Lake Fork Fishing Report November 2019

Fall is in full swing during the month of November here at Lake Fork. It’s a great month to be outdoors and if you have time to wet a line between trips to the deer stand, it can be very rewarding. As the leaves continue to fall from the trees and the temperatures continue to grow colder, you can expect the fishing to get even better. This time of year really gives any angler the opportunity to catch fish on any given day and Lake Fork always provides the opportunity for you to catch a trophy bass of a lifetime on any given cast. Now through the end of the year is a great time to catch a giant bass!

The lake is currently only a foot low as we have had a good amount of fall rain so far and that’s great news for the lake water levels going into 2020. The water temperatures are ranging from 58-62 degrees. Water clarity is fair on the main lake to stained in some of the creeks from all the recent rains.

I have been starting most days fishing shallow water patterns. The top water bite is always fun and you can find a lot of fish schooling around main lake points as well as the backs of some of the creeks and coves. These fish have been targeting schools of shad so any popping or walking bait like a Yellow Magic, Berkley Bullet Pop, or J-Walker in any shad pattern have been good. White or black buzz baits have also been great in these same areas on windy days. This recent extreme cold front has knocked the topwater bite back but could pick back up during a warming trend of days this month. The Berkley crankbaits have also been potent. These things are fine tuned, run true, and have extremely sharp treble hooks on them. The square billed “Square bull” or “Warpig” have been my go to baits lately for bass that are up shallow chasing shad. Best colors have been sexier shad, gilly, and chrome blue back. White chatter baits and Santone 1/4- 3/8 oz spinner baits on windy banks in 2-6 feet depths for these same shad eating bass. These patterns can be awesome when you get a very cloudy day. As the grass has started to re-emerge this pattern has been good and so has the wacky worm bite. You can catch very large numbers of bass by rigging a Berkley bottom hopper wacky style and fishing it weightless in these same areas. Best colors have been watermelon candy, plum, and red bug. Texas rigged soft plastics like the Berkley Powerworm in 7” inch size has been really good lately as well. I like to stick with darker plastics this time of year. Blue fleck, plum, June bug, and black & blue are best. Fishing these slowly around timber on the points leading into the creeks is best as shad are staging to move back.

The deep bite will really turn on this month on Lake Fork and if you are after that first Toyota ShareLunker of the year you will want to concentrate the majority of your fishing time in deep water. The big fish will begin congregating on the huge schools of shad, bar fish, sandies, crappie, and anything else that looks edible. The big bass on Lake Fork like to gorge themselves on anything and everything during this time of year. It is not uncommon to catch a big fish that has a mouth full already! To find these bass out deep you will need some good electronics. My new Ranger has the latest Garmin electronics at the helm and it really draws a picture for you to see. It is very accurate at locating schools of shad and being able to differentiate between species of fish in the school that is relating to the shad school. This helps a lot and maximizes your time on and productivity on the water. Most off the bass are located in 18-25 ft of water. Humps, points, road beds, pond dams, and ridges are great places to focus your efforts on. Once you locate a school the Carolina rig is deadly on these deep bass. I like to rig my Abu Garcia Veracity rods and Revo reels spooled up with 20 lb Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line and a 1oz weight, 4-5 foot leader, and a 3/0 wide gap hook. The Berkley Havoc Lugworm or a good ole 7” Power Worm is best on the c-rig. The best colors are chartreuse pepper, green pumpkin, blue fleck, or plum. The jig bite out deep is very good for the big ones too. A 5/8- 3/4 oz Santone football jig will catch some of the biggest bass out of the school. Best colors on the jig are JC’s Spicy Craw, PB & J, and Black & Blue. I will throw one of the new Berkley Jordan Lee “Champ Craws” on the back as a trailer. It’s very lifelike and infused with the irresistible Powerbait scent. The jigging spoon and tail kicker are also very good right now. Simply getting over the top of these big schools of fish with these and jigging them up & down can catch some real trophies and is something even the kids or wife will enjoy.

Book a Fishing Trip On Lake Fork

I think that about covers it for this month. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone and be safe out there whether you’re in the woods or on the water! If you are thinking of coming out this fall or winter and would like to book a fishing trip with me before the year ends, feel free to contact me anytime. I still have a few dates available, but you’ll need to contact me soon. I book up fast and am already booking for much of the spring and summer of 2020! 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! You can reach me by email or you can call me

Stop By Diamond Sports Marine

If you are in the market for a new boat this year, it’s a great time to look into the new 2020 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 while you’re in the area and Fred Barthold will be glad to show you around.

My Sponsors

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.

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

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