August is an exciting month at Lake Fork. This is a great time to get the kids out one last time before they head back to school for the year. The bass are often "school"ing too so the fishing can be a lot of fun! Last month was one of the most inconsistent weather months that I have ever seen in the Texas summer. One day it's raining, the next it's 100 degrees, then a cold front and its 59 degrees for a low with the lake trying to turn over. Wow! It kept the fish just as confused as anyone else and relatively inconsistent patterns were prevalent from shallow to deep. I expect August to fish the same and we could definitely see an early turnover of the lake as fall gets into swing with the mild temperatures. The lake has been holding steady with the rains we've been getting. It is just over 5 feet low. The water temperatures are ranging from 84-90 degrees. Most of the lake is slightly to moderately stained with some clearer areas to 3 feet found in places. The hydrilla grass is really making a strong come back on the lake with lots of grass to be found at the backs of some of the northern to mid lake creeks and I have even seen some small sprigs of it growing down by the dam. That is great news and will definitely make for some awesome fishing the rest of the year. The shallow bite has really turned on and been a bit more consistent than the deeper fishing lately. Lots of bass are roaming the shallows with groups of shad that have made their way to the banks. Weightless jerk baits like the Berkley Havoc "The Jerk" has been good for these bass chasing shad. I have also been catching some frog fish when the clouds and rain come in. I like the moving frogs that have a lot of kicking action in the legs when reeled on a steady retrieve over the grass and lily pads. The Berkley Chigger Toad in black or white is a great choice. Another great bait for fishing around the grass is a Texas rigged Berkley Power Worm or Havoc Juice Worm in the 7" or 8" sizes respectively. My favorite colors are black & blue, green pumpkin, and blue fleck. Of course I always like to break my Abu Garcia Villain wacky worm rod when I target these shallow fishing too. I use the 6'9" medium light version with an Abu Garcia MGX reel spooled with 12-15 lb Trilene 100% fluorocarbon line. I like to use a weedless wacky hook and a 6.25" Berkley Bottom Hopper with a small nail stuck in the end of the worm for some weight to throw it and help it sink nose down into the grass. Fishing this around the grass on Lake Fork will put them in the boat! Best colors are june bug, shady watermelon candy, and green pumpkin. The deep bite has been hit and miss lately. When I say deep I am referring to that 20-30 foot range. The inconsistency, in my opinion, has been due to the lack of a distinct thermocline setting up on the lake this summer. This is the water range of depth out deep that appears in the summer where a band of oxygen forms at a certain depth (usually 22-26 feet on Lake Fork) and gives the fish a sanctuary of comfort during the hot months of the year. It started to appear some in June but disappeared with the very mild July weather. One of two things will probably happen this month. It will either become very hot and it will set up again or it will stay mild and the lake will eventually turn over which will eliminate any possibility of a thermocline. So, depending on what transpires with the current weather, we will see what happens. Until then the most consistent deeper bite for me remains to be in the 12-18 feet range. There are a lot of big bass feeding on shad in this depth range. I like to use my Lowrance HDS units to locate bass out deep. Once I have located with my graph The Carolina rig and Talon football head jig has been best when they are close to the bottom. I like my Carolina rig on a 7'6" medium heavy Abu Garcia Villain or Veritas rod with a Revo reel spooled up with some 20 lb Trilene 100% fluorocarbon line and a 15-17 lb leader. I like to use a 1 oz Elite Tungsten weight and a 3/0 hook. I have been catching a number of fish with the new Berkley Rib Snake as well as the Berkley Havoc Bottom Hopper. The best colors have been blue fleck, watermelon, and green pumpkin. If you want to catch a big one out deep then you will want to break out the football jig too! Talon Lures 3/4 - 1 oz football head jig with a Berkley Havoc Pit Chunk trailer is a hard combination to beat. I am throwing this in the same areas as the Carolina rig and dragging it or hopping it through these deep schools of bass. Best colors right now are green pumpkin, willies, and California. A lot of the fish are suspended and even schooling on shad in some areas. These fish are a little trickier to catch. You need something that you can work in the middle to upper part of the water column. The deep diving crank bait, swim bait, a Talon Lures flutter spoon or an A-rig are all great choices. Let the bass out deep tell you what they want right now because they are all over the place and they move around in the water column. Mixing it up and trying a variety of things on a school of fish will pay off. Having good electronics is a big advantage too! I love my Lowrance HDS Gen2 Touch screen. Knowing how to read the sonar and apply it to your fishing is the most important thing though. If you are weak in this area, now is the time to get out on the water and log some time in out deep. I hope this information helps you in pursuit of a trophy bass on Lake Fork this month. I am excited about this year and the bass fishing on Lake Fork! If you are thinking of coming out and would like to book a trip this year, feel free to contact me. I still have some summer dates available and am already filling up for the fall. I am dedicated to my clients and will work hard to put you on the fish of your dreams! You can contact me to book your trip by email at [email protected] or give me a call at 903-736-9888. Also, visit my website to find out more information about Lake Fork bass fishing and my guide service at www.officiallakeforktrophybass.com You can also keep up with me by joining my new Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JamesCaldemeyersLakeForkTrophyBassGuideService?ref=hl Be sure to go by Diamond Sports Marine on Hwy 154 here at Lake Fork and see the new 2013 Ranger Boats. If you are in the market for a new boat this year its time to go see Ben or Fred for a great deal on a closeout 2013 model as the 2014 year model boats will be arriving soon. If you would like to take a test ride, feel free to contact me or call the dealership at 903-383-7829 and we will get you out on the water for a demo in one! I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for another year that He has blessed me with as well as all my 2013 Sponsors: Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, Berkley, I Am Second, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Interstate Batteries, Lowrance, Talon Lures, Elite Tungsten, Hamby's, Navionics, Simms, Costa Del Mar, and Hydrowave. Acts 3:19 -Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord Tight Lines and God Bless, James Caldemeyer