June is one of my favorite months on Lake Fork! It marks the beginning of summer and some of the best fishing on Lake Fork. Whether you are coming out for one of the big tournaments on the lake or you were just bringing the family out for some fun after school is out for the year hear are some fishing tips that will help you win the tournament or just catch more fish during your trip. The lake has come up some since my last report but we could still use a lot more rain. The lake level right now is 398.58 holding at about 4 1/2 feet low. The water is in great shape with that good clear green tint to most areas with some stained water on the furthest north end of the lake. Water temperatures have been in the 79-84 degree range and could increase some as the month progresses. The grass in the lake is starting to come back in some areas and I have found a considerable amount of hydrilla, coontail, and lily pads growing plentiful. That is a very promising sign to see again. Right now the fishing is awesome just about everywhere you go on the lake from shallow to deep. The biggest decision has been deciding which groups of fish to target. The bass have finished up spawning and are hungry! There are several different patterns that have been working for me over the past couple of weeks and they target each group specifically. For instance, if tournament sized fish is what I am after then I fish one way and if catching fish in the slot or going after a big fish is my goal I approach them differently. Lets go with the tournament approach first since there are so many anglers headed out to the lake this month to compete... For fish that are under the slot (16" inches) it is real important to downsize your baits, tackle and line. I like to employ my spinning rod a lot with 10 lb Trilene Fluorocarbon line spooled up. Using small line is important in getting a lot of bites, especially under heavy fishing pressure situations. Just make sure to set your drag properly so that you can work a big fish if necessary because the big bass will bite a finesse rig also. My finesse rigs consist of a drop shot, shaky head, or wacky worm. I am using a Berkley Havoc Bottom Hopper in 4" size mostly on the drop shot and shaky. I use the 6" version of the same worm on a wacky rig. You can fish these baits in all depths from 2-30 + feet. The best way to catch those big unders is to look for the bass in concentrations around shad and chose the bait that suits the depth they are in. Fishing them slowly around trees on main lake points is best. My favorite colors are cherry seed, watermelon candy, and plum. You can find a large stock of them at Lake Fork Marina all day long. Whether you are in the tournament or just recreational fishing you still definitely always want to go after the big mamas. These bass are usually on a program of their own and you have to be sneaky to get them. I like to employ bigger baits like a Talon Jig, 10" Powerworm or a big swim bait or crank bait. I am targeting the big ones from 12-22 feet deep right now but there are also a few schools starting to show up a little deeper. Pond dams, ridges, roadbeds, and points are all great places to get started. 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 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 hard 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, jigging spoon or an A-rig are all great choices. Let the bass out deep tell you how they want it and what they want right now because they are all over the place. 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 a few dates available 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 I am running the new 2013 Ranger Z520c and man is this new boat model awesome! All my clients love this thing to fish out of. Be sure to go by Diamond Sports Marine on Hwy 154 here at Lake Fork and see these new 2013 Ranger Boats. If you are in the market for a new boat this year and 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, Hydrowave, and Power Pole. 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