February is almost here, and the big bass water temps are on the move. Water temps are in the 50-56 degree range as of this writing, and Lake Fork's water level is sitting at 398.80 or 4.20 ft below full pool. Water clarity is stained throughout most of the lake with visibility of about a foot or two in most of the creeks, and a little less in others.
With the warmer water temps, the jig bite seems to have slowed down a little bit for me. That doesn't mean you can't (or don't want to) throw a jig right now and catch some fish. A black/blue Santone jig with LFT Hyper Freak is still probably the best way to catch a trophy bass right now, and that will continue to be the case for the next few weeks.
With the warmer water, we're seeing more and more fish pulling up on the flats, secondary points, and main lake points that are adjacent to deeper water. When that happens, there's probably no better way to catch 'em than a lipless crankbait. Various brands and colors will work, and you will find that some days a red Xcalibur will be the ticket, and the next day, a chartreuse Strike King will work better. The best thing to do is have a couple different rods rigged with different brands and/or colors, and see which one will work better for you on that particular day. Vary your retrieve by speeding up and slowing down your lure in order to entice reaction strikes. If you're in a location that has some grass, be sure to let your bait tick the top of the grass.
This time of year, you need to cover lots of water while still being very thorough. Being a cold-blooded creature, a bass's strikezone is pretty small. If you catch one, there's a good chance that there are several in that area, and it may take several casts to get close enough to the fish that she will react to it and/or eat your lure.
I hope this report helps you on your next trip to Lake Fork. So far, Lake Fork is off to a very good start for 2013, and I'm excited about the upcoming spring season here on Lake Fork. If you have any questions or would like to book a trip, please check out my website at www.lakefork.us.
