Greetings Fishing Freaks!

I wanted to share my story of a great day on Lake Fork on December 12. I had fished there two weeks before on the day before Thanksgiving. I had a decent, but not great day catching four fish, with the largest being about 3-3 1/2 pounds.

I asked my wife for an early (and only) Christmas gift of going back out to Fork in search of a "lunker" before the end of the year. I contacted the same guide I used before Thanksgiving, My. John Tanner. I highly recommend John if you are thinking of fishing fork with a guide.

It was 38 degrees and misty raining when we left the dock at 8:00 a.m. It wound up being a fairly miserable morning, both weather wise and fishing wise. I caught one fish, a 4 1/2 pounder in the morning. That was the only fish caught between us before we headed in early for lunch.

After drying out and warming up over lunch, we headed back out. I wound up catching 3 more fish over the next few hours, all pretty decent between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 pounds. The entire day we fished red/crawdad 1/2 oz. Rattlr's and ripping it through the grass in shallow water. We headed late for what I knew would be the last spot to fish for the day, a channel with homes and boat docks along one side. I made a silent prayer looking skyward as we headed towards this spot, that the Good Lord would let me catch one more fish, and if it was possible a "big-un". After 45 minutes or so, I cast to a spot along the shore where a concrete drainage ramp came down from the property and into the lake. The lure came to a stop, and I set the hook. When the fish surfaced, I could see what looked like a pretty big head on it. After lipping it into the boat, I had bagged a 7 pounder, and over the 24" slot limit on Fork. After snapping a few photos, we turned her loose to be caught another day. I wound up catching a 5 fish limit of approx. 20 pounds including the 7 pounder. Not a bad day weight wise on what was a pretty crappy day of cold and wet weather in mid December in Texas. John wound up getting shut out for the day, but I feel certain he was glad I caught five and him zero, versus the other way around. John is great company, and a good Christian man. John will be fishing some tournaments again this year on the FLW Tour, and I wish him all the best and will pray for his success. John finished 7th at Guntersville last year in a FLW event.

I've attached one photo of my "lunker". I hope to get back out with John this spring and see if I can top my personal best. What a great day I had at Lake Fork!

Jim Whelan

Hurst, Texas

Welcome and thanks for sharing.

Congrats man...

And Im headin over to Fork April 7-11, so hopefully I can get bit too!!

Great fish hoss.  Congrats.  I hope to hit Fork in March-ish.  1st time I'll be back since being skunked there as a little kid... Turns out it was the day after a BASS tourney!  This time the Lake wont be so lucky and I wont be so forgiving!

Fish On!!!