August is a fun month at Lake Fork if you don’t mind the heat! It’s a great time to get the kids out one last time before they head back to school for the year. The bass are often active early and late in the day so you can take them out for a short trip on the water and still have lots of fish catching action. I’ve had a lot of people seeking to just “get out” lately and there’s no better place right now to isolate yourselves than out in the middle of the lake.

The lake is in great shape. The water level has been dropping slowly but steadily due to the heat and evaporation even with the occasional showers we’ve been getting. It is almost a foot low. The water temperatures are ranging from 84-90 degrees. Some of the lake is slightly stained with most areas being fairly clear up to about 3 feet in places.

The shallow water patterns have been decent early and late. Bass can be found congregated around shallow stumps with bait fish in 4-8 feet of water. The best bait right now have been a simple Texas rigged 7” or 10” Berkley Power Worm. Blue fleck, tequila sunrise, and red shad have been good colors to use depending on the water clarity. I have been fishing these on a 3/16- 3/8 oz weight with a 4/0 or 5/0 straight shank worm hook. Work these worms on the edges of these tree lines. The fish have been holding tight to the standing timber. My most productive areas have been main lake points or creek channel edges. You might find a few fish chasing shad early also and a topwater bait like a Berkley J Walker can come in handy to catch a few.

Most of the bass we are catching right now are coming from deep water. The weather has been so hot and water temperatures are very warm so it has concentrated the bass into certain areas and made them easier to catch. I am targeting humps, roadbeds, points, and deep channel swings in 20-32 feet. I always rely on my Garmin electronics to find these schools of fish. The new Echo Map Ultra units are extremely accurate and knowing your electronics is a great asset in targeting deep bass in the summertime. Most of the schools I locate are on the bottom and feeding with an occasional suspended group of fish. The best presentations for these fish right now are a Carolina rig with a 4-5 foot leader and 1 oz weight. I use a 3/0 hook tipped with the Berkley Havoc Bottom Hopper, Lug Worm, or Powerbait Jerk. This is a cool new worm with lots of action to entice those big bass into biting. The football jig has also been great in 5/8- 3/4 oz sizes. I use a Santone jig and the best colors right now are JC’s Spicy Craw, Mexican Heather, and Pake’s Perch. You can find these available at any of the marinas on Lake Fork. I am also using a craw or Berkley Havoc “Deuce” twin tail grub as a trailer in matching color. When I get around a school of deep bass that are suspended I am throwing a deep diving crank bait, swim bait, flutter spoon, or swim jig. If you can get one of these baits in front of one of those shad chasers, they will eat it. Counting the lure down and keeping in tune where the bait is in the water column is important so pay attention to your graph as you work your bait through the fish. Garmin’s Live Scope has made this a lot of fun for my customers and I. It’s real cool to watch the bait go down and a big largemouth swim over and eat it. Drop shots have also been very effective when you find schools of bass that are reluctant to bite your normal offerings. Light line and a 1/0 hook plugs, spoons, tail kickers, swim baits and weightless worms to these aggressive fish.

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 month 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 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 late 2020 or early 2021 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 [email protected] 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 CaldemeyerI have a few dates still available so contact me to check availability. If you would like to fish anytime in the fall 2020 or spring 2021, 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 [email protected] 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