texas swimbaits Archives - LAKE FORK GUIDE ANDREW GRILLS

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Lake Fork Guide Report for June (Pictures Included)

Lake Fork is in great shape right now as summer approaches. I feel like we had another good spawn this year. This makes the third year in a row where we’ve had noticeable success with our spawn, and we should see better numbers of fish in the upcoming years.

Having good cover in the form of flooded vegetation or aquatic vegetation is critical for the survival of freshly hatched baby bass. Thankfully, we’ve had an abundant amount of it over the past three spring seasons.

Lake Fork is right at full pool. That’s a great thing as we head into summer. The water is still in the low to mid 70’s due to some recent “below average” temperatures.

May was a pretty good month for fishing. Numbers were great on the good days, and we had a lot of big fish as well. I’m betting June will be another good month.

Right now we are transitioning from the more shallow patterns of spring, to traditional summertime fishing. While fish can still be caught shallow all summer, the majority of the quality bass will be deeper.

We are already finding bass on deep offshore structure, and many more will show up out there soon. The depth they are holding really just depends on the area of the lake, but at the time of this report most of the deeper fish seem to prefer a depth somewhere in the mid 20’s. I find them a little more shallow on the upper ends of the lake.

I have two favorite techniques for early summer here on Lake Fork: deep crank baits and football jigs. These just seem to work best for me for bigger fish. Sure, I can catch some on big worms or Carolina rigs if I have to, but I prefer the other methods for now.

For the jig, I use a Santone football head in 3/4 oz. and 1 oz. I use several different colors. My favorites are “beans and carrots”, “pb&j”, and “Mexican heather”. If the water is clear, ” bullfrog” is my top choice.

I use several different crank bait brands, but the one I throw the most is the DUO Realis G87. It’s a Japanese bait that casts extremely far and dives deeper than 20′ with ease. Lake Fork Marina and Oak Ridge carry this brand and the colors I use. I primarily use the deeper diving 20A model.

The problem with offshore fishing on Lake Fork nowadays is seemingly everybody knows how to do it. Even the less obvious areas are getting hit pretty hard. The key may be finding some “off the wall” area that everyone else will overlook. I used to fish deeper offshore structure exclusively throughout the summer, but now I supplement some shallow to mid-depth patterns because of the increasing pressure from anglers out deeper.

Hopefully this report points you in the right direction. As always, I’m happy to help any way I can so feel free to contact me before your trip.

May 1 Lake Fork Report with Pictures!

May has arrived and the weather has continued to keep us guessing here on Lake Fork. Some heavy rains and the flood gates being open have kept our water level fluctuating over the past few weeks. The higher water couldn’t have come at better time for the fish. The flooded cover and new vegetation is the perfect protection for the newly hatched bass fry, and we will reap the benefits of this years spawn for years to come. This make 3 years in a row that we have had good protection for the hatch in the spring time. Lake Fork should continue to impress in the future!

As for the fishing right now, it has been a challenge to keep up with the changing conditions. However, we have managed to have some great days on the water this past month. May is usually much more stable weather-wise, and I believe it will be a fantastic month of fishing.

The bass are finished spawning for the most part, and that means they’re hungry and actively feeding in recovery. The spawning ritual takes a lot out of them, so when they’re done licking their wounds they put the feed bag on so to speak. May is probably the best month to fish Lake Fork for consistency and numbers of quality fish.

There are many ways to potentially catch them throughout the month of May. I will be starting most of my mornings with topwaters. If there is wind or clouds, that bite could extend throughout the day. Afterwards, I will continue to fish shallow early in the month. Pitching texas rigs, carolina rigs, and swimbaits will be my first options.

I normally concentrate in areas where fish make pit stops on their migration from spawning areas back out to the main lake. Points and secondary points are the primary structure they use this time of year. As the month progresses, some fish will start showing up on deep offshore structure. There are already a few fish on some deep spots. This is when I use my electronics to find them.

When I’m targeting deep fish this month a Santone football jig will be my first choice. It produces so many quality fish for me, it’s my first recommendation for a big bite. Deep cranks, carolina rigs, and spoons are also going to be useful tools.

Hopefully this report gives you some ideas that will help you this month. If you need any assistance on your upcoming trip, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

The following pictures are some highlights of our recent trips.

April 4 Lake Fork Report with lots of Big Bass Pictures!

What a month March was for big bass! The spring fishing season is going by fast here on Lake Fork. Right now, the water temperature is ranging from 65-70 degrees just depending on the area. The lake level is just under 2′ low.

Unusually warm temperatures throughout March and February triggered many of our fish to move up and spawn. Normally, the spawn is staggered out in stages from the upper ends of the lake down to the dam. Fish move up in waves and there are usually plenty of prespawn and postspawn fish, as well as fish on beds all at any given time. This year it sure seems like most of the fish moved up over the past few weeks.

That’s a great, however short lived scenario for bed fishermen. Not so good for those of us who target hungry pre and post spawners. The good news is that dilemma is almost behind us. April will be a month of postspawn feeding action. All those bass that moved up in March are going to be feeding up this month.

Areas to look for large groups of fish will be the mouths of spawning areas, secondary points on the way out, and main lake points as well. Topwaters will be good early, and there will be some days where the action continues into the afternoon. I’ll be focusing primarily on shallow areas, so square bills, swim jigs, chatterbaits, and light carolina rigs will be important tools.

I’m really looking forward to the fishing this month. I think it will be good, very good. If I can be of any assistance on your upcoming trip, please don’t hesitate to call.

Below are some pictures of big bass boated by my customers and I over the last few weeks here on Lake Fork.

December 15 Lake Fork Report

My favorite time of year has arrived! For the next few months I will be one happy camper. I live for the winter fishing on Lake Fork. If you’re serious about catching a trophy bass you need to make a trip to Lake Fork during the colder months.

Winter time isn’t the time for numbers. Sure, the possibility of catching quite a few is there, but this is a time for an opportunity at the kind of fish Lake Fork is famous for. If you’ll take a look a the Trophy Photos section of this site, you’ll find that cold weather apparel and big bass often go hand in hand!

Lake Fork is currently a tad over 3′ low. It’s good for the lake to be full, but it’s best for the fishing if the lake is a little low like it is now. I am very excited to see what this winter has in store for us. As of right now, water temperature, weather patterns, and the Lake Fork water level are all lining up for a banner January and February.

There are quite a few Lake Fork guides to choose from. If you’re planning a trip, I hope you’ll give me the opportunity to help in any way I can.

Here are a few of our catches from the past 3 guide trips.

Lake Fork Report and Video! December 1

A lot of folks find it surprising that winter is my favorite time of year for bass fishing here on Lake Fork. I look forward to December, January, and February all year long.

There are a couple reasons I love the colder months. First, most folks are either hunting or busy with the holidays. That means the lake isn’t crowded and we have the fish all to ourselves. Second, the colder it gets the bigger our catches get! Winter isn’t a time for numbers. It is a great time to target trophy sized bass.

Right now I’m still following the fall pattern of fishing deep offshore structure in 20-25′ of water. Carolina rigs and spoons have been the top producers. Main lake points, humps, and roadbeds have been the primary areas.

As the water continues to cool, I will gradually transition to my winter pattern. I’ll be using jigs, lipless crankbaits, chatterbaits, and swimbaits in 12′ of water or less. I’ll be looking for steeper structures such as creek channels, ditches, or steep drop offs.

Right now the water temperature is 64 degrees and falling gradually. The lake level is also falling slowly and is 2.78′ low at the time of this report. Fishing is generally better in the winter with the lake a few feet below full pool.

If I can be of any assistance on your upcoming trip please let me know!

Here are some pictures from last week. Most of these fish are from a lake near Lake Fork. It’s always nice to have a back up plan! Be sure to check out the video as well.