There are plenty of fish, just not enough time to catch them all. It cannot always be on fire, there has to be recovery.

I fish east Texas lakes so my comments will only apply to them. The main factors are:
1] increased fishing pressure
2] fish finding electronics
2] faster communication of good lakes and/or spots [internet, cell phones in boats, etc.]
3] lack of average rainfall amounts

Fork gets as much pressure at times as any lake in the country but still produces, why? Slot limit and angler awareness, they respect the lake. When is the last time you saw someone cleaning an 8-10lber there?

Being from Alabama, I have yet to fish Amistad or Falcon. I have fished Toledo bend when I was stationed at Ft. Polk in the late 80's. I now fish Guntersville and other north Alabama lakes. Two years ago there was no better lake in the country than Guntersville. Then the boat ramps began to have more out of state rigs than instate. It seemed people from other states care less about taking care of the fishery. I saw more fish being taking home in coolers for the table and some being kept in the live wells for restocking of people's private waters. Either way I hope it's cyclic because now it's tougher on Guntersville than in previous years. Nonetheless I will as most of the readers on this forum continue of the relentless pursuit of the perfect fishing trip. If everyone that cares continues to do their part it's got to help

Tight lines and heavy nets to all.

hey BBT, get you a 5 or 6 inch biopsy needle. they have a bladder to prevent clogs and are much easier to manipulate...

Loose Lips Sink Ships....and Lakes....and Spots.

the problem starts with :


WWW.

I'm new again to Texas lake bass fishing, fished west Texas lakes and ponds for 25 years, moved to Florida where I fished the salt for 25 years, now in east Texas for the last 12 months. Its the best bass fishing I've ever experienced. Monticello, Athens, Murval, Palestine, Martin, even Jacksonville, are great at times...usually midweek.

It reminds me of the great bonefishing I exprienced in Miami, less than a mile from the busiest marina and boat ramps...the key there was to fish after dark for tailing bonefish after everyone was on the way home. My favorite spot in the Everglades for snook, tarpon, and redfish was less than a quarter mile directly in front of the only marina and boat ramps within 20 miles. Once all the boats left the marina it was the quietest spot on the water until all the guides came back in that afternoon.

I was camped out over a bluff 10 feet above the water on a lake last year, watched folks come down the shoreline with trolling motors and watched bass move away from shore when the boats were over 50 yards away. Watched boat leave and watched fish come right back to shallows once boat was 50 yards away. I told the guys in boat that the fish came back and they turned around, the fish moved right back out again, immediately.

Still plenty of good fish in lakes, fish are getting smarter, the guys that still can catch them are getting smarter too, especially those in boats.

I fish out of a kayak.

I agree Doug,
The chest pounding and look at what I did is the root cause..
I don't care to travel to south texas to fish those lakes.
I have a house on Fork,with fish over 12-lbs to my credit, however I am subject to reading all the look at what we did post from Falcon..
Granted Fork as been a lil over board of late too, but like was mentioned earlier WE HAVE A SLOT.
Unfortunately even a slot won't protect a resource when big azz live bait boat and guides that only care about the allmighty dollar bill show up in the spring and rape the shallows like a mad convict in a grade school.
It's not just Falcon seeing the meat hunters, come-on down for a week or so from March till April and watch the Mustang and Williams cuts.. Hang out at the Popes ramp later in the day and you'll see way more than you want too.. It'll make you sick..

I have caught a few nice fish under your dock , lol! Well when there was water there.

I remember my best friends father talking about Falcon in the 80's, about their semi annual trips there and the 200+ fish days. Fishing there 2 weeks and seeing a total of 10 boats that were not with their group. Also hearing about the netters and the meat hunters then, so the netters and the meat hunters have been there for years, the water levels have always fluctuated, so what has changed?

The "Look at Me" factor. I think that and people want to look important and smart and even a small percentage are nice and are trying to help others by telling what,where and how they caught fish.

The pressure has increased a ton and that is what is new at Falcon, IMO that is what has hurt the lake.

I still wanna know what kind of fish yall seem to think are suspended in the river channel...

I said it before I have lived in the west and fished it for a while now...the lake aint dead...just the fishing is..

low water and pressure sent em to the middle of the column...first guy out there with downriggers will shart him or herself.

Not that I would find that kinda fishing fun but I think the results would prob blow some minds.

Tourneys hurt fishing. Over pressure can't be good. Just don't post you're great results on websites. I agreebthat loose lips sink lakes.

I have seen the results of down riggers on Fork before and all I can say is WW

Location location location that's the difference in fork and falcon. That's why people don't take care o falcon as much as fork.