Mike and Sandy caught a lot of good ones:
Wayne and his son Mike caught some big ones, including Mike's biggest bass ever:
7.5 lb pound jerkbait bass:
Lake Fork is rebounding nicely after a major cold front dropped our water temps by 10 to 15 degrees. Although our numbers slowed this week, big fish are still being caught and another wave of spawning fish seem to be pulling up shallow with the recent warming trend. A couple of 13 pounders were donated to the ShareLunker program on Wednesday and we found prespawn fish this week on the first break near spawning areas. In contrast, a few early spawners are ahead of schedule and already starting to show up in typical May areas. Meanwhile, newly flooded vegetation is starting to hold a lot of bass and should make for awesome frog and buzzbait action very soon. Whether you want to fish prespawn, spawn, or postspawn patterns, you have a good shot at a lunker on Fork right now.
Lake Conditions: Lake Fork's water level is currently reading 401.78', about 1' 3" below full pool. After a big rain and a few windy days, some areas are still stained but much of the lake is starting to clear up. Water temps fell dramatically after a strong cold front, dropping from the low 70s into the upper 50s. Temps are on the rise again, holding in the low 60s in most places.
Location Pattern: For prespawn bass, concentrate on points, creek channels, treelines, and inside or outside grass lines near shallow spawning flats. In many cases, we've caught multiple fish from very small areas, so really work an area over once you've caught a fish there. Spawning activity has spread from protected bays and typically in the very back ends of creeks all the way to the mouths of creeks as well as onto some main lake flats. Basically, if you can find a 2' to 8' flat with ample grass and wood cover, you'll likely find spawning fish right now.
Presentation Pattern: For late prespawn bass, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, jigs and Texas rigs are producing some big fish. Go with gold jerkbaits on cloudy days, while silver color schemes work better on sunny days. Work these baits with a few twitches and long pauses. For a real prespawn monster, pitching heavy cover along the first breakline and creek channels is the way to go. I go with a 3/8 oz Mega Weight green pumpkin jig with a Lake Fork Craw trailer in the watermelon candy color. For the Texas rig, I'll pitch a Lake Fork Flipper or Top Dog Lizard in green pumpkin or watermelon/chartreuse with a 1/8 to 3/8 oz bullet weight and slowly work it around cover. For bass that have moved onto spawning flats, weightless Texas rigged or wacky rigged soft plastic jerkbaits like Magic Shads, Live Magic Shads, Twitch Worms, and Ring Frys become your best option. Once again, shades of green pumpkin and watermelon are top colors in clearer areas. In muddier water, try Junebug color plastics or use chartreuse dyed tails on your baits for more bites.
For spawning bass, white or watermelon Dog Lizards, Flippers and Craw Tubes work great. White baits allow you to clearly see your bait on the bed, while more natural shades of green are often needed to catch the more finicky bass. My favorite is the Lake Fork Baby Craw. Its tiny size and realistic look catch many bass that will run off the bed when bigger baits are pitched in there.
Lake Baccarac Update: The spawn is winding down and postspawn fishing is the main pattern right now at Baccarac. Numbers are still running strong, with several 10s weighed in this week. As the big girls set up on summertime patterns, look for the giant fish to start showing up again shortly, as May is historically one of the best trophy bass months. There are still a few openings left for this season, while the fall and winter of 2007/2008 are booking very quickly. Anyone interested in fishing Baccarac next season should start finalizing their plans soon, as the lodge only holds 24 anglers and many of the premium dates are already booked solid. For more info on a trip to Baccarac, please check out my website: http://www.bigmexicobass.com .
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 http://www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com , where your satisfaction is guaranteed.
Good Fishing,
Tom