Let's talk about what makes a lake the GOAT...

Some of you are probably wondering what metrics you could use to determine what makes a lake the Greatest of All Time. I did a little research on Lake Fork over the years. This will likely spark a debate but here goes.

This is from the 1990-'91 SAL Season ONLY.

Thirteen fish over 13#
Three over 14#
Three over 15#
One over 16#
Two over 17#

This is also the year Brian Duplechain's son found the 20 lb 8 oz bass floating dead near Mustang Ramp on 2/11/90. You could tell it had not been dead long.

Ivie may be the GOAT lake but it has a LOT of ground to make up yet.

I asked about Fork’s glory days last year when things started heating up on Ivie. I believe you gave some great insight. Looking at some of the info from that time period, the numbers are pretty staggering. While I’m in no way any kind of expert, most of what is happening at I is right now seems to be a product of advanced electronics, and anglers that are highly skilled using them. Not bashing at all. If I had them and knew how to use them, I’d be out there chasing down those monsters every chance I got. I didn’t bass fish back then, except for farm ponds and creeks, but I have to believe that the electronics back then were very limited. Not just in seeing fish, but structure, cover, bottom comp as well. In addition to the number of SALs caught, there had to have been countless DDs weighed in as well. So while Ivie is producing great fish at the moment, I don’t think it’s comparable to Fork. And history shows that Ivie will fall off some once the water levels drop. Seems like it went 7 or 8 years without a SAL entry until the water came up again a few years back.

If size is all that matters------Fork
Numbers in double digits---- Baccarac

I hear about the glory days of Baccarac. When was the last confirmed 14 pounder landed there?

The Term G O A T Greatest Of All Time, or at least in Texas. LF has a slot that helps, It's a fairly young lake that helps, the cycle in the 90s was all stars lining up for a bumper crop of bigguns in the Lonestar state. Pressure was down. LF is arguably the best. Ivie is not the goat yet, another decade of pressure will tell the tale. In my opinion Sam Rayburn Is the GOAT, size limit has not changed much, 90s was great, 00s was good, cycles have gone up and down, tournament pressure and fishing pressure is relentless throughout the years. Yet it continues to put of tons of tons of good bags a year. You also can catch fish from one end to the other on anything you want to throw. If other lakes across Texas got Pressure Rayburn and Fork get it would ruin those lakes pretty quick. Ex. Amistad, Falcon, Alan Henry. Dont get me wrong those Lakes are still great fishing but pressure took a toll on them for awhile, but theres always the upward cycle.

The jealousy of another lake spitting out a ton of giants is funny when fork is dead has been dead for about 20 plus years minus a couple big ones.

Fork is like the Cowboys,,,Old History that will probably never see Greatness again

Conroe and Choke are great as well, but never will be the goat because of their size. As far as the smallmouth GOAT lake in Texas its Texoma, once again just my opinion.

One of the most accurate posts I've ever seen on the TFF!

Agreed

Respect to you BBBMC. I have a lot of reverence for Lake Fork because I made a living off her for years.

Just trying to keep it real for the folks that don't know the history. Ivie may very well smash the record books and produce a new world record but it's got a LONG way to go

I’ll agree Fork as the GOAT …. but suggest the GTAOAT “was” the ~1,000 acres north of the Hwy bridge on Monticello.

As someone who knows Ivie well and has fished it for years, you couldn't be more right. Ivie can be one of the toughest lakes in Texas, especially when the water level falls (and it will). There were several years where the fishing was tough and nobody but the local population was even fishing out there. This is not the norm. Ivie is producing some big fish right now, but when the lake evens out and the fishing gets to what I call "Ivie normal", people will quit coming as they did for about 10-12 years.

I’ve been going out there a couple times a year since 2009, and it’s almost a different lake every year. I know what you mean about lack of crowds. After the last boom cycle was over in maybe 2012 it seems, I’d go there on a Thursday or Friday and only see 4 or 5 trailers at the ramp. In the Spring, with Concho ramp being bone dry. Different story now.

Someone talks stats and children start with “jealousy “ and start singing their favorite Taylor swift song.

If Falcon could stay within 15 feet of full for 10 years it would be epic. The pounds of food per acre you get out
of tilapia drives the Mexican lakes. Thousands of acres on Falcon would be impossible to net. You would need 50lb braid for everything. Bois D’Arc will be an interesting study.

Yes sir 100%. Don't get me wrong, I am happy for the stores and the people whose livelihood is dependent on the water in the lake. However, I do miss the lake to myself lol (that is me being selfish). I live in Angelo and would try to go over and spend money with Jerry several times a month, whether it be eating two meals over there while fishing, or staying at the hotel even though it takes 45 mins from my house to get to the ramp. I've seen elm creek ramp weeks to days from being unuseable only to have a timely rain come and put another few months' worth of water back in the lake. The locals around here did our best to help keep the stores afloat, so it is nice to see them thriving right now.

I think G.O.A.T. phrase is thrown out way too much.
I find many lakes being a very good lake for some and then some really hates that lake. It all depends on your style of fishing.
An example here in Alabama, Some say Guntersville is a great lake, but if you do not like fishing grass and weeds, that lake is not going to be much fun to you.
If you want some good spotted bass action go fish the Coosa River but do not expect many largemouths that will hang on the wall.
Eufala is another very good lake but you might have more fun there if you really like off shore fishing on humps.
Throw in Pickwick, then Wheeler , if you want to go find some smallmouths but elsewhere you are going to strike out.
All in all, there are many lakes just in this state some people might call a great lake but to others they stink and are terrible for them.
Personally a great lake is up north, it's called The Great lakes.

Im 36 and Ken and I are friends The level of butt hurt on this forum has reached an all time high. Nothing wrong with a good Taylor Swift song though.

Speaking of Mexican lakes, if you sent an army of good fishermen with their own boats to any of several lakes down there, it might be an eye opener. My best day was on Comedero when two of us boated 35 bass over 7 lbs with a bunch of them weighing 8 - 9. Also lost a couple more. The guide had never fished offshore and I could tell he was amazed at the fish we found.

Ivie is far from the greatest lake of all time.

If that were the case I would have not pulled my boat out last week from my place at Ivie for the next few months to fish another lake.

Definitely some big fish in Ivie but it has absolutely nothing compared to the prime of Falcon, Fork, Baccarrac, Salto, Commedero, etc...

Have a look at the Ivie Basschamps Championship results in October if you disagree...

The size of the fish caught is a small percentage of what makes a lake great. IMO.

The overall experience is far greater of a measurement. Fork is a crowded, overfished, UGLY lake.

Screw Fork.

I’d rather drive 5 hours to get to Rayburn or an Oklahoma lake.

Same

Fork = Tom Brady

Ivie = Pat Mahomes

Squaw = Colt McCoy

Lewisville = Ryan Leaf

This is why Caddo would get my vote….and it’s truly a lake instead of a man made reservoir.

Im 36 and Ken and I are friends The level of butt hurt on this forum has reached an all time high. Nothing wrong with a good Taylor Swift song though.[/quote]

Yeah....Fork SUCKS! Ya'll go somewhere else!

Kind of.

Well for starters Tom Brady will have to have fished it

I'm 55 minutes away. Gonna have to start leaving earlier so you don' get a head start on me.

lol I need all the help I can get.

Lake Worth = JaMarcus Russell

Lake St Claire for the win

Which lake is Danny White??

Ray Roberts

You and me both.

Ken talk the SRA into lowering the lake to 20 feet low and leaving it that way for 5 years. When it fills again it will be a resurgence like we won't believe.

The lot owners and blue hairs won't be happy though.

now that’s an insult to Lewisville

Brady & Gazelle could easily buy all of Fork (if they agreed to also take the east side of Tawakoni as part of the deal).

I remember hearing some information on Fork back in the 90's. I believe it was a biologist who shared some insight on Fork. He said that the number of well stocked ponds that were consumed when the lake was built, helped with the quality of fish it held. Also the good soil in this area could support the lakes forage fish very well. Everybody knows the word Fork, but pressure catches up with a lake. Im surprised Falcon hasn't been mentioned. If you can take out the politics between Texas & Mexico it's a dern good lake.

The top five ShareLunker producing lakes in 2020 included: Lake Fork with 60 entries, Lake Conroe with 20 entries, the Brazos River with 16 entries, Sam Rayburn Reservoir with 15 entries, and Falcon Lake and Lake Athens tied with 10 entries each.?

I wish I had some influence on them.

.....at best Squaw = Quincy Carter

Yup, fork has pretty much turned into an overfished mudhole. I may never go back

In more current terms: Ray Roberts = Ryan Fitzpatrick most of the time it's a real grind with lackluster results, but every now and then you get "Fitzmagic"