Bubba doesn't make resolutions, he makes his next year Christmas Naughty and Nice list

By: Don J. Hampton

 

   Twas the season, and as far as Bubba is concerned it’s “Tis the season,” still. While everyone else is making a list of New Year’s resolutions, Bubba is making out his Christmas shopping list for December, 2012. While a resolution for the New Year is made to improve one’s character or habits, Bubba’s list is going to make better shoppers next year out of his family and friends.

  Just like Santa, he has a list and he is checking it twice to see exactly who shopped naughty or nice for him. For those that bought Bubba “Fishing Stuff” their names are going on the nice list. This will be very beneficial for these individuals because he’ll shop for them very meticulously and with much thought and care. I would believe his motives for this are truly self-serving.

  His two favorites and on the top of his 2011 nice list were Bubbette and Bubba, Jr. They know him real well and know about the list he makes after Christmas each year. They always know just the right items to buy him. It also makes shopping for him real easy. Each year they buy him gift certificates so he can go buy his own “Fishing Stuff”. Bubba keeps their names on the top of his list.

  For those individuals that gave Bubba a present that didn’t include “Fishing Stuff” and bought him items that just cannot or will not fit into his way of life or thinking, well, they will find their name on his naughty list.

  I quoted the old cliché to Bubba, “It’s not the gift that counts but the thought!” Of course he quoted me back one of his own, “Well, they should have put a little more thought into these,” he said holding up a paisley tie and a potted plant. On those two presents I had to agree with him.

  I’ve known him longer than anyone and I haven’t seen him in a tie for at least 30 years. I’ve gone to weddings, graduations, funerals, baptisms, and even a couple of bar mitzvahs with him and he has never worn a tie. He cleans up pretty nicely but you can’t force him to wear a tie. He has even informed me that when the good Lord takes him he will not be wearing a tie. I’d say he feels pretty strongly about a tie.

  Bubba is the type that wouldn’t say anything to the person that gave a present to him and he wouldn’t even try to take something back to a store but he always seems to find a good use for everything. So don’t be surprised or laugh when you see his boat tied up to a stump on Lake Fork with a paisley tie, unless you’re the one on his naughty list.

  When it came to the potted plant, this really spurred my curiosity. Whoever gave Bubba this surely didn’t know about his naughty list. I even had the pleasure of watching him open this one. What really surprised me at first was how many times he checked the name card. I asked him later why he kept checking the name card and he explained, “The first three times I was just making sure it wasn’t meant for Bubbette and the fourth time I wanted to make sure I remembered who sent that to me!” I’m going shopping with Bubba next year just to see what that individual is going to get. Knowing Bubba the way I do it will probably be purchased at a gas station.

  I did ask Bubba what his plans were for the potted plant just because I have one of those inquiring minds and you know how that goes. He had two options he was going to go with. First he was going to see if Bubbette wanted it, but since she doesn’t really have a green thumb either I expect it will go to Bubba’s second option. He’s going to put some earthworms in it, keep the soil moist, put some coffee grounds in it occasionally so the worms will reproduce. That way he’ll have plenty of bait for bream fishing in the summer.

  If he does do the latter though, wouldn’t that mean that person should be transferred to the nice list because technically it is now “Fishing Stuff”. If that is the case and he uses the tie the way he plans to, shouldn’t that person’s name be transferred to the nice list. Oh well, I guess it really is the thought that counts.

Lake Fork Has 1st Strike in 26th 

TPWD/Toyota ShareLunker Season

  There have been many Press Releases and many opinions and speculations as to which lake in the great state of Texas would be the first to enter a bass weighing over 13-pounds in the 26th TPWD/Toyota ShareLunker season. For those of us who had a pretty good idea we were proven right on December 27, 2011.

Andrew Watson of Highland Village, Texas and his father were fishing under the Highway 154 Bridge for crappie using live minnows when he caught a largemouth lunker bass weighing 13.51-pounds. "She broke my 8-pound line twice, so we decided to try to catch her," Watson said.

Andrew was ready the third time she took his minnow. He played her around the boat for several minutes to wear her down and tire her out before he was able to bring her to the net his dad was waiting with.

The fish was held for pickup at ‘The Minnow Bucket’, one of Lake Fork’s official Toyota ShareLunker weigh and holding stations. The fish measured 25.5-inches in length and had a girth of 21.25-inches. Mr. Watson’s ShareLunker was the 524th entry into the state wide program and the 248th entry from Lake Fork alone.

Personally I would like to congratulate Andrew on his fine catch and thank him for making it possible for me to tell a lot of people, "I Told You So!"

Anyone legally catching a 13-pound or bigger largemouth bass from Texas waters, public or private, between October 1 and April 30 may submit the fish to the Toyota ShareLunker program by calling program manager David Campbell at (903) 681-0550 or paging him at (888) 784-0600 and leaving a phone number including area code. Fish will be picked up by TPWD personnel within 12 hours.

The person who catches the largest entry of the season will be named Angler of the Year. If that person is a Texas resident, he or she will receive a lifetime fishing license. The Angler of the Year will also receive a prize package from G. Loomis worth more than $700. The package will include a G.Loomis NRX 854C JWR casting rod, a 7’1", fast-action, power-oriented casting and pitching stick designed specifically for fishing big bass in heavy cover. It’s rated for 14 to 20-pound test line and lures ranging from 5/16 to ¾ ounces.

Also included will be a Shimano Chronarch 200 E7 casting reel. The new Chronarch E reels feature a long list of proven Shimano features including high efficiency gearing, a lo-mass drilled spool system and super stopper. For smooth-ness and durability, each has a shielded A-RB ball bearing, five shielded SUS bearings, and a roller clutch. The 200 weighs in at 7.6 oz.; the amount of line retrieved per crank is 30-inches. A 150-yard spool of 30-pound green Power Pro braided line will also be included.

ShareLunker entries are used in a selective breeding program at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens. Some of the offspring from these fish are stocked back into the water body from which they were caught. Other Share-Lunker offspring are stocked in public waters around the state in an attempt to increase the overall size and growth rate of largemouth bass in Texas.

Anglers entering fish into the Toyota ShareLunker program receive a free replica of their fish, a certificate and ShareLunker clothing and are recognized at a banquet at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens.

For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass, a list of official Toyota ShareLunker weigh and holding stations and a recap of last year’s season, see www.tpwd.state.tx.us/sharelunker. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available.

Information on current catches, including short videos of interviews with anglers when available, is posted on www. facebook.com/sharelunkerprogram.

  The Toyota ShareLunker Program is made possible by a grant to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation from Gulf States Toyota. Toyota is a long-time sup-porter of the Foundation and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, providing major funding for a wide variety of education, fish, parks and wildlife projects.

Lake Fork's Year End Review and 

In The New Year What To Look Forward To

By Don Hampton

  The low water levels on Lake Fork during 2011 may have frightened some fishermen but the effect on the fishing was and is very positive. Whether you came to catch that lunker of a lifetime like Ed Carter from Broken Bow, Oklahoma did in March of 2011 (pictured below bottom left) or if you were just doing some crappie fishing with your clients and couldn’t keep the big bass from eating up your minnows and jigs like Lake Fork crappie guide Terri Moon did, (pictured bottom right) in the month of November. Either way the fishing on this great reservoir remained totally awesome for the entire year. A perfect example of this was the ShareLunker caught on December 27, 2011.

  Since the Lake Fork Trophy Bass Survey was began by TPWD, Lake Fork Sportsman’s Association, and Lake Fork Chamber of Commerce in March, 2003, 12,066 largemouth bass weighing over 7-pounds have been recorded caught through November, 2011. Of this number of recorded catches, 1,713 have been over 10-pounds and 65 have weighed over 13-pounds with the largest weighing 16.32-poiunds. Of the 12,066 recorded catches since the survey began, 696 of those catches were recorded from January through November 2011.

  Lake Fork’s 2010/2011 ShareLunker year was a little slow, recording only one entry into the program for the season. There were more than a few that were close to the 13-pound range but were heartbreakers for the anglers in the sense that their bass didn’t make it into the program, but rejoiced in that it was still a catch of a lifetime. Lake Fork is not only responsible for the beginning of the ShareLunker program but also for contribuiting over 49% of all the entries into the program.

  TPWD/Toyota ShareLunker Program runs from October 1st thru April 30th. Entries into the program from lakes and reservoirs in the state of Texas help to secure bass fishing for generations to come. To date Lake Fork has entered 248 bass over 13-pounds since its inception in 1986.

  Looking ahead in 2012 on Lake Fork it seems this will truly be a phenomenal year. For the avid anglers there is always something to look forward to. With all the big fish to be caught there will also be some added tournaments and attractions. The Media Bass Slot Lake Division and J.C. Outdoors tournaments will be held here beginning in February. Also, in February, something brand new that has never been held here on Lake Fork, ‘A Carp Tournament’. Even if you do not participate in the tournament or do not carp fish, I think everyone should come out and support this new event in a spectator capacity for the fishermen that have traveled so far to participate in this unique tournament on our lake. Texas Trails Bassmasters of Lake Fork will be having their 25th Semi-Annual tournament on April 7th and in October, as will the Irving Bass Club. Anglers will also be looking forward to BassChamps Dodge Truck Give Away coming again to Lake Fork on April 1. The "8th Annual Legend of Lake Fork Big Bass Tournament", which is now a three day tournament will be held May 18, 19, 20, 2012 with a guaranteed payback of more than $250,000 in cash and prizes. Annual Kidfish at SRA Park will be held on June 2nd. The Skeeter Owner’s Tournament is scheduled for June 7th thru the 10th. In July get ready catfish anglers Lake Fork Sportsman’s Association will be hosting their "4th Annual Big Catfish Tournament". In September, Bob and crew will be back for the Big Bass Splash. In October look forward to the 7th Annual Berkley BassChamps Tournament. Also in October the Texas Trails Bassmasters will be holding their 26th Semi-Annual Open and also the Irving Bass Club will be hosting their open.

  In this New Year I do so hope everyone ‘Rips a Lip’ on that hawg of a lifetime. If you are looking for that catch of a lifetime, whether it is a bass, crappie, catfish, bream, sandies and yes even carp, you don’t need to look any further than Lake Fork. Come and enjoy the friendliness, courtesy, and manners of a truely great reservoir. Remember to practice safe boating and fish friendly, take a child fishing, and encourage and practice C.P.R. (Catch, Photo, Release) and always keep God in your heart.

 

                                                         "The Moon Report"

Boat Shows & Hook Setting

By Terri Moon

  Once again I say it’s hard to believe the year is over. Another awesome year of fishing we’ve had here on Lake Fork . We really lucked out weather wise in December… 60-70 degree days…it just doesn’t get much better than that.

  I know January will bring cooler weather with not as many fishable days. So, it’s time to check out all the boat and tackle shows in your area.

  The growth of the crappie fishing industry over the past few years is just amazing! The tackle, the electronics and even the boats are finally putting the crappie fishermen in mind.

  Just a few years ago almost all of us were in 14 to 16 feet boats. Most without any type of electronics, some didn’t even have trolling motors. Now we are in longer, wider, deeper, safer, made for rough water boats. Even the saltwater center console boats are making their way into the crappie market. In these boats, the larger live wells and the open floor plans, the latest in electronics and trolling motors, are all becoming a part of the crappie fishing world.

  Probably the fastest growing change I’ve seen is the amount of “four stroke” motors showing up among us crappie fishermen. Aren’t they awesome? My Yamaha 115 “Four Stroke” has made a huge difference in my fishing (because of all the money I save in gas, it practically pays for itself), and they are so quiet. If you’re thinking about a change, be sure and check out the Yamaha “Four Strokes” at your local boat and tackle show. Also while you’re there, look at the boats that are available and give the dealers suggestions that would make their boat a “better” crappie fishing rig.

  Next while you’re there, when it comes to electronics there’s only one word    Lowrance.” Be sure and check them out.

  With the way the temperatures have been on Fork recently, the  crappie are starting to bunch up. We have been catching them in 25 to 35 feet of water down on the main lake points and humps.

  Bright colors have been working this month… chartreuse w/blue tail, red w/blue tail, and powder blue w/red tail.

  It’s been a year of great memories and I can’t wait to see what the New Year brings! All the best to you and your families! God Bless You!  

"PACK OF KNOWLEDGE" Picking the right hook!

By Tom Redington

  Selecting the correct hook when fishing soft plastic baits is a rather simple choice, but one that can dramatically impact your lure’s action and hooking percentage.  Based on the size of the fish, the hook set style used, and how heavy or lightweight your rods and line are, there is a hook that will maximize your landing percentage for each bait.  For Texas rigs, weightless Texas rigs, and Carolina rigs, there are a few basic guidelines that I follow.  While you may find a different system works better for you, hopefully this will help you more critically evaluate your hook choice in the future. 

  First, you need to decide what style of hook to use.  For traditionally rigging soft plastics, hooks come in 3 main styles—straight shank, offset shank, and extra wide gap.  Straight shank hooks have a “J” shape, while offset shank hooks have a similar design, only with a small double 90 degree bend (offset) near the eye of the hook to help keep lures from sliding down the shank.  Extra wide gap hooks are more in the shape of a “G”, with a rounded shank similar to Kahle style hooks and an offset near the eye.  Straight shank hooks were the dominant worm hook for years until the introduction of the Sluggo in the 80s, creating widespread use of offset hooks.  As flipping tubes became popular in the 90s, the use of extra wide gap hooks became widespread, and I now see more bass fishermen using extra wide gap hooks with soft plastic lures than any other hook type. 

  Like a growing number of anglers, I used a lot of extra wide gap hooks in the past but I’ve switched back to using straight shank hooks whenever possible.  Currently, I use straight shank hooks about 80% of the time, offset hooks 15%, and wide gap hooks only about 5%.  My reasoning is based on simple geometry.  Wide gap hooks have the hook point directly in-line with the eye of the hook, or slightly above the line eye on “wide gap plus” hooks.  When you set the hook, the sinker and the front of the lure clear a path for the hook point to escape a bass’ mouth without imbedding.  Meanwhile, on straight shank hooks the point rides substantially above the eye of the hook and aims for the roof of the bass’ mouth, resulting in a more hook-ups.  The extra wide gap hooks do an excellent job of holding fish if you manage to get the hook through the bass’ mouth on the hook set, so well that I often need pliers to remove a hook once the bass is landed.  However, there are plenty of times when a bass completely takes a bait and even on a short pitch with braided line to a bedding fish, the hook flies cleanly out of the bass’ mouth on the hook set.  Missing an extra fish every once in a while doesn’t sound like a big deal, but if that fish is the one you need to get a check in a tournament or the lunker of a lifetime, losing it is a huge deal.

  Based on my preference for straight shank hooks, here’s a breakdown of the types of hooks I use.  For rigging worms, crea-ture baits, craw worms, French frys, or similar baits like Ring Frys, Fork Worms, Twitch Worms, Fork Craws and Fork Worms by Lake Fork Tackle, I use straight shank hooks.  For weightless soft plastic jerkbaits like Magic ShadsHyper Sticks, an offset worm hook works better.  These baits have thick bodies that seem to deliver the best action and hook-ups when rigged Texposed with offset hooks.  For baits that are extremely bulky, baits that you swim, and tubes, I’ll use extra wide gap hooks.  For Fork Frogs and Live Magic Shads, the extra wide gap hooks act as a keel to keep the lures running true, while having enough gap to get through the thick bodies.  And for Texas rigging hollow bodied tubes like Lake Fork Tackle Craw Tubes, extra wide gap hooks are the only ones that will rig them properly.

  Once you’ve determined the hook style, you need to figure out what size is best.  Selecting the size of the hook is another subject upon which my thinking has changed over the years.  In the past, I would use the largest hook possible, figuring that larger hooks were stronger and would land more fish.  Nowadays, I prefer using the smallest hook I can get away with.  While it is true that larger hooks often have heavier wire that is stronger than light wire hooks, when two hooks of similar sized wire are compared, the larger hook will straighten out easier.  Just like a long wrench will loosen a tight bolt easier than a shorter wrench, the larger the hook and especially the wider the gap, the more leverage for big fish to bend out your hook.  For that reason, I’ve switched to mostly 2/0 and 3/0 hooks for most of my Texas rigs and Carolina rigs instead of the 4/0 and 5/0 hooks I predominately used in the past.  Furthermore, smaller hooks normally have smaller points, making them easier to penetrate the bass’ mouth, especially on long casts.  The rule of thumb for selecting hooks size is based on the bulk of a soft plastic lure, not the length.  For example, I use a 3/0 or4/0 hook when Texas rigging a bulky 4” Ring Fry, while I’ll only use a 1/0 or 2/0 hook for rigging a skinny 6” Twitch Worm.  The bulkier the lure, the bigger the hook gap need, so you’ll need to use a larger sized hook.  Concerning the thickness of the hooks wire, in general I’ll use light wire hooks when I’m using line than is about 10 lbs or less and go to the extra strong 3X or “Superline” hooks when I’m using line that is 20 lb test or larger and fishing in a lake with big fish.   

  Keep your hooks sharp and give my tips a try, I think they’ll help you land a few extra fish or two this season.   If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 or e-mail me through my website, www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com. 

  Tom Redington is a full time bass guide on Lake Fork & a FLW Tour pro.  He is sponsored by Lake Fork Trophy Lures, Dobyns Rods, Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Diamond Sports Marine, Lucky Craft, Costa Sunglasses, Lowrance, & Power Pole

 

   

Strollin' With Stroman

By Dean Stroman

 

  Cold water bass fishing can be very tough when water temperature drops below fifty degrees and stays around the mid-forties to mid-fifties. Bass feeding activities will slow down and bass can go days without feeding at all. They will still feed, but the feeding activity will be short and their movement to feed will not be far from their core area. To get bit you must find big bass’ core area and find out what time of day triggers her feeding time.

  Bait fish movements slow down and they will group up in big schools off creek channels and ledges in and around deep water, such as humps, ridges, roadbeds, bridges, mouths of major creeks, major points, riprap, and  rocks. The key is to stay around the deep water breaklines.

  Keep your boat positioned where you are working your lure across the breakline. Good breakline is defined by an area where the water gets deep quickly, i.e. a five foot change in depth over a five and one-half foot linear distance. Key in on areas that have some form of structure, such as wood, hydrilla, manmade or natural, on the edges or in the breaklines. Fish these areas slowly. Remember, patience and persistence will pay off.

  Early January key in on deepest water areas. Find the baitfish on these breaklines and fish these areas thoroughly. On most January days feeding times will be during the hottest part of the day. Midday to early afternoon will be the best time to catch Miss Big.

  Around the end of December the winter solstice occurs and the hours of sunlight per day begins to increase. Bass’ annual migration will head to shallow water areas. This movement is caused by the length of days, not the water temperature.   Spawning activities will start by water temperature. The trigger that starts this movement is photo-synthesis. Period. Bass will start their migration to staging areas around the third week of January no matter what the water temperature for that area.

  Older age class bass are the first to move shallow due to spawning instincts. Large females will cruise their spawning site a month before they actually spawn, but they will never be far from deep water. I can’t tell you how many times in late January that you can set up in two to three feet of water fishing creek channels that drop off to five to six feet in back ends of some major creeks and the water temperature is in the mid-forties and you will be the only boat in sight until late February. That is when most folks think bass start going shallow to spawn. Little do they know that most big ones have already been there.

  Start fishing the upper ends of the lake in January. Look for feeder creeks that run into main lake. Key in on areas where creeks or deep breaklines run near the points or banks. When you find the above areas, concentrate on spots protected from the prevailing north wind. These honey holes will be a few degrees warmer than the surrounding water. When you find these hot spots you will be in business.

  Older age class bass are more weary and more easily spooked than the average bass and should be approached quietly. Turn off the big motor. Use your trolling motor to quietly and slowly approach your fishing area. Keep the noise level inside the boat to a minimum. Boat noise will spook Miss Big. If you have to walk around the boat, do so quietly.

  Weather changes also affect how big bass will locate on structure. Concentrate on more shallow breaklines during consistent weather pat-terns, such as warming trends. During frontal conditions fish the deeper break- lines. Contrary to popular belief, bass will not move out of shallow water areas but will seek the deepest nearby water.

  If you need more fishing information or want to book a trip with Dean, call him on his landline 903-383-7214 or cell phone 903-850-5083 or email him at dstroman@peoplescom.net.  Book your trip soon as trips are filling quickly for spring. He still has some winter trips available. 

  Dean is sponsored by Gene Larew, Legend Boats, Mercury Marine, Mossy Oak, Century 21 Lake Country, Gotcha Distributing Co., Sebile Innovative, and Arkie Reaction Innovation.

 

                 Your comments are welcome.  

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This site last updated on Thursday, January 12, 2012 03:07:23 PM