Matt Fly

this is the 4lb 12 oz

I had to help hold the rod due to being a little nervous after the first 4.5 lb hit. If i would have lost my rod i would have cried.

My challenge for August was to take a kid fishing who don't have the opportunity to go. Cesar is 8 years old, the youngest of five kids, Cesar has two sisters that are twins, and two other older sisters. Chris and I took Cesar to Lake Twakoni for some trolling for whites, hybrids, and stripers. Chris and I assisted Cesar for the four and half ours we were out, we didn't fish at all.

mattm, Do you ever get time to fish Fork? any others? Matt

Welcome to the forum shootermccob. Hookem Matt

Not sure at that age that tricks are what needs to be taught. Fundamentals. The team seemed pretty happy to have pulled it off. I would love to see that tried in the pros. Hookem Matt

I think the summer are some of the best fishing months on Lake Fork. Hard on fishermen this year, normally we have some windy days out there, but this year, with Junes rains that carried over into July, we have had very little wind all summer. With the current heat and lack of wind, its brutal on the fishermen on the water. We were out for 2 hrs only yesterday evening, only managed 7, 2-14 inchers, and the rest were 3.5 to 4.5 lbs. The better fish have been night bites lately. Matt

BEFC, Its easy to catch Hybrid fever, they are fun to catch, give you a work out, and pretty tasty also. Nice pics, and good to see Craig and you posting again. Hookem Matt

Tommy, We could work a deal on the new Triton. I'm afraid you might lose some friends fishing the pond with UT as a signature of the boat and Bevo riding shotgun. I would like to know if that special color of yours comes in any larger version, does any other worm companies have one even close to 10 plus inches. I'm not having any issues with my favorite, but have scored with your color on Fork also. I'm pumped and still got 29 days to go. Matt

Anytime soon Tommy, Chris and I have been on for the last month. Been taking some 22"+ fish every trip. Lots of toads up to 8lbs. I fished an open at night recently, I caught two legal fish that weighed in at 4.13, the other 13 weight 4.5+ up to 8lbs, and five ot those were all over 23 but under 24. My brush piles in the deep water are holding good fish. Can't wait for Sealy's to get here. I have only sampled a few areas briefly and my big worm bite is good, I haven't and won't shake a jig until Sealys in those areas. Hookem Matt Football is just around the corner.

yellow Magics. high end and they catch fish. Matt

Travel early and later than normal traffic hours and its not so bad. I only know 635 to 35 N, and up until last year, there was construction always going on. That area that bottle necked on 635 is moving better since completion. Now that the new Bass Pro Shop opened, i don't have as much need to travel towards Ft. Worth to the Grapevine BPS. Sorry you can't make it this weekend. I have 3 day tourney on Fork 14-16th, I also have Bassmasters on Fork on the 8th during Sept.. When you get the itch, give me a pm or shout out. We'll hook up. Matt

Very cool. Can't wait to see finished product. Matt

What kind of weed guard did your jigs have? I like texas rigged craws with a pegged sinker or screw lock weight that helps baits pull thru easier. What kind of jigs are you throwing? Matt

Pm sent. Lets go fishing this weekend. Alls you gotta do is drive about an hour and its on. I'll have the camera, you catch fish. Carrollton is about 40 minutes with no traffic from me. I'm east of Dallas/Mesquite on the edge of Terrell and I 20. Matt

Pm's sent out. Any body want my back seat on fork this weekend? Nights? early or late? By the way, I took Tommy, aka the Catt, up on his offer in June to come fish Toledo Bend. Some others need to take him up on his offer. We did fish, we caught fish, and with Tommy's help, he gave me an area that earned me a $900.00 check that same week. Hookem Matt

I have had great fishing just hours before the leading edge of a front that hits or passes, Sometimes they may feed days before or hours before. I think temps plays an important issue on how much the fishing turns off. There is a difference on fronts that pass with an 80 water temp, and fronts that pass when temps are boderline frigid. No matter were a bass is located in the water column, we all agree the lateral line detects pressure, thus the advice at night and other times to throw somethng that generates vibration so fish can locate the bait. The pressure exerted upon the water by passing storms effects a fish. Just how bad depends on where a fish resides. Deep or shallow. Shallow fish just sometimes bury up or set on bottom lethargically, where as fish in deep water sometimes adjust by moving up or down a few inches in the water column to adjust to the pressure the atomosphere has exerted against their swim bladder. Matt

I would say adding a ice chest and piping it would be the easiest. Two pumps, one for recirc, and one to fill. What is nice about customized livewells are: you can rig an extra hose with weight on the end to pull water that is cooler in the summer from deeper areas which gives you cooler water over the hotter surface temps. Cooler water aides in fish survival in livewell in the heat of summer. When not keeping fish, it doubles as an extra cooler or storage. Can be easily removed if not needed. Can be used as bait well also. Matt

BassCat Pantera w/200, and its paid for. Matt

You can find them at most boat dealers, if not, BassCat boats has them on their website. Just google basscat boats and that should get you there. Installation should be easy with no pre-existing holes. For boats that have had old shocks stripped out, I have seen guys make a 4x4 inch plate to cover old holes and mount new plate on lid for new metal surface to screw into. Matt.

Add weight to one side of the bait, like using the old suspending dots, and it will walk to one side when enough weight is added. Matt

I always go to my confidence color, which is what works for me. When that doesn't work, I try to take the time of year, and what is supposed to be happening and match that. For instance, post spawn, lizzards are known nest raiders, and bass hate lizzards even though you don't see them on your lake, they eat'em. I like pumkins and chartruesse. Watermelon seed, red flake, or candy which is a blue gill color all catch fish in Texas. After post spawn, the blue gills, brim, perch, also known as nest raiders, begin their spawn rituals, and bass love easy meals, so blue gill patterns shallow works well. Summer kicks off with shad colors, normally some chrome colors. Normal green patterns for shallows, and as I go deep, I like darker colors, Junebugs, plums, tequillas, Redbugs, and standard black and blue fleck. As the water cools, and winter comes, black and blue jigs with hints of red, lizzards, and red traps seem to work well. If you polled everones color that they say works, you'll get a variety of colors for different regions, and most of those are strictly what works for individuals, it our confidence baits. At times, colors matter, at times, color doesn't matter as much as the way the bait is rigged or presented. Experience on the water will solve parts of the puzzle as experience is gained. Then color doesn't seem as important as being in the right spots and putting the bait in the right situations. Matt

I know a female at Fork that is just waiting for Russ to bring his skinny butt back. She's is waiting to do a little dance across the water for him. Matt

Powerworms get my vote. Matt

I think Avid hit the nail on the head first time around. One of the most important aspects of walking the dog is the loop knot or flemish knot that does not get cinched up all the way on the eye. Guys mention slack, but the right slack needed to give a walking type bait the action needed is in the tie. If I cinch a knot on the eye tight, I can't walk on to save my life with a good cadence. You give me a flemish or loop knot and I'll walk that thing all day with spinning gear or open faced bait caster. Matt