Would You Rather Fish Fork Or Clear Lake

[clh121787]

What would you rather spend a week on? Anyone have experience on both?

[gobig]

Never fished both but what I can tell you is the right time of year at Clearlake 30lbs won't cut a check.

[Wayne P.]

Fork has a slot limit of 16"-24". If you fish a tournament there, you won't be weighing in any fish between 3 and 9 pounds.

Fished it many times.

 

Anticipating the early morning topwater bite at Fork:

 

[Shanes7614]

Fork has a slot limit of 16"-24". If you fish a tournament there, you won't be weighing in any fish between 3 and 9 pounds.

Fished it many times.

Anticipating the early morning topwater bite at Fork:

That place looks yummy!!!!!

[clh121787]

I just fished clear lake for the first time today going back tomorrow. The sight fishing is unreal. Unlike anything I've experienced.super clear until the algae bloom at mid day. Bed fish 4 pound fry gaurders and it's almost July. Lots of fun.

[clh121787]

Fork

[Basseditor]

When?

Right now Fork has a bunch of newly flooded brush etc.

I've been on both. You're going to have good and bad days on either.

Fork fishes surprisingly good on hot summer days most of the time.

I like both but Fork wins by a little.

[Bluebasser86]

Clear Lake is more appealing to me.

[iceintheveins]

Never fished either, would probably pick LF because Texas puts boaters and anglers through fewer hassles to fish and it's a better state for liberties than California.

[Lund Explorer]

Of the two choices I've only been to Fork,

 

I'm sure Clear Lake has fantastic fishing, but is there a roadside BBQ stand nearby?  Do all the kids you meet call you Sir?

 

If I'm going to spend an entire week someplace, I want my offshore time to equal my on the water time quality wise. 

[Catt]

Never fished both but what I can tell you is the right time of year at Clearlake 30lbs won't cut a check.

The right time on Fork is January 1 - December 31

[WRB]

You don't want to fish Clear Lake, it's hot, algae blooms, over rated...fish Toledo Bend. Every bass angler should move and live there, fish Fork whenever you like.

Tom

PS, consider this, the California Open bass tournament held at Clear Lake a few weeks suffered a major post mortality rate similar to the Falcon fiasco, 75 big bass died in the release boat another 50 were counted floating from the prior days release do to high water temperatures at Clear Lake.

Our Govenor sent out a memo 17 June 2015 via the Fish and Game Commision that due to severe drought conditions. 2 of the 8 conditions that affect bass fishing are; lakes that have water temperatures above 70 degrees for 8 hours or have DO levels that fall below 5 mg/L for 3 consecutive days can be closed to the public.

Tom

[Jd_Phillips_Fishin]

Clear Lake I'd be fishing more of my strengths

[hawkoath]

How about both. But if I had to chose it would be Clear Lake as I prefer CA to TX. 

[jtharris3]

FORK!

[everythingthatswims]

You don't want to fish Clear Lake, it's hot, algae blooms, over rated...fish Toledo Bend. Every bass angler should move and live there, fish Fork whenever you like.

Tom

PS, consider this, the California Open bass tournament held at Clear Lake a few weeks suffered a major post mortality rate similar to the Falcon fiasco, 75 big bass died in the release boat another 50 were counted floating from the prior days release do to high water temperatures at Clear Lake.

Our Govenor sent out a memo 17 June 2015 via the Fish and Game Commision that due to severe drought conditions. 2 of the 8 conditions that affect bass fishing are; lakes that have water temperatures above 70 degrees for 8 hours or have DO levels that fall below 5 mg/L for 3 consecutive days can be closed to the public.

Tom

70 degrees? Most of the lakes in VA right now are in the 80s

[Long Mike]

Lake Fork, as noted in my profile and displayed in my avatar.  That morning I caught a 4+, a 5+ and that beauty in the avatar, which weighed 7lbs 11oz.  All three were within the slot limit on the lake, so had to be released prior to tournament weigh-in.

[Joe H.]

What about guntersville?

[Shanes7614]

You don't want to fish Clear Lake, it's hot, algae blooms, over rated...fish Toledo Bend. Every bass angler should move and live there, fish Fork whenever you like.

Tom

PS, consider this, the California Open bass tournament held at Clear Lake a few weeks suffered a major post mortality rate similar to the Falcon fiasco, 75 big bass died in the release boat another 50 were counted floating from the prior days release do to high water temperatures at Clear Lake.

Our Govenor sent out a memo 17 June 2015 via the Fish and Game Commision that due to severe drought conditions. 2 of the 8 conditions that affect bass fishing are; lakes that have water temperatures above 70 degrees for 8 hours or have DO levels that fall below 5 mg/L for 3 consecutive days can be closed to the public.

Tom

Seems to me the OP asked about Clear Lale and Lake Fork. I didn't see anything about Toledo Bend. Your reasoning about fish mortality is beyond me. How are tournaments held on ANY Florida waters? Our water temps here rarely get BELOW 70 degrees at any time of year. So with your reasoning there would be a 100% mortality rate at every event held in Florida.

[RoLo]

Lake Fork by a long shot.

 

Roger

[RoLo]

The right time on Fork is January 1 - December 31

 

Amazing, that's the same time frame when Kissimmee hits its stride 

[Derekbass02]

I have never fished either but I would probably rather fish Clear then Fork.

[gobig]

First off from what I can tell it was not Toms reasoning, it was the great state of California. Which in many cases the word reasoning and California don't belong in the same sentence. One of the things you have to consider about Califorina is that our lakes are deeper than most. So when you have a 75-80deg surface temp that can be a huge shock for a fish caught out of 40ft of water. Not to mention the proper care of fizzing a fish caught that deep. Live well temps and proper operation of the wells are a big issue. 

 

I fished the Open and saw the dead fish. Most of what I saw were not giant bass they were average, between 2-4lbs. I do not think what happend was negligence on the part of WON Bass. From what I could tell they made all of the necessary precautions. I think there were several things that were not in the norm. There were a lot of fish still on beds, they were aggressively spraying weeds, there was a massive algae bloom, a front with a huge temp change passed through and there were higher than normal water temps. I think the fish were just over stressed with all that went on. It was just kind of a perfect storm so to speak. I think if the tournament was held one week prior or one week later you would have seen a different result. Not to mention 75 fish wouldn't even come close to putting a dent in the population.

[WRB]

Sometimes my sense of humor get past some folks, Toledo Bend is the #1 bass lake in the country.

California has enough folks fishing here, we don't need more and if our governor has his way, sport fishing could be a thing of the past.

I didn't make up the 70 degree water temp or 5 mg/L DO levels, the state DFW did. This gives the DFW ability to close all public water to fishing during the summer, with the exception of high altitude/ cold water trout lakes.

Clear Lake had the exact same high mortality rate in last years WON Open. The belief tournament bass anglers know how to properly handle bass in warm water during hot summer days or nights is misleading, most try but some believe bass are tough fish and survive as long as they are wet. This thinking works most of the year, doesn't during hot weather with DO related issues and bass caught in dep water during the winter with barometric issues.

I would rather fish TB than either Fork or Clear Lake because haven't done that yet and it's #1.

Tom

PS, how did you do in the tournament?