July is a great month for some HOT action on the water! For those that can stand the heat of summer, there can be some real rewarding, fish catching experiences for many anglers on Lake Fork. Whether you like to fish the multitudes of deep structure areas that the lake offers during the day or you enjoy being out under the moon and stars for some tremendous night fishing, now through September is the time to go after a big summertime bass.

Water conditions at the lake right now are good with the lake level sitting at 403.42, which is still almost 6” above full pool. Water temperatures are in the mid to high 80’s and most of the lake has clear visibility 2-3 feet.

The amazing part about this time of year is that you can catch fish on a number of various baits and patterning the fish is simple. The early morning and evening bite is most consistent up shallow. Top water fishing in low light conditions is good on yellow magics, super spook jrs, buzz baits, and frogs. There is a very small window of opportunity for these surface feeders then switching to a wacky style 6” Wave Trick Worm is a good choice. www.wavefishing.com I fish these on a 1/0 hook with a nail in the head of the worm and twitch it over the grass in 3-8 foot of water. Any main lake point with grass on it is a good place to start. Best colors have been watermelon and june bug. A Texas rigged worm is also good in these same areas fished on the outside edge of the grass and around timber. I am using a 4/0 hook and pegging a 3/8 oz. weight on this rig. My baits of choice have been a Wave 10” worm or Tiki Crawdude in green pumpkin, watermelon red or june bug. Flipping the stumps and dropping this rig down in the grass will catch some nice fish up shallow.

On some days I have been bypassing the shallow fishing completely and starting the day in deep water. There are a number of fish feeding early in the morning out on the deep humps, points, ridges, and roadbeds as well. These are the places that you will find large concentrations of fish and can literally load the boat when they are feeding. Knowing how to read your electronics is huge advantage in determining which areas to focus on more. The presence of baitfish is key and where you find bait, the bass will be nearby. Structures in depths ranging from 18-35 feet have been my targets.

Once I have located a group of bass, I have been having great success on a carolina rigged trick worm or french fry. I use a 7’6” Heavy Shimano Crucial Rod with a 1 oz. weight and a 4-5 foot leader. A 2/0 or 3/0 wide gap hook fits these baits well. Best colors have been watermelon red, sour grape, chartreuse pepper and merthiolate. I have also been doing well on a 1/2 to 3/4 oz. Talon football head jig. www.talonlures.com These are some awesome jigs and have just the right balance & action for fishing deep structure. Watermelon red, Dark PB&J, Green pumpkin, Willie’s weed, Sour grape, Texas craw and Pumpkin gold with matching craw trailers are all great. Let the light conditions, water clarity, and what the fish want best on a given day dictate which one to use. The fish love them all! When these deep fish are suspended or are chasing schools of shad, a swim bait, jigging spoon, or a deep diving crank bait are sometimes the only way to catch them.

If it gets too hot and calm out there during the middle of the day, break out your drop shot rod and you may find that the fish will bite it when they will not bite anything else in the same deep areas. I rig mine with a 2/0 hook and a 3/8 to 1/2 oz. drop shot weight 14-16 inches below the hook. Using the same baits and colors as on the carolina rig will catch ‘em.

If you would like to come out to Lake Fork and fish for a trophy summertime bass, feel free to give me a call at (903)736-9888 or you can email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it You can also visit my website at www.officiallakeforktrophybass.com I want to thank all of my sponsors for their support and the good Lord for giving me strength!

Read 1 Peter 5:7

Tight Lines and God Bless,

James Caldemeyer

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