The bass fishing on Lake Fork is fire during the month of June! It’s absolutely my favorite month of the year. The big bass are in heavy post-spawn patterns and you can catch numbers of hungry fish using a lot of different techniques. With the Bassmaster event being postponed until November and the Skeeter tournament cancelled the fish will see a lot less fishing pressure this month. This should provide anglers some really good opportunities at these trophy bass that have been left alone for the most part.
The lake is still full as it was in my last report and we aren’t in need of anymore rain. The lake level right now is 403.23 which is 3 inches above full pool. Every time we get a good rain it has caused SRA to open up the gates at the dam. This makes the fishing difficult as Lake Fork bass are not current oriented fish. The water is in great shape though with that good clear green tint to most areas with some stained water on the furthest north end of the lake. Water temperatures have been in the 79-84 degree range and could increase some as the month progresses. The grass in the lake is starting to come back in some areas. I have found a considerable amount of hydrilla, coontail, and lily pads growing plentiful. That is a very promising sign to see.
Shallow water patterns are remaining early in the morning. With the shad spawn winding down there isn’t quite as much heated action early but I’m still starting the morning off with some good topwater action. Best baits have been the Berkley Bullet Pop or Yellow Magic as well as the Berkley J Walker or Choppo. Any shad color or bone has been best for me. I’m also catching a few still on a frog around the grass. Especially if its cloudy. After the topwater bite fizzles out I’m switching to a to a light Carolina rig with a 1/4 oz weight pegged about 14” up my line and a 4/0 hook with a Berkley Jerk in Watermelon Candy color. There are a number of big bass moving up in the mornings onto areas the bream are spawning still and they’re feeding heavily on these bream beds. If its windy I’m also throwing a 5/16 oz Santone Swim Jig in Pake’s Perch color tipped with a Berkley Grass Pig in the same areas. These big bass will stomp that jig as they target the spawning bream!
There are a ton of big bass moving offshore right now and that’s where things get fun! Lake Fork provides some of the best deep structure fishing in the country. It’s not uncommon to catch a 35-45 lb stringer from some of these deep haunts that the bass are lurking in. They practice zero social distancing and will be stacked on top of each other as they feed up. I rely heavily on my electronics to show me where these schools are hiding. I can’t say enough about how great my Garmin Echo Map Ultras with Live Scope perform. There’s absolutely nowhere for the fish to hide. I’m targeting some of these schools in 16-22 ft and others in 22-28 feet right now. Main lake points, humps, ridges, roadbeds, and brush piles are good areas to target. When I find a school of bass, I am using my electronics to determine if the bass are suspended or on the bottom. This helps me in bait selection. Most of the fish will be suspended early in the post-spawn stage and become more related to the bottom as the water temperatures warm and the thermocline starts to set up. For the suspended fish I am deep cranking with a Berkley Dredger in shad colors or throwing a deep swimbait on a jig head or a big flutter spoon. These baits are effective at working the middle of the water column where suspended post-spawn bass like to hang out. When the fish get on the bottom, I will target them with a big Texas rig and a 1/2 oz weight with a 5/0 hook. These fish are hungry, so I like big plastics on my Texas rig. I like to put a Berkley 10” or 12” Powerworm on and give them a big meal offering. Best colors have been blue fleck, plum, and motor oil. A big worm on a wobble head or shaky is a great option too. I also like to employ the Carolina rig into the mix of post spawn techniques. It’s definitely a staple on Lake Fork. I like to use a long leader (4-5ft.) 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 are Berkley Powerbait Power Worms, Powerbait Bottom Hopper, and Berkley Lugworm in blue fleck, watermelon red, green pumpkin, and chartreuse pepper. You can also catch a lot of these hungry post spawn bass on a football head jig. Santone Lures makes a great football head jig and I catch a lot of bass on it this time of year. I opt for the 5/8 or 3/4 oz model and best colors are JC’s Spicy Craw, Mexican Heather, and PBJ. I will tip my jig with a matching Berkley Havoc Pit Boss or Chigger Craw for the best size and action to catch big bass!
I hope this helps if you are headed out here soon in pursuit of a trophy bass. Everyone be safe out there right now! If you’re looking to book a guide to get away this summer and get out to the lake, I would enjoy the opportunity to take you or your group fishing and show you a great time on the lake. I have a few dates still available so contact me to check availability. If you would like to fish anytime in 2020 be sure to get on my schedule as soon as possible. I fill up very fast! 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 Guide page at https://www.facebook.com/lakeforktrophybassguide I would like to thank all my sponsors that support me. I am looking forward to representing them this year on the Bassmaster Opens circuit as well as serving all my great guide clients on Lake Fork! Sponsors: Toyota, Carhartt, Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, I Am Second, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Garmin, Santone Lures, Costa Sunglasses, Power Pole, 3:16 Lure Company, Royal Tire, Elite Tungsten, and Bass Boat Technologies. While you are at the lake be sure to stop by Diamond Sports Marine located on highway 154 just north of the bridge. They are receiving the new 2020 Ranger Boats daily and the Z Commanche Series boats are better than ever. Give Fred a call at 903-383-7829 to set up your personal demo ride in a Ranger Boat.
Matthew 6:33-34 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Tight Lines & God Bless,
James Caldemeyer
