The month of August is sizzlin’ on Lake Fork! The summer fishing here at Lake Fork can be great despite the hot summer temperatures. Whether you like fishing summer patterns by day or enjoy fishing for big bass during the cover of night, Lake Fork has a lot to offer anglers this month. Here are some tips and techniques that will help you no matter which one you choose.
The lake conditions are still as good as ever with water levels just below full pool. The water clarity is fair in most areas on the main lake and the backs of the major creeks with visibility to 2-3 feet. The water temperatures remain warm and have been ranging from the high 80’s to low 90’s lately.
The shallow water day patterns have been best early and late. Bass can be found congregated around shallow flooded cover and newly emerging grass beds in 2-6 feet of water. The best bait right now has been topwater very early and a plain ole Texas rigged 7” or 10” Berkley Power Worm. Blue fleck, watermelon, tequila sunrise, and red shad have been good colors to use depending on the water clarity and cloud cover. I have been fishing these on a 3/16- 3/8 oz weight with a 4/0 or 5/0 straight shank worm hook. Working these worms around any visible cover has been best. My most productive areas have been main lake points or creek channel edges.
Most of the daytime action this time of year has been out deep. Lake Fork is one of the best deep structure lakes in the country and I love to chase those schools of big bass during this time of year! My deeper patterns have remained the same as my last month’s report. 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 18-32 feet are all great areas to look for these deep bass. My Garmin EchoMap Ultra 12s are 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 or an hour to find that the fish have just shown up to feed. It’s all about timing this time of year.
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 Santone jig. If you want to catch the biggest fish out of the school, you will definitely want to have a Santone Lures 5/8-3/4 oz football head jig tied on. I like to throw Mexican Heather, PB&J, or my signature series color JC’s Spicy Craw this time of year with a Berkley Pit Boss 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! The Carolina rig has also been producing some fish. I like to use a long leader (4 ft.) and a big heavy 1 oz weight to drag the bottom. Trilene 20 lb test Fluorocarbon is a must with a 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 Havoc Backslide in watermelon red, chartreuse pepper, or blue fleck colors.
For those suspended fish that are so hard to catch you’ll want to have a big flutter spoon handy. These baits have been catching a lot of big bass 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 and catch a couple big bass on it, you’ll be wanting to do a lot more of it. Another thing that I love is giant swim baits! A lot of these deep suspended bass are chasing big bait like mature gizzard shad and bream. They want a hearty meal, which is why big spoons and big swim baits like the 3:16 Lure Co. glide baits, and Rising Son are so good. It’s a very fun bite because these big Lake Fork bass will crush these baits when they hit them!
I hope this helps anyone that’s coming out this month to chase some big bass. If you would like to fish with me this year, I still have just a few dates available for later in the year. My 2023 schedule filled fast though so contact me as soon as possible if you are just now beginning to plan your trip. I also have gift certificates available for those of you that are interested in purchasing a friend or loved one a guided trip on Lake Fork. You can contact me to make your reservation at 903-736-9888 or send me an email at lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com You can also visit my website for more information about Lake Fork and my guide service at www.officiallakeforktrophybass.com You can find me on Facebook and follow my official Lake Fork Trophy Bass Guide page at https://www.facebook.com/lakeforktrophybassguide
I really enjoyed my Bass Cat boat in 2022 and have jumped in my 2023 boat for the season. I couldn’t be happier to be serving my customers on Lake Fork as part of the Bass Cat Team and am looking forward to providing more great trips this year out of my new boat! If you’re interested in checking out any of the Bass Cat models, be sure to reach out to R & R Marine in Pittsburg, Texas. They have the all-new Puma STS that everyone is raving about so go by and check it out! Steven Stroman and his crew have amazing sales and service as well as a complete tackle shop with just about anything you need. I would like to thank all my sponsors that are continuing to support me in 2023. I am looking forward to representing them again this year and appreciate all their support as I serve all my great guide clients on throughout the year on Lake Fork as well! Sponsors: Toyota, AFTCO, Bass Cat Boats, Mercury, I Am Second, Omnia Fishing, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Garmin, Santone Lures, Costa Sunglasses, Power Pole, 3:16 Lure Company, Elite Tungsten, Johnson Communications, and Bass Boat Technologies.
Proverbs 16:3 - Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.
Tight Lines & God Bless,
James Caldemeyer
