Lake Fork Fishing Report December 2001 by: Guide – Sherry D. Ruslink December will bring colder weather and shorter days to Texas and Lake Fork! The fish will move out to deeper water and suspend there from now through February. Locating them won’t be difficult at all good concentrations of bass, crappie, and bar bass will be showing up on your electronics when travelling over points and creek channel bends. It may be cold, but these are months that lake and state records are caught, so don’t put up the poles quite yet! There will still be some bass holding shallow all year, hanging around grass, stumps, and trees. For these bass, try a weightless Super Fluke or wacky worm in watermelon or pumpkin. Move the lure very slowly as a bass’s metabolism is slow when the water temps are below 55 degrees. A bass will not expend any more energy or oxygen necessary in it’s quest for food. Therefore, keep every lure presentation in slow motion. Crankbaits in Firetiger and shad color, that run shallow, medium and deep will be productive. I like to use one that has a wide wobble, and is loud rattling to appeal to their sight and sound reflexes. Carolina rigged Bass Assassins, lizards, or worms in junebug, red shad, watermelon, black, and pumpkin will attract bass that are holding deeper on points and creek channels, roadbeds, and old submerged bridges. Jigging spoons, Chuck N Spins, and Little George lures vertically jigged over concentrations of bass will be a key lure during the colder months. Good areas to fish are the points on each side of Little Caney, Big and Little Mustang, Public Hump, Ford, Chaney, Hurley, Taylor, Bell, Searcy, Alligator, Wolfe, Dale, and Ray Branch. All these areas have great structure and cover. If you are unsure about some of the areas, then pick up the Martin’s Map or Martins CD Rom of Lake Fork. It is an excellent map, and very accurate. If you need one, then call Jimmy at 903-297-8780 or email him at fishmaps@aol.com J & H Lodge, located right off Hwy 515 is one of the nicest facilities on the lake. It offers a two bedroom/two bath, family room, washer/dryer, fully equipped kitchen, computer, satellite TV, on the water, and the nicest owner, Helen Johnson. Give her a call for your next stay on Lake Fork. 903-383-2631. Sherry Ruslink is a licensed guide on Lake Fork. She runs a full service Fishing Guide Business. Sherry’s guide service offers individual, corporate/ group, instructional, and tournament prefish trips. Day trips, night trips, and ½ day bass fishing trips, Crappie trips, and gift certificates. Duck hunts, catfish trips, and full package fishing and / or hunting trips to Lake Guerro, Mexico can be arranged. Sherry can be reached at 903-383-7310, 1-877-523-9227, email: ladybass@koyote.com, URL: https://texs.com/ladybass/fork.htm. Sponsor’s include – Triton Boats/Mercury Motors, Kistler Rods, Shimano Reels, Lowrance, Motorguide, Lockhart Lures, Gene Larew Lures, Top Brass Tackle, Martin’s Map, and Bass Assassin. ******************************************************************************************************************* http://www.martinsmap.com https://texs.com http://www.wmi.org https://texs.com/ladybass http://www.tritonboats.com Merry Christmas & a Safe and Happy New Year Thank you to all my clients, friends, family, and sponsors for helping make my year of 2001 memorable and successful! God Bless each of you, and God Bless America! A joyous season to all! Bill and Sherry Ruslink

Water Temp: 58