May Fishing Report The bass spawn on Lake Fork is winding down and it’s been a n awesome Spring. Currently the lake is slightly above full pool and water temps are hitting the mid 70”s. Despite recent rains and winds the water clarity is good to stained. Now the weather will start to stabilize more and fish will start to move into consistent patterns. Large females will be feeding up after recuperating from the strain of spawning and can be caught on multiple techniques. The top water bite is gaining momentum with the hollow body frog is producing plenty of big bites throughout the day. Other walking baits like the Zara Spook or Sammy around secondary points outside of spawning flats are producing well, as this bite dies down a Tx rig with a UV-hog in watermelon or watermelon red fished tight to cover will get a few more bites. I also have had good days using bright colored worms on a circus rig fished through the vegetation. With the shad spawn currently under way, you will find small schools of bass busting shad. Be sure to have a small crank bait ready to take advantage those opportunities. Lipless rattle baits or square bills in shad patterns will work for these schoolies. Deep water patterns are starting to pick up and fish can be caught on a variety of deep cranks and Carolina rigs on the humps, ridges and underwater bridges on the lake. Look for bass to be actively feeding from 10 to 24 ft deep. For the Carolina rig, I’ve been using a Tightlines UV–Hog or a UV-Zack Birge Hybrid. I have plenty of dates available now and the bite is only going to get better! Be safe!
