Here's an interesting little tidbit of Fork Trivia for you.

The Number 6 fish caught by Troy Coates at Fork was caught off the bank at night!

Caddo,Toledo,fork,Roberts.

where do we sign up!?!

And if you count.....at last count 35 of Top 50 came out of Fork!!

Yeah, Yeah. I fell for that trap as well. Those stats are what landed me in Texas.

The problem is most of us couldn't even count when those fish were alive. Using those fish to compare the current state of fishing at Fork, is like thinking your going to see dinosaurs at a PetSmart.

Neither exists anymore.

Op, it's just a matter of time, but all those first ones you mentioned will likely produce 15 plus fish again- imo-just don't know when. For private lakes, well that's a different story. I was fortunate enough to catch one myself this year at a private lake at 15.5, but likely I will fish a LONG LOOOOONNG time on Texas public waters before I will get one that big again- lol!
It's lotto time, even for those of us that specifically target the super giant bass. Between now and May 1 is a very good bet every year as far as timing, just like the records say.
Lakes with rising levels might be better, yes, but I don't know about the evidence there as far as the top 50-100 bass are concerned.
I also agree about Toledo Bend- lots of places for a bass to get huge- genetics are good- weather and water quality and food sources seem good, but who knows until some lucky angler pulls her up.

Your best chance to catch one that big is to go crappie fishing at lake Fork for the next 2 months.

There were a few in Conroe...Then they killed the hydrilla.

Lakes that have pure Florida strain bass have the best chances to make the TX top 50. IMO Not many lakes with PFS in them anymore. Watered down genetics want get it done IMO !

And he always sprayed WD-40 on his Gene Larew Hawg Craw as scent.

True story, heck I even caught a 13+ on fork when I was just a kid in 1992. It was a different lake for sure.

Well hopefully down here we get rain to fill up these lakes and allow the new shore growth to allow some good spawns, I know if choke ever fills up that lake could explode again on a few years for sure, it has so much growth every where just begging for some water, let's all just hope we see some of those big ones show up soon. There is a lot of work and a lot of fish put back in the water we have so hopefully it will continue to create opportunities

Troy's fish was caught on a water dog is what he told be. In the back of Boardtree. You would think that back in the days with the intro of FSB and what it did for TX fishing the TP&W would try and go back to that plan that made you famous and do it again as best as they can.

Yet they waist money on other fishing programs that should go to the bass fishing not Trout fishing. Could make a big difference for all of us. I have seen this lake from before day one and it was interesting to say the least at how the project started and finished.

We can always say well back in the good old days..... IMO

He did catch the fish in the back of Boardtree but he told me he caught it on a Hawg Craw too.

Didn't know about the WD-40 James!

That WD-40 can be a little rough on the waterdogs but you can dip em in Mountain Dew and they get real frenetic.