"Fork by far has had the most donations to the program," he added. "Year by year that can fluctuate, but it certainly has produced the most fish weighing 13 pounds or more -- by a long shot."

Indeed: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials report that Fork has given up 222 ShareLunkers since the program's inception. The second-place honors go to Sam Rayburn with 22 entries -- still 200 shy of Fork's total.

Last year, anglers donated just seven ShareLunker bass from Fork. That was a slow year for the storied lake, which came in second behind North Texas' Lake Alan Henry's nine bass greater than 13 pounds. Does that mean Fork is on the decline?

Last year, I fished Fork with Kirkwood, who doubles as a seminar speaker and teacher of bass fishing clinics. We talked about Fork having some problems, including a bout with largemouth bass virus a few years ago and a population that includes too many small fish.

"The Fork community has some issues it needs to deal with but this is still the premier place to catch the bass of a lifetime," Kirkwood remarked. "It has a few tricks left up its sleeve yet. I guarantee you there is a state record here -- I have no doubt about that."

The veteran Fork guide put me through a crash course on fishing for the bass of his home lake, which gave me a real feel for fishing there. It's one of those places at which I immediately felt at ease -- where I could conceivably catch the fish of a lifetime.

"Fishing is mostly mental," he noted, "and if you have confidence you can be successful. Of course, to catch the big ones, you have to go where they live. And they are definitely here."

Looking over the reservoir, I just knew there was a new state record lurking in there somewhere, as well as plenty of other fish to pull on my line. Truth to tell, catching records has never driven me to hit the water. For me, fishing is about the thrill of the bite, encountering some amazing creatures and spending time beyond the pavement -- but doing that on world-class waters doesn't exactly hurt the fun factor. And world-class is exactly what Lake Fork remains.