Fork boggles me

Went out again Saturday morning first light. Couldn't ask for a more perfect morning to catch a bunch of fish. I thought finally I've caught fork on a perfect day and it will give up some numbers. Nope. 3 fish total in 6 hours. I do not understand this lake for some reason. Besides the obvious, get a guide remark, can anyone provide solid information or tell me what the hell I'm doing wrong? We threw square bills, flukes, jigs, lizards, spinner baits, wacky rig, etc. Pretty much tried it all shallow and deeper. Does lake fork ever give up a day where you actually catch a few fish an hour? Everywhere you look looks awesome and we tried a lot of areas.

That seems about right to me

Most pressured lake in Texas. It can be very very tough.

Years and years of fishing pressure, lots and lots of tournaments, loss of shoreline habitat ( where hydrilla use to be around the shoreline boat docks are there now ) and fluctuating water levels are the main reasons catching is getting harder. Finding the right depth, technique and presentation seem to be the key these days. Dinks are pretty easy now but the big girls are pretty spooky. Tuesday through Thursday are better days for me. I don't even bother on the weekend anymore. Don't give up buddy, summer is just around the corner and the fish will be easier to pattern. Me personally, I'll be glad when the spawn is over.

One thing is certain in that you can't fish it the sane way day after day. You gotta change and try new things, new areas etc. Personally i thhought it was fishing very well through Friday at least.

The best days I've had fishing were on Lake Fork, the toughest days fishing I've ever had were on Lake Fork.

That's where I think the guides separate themselves from the rest of us Mark. They adapt faster and better to the changes each day. Even so, they have their difficult days too. It's the hope and excitement of catching the next state record that keeps us trying and I'm one that thinks she's there.

Fished it for the first time Friday and Saturday. Hit three spots before getting on fish Friday evening. Only had 4 hours to fish. Went back Saturday morning and the bite was great until around 9:30. Still caught quite a few until around 2 when we headed in. Mostly unders with a few nice slots mixed in.

I consider a 3 fish day on Fork a very good day.

Hell no. It takes me two hours to get there and two to get back....better at least catch a limit with all that driving.

That's just Fork for you. I rarely ever fish Fork and I live 16 miles from it. It can be very unpredictable.

My wife and I fished it yesterday from 2:30 pm to dark. We started mid lake and kept working from picket to pocket toward the dam. I caught 2 unders on a drop shot in 6-10 ft of water. I was looking for beds while casting toward the middle if the pocket. I saw a few on beds but they were spooky as a deer.

About 5:00, I told her we were going to find some grass and throw frogs we went way up North into the back of a creek and started. She caught 3 on a frog and 4 on a weightless finesse worm. 3 of those were in the 3-4 lb range and one was her new PB that I put at 9 lbs. I caught 6 on a frog, with 3 in the 3-4 range and one that I put at 7 1/2 to 8 lbs.

It started like typical Fork and ended like the old Fork.

Yea it's disappointing for sure. I just want to have an good say there once. Or maybe catch a big one. Who knows? PM me your secret locations haha. Where is the best lake to catch numbers?

Two tip that has helped me all spring are to select a depth that fits your style of fishin and don’t deviate from it. Fish have been at all depths and changing depths will only lead to frustrations. Secondly, spend more time fishing than boating. This is find an area that fits your desired depth and fish it until you figure them out. I’ve noticed that lots of guys like to fish a creek for less than an hour and then leave. Each creek on Fork should be treated as its own lake and fished as such. Hope this helps as it has form me and I’m new to the lake.

I certainly can't add much to what has been said already. I fished Fork from 1990 till 2000, sporadically for a few years and now that I'm retired and live close to the lake I don't fish it much at all. But from 1990 to 2000 and then the few times over the next five years there were times I just hammered the fish. My favorite time was night fishing in June. I put in at the 154 public landing and idle under the bridge and then fish the bank and boat houses into the cove on the right and catch a bunch along that bank line. Farther up the lake before reaching the next bridge I'd fish the hump off the left side of the boat lane and again hammer the fish. But there was hydrilla and that made a difference. It was always a pressured lake but the fishing was still good. So maybe in the future with stable water and perhaps another occurrence of hydrilla it will get better. I remember night fishing in June and busting the fish on one spot near the dam. I transferred to west Texas and then back to Houston four years later and I made a June trip and fished the same spot I fished when I left and guess what? I hammered them as if the passage of time had not happened. So I can attest as an occasional angler of Fork, it was good during that time.

Just change the title too "At times...... Fork boggles EVERYONE (even guides)" and you will be good. No one will even need to post after that.

I fished Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Ok, tough then super tough. About 30 the first day with Mark Pack. 10 the second day but had to catch them on another pattern. 2 today. Both patterns fizzled and couldn't figure out a new way to catch them. Seemed most I talked to had similar dwindling results over the three days.

I always say you gotta have a short memory if you fish Fork a lot. Whether you caught them or not one thing will be certain the next trip will be totally different.

Go back when the fish move out from the shore. You do not have to idle through the timber very much and you are not trying to throw at the same banks everyone from Idaho to West Virginia are fishing. Fork lives on a lot from the past, but it still a good lake.

There are many great lakes in East Texas that are much easier to break down.

This! You gotta think outside the box.

Try the crappie and blues. They're biting great.

I been thinking outside of the box.. Like another lake outside of the box.

Yeah, it's easier to cast outside the box than being in in it

After our chat Sinkey on Friday it got much better, started out looking for post spawn fish in 12-21 foot, was marking lots of fish on some clean points with grass out to 10 foot. Not a single bite for 1-1/2 hours, I spent to much time out there trying to "will" the fish to be there. (you ever do that?)... Sinkey jumped my butt to get back shallow, so I did, but not down south where I was, moved down mid- lake near Wolf and Wood pecker, fished first break with timber in 3-8 foot -- bingo, the fish were close to the wood, especially near drains..

I would rather catch fish out deep, it's not there yet, so you have to be ready to change like I did, being versatile can help your success, I'm thick headed at times and pay for it in less bites..

Hard headed!

Plus they like woody woodpecker this time of year!

I can't figure them out on that lake. Went Friday and had no bites.

Fork can be finicky but when she's good she REAL good. I caught 9 slots Saturday in the back of a pocket on a black and blue finesse jig.

It was a good day indeed..
Welcome to the forum...

There should be a Fork support group, kind of like AA. We can all talk each other up.

I’ll be there the next two days, coming from the metro mess! Only my second time there hopefully we can figure it out!!

Hello, my name is Ken Addington and I have a problem....

Hi Ken.

Fork? Oh yeah, I drive over those bridges on the way to a little home lake....bump fighting that mess....the tourists will be gone soon enough and I will start the good summer mid week fishing. Until then I just waive as I drive by!

She'll kick you in the nuts a few times, makes those phenomenal days even better. Not sure of another lake anywhere that could take that much pressure and keep on producing.

Hell shoot me some spots to go and when? I'm not gonna be there every day may be once a month. I can't afford to get a guide so I need all the help I can get

It has days that's more difficult than others, but over all its not a difficult lake to catch them on and figure out what they are doing.

I zero most days out there, but every now and then she puts out a good fish.

Chatter producing right now. Char/white

Lots of fish on main lake points and secondary points with timber right now. 3-8 ft deep. Miss the tree by 2-3 feet and you will miss most of the bites.