Answering Avid On How I fish Lake Fork

[BassChaser57]

This in response to a question posed by Avid about my successes at Lake Fork so I thought I would post it for others, hope it helps.

Before I went to Lake Fork the first time I asked Larry Nixon how to fish Lake Fork and he said to get away from the bank and find underwater humps or structure. There are so many bank beaters the fish are really spooky. When I got there I fished the bank without much success (except for sight fishing) so I started looking for underwater structure. Most all of my fish have been caught in 5' to 30' of water with the 30' being on the edges of underwater points with shad balls on the points with the bass holding at the edge on the deepwater side. It is a chart and electronics exercise to find these points and shad balls but when you do your success rate skyrockets.

Another way I have had success is to find an area where a creek or better yet a creek bend goes by a flat. The bass will hold in the creek and swim up on the flat to the dinner table. There is so much cover on Fork it is tough to figure out where to target so I cast where more than one tree/stump comes out of the same root system and the bass will be buried in the middle of the cover or a tree that is more horizontal so the bass could get under it. It might take several casts to a hot spot to get her to bite but those are high percentage spots.  I have had most success on slow moving baits like jigs and plastics. I use natural colored jigs and plastics fished slowly. I believe it is the presentation more than the kind of jig or plastic you use that will make you successful. I have been in small coves behind guide boats fishing fast baits where they caught nothing and with proper targeting fishing the green jig slowly I was able to catch multiple 6, 7 and 8lb bass. My 10 pounder came from two trees growing together forming a V in 10' of water 100 yards from the bank.

If you have to fish something fast, try a rattle trap ticking submerged grass. When the trap hits and breaks loose from the grass it jumps erratically and that is when it will get hammered. I have heard it said on Fork that if you are not cussing grass, you are not in the bass and I believe that to be a true statement.

Fork is so huge with so many places that look fishy, figuring a place to start is a daunting task. Target the high percentage spots. I believe most general areas of the lake produce well so I generally do not run far, I try to learn a few coves very well. This helps me learn where the 10% of areas are that hold 90% of the fish. This has worked so well I will stick to what has been catching fish.

Hopefully this will help and good fishing.

Bass Chaser57

8-)

[justtrying]

thanks for the post basschaser,

That, sir, was a Great, Informative, post.

ronnie

[Guest avid]

Outstanding report.  Very specific, direct and not too many big words.  

[BassChaser57]

thanks guys -- eye kant spel bg wurds  8-)

Good fishing and let me know how it works.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Great post Kevin but I'd rather have you come show us in person!!!  

Can't you just make a wrong turn over Canada and land at Ft Worth?  Blame it on the electronics?

[BassChaser57]

Sure I can --In my business I can do anything once, if I live thru it and don't get fired --maybe even twice.  

I would love to come down with you guys and gals but it doesn't look like it is in the cards this year. I have some of my vacation during the full moon in April, and I have a friend that lives about 10 miles from Lake Amistad so I probably will Fish Fork on the way, go to his place to shoot javalinas and fish Amistad, then fish a day or two at Fork on the way home. Sounds like a good trip to me. Time will tell. Still trying to get Tera (the wife) into the new house this winter. I am working day and night to get it done before spawning season---ummm----bass spawning season.

I have 2 more weeks vacation during the full moon in June to go to Canada on that smallie/Northern/Walleye trip. It sure would have been convienient to have been born rich as work sure does get in the way of good fishing.

8-)

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Ain't that the truth!