The fact that you say “Stripes is as good as it gets” says a lot for how good the cuisine is in Zapata! Im not dissing it at all….just sayn! Those who talk about “fine food” in Zapata need to get out more! I have never gone hungry while fishing down @ Falcon. Yes the Larado Taco Company inside the Stripes convenience store @ the Valero gas station is a great choice for some quick breakfast tacos to eat on the 30 mile drive down to the State Park to launch. They taste a lot like the breakfast tacos you get here in Glen Rose @ the 7-11’s Larado Taco Company and all the other Larado Taco Companies inside so many convenience stores. El Pariaso “famous” chicken fried steak w/shredded cheese dumped in the gravy? Kinda a “Zapata thing”. The Steak House?….well as I said: I’ve never gone w/out eating while in Zapata. “Fine Cuisine”? Whatever. Go for the “Fine Fishing”!!!! If I had a week in Texas coming up it would be a no brainer. Falcon!

The Pizza Hut in Zapata might be the best one I've ever eaten at. Don’t knock it until you've tried it.

I live on Conroe. It's starting to fish well but I would go somewhere in East Texas and have the option at multiple lakes in a short drive.

I will agree with you on that sir.

Anyone who was a fan of Choke Canyon would cry if you went down there now. I went 2 weeks ago to Caliham with my yak. Soon there will only be a river left. It still looks like a bunch of water but when I got out there it was all 3-4 foot deep except the creek/river channels. The deepest water I could find was the old bridge crossing between the Island and the park...the river there showed 17 foot. But yeah 3-4 foot lower and all that will be left is river channel. Crazy seeing it like that!

Choke and Canyon will both look like Medina pretty soon. People keep saying they will all fill up again, and it is just a cycle..... But I think we are too far gone. And this wasnt just a drought thing, this is also a mismanagement of resources issue.

There is no doubt in my mind that they will all fill up again.. Now when, I am not sure.. But it is likely that when it happens it will happen overnight.. Or what will seem like it..

It takes a catastrophe to fill Amistad and Falcon.. And people will be standing on roofs upstream when it happens.. I just hope I am still able to fish a year or two after it happens.

The Hill Country is notorious for flash floods.. One day Canyon will get it, I promise.

Medina's watershed is about the size of a postage stamp, and it has to rain a [censored] ton in Medina.. Not Bandera.. Grew up on it. Seen it go from 50 low to 10' over the spillway overnight..

Now what they do with the water after they fill is anybody's guess.

When was that? That didn’t even happen in ‘98

Population as well. Think about the watershed of each lake. Compare the properties with ponds and wells now compared to 30 years ago. Tell me that doesn’t factor in to eventual run off!

I fish Fork about 70 days a year ... it's about to get right. I do think the overall bass population is down on Fork. I've also fished Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn this year already ... I think Toledo is fishing the best of the three. Rayburn might kick out more quantity - and yes, I know it produced a 40+ lb bag this year, but I think fish for fish - a heavier fish average at Toledo with fewer numbers than Rayburn, but similar quality as Fork, but better numbers there. If you fish Rayburn - exceptional food at Rayburn Resort.

Why not go to those Louisiana lakes that are pumping out the bigs?

It has happened a lot of times. In 1974 we took our class officers pictures behind the spillway with water going over..

In 2002? When the lake was going over 10 or more feet and they evacuated Castroville because they thought the dam was going to break. Nelson Wolfe came to the lake and made a speech about how San Antonio could save the lake.. (sarc)

But the event you are referring to was probably in the early ninety's.. Not sure of the year... My brother was living at Pebble Beach and I was up there all the time.. The lake was super low and we were barely putting in on the lowest of ramps.. And we hear of a big rise coming so we went down and swept the rocks off the second highest ramp..

Next morning water was going over the spillway at a high volume.. May not have been ten feet that event but it was substantial..

When I was just a pup in the late fifties the lake was about dry.. For years . And many times in-between we have had long periods of low levels..

But one of these days it will be full again..

I'd go outside your comfort zone but still just a few hours away from you and split the week on Bussey Brake and Caney Creek in Louisiana. They are an easy drive apart from you. Both have BIG fish.

It was a 4th of July weekend and I think it was 1998. I remember fear of the dam topping due to the erosion over the dam and spillway. We were down at Choke that weekend and the lake (Choke) was rising 6” per hour! Just a pure muddy mess with trees and balls of fire ants all over the place, I’d never seen anything like it. I WOULD like to see it again NOW!

Same horrible recharge zone for Medina and Choke.

That’s what I’m saying!