I'd really like some opinions from big bass hunters from all over the country:
I have been doing a lot of reading lately on big bass and always had come to the conclusion that monsters were always heaviest during late prespawn and early spawn due to eggs. The last 2 springs I focused on bedfishing, cruising less obvious places for big fish on beds. It paid off with a 10.85 and an 11.16 (2 days apart last spring) but as soon as the lake hit post spawn I went back to my old dink fest finesse tatics.
On Fork almost all of the real "monsters" (13lb+) come during Mid/Late March (around full moon)
Last year I weighed (not caught, weighmaster) to a high 13lber and mid 14lber during June...and the year before a 15.65 was caught in September. I had always thought in the back of my head that the fish would have been 1-3lbs heavier in spring, but after reading Doug Hannons book maybe the increased fishing pressure (I'd say 10 times what it is during the summer) in spring is what is responsible for the numbers of big fish. With so many big fish forced in the shallows to spawn, it is just a matter of time before a bank beater throws to a big fish and lands her.
The second biggest bass from Fork came in Late November
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/budsharelunker/archives/lunkerdetails.phtml?fishid=1
and the largest in January
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/budsharelunker/archives/lunkerdetails.phtml?fishid=105
Here is a full list of the SAL Program that runs October 1 to April 31, take a look at the length girth:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/budsharelunker/archives/lunkersearch_water.phtml?wcode=0433
What confuses me is the frame of the fish that are caught in the spawn, most are 24.5-26 inches long with a wide girth. I weighed several fish in the heat of the summer that were 28-29" long and tapped out in the 12lb range, even one SICKLY one eyed fish (some freaky bug eyes) that went 30.5" that weighed a sad 10lbs. Only god knows what she weighed before she started going down hill.
Fork is not really a numbers lake most of the year, we are known for the size and have a restrictive 16-24" slot. Not to mention everyone (locals, guides, most merchants) really frown on the use of livebait. In its prime back in the late 80's early 90's there were 2 fish over 20lbs found floating and a 19lber after sharp freezes during the winter. I know the genetics are here, I know the possibility of a 20lber on Fork is real...but the fish would probably not be 20lbs year around.
Doug Hannon says to focus shallow around grass, then the complete oppisite from Murphy and other Cali guys on deep water. I've thrown the hudds and massive 14" worms with limited success for the amount of time I've put into it. I have polled a ton of the big bass guides and locals on Fork for the last 6 months and I have a good area where to start, only problem is the area covers about 2000 acres and is THE MOST heavily pressured area of the lake.
I'm kinda unsure where to go from here...any thoughts or opinions would be great.
