Prespawn bass fishing is my favorite time of year and is the best time to catch a monster bass on Lake Fork. Prespawn starts in late December and runs through mid-March on Lake Fork, home of 35 of the 50 all-time largest bass caught in Texas (as a side note, 50th place is 15.32 lbs and no other lake has more than 2 entries). Most of my customers and my own very largest bass are caught during this period, with average trips yielding 10 to 15 bass per day and the average size being in the 4 to 5 lb range, plus a good shot at catching bass of 7 lbs or bigger. The bite can be better or worse depending on the fronts, with a number of days with catches of over 30 good bass, while I’ve had trips catching as few as 3 for a whole day. The pattern is very simple, spinnerbaits, jigs, lipless crankbaits, and swimbaits fished on points, grass flats, and creek channel bends near spawning areas.
January is our coolest month in north Texas, with average daytime highs of 52 at the beginning of the month and 55 degrees by the end of January. Depending on the fronts, high temps can be in the lower 30s to the lower 80s. Due to the cooler temps, fishing pressure is very light during the month. As a result, I’m offering a special for IDA members during the month of January. Book a 2-day guide trip and I’ll add an extra half day trip for free. Book a 3-day or longer guide trip and I’ll add an extra full day trip for free. In addition, I worked with the most popular resort on Lake Fork to secure special hotel pricing, as well.
Full details on my guide services are available on my website, http://www.lakeforkguidetrips.com . If big bass, open water, and our “cold temps” sound better than -20 and ice fishing, drop me a line.
A few January pics from the past. The first is my biggest ever, 12.3 lbs, she came just after the end of January on 2/4/06. 2nd is a classic example of a fat January prespawn Fork bass. 3rd is a 10 lbs 6 oz on a spinnerbait in January while fun fishing.
Good Fishing,
Tom
