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James Caldemeyer Lake Fork Report

January 15, 2011

The weather has been frigid these past few days as Texas experienced a cold blast of snow, sleet, and ice in most areas of the state. I was able to escape the brunt of the storm as I headed south to begin pre-fishing for the FLW Ever-Start tournament at Choke Canyon. The weather here is not much warmer but definitely a bit more comfortable than at home. Right before I left we were catching some real nice bass on a variety of winter time baits and patterns on both Lake Fork and Monticello (power plant lake). Here are some tips that may help you if you are headed out to the lake to tackle a big winter time bass.

Lake Fork is still about 3 and a half foot low. Water temps dipping into the high 40’s some and low-mid 50’s during the warmer days. Water clarity is good in most areas. Right now the best pattern to follow is fishing shallow grass beds in 2-8 feet of water. Main lake points and secondary points at the mouth of the major creeks has been best. Lipless crank baits are the top dog on Fork this time of year through the first part of March. Red, orange, or a combination of as well as shad colors are good choices. I like to use a ½ oz most of the time but will often break out the ¾ oz around the deeper grass and cold fronts. Jerk baits are an awesome choice for a big pre-spawn bass also. Suspending models are best in gold and clown colors. Chatter baits in chartreuse/white are catching some and will become better when the temperatures rise. If your New Years resolution was to catch a new personal best bass this year, I would highly recommend fishing a jig a lot right now. I like to use a Talon flipping jig in 3/8 or 1/2 oz sizes. Best colors are Black/Blue, Bama Bug, or Texas Craw. Hang a matching trailer on the back like a Berkley Chigger Chunk and you are ready to flip up a pig. Target stumps, lay downs, and docks in creeks adjacent to spawning areas. I have not fished deep lately but I am sure you can catch them on spoons and drop shots around bridges and roadbeds right now.

Lake Monticello bass are full swing into the spawn. I have had a number of trips that we have fished Monticello in the morning and Fork in the afternoon that have been VERY productive. Best baits on Monticello have been weightless soft plastics like flukes and senko type baits in green pumpkin or watermelon colors, Texas rigged Berkley Chigger Craws, shallow running crank baits, and chatter baits. Fish any of these around timber lined spawning flats in 2-8 feet of water and you will do well. You can also fish the bridges or discharge area and do well with Carolina rigs, drop shots, and deep diving crank baits.

I would like to encourage anyone who is considering a new boat this year to come by the Diamond Sports Marine/Ranger Boats booth at the Dallas Boat Show. I will be there the weekend of February 4-6 and the show continues through the following week. The new 2011 Rangers are in so come by and check them out. If you are interested in booking a guided trip on Lake Fork this year, feel free to contact me anytime at (903)736-9888 or by email lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com You can also visit my website for more information about Lake Fork www.officiallakeforktrophybass.com A special thanks to all my sponsors for their continued support in 2011: Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, Diamond Sports Marine, I Am Second, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance, Navionics, Talon Lures, Power Pole, BTS Protectant, Line & Lure Conditioner, and Interstate Batteries.

Matthew- Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Tight Lines and God Bless,

James Caldemeyer

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Lake Fork Guide James Caldemeyer Lake Fork Report December 9th, 2010

December 10, 2010

James Caldemeyer’s
Lake Fork Trophy Bass
Fishing Report
December 9, 2010

Fishing has been good at both Lake Fork and Lake Monticello the past couple of weeks. With the weather and water cooling off, I have been splitting trips between the two lakes. The action on Monticello has been best early on most days with Fork being the afternoon option of choice. Fish can still be caught early on Fork but the bite has been best for me when water temperatures are at their peak later in the day.

Monticello is in great shape. It’s a very fun lake to fish and can produce some really good numbers of quality fish this time of year. The water levels there are good and slightly stained to clear in most areas. All the fish we are catching are still pre-spawn but it will not be long before you see a number of them move to spawn. I have had good success lately on Texas rigged 10” Black Power Worms and Berkley Chigger Craws in green pumpkin or black/blue. Flipping the timber along the old channel edges of the creeks has been best for the bigger fish. Shallow to mid diving cranks, lipless cranks, and spinner bait are also good choices for the pre-spawn bass. If you get a cloudy day, the top water bite has been good on buzz baits and frogs. You can also move out to the discharge areas and the highway bridge for some great Carolina rig and drop shot action. Best baits have been a 4” Power Worm and 5” Wacky Crawler green pumpkin, watermelon, and motor oil red.

The colder water temperatures on Lake Fork have the bass finishing up their fall feeding agenda right now with a number of fish still being caught both shallow and deep. You can find a lot of fish holding in the grass in 2-6 feet. Best baits have been red/orange lipless crank baits, white or white/chartreuse chatter baits, or a big square bill crank bait in any shad pattern. The bite around the creek channel edges and shallow timber has been decent on jigs. I like to pitch a 1/2 ounce Talon flippin jig in green pumpkin, black & blue, or bama bug colors tipped with a matching Berkley Chigger Craw.

The deep bite is pretty strong still despite the cold weather. The bass are ganged up on deep structure gorging on shad, bar fish, and white bass. Best depths have been 24-32 feet with structure change. Right now it can be channel drops, humps, ridges, points and road beds located in that depth. Jigging spoons like the Talon T-spoon or Big Dandy flutter spoon have been great as well as a 1/2 oz tail kicker or jig & grub. Carolina rigs and heavy Talon football head jigs have also been doing very well. The water temperatures are in the 50’s the key right now is to slow your retrieves down to get bites.

If you are interested in booking a guided trip on world famous Lake Fork or would like to fish one of the great power plant lakes nearby this winter, feel free to contact me anytime by email: lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com or by phone at (903)736-9888. Also, if you are considering a trip in 2011, you will want to make your plans soon. I only have a few openings left in my schedule for spring and early summer so don’t wait until its too late. If you make it out to the lake and have not seen the new 2011 Ranger Boats, go by Diamond Sports Marine and check these beautiful boats out. Ben Hogan and Robert Gilliland at Diamond Sports Marine will be happy to show you the new 2011 models and man they are impressive. If you would like to go for a ride in one, demos are available upon request. A special thanks to all my sponsors, and to my family, friends, and clients for their support!

Have a Merry Christmas and remember the reason for the season is CHRIST who was born for each one of us!

James 4:7

Tight Lines and God Bless,
James Caldemeyer

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James Caldemeyer Lake Fork Report August 25th, 2010

August 26, 2010

The dog days of summer have been relentless this year. We have definitely seen our share of 100+ degree days so far and I know a lot of us are ready for some relief. The fishing has still remained decent on most days despite the hot conditions but there have also been some days that I have really struggled to keep up with the fish. Especially during the blazing heat of the day and no wind. But, cooler days and more consistent fishing are just around the corner. The conditions are really shaping up towards some spectacular fall fishing!

The lack of rain over the past several weeks has the lake falling fast in this heat. Water levels are a foot and a half low and declining. The water temperatures are ranging from 88-92 degrees in most areas and the water clarity is off colored in a lot of areas up north with the clearer water found on the southern end.

The shallow water bite has been consistent around main lake and secondary points that are holding good grass and bait fish in 3-10 ft. Texas rigged worms like the new Berkley Thump Worm or 7” Power Worm have been producing a number of quality fish. I like to use a 5/16- 3/8 oz weight and peg it when fishing the grass. I will rig these on a 4/0 wide gap hook with 17 lb Trilene 100% fluorocarbon as well. Best colors are green pumpkin party, watermelon red, and june bug. Crank baits and spinner baits have also been catching some fish when the bass are up shallow chasing these shad. The top water bite has still been very inconsistent for me, but keep it tied on and close by for the fish that come up schooling during the day.

Deep structure fishing this time of year is great also. Lately, the deep fish have been very inconsistent. One day they are on the bottom good and you can catch them all day long, then the next they are scattered and suspended all over the lake. Understanding your electronics like my Lowrance HDS’s is crucial. You can determine what the fish are doing on a given day with these units and make a decision on how to fish for them, whether it be on the bottom or employing suspended fishing tactics. Some days you may have to wave the white flag and go shallow if its just not happening out deep. Either way, good electronics are the key to a successful day of fishing! When I locate fish on the bottom and feeding out deep, I have been using several baits to catch them. Carolina rigged worms like the Berkley Wacky Crawler and 4” Power Hawg do well. Best colors are camo, green pumpkin, watermelon, and red bug. Also a Talon 5/8-3/4 oz football head jig tipped with a craw worm or twin tail grub. The best jig colors right now are watermelon candy, watermelon red, watermelon chartreuse, green pumpkin, or texas craw. Drag either of these rigs slowly through these schools of deep fish and hold on! For the bass that have been suspended (and there are a lot of them right now), a Talon “Big Dandy” flutter spoon in the Lake Fork Maniac color has been best. I work this spoon on an Abu Garcia 7’3” medium heavy rod and work it vertically through these fish. If you are not use to throwing one of these big spoons, it takes some getting use to. The bite will come as the spoon falls so keep in tune with the bait as it descends. Another great bait for catching some really nice bass right now is the 5” or 6” Berkley Power Mullet. These big swim baits have truly lifelike action and can be fished at a variety of depths. Just cast them out and count them down to the desired depth. Use a slow rolling retrieve. When they hit it, they hit it HARD!

The Sealy McDonald’s Big Bass Splash is fast approaching and Bass Champs TFF tourney here this weekend. If you are coming out for these tournaments, please be careful out there. The water is falling and stumps pose a threat to everyone. Please wear your PFD’s and kill switches! If you get a chance, also stop by Diamond Sports Marine on highway 154 here on Lake Fork and check out the new 2011 Ranger Boats in stock. Talk to Ben Hogan and he’ll be glad to help you find the right boat for your needs or you can give them a call at (903)383-7829. If you would like to pre-fish for a tourney or are interested in booking a fishing trip for the fall, please feel free to contact me. You can reach me by email at lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com or just give me a call (903)736-9888. You can also go to my website to get more information about Lake Fork Trophy Bass fishing! www.officiallakeforktrophybass.com

Hebrews 11:1

Tight Lines and God Bless,

James Caldemeyer

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James Caldemeyer July Fishing Report

July 6, 2010

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July is a HOT time for some great summer bass fishing on world famous Lake Fork! This time of year offers so much in the way of great fishing. Whether you like to catch big bass from deep structure on a variety of techniques during the heat of the day or you are prefer to beat the heat and take advantage of the fabulous night fishing Lake Fork has to offer, now is the time to do it. Here are some tips and techniques that will help you in pursuit of a trophy bass. Water conditions on the lake a good right now with the lake level at 402.68 which is about 5 inches below full pool. We have had some rain to keep the lake close to full which is a blessing. As much as we loose to evaporation this time of year, every little shower we get helps. The water temperatures have remained steady in the high 80’s to low 90 degree range. Visibility in most areas is clear to 3 feet. Fishing has been excellent still with most trips producing 30-60 fish a day with the exception of a few off days here and there. There are a number of fish shallow both early & late in the day and at night or out deep where you will find some very large schools of bass concentrating on shad and bar fish. The shallow bite is best around grass in 4-10 foot. Fishing these grass beds with top waters, wacky worms, and light Texas rigs has been very good early in the morning, late evening, and at night. For the top water, I go for the yellow magic or zara spook in shad patterns. On the wacky worm, best baits have been trick worms or Berkley Shaky Worms in watermelon red, blue fleck, or pumpkin chartreuse. On the t-rig the 7” and 10” Berkley Power Worm are hard to beat in the summer out here. I usually opt for the 7” size during the day when the fish are more finicky and the 10” when they are biting real good or at night. I try to rig my Texas rig with as light of a weight as I can get away with in the wind. Usually a 1/8-5/16 will work best in the shallow grass and a 3/8-1/2 is best out deep. Working these worms along the edge of the grass around main lake points and creeks can be amazing. Best colors are watermelon red, blue fleck, tequila sunrise, red shad, and “The General”. After the sun gets up in the morning, I am concentrating on deep structure all day. Humps, roadbeds, points, ridges, and pond dams in depths of 18-28 feet are all great areas to look for these deep bass. My Lowrance HDS 8 is an instrumental part of my deep water agenda and it will tell me exactly where the fish are. Look for on your electronics for bait fish in these areas and the bass will not be far away. If you graph a spot and see bait but no fish, try it again later. You can leave and come back in 30 minutes to find that the fish have just shown up to feed. It’s all about timing! Once I have located a school of fish with my electronics, I am targeting them several different ways depending on how the fish are arranged in the water column and relating to structure or cover. If the fish are on the bottom the number one producer has been a Carolina rig. I like to use a long leader (5ft.) and a big heavy 1 oz weight to drag the bottom. Trilene 20 lb test Fluorocarbon is a must with a 2/0 or 3/0 wide gap hook. Best baits on the c-rig have been Berkley Powerbait 7” or 10” Power Worms, Power Lizards, 4” Power Hawgs, and Wacky Crawlers in blue fleck, watermelon red, green pumpkin, and watermelon candy. www.berkley-fishing.com Drag these baits slowly over the areas you are fishing and hang on! Texas rigged 10” Power Worms have also been doing very well in the same colors rigged with a 3/8-1/2 oz weight and a 5/0 hook. If you want to catch the biggest fish out of the school, you will definitely want to have a Talon Lures 3/4 oz football head jig tied on. www.talonlures.com I like to throw watermelon candy, watermelon red, California 420, Willies Weed, or Texas Craw with a twin tail grub trailer or Berkley Chigger Craw. If throwing a jig intimidates you, now is the time to gain some confidence with it. Just throw it out there in the same areas you would fish anything else and drag it until you feel one thump it then set the hook hard and hold on! For those suspended fish that are so hard to catch you’ll want to have a DD 22 or a spoon like the Talon “Big Dandy” or Joe Spaits Spoon from Weedless Lures here on the lake. These baits have been responsible for catching a lot of big bass lately and will continue to do well thru the summer. The technique of working these big spoons over deep structure is intimidating to most that have never done it but once you get acquainted with it, you’ll be wanting to do a lot more of it. If you are thinking about heading out to Lake Fork this summer and would like to book a guided trip, feel free to email me at lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com or you can reach me by phone at (903)736-9888. I have several mid summer dates still available for both day and night trip packages. Gift certificates are also available upon request. You can also get more information about Lake Fork by visiting my website www.officiallakeforktrophybass.com Again, a big thanks to all my sponsors: Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, I AM SECOND, Berkley, Abu Garcia, All Star Rods, Oakley Sunglasses, Talon Lures, Interstate Batteries, Line & Lure Conditioner, BTS Protectant, Navionics, Sure Life, DFW MRI and Lowrance Electronics. Psalms 27:1- The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Tight Lines and God Bless, James Caldemeyer

Tags:Bass Fishing, James Caldemeyer, Lake Fork, Lake Fork Bass fishing, Lake Fork RV park
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James Caldemeyer Lake Fork Report

May 8, 2010

May is really starting off with a bang as the weather heats up and the bass fishing action is HOT! The fun part about this time of year is that you can catch fish on just about everything in your tackle box shallow, deep, or mid depths. The spawn is still going as well as a number of fish already starting to move into post spawn feeding patterns.

The water conditions are still good with levels at full pool. The water clarity is still stained to semi-clear water found in some areas, mostly on the south end. Water temperatures are ranging from 69-74 degrees and there are a lot of areas that good hydrilla grass beds are starting to mature. The rest of this year we are going to see some great fish caught that are relating to this new surge of healthy grass.

Despite the numerous baits and patterns that we have been able to catch fish on, I have been concentrating on only a few of them in sequence or as the weather allows lately. First, the top water bite has been real good when it is on but it has been a day to day thing. One day they bite good and the next, nothing. I always start off with it though as there isn’t anything much more exciting than seeing a big bass blow up on your favorite top water lure. Frogs, buzz baits, and poppers like a yellow magic have been best for me. Points with grass and just about every stump in a spawning area has been holding fish as they guard balls of hatched fry. The bite has been best real early, late, or on cloudy days. If the fish are reluctant to hit a top water, I have been fishing weightless, flukes, senkos, and wacky rigged Berkley Heavyweight Sink Worms over the grass and around stumps on 15 lb. Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line. Best colors have been watermelon red, green pumpkin, and watermelon candy. Shallow running crank baits like the minus 1, wake baits, and the hard jerk baits in shad or bream colors have also been good.

Most of the mid depth to deep fish are post spawners that you can catch with numberous baits as well. There some holding in 10-14 ft and others that are in 20-30 ft. I am using my Lowrance HDS 8 to find schools of fish in these areas. By looking at how the fish and bait are positioned in the water column, I can determine which presentation to apply on any given day. If you have one of the new HDS units and would like some instructional training on how to operate them or you would just like to better understand your current electronics and fishing deep structure, I have still have a few dates available for summer fishing which is a great time to learn and gain confidence in using you graphs!

Most of the fish that retreat from spawning will suspend over deep structure. Big crank baits like DD 22’s or Fat Free Shad are great for these fish. I will use very light 10-12 lb test Trilene Trans Optic line on a Abu Garcia Revo Winch to get the bait down to these fish. Carolina rigged Berkley Powerbait Lizards and 4” Power Hawgs have been a good choice. I like to throw them on a 4-5 ft leader with a 1 oz weight and a 3/0 wide gap hook. Best colors have been green pumpkin, pumpkin chartreuse, watermelon red, or camo. Don’t let your guard down as you reel up to make another cast. With lots of fish suspended and transitioning to early summer patterns, they will hit your bait on the way up. The big Texas rigged worms have also been doing real well. I am rigging my Abu Garcia Vendetta rods with a 3/8- 1/2 oz weight, 5/0 hook, along with the ever famous Berkley 10” Power Worm in blue fleck, watermelon, green pumpkin, or tequila sunrise. Fishing this worm this time a year is always a great way to catch some pigs!

If you are headed out to Lake Fork this year and would like to book a guided trip, feel free to email me at lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com or you can reach me by phone at (903)736-9888. You can also get more information about Lake Fork by visiting my website www.officiallakeforktrophybass.com or join my Facebook page to see up to date information about what is going on at Lake Fork. Big thanks to all my sponsors: Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, “I Am Second”, Berkley, Abu Garcia, All Star, Oakley, Talon Lures, Interstate Batteries, Line & Lure, BTS Protectant, Navionics, Sure Life, DFW MRI and newest addition Lowrance Electronics.

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered – Proverbs 28:26

Tight Lines and God Bless,

James Caldemeyer

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Lake Fork Report Guide James Caldemeyer April 8th 2010

April 8, 2010

The spring spawn here at Lake Fork is going strong right now. Fish can be found on beds right now in areas from the north end all the way south. The full moon at the end of last month brought the first wave of fish up to spawn but you can expect to see many more coming as we progress through the month of April.

Water temperatures have been ranging from low to upper 60’s fluctuating from morning to afternoon. The water has remained fairly stained in most areas due to the occasional showers and consistently windy days. But between rain, wind and other elements of the spring, my clients and I have managed to have some real great days lately with lots of big fish being caught.

My best bait for big fish lately has been the 5” or 6” Berkley Hollow Belly Swim Bait in pearl or gizzard shad color www.berkley-fishing.com . Rig this bait on the pre-packaged weighted wide gap hook and slow roll it over the shallows in 2-6 ft with 17 lb Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. Hold on tight to your rod as these fish have been plowing these swim baits! Another great bait for me this spring has been the Berkley 5” Sink Worm or Fat Sink Worm rigged wacky style on a 2/0 weedless finesse hook. Even with the wind that we have been having you can still cast these baits great and feel them as they fall on slack line around spawning beds. Best colors have been green pumpkin party, green pumpkin, and black and blue. Berkley Power Lizards and 4” Power Hawgs have also been good fished on a light Carolina rig with a 1/4 oz weight and a 4/0 wide gap hook. The best part about these is that you can fish them in that 2-6 ft range and catch fish or toss it out on the deeper side in the 6-10 ft water to catch a big female bass that is staging. Spinner baits have also done well on the windy days we have had recently. I am throwing a Talon Shibui 3/8 oz white/chartreuse or coleslaw color a lot right now www.talonlures.com . Don’t be afraid to get away from the crowds that are huddled up out of the wind and go hit that wind blown bank of your favorite creek with one of these. Sight fishing has been good on the days that the weather will cooperate. With the tint that there is to a lot of the water right now it is definitely a challenge to see them in most areas.

If you have not had a chance to see the new line up of Ranger Boats yet for 2010, stop by and see the folks at Diamond Sports Marine here at Lake Fork located on Hwy 154 just north of the lake bridge. I am running the new Z521 this year powered by a Mercury 250 Pro XS and I can’t say enough about it. It’s an amazing machine!

Read Romans 10:9

Tight Lines and God Bless,

James Caldemeyer

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Lake Fork Guide James Caldemeyer 3-5-10 Report

March 5, 2010

James Caldemeyer’s

Lake Fork Trophy Bass

Fishing Report

March 5, 2010

The fishing is getting hot at Lake Fork right now with warmer temperatures finally arriving and water temperatures increasing to a range adequate for the annual spawn to take off. This is a relief after all the dismal cold days that we have had this winter. I can’t remember a year that I wore thermal underwear for as many consecutive fishing days as I have this year. I am not going to put them up just yet though as it is spring and you just never know when the next cold blast will strike.

Water conditions right now are real good still and getting better as the days go by. We have plenty of water with levels above full pool at 403.40 which is about 5 inches high. The water temperatures have been starting off in the high 40’s and moving as high as 57 degrees at the peak of the day the past couple days. I expect with these next few days of almost 70 for highs and 40-50 for lows to see water temps hold consistently in the 50’s with some areas reaching 60. This will kick things off big time!

Best baits right now have been a 1/2–5/8 oz red/orange lipless crank bait. Shad patterns have done well lately also. Ripping these baits off the shallow grass beds in 2-8 ft of water is the key to attracting a reaction strike from these big females that are staging in preparation to spawn. The chatter bait has been my second best producer right now with the water temperatures in transition. I like the 3/8-1/2 oz white, white/chartreuse, and even red has been really good. Fishing these over the grass in the same manner as the lipless crank bait is the ticket, especially in the thicker grass or areas that the coots have routed through. Talon 3/8-1/2 oz spinner baits in the same colors as the chatter bait have been catching a few fish also. www.talonlures.com I have yet to get a jig bite going but am still keeping it close by as we see these water terms rising. The big bass should really start eating it good any day and man is that some fun fishing! Talon also a great flipping jig and are awesome for flipping stumps and lay downs adjacent to spawning areas for a real trophy bass. I will opt for the 1/2 oz size the majority of the time in black/blue, black/blue/purple, bama bug, or Texas craw with a black/blue or green pumpkin Berkley Chigger Craw as a trailer.

As these fish start to get active on beds plastics fished in these same areas will dominate all other baits on most days. I rig up all my Abu Garcia Vendetta worm rods and Revos reels up with 15-17 lb. Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon for two reasons. 1) This line is very strong and sensitive. When fishing for big bass where the bites are very subtle most of the time, you need it to detect even the slightest “tick” and it’s also strong enough to get a big fish out of heavy cover. 2) Its invisible in the water. To properly fish these baits you MUST fish them slow and that means the bass get a chance to look at your bait for a while before they decide to eat it. You will get a lot more bites with fluoro than mono especially with the spring fishing pressure.

I am using several different types of plastic baits and presentations when fishing the spawning areas. A wacky rigged Berkley Powerbait Heavyweight Sink Worm and Fat Sink Worm are very good. www.berkley-fishing.com Best colors are green pumpkin, black/blue, breen, and watermelon. On the weightless or slightly weighted t-rig I am using senkos, Berkley Sinking Minnows, flukes, and Berkley Jerk Shads in a variety of colors like watermelon red, green pumpkin, watermelon candy, June bug, pearl, and others. Texas rigging some of these same baits as well as a Berkley Chigger Craw is best when the wind gets up enough where fishing weightless is not an option. Don’t forget about a swim bait either in the wind. A 5” or 6” Berkley Hollow Body is excellent for catching a monster bass in the spring!

Read 1 John 3:1

Tight Lines and God Bless,

James Caldemeyer

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James Caldemeyer 11-27-2009 Lake Fork Report

November 29, 2009

Calvin Fease, his dad Kevin, and myself with Calvin’s 11.04 lb lunker

These moments are what makes worth it as a guide!

Father (Kevin) caught his personal best bass too but Calvin has a big head start on dad…

Kelvin Brown from Lindale,TX with a 8+ lber

Jim with a nice fat fall fish

Joe Marciante from Ariat Boot Company with a chunk!

Right now is a great time to catch big bass here on Lake Fork. While most anglers have put their boats up for the year, there is still a tremendous amount of excellent fishing to experience with little or no fisherman on the water to compete with getting to your favorite honey holes. Wintertime bass fishing on Lake Fork is an often overlooked season to catch a fish of a lifetime and I expect this December to be better than usual due to the lack of cold temperatures in November that normally drive the fish into their fall feeding frenzy. That means there are still a lot of hungry fish out there to be caught this month. A fish nearly 16 lbs was caught by a crappie fisherman recently as well as several other big bass like 11 yr old Calvin Fease’s 11.04 lb Lake Fork HAWG!
With all the warmer than normal weather this fall, the water temperatures have hung in the 60’s the whole month of November. As the temperatures continue to fall this month and the lake levels maintain themselves at full pool levels, you can expect to find fish that are susceptible to being caught on a number of different patterns both shallow and deep.
In the mornings look for fish on main lake points, secondary points and in the back of the major creeks to be feeding on shad. The presence of baitfish is key during this time of year. These big Lake Fork bass will be congregating around shad for an easy meal. If you find the bait you will find bass! Spinner baits, chatter baits, lipless crank baits and swim baits fished over the shallow grass beds in 2-8 feet are best. With a spinner bait or chatter bait white is best. I like to use a small 1/4 oz. in white or white/chartreuse over the shallowest grass and a 1/2 – 3/4 oz. on the deep outside edges of the grass. As for the lipless crank baits, the same sizes apply but I am varying the colors. Red or any shade of red/orange is excellent from now through pre-spawn but I will occasionally throw a chrome/blue or gold in there on certain days. You would think that with these reaction type baits color would not be of such importance but it is and can change from day to day. More importantly, how you fish the bait over the grass will determine whether you get many bites or not. There is a fine line between working the baits to fast which will not allow it to come in contact with the grass and working them to slow where the bait is continually fouling up with grass. If you can perfect your retrieve where you are able to contact the grass then rip the bait free, this is when you will get most of the bites. Another great way to catch a huge bass this time of year is with a shallow running swim bait fished in these same areas. The 5” or 6” Berkley Hollow Body www.berkley-fishing.com is an excellent choice in gizzard shad, ayu, or Tennessee shad colors. Simply cast these baits out there and slow roll them back. Coming into contact with the grass is not as important but reeling it in with a SLOW steady retrieve is and when they eat these baits there is no mistaking the bite. It will feel like a truck just ran over your bait!
The wacky worm is still catching numbers of fish up shallow too but I prefer a jig this time of year for the big ones. A black/blue, Bama bug, or Texas craw Talon 3/8 or 1/2 oz. jig with a matching trailer is hard to beat. I grab my Abu Garcia Vendetta www.abugarcia.com flipping rod with a Revo Premier spooled up with Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon and start picking every piece of timber apart in an area with the jig. A lot of times I can locate fish by covering water with moving baits then slow down and start flipping to catch those bigger fish that are slow and lazy. You won’t get many bites using this technique during the winter but the bites you do get will be good ones!
The deep bite is excellent this time of year as well. These big ole bass will be found feeding on big schools of shad and bar fish this time of year. I have been running the new Lowrance HDS8 over points, humps, road beds, and pond dams in 18-32 feet of water to locate these schools of fish. There are also a number of fish to be found in flats at the mouth of the major creeks in 28-32 feet. Once I have located a school of fish I have been targeting them with Carolina rigged soft plastics, jigging spoons, drop shots, or heavy swim baits. On the Carolina rig, I like to use a heavy 1 oz. weight and 4-5 foot leader with a 3/0 wide gap hook tied to 20 lb. main line and a 17lb. Trilene 100% fluorocarbon leader. Best baits have been a 5” Berkley Wacky Crawler, 4” Power Hawg, Centipede or French fry in watermelon red, green pumpkin, or chartreuse pepper. The jigging spoon is deadly this time of year on deep fish and is a great thing to have tied on if you are bringing the family out to catch some fish. I use a Talon Big Dandy in the Lake Fork Maniac color or “t-spoon” in the 3/8-1/2 oz size. www.talonlures.com Drop these spoons down to the bottom in an area that is holding fish and pick the rod tip up and let it back down. It is some easy fishing and great for the family. Most bites will come on the fall and you can catch many different species of fish with them including a real big bass! The new Berkley 5” or 6” Powerbait Saltwater Mullet in Silver Mullet or Sand Perch colors is a good choice for catching big bass out deep as well as a drop shot rig when the fish are finicky.
I hope this helps all you anglers that are headed to Lake Fork this month in pursuit of a trophy bass! If you would like to book a guided trip on Lake Fork or would like to go fishing on one of the two best winter power plant lakes, Monticello or Welsh, feel free to contact me at (903)736-9888 or email me at lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com . I just picked up my new 2010 Ranger Z521 Comanche www.rangerboats.com paired with a Mercury Optimax 250 Pro XS www.mercurymarine.com . This new ride is an amazing machine! If you have not checked one of these boats out yet, you can go by and see one at Diamond Sports Marine www.diamondsportsmarine.com on Hwy 154 while you are in the area. Test rides are available upon request. Just give Ben Hogan a call at (903)383-7829 and he’ll be glad to help you find the Ranger boat that is right for you!
Thanks to all my sponsors for their support: Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, “I AM SECOND”, Berkley, Abu Garcia, All Star Rods, Interstate Batteries, Oakley Sunglasses, KVD Line &Lure Conditioner, BTS Protectant, Navionics, Talon Lures, Sure Life, and to my Lord and Savior for His forgiveness through His blood on the cross!

We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Tight Lines and God Bless,
James Caldemeyer
www.officiallakeforktrophybass.com

Tags:Bass Fishing, Lake Fork, Lake Fork Report, Largemouth Bass
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Calvin Fease 11.04 with guide James Caldemeyer

November 27, 2009

Tags:Lake Fork, Lake Fork Bass, lake fork james caldemeyer, Lake Fork Report
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James Caldemeyer Lake Fork Report November 2009

November 3, 2009

November is an awesome month here at Lake Fork for catching trophy bass! As the water cools off and the bass begin their annual feeding frenzy there is a huge window of opportunity for many anglers to catch numbers of quality fish, not to mention the bass of a lifetime. The fish are gorging themselves on everything that crosses their path both in shallow and deep water. This leaves them vulnerable to the fisherman who fore go the duck blind and deer stand in pursuit of these big bass.

The water conditions at Lake Fork have been the biggest factor for some time here lately. With every week bringing some degree of precipitation over the past month, the lake conditions have been less than ideal. The continuous inflow of water has kept a lot of areas on the lake stained and the gates open at the dam periodically. If you are familiar with these conditions then you know that catching fish on Lake Fork in stained or fluctuating water levels can be a challenge. Do not let this deter you from your favorite fall honey hole though. The fish are still going to continue their annual activity regardless of the water conditions. Here are a few patterns that will hopefully help you catch the fish of your dreams right now!
Most everyday we have been starting our day off shallow with some top water action. Great baits to throw right now are a Berkley Frenzy Popper, yellow magic, walking baits like the Sammy or Zara Spook, or a frog. Fishing these baits over the grass on main lake or secondary points in 2-8 ft of water will draw some BIG blow ups and most of these fish will inhale the bait. Overcast or rainy conditions have been best for these types of baits although we have caught some fish during the sunny days as well. Another great tactic in the fall is a wacky style worm fished over the grass beds in the same areas as the top water baits. I have been using a 5” Berkley Heavyweight Sink Worm or Fat Sink Worm with a 2/0 hook and 12 lb. test Trilene 100% fluorocarbon. The best thing about these worms is that they are already weighted so you don’t have to do anything but slide them on a hook and start catching fish. Fish these baits over the grass slowly with short twitches of the rod tip in between long pauses. Best colors have been green pumpkin, breen, green pumpkin party, and watermelon big red. If the sun is bright you can switch to a Texas rig or shaky head. I am using a 5/16 oz. weight on the t-rig with a 3/0 hook and a Berkley 7” Power Worm or 4” Crazy Legs Chigger Craw. Best colors in the Chigger Craw are watermelon red, blue fleck, green pumpkin or green pumpkin party. A 1/8-3/16 oz. shaky head jig with a 5” Berkley Shaky Worm or 4½” Slim Shaky attached has also been great for finessing those fish out of the holes in the grass. Best colors are blue fleck, green pumpkin, and watermelon red. The fish have also been biting a number of different moving baits fished over the grass as well. Lipless crank baits or Chatter baits in shad patterns, chrome/blue back and white or white/chartreuse, respectively, have been catching a lot of those shallow bass that are in the chasing mood. I am rigging these type baits on the “new” Abu Garcia Vendetta Rods matched up with the new and improved Revo Reels and man what a great combination they are! They are very light, sensitive, factory balanced rods that perform very well in a variety of conditions and are VERY affordably priced. For those of you that have not seen one of these bad boys, you need to check them out! www.abugarcia.com

The deep bite is really turning on as well. These big ole bass will be found feeding on big schools of shad and bar fish this time of year. I have been running the new Lowrance HDS8 over points, humps, road beds, and pond dams in 18-32 feet of water to locate these schools of fish. There are also a number of fish to be found in flats at the mouth of the major creeks in 28-32 feet. Once I have located a school of fish I have been targeting them with Carolina rigged soft plastics, jigging spoons, drop shots, or heavy swim baits. On the Carolina rig, I like to use a heavy 1 oz. weight and 4-5 foot leader with a 3/0 wide gap hook tied to 20 lb. main line and a 17lb. Trilene 100% fluoro leader. Best baits have been a 5” Berkley Wacky Crawler, 4” Power Hawg, Centipede or French fry in watermelon red, green pumpkin, or chart pepper. The jigging spoon is deadly this time of year on deep fish and is a great thing to have tied on if you are bringing the family out to catch some fish. I use a Talon Big Dandy in the Lake Fork Maniac color or “t-spoon” in the 3/8-1/2 oz size. www.talonlures.com Drop these spoons down to the bottom in an area that is holding fish and pick the rod tip up and let it back down. It is some easy fishing and great for the family. Most all bites will come on the fall and you can catch many different species of fish with them including a real big bass! The 5” swim baits like the Storm Wild Eye Shad is a good choice for catching big bass out deep as well as a drop shot rig when the fish are finicky.

I hope this helps all you anglers that are headed to Lake Fork this month in pursuit of a trophy bass! If you would like to book a guided trip on Lake Fork, feel free to contact me at (903)736-9888 or email me at lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com . I just picked up my new 2010 Ranger Z521 Comanche www.rangerboats.com paired with a Mercury Optimax 250 Pro XS www.mercurymarine.com. This new ride is an amazing machine! If you have not checked one of these boats out yet, you can go by and see one at Diamond Sports Marine www.diamondsportsmarine.com on Hwy 154 while you are in the area. Test rides are available upon request. Just give Ben Hogan a call at (903)383-7829 and he’ll be glad to help you find the Ranger boat that is right for you! Big thanks to all my sponsors and to the Lord for His provisions.

Read Proverbs 3:5,6

Tight Lines and God Bless,
Lake Fork Guide James Caldemeyer

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