Big Surprises on Lake Fork
LAKE FORK, Texas — There were 15 bass weighed on Day One that were over the slot for Lake Fork, which is set at 16 to 24 inches.
This was more big bass than most thought would be weighed in during the entire three-day tournament. Day Two brought another 12 across the scales, bringing the total of large bass over the slot to 27.
"That is more bass over the slot than we have ever weighed here at Lake Fork," tournament director Bob Sealy told ESPNOutdoors.com after the weigh-in Saturday. After two days, Stephen G. Hope of Ovilla, Texas, leads the event with a 10.62-pound bass. Jimmy Callahan of Colleyville, Texas, holds second at 10.02. Both caught their fish Friday.
In 1999, Lake Fork endured a die-off of largemouth bass, most of which over five pounds. The event shocked the local bass fishing community and the rest of the bass fishing world; the legendary Lake Fork's bass population was in trouble — and no one knew why.
After a lengthy investigation, Auburn University finally had the answer.
Largemouth Bass Virus (LMBV) had struck the resident population of Florida Strain Largemouth Bass. Officials are still not exactly certain how it happened or why, but the effects were felt long after the first year or two.
"There was no doubt that it hurt our bass population. Tournament weights were down, and the local guides were no longer catching a 100 fish a day. The virus had taken its toll, and the effects were apparent." Randy Milner recalled. "They made it out to be much worse than it actually was, but it was bad enough on its own. It hurt the local businesses as well."
Milner, a local guide of over 11 years, went on to explain that the lake has been slowly improving during the last seven years.
"I believe this year has been the best year since the fish kill," he said. "I think this is a great weekend to have this tournament and see Lake Fork's potential. Texas has always had what I feel to be the best fisheries management in the United States, they can say what they want about California and Florida, but our fisheries speak for themselves. The virus may have been nature's way of cleaning house."
Kurt Kelley, a Game Warden for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division, agreed.
"I am really surprised with the number of big bass that were weighed," he said. "I have been here for eight years and this is the first time that I have seen this number of 24 inch or better fish in two days. I can remember tournaments when there would only be six or seven weighed in the whole weekend. This is the best I have seen since I have been here, and I arrived here the year after the fish kill.
"You couldn't put Lake Fork anywhere else and make it work; it's more than just putting Florida Strain Bass into a lake. It takes everything from the minerals, to the fertile runoff, to the vegetation. It takes all of this and more to make what we have here.
"If you look at most lakes, they last about 20 years, then they decline. The only thing that Lake Fork is losing is its timber, and that won't affect the quality of the fish, it might change behavior, but not the quality.
"All of the agencies involved in the management of our fisheries work together for the betterment of the resource, just like the slot limit, it works, and it protects our brood stock. Every once in a while you will have a few fish show up dead and it startles people. We don't know exactly what caused the LMBV, but we know we don't ever want it to show up again."
It seems that Lake Fork has finally overcome the tragedy that struck eight years ago. It is definitely a legendary lake that refuses to give up producing huge trophy bass. There is one more day left in the McDonald's Big Bass Splash — and Lake Fork may set a record for the event on the final day.