James Caldemeyer's
Lake Fork Trophy Bass
Fishing Report
January 1, 2010
Happy New Year from Lake Fork everyone! If your resolution this year is to catch a trophy bass then you are looking in the right place. You can expect some amazing fishing on Lake Fork this year with lots of big bass being caught by a number of anglers as the big females prepare themselves for the annual spawning season. January is not a numbers time so you shouldn't expect to catch a bunch of fish but the quality of fish that you do catch is great. Here are some tips and tricks that will help you in your pursuit of catching one of those fish in the month of January.
Lake Fork has maintained its water level at full pool or better all of last year so there is no shortage of habitat for these fish to hide in. This is great for the lake and the pre-spawn fishing as we move toward spring. You can expect water temperatures to range from 45-55 degrees the entire month of January. The water clarity can vary but should remain clear to slightly stained in some areas due to wind, rain and the decreasing of vegetation due to the cold weather.
The shallow water patterns are my primary focus this time of year as most of the fish congregate to isolated patches of vegetation that survive the cold winter. The best and most effective way to approach this task is fishing a lipless crank bait and covering lots of water in 2-8 ft. Red or any combination of red/orange crawfish pattern lipless baits in 1/4-3/4 oz sizes are my number one choice to get bit. Main lake points, secondary points, drains, or ditches adjacent to spawning areas are where you will find the concentrations of fish staging. I like to use a 7' Med. Heavy rod like the new Abu Garcia Vendetta paired with the Revo SX-HS spooled with 17-20 lb Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. The high speed 7 to 1 reel combined with heavy line allows me to keep the bait elevated above the grass without wearing your arm out retrieving this bait all day long. You can easily make several hundred casts during the course of a day and having the right equipment will make things a lot easier on you. The key to working these baits over the grass is fishing them slow enough to tip the top of the grass and then ripping it free. You can even implement a yo-yo type retrieve that is very productive. Fishing them too fast will not allow you to come in contact with the grass and will result in fewer bites so there is a fine medium there. Once you get the bait in the "grove" though, it's on! Grass is key and remember that not all grass is created equal. While there may be some fish in the milfoil and coon tail, the hydrilla is the most preferred by fish this time of year. The good green stuff is what you want.
Another very good way to catch a giant is to fish a suspending jerk bait in the same areas as the lipless baits. I like gold/black/orange or a clown color best. Jerk baits like the Smithwick Rogue and Luck Craft Pointer are most effective on those calm sunny days or when the water temperatures are down in the 40's. Jerking the bait down to the top of these grass beds and letting it sit for 30 seconds or so can draw some big strikes. Fish it slow and stay ready!
I ALWAYS keep my jig rod handy this time of year as well. You can often times locate areas that are holding fish with the moving baits and slow down with the jig to catch a big one. A 3/8-1/2 oz black/blue, black/blue/purple, or black/red Talon jig tipped with a matching Berkley Chigger Craw as a trailer is a great choice. Flipping every piece of timber in the area including those deeper creek channel edges in 10-14 ft of water can pay off big. Fish it slow and focus on your presentation. The bite can be very subtle and almost undetected many times. You may just pick up on the rod and it feels spongy. When in doubt, "Set the hook"!
I do not do much deep fishing this time of year, contrary to what some people think, but that's not to say there aren't some fish to be caught out in the depths. Texas rigged craw worms, jigs, and Carolina rigs can be great if you are able to locate active fish out deeper.
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 for some pre-spawn fishing or during the spawn, feel free to contact me at (903)736-9888 or email me at lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com . I have a very limited amount of dates available and they won't last long. I am also taking some trips to Monticello this time of year if you are interested in fishing on a great power plant lake for numbers of solid fish during the winter.
My new 2010 Ranger Z521 Comanche www.rangerboats.com paired with a Mercury Optimax 250 Pro XS www.mercurymarine.com is ready to fish for action. This new ride is an amazing! 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 Mike Garner a call at (903)383-7829 and he'll be glad to help you find the Ranger boat that is right for you! Or you can visit the new Diamond Sports Marine location in Rockwall if you are close to the metroplex. Just ask for Ben Hogan. 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, and my newest addition DFW MRI.
Read 1 John 3:1
Tight Lines and God Bless,
James Caldemeyer