Lake Fork Fishing Report July 2001 by: Guide – Sherry D. Ruslink July is just hot! No other way to describe the weather in NE Texas during the mid summer months. The best way to enjoy fishing and endure the weather extremes is to fish early morning, late afternoon or night time excursions. Staying cooler, by fishing during lower light conditions, will enable you to fish all summer. Even though the heat is extremely hot during the midday to afternoon time frame, remember that family outings from early morning until noon can be fun and rewarding for parents and kids alike. So, if your planning a vacation this year, come to Lake Fork and give the bass, crappie and bream a try, while staying at the family oriented J & H Lodge. Fish will be the same temperature as the water, therefore they will be holding in cooler haunts as the day heats up. The higher the sun, the further out on the points and humps the bass will be, and as the sun lowers in the sky the bass will move up a little shallower in the layers that they live. Bass love to lie in the shade, just waiting for an unsuspecting shad or crawfish to swim by as his next meal. Topwater should be on the agenda to start the fishing day. Work a buzzbait back into the lilypads, across points, and over humps or pond dams, using an erratic retrieve fairly quickly. Chug bugs are taking a few popped and chugged around laydown logs, trees, and stumps in shallow water. If the bass aren’t interested in the topwater, the move on to a white spinnerbait fishing it in the same type areas as the topwater. I am not spending a lot of time with the topwater if they don’t seem to want it the first 30 minutes of the morning. Another technique that I am using until about lunch is the Texas rigged worm or lizard work on points next to timber. If you can get on a point right off a ditch or small creek and work the timber on the shady side, then you will have bass. The bite is pretty subtle, so pay close attention to the line and feel of the lure down below. After lunch we are going to a Carolina Rigged centipede or worm in about 10 – 25 feet of water on points and humps around timber, or if you can find areas with hydrilla, then this is just a haven for bass to hang out. Colors that are working for me is the red shad, junebug, watermelon, black, and fire/ice. A deep diving crankbait worked around old roadbeds and bridges is taking a few as well. Water temps are in the mid 80’s in the upper levels, and around 70 degrees at 25 feet, so there is a big variance from surface temperature to bottom temperature. Lake Fork is clear to stained, good condition, with the water level about a foot low. Excellent areas to fish during the summer is the dam area, SRA point, Chaney, Grimes, Ford, Dale, Wolfe, Mustang, Alligator, Little Caney, School House, Hurley, and Bell Hump. Give these areas a try, and if the bass fishing is slow, then pull out the crappie rigs and sit under the bridges and take home a mess the frying pan. 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 Bass 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, and Bass Assassin. ******************************************************************************************************************* Martin’s Maps – A great fishing tool that is a must have is the new Martin’s Map or CD Rom which will enable the angler to find many structures that Lake Fork has to offer for bass habitat. With the aid of a computer, you are able to zoom in or out on contour lines, structure, see pictures before the lake was filled, receive fishing info from myself and Kerry Stafford, as well as print off the information that you want. Every angler that fishes Lake Fork ought to have this new CD Rom. Call me for details on retail or wholesale, and mail order purchases. http://www.martinsmap.com I can help you locate guides and/or lodging for many lakes throughout the U.S. and Mexico, for individual or corporate bookings. Hunting expeditions are arranged with outfitters throughout the U.S. Sherry Ruslink’s Enterprises. 903-383-7310, ladybass@koyote.com
Water Temp: 85
