Weekly Lake Fork Report From Guide Jim Reaneau

[jreaneau]

Well, the weather is still something else. Yesterday it was 25 in the morning and today it is almost 60 at the same time. The wind has been something else. 15 to 25 everyday. This has slowed the crappie fishermen as the crappie are on the points at the main lake by the dam. The water temp has come up and down and the low to mid 50’s has been the usual. There is some water warmer back in some of the bays. The lipless crank bait in RED has been the bait of choice. Grass has been the pattern with this bait. Work the out side edges out to 10 foot and cover plenty of water. When you get bit slow down and work the area over good before moving on. Try a fast retrieve then a medium to see what the fish want. Some days they want you to tick the grass and rip it out and they will smash it. You will have to make plenty of cast as don’t forget we are still in the winter. There are some males moving in and out of the shallow water but they are not completely dedicated. We still have some time to go before they will get really serious about spawning. The main thing is the fishing has been pretty good. One fisherman I spoke with told me he and a friend fished all day Wednesday and caught 9 fish but three were over seven pounds and one was over ten. All of these fish were in three feet or less water. The afternoons have been better as the sun has warmed the shallows. The deep bite is still there. Use your electronics and find bait and look for hooks around the area. The jigging spoon and drop shot have been the best deep water pattern.
The crappie are in 37 to 40 foot and small minnows and jigs have been the best baits.
I still have dates available now and in the spring give me a call if I can help set up a trip.
Jim Reaneau
1-888-918-5088