15 September 2013 - Birch Creek

Well, well, well... after this past weekend, it seems my plan I laid out at the conclusion of my last post, was indeed clairvoyant!

"Next weekend, we hit the northern part of the lake and the hydrilla beds! Weightless Watermelon/Pearl Lake Fork Frog Hydrilla, Birch Creek, 0700" - Ricky Rick's Lake Fork Fishing Report

8 lbs, 1030, mid-lake hump at Birch Creek opening
< 5 ft, silver/black 3/4 oz Rattle-Trap

 So, Chris Thomas and I hit the lake with that plan in mind.. we pulled up to the hydrilla beds around 0630-0645 and started throwing Lake Fork Frogs & one of their new, soon to be released, Lake Fork Magic Poppers (thanks Anne & Ronnie Parker!), which was outstanding! Unfortunately, I tied the popper onto bad line and lost it when a bass exploded on it... now I have to wait for the public release to try it again! I encourage you to give one of the beautifully hand-painted, perfectly balanced, superb action, top water popper's a shot!

5 lb, 0700, Birch Creek hydrilla, 3 ft,
Watermelon/Pearl Lake Fork Frog


0700 - While throwing my LFT Frog onto the hydrilla, in 3 ft of water, in the northeastern side of Birch Creek, a 5 lb bass came out from beneath the hydrilla and attacked my sinking frog...












3-4 lbs, 0715, Birch Creek
 hydrilla, 3 ft, Watermelon/Pearl 
Lake Fork Frog

We continued to assault the hydrilla beds and landed another couple slot-fishing the 2-4 lb range using the same tactics.

By 0830, the top-water action was dead and we decided to pull out the crank baits...to no real avail. Then around 1000, we made the move on out to a hump on the main-lake. We chose the hump just outside the boat lane, at the mouth of Birch Creek. The depth ranged from 30' to < 3' on the hump. As we approached, I threw my Rattle-Trap across the hump 1 or 2 times before I got hung up on the small tree remnants on the hump... or so I thought. When he hit my lure, it felt like a hard stop, with no give..then, I saw a fish break the water a bit deeper than I thought I was...that's when it donned on me that I was not hung, I had a big, healthy fish (swore it was double digit the whole retrieve back). After nearly destroying my boat and tackle to get to the fish net, we pulled in what turned out to be a 8 lb fish (I really need to start measuring the length too!).

8 lbs, 1030, mid-lake hump at Birch Creek opening
< 5 ft, silver/black 3/4 oz Rattle-Trap

As it turned out, this would be the last fish of our day and trip, and it was a good day for me! Happy to be back in the action, catching 5 lb and 8 lb bass after just a couple of trips back to refresh Lake Fork fishing skills!

The McDonald's Big Bass Splash was held on the 20th, 21st and the 22nd. More than 2500 constants fished for more than $500,000 in cash and prizes. Don Atchley from Grandfield, OK, won the grand prize with a 10.61 pound Bass and took home a new Legend boat and a new Dodge Ram truck.

I ventured out Saturday in the middle of this huge tournament and 15 minutes after I launched, I discovered my trolling motor batteries were dead. Needlessly to say, it was not a productive day on the water.

This up coming weekend (28 September 2013), my Dad will be joining me, as we welcome in Fall fishing! My Plan: Top-waters early in shallow creeks, followed by shallow running square bill crank baits (sexy shad) and Texas-rigged, 10-12 inch worms in the blue fleck color.