Baron Fork River: Barren Fork WMA to Thomas Bamberger WMA
Baron Fork: Barren Fork WMA near Westville to Thomas
Bamberger WMA at Proctor (November 6, 2022)
To avoid confusion, Baron Fork and Barren Fork are the same.
These are not names for different bodies of water in Oklahoma. Barren Fork is
what the stream was originally named because when it was discovered there
wasn’t any significant water flowing in the channel. In the 1970s, it was
changed to Baron Fork on road signs. Now, it is Baron Fork… at least according
to Google Maps. But the WMA (Wildlife Management Area) with access to it at
Westville, OK is called Barren Fork WMA for historical reasons. I felt like a quick
explanation was necessary because until recently, even I was confused. Now that
I’ve got that out of the way, I’ll get into describing the trip.
Dad and I were very lucky on multiple accounts. First of all, the flow was perfect. It rained heavily a couple days prior which was critical. Drought conditions had zapped what little rain we had received this fall, making a float difficult anywhere, let alone the upper portion of the Baron Fork. That is until the 2 to 3 inches of rain came that spanned over Thursday and Friday before our float on Sunday. This rain led to perfect conditions on a stretch high up on this stream. It was seldom that we had to get out and drag the canoe, even before any major tributaries came in. What was most impressive was how clear the water was. In other streams, the clarity might be ruined for days due to a rain like that. But not the Baron Fork, which was crystal clear.
This was a stretch we had never paddled and in total was nearly 16 miles. A daunting task for a day. Especially if you start as late as 9:30 AM (which we did) and it gets dark early. It was my first time floating that far for a day fishing trip. This obviously made us hyper aware of how much time we were spending fishing certain holes. Despite the temptation to continue fishing, we resisted when we had to. Aside from not slowing ourselves down, we weren’t hindered by much fallen trees, rocks, or low water bridges. Not having to portage more than two times was crucial for us to make consistent progress. Ultimately, we covered more ground (or in this case water) in 7 hours than we ever have for a day trip.
After it was all said and done, dad pointed out the notable
geology of each spot where we caught the most bass. There were stretches with
vast expanses of gravel that make up the banks of the stream. Throughout the 16 miles, there was consistently amazing habitat in the bends of the stream. Rock
walls, overhanging ledges, and chunk rock were often the classic indicators of
good bass habitat. It was incredible to see the submerged rock formations
acting as perfect bass habitat.
Every lure dad and I used caught fish. Dad went with the ole’ reliable Rage Menace Grub from Strike King in Hard Candy while I used a Missle Baits Shockwave 3.5 in Frosted Purple (swim bait) and a small PB&J football jig paired with a Z-Man TRD BugZ in Watermelon Red. We also briefly tried throwing weightless flukes but that method was the less effective. However, the lack of top water blow ups on the fluke was quickly forgiven because of how consistent the jig bite was. As I said, every technique caught fish, but this small jig combo was on a whole other level. This will become quickly evident if you watch the video attached.
Here are a couple of pictures of some of my nicest fish. Included is a Smallmouth (17.5"), a Meanmouth (hybrid of a Smallmouth and Spotted Bass, 17") and a Largemouth (16").
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