Right now, I'm fishing both Lake Fork and Monticello. If you want numbers, I believe Lake Fork is still the best spot. But with another freeze expected, I would assume the bite will slow down for a while. However, the forecast calls for a good warm up soon after that. So, we may not see temps in the 40s for quite a while.
If you want quality fish in the 5 to 8 pound range, I recommend Lake Monticello over Lake Fork from now until well into March. But Fork has tons of 1-2 pound bass and its your best chance for a fish over 10 pounds. And it is more convenient than Monticello.
Monticello, on the other hand, has a power plant to keep it warm. Additionally, it has a slot limit from 14 to 24 inches and is full of nice Florida bass. My last trip, the lake was 70 degrees while Fork was 55. We caught our biggest fish on topwater baits before the sun came up. What a blast!
The main reason for doing a report right now is to inform my clients (and potential clients) about a TV show where I fished Monticello with Steve Quinn from the In-Fisherman. The show airs this week on the Sportsman Channel.
Show Times start tomorrow Central Standard Time:
JANUARY 4 WED - 3:00AM
JANUARY 4 WED - 10:30AM
JANUARY 5 THU - 2:00PM
JANUARY 7 SAT - 3:30AM
JANUARY 8 SUN - 8:30AM
JANUARY 8 SUN - 2:30PM
I want to promote Monticello over Fork, especially from late February through the middle of March - for 2 reasons.
1) We catch a lot more quality fish
2) The lake isn't nearly as crowded as Fork
It seems that a majority of my clients are satisfied with their catch on Monticello and ready to head back by about 2PM. So I decided to promote a 3/4 day trip for a discounted rate on weekdays.
So, if you are interested in a 3/4 day trip for $300, sign up for the AM trip on my calendar.
If you would like to book a trip, call me at 214-549-4644. You can see my schedule and book your trip online at http://www.fishingguidenow.com/bookonline.cfm?guideID=2