Fishing Reports

Lake Fork Fishing Report from Fishing Guide James Caldemeyer for Nov. 2nd

Administrator — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:15:00 +0000

James Caldemeyer’s
Lake Fork Trophy Bass
Fishing Report 11-2-2009

November is an awesome month here at Lake Fork for catching trophy bass! As the water cools off and the bass begin their annual feeding frenzy there is a huge window of opportunity for many anglers to catch numbers of quality fish, not to mention the bass of a lifetime. The fish are gorging themselves on everything that crosses their path both in shallow and deep water. This leaves them vulnerable to the fisherman who fore go the duck blind and deer stand in pursuit of these big bass.

The water conditions at Lake Fork have been the biggest factor for some time here lately. With every week bringing some degree of precipitation over the past month, the lake conditions have been less than ideal. The continuous inflow of water has kept a lot of areas on the lake stained and the gates open at the dam periodically. If you are familiar with these conditions then you know that catching fish on Lake Fork in stained or fluctuating water levels can be a challenge. Do not let this deter you from your favorite fall honey hole though. The fish are still going to continue their annual activity regardless of the water conditions. Here are a few patterns that will hopefully help you catch the fish of your dreams right now!

Most everyday we have been starting our day off shallow with some top water action. Great baits to throw right now are a Berkley Frenzy Popper, yellow magic, walking baits like the Sammy or Zara Spook, or a frog. Fishing these baits over the grass on main lake or secondary points in 2-8 ft of water will draw some BIG blow ups and most of these fish will inhale the bait. Overcast or rainy conditions have been best for these types of baits although we have caught some fish during the sunny days as well. Another great tactic in the fall is a wacky style worm fished over the grass beds in the same areas as the top water baits. I have been using a 5” Berkley Heavyweight Sink Worm or Fat Sink Worm with a 2/0 hook and 12 lb. test Trilene 100% fluorocarbon. The best thing about these worms is that they are already weighted so you don’t have to do anything but slide them on a hook and start catching fish. Fish these baits over the grass slowly with short twitches of the rod tip in between long pauses. Best colors have been green pumpkin, breen, green pumpkin party, and watermelon big red. If the sun is bright you can switch to a Texas rig or shaky head. I am using a 5/16 oz. weight on the t-rig with a 3/0 hook and a Berkley 7” Power Worm or 4” Crazy Legs Chigger Craw. Best colors in the Chigger Craw are watermelon red, blue fleck, green pumpkin or green pumpkin party. A 1/8-3/16 oz. shaky head jig with a 5” Berkley Shaky Worm or 4½” Slim Shaky attached has also been great for finessing those fish out of the holes in the grass. Best colors are blue fleck, green pumpkin, and watermelon red. The fish have also been biting a number of different moving baits fished over the grass as well. Lipless crank baits or Chatter baits in shad patterns, chrome/blue back and white or white/chartreuse, respectively, have been catching a lot of those shallow bass that are in the chasing mood. I am rigging these type baits on the “new” Abu Garcia Vendetta Rods matched up with the new and improved Revo Reels and man what a great combination they are! They are very light, sensitive, factory balanced rods that perform very well in a variety of conditions and are VERY affordably priced. For those of you that have not seen one of these bad boys, you need to check them out! www.abugarcia.com

The deep bite is really turning on as well. These big ole bass will be found feeding on big schools of shad and bar fish this time of year. I have been running the new Lowrance HDS8 over points, humps, road beds, and pond dams in 18-32 feet of water to locate these schools of fish. There are also a number of fish to be found in flats at the mouth of the major creeks in 28-32 feet. Once I have located a school of fish I have been targeting them with Carolina rigged soft plastics, jigging spoons, drop shots, or heavy swim baits. On the Carolina rig, I like to use a heavy 1 oz. weight and 4-5 foot leader with a 3/0 wide gap hook tied to 20 lb. main line and a 17lb. Trilene 100% fluoro leader. Best baits have been a 5” Berkley Wacky Crawler, 4” Power Hawg, Centipede or French fry in watermelon red, green pumpkin, or chart pepper. The jigging spoon is deadly this time of year on deep fish and is a great thing to have tied on if you are bringing the family out to catch some fish. I use a Talon Big Dandy in the Lake Fork Maniac color or “t-spoon” in the 3/8-1/2 oz size. www.talonlures.com Drop these spoons down to the bottom in an area that is holding fish and pick the rod tip up and let it back down. It is some easy fishing and great for the family. Most all bites will come on the fall and you can catch many different species of fish with them including a real big bass! The 5” swim baits like the Storm Wild Eye Shad is a good choice for catching big bass out deep as well as a drop shot rig when the fish are finicky.

I hope this helps all you anglers that are headed to Lake Fork this month in pursuit of a trophy bass! If you would like to book a guided trip on Lake Fork, feel free to contact me at (903)736-9888 or email me at lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com . I just picked up my new 2010 Ranger Z521 Comanche www.rangerboats.com paired with a Mercury Optimax 250 Pro XS www.mercurymarine.com . This new ride is an amazing machine! If you have not checked one of these boats out yet, you can go by and see one at Diamond Sports Marine www.diamondsportsmarine.com on Hwy 154 while you are in the area. Test rides are available upon request. Just give Ben Hogan a call at (903)383-7829 and he’ll be glad to help you find the Ranger boat that is right for you! Big thanks to all my sponsors and to the Lord for His provisions.

Read Proverbs 3:5,6

Tight Lines and God Bless,

James Caldemeyer

Richland Chambers Fishing Report for Nov. 2nd

Administrator — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:12:00 +0000

WOW!!!!!! Have you ever seen so much water? The two Lakes (Navarro Mills and Bardwell) that feed Richland Chambers are way over their Pool Level. Chambers Creek has been up and down over Flood Level, and the Trinity River has been periodically out of it's banks for weeks! I'm amazed at the job the Tarrant Regional Water District has done managing the water level on RC as many homeowners have water at or above their Dock level. I know that the Fisherman's Point Gas Dock has been just inches above the water level for days.

With all this water, you'd guess the fishing has been just AWFUL! Just the opposite, as the White Bass and Hybrid Striper action has been as good as it gets most days with easy limits on Magnum size Whites and LOTS of 17" Hybrid Stripers that will be Keeper size by Springtime. Most of our fish are coming on RSR Glitter Slabs in 20'-30' water off Pelican Island and the Windsock Point. Adam and I have been lucky in that we've stayed on the Lake about half the month of October and that's not bad considering the weather we had. We're hoping we get a little more of the typical Fall weather (Cool & Dry) in November as the fish are aggressive and we normally catch LARGER fish in November and December!

As we enter the Holiday Season, keep in mind that a Family Fishing Trip is what we specialize in! We offer Morning and Afternoon trips and fish everyday except Sunday. We still have a boat open on a couple of the Saturdays in November (7th and 28th) and lots of Weekdays we need to fill.

Lastly, if you have a special Friend or Relative that loves to fish, think about a Gift Certificate for him or her for Christmas. Just give us a call and we'll get one in the mail to you.

Good Luck and Good Fishin' !

Royce & Adam Simmons
Gone Fishin' Guide Service
www.gonefishin.biz
903-389-4117

Richland Chambers Fishing Update for October

Administrator — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:58:00 +0000

Fellow Fishermen & Fisherwomen,

It's been a very busy late September and October. In addition to fishing almost everyday for the past month, we had the new addition to the Family (Adam & Brooke's first child and our first Grandaughter...Reese Noel Simmons) and saw our Lake go from 5' low to 1' over Pool level with all the rain.

With the exception of just a few days when the Weather Conditions hurt the fishing, we've been fortunate to get a box of fish or limits most trips. This past weekend was an example of how the Wonderful, Sunny, Calm conditions worked against us as the Ideal Cloudy and Drizzly days changed quickly as a Cold Front passed through. Saturday, we had to work for the fish we caught! The conditions (Rain, Clouds, Fog & Breezy) we had much of early October were GREAT for fishing as the Hybrid Stripers turned on for a week or so and the BIGGER Whites were with them. I was fortunate to be on the Lake with many of you when this occurred!

The fishing should be good throughout the remainder of the year or until we get some severe Cold Fronts. The fish will be feeding aggressively as Winter nears and we catch some of our larger fish in the Fall!

If you're looking to do some fishing, we have quite a few Weekdays we need to fill in November. This week we still have a boat open on Friday, 23rd. Here's the few Saturdays we have a boat open: October 31, November 7th and November 28th. The December Saturdays are still open. We offer morning and afternoon trips this time of year and usually recommend an afternoon if Kids are fishing.

Hope we hear from you this Fall!

Royce & Adam Simmons
Gone Fishin' Guide Service
www.gonefishin.biz
903-389-4117

Richland Chambers Fishing Report for Oct. 7th

Administrator — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:21:00 +0000

Fellow Fishermen & Fisherwomen,

Last week was a good week on RC as we fished Wednesday, Friday & Saturday and had an almost full box of fish to clean each outing. The White Bass and Hybrids are getting ready for their "Fall Feeding Frenzy" and we're catching more larger fish as we move into the cooler weather. Crappie are a bit easier to find and should be easier to catch thru October. It's a GREAT time of the year to enjoy the Lake! An added bonus is our Feathered Friends have made their appearance and we're enjoying Gulls, Egrets, Herons, Osprey, and I saw the first Bald Eagles of the Season a week ago!

This week we may be challenged a bit by the weather, but I'm booked everyday and have two trips (am & pm) on Friday & Saturday. Should be a fun week as we've got lots of Customers who are making their Fall Trip this week and staying at the Marina and/or St. Elmo Ranch. Even have three Fish Frys scheduled this week!

Lastly, and most importantly, this week Adam and Brooke's Daughter will make an appearance. If she hasn't arrived by Thursday, they'll induce and we'll have our first Grandaughter! :) She should fit in nicely with the three Grandboys!

We have Weekdays open the second half of October and even have a boat open on Saturday, October 17th, 24th and 31st. We're fishing afternoons as well as mornings from now thru the Spring. Give us a call and Let's Go Catchin'!

Royce & Adam Simmons
www.gonefishin.biz
903-389-4117

Richland Chambers Fishing Update for September

Administrator — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Fellow Fishermen & Fisherwomen,

It's been a GREAT week on RC and we've still got Saturday to go! Adam and I have fished everyday except Monday and even slipped an afternoon trip in on Wednesday. We had the opportunity to host twenty-two (22) Six Flags Maintenance Personnel on Tuesday & Wednesday for their annual trip. Lots of Trash Talkin', lots of FUN and lots of White Bass! We braved the cool, cloudy and breezy conditions and had really great trips out both days! On Thursday & Friday, Adam fished for Crappie and did very well! He had two gentlemen from Houston with him today and they're preparing to fish a Crappie Tournament on RC in October. They and Adam had a very good morning fishing Brushpiles, Bridges and Timber and they learned a lot about RC and Crappie fishing. Tomorrow we have both boats out in the morning and then I'm taking a couple of days off to visit the folks in Texarkana. Next week is busy from Wednesday on, but Adam does have a couple of Weekdays open if anyone wants to go Catchin'!

Lastly, we still have a few Saturdays open over the next few weeks. Here's some Saturdays we still need to fill....October 17 & 24, November 7 Afternoon Opening, November 28 (T'Giving Weekend Morning Opening)

October is a GREAT month for Crappie, and the Whites and Hybrids never seem to stop biting!

Hope to see you soon!
Royce& Adam Simmons
www.gonefishin.biz
903-389-4117

Richland Chambers Fishing Report for Sept. 8th, 2009

Administrator — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:41:00 +0000

Another Summer has come and almost gone on RC with the recent Labor Day Holiday capping off a Great Weekend! Adam and I fished several trips over the Holiday period with the Afternoon bite being much better than the Morning fishing. Seems that once again the Full Moon was working its effect on the fish and they were a whole lot more hungry around 3PM than at 7AM. Every trip except for one during the long Weekend involved Kids and/or Grandkids of our Customers and we had a ball. We caught little Yellow Bass, big White Bass, a couple of Hybrid Stripers in the 6 to 7 lb. range, some Blue Cats and to top it off one Afternoon, we landed a Carp that must have been 35 lbs! I've said it for many years and I'll say it again....For Kids and Catchin', it just doesn't get any better than Richland Chambers!!!

Most of our fish are coming on RSR Glitter Slabs in 25'-30' water off Main Lake Points. The Whites and Hybrids are not staying in any one location for long periods of time so you may have to move around to find them. On several occasions, I'd check out a Point (Long Arm Branch, Windsock, etc.) and not find fish and then check again in an hour, and the fish would be there. There's also not been much Topwater Activity or help from the Gulls and Terns, so you'll have to use your Electronics to find the bait and fish.

It won't be long before the fish will become much more aggressive as we're approaching Fall. The Feeding Frenzy will be on and the Gulls and Pelicans will find their way back to RC. Finding and catching fish will become even easier and the size of the catch will be BIGGER!!! It's my FAVORITE time of the year as the temperatures cool and the action heats up!

We've got openings for Weekdays and even a few Saturdays over the next couple of months. If you want to get out and enjoy the Fall with us, give us a call at 903-389-4117 or check out our website at www.gonefishin.biz .

Good Luck and Good Fishin' !

Royce & Adam Simmons
Gone Fishin' Guide Service

Richland Chambers Fishing Report for September 1st

Administrator — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:38:00 +0000

Richland Chambers Fishing Report

The last couple of weeks have produced some good catches of White Bass on almost every trip Adam and I have conducted. We've sometimes had to do quite a bit of "Hunting" before we can get to the "Fishing" as the fish have very seldom been in the same place two days in a row. If you're launching from Fisherman's Point Marina, I'd recommend looking closely at the Lighthouse and Ferguson Point areas for early morning Topwater fish. If you're coming from the Oak Cove Marina area, check out the Hickey Island area. If you do get on Topwater fish, a Blue Chrome Rat-L-Trap has proved deadly for some bigger fish.

We're catching many of our fish on RSR Silver Glitter Slabs ( www.rsrlures.com ) as the fish are often deep as opposed to the normal Topwater Schooling you expect in late Summer. You can sometimes get a little help from the Terns and few Gulls that are on the Lake, but most often you'll have to use your Graph to locate the baitfish and the fish. The fish are almost always in water that is around 20' deep. Once you find them, you can often limit out in a hurry!

There have been some nice Hybrids being caught on the Main Lake off the 309 Flats and in the area near the Dam. Most often the reports are from folks trolling a large Deep Diving Crankbait such as a Norman DD22, or a Hellbender/Pet Spoon combination. You'll need to get your bait down in the 15'-20' range to reach these fish. Trolling often produces when the traditional methods don't.

Some good catches of Crappie are starting to come in from the local folks who know where their hangouts are! Most are being caught on minnows near timber in water that is 25' deep or deeper, but the fish are most often suspended 15'-18' down. Adam does quite a bit of September/October Crappie fishing so if you're in the mood for a little "Minnow Dipping", give him a call. Fall is just around the corner! You can feel it in the air! As many have heard me say time and again....It's my FAVORITE time of the Year! The fishing is better in that they're easier to find, the Quantity and Quality is better, and it just doesn't get any more pleasant on the Lake. We start offering Afternoon as well as Morning trips when the temperatures cool. Give us a call and Let's Go Fishin'!

Royce & Adam Simmons
Gone Fishin' Guide Service
www.gonefishin.biz
903-389-4117

Lake Fork Trophy Bass Report for August 27th

Administrator — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:33:00 +0000

Lake Fork Trophy Bass Report
Submitted August 27, 2009 By Guide James Caldemeyer

August has been an up and down month for bass fishing on Lake Fork this year. This is fairly common for this time of year but combined with the lake levels being higher than usual it has kept anglers, including myself, in suspense from day to day as to how well the fish will bite. On my recent trips over the past 2-3 weeks we have managed to catch 10-12 a day and on others 25-30. The quality of the fish we have been catching has been just as unpredictable as well. You can just as easily catch a big bass in the same areas we are catching small to medium slot fish. Not to be discouraged though! Better quality bass and more predictable fish activity is fast approaching. As we head into September and the fish start moving into their early fall patterns, the fishing and the lake will change dramatically.

Lake Fork is still in great shape and sitting at 402.71 about 3” low. There are plenty of areas to find great grass especially with the lake being higher for this year and the water clarity in most spots is pretty clear. There are some areas that have been getting stained by wind but I always try to move to the clearest water I can find from this time of the year through fall. Pay close attention to the water clarity as September progresses. The lake will be turning over before long depending on how quickly the air temperatures start cooling the water. Staying away from that nasty “sludge” water and keying on the clearer stuff will improve the likelihood of getting bit. Right now water temperatures are maintaining mid to upper 80’s on most days and reaching low 90’s in some areas on the real HOT days.

The top water bite is starting to show some signs of life but it’s a day to day thing. Cloudy cooler mornings have been most productive with a longer window of opportunity. On the warmer nights and the sun shining bright at the crack of dawn the bite has been brief. I always keep a top water frog like a Berkley 4” Kicker Frog or SPRO Frog tied on and give it a toss over matted grass, lily pads, and submerged grass beds in 2-6 feet of water. On the mornings they haven’t wanted the frog offering, the buzz bait, yellow magic or chug bugs in shad patterns have done well in its place. Fishing a wacky or Texas rigged 7” Shaky and 7” or 10” Power Worm in these same areas has produced well also when the top water bite quits. Best colors have been blue fleck, watermelon red and green pumpkin. Most of the areas that I have been fishing are main lake and secondary points at the mouths of the major creeks although there are areas further back that the fish will start stacking up in the creek bends in 10-14 ft. Middle running cranks and rattle traps in chrome or shad patterns are good for targeting these bass when you find them schooling in the creeks. This pattern will continually improve as shad start migrating to the backs of the creeks.

Deep structure fishing has been hit and miss right now also. The bass are in smaller groups in most places and moving around with suspended schools of shad a lot but there again expect things to get better in the near future and become more predictable as September gets rolling. Deep humps, points, roadbeds, pond dams, and ridges in 18-28 are good deep water areas to focus your attention. Using your graph to locate these groups of fish and paying attention to how they are relating in the water column is critical in determining bait selection. I have been using a several different baits to target these deep schools of bass once I’ve found them. The Carolina rig is my first choice. A good sensitive 7’-7’6” med. Heavy to heavy rod like an All Star ASR Series is great along with a Revo reel spooled up with 20 lb Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. Tie on a 1 oz tungsten weight, bead, and swivel to the main line then cut a piece of leader line ( I like to use 15-17 lb Trilene 100%) and tie on a 2/0 or 3/0 wide gap hook. The leader length can vary but generally I use one that is 4-5 foot long for deep fishing. Best baits for me have been Berkley 5” Wacky Crawler, Slim Shaky worm, 4” Power Hawg, or 7” Power worm. Good colors in these baits are watermelon red, green pumpkin, blue fleck, and red shad. The jig is catching its share of fish right now too. I use a 3/4 oz Talon football head jig the majority of the time out in deep water but have implemented their “new” 5/8 oz size into the mix as it targets the mid depth areas of 10-16 ft. better without hanging up as much around the brush and timber. My favorite colors are Willies Weed, California 420, Texas Craw, Bama Bug, and Watermelon Candy. For the suspended schooling fish that are concentrated and moving with schools of shad, I have been catching them on a number of different baits. Deep crank baits, zara spooks, weighted flukes, big spoons, rattle traps, and swim baits have all done well. Look for fish to periodically start schooling on any deep areas that you are fishing and keep one of these baits close by to toss at them. You can also look for large numbers of fish to get active schooling around any of the major bridges on the lake. Don’t count this out as a big fish pattern either because as we get into fall there will be some quite a few big mamas hanging around the bridge pilings.

If you are headed out to Lake Fork for the Mc Donald’s Big Bass Splash, some late summer fishing, or would like to book a fall trip, I still have a few dates available. Feel free to contact me by email at lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com or you can reach me by phone at (903)736-9888. You can also visit my website at www.officiallakeforktrophybass.com to find more information about fishing Lake Fork. While you are in the Lake Fork area, be sure to go by Diamond Sports Marine on Hwy 154 and check out the new 2010 model Ranger Boats and ask Ben Hogan about the others that will be arriving soon. These new boats are getting better every year and for 2010 Ranger has added the new Z521 Comanche to their line of fishing machines! I would also like to thank all my sponsors for their support: Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, “I AM SECOND”, Berkley, Abu Garcia, All Star, Interstate Batteries, Oakley Sunglasses, KVD Line &Lure Conditioner, BTS Protectant, Navionics, Talon Lures, Sure Life and to my Lord and Savior for His forgiveness through His blood on the cross!

Read James 1:12
Tight Lines and God Bless, James Caldemeyer

Richland Chambers Mid August Fishing Report

Administrator — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:22:00 +0000

During the first couple of weeks of August the fishing was very typical of past Summers on RC with a little bit of White Bass topwater schooling activity most mornings, and a bit atypical in another way. Let me explain!

For those of you who fish a lot, this next paragraph or two will sound familiar and for the folks who may only fish a couple of times a year, it may sound like an "Old Wives Tale"! I'm talking about the feeding effects that a FULL MOON will have on many animals and specifically fish. The August Full Moon was at it's peak during the August 3rd-10th timeframe. We had both boats on the Lake almost everyday during this week long period and once again experienced the effect a Full Moon will have on White Bass and Hybrid Stripers on Richland Chambers.

As mentioned earlier, we experienced a bit of early morning (Daylight) topwater schooling almost everyday. But....we also had the best bite and usually more topwater schooling from around 11AM till early afternoon on most of those same days. We normally have our Customers back at the Marina Cafe eating a Burger while we clean fish no later than 11:30AM. However, most of the days during the Full Moon we ignored the heat and just keep on Catchin' instead of Fishin'!

Biologist and others who study the effect of Solunar Tables and Full Moon periods will tell you that fish (and Deer) will feed aggressively during the late night and early morning hours during a Full Moon. They also will explain that another major feeding period will occur during the midday and early afternoon period of the daylight hours.

While I've fished all my life, I never really noticed how accurate the Biologists and others were in regard to feeding periods. The past ten years of Guiding and being on the Lake over 200 days a year has pointed out that I really needed to adjust my thinking certain days of the month. I needed to be on the Lake when the fish were the most apt to be biting. Adam and I do just that nowadays! You might want to take a look at the phase of the Full Moon the next time you go out. It could result in a better catch!

However, I will end this Report with another bit of wisdom I've gained over the years. When asked "When is the BEST time to go Fishing?", I always tell potential customers that "I can honestly tell you the BEST time to fish is WHENEVER you can".

Good Luck and Good Fishin'!

Royce & Adam Simmons
Gone Fishin' Guide Service
www.gonefishin.biz
903-389-4117

Richland Chambers August 1st Fishing Update

Administrator — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Fellow Fishermen & Fisherwomen,

This past week was a busy one as I fished everyday and Adam had trips everyday except Tuesday! It was also a "Rollercoaster Ride" as we had Rainy, Cool, Warm, Windy and about every imaginable weather condition to deal with. With that said, we had Very Good fishing Monday through Thursday, and only Fair fishing on Friday & Saturday. The White Bass are normally schooling on top in the early AM and then we're finding fish in the deeper water on slabs in the late AM. We found fish in almost 50' water on the Main Lake on Friday & Saturday and caught them by "burning" slabs up through the suspended fish.

With the exception of Tuesday when I conducted an Afternoon Trip and Thursday when we had a late start due to rain, all our trips were morning trips. We have stopped running afternoon trips due to the heat. Get this....the two best trips were Tuesday & Thursday!!! Guess the weather conditions, moon phase and the fish all combined to fool us!

This coming week (August 3rd) we have at least one boat open everyday except Saturday, and the following week is about the same. We even have a boat open on Saturday, the 15th and 22nd. Give us a call and Let's Go Catchin'!

Good Luck and Good Fishin'

Royce & Adam Simmons
Gone Fishin' Guide Service
www.gonefishin.biz
903-389-4117