Prefished my but off in some really cold weather last week, and finally found some fish, with the help of a friend, prior to my first 5 fish limit tournament on Fork. Tournament day, we caught almost 20 lbs of fish, but unfortunately, none were under 16". All were 16 1/2" to 22". Just burns me up watching guys weighing in 10" fish when we threw back two fish over 5 lbs. I am not sure I will ever get used to fishing tournaments on a slot lake. In my opinion, it is a lot of luck on what size you catch, unless you are throwing beetle spins. I was raised and my style is to catch the biggest fish possible. But in these, a 1 pound fish is everything and a 5 pound fish is worthless. I wished they had a papered tournament trail on Fork that required pics of the fish on scale and if you are in the winnings, then you are subject to a polygraph.

If you are tournament fishing on fork you better become really good friends with your fairy wand. That's just how it is out there.

I'll get my popcorn out for this but it is what it is.

Fish small and hope you get a big bite along the way I guess.

When everyone plays by the same rules, what can you say?

If they open it up to your suggestion, the other guy will catch a bunch of good slot fish and beat your 5 unders.

Insanity at work.

I've felt your pain before until I won big bass in a tourney on fork with a 2.71! I obviously was for it being a slot lake that day! But yes I agree it can be frustrating at times.

I am sure it has been discussed before and I am sure on many different threads but I have to ask, Do you think it would help or hurt Lake Fork and the economy around lake Fork if a Tournament Trail which the The trail would have have to have so many registered folks and have been established x amount of years to allow fish in the slot to be weighed in for Tournament Purposes only. The Tournament Company would have to have the proper rehab tanks, Have to purchase a permit and stuff like that. Just throwing it out there.

We had the same problems on our lakes in arizona being slot lakes. We had several meetings and voiced our concerns to the game and fish dept. They now make exceptions for sanctioned tourneys. Much better deal since you are already catching those fish anyway. Remember the TP and W dept works for us(the public) its our tax dollars funding Everything. Doesnt hurt to ask!!

Learn how to target smaller fish with finesse tactics. Its justa different way to fish. Then go for the big bite. I like it cause its unique challenge.but always makes me sick throwing back 6-7lb fish

I can see that for sure, A challenge is not a bad thing for sure, Yeah, I could see that being tough throwing back a big fish like that. The last time I was on that lake was at a Honey Hole Tournament, two at 23 and 22 inches on a red Spinner bait on a laydown, one on the left and one on the right. Well I guess thats why Tournament directors don't go to Sam Rayburn or Amistad or any of the non slot lakes and say hey you Cannot weigh any fish between 16 and 24 inches in there events. It does appear that the slot has really done a good job protecting this lake though, I mean just think if this lake had no slot with the amount of traffic it does get, you would add in a lot of those who harvest fish to the crowds and it may have been a lot different. Did not mean to stray from my original question but every time I lay down My mind flashes on one key mistake I made at Amistad this past weekend that could have made a difference. Feb9th can not get here fast enough.

Just go Country Boy fishing and enjoy it for what it is menat for

Fork is Fork you have to change your gameplan for that lake to be consistant,it took me several years to figure out how to catch the right fish,i fished a Champs tourney out there 3 years ago that would blow your mind because everything was in the slot including two fish over 10lbs that were right at 23 7/8s but thats Fork,we had 42 lbs that day on slot fish,great day of fishing just not the right fish for weighin......i started targeting smaller fish after that,and yes you have to put in some TOW to find those fish but there out there,its just hard to put a game plan together when you fish Lake Fork because your mind say's go after big fish.....

fork is what i consider my home lake...definetly not a good tourney lake...just like skeet4life said...unique challenge...but a lot of people talk bad about it, yet still always show up to fish the tourneys...i guess because we all think about catching that over an weighing it in with our chest out..lol...including me...fork is still addicting!

I agree with everything that has been said, was just frustrated. Guess I will need to target new areas with smaller finesse baits, get 5 in the boat, then move on to what I do best which is power fish. Thanks for all of your input.

I think we saw you out there Saturday. Black/Blue/Silver Skeeter ZX 20. It is a whole different mentality fishing on Fork in a tournament. You have to gear yourself down for baits selection and areas you are fishing. And, you still catch a few slots. It is frustrating. Especially when you are fishing another circuit on a non-slot lake. It takes some work. We managed two on Saturday. We had found fish the week before for BLT in 62* water and on Sunday when that killer front came in, nothing 48* water.

Plus it is really tough early in the year on Fork for smaller fish. Probably the toughest. Why I wish on Fork they would wait until Feb.

Why don't the lake fork pot lickers chime in here there's a handful of jackpotters that just have to push in their pin number on Fork and she just spits out the cabbage.....I think I saw em makin it rain at the East Fork a few times when they was boot scootin some hogs around.