Winter time fishing is here on Lake Fork. With the weather changing so much in the last week the water temp has dropped into the 40s the numbers are way down but the size we are catching is up! If you are looking to catch a Bass of a lifetime Lake Fork is were you will want to spend your time on the water. Now is the time of year Lake Fork starts to give up the real Trophy Bass, the fishing can be tough with these cold fronts, but the rewards can be big. So far in December Lake Fork has produced some huge bass a 15.02 and one over 13 and this is just the start of the season, I think this is just a preview of what is to come now through the spring months. I am looking for 2013 to be a great year here on Lake Fork, the lake is in great shape and the grass is making a come back.
This past week most of the bass we have caught have been on lipless, and shallow diving crank baits, red and crawfish colors have been the best for me, water depth 3 to 8 feet over the grass. Good places to try are the north banks of Big and Little Mustang, and Williams Creek, also the west bank of Running Creek, and in Coffee Creek, a lot of good grass to fish in these areas right now, Long Branch is also good now and it is well protected from the wind. The key right now is to cover as much water as you can the bass are scattered right now therefore, when you go down a bank turn around and fish it again, with this cold water the bass are not chasing the bait you have to get it close to them before they will hit it.
By the middle of the month and through February this pattern will be red hot!. Right now I am using 15lb test line and a high-speed reel on a 7ft medium action rod, a medium to fast retrieve has worked best for me. Most of the bass are just stopping the bait almost like you hit a stump, so at first don't assume you have hung up If the bait stops go ahead and set the hook. Throughout the day we have had a lot of short hits, so it is very important to have sharp hooks. I always change the hooks on all of my crank baits, the ones right out of the box on most baits just will not do, this pattern is a lot of hard work so do not lose a big fish over a bad hook. Also when casting this much don't forget to re-tie your bait several times in a day, it's easy not to re-tie but it will save you the frustration of losing a big bass, because you had a nick in your line.
We are also catching some good quality bass on a ½ oz black and blue jig with a black salty chunk trailer. Fishing a Jig this time of year will produce some big bass, you will not get a lot of bites but when you do it will be worth the time! The weather can be miserable but I always look forward to this time of year, because the next cast you make could be that bass of a lifetime. All of you that are serious about catching a trophy bass, mid January and February are hard to beat here on lake fork, these big pre-spawn bass will be feeding up before they start to get on the beds in March. I am now booking 2013 spring trips and lodging book now for best available dates. You can reach me on my Cell 903-629-5085 or 903-629-7699 or check out my web site at www.lakeforktexasfishingreports.com
Good Fishing,
David Vance's
Lake Fork Guide Service