Happy New Year everyone!  We are looking forward to another fantastic year here on Lake Fork.  The water has come several inches since the rain last week, and we are sitting at 398.25 or 4.75 ft below full pool.  We have our fingers crossed for more rain this winter to bring the lake up even more.  We have lots of growth around the shoreline that would offer great habitat with some water on top of it.  It would make for a fantastic spawn!!!

Fishing has been a little slow since the rain, but you can still grind out a few bites if you put in a little time out here.  The water temp is 48-49 degrees and water clarity is good for the most part.  It is fairly stained in the backs of most creeks.  We have a good growth of hydrilla in several areas of the lake, and the fish are in it.  Our best bait for fishing the grass has been a red 1/2 oz lipless crankbait such as the Strike King Red Eye Shad.  It is important to cover lots of water with it, but once you get bit, be sure to fish that area thoroughly.

The jig bite was good before the rain, and it will be the bait of choice for the next couple of months when looking for a true Lake Fork giant.  I prefer a 1/2 oz or 3/4 oz Santone flipping jig in black/blue, Camo, or Bullfrog.  I will match these jigs with a Lake Fork Tackle HyperFreak or Flipper,  or a Strike King Rage Craw.  Work the jig around the big trees along creek channel ledges that lead into spawning areas.  I prefer 20 lb Seaguar Invizx fluorocarbon on a Dobyns Champion Extreme DX 745c rod.  The rod is light and sensitive, but strong enough to bring big fish out of the heavy cover.

I have also been catching a few fish out deep on a Santone Slamma Rig (umbrella rig).  Look for schools of shad, sandbass, yellow bass, and largemouths in 29-34 ft of water.  You will load the boat with sandbass, and catch a few largemouths as well.

My spring is booking up quickly, so if you're interested in a spring date, please contact me as soon as possible.  If you have any questions, or if I can help in any way, please let me know!