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The last pay telephone (in the world) that I’m aware of that is still in service and working.  It is located at Lake Fork 515 Scenic Cabins.  See picture shown below.

Episode 11
https://youtu.be/IpLDKb_teDk
Episode11-Getting ready for Lake Fork bass tournament in Birch Creek with Bob Roberts. Covers location #5, #8, & #14.

At the main point where South spur 514 comes down to the lake there is an old stock pond with a ridge and old road that runs behind it. This little pond often has grass on it. It can easily be found and it is a great place to fish during the middle of the day in June. You can get excellent results here especially when the wind is blowing to the point. You can Carolina worm fish it. It’s good for jigging spoons and you can work a DD-22 or a Deep Little N around the pond dam.

Timing:  June, middle of the day

What to do:  Throw a Carolina rigged worm, DD-22, or a Deep Little N around the pond dam

Location: #2
This is the first cove west of the old hwy 17. It’s a good little cove that allows for spawning fish in here. It is one of the best protected spawning sites on Lake Fork.  It’s got an island that is heavily timbered on the west side and the other half was cleared off during the construction of the lake. That growth on the east side grew back fairly quickly and left a lot of undergrowth. So what you have is two different types of cover in here for fish (heavy timber and brush). On the west side of the island you have the old Hwy 17 road bed and ditch that exits the lake. It has a ditch on the east side of it. Back when David Kelly was guiding on this lake, this cove contained the best fish that Kelly ever put a client on.  It was during the spawn and they were bed fishing in here just north of the island.  The client threw a jig into the bed and hooked a very, very nice fish that surfaced and unfortunately spit the hook right back out at him. So as far as small coves go during the spawn, it’s a keeper.

Timing: Spawn

What to do:  Texas or Carolina Rigged Worm or Lizard or in this case jig.

Location: #3

This spot is just west of where the old Hwy 17 comes all the way across the lake and exits beside the island in this cove. You will notice a small cut in the bank just west of the road bed and sometimes (not all times) that grass will grow right here. And when catch it when it does, it will hold fish. It’s just something good to know about this area.

Timing: April, May, September & October, – When it has grass.

What to do:  Texas or Carolina Rigged Worm or Lizard, Fluke or French Fry.

The cove northwest of old Hwy 17 Cove is McAfee Branch.  About all that can be said about it is that it is a very good March cove for bed fishing & spawning. On the east shore of this cove there is a small cut in the bank.  In that cove is a large tree that one day had a very large fish in it that David Kelly hooked and he was able to turn it about three times before she then broke the line.  They had been running up that east bank and didn’t even know the fish was in that little cut until they hooker her.  So, it’s a special spot as a result of that memory.  Late March for McAfee is the time for this very, very good spawning cove.

Timing: Late March, the spawn

What to do: Texas or Carolina Rigged Worm or Lizard or jig

Location: #5

Birch Creek is a long arm, running north/south. It offers a great deal of shoreline, with a lot of ditches, creeks, and pockets, with plenty of grass and timber, boat docks, and other structure and cover. Duck Call Cove is the very first cove going north on your right.  It is a very protected cove right off the main lake and Birch Creek. It has a deep creek channel, with two good points that extend on each side of the entrance. It is a great area for the spawn, as well as 12 months of the year fishing. You can come in here and use a jig/craw, Texas rig, spinner bait, Bass Assassin, or crank bait.  When you do come in here you need to fish it thoroughly. Now here is a little tidbit of knowledge for you that may come in handy some day.  Ok, here are the special conditions this little trick needs for it to work.  The timing would  need to be Pre-Spawn and /or spawn.  It would be when a front just blew through.  This front would bring enough rain water and north wind for the SRA to open the dam gates to allow water out.  There would be a drop in water temperature usually with this front.  And add upon that you now have a blue bird day clear blue sky.  In most places on this lake these new conditions would kill the bite.  However in this cove you can usually come in here and catch fish.  Here is what happens.  The opening of the dam creates a water current that comes from the very top of the lake and it follows all the way down to the dam.  In here you will actually have a slight current in this creek and as a result of that, those fish will change directions and will be pointed toward the north end of this creek as a result. You can get in Duck Call Cove during the spawn and if they’re letting water out you can take a super fluke type bait and throw it in a north direction and bring it up next to the trees as you work your fluke. Bring it right up next to the trees because those bass will have switched position and they will be on the south side of those trees in there waiting for food to come by being drawn by the current of the lake being pulled down. If you will fish the trees with a super fluke they will attack on either side of the tree as that bait gets drawn south. Many times this has worked in Duck Call when fishing was really tough everywhere else. At those times you could usually go in there and catch 6 or 8 fish. This would be at a time when most people would not catch a fish.

Timing: Pre-Spawn, Spawn, & September – when you have a front come through that brings water and they are drawing water from the dam, with a blue bird sky.

What to do:  Super Fluke, throw it north and retrieve it back near the edges of the trees.

Location: #6

Movie Point. If you’re going to be fishing the Big Bass Splash Tournament (formerly known as The McDonald’s tournament).  There is a brush pile right here.  If you will throw a 6″ tequila sunrise in September, third week of August which puts it in the time for the McDonald’s tournament.  A lot of fish are caught off of this brush pile at this time.  It’s a very good brush pile in September.

Timing: September, third week of August, the spawn

What to do: Texas or Carolina Rigged Tequila Sunrise colored Worm or Lizard

This is the tree next to the buoy marker for the main boat lane that runs up into Birch.  As you’re coming up that way and north you will see this one tree standing out there. That is actually a tree that was left in there that is part of a tree line/fence line that extends out into the lake from the east bank. Below is a picture of that tree line coming off the east bank of Birch. This tree line that you see will have 14 1/2 feet of water on top of it and that is why you don’t see these trees out there.  You can only see the really tall one.  Where the darkest water stops there is a single tree line that runs right into this little pocket. Know this, that little coves and pockets that do not have a creek in them will generally warm up faster than those that have a ditch or a creek in them. A lot of times fish will use this tree line as a doorway/migration route into this cove.

Timing: April through May, September & October

What to do: Texas or Carolina Rigged Tequila Sunrise colored Worm or Lizard

Comment
Location #8 is the location that Bob Roberts was a little hesitant to talk about in the video. I decided not to reveal the location to everyone in the video (especially since this was one of the club members favorite places). However, members need to be aware of this point and the relating structure around it. Jimmy Martin 2/10/19

Location: #8

There is an old pipeline that ran across the lake from the east bank and all the way to the west bank.  That pipeline crosses this long extended underwater point at location #8.  This point protrudes out into the lake just west of the Beaver Branch Cove.   You can see it on your right as you travel along that main boat lane.  As a matter of fact the best way to enter this area is to take a right and follow right down that pipeline right of way.   That pipeline R.O.W. is the best route to use when attempting to access this point and the cove to the east.  This point (location #8) is one of the locations on Lake Fork that consistently produces good fish. This point will usually have some hydrilla on it. The routing of the pipeline has left a ridge in there right on the end of the point of this thing.  You also have lots of timber in here and the long point has some great, definitive, drop off.  This point is built right for big fish, and a lot of well seasoned anglers consider this to be the place to go when you’re wanting to catch a fish that weighs over 7 pounds.  We know of an instance where someone came in here in a pre-spawn condition during the time that the the fish were just starting to feed in a 55 degree water temperature environment.  This person caught two 7’s and an 8 off a spinner bait in this hydrilla.  All three came right off this point.  This point does get pressured quite a bit however, it’s well worth your time on it.  This is one of the best points on the lake. It’s a really good spot.  The extended point with trees is good all year long, plus it produces barn door sized Crappie. And who don’t like that.

Timing: Pre-Spawn

What to do: Spinner bait into this hydrilla

Location: #9

Some people call this cove in here Beaver Branch Cove.  Some of the older folks refer to this as Squirrel Cove.   At any rate, it is an excellent spawning cove that gets a lot of pressure. During the spawn you want to fish the very back end of it (location #9).  It’s a really flat and shallow cove in there and you can do wonders with a super fluke.  Go back there in a spawn/pre-spawn situation with a super fluke and you will have fun.  You can go back there and catch fish on the prowl right before they lock down on the beds.

Timing: Spawn/Pre-Spawn

What to do: Throw a Super Fluke

Location: #10

All the information we have at this time is that it is a small hump right off the main boat lane.  It will be hard to fish since you have so much traffic coming through here somewhere near the speed of sound.  The good thing is it’s probably not over-fished.

Timing: I’d try hitting this in November or December.

What to do: Spoon or a Super Fluke.

Location: #11

This is a great night fishing hole and it is located right where the pipeline reaches the eastern shore. There is usually hydrilla all around this. A really easy thing to do is come over here right at sunset and you can throw a buzz bait.  There is at least one double digit fish that has been caught right there doing just that. This spot doesn’t look like much, but it is.  It is a place well worth checking out.

Timing: Night time.

What to do: Throw a buzz bait

Location: #12

If you ever want to have a good day fishing a suspended rogue in water temperature of 52 degree or better (52, 55, 56) you start right where the pipeline enters the eastern shore. Start fishing here with a suspended rogue (big super suspended with an orange belly). Fish from the pipeline all the way along that eastern shore north to the next little cut in the bank. The first half will be the better half and you will catch fish up to 7 lbs easily. This is a February, early March time period, well all of March is good for a suspended rogue right down this shoreline.

Timing: February, early March time period, water temperature of 52 degree or better (52, 55, 56)

What to do: Throw a a suspended rogue (big super suspended with an orange belly)

Location: #13

This is one you should get to know.  This little cut in the bank has been known to produce some big, big fish. It’s a combination of a little gut that runs right up in there.  It’s a good spawning cove and it produces a lot of big fish.

One thing that is helpful to know about Lake Fork.  If you haven’t been on the lake very recently and you want to know how or where the vegetation is on Fork you can do this.  As you’re driving around the lake just keep an eye out for the coots(the ducks). If you see a bunch of coots working an area vigorously you can just about bet money that they’re in some grass. These coots can tell you where the grass is on Fork.  This little area between point #8 and point #14 usually has coots working it.

Timing: February, early March time period, water temperature of 52 degree or better (52, 55, 56).  also September & October.

What to do: Throw a suspended rogue (big super suspended with an orange belly), Super Fluke, jerk bait, rattle trap, or spinner bait.

This point is right before you get to Hwy 514 Bridge.  This is called Big Bass Point because quite simply it produces huge bass, and quantities of bass as well. The major Birch Creek comes right up to the end of this point. Below is a picture of that point at 14.45 feet below normal pool level. This is that point that goes way out there and dumps into Birch Creek. Birch creek is just off the end of this point in the picture. It’s extremely close. Fish the point on the right side in about 10 – 16 feet of water.  Use a Carolina rigged centipede or salt fry in watermelon or June-bug, and work that technique all around the point from the outside to the inside. During the spawn, work the entire bank, and all around the boat docks with Bass Assassins, Texas rigs, and spinner-baits.  One other thing to be aware of.  It’s hard to sit on this point because there is so much traffic that fly’s by here. A lot of people quit fishing it for that very reason.  They will blow through here at 40 or 50 mph and it’s just very hard to fish as a result.  It is a super point though.

Timing: Spawn & the summer months.

What to do: Spawn Throw Bass Assassins, Texas rigs, and spinner-baits, Summer months throw Carolina rigged centipede or salt fry in watermelon or June-bug/