LAKE FORK

There are various reports, make sure you check them all!

Report by David Vance
Lake Fork Report: August 14, 2008

This weather change has been nice and now we are finely getting some rain, and it has turned the fishing on the last few days. There has been an early top water bite that has been good for about an hour and a half each morning, a shad colored Pop-R has worked best for me. This top water action has been on main lake points in 15-25 ft. of water where the bass are chasing the shad to the top. After these bass go down we have been using a 1/4 ounce Jig Head with a smoking shad Fluke, this works great to catch the bigger bass that are suspended. The bass are really starting to school all over the lake and when you get into these schooling bass you can catch them cast after cast. Right now I am keeping one rod rigged with a 1/4 ounce Little George, this is one of the best schooling baits you can have in the boat and you can cast it a mile. When the schooling activity slows down we are switching to a Carolina Rig working the edges of the deeper grass lines and main lake humps and roadbeds. Right now I am using a 1-ounce weight with a 4-ft. leader and a watermelon seed Fluke on a 7-foot medium heavy action Lake Fork Pro Series Rod. Areas that have been productive are the 2946 and 514 roadbeds also the mouth of White Oak, Pinson and Wolfe has been good.

With the above patterns we are averaging 30-40 bass a day. Aug. Sept. Oct. are great months for schooling bass on lake fork

I am now booking fall and spring dates. Book early to get the best available dates! Call 903-629-7699 cell 903-629-5085 or check out my web site http://www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com

Good Fishing
David Vance

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Report from Richie White
Lake Fork Fishing Guide Texas
Updated 08/09/2008

Night fishing on Lake Fork has been slower than usual all summer. Fortunately, we have been catching some nice ones just about every trip so it hasn't been too bad. We've boated several in the 7-8 pound range lately. But we are having periods every night where we go hours without a bite. Don't expect a lot of bites and be prepared to miss a lot of bites if you are quick to set the hook. They haven't been hitting worms like normal. They are pulling them down without putting the whole worm in their mouth. Inexperienced anglers who take too long to set the hook are doing better than the veterans. Unfortunately, with a lot of gut-hooked fish. I hope to see things back to normal soon. Last year, the August full moon was awesome.

The morning bite is decent. There doesn't seem to be as many little fish biting as usual, but we are getting several blow ups most every morning and an occasional big fish. At night, 10" black/blue power worms and jigs in black/red flake and black/blue tipped with a berkley chigger craw.

I started a series of articles from the Basslog for Bassmaster this month. I just checked and they still have me in the rotation on the home page of Bass Insider - see http://proxy.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/members/insider/index for an article on jig fishing. If you miss it, I just noticed you can go to espn.com and type Richie White in the search box and that article is the first thing listed.

I didn't get a great morning bite yesterday, but I expect that to change soon. The later it gets in the summer, the better the first light bite. See our recent pics. Check out my new guide booking site at www.fishingguidenow.com. Book online at Book online

If you would like to receive my fishing reports by email, go to the fishing report request form on my site. All you need is your name and email address. If you are receiving reports by email and wish to discontinue receiving them, simply reply to the email and request to discontinue.

Good fishing and good luck. You can't catch them if you don't go.

Professional Guide
Richie White
(903) 439-2266

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Report by Lake Fork Day and Night Guide Service
Guide Clint Wright
www.siteskins.com/lakeforkdayandnight
20+ years of Lake Fork experience

"Lets go fishing"
Lake Fork Report: July 27, 2008

Lake Level: Fork: Full
Water Clarity: Main Lake is clear. Most creeks are clear too.
Water temp: The water temps have varied around 88 degrees.
Weather: Highs in upper 90’s - 100 this next week.

News: The McDonalds and Berkley Tournaments are right around the corner. Be sure to book your pre-fishing trips, rooms etc. ahead of time. My 2005 Triton TR-21 with a Mercury 225 Optimax is for sale. Call for details. If you would like to come join me this fall for some great top water fishing, I still have some dates available.

Fishing Report - Lake Fork:

Day Report: I like to start a trip an hour or so before daylight. The big fish really go into a feeding frenzy during that first and last hour of darkness this time of year. I have found a worm that these big fish love. The new Gene Larew El Salto Special is a 12 inch worm and it’s catching fish for us from 1lb. - 10 lbs. Throw this worm until first light on the edge of grass. It is a good idea to keep a Sebile Magic Swimmer or a Sebile Splasher on the deck for the occasional schooling fish. I would keep this rod out all day, just in case they come up close. Then switch to a Revenge Jig in Green Pumpkin Chameleon and start moving out deeper and deeper. This new Revenge Jig and a Sweet Beaver makes for a deadly combination. I have ever used a jig that looks this realistic in the water. Here lately I have just been Trophy hunting and it has worked out on many days. Most of my day fish are in 20 - 50 ft. of water. During the middle of the day, I will head out to the deep water and catch dropshot fish on mainlake structure. This past Friday, Dana Deason, fished with me and he had a great afternoon with a stringer at over 40 pounds. Dana had this stringer in less than 30 minutes on a deep diving crankbait. 30 - 40 fish days can be common if you downsize to a dropshot, but I have avoided this pattern as many of these places are stacked up with 1 - 4 lb fish, no big ones. Trophy hunting with big baits can cut your numbers drastically, but it can pay off big time. Depending on how the fish are set up on the off shore structure, I usually have each client throw something different and let the fish talk to me. If you mark fish on the bottom, fish on the bottom. If you mark the fish suspended, fish suspended. Deep water is pretty simple, you just have to use the process of elimination and keep an open mind.

Folks the night fishing is great this time of year. I have much confidence in catching fish over 10 pounds during the summer at night. I use only a handful of baits. I’ll Texas rig a Reaction Innovations big unit or swim a Revenge jig.

Tips: Drink plenty of water. Wear your Costa Del Mar sunglasses and use a spotlight at night, not just your GPS.

I would like to invite you out to Lake Fork on a professional guided fishing trip. All you really need to go fishing with me is a fishing license. I provide rods, reels, tackle etc. at no extra charge. Digital Photos of your fish will be taken and will be emailed to you at no charge.

Thanks to my sponsors Gotcha Distributing, Reaction Innovations, Revenge Jigs, Sebile, Arkie, Power Pro Fishing Line, Seagaur Fishing Line, Gene Lareu, Custom Angle Moby bass rods Oak Ridge Marina and Hideaway Harbor Marina. I must also thank the Texas Parks and Wildlife for their efforts in keeping this lake great.

Feel free to contact me anytime via email lakeforkdayandnight@yahoo.com or by phone 903-918-9469 if you ever have any questions about Lake Fork or to book your next guided fishing trip on this fine fishery. We hope to see you soon!

Lake Fork Day and Night Guide Service
Guide Clint Wright
www.siteskins.com/lakeforkdayandnight

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Report from Tom Redington
www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com
July 24, 2008

It is the normal summertime scenario on Lake Fork-lots of hot days and a lot of hot fishing action. Fishing has been good for numbers most days with some big fish mixed in, like the 10 lb 4 oz and 8 lb lunkers we had on our last trip. It appears that the thermocline has developed as usual and many bass are now scattered or suspended, often making for smaller schools that are concentrated in small key locations. The big bass seemed to be mixed in with a lot of smaller bass, so watch your depth finder closely until you find a school, then work them over thoroughly until you’ve caught every bass in the area.

Lake Conditions: A couple weeks without significant rains has Fork’s water level slowly dropping, but still in great shape for the summer. The lake level is currently reading 403.21’ (about 3” above full pool). Most of the lake is now clear, with some stained water on the north ends. Water temps are normal for the summer, reading anywhere from 84 to 89 in the main lake. As the water continues to drop, the expansive hydrilla and milfoil beds are starting to mat up, which should make for good fishing later this summer and fall.

Location Pattern: Early and late, I’m finding good bass feeding on points and flats near or in the main lake. These fish are mostly in 8’ to 15’, often around the deep edge of the hydrilla or milfoil. Deep structure like points, humps, and roadbeds in 18’ to 30’ continues as my main pattern, producing both good numbers and size. Some days these bass are suspended and other days they’re on the bottom. Many of these schools have been small and are relating to a few pieces of isolated cover, so watch your depth finder closely.

Presentation Pattern: First thing in the morning, I’m working shallow grass on the main lake and in the 1st half of creeks. Pitch a 3/8 oz Mega Weight jig or a Texas rigged 8” or 10” worm a few feet inside the deep weedline and work it out slowly. I’m using a green pumpkin/black or a watermelon seed jig with a watermelon/red flake Fork Craw trailer, and a watermelon/red or green pumpkin Fork Worm on the Texas rig.

Out deeper, Carolina rigs, drop shots, jigs, and Texas rigs are catching bass from schools located near the bottom on deep structure. I go with a green pumpkin or watermelon red Twitch Worm or 10” Fork Worms for Texas rigs. Meanwhile, watermelon candy, watermelon/red, or green pumpkin Baby Fork Creatures, Ring Frys, and Twitch Worms are on the business end of my Carolina rigs. Drop shots will catch good numbers of fish and the occasional big bass, rigged with a watermelon or green pumpkin Twitch Worm. 1/2 oz Mega Weight jigs with matching Fork Craws are also catching some big bass out deep. When the bass are suspended, swimbaits, spoons, or deep diving crankbaits in shad or yellow bass patterns are working better than the bottom presentations, and catching some lunkers too.

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 my web site, where your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Good Fishing, Tom

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