I just got back from spending the last 3 weeks guiding down on Falcon Lake, and we had a great time as usual. Falcon is almost 39 ft low and they need rain in the worst way. We caught a lot of fish and some big ones too, but it wasn't nearly as good as it has been in the past. We were able to set several new personal bests on the trip, and for that, I am very thankful.

As the lake continues to fall, I look for the bite down there to get slower and slower. We fished both the north and south ends of Falcon. Up north, the flipping bite was the ticket - especially as the sun got up. Early, we would fish Santone spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, and square billed cranks around shallow cover, and as the sun got up, we would move out just a little and flip soft plastics in the hardwoods just off the river channel. The Hyperworm from Lake Fork Trophy Lures accounted for many of the fish we caught. Teamed with a 1/2 oz weight and 4/0 or 5/0 flipping hook, it was tough to beat. Our best colors were June Bug and Blue Fleck or Blue Fleck Red. Most of our fish were in the top half of the trees and not at the base of the trees. Some of this is due to the water clarity (muddy), and some of this is due to the soft bottom. We used to fish the same way on Cooper Lake during it's heyday back in the late 90s.

Down on the south end, we concentrated on fishing the rocks with deep diving crankbaits and Santone football jigs. We didn't get as many bites down there as we did up north, but we did locate some big fish in a few different areas. The ramp at the State Park is no longer usable due to the lower water conditions, so they have installed a temporary metal ramp so that you can launch off the bank. It's VERY steep, and you NEED four wheel drive to get your boat out.

All in all, it was another good trip down there, and I'm looking forward to going again. I don't think I'll be going back until the lake comes back up. The bite is getting tougher and tougher down there with the dropping water. The bass are getting more concentrated, but so is their forage. They aren't having to work for food, and because of that, they're not stacked up on key structure spots like they normally are. In the past, we could catch over 25 fish off of one spot, but now, you're lucky if you catch 5. I hate it for the local guides down there as they are really having to work their tails off to produce far fewer fish than normal. The good thing for them is, it's still Falcon Lake, and just like Lake Fork, you could catch the fish of a lifetime on any cast.

On a side note........

Many of you know that I'm a big fan of Mustad hooks, and this week, their new Denny Brauer Grip Pin Max Flippin' Hooks finally hit the shelves. Unfortunately, we had to use another brand on our trip, and the keeper would slide down after catching a couple of fish on it. Mustad solved this issue by making their flippin' hook with a "Grip Pin" welded on it. I can't wait to get my hands on some, and I think they're going to be a big hit for all of us that love to throw a Texas rig.