Matt Fly

I take a break from Bass fishing once in awhile by targeting other species like whites, stripers, hybrids, or crappie. Sometimes catching supper does the trick. Matt

First off, I like a bait I can see if that is possible, bright colors, usually white. I like using the 3X Strike King Floating plastics with a 1/4 oz Carolina weight. Using that weight allows the bait to float off bottom, and by using subtle twitches, the bait looks as if it is nose diving the eggs. killer technique. Matt.

Every once in awhile, I would like fresh catfish, so I will chunk a gulp on Fork. Never fails to put a nice 3-4 channel in the boat. Matt.

A few years ago on Rayburn, our camping buddies thought they had the jump on us and took off from camp to be in line at the ramp early. We tried to flash them down with our lights, they wouldn't stop. Once at the ramp, we told them they forgot to unplug the charger. They thought we just wanted to pass them. We did stop for the extension cord, but the charger was "lets say" busted up after it flew off the back of the boat at 55 mph. Tpayneful, thanks for sharing that, I think we all have had brain lapses once in awhile. Matt.

I agree with Glenn. I'll lay my stuff out in open area. I like to take each event on a trip thru a dry run. I start with the vehicle that will be making trip, then camping supplies, and etc.... I like it writen down or entered on a word docuement for printing off each trip. Every detail down to matches for lighting a stove. Once each item is loaded for the trip and visually seen, I cross it off my list. Some might think thats extreme, but imagine making a trip to Lake Fork (flying in) and forget to pack your reels for the trip. Matt

I still think its more the action than the bait it self. I'm an old zara spook kind of guy. One of the most important subtleties of throwing a walking bait is tieing the bait on correctly. A loop knot or flemish knot allows the bait to perform the best. A knot that is cinched down doesn't give the bait the freedom it needs to be worked true. Hookem Matt.

Well lunchbox, can you give us some details like where? As you can see, we come from all walks of life and promise not to hole set for more than 5 days. LOL Thats what is nice about Fork, any creek, any area, any MOOK can catch one. Matt

Short story, Another company took over, I inherited another hospital in Dallas, and a third is being renovated in Grand Praire to be opened in Jun/July. Been working 6-7 days and nights. I'm the only Biomedical Engineer on the payroll. Fork is on like Donkey Kong. I do plan on being out there, just don't know how much time I will have. That depends on what breaks and when. Hookem Matt

ShareLunker No. 433 Caught by David Reavis of Sand Springs, OK March 10, 2007 in Lake Fork 13.24 pounds, length 24.25 inches, girth 21 inches Bait/Lure: Water Body Record? No Day of Week: Sat Moon Phase: LQ-2 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAL #432 ShareLunker No. 432 Caught by Michael Gray of Murphy, TX March 10, 2007 in Lake Fork 15.32 pounds, length 26.75 inches, girth 22.5 inches Bait/Lure: white tube jig Water Body Record? No Day of Week: Sat Moon Phase: LQ-2 This was probably a bedding fish. Matt

SAL #431 comes from Choke Canyon lake located south of San Antonio. I'm very surprised that this is the first in along time from Choke. Last few years, team and individual tourneys have required 30+ lbs to win a one day tourney, and even hitting the 20 lb mark has been no quarantee of getting a check. On average of 35 places paid, you needed close to 25 to get a check. Josh Kellers secret is out!!!!! ShareLunker No. 431 Caught by Dennis Weaver of Seguin, TX March 10, 2007 in Choke Canyon Reservoir 14.478 pounds, length 26 inches, girth 21.125 inches Bait/Lure: Water Body Record? No Day of Week: Sat Moon Phase: LQ-2

Sharelunker #430 comes from a private lake in Texas. Jesse Roberson, age 9, with his dad Jim Roberson ShareLunker No. 430 Caught by Jesse Roberson of Goldthwaite, TX March 9, 2007 in Private Lake near Goldthwaite 15.54 pounds, length 27.125 inches, girth 21.5 inches Bait/Lure: plastic crayfish Water Body Record? No Day of Week: Fri Moon Phase: LQ-3

Lake Fork Kicked out another! #429 ShareLunker No. 429 Caught by Stephen Carey of Fords, NJ March 3, 2007 in Lake Fork 13.23 pounds, length 25.5 inches, girth 21 inches Bait/Lure: half-ounce Rat-L-Trap Water Body Record? No Day of Week: Sat Moon Phase: F

Don't get the Black bag from Academy, its okay during cooler weather, but long weigh-in lines in the summer and direct sunlight will warm the water up fast and take Oxygen out of the water fast. Matt.

What days? Matt

Stats for any fishing could be as you say a "little fishy" and it don't matter what state you hail from, fishermen are just that, fishermen. EARLY TO BED, EARLY TO RISE, FISH LIKE HELL, AND MAKE UP LIES. For the most part, I do believe the Texas Parks and Wildlife Stats to be very close. Its no secret that the jig is one of the most productive baits thrown at Fork or any number of Timber/Grass filled lakes. As for most lakes, it not a secret on what baits to throw, its what holes to throw them off into. The area is more of a secret than the bait!!!!!!!!!! Hookem Matt

I don't exactly make a new map cause the lakes I fish have commercial maps in production, but I do make notes and draw upon them for added info. Matt

Congrats to the in-law. Does he have a name so we can follow him? Matt

If I was to do a comparison just on Fork alone and its 200+ SAL's, I would bet the jig would be tops on Fork. Also noticed what guides from Fork have caught their SAL's on and I am compiling those stats also. Brush Hogs and such were not mentioned as much as I thought they would be. The lizzard was mentioned more than any of the creature baits. I love to pitch and flip craw worms Texas rigged. Most of those craw worms were early years, 80's to early 90's. The tube jig was mentioned a few times, I just classified them a jig. Plastics were classified as plastic baits, most just mentioned "a plastic worm". The grub was mentioned a few times also. Mainly associated with a jighead. Black and Blue's dominated colors for jigs and plastics. In general, dark colors. Hookem Matt

I have searched over 20 years of Sharelunker records. Most of you know that from Oct. 1, thru April 30th, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will take Bass that weigh 13lbs or more for spawning and research studies aiding in the pursuit of larger bass. Jigs have accounted for 93 Sal's Shinners/minnows 20 Spinnerbaits 42 Chatter Box? 2 Don't recall what a chatter box is. Jigging Spoon 7 Top water 2 Senko 8 Long A or Jerk baits 8 Sluggos 7 Lizzard/brush hogs/ creature baits, and lizzards dominated by name 66 Worm/plastics 61 Shad rap 3 Crankbaits 13 buzzbait 1 swimbaits 2 craw worms 23 rattle traps/vibes 11 Water Dogs 13 crappie jigs 3 AC Plug 1 Bass bug? 3 I have accounted of approx. 398 out of 427 entries, the others did not list the bait it was caught on. Lake Fork accounts for 230 of the entries that comes from 55 public lakes and 12 private waters. Some food for thought for those that are making the March trip. Hookem Matt

Catt, you and I have the trees to look at also. What is the old phrase in East Texas, when the Dogwoods start to blossom, the spawn is usually on. Matt

Spawn should be no problem, ie....... go up the creeks and look shallow when the time comes. Walmart and other places sell temp gauges that float and can be tossed over board for surface temps. What do I look for without electronics. Grass always dies in the winter, but if you find coots feeding in the shallows, you can always find the greeniest grass with the aid of coots. Grass = bass anytime. Birds are a good sign of some type of bait fish being driven to the top. Presence of baitfish is good sign of bass won't be far off. A good string line on an old Penn reel with knots tied in it or painted makes an easy depth gauge. Paint or tie knots in intervals of 3 ft or five feet. This time of the year when shad are deep on Tx lakes, look for school of Commorants feeding in open water, they will also mark deeper schools of shad. I also like to observe the surrounding area of the lake. If I can drive a road that covers the area of the lake, I can get an idea of what the lake looks like from observing the outlying hills, where a creek inters the lake, and old road bed that ends in the lake. Where powerlines cross, pipelines, old roads, there are usually rightaways that have been cleared before the lake was filled, so be observant of what lays outside the lakes can give you an idea of what is where. Learning to identify dead trees can pinpoint creek channel, humps and other contours just by knowing thatcertain trees grow in sandy soils, or along the bottoms of creeks. Learning what tree grows where can save you lots of time when looking for a hump in the middle of the lake and only a grove of dead tree is above water. The biggest, fattest trees most likely will always be next to an wet area ....ie a creek channel or old river bed. There is lot of info that can be deciphered before ever looking at a map or electronics. Use the wind, if its been out of one direction for days, then the wind blown points would be good starting spot. Also, in our neck of the woods, you can almost look at the trees, when dogwoods start bloosoming in East Texas, the bass are on the beds about the same time. Hope some of these tips helps. Matt

Not to be arguementitive, but are they just getting by, or are they doing pretty well? Two statements, two different meanings. Which is it? There are lots of pros who have been on tour for 10 years, 15 yrs, and 20+, and they haven't stopped due to lack of funds over the years when bass fishing was truly in its lean years. I think some could walk away right now and not have to ever work another day. By the way, on another site, it shows winnings in 2006, over 60 anglers are listed to have made over 100K for 2006. That is winnings, and has nothing to do with sponsorship monies, or percentage of product sold, or seminars. 27 of them are BASS. Matt

Cisco is in between Abilene and Mineral Wells along I-20. Location: On Sandy Creek 55 miles east of Abilene and 5 miles north of Cisco Surface area: 1,050 acres Maximum depth: 70 feet Impounded: 1923 Matt

Ish Monoroe hasn't been one of the top money guys for years until this last season, yet he can afford to buy some top dollar land in Texas and build another home. (Vacation home at that). I don't think those numbers are even close to what they really do make. Theres alot more money being made than reported to us. Just how many of those guys show their true earnings? Kind of like Marcia Rubin on here talking about what sponsor do and don't do, yet actual numbers are never mentioned, so just how factual can BassMaster Magazine be? Its taboo to discuss deals, why would BASS be any different? Matt