It sucks adimitting that you aren't good at something, but that was the conclusion after my trip on Fork yesterday. My old man and I went out with my buddy Heath Hardwick and it was tough sledding for us.

Wind was whipping 25 mph all day and that limited us to only a couple places to fish. I never thought I was a great bass fisherman but I didn't realize how much I really have to learn. Figured I would land at least 5 or 6 fish on this trip. Especially since we would be flipping soft plastics which has always been my favorite way to fish.

WRONG.

The bite was as subtle as anything I had ever experienced. I never could tell if I was dragging my worm over a stump or if the fish had picked up the bait and moved it. They were NOT taking the bait and running with it. More like picking it up and moving it a couple inches outta the way. It was something that was so slight that I had missed it by the time I realized what had happened. God knows how many fish picked up my bait and I never felt it. Not the type of fishing I am accustomed to and it was pretty evident.

Even my old man who is a much better angler than couldn't figure out the soft bite. I did have one solid hook up before lunch. I was pumped because it easily would been the biggest bass I would have ever landed. As I am battling her she starts stripping out line. Unfortunately, I was using a new rod and reel fresh outta the box and I forgot to set my drag appropriately for the size of the fish we were targeting. She took my line out and wrapped it around a tree stump. Adios big girl

Heath was patient with us all day and after lunch I did finally manage to catch this buck off a bed. Missed him twice before Heath switched the bait to something smaller so the fish would actually have to pick up the entire thing instead of just the tail. Not a monster by any means but my first at Fork.



Overall dad and I each had two or three solid bites and missed those fish. God only knows how many others softly picked up our baits and moved em. It was a humbling experience as I realized I basically have no idea how to catch big bass outta a resevoir. Nothing like the private tanks and ponds I am used to. I have a lot of respect for those who can consistently do it. Heath caught 4 or 5 including the biggest bass I have ever seen caught. She weighed every bit of 8 pounds.



Frustrating to say the least. But something I am looking foward to tackling again soon. Thanks Heath for a great day on the water and for being such a patient guide. Looking forward to our next trip.

They call it fishing, not catching. Just use it as a learning experience.

sounds like bed fish picking the bait up and moving it out of the bed

Yep, but we only saw a couple beds, water clarity was poor from all the wind so sight fishing was pretty much outta the question. Fishing from 6-12 ft. Def haven't acquired that touch yet.

Fork humbles me every time I fish it which has only been a few times. I fished a club tournamnet out there and almost everyone brought in fish, but me. I have caught 1 fish out of fork, I can't figure it out either.

Hey unfurtunatly thats fishing. Everyone has their good day and their bad. You just have to take what you learned from that day and apply it to your next trip. It's what will make you a better fisherman in long run.

Cable, I haven't seen you since the PETA - NO SHOW. You need a hair cut These winds are tough! Glad that you could spend the day with your Dad! Hopefully you'll tear 'em up next trip out there.

I have said it before and I will say it again. Lake Fork is the BEST lake that I've ever fished, and the WORST lake I've ever fished.

Lake Fork can be one of the most humbling lake I can think of. IMHO I think it has a lot to do with the Florida Strain Bass. They sure seem to me to be more moody and finicky than native bass.

Case in point. I have 2 ponds. One is probably 3-4 acres and i stocked it with Florida Strain Bass. I put 100 in it and there are some days when i can go down there and just whack em. Then their are days that they will not touch anything. I have another pond that is 2-3 acres that has never been stocked. These are just the naturally occurring native bass. I can almost always catch 8-10 every time I go down there. Even in horrible weather. These fish are just more aggressive, they just don't get as big.

Typical of the bite during the spawn, cable. You'll usually either feel a very hard "pow", set the hook and get nothing or the fish picks up part of the bait and moves it a few feet. You figure out the bite, set the hook and come back with half your soft plastic missing just below the bend of the hook. Been happening tome now for about a month. When they get past the spawn and the funk, they'll be chewing and there will be NO DOUBT!

Jiggy, I have the same experience with pure Floridas and to an extent, F1's. Nothing will shut them down faster than a cold front or a drastic change in weather.

That's why the pros always lament the spring tournaments in Florida. Hit it right and load the boat. Get a cold front and the fish get lockjaw.

Yep a few weeks ago the only way I could tell if I got a bite was to see my line move over and that was tough in the wind, they all seemed to move toward the boat a little and never felt a thing then last weekend my wife and I got several bites but only caught a few fish because they all took half the bait on hook set.

I've had plenty of great days on Fork and plenty of skunked days on Fork. That lake can be humbling thats for sure. I used to think there wasn't a fish I couldn't land once hooked, until I fished Fork. I still don't have a DD but I've lost at least a half dozen on Fork. That's part of the lakes mystic.

Nice fish