big bass catching spree at Fork and kicked off the spawn in earnest. While numbers were up and down this week, size has been very good most days, including a 10.25 pounder we caught yesterday. In addition, dozens of giant bass have been reported at the local marinas this week, including two 13s and a 15.32! With our cold winter, the spawn is just starting and I’d estimate that only 10% of the bass population is spawning right now. As is usual, lunker bass will be spawning throughout April and into mid-May.
Lake Conditions: Lake Fork’s water level has remained relatively stable, currently reading 400.89’, about 2’ 1” below full pool. Many areas that were quite stained last week are clearing nicely, while the backs of some creeks remain muddy and most of the lower end of the lake is clear. Water temps continue to rise, with the main lake reading in the mid-50s and protected bays reading into the upper-60s.
Location Pattern: For prespawn bass, concentrate on points, creek channels, treelines, and inside or outside grass lines near shallow spawning flats. 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. Spawning bass are currently located in protected bays and typically in the very back ends of creeks, with more beds showing up daily. 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 and lipless crankbaits are still catching some big fish, especially on overcast and windy days. On calm days, you’ll typically do better by switching to a suspending jerkbait or pitching a jig and a Texas rig. These baits also produce most of my biggest bass in March. 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 color. 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 watermelon baits with the tail dipped in chartreuse being the top producer lately.
For spawning bass, white or watermelon 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. My new favorite is the Lake Fork Baby Craw. Its tiny size and realistic look catch many bass that will run off the bed when bigger baits are pitched in there.
Lake Baccarac Update: With the water on a warming trend, 10 pounders are being caught daily in the shallow water, including some giants on topwaters. There are still a few openings left for May and June (historically one of the best times for trophy bass). I’m starting to plan my group trips for Fall & Winter 2007/2008. Our trip last year was fun and productive for double digit bass; let me know if you want to be part of the lunker action. For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com .
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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 55
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 12, 2007 - 7:11 am: | |
Lake Fork Report & Pics—10, 13, and even 15 pounders are being caught!
Jim from SC caught a 6 pounder on a Top Dog lizard and also caught a 7 lb’er on film while jumping with a red lipless crank in its mouth:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/2007pictures/070306jim.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/2007pictures/070306actionphoto.jpg[/img]
Chad caught this nice one on Lake Fork Tackle Baby Ring Fry:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/2007pictures/070311chad.jpg[/img]
Greg caught his biggest bass ever and Dan caught a lunker too, using a Top Dog Lizard and a Baby Ring Fry:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/2007pictures/070309dan.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/2007pictures/070309greg.jpg[/img]
A couple of my better bass from this week, including a 10 lb 4 oz trophy:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/2007pictures/070311tom104.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/2007pictures/070306tom7.jpg[/img]
Many warm and sunny days resulted in a big bass catching spree at Fork and kicked off the spawn in earnest. While numbers were up and down this week, size has been very good most days, including a 10.25 pounder we caught yesterday. In addition, dozens of giant bass have been reported at the local marinas this week, including two 13s and a 15.32! With our cold winter, the spawn is just starting and I’d estimate that only 10% of the bass population is spawning right now. As is usual, lunker bass will be spawning throughout April and into mid-May.
Lake Conditions: Lake Fork’s water level has remained relatively stable, currently reading 400.89’, about 2’ 1” below full pool. Many areas that were quite stained last week are clearing nicely, while the backs of some creeks remain muddy and most of the lower end of the lake is clear. Water temps continue to rise, with the main lake reading in the mid-50s and protected bays reading into the upper-60s.
Location Pattern: For prespawn bass, concentrate on points, creek channels, treelines, and inside or outside grass lines near shallow spawning flats. 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. Spawning bass are currently located in protected bays and typically in the very back ends of creeks, with more beds showing up daily. 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 and lipless crankbaits are still catching some big fish, especially on overcast and windy days. On calm days, you’ll typically do better by switching to a suspending jerkbait or pitching a jig and a Texas rig. These baits also produce most of my biggest bass in March. 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 color. 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 watermelon baits with the tail dipped in chartreuse being the top producer lately.
For spawning bass, white or watermelon 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. My new favorite is the Lake Fork Baby Craw. Its tiny size and realistic look catch many bass that will run off the bed when bigger baits are pitched in there.
Lake Baccarac Update: With the water on a warming trend, 10 pounders are being caught daily in the shallow water, including some giants on topwaters. There are still a few openings left for May and June (historically one of the best times for trophy bass). I’m starting to plan my group trips for Fall & Winter 2007/2008. Our trip last year was fun and productive for double digit bass; let me know if you want to be part of the lunker action. For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com .
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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 54
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 4:41 pm: | |
A sustained warming trend has the big bass on the move at Fork, with fish up to 10 lbs caught in my boat this week and lots of big fish being reported at local marinas. Typical of this time of year, we’ve had several days with well over 20 bass caught, while a couple days were downright tough. A number of very windy days, including a few days with gusts in the 40s and mid-50s have muddied up large areas of the lake; however, the bite has been best for us on windy days. While some areas are warming very quickly and reading into the upper 50s and low 60s in the afternoons, the boat ramp temp is reading 48 the last couple of mornings and we even found the backs of some creeks reading 49 late in the afternoon. Based on these temps, some spawning will start soon if the warm sunny days continue, while it will be quite some time before the bass spawn in many other areas of the lake. As is the norm, I expect we’ll have fish spawning into early May.
Lake Conditions: Lake Fork’s water level has remained stable, currently reading 400.97’, about 2’ below full pool. Due to recent strong winds, many areas of the lake are stained to muddy. Water temps are on the rise, reading 48 to 55 in main lake areas and up to the low 60s in some protected pockets late in the day.
Location Pattern: I’m still concentrating 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 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. The specific location of the bass within creeks has seemed to change daily. Check productive coves and creeks from main lake points and flats to the very back to find active fish each day. In many cases, we’ve caught multiple fish from small areas, so really work an area over once you’ve caught a fish there.
Presentation Pattern: My prespawn arsenal is pretty simple for fishing grass flats and creek channels. First and foremost are lipless crankbaits in ½ or ¾ oz, in red, orange and crawdad patterns. Slow rolling lipless cranks was best last week in the cold water, but a faster stop and go retrieve is working better now. ½ oz to 1 oz spinnerbaits with double willow or single Colorado blades in white, red, or chartreuse and white will produce some really large bass as well. With the deeper grass and colder temps, switch to smaller blades and slow your retrieve until the bait is just ticking the top of the grass. 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. My flipping bite has been slow the last few days, but for a real monster, it’s normally your best option. I go with ½ oz Mega Weight black and blue jigs with a Lake Fork Craw trailer in the blue bruiser color. The Fork Craw has an air pocket in its belly and it stands up on the back of a jig, making a very realistic looking presentation for dead-sticking around cover. For the Texas rig, I’ll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper or Top Dog Lizard in black neon or watermelon/red flake with a 1/8 to 3/8 oz bullet weight and slowly work it around cover. Finally, when the bass move onto the 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; work these baits very slowly and pay attention for subtle bites from that big mama!
Lake Baccarac Update: With the water on a warming trend, bass are making a move to the backs of creeks and many big bass up to 13 lbs have been caught shallow in the last few days. There are still a few openings left for March and April and there is good availability for May and June (historically one of the best times for trophy bass). I’m starting to plan my group trips for Fall & Winter 2007/2008. Our trip last year was fun and productive for double digit bass; let me know if you want to be part of the lunker action. For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com .
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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 53
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 08, 2007 - 10:15 am: | |
With the spawn just around the bend, more and more big bass are showing up in prespawn locations on Lake Fork. Recent rains brought up the lake over a foot and muddied up many creeks; however, we’re still catching some good bass by diligently working key staging areas. With warm sunny days forecasted for this week and the clearing water, look for the lunker bite to really get going in the coming weeks.
Lake Conditions: Lake Fork’s water level is currently reading 398.85’, about 4’2” below full pool. This is 1’ 2” higher than the level was on 12/15 and the ground is very wet right now, so any rains in the near future should help fill the lake. Even with the low water, almost all of the main ramps are still useable without any issues. Due to the rains, the water is stained to muddy in some creeks, while the main lake remains relatively clear. While we haven’t caught many bass in the extremely muddy areas, the bass haven’t seemed to mind the stained water (areas with 6” to 18” of visibility). Water temps are running about normal for early January, reading between 51 and 53 degrees in most areas.
Location Pattern: From now through February, 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 and 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.
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’ are still producing some big fish as well. Use your electronics to find the schools of bass and baitfish and work them over with spoons and dropshots. I’m concentrating on the shallow bass, so my presentation pattern will focus on that.
Presentation Pattern: My prespawn arsenal is pretty simple for fishing along grasslines and creek channels. First and foremost are red lipless crankbaits in ½ or ¾ oz. While they are more work to throw, the bigger ¾ oz lipless cranks, with their larger profile and tighter wobbles, have been producing more fish lately in the cold muddy water. Buzz these over the top of the shallowest grass, then slow down and yo-yo them on a lift/fall retrieve over the deeper grass. ½ to 1 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 after a warming trend. 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. Gold jerkbaits with orange bellies and black backs are my primary color. Work these with long pauses over the grass and along the edges. For jigs, I go with ½ oz black and blue jigs with a Lake Fork Craw trailer in the blue bruiser color. The Fork Craw has an air pocket in its belly and the craw stands up on the back of a jig, making a very realistic looking presentation for dead-sticking around cover. For the Texas rig, I’ll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper in black neon or blue bruiser with a ¼ to 3/8 oz bullet weight.
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 during the spawn period 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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 52
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 15, 2006 - 10:07 am: | |
Lake Fork Report
After a great trip to Lake Baccarac in Mexico, I’m back to stalking the lunkers at Lake Fork (I’ll have a Baccarac report with pictures up soon). We’re currently having a week of warm weather at Fork and the bass are once again on the feed. As we head into late December, 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 bass smoking jigs, spinnerbaits, and lipless crankbaits now through mid-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 4 to 5 lb range, with a good shot at bass 7 lbs or greater.
Lake Conditions: Lake Fork’s water level continues to drop, currently reading 397.64’, about 5’4” below full pool. Even with the low water, almost all of the main ramps are still useable without any issues. The water is clear in most parts of the lake, especially in areas with submerged vegetation, while the upper ends are somewhat stained. Water temps are on the rise once again, currently reading 53 to 56 degrees in most areas, perfect wintertime temps.
Location Pattern: From late-December through February, 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 and 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.
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 red lipless crankbaits in ½ or ¾ oz. Stick with the ½ for grass that is near the surface and go with the ¾ 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. ¼ to ½ 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 Lake Fork Live Magic Shad in the same areas you’d throw a spinnerbait. Rig it on a 4/0 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. Gold jerkbaits with orange bellies and black backs are my primary color. Work these with long pauses over the grass and along the edges. For jigs, I go with ½ oz black and blue jigs with a Lake 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 ¼ to 3/8 oz bullet weight.
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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 51
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 07, 2006 - 8:28 am: | |
On most days, good numbers and some big bass are currently being caught at Lake Fork, although the best pattern has changed considerably from day-to-day and often from hour-to-hour. With the bass being spread out from shallow water creeks to deep structure, changing tactics as the conditions dictate has been the key to success. Basically, if what you’re doing isn’t working well, try a different approach until you find what they want. Frequently, it’s as simple as changing lures in the area you’re in and you’ll start catching them. With water temps in the mid-60s and a warming trend forecasted for this week, look for the fall patterns to remain at Fork through November.
While the fishing typically slows in early December, lunker bass will start moving into prespawn patterns in some areas of the lake by later December, and my favorite fishing of the year occurs in January through early March. It’s a really simple pattern—spinnerbaits, lipless cranks, jigs, and suspending jerkbaits fished in staging areas near spawning flats. Numbers run lower this time of year, but the average size of your catch is at its highest for the year, usually in the 4 to 5 lb range, with a good shot at a bass 7 lbs or greater. Don’t get me wrong, March and April are a great time to catch a lunker sight fishing or with a soft plastic jerkbait. For my tastes though, slow rolling a big spinnerbait or flipping a jig around heavy timber for truly giant bass during the prespawn is the best time to be on Fork.
Lake Conditions: After a good soaking rain on Sunday night, Lake Fork’s water level rose about 4”, currently reading 398.01’, just over 5’ below full pool. Even with the low water, almost all of the main ramps are still useable without any issues. After the fall turnover, much of the main lake remains stained brown, while many of the grassy creeks are clear. Water temps are currently reading 63 to 65 degrees in most areas of the main lake, while the backs of some creek were holding in the upper 50s after a few cold nights last week.
Location Pattern: Typical of fall fishing, bass are holding anywhere from the backs of creeks and along main lake shores in literally inches of water as well as setting up camp on deep water structure. For the past week, I’ve found schools of deep bass were holding deeper again, mostly from in 20’ to 33’ of water. When graphing these fish, keep in mind that schools that are relating to the bottom will be the easiest bass to catch normally. The other main pattern will be weed flats on the main lake and in coves with channels or points with deep-water access nearby. These spots produced some fast action for smaller bass and a few big fish. Typically, areas that are holding fish now are holding lots of fish. So if you’re catching fish, stay put and try multiple lures until you’ve caught everything you can. Conversely, if you’re in a good-looking spot but not getting bit, keep moving to other locations until you hit pay dirt.
Presentation Pattern: The topwater bite slowed for me this past week. Instead, small spinnerbaits in white and shallow or medium running shad colored lipped and lipless crankbaits have worked best for the shallow bass. If the bass aren’t in a chasing mood, wacky rigged straight tail worms like a Twitch Worm in June bug or watermelon/red flake have produced some fast action. For bigger bass, pitch ¼ oz white or watermelon jigs with matching Fork Craws to stumps along creek channels and along deep weed lines. Work the jig really slowly for best results. When the deep bite has been on, I’ve been spending most of my time out there. Carolina rigged Baby Ring Frys or Magic Shads in watermelon/red flake have produced some good numbers and some big ones once schools are located. Other days, drop shotting Lake Fork Twitch Worms in watermelon/chartreuse pepper or watermelon/red flake has produced big numbers of keeper-sized bass. ½ ounce chrome or gold jigging spoons and ¼ oz white jigs have also caught a lot of bass on several days and these baits will often produce the largest bass of the day.
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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 50
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 27, 2006 - 8:08 am: | |
Significant cold fronts rolled through NE Texas every few days, making for an up and down week of fishing on Lake Fork. On the average day we’re getting about 25 bass, consisting mostly of 1 to 3 pounders from both shallow and deep water, with a few 4 to 7 pound fish mixed in. On post-frontal days, numbers have run lower and the big fish have been scarce. On the other hand, the days just before and as the front is moving through have been really good for both numbers and size, with a shot at a real giant bass. With the lake still holding near 70 degrees, look for fall fishing to stay good for numbers until late November and I expect more truly big bass to be caught as the water cools.
Lake Conditions: Once again, Lake Fork’s water level continues to drop, currently reading 397.82’, about 5’ 2” below full pool. Even with the low water, almost all of the main ramps are still useable without any issues. After the recent fall turnover, much of the main lake remains stained brown, while many of the creeks are clear. Water temps steadily dropped this week, currently reading in the mid- to upper-60s.
Location Pattern: Typical of fall fishing, bass are holding anywhere from the backs of creeks and along main lake shores in literally inches of water as well as setting up camp on deep water structure. While most of the schools of deep bass were holding in 22’ to 28’ of water last week, most of my structure fishing has taken place much shallower this week, more in the 12’ to 22’ range. When graphing these fish, keep in mind that schools that are relating to the bottom will be the easiest bass to catch normally. The other main pattern will be weed flats on the main lake and in coves with channels or points with deep-water access nearby. These spots produce some fast action early and late or all day on cloudy days. Typically, areas that are holding fish now are holding lots of fish. So, if you’re catching fish, stay put and try multiple lures until you’ve caught everything you can. Conversely, if you’re in a good-looking spot but not getting bit, keep moving to other locations until you hit pay dirt.
Presentation Pattern: Topwaters have been very productive some mornings and evenings. Shad colored poppers and Zara Spooks or black buzzbaits have produced fast action around pad fields and over grass mats. Small spinnerbaits in white and shallow or medium running shad colored crankbaits have also worked early and late or all day on cloudy or windy days. If the bass aren’t in a chasing mood, deadsticking Texas rigged straight tail worms like a Twitch Worm in green pumpkin or watermelon/red flake have produced some nice fish. Fish all of these baits on deep weedlines or along creek channels in the coves. During the middle of the day, I’ve been catching most of my fish out deeper. Carolina rigged Baby Ring Frys in watermelon/chartreuse flake or watermelon/chartreuse pepper have produced some good numbers and some big ones once schools are located. Other days, drop shotting Lake Fork Twitch Worms in watermelon/chartreuse pepper or watermelon/red flake has produced fast action for bass. ½ to 1 ½ ounce chrome jigging spoons and ¼ oz white jigs have also caught a lot of bass on several days and these baits will often produce the largest bass of the day.
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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 49
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 3:03 pm: | |
Lake Fork Report
After being out of town a couple of weeks on a family vacation, it’s good to be back fishing on Lake Fork. Since my last report, the lake has turned over and fall patterns are starting to come on. Fishing was really good last week, having slowed down a little as of late. Now that temps are cooling after our recent week of hot weather, we should start catching more big bass in addition to the good numbers we’re catching right now. As the temps cools, look for deep bass to form big schools and relate to the bottom while shallow bass gang up in creek channel bends. Add in pleasant days and fall colors to the fast bass action and October and November are great times to fish Fork.
Lake Conditions: As I write this, we’re having a good rain today, but we’ll need a lot more days like it to get the water level back up. Lake Fork’s water level currently sits at 399.98’, over 5’ below pool. Numerous boats, including some guide boats, have hit stumps recently; however, most of the boaters we see aren’t wearing life jackets or even a kill switch. As always, you’ll find my customers and me wearing both and I would encourage you to do the same. In better news, even with the low water, almost all of the main ramps are still useable without any issues. After the recent fall turnover, much of the main lake is stained brown, while many of the creeks are clear. Water temps are holding in the upper 70s and should drop this week.
Location Pattern: With the disappearance of the thermocline, fish will be caught in 6” to over 40’ deep over the next couple of months, on just about every pattern imaginable. Deep structure like humps, roads, flats and points in the main lake and in the mouths of major creeks are starting to hold some big schools and will hold most of the giant bass. Schools that are relating to the bottom will be the easiest bass to catch normally. The other main pattern will be weed flats on the main lake and in coves with channels or points with deep-water access nearby. These spots produce some fast action early and late or all day on cloudy days. Typically, areas that are holding fish now are holding lots of fish. So, if you’re catching fish, stay put and try multiple lures until you’ve caught everything you can. Conversely, if you’re in a good-looking spot but not getting bit, keep moving to other locations until you hit pay dirt.
Presentation Pattern: Topwaters have been very productive some mornings and will be good all day on cloudy days. Shad colored Chug Bugs and Zara Spooks have produced fast action around pad fields and over grass mats. Small spinnerbaits in white and shallow or medium running shad colored crankbaits have also worked early in the morning or all day on cloudy or windy days. During the day, wacky rigged Lake Fork Twitch Worms in watermelon on sunny days and June bug on cloudy days have caught some bass, as have 3/8 oz jigs in watermelon or white with matching Lake Fork Baby Creature trailers. Fish all of these baits on deep weedlines or along creek channels in the coves. Simply position your boat in the middle of the creek channel and throw your bait to the grass edges and/or stumps near the edge of the creek. Other days, I’ve been catching most of my fish out deeper. Carolina rigged Baby Ring Frys in Chartreuse Pepper and Red Bug or Baby Creatures in Killer Craw have produced some good numbers once schools are located. Other days, drop shotting Lake Fork Twitch Worms in Watermelon, shad or bar fish colored swimbaits, and white or silver jigging spoons have been better. Basically, once you graph a deep school, try a variety of baits and you’ll likely catch a lot on a particular bait, and also a number of bonus fish if you mix up your baits.
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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 48
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 - 10:46 am: | |
Lake Fork Report
Tournament season is in full swing at Lake Fork, so this week’s report will focus on catching tournament bass (keepers under the 16” slot and lunkers over the 24” end of the slot). Sunday’s big bass tourney was won with a 10.10 lb’er. Look for an 11 or 12 pounder to win the McDonald’s Big Bass Splash. Although these big ones are tough to catch, lots of bass under the slot are being caught right now and your odds of catching a chunky 15.5 incher are good both shallow around grass and on mid-depth structure.
Count on the current pattern to hold up until the lake turns over and Fork settles down in late September. After the thermocline has gone away and things return to normal, the deep bass form big schools and relate to the bottom while shallow bass gang up in creek channel bends. Add in cooler air temps to the fast bass action and October and November are great times to fish Fork.
Lake Conditions: A few showers delivered a little rain & cooled things slightly. Lake Fork’s water level continues to drop, currently sitting at 398.51’, about 4’ 6” below full pool. Even with the low water, almost all of the main ramps are still useable without any issues. Fork’s water remains clear in the main lake. Water temps have moderated, holding in the mid-80s.
Location Pattern: With the development of the thermocline, it has effectively created a lake bottom for the bass at about 28’. For the deep bass, many of them no longer relate to the bottom and suspend above the bottom, at or above the thermocline. These bass still actively feed; however, keeping a bait in front of suspended fish is not the easiest proposition, but not impossible. This is often where the largest bass reside in September, so it’s well worth the effort to place a bait in front of them if you’re looking for an over the slot fish.
For numbers of bass, especially under the slot keepers, it is easier to fish for bass that are shallower or relating to cover or the bottom. Here are the 3 main location patterns that fit this category. First, main lake structure like humps and points that top out in 12’ to 22’ are prime candidates. Use your graph and locate these deep schools of bass. Second, weed flats on the main lake and in coves with channels or points with deep-water access nearby produce some fast action early and late or all day on cloudy days. Finally, schooling bass are showing up all over the lake, especially on the flat calm days. Best of all, the bass will often school in the same place at about the same time each day, so once you find a hot spot it will stay good for days and often weeks.
Presentation Pattern: For those lunker suspended bass, deep diving crankbaits like a Norman DD 22 in shad patterns fished over points and through treetops works well for actively feeding fish that are suspended about 18’ or shallower. For deeper bass, counting down a spoon or swimbait and yo-yoing it through suspended fish can be deadly. For really big bass in late summer, my favorite technique is using a green pumpkin 10” Lake Fork Worm and yo-yoing it in deep timber. An ultra slow retrieve and 25 lb line are the key to pulling these brutes out of deep heavy cover. Finally, a Lake Fork Magic Shad in watermelon with a chartreuse tail on a ¼ oz weighted hook is your top option some days.
For numbers of keeper-sized bass, following are my top patterns for September. For fish that are on the bottom in 12’-22’, a Carolina rig with a green pumpkin/red & green flake, watermelon/red flake, or red bug colored Baby Ring Fry or a green pumpkin Twitch Worm on a 4’ leader is my staple bait. Other times, a drop shot with a wacky rigged watermelon or green pumpkin Twitch Worm or Finesse Worm works better in these same areas. The key is marking a good school of fish with your electronics. In addition, medium-running crankbaits in shad patterns worked along creek channels in the major creeks will help you find concentrations of bass. For pure numbers of schooling bass though, a ¼ or ½ oz chrome lipless crankbait is hard to beat. Around the grass beds, topwaters, spinnerbaits, lipless cranks and Magic Shads worked over the top of the grass and along the edges will catch good numbers early and late. Shad is the primary forage right now, so chrome and white/shad color schemes will be your top colors on most days. Bass are located around grass beds in the main lake and in the backs of creeks, but the concentrations are usually near deeper water. Key on areas with drops or creek channels nearby and you’ll typically catch more bass.
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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 47
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 25, 2006 - 10:51 am: | |
Despite hot weather and low water, both good numbers and big bass are still being caught at Lake Fork. With the schooling bass and the annual arrival of Lake Fork keeper-sized bass in the shallows (under the 16” slot limit), those of you looking for fast action or a limit for tournaments will have consistent success as we head into September. If you’re like me and would trade one 8 pounder for 100 15 inchers, fishing for giant suspended bass over deep water is where it’s at. Best of all, these suspended bass receive very little (if any) pressure and they bite extremely aggressively when they’re feeding. Of course, the trick is finding the feeding schools and then keeping a lure in front of them.
Count on the current pattern to hold up until the lake turns over and Fork settles down in later September. After the thermocline has gone away and things return to normal, the deep bass form big schools and relate to the bottom while shallow bass gang up in creek channel bends. Add in cooler air temps to the fast bass action and October and November are great times to fish Fork.
Lake Conditions: A few showers delivered a little rain & cooled things slightly. Lake Fork’s water level continues to drop, currently sitting at 398.84’, about 4’ 2” below full pool. Even with the low water, almost all of the main ramps are still useable without any issues. After turning brownish-green earlier in the summer, Fork’s water is now very clear in the main lake. Water temps are running high, consistently 88 to 93 degrees before the rains. I’m still showing the thermocline at about 28’.
Location Pattern: With the development of the thermocline, it has effectively created a lake bottom for the bass at about 28’. For the deep bass, many of them no longer relate to the bottom and suspend above the bottom, at or above the thermocline. These bass still actively feed; however, keeping a bait in front of suspended fish is not the easiest proposition, but not impossible. This is often where the largest bass reside in August & September, so it’s well worth the effort to place a bait in front of them.
For most anglers, it is easier to fish for bass that are shallower and relating to cover or the bottom. Here are the 3 main location patterns that fit this category. First, main lake structure like humps and points that top out in less than 28’ are prime candidates. Use your graph and locate these deep schools of bass. Second, weed flats on the main lake and in coves with channels or points with deep-water access nearby produce some fast action early and late. These places can also hold really big bass during the day if you find deep matted grass clumps. Finally, schooling bass are showing up all over the lake, especially on the flat calm days. While schooling bass are liable to pop up anywhere, bends of creek channels in major creeks are my favorite place to consistently find big groups of fish. Best of all, the bass will often school in the same place at about the same time each day, so once you find a hot spot it will stay good for days and often weeks.
Presentation Pattern: For suspended bass, deep diving crankbaits like a Norman DD 22 in shad or bluegill patterns fished over points and through treetops works well for actively feeding fish that are suspended about 18’ or shallower. For deeper bass, counting down a spoon or swimbait and yo-yoing it through suspended fish can be deadly. For really big bass in late summer, my favorite technique is using a green pumpkin 10” Lake Fork Worm and yo-yoing it in deep timber. An ultra slow retrieve and 25 lb line are the key to pulling these brutes out of deep heavy cover. Finally, a Lake Fork Magic Shad in watermelon with a chartreuse tail on a ¼ oz weighted hook is your top option some days.
For fish that are on the bottom in 12’-28’, a Carolina rig with a green pumpkin/red & green flake, watermelon/red flake, or red bug colored Baby Ring Fry or a green pumpkin Twitch Worm on a 4’ leader is my staple bait. In brushier areas and creek channel bends where the bass school, I’ll go with a bulky ringed worm like an 8” or 10” Lake Fork Worm in green pumpkin or red shad. In addition, medium-running crankbaits in shad patterns worked along creek channels in the major creeks will help you find concentrations of bass and will catch some big ones when they come up schooling. For pure numbers of schooling bass though, a ¼ or ½ oz chrome lipless crankbait is hard to beat. Around the grass beds, topwaters, spinnerbaits, lipless cranks and Magic Shads worked over the top of the grass and along the edges will catch good numbers early and late. For bigger bass, I especially like to pitch matted grass and isolated grass clumps with big jigs or heavy Texas rigs. Use a ¾ or 1 oz jig in black/blue or watermelon with a matching Fork Craw on the back or Texas rig a watermelon red Craw Tube with a ¾ oz or larger bullet weight to punch through the tops of the hydrilla. Jiggle your bait to get it to break through the mat, then yo-yo it in the open water under the mat for 5 to 10 seconds in each spot. Braided line and a heavy rod are essential to pull these big fish out. Bites will feel like anything from a tiny bit of extra weight to the thunk of running a concrete block through your lawnmower, so stay alert and hang on!
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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 46
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 29, 2006 - 10:19 am: | |
After being out of town for almost the entire month of July, it’s good to be back chasing the lunkers on Lake Fork. Unfortunately, I’m heading back out of town for another tournament, so I won’t be able to flirt with those big Lake Fork females very long. For those of you lucky enough to be heading to Lake Fork in August, the lake is receiving very little pressure and the big ones will still bite during the day or at night. With the annual arrival of the thermocline in about 28’, the patterns will be different for August, and I describe below how to go about catching them.
With the summer heat, I’m really starting to look forward to October and November fishing. After the thermocline goes away and the lake turns over some time in September, fish will be schooling and actively feeding all fall. It’s usually the best time of the year to take kids fishing, as numbers run high. It’s also the time of year when you can catch fish on about any technique, depending on the conditions that day. For example, we had one over 9 pounds on a topwater in 2’ last October and the next day had another bass that went almost 11 pounds in 38’!
Lake Conditions: Last week’s tropical system delivered very little rain but did cool things slightly and brought some refreshing winds. Lake Fork’s water level keeps dropping, currently sitting at 399.38’, about 3’ 7” below full pool. As we are heading into our dry season, Fork will likely be very low by the end of the summer. Although this makes for tougher navigation, the bass will be consolidated and easier to catch once you get to them. The water is clear in many places, although some areas are a stained brown green due to algae blooms and wave action. Water temps dropped to the mid-80s following the cooler days. As anticipated, the thermocline appears to have developed in about 28’.
Location Pattern: With the development of the thermocline, it has effectively created a lake bottom for the bass at about 28’. For the bass that were living shallower than 28’ during June, there’s no change to those patterns. For the deepest bass, many of them no longer relate to the bottom and suspend above the bottom, at or above the thermocline. These bass still actively feed; however, keeping a bait in front of suspended fish is not the easiest proposition, but not impossible. This is often where the largest bass reside in August, so it’s well worth the effort to place a bait in front of them.
For most anglers, it is easier to fish for bass that are shallower and relating to cover or the bottom. Here are the 3 main location patterns for August that fit this category. First, main lake structure like humps and points that top out in less than 28’ are prime candidates. Use your graph and locate these deep schools of bass. Second, main lake weed flats produce some fast action early and late and can also hold really big bass during the day if you find deep matted grass clumps. Finally, schooling bass get going in August, especially on the flat calm days. While schooling bass are liable to pop up anywhere, bends of creek channels in major creeks are my favorite place to consistently find big groups of fish.
Presentation Pattern: For suspended bass, deep diving crankbaits like a Norman DD 22 in shad or bluegill patterns fished over points and through treetops is your best weapon for actively feeding fish. For less aggressive bass, counting down a spoon or swimbait and yo-yoing it through suspended fish can be deadly. For really big bass in late summer, my favorite technique is using a green pumpkin 10” Lake Fork Worm and yo-yoing it in deep timber. An ultra slow retrieve and 25 lb line are the key to pulling these brutes out of deep heavy cover.
For fish that are on the bottom in 12’-28’, a Carolina rig with a green pumpkin/red & green flake, watermelon/red flake, or red bug colored Baby Fork Creature or a green pumpkin Twitch Worm on a 4’ leader is my staple bait. In brushier areas and creek channel bends where the bass school, I’ll go with a bulky ringed worm like an 8” or 10” Lake Fork Worm in green pumpkin or red shad. In addition, medium-running crankbaits in shad patterns worked along creek channels in the major creeks will help you find concentrations of bass and will catch some big ones when they come up schooling. For pure numbers of schooling bass though, a ¼ or ½ oz chrome lipless crankbait is hard to beat. Around the main lake grass, topwaters, spinnerbaits, lipless cranks and Magic Shads worked over the top of the grass and along the edges will catch good numbers early and late. For bigger bass, I especially like to pitch matted grass and isolated grass clumps with big jigs or heavy Texas rigs. Use a ¾ or 1 oz jig in black/blue or watermelon with a matching Fork Craw on the back or Texas rig a watermelon red Craw Tube with a ¾ oz or larger bullet weight to punch through the tops of the hydrilla. Jiggle your bait to get it to break through the mat, then yo-yo it in the open water under the mat for 5 to 10 seconds in each spot. Braided line and a heavy rod are essential to pull these big fish out. Bites will feel like anything from a tiny bit of extra weight to the thunk of running a concrete block through your lawnmower, so stay alert and hang on!
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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 45
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 2:47 pm: | |
Debi with a deep water Lake Fork lunker:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060624debi.jpg[/img]
Jim and Sandy from South Carolina smoked the Texas bass with Texas rigs and drop shots:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060619jim2.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060619sandy.jpg[/img]
On the other hand, Richard from Texas caught this big one on a Carolina Rig:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060627richard6.25.jpg[/img]
Adam, a dental student, practiced his training on removing hooks from bass mouths:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060628adam.jpg[/img]
Carolina rigger extraordinaire Mark and I caught these twins. I still say mine was 0.00001 lbs bigger ;)
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060628mark.jpg[/img]
Some of my better ones from last week, including an 8 lb’er on a crank and an 8.5 on a Lake Fork Baby Creature:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060619tom8.jpg[/img][img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060628tom8.5.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060627tom6.25.jpg[/img]
The summertime fishing at Lake Fork continues to be very good most days for size and numbers. Depending on your preference, you can catch over 30 keeper-sized fish most days on a drop shot, or catch good numbers of slot fish and some real hogs on Carolina rigs, Texas rigs and crankbaits, no matter how hot and sunny the days are. My customers and I have added lots of pictures of 5, 6, 7, and 8 lb bass in the past two weeks. Check them out for yourself at www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com . For numbers of quality fish and a shot at a true trophy, it’s hard to beat structure fishing on Lake Fork in the summertime.
Lake Conditions: Another round of storms on Friday and Saturday brought cooler temps and some wind, but once again did very little to stop the dropping water levels. Lake Fork’s water level is currently 399.99, or 3’ below full pool. As we are heading into our dry season, Fork will likely be very low by the end of the summer. Although this makes for tougher navigation, the bass will be consolidated and easier to catch once you get to them. The water is clear in many places, although some areas are a stained brown green due to algae blooms and wave action. Water temps cooled down to the low 80s following the storms, climbing back into the mid-80s once again by midweek. Submerged vegetation, including hydrilla, milfoil and coontail, is growing rapidly in many new areas and already starting to canopy in some areas, which will make for some great jig flippin’ later this summer. Finally, there are still no signs of a thermocline, and as a result, we’ve been catching some fish in very deep water. Look for it to develop in about 28’ around mid-July.
Location Pattern: Until the thermocline develops, my location and presentation patterns will remain the same. As bass move farther away from postspawn patterns and solidly into summertime ones, I’m concentrating on main lake points and main lake humps, ridges, ledges, and roads. Big bass can still be caught in the creeks around grass and wood cover early and late; however, during most of the day, I prefer to fish deep structure for schools of big bass. Structure fishing is simply a matter of using your graph to find deep cover like brushpiles or timber, then working over the cover thoroughly. For faster action, find areas with schools of bass and bait around the cover and get the net handy. Even big schools of bass sometimes take coaxing to get a bite, so being able to interpret your electronics accurately is the key. Keep in mind that a lot of fish are suspended right now, further making electronics interpretation essential to good catches.
Presentation Pattern: I’ve been concentrating on the deep bite, so my presentation pattern reflects this. For suspended bass, deep diving crankbaits like a Norman DD 22 in shad or bluegill patterns fished over points, bounced over cover, and through treetops have been very productive. I rig one rod with 10 lb test to hit deep cover, to about 18’, while another cranking rod is rigged with 20 lb test for heavier cover that tops out closer to 10’. After I’ve cranked the area thoroughly, I’ll switch to a swimbait, jig and/or a spoon. Either count down these lures to the depth of the fish and swim them through the schools or aggressively rip them off the bottom to catch the suspenders. If your graph is showing bass on or near the bottom, Texas and Carolina rigs, as well as drop shot rigs are catching lots of big fish in 12’ to 38’. For the Texas rig, I’ll go with a bulky ringed worm like a 10” Lake Fork Worm for aggressive bass, while a 6” Twitch Worm will work better for inactive bass. Watermelon red, green pumpkin and blue fleck have been our top colors. The Texas rig has worked best in heavy cover, fished very slowly and twitched in place. For more open areas, the Carolina rig with a green pumpkin/red & green flake, watermelon/red flake, or green pumpkin colored Baby Fork Creature on a 4’ leader has been our staple bait. Work these baits along the bottom at a steady pace until you come across a piece of cover, then slow way down and leave it there as long as possible. Often, a big bass will do you a favor and pull it out for you! Finally, for big numbers of keeper sized bass, go with a drop shot rig. I’m using a Twitch Worm in any shade of green, rigged on a 1/0 hook about 2’ above a ½ oz sinker. For active bass, a constantly quivering wacky rigged Twitch Worm works best. Conversely, if the bass are sluggish, a weedless Texas rigged drop shot held almost motionless around cover is too much for even the most finicky bass to withstand. On 10 lb test and a medium action spinning rod, a 4 lb bass in 30’ deep timber is quite an exciting challenge.
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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 44
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 18, 2006 - 11:19 am: | |
Chad’s lucky hat and a crankbait produced a 7 lb 3 oz lunker, while Ryan didn’t need a lucky charm, only a big worm, to catch his big bass:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060616chad.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060616ryan.jpg[/img]
Wayne and Ron both caught their biggest bass ever with the help of Lake Fork Baby Creatures:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060522wayne.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060522ron.jpg[/img]
Mike & Jerome from IL caught lots of slot fish like these on deep diving crankbaits and jigs:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060612mike.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060612jerome.jpg[/img]
A few in the 7 pound class fell to my crankbaits and Carolina rigs on Friday & Saturday:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060616tom77ii.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060617tom.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060617tomii.jpg[/img]
June and July are a couple of the best months of the year on Lake Fork, often during the hottest part of the day. While numbers of 3 to 8 pound bass are at their peak during June and July, many lunkers are being caught right now, too. The top 4 places in a big bass tourney last weekend went 12.9, 11.14, 10.36 and 10.24 pounds. In addition, a 14.59 lb’er was caught since my last report. And the recent cool down and storms don’t seem to have slowed down the fishing. Friday, we boated 2 bass over 7 lbs and another that weighed 6.81. Yesterday, Saturday, the small fish were biting like crazy and we lost one well over 8 lbs at the boat. Day or night fishing, it’s an awesome time to be on Fork right now!
Lake Conditions: A few storms on Friday and Saturday brought cooler temps and some wind, but did very little to stop the dropping water levels. Lake Fork’s water level is currently 400.09’, or 2’11” below full pool. Without some significant rains in June, Fork will be very low by the end of the summer. Although this makes for tougher navigation, the bass will be consolidated and easier to catch once you get to them. The water is clear in many areas, although some areas are a stained brown green due to algae blooms and wave action. Water temps cooled down to the low 80s following the storms, after reaching the upper 80s earlier in the week. Submerged vegetation, including hydrilla, milfoil and coontail, is growing rapidly in many new areas and already starting to canopy in some areas, which will make for some great jig flippin’ later this summer. Finally, I checked for a thermocline on Thursday with my temperature probe and so far it hasn’t developed. Look for it to develop in about 28’ around mid-July.
Location Pattern: As bass move farther away from postspawn patterns and solidly into summertime ones, I’m concentrating on main lake points and main lake humps, ridges, ledges, and roads. Big bass can still be caught in the creeks around grass and wood cover early and late; however, during most of the day, I prefer to fish deep structure for schools of big bass. Structure fishing is simply a matter of using your graph to find deep cover like brushpiles or timber, then working over the cover thoroughly. For faster action, find areas with schools of bass and bait around the cover and get the net handy. Even big schools of bass sometimes take coaxing to get a bite, so being able to interpret your electronics accurately is the key. Keep in mind that a lot of fish are suspended right now, further making electronics interpretation essential to good catches.
Presentation Pattern: I’ve been concentrating on the deep bite, so my presentation pattern reflects this. For suspended bass, deep diving crankbaits like a Norman DD 22 in shad or bluegill patterns fished over points, bounced over cover, and through treetops have been very productive. I rig one rod with 10 lb test to hit deep cover, to about 18’, while another cranking rod is rigged with 20 lb test for heavier cover that tops out closer to 10’. After I’ve cranked the area thoroughly, I’ll switch to a swimbait, jig and/or a spoon. Either count down these lures to the depth of the fish and swim them through the schools or aggressively rip them off the bottom to catch the suspenders. If your graph is showing bass on or near the bottom, Texas and Carolina rigs, as well as drop shot rigs are catching lots of big fish in 12’ to 28’. For the Texas rig, I’ll go with a bulky ringed worm like a 10” Lake Fork Worm for aggressive bass, while a 6” Twitch Worm will work better for inactive bass. Watermelon red, green pumpkin and blue fleck have been our top colors. The Texas rig has worked best in heavy cover, fished very slowly and twitched in place. For more open areas, the Carolina rig with a green pumpkin/red & green flake, killer craw, or watermelon candy colored Baby Fork Creature on a 4’ leader has been our staple bait. Work these baits along the bottom at a steady pace until you come across a piece of cover, then slow way down and leave it there as long as possible. Often, a big bass will do you a favor and pull it out for you! Finally, for big numbers of keeper sized bass, go with a drop shot rig. I’m using a Twitch Worm in any shade of green, rigged on a 1/0 hook about 2’ above a ½ oz sinker. For active bass, a constantly quivering wacky rigged Twitch Worm works best. Conversely, if the bass are sluggish, a weedless Texas rigged drop shot held almost motionless around cover is too much for even the most finicky bass to withstand. On 10 lb test and a medium action spinning rod, a 4 lb bass in 30’ deep timber is quite an exciting challenge.
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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 43
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 28, 2006 - 11:33 am: | |
Big bass continue to be caught at Lake Fork, including several 10 to 11+ lb bass coming into Lake Fork Marina in recent days. While my customers and I didn’t catch any tens last week, most days we are catching good numbers of bass along with some big fish mixed in. The bass are scattered right now, with some still shallow in the very backs of creeks, while others are setting up in deep summertime locations in the main lake. Versatility has remained the key. In general, we’ve done better in the shallows on windy and cloudy days, while the deep bite has been best on sunny and calmer days, especially in the afternoons. As the heat builds and more bass move deep, June is shaping up to be its usual structure fishing big bass whack-a-thon. If you want to learn how to use your graph to read deep structure and then catch big bass with Carolina rigs, worms, swimbaits and crankbaits, now’s the time to head to Lake Fork.
Lake Conditions: The past week has been dry and hot, dropping Lake Fork’s water level to 400.48’, or 2’6” below full pool. Without some significant rains in June, Fork will probably be very low by the end of the summer. Although this makes for tougher navigation, the bass will be consolidated and easier to catch once you get to them. The water is currently clear in most areas, except for wind blown locations. Water temps continue to rise, with readings in the upper 70s to mid 80s. Submerged vegetation, including hydrilla, milfoil and coontail, is growing rapidly in many areas and spreading in coverage and height. In addition, the lily pads are really starting to pop up and increase in density on the south end of Fork.
Location Pattern: My location and presentation patterns haven’t changed much from my last report. I’m concentrating on coves and creeks that had the largest populations of spawning fish and starting there on the flats, creek channels, and points just outside the beds. I’m working out progressively deeper inside productive coves and fishing all of the cover and structure options from the backs of the creek out to the main lake summertime holes. Keep in mind that a lot of fish are suspended right now, so fish bottom bouncing lures while also checking for suspended fish with baits like jerkbaits and crankbaits. Once you try a few productive spawning creeks, you should have caught some fish and determined what types of cover, structure, and depths are holding the most fish. At that point, look for similar water around the lake and run the pattern. The fish are pretty scattered right now, so you’ll normally do better by fishing lots of good areas instead of camping on an area where you’ve caught a couple good fish. Again, with the fish being in a transition mode, you’ll need to repeat this process most days to stay in contact with the most active fish.
Presentation Pattern: As for your lure, let the cover, conditions, and the depth of the bass you are fishing dictate your choice. With the fish being so spread out, virtually everything in your tackle box will catch fish at some point during early June, so stay flexible. Following are the baits that have been working best for us this week. Topwaters have been sporadic lately, so I’ve been doing better early with shallow running cranks over the grass. Depending on the depth of the grass, select one in a shad or bluegill pattern that will occasionally hit the top of the grass. In addition, around shallow vegetation and pads, wacky rigged Lake Fork Twitch Worms and Magic Shads in green pumpkin and watermelon candy are working well early and during the day. Texas rigged baits like Lake Fork Flippers in black neon or watermelon/red are also producing big bass when flipped to wood cover near grass or pads. Deep diving crankbaits like a Norman DD 22 in shad or bluegill patterns fished for suspended bass on deep points or dug into the tops of 10’ to 16’ points and ridges are producing some big fish and good numbers. Go with 10 lb test and hang on after you come through submerged brush. Finally, Texas rigged and Carolina rigged Lake Fork Baby Creatures and Baby Ring Frys in watermelon red & green flake and green pumpkin are catching bass in 12’ to 33’.
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 |
Guide Tom Redington (Tredington)
New member
Username: Tredington
Post Number: 42
Registered: 1-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 09, 2006 - 3:18 pm: | |
Tim with his biggest bass ever, a 7.5 lb 23.75” post spawn lunker:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060503tim7.5.jpg[/img]
How’s this for doubles? Two customers named Travis and both caught their biggest bass ever, 6.5 lb’ers. They even teamed up for a nice Lake Fork crankbait double:
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060506travisx2.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060505travis.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.lakeforkpictures.com/060506travis.jpg[/img]
Big bass up to 13.76 lbs continue to be caught at Lake Fork. With some bass in a post spawn pattern and others starting to settle into summer patterns, covering lots of water and trying a variety of patterns has been critical to catching fish. From topwaters in shallow grass to Carolina rigs in 30’, just about everything in your tackle box could work right now. The trick is quickly figuring out which of those baits will work best, and where. Similar to the prespawn patterns we fished just a couple months ago, bass are on the move, so where you catch them today may not hold many fish tomorrow. Find the most productive pattern each day, then fish similar areas around the lake. The quicker you figure out the pattern and the more productive water you fish, the better you’ll do.
Lake Conditions: After numerous showers and storms, Lake Fork’s water level is up slightly, currently reading 400.75’, or 2’3” below full pool. The water clarity is very clear in grassy areas, whereas some areas without submerged vegetation are slightly stained due to recent rains. Water temps continue to rise, with readings in the low to upper 70s, depending on the area. Submerged vegetation, including hydrilla, milfoil and coontail, is growing rapidly in many areas and spreading in coverage and height. In addition, the lily pads are really starting to pop up and increase in density on the south end of Fork.
Location Pattern: I’m concentrating on coves and creeks that had the largest populations of spawning fish and starting there on the flats, creek channels, and points just outside the beds. I’m working out progressively deeper inside productive coves and fishing all of the cover and structure options from the backs of the creek out to the main lake summertime holes. Keep in mind that a lot of fish are suspended right now, so fish bottom bouncing lures while also checking for suspended fish with baits like jerkbaits and crankbaits. Once you try a few productive spawning creeks, you should have caught some fish and determined what types of cover, structure, and depths are holding the most fish. At that point, look for similar water around the lake and run the pattern. The fish are pretty scattered right now, so you’ll normally do better by fishing lots of good areas instead of camping on an area where you’ve caught a couple good fish. Again, with the fish being in a transition mode, you’ll need to repeat this process most days to stay in contact with the most active fish.
Presentation Pattern: As for your lure, let the cover and the depth of the bass you are fishing dictate your choice. With the fish being so spread out, virtually everything in your tackle box will catch fish at some point during May, so stay flexible. Following are the baits that have been working best for us this week. Early and late and on cloudy days, topwater baits like poppers and walking baits like a Zara Spook in shad colors will produce big fish and good numbers many days. Around shallow vegetation and pads, wacky rigged Lake Fork Twitch Worms and Magic Shads in green pumpkin and watermelon candy are working well. Texas rigged baits like Lake Fork Flippers in black neon or watermelon/red are also producing big bass when flipped to wood cover near grass or pads. Deep diving crankbaits like a Norman DD 22 in shad or bluegill patterns fished for suspended bass on points are producing some big fish and good numbers. Go with 10 lb test and hang on after you come through submerged treetops. Finally, Texas rigged and Carolina rigged Lake Fork Baby Creatures and Baby Ring Frys in watermelon and green pumpkin are catching bass in 12’ to 30’.
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 |
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