December is here and the year is coming to a close. Its been a great year of fishing here at Lake Fork and I expect it to finish well also. Just the other day we had the first Toyota ShareLunker of the year caught by Steve Proctor from Pryor, OK. The bass weighed 13.29 lbs. There will be more of these fish caught through this winter and spring as the big bass in the lake are at their peak weight. If you are after one of these giant Lake Fork bass I suggest you spend as much time on the lake as you can over the next few months. Lake Fork water conditions are good. With the recent rains that we have had the lake has come up some. The water temperatures have been in the upper 40's to low 50's . We are currently sitting at 397.29, which is about 5 ¾ feet low. The water is clear to 3 feet on the south end and stained on the north end of the lake. The hydrilla is in excellent shape and will provide some excellent cover for the bass. One my favorite winter and December shallow water patterns is targeting fish around any shallow vegetation or stumps near main lake or secondary points. Most of these winter fish will move into these shallow grass beds or hug stumps to ambush prey. During the sunny warmest part of the day can be best as water temperatures in these shallow areas is at its peak and the fish are most active. My first lure of choice is a lipless crank bait. My favorite sizes are a 1/2 oz or 5/8 oz but will also keep a 3/4 oz bait handy as well. I like to use shades or red, orange, or a combination of these two colors as well as chrome or gold. I like to use a 7' 1" medium heavy Abu Garcia Veritas rod with 17-20 lb Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon on a high speed reel like the NEW Abu Garcia Revo MGX. This reel comes in a 7.1:1 or 7.9:1 ratio so you can really burn a bait with this set up or use it to take some of the work off of your arms while you fish these baits all day making numerous casts. I like to use the lipless bait as a search bait and once I get bit I will slow down and work the area over thoroughly. A lot of times you will find the fish in small groups this time of year but may not be able to catch all of them on the same bait or presentation. If you double back and fish something like a suspending jerk bait or jig you may catch a few more fish or that BIG one you've been looking for! On the jerk bait I will throw a suspending model in a gold/black, clown, or ayu color. Fishing this bait slowly with twitch and long pause technique is great for a real big fish especially during the sunny calm days. On cloudy days I do better fishing slowly through the area with a jig and I will flip or pitch a 3/8 or 1/2 oz Talon jig tight to every piece of cover available. A jig can be very effective on deeper points at the mouth of creeks and the creek edges inside the creek. With the lake low like it is you can follow the trees that line the channel edge very easily. Best colors for me are black & blue, black/blue/purple, bama bug, or black/brown. I like to tip my jigs with a 3" or 4" Berkley Chigger Craw or Chigger Chunk in matching colors. The action on the Chigger Craw is very attractive to a big fish and they hold onto the jig longer with the Powerbait scent. This is an important advantage as most bites are light and normally fish will not hold onto the jig long during the winter months. The deep bite has really turned on over the past couple of weeks. I am catching a lot of fish out deep using a multitude of different techniques. Locating big schools of fish can be challenging out in the depths. That is why I really on my Lowrance HDS Gen2 Touch 12 unit to show me where they are at. The bass have been holding close to the schools of bait in 18-28 feet of water. Once I locate a school of bass around the bait with my sonar, I am positioning my boat to take aim and start firing at them with several different baits. The best and most reliable lure has been a jigging spoon. I use a Talon Big Dandy flutter spoon in the "Lake Fork Maniac" color the most. This spoon mimics dying shad from the cold setting in and big bass cannot resist it as an easy meal. It takes some practice to get used to it if you have never thrown one but once you get into the rhythm of it you will have a blast catching fish on it! I have also been targeting the feeding schools of bass with a Carolina rig. I like the new Berkley Havoc Back Slide on my rig right now. It is just the right size and has lots of action as you pull it along. Best colors for me have been chartreuse pepper and green pumpkin. I have also started to catch a few bass on a ¾ oz Talon football head jig. Green pumpkin or watermelon candy colors are good choices trailed by a Berkley Havoc Pit Chunk. For the suspended bass out deep I have been throwing the Berkley Powerbait Swim Shads in the 4" and 5" sizes. Bunker or Pearl white are best. These baits will catch some giants reeled along slowly in the depths! If you are headed to Lake Fork this month in pursuit of a trophy bass and are looking to book a guide, 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 winter dates still available and am taking spring reservations now. Be sure to schedule with me soon if you would like to fish in 2014. 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 for the holidays! 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/lakeforkfishingguides I would also like to thank all of my 2013 sponsors for their support in my guiding and professional tournament fishing as well: Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, I Am Second, Interstate Batteries, Lowrance, Power Pole, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Talon Lures, Navionics, Simms, Costa Del Mar and Elite Tungsten. Have a very Merry Christmas everyone! Remember that JESUS is the reason for the season. 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 2014 Ranger Boats daily and you do not want to miss the opportunity to check out the "New" Ranger Z521c. This boat has some amazing features and is definitely an eye catcher. Give Fred or Ben a call at 903-383-7829 to set up your personal demo ride in a Ranger Boat. Hope to see you on the water! Matthew 1:21 - She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Tight Lines and God Bless, James Caldemeyer