Hey folks! It is April and the spring fishing on Lake Fork has really turned on. In the last several weeks my clients and I have been catching a lot of big bass. These fish are rushing the shallows and their annual spawning activities are in full swing. If you are in search of trophy bass, now is an awesome time to hit Lake Fork for some big bass action!
The lake is right at full pool with stained water on the north end of the lake from rains or in windblown areas, and clearer water as you go south. Water temperatures have been in the lower to mid 60’s in most areas with several creeks reaching the low 70’s on really warm days. Please be cautious of the high-water conditions if you head out. The lake is more dangerous when it's full because you can’t see the stumps below the surface. Follow the marked boat lanes closely and if you are not sure how to navigate an area, stop and idle. With the lake full there are stumps just beneath the surface in most areas that can tear up your boat or worse. Be safe out there.
Most of my fishing right now has been shallow with the spawn in full effect. There are several different ways to target these shallow-water bass. For feeding prespawn females I am targeting them with big swimbaits, both hard and soft. The 3:16 Lure Company “Rising Son” has been my number one weapon for big bass! You can use either the weedless version or the line-thru to catch these Lake Fork monsters as they move up to the shallows. My favorite colors are obviously, for one, my custom color designed exclusively for Lake Fork the JC Custom color. Dirty Shad, Clear Lake Hitch, Chartreuse Shad, and White are also great colors. Be sure to pair the color of your swimbait with the water clarity. By that I mean match clear colors with clearer water and opaque or solid colors with off-colored to stained water. Be sure to stop by the 3;16 Swimbait Store on highway 515 west of the lake for the best selection of lures and color varieties. The store is open on Friday and Saturday at 9 am-5 pm. Otherwise, you can get the baits at Lake Fork Marina any time of the week. I’m also fishing for big bass off the spawning beds. The sight fishing has been really good for giant bass in a lot of areas on the lake. If you can’t see them due to water clarity or wind, I’ve been throwing a Berkley Powerbait “General” weightless on a 4/0 hook. The best colors have been black/blue, green pumpkin, and June bug. The Powerbait “Jerk” is also a great choice rigged the same way. You can also rig this stick bait wacky style for great success. I have also been rigging it wacky style. When the wind picks up and will not allow you to fish these techniques for spawning bass try a moving bait for a reaction bite. Square billed crankbaits, chatter baits, and spinnerbaits like the Got Five spinnerbait from Santone Lures has been really good. The best colors are Chartreuse/ white and solid White.
The deep bite has been very inconsistent but don’t hesitate to try getting in on some staging fish out in the depths. As we get towards the end of the month you can look for these bass to begin to finish up spawning and start to move out deep. I look forward to this post spawn time! You can really catch some hungry females moving offshore after the spawn. Deep diving crankbaits like the Berkley Dredger come into play as well as the Santone football jig. Be sure to try my custom jig color “JC ‘s Spicy Craw”. It’s an all-around good color this time of year. I’ve had great success with it this time of year! For the tournament guys, you can’t pass up the drop shot either for those ‘just the right size’ fish!
I hope this information helps you in pursuit of a trophy bass this year on Lake Fork. If you are thinking of coming out this spring and would like to book a fishing trip with me this year, feel free to contact me anytime. I still have a few dates available, but you’ll need to contact me soon. I am booking up fast for all of 2019 already so get your date reserved now. If I’m not available, I will recommend another great guide that can help you. You can ALWAYS count on talking to me “personally” when you call to book your Lake Fork trip because I care about my clients! I would enjoy the opportunity to take you or your group fishing and help you catch the fish of your dreams! Send me an email or you can call or text message me at 903-736-9888. It’s a great time to look into the new 2019 Ranger 520L and 521L as its Ranger’s flagship model and is very impressively laid out with features. If you haven’t seen it yet you can stop by Diamond Sports Marine and Fred will be glad to show you around. He even has a few rigged out with the all-new Mercury Pro XS four-stroke. My new 2019 boat has arrived and is ready for clients to experience this coming year also! Test rides are also available so feel free to contact me or call the dealership and we will get you out on the water for a ride in one. I would like to thank all my sponsors that support me fishing the FLW Series and guide service on Lake Fork: Toyota, Carhartt, Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, I Am Second, Leer, Berkey, Abu Garcia, Garmin, Santone Lures, Costa, Power Pole, 3:16 Lure Company, Rigid Industries, Bass Forecast, Elite Tungsten, Bass Boat Technologies, and Fabtech Motorsports. I already enjoyed a successful start to the 2019 fishing season and God’s blessings. I pray that each of you are blessed as well!
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Tight Lines and God Bless,
James Caldemeyer
