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Spawn on Lake Fork

Article: February, 2000
Lake Fork Pro Jim Reaneau
Well, we are fast approaching the magic time of the year. The spawn. February went out with several fish in the share a lunker program. The full moon always works wonders if the weather will stay mild. At this writing the big females are making their move to the shallow water. Baring any drastic cold fronts the shallow water should hold some male and females from now until the end of April. On the cold front days the fish may lock up but as soon as the sun gets up and warms the water the fish will start moving. The weekend of February 20th the moon was full and there were 3 fish caught over 13 pounds including one over 14 pounds. The fishermen came out in droves and the ramps were full. This is the sign of spring at Lake Fork. With this many people out the numbers of big fish will double. There will be more reports of 10 to 12 pound fish almost everyday. One topic I would like to talk about is the over 13 pound fish. A fisherman who caught one this weekend was under the opinion it would take three years to get his replica from the state. The taxidermists who have a contract with the state must have these fish done by the end of May. The state will give you a cap, jacket and tee shirt showing your recognition for your catch. The taxidermists on Lake Fork know what our fish look like and they do a great job making them look real. I believe you can get a fishing license good for life, which is worth a good bit of money. All this for putting the fish in the Share a Lunker Program. The most important thing is getting this fish back in the lake after it has been spawned. This will keep Lake Fork the great lake it has been for years to come. If you catch one of these MONSTER BASS get in to the marina as quickly as possible to insure it will get the care it needs to survive. Handle the fish as little as possible to help keep the protective coating from being removed. We as anglers are the key link in helping mother nature keep her balance. I know it is hard to release a fish of a lifetime but the replicas look much better than the real fish mount and last many years longer. If you bought a new car and kept it in the garage all the time it would always look new. This is how the replicas last. They will not tarnish like the real fish over a number of years. And the real key is the real fish is swimming back in the lake and is there for another angler to catch. You may not know it but one of our top fifty fish is on the list two times. It was first caught and weighed over 17 pounds in the spring and two years later another fisherman caught it in early summer and it weighed 15 pounds. The parks and wild life tag every fish put in the program. This is how they knew this was the same fish. This program covers any fisherman from any state who is fishing Texas waters. So, no matter if you're from out of state bring that 13 pound fish in and donate it to the program. This program runs from October to the end of April. PLEASE REMEMBER TO HANDLE THESE, AND ALL FISH YOU CATCH NOW, CAREFULLY. These fish will be caught many times the next several months.
Thanks and Good Fishing,
Jim


Fishing Tip by EX Lake Fork Guide Jim Reaneau

 

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