I'm thing about hitting Farfield this weekend for some big gills. I've never been before so I'm looking for lodging, bait shops, where to launch and finally where to fish snd the pattern. Any and all comments will be much appreciated.

Dave

I will give you my .02, first of all you better buy crickets in the metroplex somewhere, lodging depends on what you need to be comfortable and BE CAREFUL ON THE RAMPS, I'm sure the water is still low and you can tear your rig up pretty quick, the one in the front has a nasty drop-off. Good luck !

I am not in any way setting myself up as an expert based on two trips, but I will pass along my experiences.
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First, a place to stay. The local LaQuinta is a really good small motel with friendly staff and a good Mexican restaurant across the street. It is located at the corner of I45 and 27, which is the first Fairfield exit coming from Fort Worth. It is also handy to the lake.
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The only bait shop I found is the Chevron station on the road to the lake. Selection is limited, and no crickets. Crickets are hands down the best bait for Coppernose Bluegills, so stock up before you go. The fish are not easy to get to bite, so give yourself the best chance by using grey crickets, not black crickets or something else.
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Both boat ramps are out of the water. I used the south ramp and had to drop the boat off the trailer, not drive it off. Leave your motor up and use a paddle to get water under the boat. There is a nasty drop off at the end of the ramp and broken rocks and concrete at the pier. The two trips I made cost me both a trolling motor and big motor prop. The north ramp is reported to be not in much better shape. Be careful.
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I wounded a prop trying to drive back up on the trailer the first time. Thereafter I killed and raised the motor far out and paddled in, then winched the boat up on the trailer. It was a bear in the heat.
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If you want to fish the Little Brown Creek arm of the lake go left out of the South ramp. The fish are far back in the arm holding on the stick ups.
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I would recommend you fish on the dam separating the hot water discharge from the lake. Go straight across the lake directly toward the power plant from the south ramp to the short dam with rip rap. The fish are on the left side on the edge of the grass in six to eight feet of water. There is a slight drop off of about one foot and the fish were holding on the drop off.
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Rig your line with a #8 Aberdeen hook on the end. About a foot up use a #3 pinch on sinker. No bobber.Cast out about 30 feet and let your bait sink to the bottom, then slowly retrieve. The bite will be very light.

Click here for a map. (Slow - 6 meg file)

Be on the lake in position by first light in the morning. By 9AM it will all be over.They are not biting later.I hope this helps. Take pictures.

Mr Smithaven,

Very informative post. That is the way they should all read.

I am planning a trip this fall, am I going to have trouble launching a 24ft Century Inshore?

Unless it rains you are going to be in a world of hurt. Out of the question on the south ramp.

Brandon, don't even try it, it would have to rain from now until just before you put in.

Here's $.02 more.
1st- Smithhaven is on the money. Except that on Aug 1, my brother and I fished the exact spot in the exact way between noon and 2pm, and ran out of bait catching fish. I posted in reply to Smith's thread back then. I certainly wouldn't show up late, but there is a chance later in the day. It was 105* that afternoon. We were GLAD we ran out of bait. And my truck was the last vehicle in the ramp lot. I guess we like to fish....
2nd- Brandon, don't take my word for it, but it's something to consider. Do you have a tandem axle trailer? Years ago I was at FF and the lake was much lower than it is now. The park personnel said loading was tough, but that some larger boats could do it easier than smaller boats. If you had a second axle, you could back the first off the end of the ramp and still keep one on concrete...Then i saw pure genius... One guy had a set of ramps to drive machinery onto a trailer- he waded in, placed em off the end of the ramp, and loaded a large barge easy...Again, just something to ponder....
3rd- Called FFSP today. They're 3' low, so the north ramp should be ok. She said to take note- there has been a fish kill... the oxygen levels are low, water is hot, fish are dying, some areas of the lake stink...That's pretty much all the info i got. F.O.B.O., my truck is backed up to my boat now ready to race ya to that spot in the morning, but with that info i may reconsider. Dunno, anybody ever fished FF after a kill? I heard it's fairly common there this time of year....

Just saw this over in the crappie section. I realize fishkills on hot lakes are pretty common in late summer, but it looks pretty bad to me.

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...eld#Post5249911