Be careful out there. Lake Fork is almost two feet low right now - and many stumps are near the top. The water is fairly clear and 87 degrees (at night). With the full-moon this week, the bite should be best in the middle of the night. However, on my last couple of trips, we caught our biggest fish from 4am to 6am. With temps over 100 degrees most every day, I haven't had a lot of trips - even at night. That's partially because the fishing isn't great and I haven't promoted it. We did manage to catch fish over 6 pounds on my last 3 trips. But numbers were down and we had some long periods without a fish. It's the heat of the summer!
Our best baits have been swimbaits, jigs, and blue-fleck power worms. 7 to 12 feet deep has been best. Just keep in mind that you may have to fish twice as many hours to catch the same amount of fish as June. They still have to eat. But it sure seems like they don't eat as much. Try downsizing your baits if the bite is slow. Many nights we did better on smaller baits.
For those who don't know me, I'd like to take a moment to tell about myself and my style of fishing - and how it has evolved to what it is today. It's hard to believe, but I've been guiding for over 28 years now.
When I was younger, it was all about competition and how many fish I/we could put in the boat. As I (and my clientelle) have aged, my desire has shifted away from merely "how many" fish we put in the boat. Yes, I still want to put a bunch of big fish in the boat. But my concern nowadays is that MY CLIENTS are the ones who put the fish in the boat. After 28 years of guiding, I don't really care to catch a fish myself. I would much rather teach someone else how to fish and capture that person's catch on video.
In fact, I seldom fish much myself unless I'm trying to find a pattern for my clients. Ever since Minn Kota came out with the first I-Pilot trolling motor with a remote control about 10 years ago, I've fished primarily from the middle of the boat. That allows clients to fish from the front and back of the boat, while putting me in the best position to net the fish, take pictures, and manage the equipment.
Since the time I switched to a remote steering on the trolling motor, I've evolved into what I would call a full-service fishing guide. What I mean by that is that I do virtually everything but fish for my customers who will let me. I do all the rod stowing/unstowing, lure changes, netting of fish, fish removal, picture & video taking, weighing & measuring fish, and even bartending. When we get to a spot, all my customers need to do is get out of their seats and get to the front or back of the boat. A rod will be handed to them with a lure unstowed and ready to cast. When we get ready to go to another spot, I hit my button to automatically stow the trolling motor - and while it's going up and my clients are getting in their seats, I'm stowing my rods, putting on the kill-switch, and starting the motor.
I have a lot of clients who fish with me on a regular basis who are very good fishermen. And I really appreciate all my clients - no matter what experience level. But I want to take this opportunity to mention that I specialize in teaching amateur fishermen. I really like to see a kid catch his first fish - or an adult finally get that long cast on a baitcaster without a backlash - or someone who zeros every time to finally break the curse. In 28 years of guiding, I've figured out what most people do wrong. Give me the chance and I will make you a better fisherman. I recommend October/November for kids and amateurs, but I guarantee fish any time of the year.
If you would like to book a trip, you can see my schedule and book your trip online at
http://www.bassfishing.org/goI am now regularly uploading (to Youtube and Facebook) my 1 to 2 minute "quick clip" videos of my clients (and hopefully you) catching fish.
I recently put together a youtube playlist of "double-digit" bass videos at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwuzdbYmr5A&list=PLrEJJ9e-r06_Q8hXJ1NBFbcSAoTNSfbmqPlease subscribe to my YouTube Channel at
https://www.youtube.com/user/richiewhite11 and click the bell icon so you can be notified when I post new videos. I have another double-digit video going up tomorrow.
Like my FB page at
www.Facebook.com/LakeForkFishingGuide Good fishing and good luck. You can't catch them if you don't go.
