Has been too cold to fish in Kansas City and with the first week of the year off work, I am considering a trip to Caddo/Fork or somewhere a bit warmer than here and stopping at Tenkiller on the way home.

If the fishing is tough, I would prefer not to drive 1200 miles round trip to get shut out.

Any thoughts from those familiar with the conditions?

This would be my first trip to East Texas.

Thanks for any advice you have.
Ryan

If you've never been to East Texas (let alone in the winter) I'm afraid you would probably be disappointed on your first trip. East Texas like any place else can be pretty finicky in the winter. If you do go I would do one of two things: Get a guide on your first day if fishing Fork, Rayburn, Caddo or others. Fish Lake Welsh by Mount Pleasant. It is a power plant lake that has tons of fish. Hint: plan on fishing there during the week and avoid weekends. Good Luck.

Retired grass grower

If you want to catch some really big bass , call Whitt Smith @ 972 743 2046 . He is on a great night bite at Fork . This week he had clients catch multiple bass over 10 lbs on back to back nights . Bundle up and be prepared for a fish of your lifetime .[img]http://[/img] file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/12/02/38D52984-6D84-45A4-930F-7B13D801BFA6/IMG_2305.PNG

I would suggest Welsh, Martin Creek and Brandy Branch fo numbers, all power plant lakes.
Stay away on the weekends😬

I definitely suggest a guide for Rayburn at first. It's good for some folks right now, but alot of us are struggling. And a guide will help with the navigation since the lake is 4 feet low and like a minefield.

Fishing during the day has been tough at Fork especially since there is no to little grass and fish seem to still be suspended in trees on points. However, if you hit Rayburn or other east Texas lake with grass it can be off the chain during this time of the year over the grass on traps, chatterbaits and jerk baits. My biggest concern right now would be Covid versus not catching fish. I am just getting over a mild case of COVID and know of many down here that just got over it or have it. Whatever your choice be safe!!

By the way I never ran a fever, and my symptoms early on were just like my cedar allergies (sneezing, sniffles, tickle in throat) until I lost smell and taste, started having stomach flu type issues, had the worst headache you can imagine and just wanted to sleep......my entire household ended up sick/positive. We don’t know who patient zero and all symptoms hit us about the same day.....and were allergy like.

If you down in Nacogdoches area try Lake Nacogdoches. It had some good grass in October. We killed the last weekend of October.

If you down in Nacogdoches area try Lake Nacogdoches. It had some good grass in October. We killed em the last weekend of October.

If I'm driving 1200 miles to come fish texas in the winter I'd be heading straight down to Falcon.

I wouldn’t waste time on Caddo. The salvania has much of lake in distress right now. Fishing has been a miss for last few weeks now since the wind is making lake muddy and pushing all the stuff around.

Have you fished the Wolf Creek nuclear plant lake outside Kansas City?
Or the one close by on Dardanelle in Arkansas?

Great choice for this time of the year but the 1200 miles becomes 2000 miles round trip.

But the fishing is pretty solid compared to most texas lakes in winter. Adami has like 3-4 over 10 last 2 trips I saw on Facebook. Name another lake putting out that kind of fish right now.

AND FYI, "a bit warmer" in N. or E. Texas may be colder than KC! January is hit and miss for cold and/or cold/wet/windy weather. May be 75. May be 35 and a hard north wind. 550 miles from KC Kansas to Alba (Lake Fork) 1018 from KC Kansas to Zapata (Falcon) Just make sure to bring clothes for ANYTHING!! Falcon is awesome but that some hard traveling for just a week. Good luck! And the Rona is pretty active around Lake Fork for the past three or four months!

Completely agree, just recognizing the extra time on the road..