Does the slot at Lake Fork somewhat even the playing field in a tournament environment? I have noticed a lot of tournaments get won by 5 unders. In essence, doesn't it even the playing field then? I know you still have to find fish and get them to bite, but it seems like it to me. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong? Thanks

I get your point, in the same way MLF evens the playing field vs. "kicker" bites.

Even the playing field for who?

Takes five bass between 14.5- 16 to win most tournaments out there... Think the bass win on this deal.. Not an easy task. Overs aren't real common as much as people seem to think they are. Hear about large bass from fork but think about how many guides guide on fork and then think about how many pictures you see of overs.. Not too many. 24 plus inches is a large bass! Seen many in the 8-10 pound range that don't bust 24 inches!

Personally i feel its easier to go catch healthily slots on fork than it is to catch 5 quality unders.

Our club does appear on all slot lakes!

My point is more about I think guides and Lake Fork hammers have an easier time locating and catching overs, but overs are harder to catch, so in essence doesn't the slot limit bring a tourney to a more even playing field for the non-pro angler? If a weekend warrior were to go out the day before a tourney and find a school of unders or a couple schools of unders, doesn't that then put him more on more of an equal playing field with a pro or a guy who fishes LF once or twice a week because smaller fish are probably easier to find and catch? Maybe I am off in my thinking, but it makes some sense to me.

I fished a handful of tournaments on Fork this last year and in most of those tournaments, I probably could have placed or even won if it wasn't for the slot. The last tournament I fished was a benefit tournament and within the first 30 mins I boated two large slot fish with the first one weighing just over 7lbs and the second was 23.25" long.......she was bigger than the first one and I just let her go before I weighed her because I didn't want my heart broke anymore. I boated 5 or 6 other slots throughout the day and a good 25-30 under slot dinks. I finished out with a whopping 5 fish limit of 2.33lbs. This last year, the under slots were not hard to come by and definitely made it interesting, and difficult at times because it seemed to depend on the size of the fish schooling on whether or not you had a good weight of unders.
The slot is a great thing and with the 2015 spawn and the upcoming spawn with the lake being as full as it is, I believe that that my heart will probably be broken even more in tournaments. But either way, it'll still be fun!

That's a very generous statement to be making.....since everyone else was constrained by the slot also! How do you knew there weren't other contestants who boated a limit of fish 1/4 inch too short to keep at the upper end of the slot?

I agree. It's lot of the same names collecting checks every weekend though. There is an art to targeting the right size fish out there.

Tournaments on slot lakes suck

No doubt

good point I have though about this too I do not enjoy tournaments on a slot lake unless it gvine and the slot is 14-18 I would rather fun fish on fork than fish a tournament just because i hate trying to catch unders

I think last years and this year's spawn may make unders more available over the next couple years..... There are a bunch of 10" fish in there now

I see what your saying. In my opinion, (which means nothing) I feel that intead of a slot, there should be a minimum length put in place of 18 or 20 inches. Myself and a good friend of mine who happens to guide on fork talk about this quite often. I honestly think the slot narrows the playing field for the guys who are obviously very good at staying on the cookie cutter bass so to speak. I am not one of those guys unfortunately. There will be more unders caught this year no doubt. But it's still gonna be the guys who can catch the perfect unders who stand out.