speaking of running boat lanes. Maybe some people just don't know. I have never been told the proper side to run on. But, I don't usually fish lake that have marked boat lanes. I have only fished fork a few times and I wish Palestine had some marked boat lanes. I have been very curious about the proper side to run on. What about the post markers that have the white piece of metal sticking out. Does that mean that is the side to stay on or what?

Okay, I'll admit it, I ran the wrong side while passing a pontoon boat that was two boat widths away from the bouys going about 30 mph.

As for fishing, I think alot of anglers over complicate it, went out monday evening from 8 to midnight and caught 11 fish, black buzzbait, black spinnerbait, and a zoom blueberry ole monster worm were the productive rods on the deck. Fished betwen 2 and 8 feet on main lake banks and the edge of grass. most were unders but caught three nice slots, largest was 22-3/4 and just over 7 pounds.

I don't think that there actually is legally, a proper side to run. It's simply a marked stretch telling you where it is safe to run. The fact that we drive on the right in this country it just makes sense to stay to the right.

As far as the original topic, it isn't just Fork right now. I've been having a heck of a time catching bass lately.

Port side to port side on all buoys. But yeah a lot of folks don't honor that.

This thread took about 4 different turns. But to the OPs original question,it's been a typical summer pattern for me. Look deep and try to find the schools on something irregular. Been catching decent numbers and decent size the last 6 weeks or so.

I just got back, haven't been going as much as I used to. But me and my wife hammered them yesterday. No Lake Fork Giants, but we caught 20-25 fish, mostly nice, healthy slots, the 3 I weighed where all a little over 7#'s. We had our daughter with us (8 year old) and at one point, we all three had a fish on at the same time and one of them was the biggest of the day, 7 1/2 (my wife caught it). It was on of those epic days that I have only been able to find at Lake Fork. Yea some days are really tough, but sometimes you have days like that and it makes it all worth it!

I would post some pictures, but this site is too much of a beating to post pics on

Which side is port ?

Just kidding! I have a Boy Scout merit badge for the canoe, and had to learn
R is closest to S... so Right is Starboard :

I thought this was about the fishing at fork, not guides.

Yea, this was sarcasm from earlier...

Guides aren't getting rich. Its a tough profession that I want no part of.

People want to be taxi'd around the lake in a brand new boat, catch double digit fish, and expect their guide to have a great and friendly personality no matter if his dog died that morning. If the guide meets their expectations they give him 20 bucks as a tip.

Even if a guide fishes 300 days a year (that's 1 day a week off) and made $500 per trip they GROSS 150,000 (working 12 hours days and 6 days a week). Take taxes, gas, boat, equipment, truck, etc out of that and enjoy what's left. That's assuming you don't have a bad trip and get bashed online by some random schmuck that got his feelings hurt when you asked him to bring his own crank baits to bust off. That's assuming he can get that many dates booked with people willing to shell out $500. Bring that down to 200 trips annually and $350 (what some people think is fair) and he makes 70k GROSS.

I continue to support good, hard working guides and will continue to reward their hard work at my discretion.

The alternative is to purchase your own brand new boat and seek out DD fish. You are going to spend a lot of money going that route. To each their own. I realize that many people are not as described above, but when I hear people whining about guides getting rich or being too expensive I get a little irritated. A guide can't come and post that or people think he's an ungrateful bastard.

LOL lake fork guides don't charge enough IMO. Go red fishing in LA. Those guys are charging 700 dollars and trying to head in around lunch. The baits they use pennies on the dollar compared to bass baits and I bet our guide didn't burn 20 gallons worth of gas total. Thats 700 without even tipping. Lake for guides should up their rate IMO.

How in the heck did this post turn into a debate if guides get paid enough? I've never fished with a guide so I suck on Fork.

Because its summer and their are no tournaments and we are all really bored on a Thursday.

Fair enough. Oh, by the way I would start downsizing and throw a dropshot and shakeyhead. One of the best fisherman I know on Fork throws a shakeyhead 90% of the time.

Sorry. I got keyboard diarrhea. My doc said its common on Thursdays after lunch .