I wouldn't be surprised if it happened by Monday! There have been 3 over 13 caught in the last two days and I know of another couple over 11. The weather is getting right and there are a TON of anglers on the lake! I thought for a minute I made a wrong turn and ended up on fork in march!

I know it's a sensitive subject but there is NO way Fork even comes close to Falcon. Maybe Fork in the 90's might be a argument but there are more double digit fish caught at Falcon in one day than Fork produces a month. The place is simply unreal and we may never see a lake this good in our lifetime again. I grew up on Fork during its heyday and live 40 minutes from it now. I would rather make the 9 hour drive to Falcon to fish Falcon for two hours than spend a week at Fork. I know most people are passionate about Fork but it is over rated in my opinion.

No question that Falcon is the BEST bass lake in the world right now. But I seriously doubt it will ever eclipse Fork in total numbers of SAL's and here's why.

First off, remember Falcon was impounded in the early 50's. Fork in 1980. How come Falcon didn't already surpass Fork?

A number of reasons. Less fishing pressure = fewer people catching fish = fewer people donating fish.

Locals and guides catch tons of giants that no one ever hears about.

Proximity, closest hatchery is San Marcos which makes pick-up of SAL's challenging.

Water fluctuation at Falcon.

No SAL holding stations (I beleive TPWD took the one out of Robert's?)

Climate, the heat in Zapata makes transporting and keeping fish alive all the more challenging.

And I think the fish at Falcon pull harder and have more carp to hang you up in than Fork fish.

That's days old news Ronnie. You're slipping.

I think the record will be broken by Feb 1st... any thoughts?

Well hayyyul yes I would post it. But I wouldn't donate it to SAL but that's just me. I have no problem with anyone who donates THEIR fish to the program.

Oh and by the way, the State Record is going down very soon. Maybe this weekend. But it's coming from a private lake!

I've typed some pretty long explanations on the subject before. In a nutshell, I believe the fish is better left in it's natural environment if you want her to reach her full potential. Big bass and big deer do not do well with stress. I just think all the handling necessary to get one to the hatchery is too stressful and, even if the fish survives and is released back into the lake, it may never get as big as it would have were it CPR'd.

I am NOT against the program. In fact, I sat and talked with David Campbell about it for quite awhile at this year's TTBC.

Gillnets. I just don't believe any of the gillnetters are going to pull a 14# bass out and say to themselves, "Wow, this may be a Potential State Record one day... I'd better throw it back."

+1

I agree. I have run into hundreds of gillnets down there and have seen a ton of them with fish. Very very few bass and have never seen any large fish caught in one. A bunch of nasty fish I cannot identify but never any fish bass over a few pounds.

Big bass can/will be caught in a gill net. When I was guiding down there I would see them regularly. Anyone ever been to a mexico fish market???

Not saying that is terrible as most of our lakes could use some fish taken out.

Well there ya go. I stand corrected. Armed with this new information you guys should have documented 20 bass over 15 pounds outta Falcon by this April....

When were you guiding down there?

2005-2009 (Amistad/Falcon) I have weighed fish over 12 dead in gill nets on Amistad and 10s on Falcon. I will see if I can dig up some old photos and scan them. They catch big catfish and carp bigger than that all the time.

Weird that this argument keeps occurring...I like both lakes a lot. See no reason to pick a favorite or waste time comparing man made lakes. Yall need to work harder or fish more...whatever it takes to fill your time, but yall sound silly acting like biologists.

Overall I think Texas fishing has gotten much more interesting in the last 10 years with the arrival of Amistad, Falcon, Ivie, and even Alan Henry. New things are good. 20 years from now yall will be talking about how Lake XYZ is so much better then Falcon in it's "hayday". It's inevitable.

BTW, I am home sick with the flu so I am bored outta my mind so don't pay any attention to me defending Fork. Notice I did NOT say Fork was better....

I guided on Fork during its HeyDay and know what the lake WAS capable of back then. Some of you new Young Guns may not have experienced what some of us more Mature Guys have seen. It WAS awesome back in the late 80's & early 90's. I fished one event at Fork out of the MB where two 13's were weighed in and neither one got Big Bass because there was a 14 brought in too!

Once again, I know Fork is WAY past her prime and No, Dan I have Not been to Falcon yet. But as I stated above in my post, When they have DOCUMENTED 20 FISH OVER 15# CALL ME AND I WILL GO!!!

Just curious about something. All the big bass in the 80's and 90's out of Fork were pretty much 100% Florida strain as I understand it. Are big fish being caught at Falcon and Fork these days less than 100% Florida strain and if so do they have the potential to get bigger than 16lbs.Without the Florida strain the Texas record stood at 13lbs. 8oz. for forty years.

haha i hear you man. You were in full effect during the golden era of Fork so you are fully aware of what Heaven is. That golden era of Fork is what I read about and dreamed of my entire childhood when i was in jersey. That Era is responsible for my [censored] down here in Texas.

If you want to fly down for a few days this spring let me know.

Fouz could explain this best.

Let's go, Ken...two first-timers on Falcon at the mercy of JD...could be epic....



.....or not

That would be funny...

A six foot one Korean dude that talks like an East Texas Hick, a five foot Jersey guy that talks like Rocky Balboa and you....

That would be a sight for sure.... LOL

I know it's a sensitive subject but there is NO way Fork even comes close to Falcon. Maybe Fork in the 90's might be a argument but there are more double digit fish caught at Falcon in one day than Fork produces a month. The place is simply unreal and we may never see a lake this good in our lifetime again. I grew up on Fork during its heyday and live 40 minutes from it now. I would rather make the 9 hour drive to Falcon to fish Falcon for two hours than spend a week at Fork. I know most people are passionate about Fork but it is over rated in my opinion.

Drive down in your "blue" car Ken. Bet a million dollars that younger stopped by every border patrol and city cop that sees you....they'd think you were the "Korean Connection". Haha.

One good thing I forgot about Falcon is no sandbass and stripers!

I disagree Brady. How quickly we forget....

Granted that Falcon is on fire right now. I spoke to Alton Jones at length about the inevitable comparison between Fork & Falcon. He told me that right now Falcon is the best lake in the world for numbers of 7-10# fish but even he believes the lake will never beat Fork for numbers of fish over 15 pounds.

Those of us that have faced reality about the old girl Fork know that she is long over the hill. However when Falcon has produced 35 fish over 15 pounds then we can start comparing her to Fork. Do I believe Falcon is the best place to go for the average weekend guy to catch a DD?? Absolutely! Without a doubt!

Will it ever dethrown Fork as the Top Producer of Giants over 15 pounds? I highly doubt it. The rationale for my doubt: Gillnets. I just don't believe any of the gillnetters are going to pull a 14# bass out and say to themselves, "Wow, this may be a Potential State Record one day... I'd better throw it back."

They are going to sell the fish along with all the other fish they've caught and the unknowing consumers like you and me will eat them in our McDonald's fish sandwich next week.

Another reason Falcon appears to be so good right now is the public awareness. In the late-80's and early 90's we didn't have iPhones with internet capability allowing us to upload a Youtube video 5 minutes after the epic battle. Many of the giant fish caught from Fork in the early days were never even recorded. Nowadays, when someone catches a nice bass they hold it close to the camera and paste it on TFF calling it a TEN.... Or an ELEVEN... LOL

Don't get me wrong here fellas.... If Falcon was kicking out 15# fish every month I would have already been down there dodging bullets and bumping rubrails with ya.

Falcon has produced ONE 15 pound fish. That is an awesome achievement in its own right. When they have caught 20 over 15 give me a call....

Ken

Falcon is awesome....BUT, since half of it is in Mexico I consider it a Mexican Lake, it's like going to El Salto for me. It's kind of a tough cheater lake. I enjoy the food, and the lack of boats. As far as Fork....like Cam said, totally different deal. We are talking HIGHLY pressured lake an hour from one of the biggest cities in the country. People come to Fork for GIANTS...yes a 10-12 is a giant, but with none of the "inside information" we have would you rather go a lake where the record is 18 and there are 35 over 15 caught with some 16's and 17's in there, or a lake where there had only been a 15.63 (pleas don't take this as I am saying the Falcon record isn't a giant). I like them both for different reasons. Fork is unreal....i mean truly unreal at times and so is Falcon....I do think Falcon will cycle, but I think if Fork stays low for awhile and then the water rises it's fixing to be GAME ON!!! I can't compare Fork and Falcon, apples and oranges, I'll say this we are so LUCKY to have these lakes within driving distance....GOD BLESS TEXAS!!!

One day left in the Barrett RECORD SMASHING PREDICTION!!!

I love you man!!!

Read your post, I am not taking anything serious. Poke fun at you and you go wild. Squaw Creek > Falcon anyway.

[quote=Z520 Cranker][quote=Jerry Springer]
Gillnets. I just don't believe any of the gillnetters are going to pull a 14# bass out and say to themselves, "Wow, this may be a Potential State Record one day... I'd better throw it back."

They are going to sell the fish along with all the other fish they've caught and the unknowing consumers like you and me will eat them in our McDonald's fish sandwich next week.

One day left in the Barrett RECORD SMASHING PREDICTION!!!

Fork / Falcon .. they both start with F

so does Fish kill! lol

I forgot about Fish Trap lake...

With as many lines in the water down there you would think some more 13s would have showed up lately. Friends of mine said the lake is packed worse than it was back during the bass TV days.

They are getting some amistad water now so hopefully that will spread em out so folks aren't fishing a certain guides water! Lol