Thoughts on so many lakes fishing tough....

Seems more than a few are not back up to speed yet but I recall 4-5 years ago the last time we got a lot of water in the lakes we had the same issues in the summer with super tough fishing. I recall though the fall was amazing. I bet the tide turns in another month or so and they all get back to fishing better. Some lakes are still releasing water which hurts but I bet we have a killer fall.

its gonna happen next year.

More rain is gonna happen. Its in the long range forecast. Another wet spring.

I think it has to do with how much new water and available cover there was, seemed like once you could get dialed in the water would drop another foot and have to search again.

I don't think its necessarily the fish aren't doing their thing and eating/hitting. Just the rapidly changing conditions are harder to keep up with.

I think the lakes are turning over later then normal from it being cooler later

As much water as the lakes got and as fast, I think it definitely makes things tough. It almost creates a whole new lake with as much water as some of them got. A few years back amistad flooded and we fished it that year and it was tough, but the lake stayed stable and the next year me and my buddy had 2 days of a lifetime. I think the high water messes with them for sure, plus it muddies up water, etc.

Mark, I know it is supposed to rain a lot again next spring but I think as long as the lakes dont drop 25 feet before then it won't affect the lakes as much. I think the Fall will be great and next year could be good.

I agree this fall should be some great fishing.

My look on it is that they have/had a lot more and new cover and that has then spread way out and also lakes are being pulled down.

Same amount of fish spread out in way more water

I think the fishing has been great

I can't find anything bigger than two pounds. Shallows are loaded with little ones. Big ones I think are still deep.

More water + more cover means the fish are spread out more.

Gman

IDK, between soo very much rainfall (thankfully) and now searing heat and very continued muddy waters, I just 'summerized' my rig at least until the heat subsides .... a little at least.
The fall, winter and hopefully coming spring are going to be MUCH better fishing.
God Bless

heck is always tuff in August

ITS FREAKING HOT GUYS!!!! it always gets tough when it gets THIS hot... and the new water, and the muddy water... chill, it will come around. Until then go shoot some skeet and get ready for dove season lol

Rapid falling water is bad. Belton was still pouring it out. Largemouth are having to reposition a lot. The only thing biting here is the smallmouth. They seem to like the moving water. Also with so many of our lake having more off colored water, it heats up faster. We have water temps in the low 90s here. 11 lb won the night tourny sat. Night. 5 smallies in the bag. Still not much weight.

I've been working more the last month or so and house shopping so I haven't been as often lately. I really don't like fishing in this heat, I can take it until about 11am, but it gets miserable quick in the afternoon. And the lakes close to me are still closed so I haven't felt like driving to Fork for a few hours. I'm ready for the fall I guess

July - September, if I want to catch decent fish then I usually fish at night.

It's too dang hot even for a fish in Texas

Some of the best fall fishing I've had in a long while was "07" 8 an 9, on Roberts. I look for the fish to do the same this fall. Come on Oct.

Suppose to take a trip to Falcon in a couple weeks. Going to need a sumbrella for the boat! Its hot even thinking about it.

Those of us that have fished Fork for many years know that in years past the deep structure fishing is normally great in the heat of July & Aug.

I believe this year is tough due to all the new water in the lake. I make my living testing water chemistry. The average pH of rainwater is about 5.5 to 5.7. That is way below the normal lake's pH of 7.5. I believe the fish are in a "funk" due to the drastic change in water chemistry. I am not suggesting anything as drastic as LMBV but I do think the fish are sickly.

I could be wrong but the old timers that have fished the lake since 1983 know the fishing is way off compared to the summers of the past.

all the fish are now in the ocean.

Been going to a few smaller lakes I know well and heading straight for some of the deeper cover mid day. The bigger bass are usually predictably right there in the same places every year by now; but not this year--lots are suspended deep, but not relating to the deep cover and deep structure they usually do.

With all that newly flooded cover during the shad and bluegill spawns, there must be huge amounts of easy pickins small fry for the bass to eat. Bet they are gorging themselves on the small fry at night/early morning then resting, suspending deep during the day.

Love summer fishing. 20-25 fish the other night deep. Sat on one spot for 2.5-3hrs.

Predictable ......love summer

exactly, with a ton of new fast growing fish, and ample shoreline cover I hope for the next 2 years at least.

I've been to Fork about 3 or 4 times in the past two months. The spawn was somewhat decent for us. After that I've been at a loss. Went during the swim bait craze and struck out then. Been again during the heat and had some success later in the evenings but nothing till then. Then there was this past weekend where I caught 2 bass in 2 days and so did my buddy. Got lost looking and trying everything we could. 3 of the 4 came on FB Jigs in 15-20'. I did catch one in 38' on a 10" worm. I think the better ones are out deep but when I read the guides reports it just reassures what I already knew...I suck bad 60-75% of the time. Thank you sand bass for eating my flutter spoon...

I looked all over and found fish on my graph, could see them but they just were not feeding at all. It's like you gotta hit them in the head this year to make them bite. All the underwater structure spots that are the typical community holes I can't get bit. If I was smart I would have hired a guide this year and learned me something instead of burning gas and practicing my casting. Hats off to those guys for staying on them this year. They make it look easy but they are on a different level than most.

But I'll be back at it in s few weeks trying to find my mojo. Cause right now I'm at an all time low for catching fish. This has been the toughest year as a whole for me ever.

not as many out fishing in the heat so not that many people posting reports on what the did or didn't catch just maybe not as bad as most think its a numbers thing mostly.

This is way off year for my fishing. I think the high water has a lot do with it and now the record high temps

I'd say the vast majority of anglers don't catch them all that well this time of year in this type of heat.

Where the heck ya been bud? Hit me up if you wanna go out sometime.

The good thing about tough fishing is that GREAT fishing is usually just around the corner! I think you are right and the fall or winter bite on these East Tx Lakes will be on fire! When the bite is tough like right now I personally like to use lighter weights, lighter line, and smaller lures for these pressured and inactive fish. For example a 1/8oz to 3/16 oz shaky head rigged with a natural colored Yamamoto 5 in Pro Senko is one of my favorites baits out deep, fish it very slowly across the bottom or near cover using 6-10 lb fluorocarbon line and spinning rod! In shallower water I will flip creature baits/jigs for bites from resident bass that live in dirty water and stay tight to shallow cover or in shaded areas during this heat.

The beauty of the kayak is that when lake fishing sucks you can go fish the rivers... it's starting to get very good below some of the dams around here now that the water's coming down a little

I'm 70 and retired. All I'm interested in is fishing. I live in west Texas. I begin every morning by launching at 1st light. If I don't fish in the morning I have nothing to do and that really makes me crazy. But I'm way past my personal record for not catching anything. When I think of the hours and gas I've burned since the rains and without ANY results. And I know that August/September will be tough too. I just tell myself that the lake is the prettiest place in the world in the early light and that one of these days I will break this bad streak.

You keep it in the right perspective. I admire you. Stay at it. Your luck will change.

with lots of new water and lots of dying cover, I think it suspends a lot of fish. they want to go shallow to the cover, but it begins to sour. they want to go deep, but with low light and high heat there is little food and little oxygen out deep. So they suspend at a comfortable range outside the cover. that's been what I have observed in these type of conditions. And it makes for tough fishing.

Yup!

Water temps are very high, oxygen is very low, lots of bait around, the dog days of summer are upon us!

I have had luck recently on schooling topwater fish and a few drop shot fish here and there.

But all in its been mostly slow.

I have started chasing catfish and bluegill on the side to keep my line tight its been that slow lol.

+1... That's what 70 years of wisdom gives you....I am not religious but dang close when I think how I am Blessed to have the chance to wet a line...

Fall is gonna be pretty nuts when all the shad start moving back into creeks and get in the shallow cover those bass will be chomping on them.

Sell the SRA some water treatment that'll fix that funk!

There's always golf!

The bass are there it's a timing deal this time of year. Took my son bream fishing and he was catching great for an hour then they stopped all ofsudden .I thought what 's going on . I through my shakey head worm over there and caught 6 bass in a row and he even caught some worms under a bobber. You could be in th perfect spot but if their full and not dinner time their not eating. This summer has been great . I did notice that the wind help a lot . I try to keep covering water and write down times when certain spots turned on so I won't be wasting time. I don't have boat but love fishing no matter the conditions. The bream population has exploded on a lot of lakes and kept some big fish shallow.

When it gets hot and like the Dead Sea, I like to troll a big DD22 over humps and roadbeds. Cuaght many fish doing this over the years at Fork...also lost my share of DD22's too.

Gman