The one variable that we always deal with when trying to plan a fishing trip in advance is the weather. It's unseasonably warm everywhere. Even here in Minnesota, a state renown for cold temps and snowfall. The warmer temps are likely to move the start of the spawn up. I'm not sure, nor experienced enough to know, if it will be days or weeks. My info comes from the guides on Fork and it is safe to assume on some level they know something about it. My brother-in-law believes we will hit pre-spawn, spawn and post spawn fish. The more I think about it the more I buy into his way of thinking.
The water level is still 5ft low. This makes me a bit nervous not so much as how it may affect the fish but rather how it will affect Sam and I. Like any angler I tend to fish where and what I know. Yeah, yeah I know, don't fish history. Fish the present. I've read and heard it hundred if not thousands of times in Bassmaster Mag, BTL, FLW Mag and the like. But honestly, how do you not go back to where you caught them 2 years ago? The low water level could make some of the water we fished last time inaccessible.
Speaking of inaccessible that is sort of what I'm most nervous about. Navigating Fork is a challenge. We hit so many trees last time when the water wasn't low. I can hardly imagine what we are in store for this trip. Fork is hard on equipment. I pray I don't bust off my lower unit. That would be a real buzz kill.
We will still need to hit up those spots though, especially where Sam caught the 7.2 and the spot he lost the 10+. However past that, I've got this hunch we will want to fish the western fork of Fork. I was looking at the Navionics mapping for Fork and specifically Mustang Creek is a spot that I feel really good about.
The western fork seems to have a greater concentration of creek channels that come close to possible spawning flats. If we do hit post-spawn, which we certainly will, fish will have moved off the beds but won't venture too far to find slightly deeper water, current and ambush areas. Hence the importance of creek channels.
We fished the eastern fork two years ago and did well but it took us two days to figure out how to catch them. I have been trying to research the history of Fork but I suspect that the eastern fork was created after they created the dam, meaning it is the result of them damming the numerous western creeks. I'll admit, I'm probably making something of nothing or am completely off on my theory, I am after all speculating. At the end of the day it is probably just me feeling that the grass is always greener or however that applies to water.
Another difference this trip, no guide service. We are flying solo. While Rick was great to fish with we both know we can do just as well if not better on our own. It's all about being observant; water temp, barometric changes, current, weather patterns and of course other boats.
Here is a screen shot of all the pins I dropped on the Navionics map prior to our trip last time. Sadly I only marked two spots correctly. Where Sam caught the biggest of the trip I hadn't marked. And the spot that ended up being our honey hole also wasn't marked pre-trip. Does that mean I suck at reading a map? Maybe. I think it shows I didn't know what I didn't know. I had now idea what the scale of the map would really look like in person on the lake. Our best spot last time is hardly discernible on the Navionics map. This trip no point, cut, creek, bend or bay will be left untouched. Obviously I don't mean we will cover all of Fork, that would be impossible in 3 days. But whatever area we end up choosing to fish we are going to be really through.
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I will smoke the 10 barrier.
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