Lake Fork Trophy Bass Report
Submitted May 15, 2008
By Guide James Caldemeyer
The fishing on Lake Fork has been great lately with many big fish being caught on a variety of different techniques and patterns that range from shallow spawning fish to deep structure fishing for those post spawn feeding bass. Don Barry and Bob Bostick, from Martin Gas Company, shared the boat with me yesterday and caught 28 fish with only a few that weighed less than 4 lbs. Lots of 5-6 lb fish and Bob took big fish honors with a 8lb. 13oz. hawg! Days like these have been regular and you can expect them to get better over the next few weeks.
Lake Fork water levels are currently about 3 inches below full pool but will be rising quickly with the rain that came today. Water clarity is stained in the backs of the creeks, especially up north, and starts to get clearer mid-lake all the way to the dam. Water temperatures have been ranging from 67-74 degrees on the main lake, with some water near 80 degrees in the backs of the creeks.
Top water baits early have been a great way to start the morning off. Yellow magics, frogs, and buzz baits have done very well lately fished over the grass in 5 foot or less. Fishing these baits all day can be very productive, especially on cloudy days. After the top water bite dies, Wave Worm Shadicks www.wavefishing.com and flukes have been good. Any shade of watermelon has been best. I will use a 4/0 hook with a 1/32 or 1/16 oz. weight molded in the bend of the hook to help get the bait down in the grass and lily pads. Green pumpkin and pumpkin/chartreuse 6" lizards are also a good choice. I have been rigging these on a light carolina rig with a split shot above the swivel and 12"-14" leader. Fishing it around areas that the fish are still spawning in will catch some nice ones. On windy or cloudy days a shallow running crankbait, chatter bait, or 1/4 – 3/8 oz. white Talon double willow spinner bait will cover a lot of water and catch a lot of fish. www.talonlures.com
The deep bite is starting to pick up quite a bit. A lot of the fish that have already spawned are out deep gorging on bait fish. You can find schools of fish holding on main lake points, humps, roadbeds, pond dams, and ridges in 20-35 foot of water. There are a lot of schools of shad out deep and when you find a spot that the fish have moved up on to feed, you can load the boat with some real pigs! Knowing how to read your electronics is critical this time of year but it will pay off big when you find the fish. After I have located a school of bass on my Lowrance I have been throwing a carolina rigged Wave Worm Tiki Gorilla in green pumpkin or watermelon red or 4" Tiki Stick or Zoom centipede. A 1 oz. weight and 4-5 ft. leader with a 3/0 wide gap hook attached to some 20 lb. Gamma Edge fluorocarbon line will put a "noose" around their necks when they bite! When the fish are suspended off the bottom, deep diving crank baits are effective as well as a big swim bait, spoon, or tail kickers. These fish are hungry and strong so if you get bit out deep, HOLD ON!!
This time of year, through summer and even into fall, is a great time to get acquainted with deep structure fishing for big bass. And what better lake to do it on than Lake Fork. If you are interested in booking a trip for some of this great post-spawn fishing, feel free to email me at lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com or just give me a call (903)736-9888. I would enjoy making your trip to Lake Fork a productive and memorable experience. I like to thank my proud sponsors for their support and to my clients for the memories that they allow me to be a part of each day on the lake. Please pray for those that have lost loved ones recently and for their families!
Read Matthew 6:34
Tight Lines and God Bless,
James Caldemeyer
