He did. He can't fish Jalisco for 15 years without written permission from the TPWD. So he has the low pressure part down, it's the temps down there that are going to hold fish back on the high end. Who knows though, I hope Gary proves me wrong!

This post proves how spoiled we are as Texas anglers. We have some great lakes to fish. Anglers living in the majority of states would kill to live within an hour of a public lake that could consistently produce 5lb+ class bass. Pretty much every public lake in the state of Texas can do that. In addition most all of our lakes kick out a few 9+ pound fish every year. To most, that is the fish of a lifetime. The reality is that our lakes in Texas are not managed with the specific goal of raising record size bass. They are managed to produce some big bass while at the same time maintaining numbers to a point that the average fisherman can go out and catch a limit on a fairly consistent basis. Big difference in management strategy. Fork is really the only lake in the state that is somewhat managed to raise the big ones. While it certainly is not what it once was, every spring proves it still has some monsters. If I was forced to bet on a lake to produce a new record, my money would be on Fork.

OH Ivie since it filled up it will be nutrient rich and before the drought was the top share a lunker lake.

Meredith 😂

If what the biologist say is true and 1 out of 1000 fingerlings make it that is 32 fish total that made it since 2008.
Take into account being caught and kept and the odds of those 32 being females I would say the chances are extremely low that one will grow large enough to break 18 lbs.

I live a couple miles from Ray Roberts. There are a couple months out of the year that fishing is really great. But even then it’s not consistent. There are some toads here but they are temperamental. I would rather drive two hours and know I’m going to catch fish, then to fish here at RR and waste my time.
I agree with Ivie or Alan Henry. Who knows, perhaps it will pop up in a no-name lake that doesn’t get pressure.

Choke.

There's no denying Fork was...and is special. With 30 of the top 50 coming from Fork. What is interesting is that many lakes during that period between around 1987 through 1993 produced lake records. Pinkston, Gibbons, Mill Creek, Rayburn, Amistad. Was it just a "perfect storm" throughout the state during this period? Fork still kicked out a 15.48 that made the list just last year. I can't help to believe that another true GIANT...possibly another record...is still swimming out there today.

Look at the top 50........................FORK!

No where. The current record will stand.

some of those fish secretly came from fork but was lied about.

Actually Senko I heard the opposite. Some of the teenagers from Fork were rumored to have come from other lakes close to Fork and brought over for various reasons. The change around 1993 was the run on killing out invasive grasses such as hydrilla by the state and spraying began along with aging lakes, increased pressure, and development around lakes like Fork.

I would bet on Ivie. Water came up significantly in the last 18 months. Lot of potential when the fish settle down with the new water levels

Could easily come from a “sleeper lake”. While many are ancient history look at the huge bass that showed up on lakes not necessarily know as a state record contender. Possum Kingdom, Pinkston, Austin, Mill Creek, Sam Rayburn, Conroe..... while “smaller bass” remember Monticello and Welsh each had the state record at one time....in the 80’s. John Alexander broke the state record twice in a couple weeks on private Lake Echo. Have to agree though that Caddo has as good a chance as any lake....including Fork. It has turned out some giants in a more recent history. While not that big of a reservoir there are places on Caddo that big fish can remain out of touch from the fishing population for long periods of time. Here’s the Texas Top 50 bass list: https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/programs/fishrecords/freshwater/top50_largemouth.phtml

I wouldn't call Sam Rayburn or Conroe a sleeper lake.

Also I think Monticello might have a great chance. No access right now. Those fish might show out when ever they resolve the access issue.