May is an outstanding month here at Lake Fork! We just came off the last full moon at the end of April and there are a large number of fish that have moved up to spawn. This big wave of fish will give many anglers the opportunity to get in on some late spring spawning action. So if you are still in pursuit of that double digit bass, now is the time to be fishing Lake Fork! The lake is in great shape although we could use some heavy rainfall. It has all seemed to elude the lake this spring as most of the storms have just been skirting the sides of us and only dropping an inch at a time. We are a currently about 4 feet 3 inches low right now. The recent winds and lack of grass has continued to keep a lot of the lake stained on the northern ends and clearer to 3ft as you work your way south. Expect the water clarity to get better as the grass in the lake continues to make a slow return. Basically the spring spawning patterns and baits have stayed the same this month as they were last month. I am catching a lot of big bass right now on the New Berkley Powerbait Rib Snake. I am fishing this bait weight less and dead sticking it on the bank and spawning flats around 2-6 feet of water. If the wind picks up I am switching to a Shaky head and putting this bait or a Berkley Bottom Hopper on. The key lately to getting bites has remained fishing these things extremely SLOW! If you move them around too much, you won't get many bites. The Texas rigged worm has also been real good in these same areas. The best bait for me has been the Berkley Chigger Craw or the Berkley Havoc Pit Boss and Craw Fatty. Best colors have been green pumpkin, watermelon, and Okeechobee craw. I have been rigging these on a 1/4-5/16 oz weight and pitching the stumps. A lot of these bass are spawning close to and holding tight to cover so accurate flips to your target is important. You can also catch some top water fish early with a yellow magic or zara spook, in any shad pattern color, working it over grass and around stumps in 2-6 ft where the bass are guarding fry. Shallow crank baits, jerk baits, and wake baits also work well on these fish that are guarding. If you are a site fisherman, fish are visible on beds right now. Flipping these fish with texas rigged worms and jigs are very productive if you spot a big mama nesting. Most anglers opt for a brighter color so they can visually see when the fish takes it. I prefer more natural colors if the conditions will allow. A lot of fish will shy away from the bright ones and jump on a natural color wit all the fishing pressure they are seeing this time of year. You will find on some areas of the lake that the shad are spawning on windy points. Big swim baits, crank baits and even Alabama rigs like the Berkley Schoolie Rig have been catching a number for fish. The are more and more fish complete their spawning so you will start to see large schools of fish show up out in deep water also. They will be holding in 16-24 feet of water usually holding around points, roadbeds, humps, and ridges. These fish can be hard to locate and are often times moving around a lot but if you stick with it, it can really pay off. I rely on my new Lowrance HDS Gen2 12" touch screen to show me where the bass are. Once I determine where they are and what they are relating to I will select a presentation that best suits the situation. A lot of these post spawn bass will be suspended so deep diving crank baits are a great choice. I also like to throw a deep swim bait at them like the Berkley Swim Shad. This bait can be worked at any depth in the water column so you can reach the bass wherever they are. When the fish get on the bottom I will target them with a big Texas rig and a 1/2 oz weight with a 5/0 hook. I like to put a Berkley 10" or 12" Powerworm on and give them a big meal offering. Most of these bass are very hungry so a big bait is appealing to them. I also like to employ the Carolina rig into the arsenal of post spawn techniques. I like to use a long leader (5ft.) and a big heavy 1 oz weight to drag the bottom. Trilene 20 lb test Fluorocarbon is a must with a 2/0 or 3/0 wide gap hook. Best baits on the c-rig are Berkley Powerbait 7" or 10" Power Worms, Power Lizards, 4" Power Hawgs, and Wacky Crawlers in blue fleck, watermelon red, green pumpkin, and watermelon candy. You can also catch a lot of these hungry post spawn bass on a football head jig. Talon Lures makes the best football head jig on the market and I catch a lot of bass on it this time of year. I opt for the 3/4 or 1 oz model and best colors are green pumpkin, watermelon candy, willies weed, and Cali 420. 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