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Few anglers on the planet understand the behavior of Lake Fork’s big bass better than James Caldemeyer. The Iowa native moved to the region at age 19, that’s when his dad introduced him to bass fishing on the famous 27,000 acre reservoir, and for the past 15 years, he’s made a full-time living guiding clients to their fish of a lifetime.

Easily recognized by the large “I Am Second” graphics on his Toyota Tundra and Ranger Boat, the 45-year-old Caldemeyer says an already full Lake Fork will fish very different than fans of Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest have seen in past events here.

“Fork is already filled to the brim because of all the rain we’ve had, and we’ve got a lot more heavy rain on the way the next couple days. That forces the Sabine River Authority to open the gates at the dam to release water, which causes current to flow through our reservoir. And unlike most any reservoir in the country, current seems to hinder the bite here, rather than help it,” he explains.

Typically, this is the time of year when giants like the 13 pound 7 ounce fiberglass replica you see Caldemeyer holding in the photo finish spawning, migrate deep, school up, and fall for deep crankbaits, football jigs, and Carolina Rigs. But that’s simply not the dominant pattern this week according to Caldemeyer.

“Not only do you still have bass in all three phases of the spawn this week, but you also have a shad spawn taking place. Combine the shad spawn with clouds and rain, and you can count on the big gizzard shad to stay shallow pretty much all day. And that’s what big bass love to eat here,” he says.

With Fork’s groceries staying shallow, Caldemeyer predicts topwater lures like Berkley’s Choppo, as well as big swimbaits, will be major players this week.

“If I had to pick one swimbait to throw this week it would be a 6.75” Rising Son from 3:16 Lure Company, it’s an awesome gizzard shad imitator!” he says passionately.

However, as much as Caldemeyer loves to throw a swimbait, he knows it can be an all or nothing lure, hence he says he’d definitely have a shallow squarebill crankbait tied on as a “limit getter” in the shallows.

“I really think this tournament is kind of anybody’s ballgame to win this week. You’ll see guys froggin’ and pitching Texas-rigged plastics, doing all sorts of things to find a consistent pattern, but the pattern we’ve seen in this event during previous years where a guy with lots of local knowledge wins on a couple mega-schools out deep is highly unlikely this week,” he concludes.

That said, he predicts it will still take a mighty impressive average of 26 pounds per day to win the prestigious 4-day derby.

Caldemeyer should know. Few folks on earth have a better feel for Fork’s giant bass than the guy who makes a living slinging swimbaits from the front deck of the “I Am Second” boat.

Editors Note: To learn more about James, or to book a trip with him, please visit www.OfficialLakeForkTrophyBass.com

A huge number of Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing Fans picked Keith Combs to do very well at this week’s Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

And rightfully so. Combs has won three previous Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest events, including the 2014 event on Lake Fork when he hauled a massive 110 pounds of fat largemouth to the scales in just three days of competition. Heck, it’d take a tax account ten minutes to add up all the prize money and Toyota Trucks Bonus Bucks he’s earned from this event.

And the crazy thing is, Lake Fork is not even Combs’ home lake. While many predict his prowess here this week could be jeopardized by clouds, rain, current, and a somewhat lagging post-spawn migration, a conversation with him on the eve of this super cool derby suggested he was feeling just fine about his chances.

Q: Okay, don’t fib to us, what’s the biggest bass you’ve had your hands on in practice?
Combs: A 9-pounder.

Q: What’s the biggest bass you’ve weighed-in during previous events here?
Combs: A 10 pound 14 ounce bass in 2014 that I caught on a Strike King 10XD tied to 15-pound fluorocarbon.

Q: Name three lures you think fans can expect pros to throw a lot here this week?
Combs: a 10XD crankbait, a ¾ ounce pitching jig, and a ½ ounce swim jig.

Q: What’s going to surprise fans most about this event?
Combs: We’re going to see a lot of great 5-bass limits caught, but probably not the huge number of 30-pound limits some people are saying we’ll catch.

Q: Give you’re confidence level a letter grade right now.
Combs: I’d give it an “A”

Q: Chris Knight is playing a concert here at Texas Fest on Saturday. What music are you listening to these days?
Combs: Man, you threw me a curveball. I thought this was all about bass fishing. I’ll tell ya, man, I’m an old soul, so I just ride around in the Tundra listening to country music on FM radio most days.

In a tournament largely dominated by smallmouth bass, FLW Tour pro Dylan Hays leaned on a homemade flipping jig and largemouth to earn himself a 3rd place finish on Lake Cherokee, and an extra $500 from the LEER “Cover Cash” program. Hays built upon an area he found during the last hour of official practice time way up one of Cherokee’s rivers to land 65-lbs and 12-ounces of bass over the course of 4 days.

“It was an awesome week of setting the hook,” Hays said. “Anytime I can fish with a jig, a spinnerbait, and 20-lb line I am a happy guy. I caught somewhere between 15-20 keepers a day and had a ball!”

Add in the additional “Cover Cash” bonus, as well as $1000 from Toyota Bonus Bucks, and it’s plain to see Hays had plenty to smile about. Hays has been a longtime participant of LEER’s contingency program and has “made hay” with his trusty tonneau cover. Hays opted for a tonneau cover so he could easily remove it off his truck bed and transport large items. That was over 5 years ago, and the purchase has won Hays nearly $5,000 since then!

“Buying that LEER tonneau cover was hands down one of the best decisions I have ever made,” admitted Hays. “Within the first six months of owning this cover I won bonus money through “Cover Cash” in 3 different tournaments, which essentially paid for the product right there. I really like the cover and I love the extra cash that comes along with it.”

Hays offered a perfect reminder that ANY LEER product makes you eligible for the “Cover Cash” program. Whether you have a full fiberglass truck cap, or if you are like Hays and a removable tonneau cover meets your needs, you can register for “Cover Cash” and earn bonus money when competing in supported events.

LEER tonneau covers are newly available for purchase from the comfort of your own home. https://leertonneaus.com/ has a great selection of LEER’s line up of tonneau covers including hard and soft top folding, rolling, or retractable models.
There are currently several special deals available on leertonneaus.com, including $100 off the HF 350M model. You’re only a few clicks away from great savings on a reliable product that’ll keep your gear safe, dry, and organized while also making you eligible for the “Cover Cash” program!

And you don’t have to place in the top 5 of an FLW Tour level event to reap rewards from “Cover Cash” – the program pays out on a myriad of bass and walleye tournaments with over 200 eligible events! For a full list of sponsored tournaments or to register for the program just follow this link: https://leercovercash.com/ If you’d rather call than click give (918) 742-6424 a ring, ask for Kendell, and we’ll get you signed up.