***Fork Video***

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

What a great trip guys.  

Triton21 certainly has a story to tell.  It was told on tape but the audio didn't come out well.  Stay tuned for that one!

A note about Glenn's PB.  At Fork, there are often coves packed with boats.  This cove just happened to be packed with BR folk.  When Glenn hit that fish, Brent and myself were on one side, Scott and I believe Dominick were on the other side and Flechero and RW had just come in.  How cool is that??  You can't tell on the video but the whole cove was clapping and whistling,...it was a moment for sure.  I had goosebumps for Glenn just filming it!

What's the matter Muddy, are you upset it was all about you and I left out the fact that Riskkid thinks boats stop themselves?? lmao.  Yup, RW went for the diving save but there was far too much heat on that boat to stop it,....I guess that's what docks are for?? lmao.  (sorry Carl,...had to do it!)

LAND HO!!!

As for the missing footage, noone is to blame, stuff happens.  The bummer is that it was some good stuff.  Pics of muddy and ron, our pre-trip pics of US air dilemmas, Glenn's speech and Muddy with the seat in his lap and rapala in his leg-soaking wet. And last but not least.... .....The 2 mooks digging a new channel across the flat at the dam with the 2 motors.  Classic

[RiskKid.]

Quote

What's the matter Muddy, are you upset it was all about you and I left out the fact that Riskkid thinks boats stop themselves?? lmao. Yup, RW went for the diving save but there was far too much heat on that boat to stop it,....I guess that's what docks are for?? lmao. (sorry Carl,...had to do it!)

Then why do they put those old used rubber tires all around the dock if you're not supposed to crash into em????? Besides.... my foot just slipped off the brake pedal  .........Anyway I'm just glad I didn't kill RW or even worse!  The harder I slammed on the brakes the more nothing happened!!!!

PS  Sorry bout that RW.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Hey Fellas I just woke up Thanks Russ i think the time sequense is a littl out of order. I worked until 10:00am all night and  I want to thank you for all the help You and Bent tried to give us thst day So I posted the Mook side of the story. It was a funny day and I was honored to be fishing with each and every one of you

Dominick

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

 The harder I slammed on the brakes the more nothing happened!!!!

LMAO....

Muddy, it was our pleasure.  Like I said, you couldn't have paid us to leave.  You guys are better than cable!

[Cigarlover 1]

EXCELLENT VIDEO! Amy will get a kick out of the birthday cake nod.

I'm missing Fork and the BR crew already. Even though I was outta commission there for a little while and we had more than our fair share of travel problems courtesy of US SCAIRWAYS this was still one the best fishing trips I've ever taken. Everybody that showed up was just awesome to be around and I had a blast hanging out and fishing.

Also I know these people may not even read this but I have to thank some people that really helped us out and without them our trip may have not even happened. nbouchers wife for driving us from Providence to Boston to make our flight down. Russ's friend Nancy for helping us find a flight earlier than what US SCAIR could do for us. Art Pasley for picking us up in Dallas and driving us to Fork at midnight. You guys really saved the day.

Anyway Congrats to all you who got personal bests. I had a blast this year and I've already got a change jar started for next year. Can't wait to see all you guys and gals again and can't wait to meet those we didn't see this year.

'08 NO EXCUSES.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

'08 NO EXCUSES.

Hawg_Hunter, KU, Dirk, Avid, etc etc etc........you dig?

[KU_Bassmaster.]

'08 NO EXCUSES.

Hawg_Hunter, KU, Dirk, Avid, etc etc etc........you dig?

Digging up change out of the couches weekly. ;D

[Painter Dude]

GOOD JOB onth Video Russ!!!

Been lookin forward to it and you didn't let us domn.

The Muddy stories are a HOOT!!!

[buzzbaitfool12]

awesome video..

[cart7t]

Great video. Looks like a lot of fun and some great bassin was had by one and all.

8-)

[Triton21]

I have been fishing and just got home.  The 2 of us had a 100 fish day, sadly the largest was only around 2 lbs.  

Now for my Lake Fork story.  If I didn't have witnesses I would not believe it.  Ken (my fishing pardner from IL) and I arrived at Lake Fork on Friday afternoon March 16.  We checked in at Fisherman's Cove, got our fishing license, decided to launch our boat and fish a while.  We were on the lake about 3 hours and didn't catch a fish.  We fished Sat., Sun., and Monday catching 10 fish a day, from 3 to 5 lbs.  

On Tuesday we were fishing on the North side of Mustang Island.  We had caught three or four bass in the 3 to 5 lb range.  Ken was working a 4 or 5 lb bass on a bed and I was blind casting a watermelon/bk flake Sticko with a chartuse tail, wacky rigged, on a Gaemaketsu EWG Weedless Finese hook.  

I made a cast to some stumps.  I worked the bait a couple of times when TAP!!!  I CROSSED IT'S EYES!!!  I knew immediately it was a large fish.   I fought the fish for about a minute and it broke my line.  I sat down distraught, knowing I had just lost the largest fish I had hooked since I had been at Fork, and it was my fault.  I had caught three or four 3 - 5 lb bass and hadn't retied my hook.    A local saw me lose the fish and asked me how large it was.  I told him it was at least seven pounds.  After a couple of minutes, I regained my composure, tied on another Gaemaketsu EWG Weedless Finese hook, dug out another watermelon/bk flake Sticko, dipped the tail in Spike-It, put it on the hook, cast to the same stumps, worked it a couple times, TAP!!!  I CROSSED IT'S EYES!!!  I knew immediately it was another large fish.  I fought the fish for two to three minutes, around snags, witih it tail-walking because it was too heavy to jump out of the water.  I brought it to the boat where Ken netted the bass for me.  The local saw me catch this fish and ask me how large it was.  I got my scales out of the glove box and weighed the fish, it weighed 8 lbs, 9 oz.  I told the local how much it weighed.  

NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY!!!!

As I removed my hook from the fish's mouth, I noticed another hook with a watermelon/bk flake chartruse tail Stiko in it's mouth.   I HAD CAUGHT THE FISH I HAD JUST BROKE OFF!!!  I was amazed!  This is the first time in my life that I have ever caught the same fish back-to-back.

This is a new PB for me making it a double memorable fish for me.

Kelley

[Crabcakes]

Triton21 thats an amazing story. I actually had a similar experience but with a much smaller fish around 2 1/12 pounds.

Sounds like a great trip for everyone.

[roadwarrior]

Plus, your third PB spread 21 years apart!

CONGRATULATIONS!

I think ya got two more in-ya...

[nboucher]

Just want to add my thanks and add a couple of other details to the chorus.

It's a little disconcerting to know people primarily by screen names. As others have said, it's just SO much better getting to know faces and real names. In each and every case, the real life person was funnier, friendlier, more gracious, more open, more helpful, and more generous than I could have possibly imagined. We are allall of us bassresourcersvery very lucky. Glenn has somehow attracted a group of individualsmany of whom are superficially very different from one another in beliefs, geography, language, income, education, social habits, etc.who are all fantastic real human beings. During no other generation has there ever been a way to develop so quickly such a caring and trusting community of people who live sometimes thousands of miles apart. When I would tell people about the upcoming Fork trip, I'd say, "I'm going on a fishing trip with a bunch of people I met on the Internet," and they'd say, "Are you crazy? You're going into backwoods Texas with people you met online? For a week? Are you nuts? The Internet is full of chat-room sickos!" And I'd just smile. It turns out the Internet is an amazing thing, and Glenn is both an amazing visionary and an able manager to have not only thought of this site, but more importantly, to have made it a reality that functions so well day after day. I asked him a million questions about it at dinner one night, and I still don't know how he finds the time to do it all.

Thanks, too, to LBH and cigarlover for being such good traveling companions during such long stretches of frustration and boredom. My hot-rodding wife, Kathryn, was happy to speed us all over southern New England as we tried to find a plane that would take us away. With her typical deadpan humor, when I called her from Charlotte on our way back to tell her yet another of our flights had been cancelled, her first words were, "I'm not driving to Charlotte."

Thanks to riskkid for being such a good fishing partner and for letting me hog the trolling motor. Ands thanks to RW for taking the fall when I just couldn't hop off of the boat fast enough to slow it down as take-no-prisoners riskkid thundered into the boat slip. (Actually, I think that was the fastest we'd gone in that boat all week!)

Those of us who were at Fork really owe a lot of gratitude to LBH. Russ is an amazing bundle of energy and a really funny guy. (Brent'sAlluringBaitsimitation of his thick Rhode Island accent had me cracking up the moment we arrived at Fork.) The Fork tradition was really born in LBH's crazed and fertile mind. His commitment to it, and to this site, is total, and cigarlover and I could see how much being stuck in New England that first day really hurt. It really wasn't fair. Even so far away, though, Russ stayed involved, talking to everybody he could down there. In fact, the best part of getting home was being free of that darn cell phone of his.

I'm also grateful to Art Pasley, who unfortunately doesn't have a screen name here yet. Art, a third-generation native of Dallas, is a member of the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fametechnically a "legend," as Russ likes to tease himand a director of CAST, and from him I learned what southern hospitality really means. Tired and frustrated during my first day at Fork, I asked him for some advice, and he gave me not only the advice, he handed me a couple of packages of the soft plastics that had been working for him there lately, as well a few rattles with which to sweeten them up. Then, when he was heading down one arm of the lake one morning to a creek he thought would be productive, he invited riskkid and I to follow. He did okay there, but my first fish that day was 5lb, 13oz, and he was as happy about it as I was, even though I was fishing in his spot with his baits!

NO EXCUSES!

[5bass]

Russ.....thanks for putting that video together. Nice work again.  

[roadwarrior]

nboucher,

You sir, were a perfect gentleman. Your post is exquisite, but your personal friendliness and wit exceeds that which is easily written. For someone I had never met and only socialized with for brief periods of time, you presented yourself with charm and style.

Your's is a great post, it speaks volumes for my exact feelings about the camaraderie at Lake Fork. Fishermen and women from all parts of the country and many walks of life getting together for a "Trip of a Lifetime" with no preconceived agenda other than fishing. Man, that's just too cool!

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Everyone at the Fork showed their hearts with grace and laughter. What touched me is how all the fellas who were catching fish helped all of us who were having difficulty.

What really blew me away were the after dinner hangouts. The fellowshipping in some ways made the fishing secondary!

[Troutfisher]

NBoucher, I was reading your post you made on the second page, thumbs up, great post.  

[Pond Hopper]

'08 NO EXCUSES.

Hawg_Hunter, KU, Dirk, Avid, etc etc etc........you dig?

No love even after I mentioned riding with Hawg!!!!  We should just cruise down thru Kansas and pick up KU with Darrins boat then have him share a boat with someone.  Sounds like a bulletproof plan.

Corey

[Long Mike]

Norman, I am truly in awe of your writing ability.  I wish I had your gift.

Hemingway wrote "The Old Man and the Sea"  Perhaps you could write " A Couple of Mooks on Lake Fork."

BS aside, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post. You are indeed a class act.

[bigdog]

I'm glad to hear that all had a wonderful time and that all made it home safe and sound.nboucher that was astounding.My hats is off to you for your post .LBH again another outstanding video.We are forum sickos in a since.(And what I mean is the way we discuss fishing and all aspects of it.)

[RiskKid.]

Quote

Thanks to riskkid for being such a good fishing partner and for letting me hog the trolling motor. Ands thanks to RW for taking the fall when I just couldn't hop off of the boat fast enough to slow it down as take-no-prisoners riskkid thundered into the boat slip. (Actually, I think that was the fastest we'd gone in that boat all week!)

Thanks to you for being a great fishing buddy.....I look at it as though you put up with the defective "Rickeys" trolling motor rather than hogged it.

I'm glad RW tried to make the stop and was not injured.....if you tried to hop off to stop it I probably would have been arrested for murder.....by staying in the boat you saved me from spending life in the Alba, TX jail! Just imagine what I'll be like when I get my new boat with a big motor.... !!!!  

On the serious side that was a great post which summed things up very nicely.

[Glenn]

*Phew* Now I can finally exhale! Not saying a word about the 9-pounder was KILLING me!!

Russ - another fine, outstanding job on the video! Nice work!

I was going to say this, but Norman already beat me to it, but I'll reiterate it here: We are all in debt to Russ for making this thing happen. From concept through completion, Russ was the driving force behind this trip. So a heartfelt thanks goes out to you!! And Norman, thank you for the kind words. You're very gracious.

There's other folks I need to thank as well. In no particular order:

• Dan & Linda for their wonderful hospitality. Everyone there would agree they bent over backwards to accomodate our large group.
  
• Art - for driving in the middle of the night to get folks to Fork.... and then driving 1 1/2 hrs BACK home, only to turn around and come back again early the next morning.
  
• Alpster and Fletchero (Ronnie & Keith) - Thank you so much for the wonderful custom rods. These are well-crafted pieces of artwork! I was stunned when you presented them to Keri & I. You truly caught me off guard. I can't thank you enough. I know a lot of time and effort went into them. Keri & I will put them to good use!
  
• Brent from *** who gave out samples to all of us to try, and for taking Russ out on the water and being the camera boat.
  

For those that weren't there, it was my pleasure to give away $25 Bass Pro Shops gift certificates to the cooks for all their hard work in making outstanding meals for the rest of us; Ronnie (Alpster) for his generousity with the Bass Bus; Dominick (Muddy Man) for his spirited contributions to the forums that helps make BassResource.com so unique; and Craigaria for making oodles of BassResource.com decals on his own initiative and not asking a dime in return. It was also my honor to give each of the moderators $100 gift certificates for all the hard work they do on these forums. Without them, there's no way I can do what I do!

One person was missing, however, and that was Avid. He did a tremendous job putting together all the finer details of the trip, making it easier on the rest of us. And although he wasn't able to make it, I still want to thank him by giving him a $25 Bass Pro Shops gift certificate as well. Avid - check your mailbox. It should arrive soon!

And finally, I owe amount of gratitude to my wife for not only "allowing" me to work on this site, but pushing me to pursue my goals and ambitions with it.  Without her as the driving force, BassResource.com wouldn't be as good as it is today.

A note to those on dial-up: right-click the video links and select "save as", and save the files to your desktop and then play them from there. These are huge downloads, but well worth the wait!!

Norman summed it up better than I can. I really cannot add much to that. What an incredible trip! What an incredible group! What an incredible week!!

[Pond Hopper]

Wow, sounds great and I am going to figure out a dish to cook for '08 no excuses.  Russ it was my fault this year that Darrin didnt come bcause he mentioned it and just getting established in a job I couldnt take off.  Next year I am game.  Regardless I am glad all had a good time and cant wait to meet some people in '08, especially Muddy and RW.  

[NATHAN_JAMES]

Great video, Great stories, and a Great bunch of guys.  Awesome!!