Lake Fork Trophy Bass Report
Submitted June 19, 2008
By Guide James Caldemeyer
June fishing on Lake Fork has been incredible! The fish are in their post-spawn feeding frenzy and should continue to remain that way for a while. My trips for the past couple of weeks have averaged 40-60 bass with many quality fish being caught. I had Dusty McFadden and Michael Curbo in the boat today. Dusty had big fish honors with an 8 lb. 14 oz. fish and Michael caught a nice 7 lb. 9 oz. bass with their total for the day of fishing reaching 61 bass. Way to go guys!
Yesterday, we had a hard rain storm come through that forced the Sabine River Authority to open all five gates at the dam to release water as we are already well over full pool. Water clarity on the main lake is still good to 3 feet even with stained water flowing in from the creeks and water temperatures are running in the mid to high 80's. Overall, the lake is in tremendous shape going into the summer and will provide for some fantastic fishing as it continues to get hotter.
Early morning top water fishing is good on shad pattern or baby bass yellow magics and zara spooks. A white Talon buzz bait www.talonlures.com has been great on windy banks and a frog is catching its share as well. After the top water bite slows, I have been throwing a Wave Worm www.wavefishing.com trick worm, wacky style, on a 2/0 hook with a nail stuck in the head. Best colors have been watermelon red, watermelon candy, and june bug. Fish these slow over the shallow grass in 3-8 foot with quick twitches of the rod and hold on! A 1/4 oz. to 3/8 oz. jig or a texas rigged craw worm has also been good in the same areas, especially around the bream beds.
The shallow bite has been short lived on most days unless it stays cloudy. When the sun gets up good, I have been fishing out deep the rest of the day. There are a lot of big schools of fish following baitfish around and when you find them, it's "game on"! Points, humps, roadbeds, pond dams, and ridges in 20 – 32 feet of water are great places to start looking for these deep bass. Good electronics and being able to understand them is a huge asset this time of year. I rely on my Lowrance to show me where the bass are everyday. Once I have located a school of bass, my primary weapon is a carolina rig. I have been rigging my Shimano 7'6" Heavy action Crucial/Chronarch reels with 20 lb Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon. www.gammafishing.com I use a heavy 1 oz. tungsten weight with a bead behind it attached to a swivel and a 4-5 foot leader. A 3/0 wide gap hook with a centipede, ring fry or Wave Worm 4" or 5" Tiki Stick has been very productive. Best colors have been watermelon red, watermelon chartreuse, and chart. pepper. Dragging this rig through these schools of fish with a slow retrieve and an occasional twitch will get your rod bent pretty good! I have also been throwing a 3/4 or 1-ounce Talon football head jig in these same areas and working it just like the carolina rig. Best colors have been watermelon/chart, green pumpkin, and watermelon gold with a matching trailer. On days that the wind is calm, the fish have started schooling some during the heat of the day. The big flutter spoons, small jigging spoons, DD 22's, a swim bait and even a drop shot is very effective during this time as well.
If would like to book a trip for some phenomenal post-spawn or summer time fishing, feel free to give me a call at (903)736-9888 or you can email me at lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com I still have some July and August dates available. I would like to thank my sponsors for their support and to the good Lord who gives me strength.
Read Matthew 24:13
Tight Lines and God Bless,
James Caldemeyer