Lake Fork Fishing Report November 2020

Fall is in full swing and November is here. It’s a great time to be on Lake Fork with the cooler temperatures and the leaves on the trees changing. There are also a lot of big bass that are hungry and ready to be caught by those that choose to hit the lake in favor of the great fishing instead of the deer stand or a duck blind. Due to hunting season the lake traffic is minimal which is great for preserving your favorite honey hole and having most of the lake to yourself at times. It is also a great time to get the family out for some great fish catching and get the kids hooked on fishing!

The water conditions have been fair as the lake finished turning over and the water is stable once again. Clarity is good in most areas with water temperatures ranging from 60-66 degrees in most areas. The lake is still a little low, but a few rains lately have helped bring levels up a bit. There is some grass and lily pads in the creeks that is still green and healthy, so the fish have been gravitating to that in the shallows.

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 Berkley Bullet Pop or J Walker in any shad pattern have been good. White buzz baits have also been great in these same areas on windy days. If you are a diehard frog fisherman like myself there is always an opportunity to catch some real nice fish on a frog like the new Berkey buzz frog or floating versions like the Spro. I am also using square billed crank baits, lipless baits, or white chatter baits and covering water on windy banks in 1-5 feet depths for these same shad eating bass. These patterns can be awesome when you get a cloudy day. As the grass has re-emerged in areas, 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 june bug.

The deep bite will really turn on this month on Lake Fork and if you are after the big ones 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 Garmin Echo Map Ultras at the helm really draw a great 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 Backslide or a good ole 7” Power Worm is best on the c-rig. Best colors are chartreuse pepper, green pumpkin, blue fleck, or plum. The jig bite out deep is good for the big ones too. A 5/8- 3/4 oz Santone jig with a Berkley Havoc Deuce or Pit Chunk on the back will catch some of the biggest bass out of the school. Best colors on the jig are Black/blue, JC’s Spicy Craw, and PB&J. 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.

I hope this helps anyone that’s coming out this month to fish whether its recreationally or for the big tournaments. If you would like to fish with me this year, I still have a few limited dates available for fall. I’m also taking lots of bookings already for spring 2021 so start making your plans now and contact me 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, SantoneLures, Costa Sunglasses, Power Pole, 3:16 Lure Company, Royal Tire, Elite Tungsten, and Bass Boat Technologies.

Acts 17:26 –

And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth.

Tight Lines & God Bless,

James Caldemeyer

 

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