Randy Oldfield is a fishing guide who specializes in giving clients a shot at a big largemouth bass. He keeps a low profile, but Oldfield’s five biggest bass may be the best total for any Texas angler.

Nearly 10 years after the peak of Lake Fork’s big-bass production, four of Oldfield’s top fish have been caught in the past 10 months. That includes a 15-pounder caught while night fishing in August, a 14-pounder caught night fishing in September, a 13-pounder caught in April, and a 14-pounder caught May 3.

The May bass weighed 14 pounds, 11 ounces and was 27 inches long. The fish was spawned out and may well have weighed 16 pounds had it been caught before the spawn. In fact, Oldfield believes he hooked the same fish in March.

“I had her on long enough to get her to the surface and see a huge, very dark-colored bass,” the guide said. “Then the hook pulled out. She was within casting distance of the spot where I caught the big fish on May 3, and that fish was unusually dark colored.”

Most of Oldfield’s biggest bass were caught at Lake Fork. In 1996, he caught five 13-pounders at Lake Cypress Springs. That run included consecutive largemouth Cypress Springs bass records with fish weighing 13 pounds, 5 ounces and 13 pounds, 11 ounces. Those are the only two big fish that’s he’s bothered to have certified by TP&W.

What’s his big bass secret?

“I’m obviously pretty lucky,” he said. “I also spend a lot of time fishing where I think my odds of catching a big bass are good. When the weather is hot, I do a lot of night fishing, and my two biggest fish have come at night.

“I fish a jig about 99 percent of the time, and that’s a proven big-bass lure. I also use tackle that enables me to handle the fish that bite. I believe a lot of people are hooking big bass and their tackle is just not heavy enough to land the fish.”

Oldfield’s rods are G. Loomis heavy-action 7-footers. They provide enough leverage and backbone to control the biggest bass. His reels are spooled with 65-pound-test Power Pro braided line.

His top lure this time of year is a 3â8-ounce Oldham jig in camouflage color with a Zoom Brush Hog for a trailer.

The combination, Oldfield said, closely resembles a bluegill. During spawning season, bass feed on bluegills and also attack the sunfish to protect spawning beds.