On Monday August 18th, I took Darren Heavner to Lake Fork Texas. Now most of you are think, heck why give him such a great lake. Well ONE reason.....He has never seen Lake Fork until he drove down from Fort Worth late Sunday Afternoon.

Lets Start Sunday Night.
I arrive at Lake Fork Marina around 6:00PM and see a Black and Yellow Champion with a guy in it getting rods and tackle ready.
I notice it's Darren and we talk for a few hours about how excited he is and how he hopes not to embarrass himself the next day. I assure him any lake you get on for the first time is tricky, Trust Me I know.

About a little after 8 we go grab a burger and return to our rooms to call it a night. I can tell he's fired up and won't sleep all night.


Monday Morning

5:30AM
We head to Moser's and grab some breakfast, it's Monday morning so it's quite in there. He gets to meet a few people before we tear up some HUGE WAFFLES. I'm not much of a breakfast guy he states...LOL....More nervous I think.

6:30
After turning in our keys and getting ice and drinks in Lake Fork Marina. We launch his Champion that looks like it just came off the show room floor. It's in incredible shape I tell him. He reply's you have to take care of you fishing equipment.

He idles slow.....I mean SLOW out of Lake Fork Marina through the maze of stump fields to open Main Lake water. Using his Lowrance X28 and Navionics chip the whole time.

He makes a short run to a extended point off of Mustang Creek.

6:50
He starts the day by throwing a C-Rig Baby BrushHog in 12.4 feet of water on a drop off surrounded by timber.Green Pumpkin Red Flake was the color of the Brush Hog.

7:02 Tells me how on a new lake he will start off with a C-Rig, since thats his confidence bait. I want to try to get the feel of the lake and get my bearings right first he adds.

7:19
Gets his first bite and the BASS loads the rod up after about 5 cranks the fish pulls off and you can see Darren is getting fired up already. Man that fish felt big he exclaims. He was still using the Baby Brush Hog.
7:20
He makes another cast and drags the rig through some hydrilla. Thats what the fish was on, ok I'll get them now.

7:25
He gets the C-Rig hung up in a under water stump and breaks off, going quickly to a Black and Blue jig with a Craw Trailer. Casting to the edge of the grass.

7:33
Switches and starts casting a 14-16 Chart/White crank over grass line.

8:05
Darren moves around the point to some shallow Lilly pads and starts casting a weightless Senko...To windy for this and picks up a T-Rigged 10" Blue Fleck Power Worm.

8:11
With no luck there he pulls up trolling motor and moves across the point to another main lake point.

8:15
He starts casting A C-Rig in 21.1 feet of water to a timber line off point.

8:29
Sees fish busting top and picks up a Black/Chrome rattle trap.
First cast as soon as it hit the water he hooks a fish....a 5...............OUNCER

Oh well I take a bunch of picks of his first ever Lake Fork Fish.

"I beat you he says Laughing"

8:38
The rains finally make it to us and starts to come down, he digs out his rain jacket and keeps on chunking away.

9:00
Has been getting short strikes on the 10" Power worm and switches to a 7" Pumpkin Seed power worm

Casting it over a hump in 14 feet of water.

9:16
While working the 7" power worm back to the boat Darren gets hammered by a fish. He sets the hook and is working the fish back to the boat when it runs around a stick up. Before he can get to it the fish is off. Man you have to be ready to work the timber ( he has no idea that saying would be so true later on)
10:03
After picking apart the point and hump Darren moves to a shallow point where they are doing all the construction. He starts to move closer to the bank and using a weightless Senko, he attacks this bank for about 1 hour with no luck.

11:00
Darren fires up big motor and moves across lake where he start on another Deep Main Lake Point, using the C-Rig baby Brush Hog.

11:40
he moves to the back of a cove and finds the JACKPOT
a COVE with Hydrilla/Lilly Pads/Duck Weed/ Stick Ups /Laydowns all mixed together. He attacks it with a T-Rigged Power Worm and C-rig Baby Brush Hog.

12:05
I see his line running fast back to the boat and Darren reeling with all he's got a NICE FISH is coming straight at us in 3 feet of water he get the line tight and sets the hook, he battles the fish for about 5 seconds and another Stick Up Monster got him. Man this stinks he say's while getting out another Senko

For the next 1.5 hours Darren has no luck, he does Tell me about Lake Erie and fishing deep Clear water. He goes on about until you see Fork you have no Idea how much timber is in here and that has his mind racing to find what parts of the lake are different.

He's also a STEELERS FAN which didn't help out any since I LOVE MY BROWNS

1:16
This is where it gets fun,

Darren switches up and starts C-Rigging a Senko, first cast a BIG BASS thumps his line, Darren gets a AWESOME HOOK SET in and the fight is on. IT'S A BIG ONE HE YELLS. I start taping and the bass makes two jumps before getting to the boat. He gets the fish next to the boat and the fish makes one more jump. It heads deep one more time and this time finds the only stick up for about 20 feet radius. He's got me hung up he states. I lay down the camera ( THINKING IT'S OFF ) go to the front off the boat and take my shirt off to land his fish. I lean in the water and after about 4 minutes the fish finally breaks free never to be weighed. Darren is shaking he's so fired up after sticking the PIG.

He keeps a cool head though and continues out the day with no luck. He finishes the day with T-Rigs and C-Rigs trying to get another bite off the grass line.


If you send me to a lake that would require DEEP water fishing and C-RIGGING this guy is Crazy Good at that. I feel if it would have been 100 degrees and a normal Summer Time pattern he would have Broke all the records he that good at fishing deep.

Darren, thanks for going on this "Day On The Water" you and I will be fishing buddies for a long time.

Guys Darren only has about 20 post on the TFF and is a newbie to Texas Fishing really, this is what it's all about. He said this is a event he will never forget, and I won't either.

I'm taking him back to Lake Fork Soon to fish with him and have a blast....IF HE WILL STOP WITH THE STEELERS THING THOUGH...LOL

Thanks you Lake Fork Marina for Taking Good Care of Darren, when Cameron had seen that we were going to Fork for this he called me and wanted to make it special for Darren. Well Cameron I can't speak for Darren, but I think you did a great job making this a great first trip.

We all know how tough fishing new lakes are to fish. and put someone on FORK for there first time and put them on a "Day On The Water". It's tough. Darren you never stopped and had a great attitude. Thanks for the fun day

Casey


Darren's TOTAL WEIGHT:
1 fish........(5 ounces)

Meeting Darren


Rise and Shine


Lets Get Some Breakfast



Dodge those stumps


Darren's First Stop


Darren loves him some BROWNS


First Lake Fork Bass


Back Lash City


Tying Carolina Rig




What going through your mind Darren?


Darren studying the map on the move


Darren gets a BASS hung up


How you going to attack the last two hours?


Got to love those stick ups


Darren hooks a NICE one, then someone strips. (very not cool)

Its a rough lake... Ill be sure to rig some braid next time out.

Feast or Famine

I hope his next trip brings him the fish of his dreams.

I love me some Fork but that lake can humble you quickly.

are you Darren Heavner?
If so yea it's a tough lake....but at least you know they are there.

Good job Darren and Casey, the mystique of Fork was presented well in the story. A good read .
A heart breaker for Darren, I bet he's ready to go back..

Nice job by both of you. I have had the pleasure of meeting Darren a couple of times and he is a good guy. Glad you had fun. and hey like you said, you beat Casey.....LOL

Was going to happen sometime...LOL

I may be a record never broke I may go down in history...

Casey

TTT

Steelers #1

ARE YOU KIDDING PETRO???????

LETS GO BROWNS.............Darren and I are getting together to watch the BROWNS vs steelers game

If you want to join us, come on.

Casey

If you're a Browns fan you must know my old college buddy Ryan Tucker. He's a BIG man.

Another great "day on the lake". Fork can be a very tough lake the first several times, everything looks good. Great job to both of you.

STEELERS ALL THE WAY!

I like your noodleing skills casey hahahaha

Glad it's not just me that has a hard time catching fish consistently on this lake.

Man I grew up in DEEP EAST TEXAS, and yes I'm a proud Fat Red Neck.

I think my camera was set wrong, and added 50 pounds to me.

Casey

I can feel the frustration through the computer. He laughs when you are talking about number of casts, but I KNOW hes irked.

I haven't been on here in over a week so I didn't know this was posted yet. I had a great time on Fork and I am definitely looking forward to going back and getting another shot at her. Even though it didn't turn exactly how I would've liked, it was still a lot of fun.

Casey, thank you again for giving me the opportunity to participate in this series. It sure is a great thing you're doing for the fishing community.

I hope to redeem myself at the Championship.

And, yes, my favorite team is the Steelers but my second favorite team is whoever happens to be playing the Browns that week.

GO STEELERS!!!