Well im curiouse to see what peoples opinions are and creat soome discussion.

We all know that the largest SAL is Barry St.Clair's 18.18 (also the Texas State Record) caught in 1992. There have also been several 16-17 lbs Bass from Fork as well. With all the Lake Fork guides and numerouse others including myself on here that fish the Fork,

A) Where will the new State Record/ largest SAL come from?

B) Will Fork ever get back the the way it was back in the late 80's to mid 90's when the size bass were AMAZING that came out of fork?

And im not saying that it doesnt produce big fish today, but not the nuber of big bass that it did back then.

I think when Fork comes back up to full pool, it'll be on fire again.

Love Fork, but I'm gonna say no on it will ever be as good as it was then

Fork has aged just as all man made impoundments do. The timber that it had in its early days is gone forever, and Forks with it Forks hay-day as largemouth bass fishery.

Fork is quite likely to continue as it has over the last dozen or so years that I�ve been fishing it. It will continue to produce SALs at a rate that will keep it the top largemouth fishery in Texas, but I don�t see it producing another state record.

The only possibility that I can see/think of for Fork to have a real shot at producing another state record is if TP&W ever decides to stock rainbow trout in Fork in LARGE numbers. A good winter that keeps the trout alive on into April could have the effect of �forcing� extra growth in the Fork big girls that could produce a new record.

There has been a move by some guides, and others to have TP&W stock spotted bass, especially a strain from Lake Lanier in Fork and create a spot fishery that would be comparable to that of Lanier. Personally I like this idea.

The thought of being able to catch large numbers of hard fighting spots, with a significant possibility of catching a SAL would be, at least in my opinion, a big plus for the business that Fork would be able to draw into Wood, and Rains counties.


TFP

With the way Falcon and Lake Austin are producing big fish this year, I think the pressure will lay off of fork a tad bit and if it comes up to full pool, and the grass and pads grow thick again it could get much better. Nothing like it use to be but a lot better then it is

It's not when,

It took nine years and more than $200 million just to build the infrastructure to bring Lake Fork water to Dallas, with construction including burial of 28 miles of 108-inch-diameter pipe and a massive new pump station.

The lake will reliably provide 107 million gallons a day to the water department. On average, every resident uses 200 gallons a day.


its if?

I think it would be great to have a strain on spots introduced in Fork and The Trout as well(if we can get a cold enough winter to hold them and not die off like they do at the Tyler State Park) Non the less, the introductions of spots will be good for the fishery, but will it be good for producing the size of pure Florida largemouth? Wouldnt the introduction of spotts creat more "challenge" for the food with the Largemouth and start seeing largemouth weights drop due to the added number of preditory fish?

Im not against the introduction of spots to Fork at all, Im just thinking that there will need to be a "new" (tilapia) or "more" baitfish added?

Next record will come from OH Ivie for sure....

Who are these guides and people pushing for spotted bass? That is a new one on me.

Fork stocked with trout? Lake Dixon is 75 acres (Dotty), Fork is 27,000...if every hatchery in the country geared up for it and several hundred million dollars was invested I'm sure it would make a difference.

Fork can still produce a state record, I think it'd have to be done in the winter/early spring but it is completely possible.

These threads are great, because no one can be right or wrong.

I am voting on Lake Mexia for producing the next world record.

If you want TPWD to stock spots on Fork, I invite you to come fish Alan Henry and it wil change your mind in a hurry. The spotted bass have absolutely taken over the lake. The huge spot population isn't bad if you're just looking to catch a bunch of fish, but it gets really frustrating when fishing a tournament and all you catch are 16" spotted bass when you need to catch a kicker fish.

After having fished Fork for 29 years, and seeing it mature and decline, my personal opinion is that we will have some up years, and some down years.
We will benefit from changing Lake levels when Dallas pulls Fork down, by inundating terrestrial vegetation, which in turn should have a fertilizing effect on top of providing fry a place to hide and attain a higher survival rate. It's all about numbers.
To have a lot of fish in a lake, you have to have a lot of fish that spawn and a high survival rate.
WE don't need Spotted Bass taking up space in Lake Fork.
More than likely, Rainbow Trout will not survive in numbers enough to benefit the fish by providing an optional forage base.
I don't think another State Record will be in Fork UNLESS Lake levels go down drastically, then rise, and we have a major influx of Florida strain babies, then in around 10 years after, it's possible.

THIS^^^ Spots suck. There are plenty of lakes to just go catch fish. There are not many where you have a real chance at a true giant every time you are on the water. Stocking Fork with spots would be one of the dumbest decisions ever made by anyone.

I think there are many lakes in this great state of ours that have new records swimming in them. The Problem is can we out smart that record fish? The past 20 years Says no......If it were up to me I would love to see all of you catch a state record this year... We have the greatest fishing in the world in our back yards...But can we outsmart those monsters, and show the rest of the USA how awesome our lakes really our......I wish you all a new record this year good luck to all....

Spots are a BAD idea!!! They eat everything and hunt in groups!!! I never see sunfish or minnows like i used to at LAH back in the early 2000's... They will eat all of the food and LMB fry!!! It will hurt the lake!!! Does fork have Tilapia?

If only peacock bass could survive in that cold water!!!...

we do not need spots in fork,we do not need trout in fork,there are huge schools of various kinds of shad,there are large schools of yellow bass,sand bass,for the bass to feed on.i have been fishing fork since the 2nd.week it opened..it will never be as great as it was in its prime..when fork opened,it and its water shed were surrounded by large beef and dairy cattle herds,which fertilized the lake ..look at it now nothing but houses and golf courses.the trees have all rotted away over time,it will still be one of the best but its past its prime..just glad to have fished it when it was THE BEST.