As we head into the midseason Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork, fans and anglers know what to expect. I’m certain it’ll take 100 pounds to win, and the big bass of the tournament will definitely be over 10 pounds. There’s a pretty good shot we’ll see at least one 40-pound bag, too. There aren’t many places where you can comfortably predict those types of numbers, but Fork is at the top of the list.
Despite the fact that all of those things are likely to occur, it is an incredibly challenging place to fish an Elite Series event. It’s not my home lake, but it’s similar to many of the lakes I grew up fishing. Obviously, I’ve had some success there. Still, most of the field has been there and there are several easy traps you can fall into.
The field is incredibly educated about the various patterns and areas in play. That wasn’t always the case. Thinking back to the first time I competed there at a Toyota Texas Bass Classic, I remember there were a ton of fish on beds. Lots of guys went all-in on that pattern. Meanwhile, I found some out deep, and I had free rein over the obvious deep places. I could make my milk run without fear that anglers would be on top of all the good places. That wouldn’t occur today. These guys are too good and have too many tools at their disposal.
Beyond that, there are several other factors that will come into play. First, you’ll probably need 25 pounds every day to have a chance. If you fall off that pace even slightly, it’ll take a monumental effort to make up the difference. Additionally, by Elite Series standards, the lake is not particularly big, nor does it fish big. Fork gets lots of local traffic every day, even during our events. There are a ton of guides, and it’s a destination fishery for people from all over the country and the world. Finally, every spot where we’ve done well over the years has been exposed. There are simply no secrets left.
All of that means you need to be creative about where and how you catch them. That requires strategy not just during the tournament, but during the practice period as well. There are certain places it won’t benefit me to check. If I find fish on one spot, I’ll just have to build around that limited knowledge to build a pattern. That means there will be some guesswork about where to start on Day 1. I won’t know what exactly I have going on, or whether somewhere will be a key stretch. It’s super-critical to get off to a good start, so if your rotation gets messed up, it can be beyond stressful.
Fork is different from some of my other favorite fisheries in another key way – its consistency. If you go to Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend Reservoirs five consecutive Mays, they’ll feel like a different fishery each time. Fork isn’t like that. It’s remarkably consistent. Now that we’ve been there a bunch of times, the basic seasonal patterns are well-established. Doing well comes down to strategy and execution and perhaps a little bit of good fortune.
All of that may come off as negative, but believe me, I’m thrilled to be fishing in Texas this week – and especially on a trophy factory like Fork. I relish chasing giant fish, especially when they’re offshore. In the end, whoever wins is going to do something impressive, and they’ll probably make it look easy — but don’t be fooled. This one is a genuine test of skill and strategy. I can’t wait for that first morning blastoff.
