Toledo Bend Guide

As I write this report on the morning of February 12th, snow is falling, it is c-o-l-d and just basically a miserable day for fishing. However, like everyone says about Texas weather .. "Just wait a bit and it will change". Hopefully we will see the sun in a few days and all of these cold fronts will go away. There are fish to be caught and I am getting cabin fever!

I saw that my friend Joe Joslin was heading to the Bass Master Classic at Lay Lake just out of Birmingham, Alabama .. and I hope he give us some good update of all the activities. If you have never attended a Classic you should. It is Mardi Gras disguised as a bass tournament. Lot's of fun!

LAKE CONDITIONS: Current lake level on 2/11/2010 is 169.72. Generator 1 Currently shut down Generator 2 Currently running 24 hours. Spillway Gates Closed Current Waterflow 6564 CFS Water clarity in the south end of the lake is basically clear but should stain somewhat as we continue to get drizzle/rain .... and snow. Water temperature continues to be bad for fishermen since it has dropped seven plus degrees in some areas and is between 50 to 52 degrees maximum in most areas. That is cold since three weeks ago we were fishing some areas that had 53-plus degree temperature. I hope that this colder temperature is doing a number to the Giant Salvinia since it doesn't like the colder temperatures.

Fishing Reports:
BASS - You have to be pretty lucky these days to find a window of time when the wind is not blowing or a cold front is not roaring thru our area. Three weeks ago bass were starting to stage in the creeks anticipating that warmer weather would occur and the spawning cycle would begin. Many of these fish have dropped back into the deeper areas but could move up fast when the sun gets back on the water. A.D. White with lunker Toledo Bend Bass

A. D. White and I had a great day on January 23rd. We finished 1st and 2nd in the Fairmount Bass Club tournament and A. D. had a beautiful 11-pound 6-ounce lunker as a kicker. We both had limits-plus and about 80% of the bass were caught on a black/blue swim-jig with a craw trailer and the rest were taken on a black Texan Shaker.

It was a great day and the 11-pounder was released back into Toledo Bend to fight again another day. The key was to fish the baits in close proximity to the creek channel but also close to the flats.

Late reports on both Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn have been sketchy but the patterns that are working seem to be gold Rogues fished v-e-r-y slow, Shaker type baits, and drop-shots in 25-plus feet of water.

I visited with pro angler Tommy Martin and he said that the drop-shot pattern worked best for both he and fellow angler Larry Nixon during the recent FLW American Fishing Series tournament at Sam Rayburn. Pro angler Cody Woods won the event with a 3-day total of 32-pounds 10-ounces. Randy Cisler finished 2nd followed by Charles Bibber, Tommy Martin and Larry Nixon. Congrads to all!
With the cold fronts pulling in more cold air the deepwater pattern may be with us for awhile. If so I would recommend the Texan jigging spoon, a drop-shot and possibly the Carolina-rig. Take your time fishing an area and be patient. There are some big bass out there just waiting to come to the shallows so the ridges, long points and funnel area that lead from deep water to shallow would be good places to start. The afternoon bite seems to be much better than the early morning bite.

This is also a good time to wacky worm a Crème Scoundrel worm. That slow sinking worm can get the attention from bass that will ignore other offerings. I haven't had much luck in recent days with a crankbait or trap but this action will perk back up as the water warms.

Crappie - Have had a few reports of crappie being caught from Housen Bay and up around Holly Park. Not much from the Chicken Coop area. Best pattern seems to be fishing minnows on a tight line in about 25-feet of water over brush. I predict that this will be one of the best years ever for crappie fishing once they kick off. Rat-L-Traps

O x y m o r o n s

1. Is it good if a vacuum really sucks? 2. Why is it called "after dark" when it really is "after light"? 3. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand? 4. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know? 5. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words? 6. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack? 7. Why does "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing? 8. Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing? 9. Why do "tug" boats push their barges? 10. Why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game" when we are already there? 11. Why are they called "stands" when they are made for sitting? 12. Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected? 13. Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites? 14. Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things? 15. Why is "phonics" not spelled the way it sounds? 16. If work is so terrific, why do they have to pay you to do it? 17. If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting? 18. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular? 19. If you are cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right? 20. Why is bra singular and panties plural? 21. Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control when you know the batteries are dead? 22. Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase? 23. How come abbreviated is such a long word? 24. Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them? 25. Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle? 26. Why do they call it a TV set when you only have one? 27. Christmas - What other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree and eat candy out of your socks? 28. Why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway? I dunno, why do we? ************************************

Cinnamon and Honey
Honey is the only food on the planet that will not spoil or rot. It will do what some call turning to sugar. In reality honey is always honey. However, when left in a cool dark place for a long time it will do what I rather call "crystallizing." When this happens I loosen the lid, boil some water, and sit the honey container in the hot water, turn off the heat and let it liquefy. It is then as good as it ever was. Never boil honey or put it in a microwave.. To do so will kill the enzymes in the honey. Cinnamon and Honey Bet the drug companies won't like this one getting around.

Facts on Honey and Cinnamon:
It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a 'Ram Ban' (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases. Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, in its issue dated 17 January, 1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.

CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.

GAS: According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that if Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacterial and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural 'Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increase and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old.

PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS: Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

WEIGHT LOSS: This is the one I really want to work!!!) Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month three times a day.

FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.

BAD BREATH: People of South America, first thing in the morning, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!

That's all -- Stay warm and I will see you on the water -- JB

There are few folks in the angling world that are not familiar with the great fishing products made by Stanley Jigs, Inc. Many years ago fishing legend and tournament pro Lonnie Stanley introduced some of the finest fishing jigs on the market and many tournaments were won with these great products. Over the years the company has expanded its product line in many ways but one thing has been consistent.. and that is Quality. Stanley knows fishing and has made every effort to put nothing but quality products into the hands of anglers like you and me.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting with Stanley and he told me about the great line of new items they are featuring for 2010. This highly innovative company always finds a way to put together new baits that are almost certain to increase not only the number of bass that we catch but also the size of the fish. Here are a few of the fishing products that you will definitely need in your tacklebox for this upcoming fishing season. Y-Not

Y-NOT – This has to be one of the greatest little baits that have come along in the past decade. The name comes from its simple Y-shaped body, yet there is nothing simple about this lure's design and its uncanny ability to mimic a living, breathing crawfish. It absolutely drives bass nuts! The bait can be pitched, cast, flipped, jig’d, used on a drop-shot rig or fished as a suspended bait. Its versatility is truly unmatched.

Small air pockets are built into the legs of the Y-NOT and rattlers can be placed into the air pockets for added attraction. These chambers also trap air for greater buoyancy. As you fish the bait along the bottom of a lake or pond the two legs stand straight up, imitating with amazing realism a defensive crawfish with pincers in the air. Air is also trapped within the dozens of soft, flexible rings surrounding the lure's body and legs. Each time you twitch the bait tiny air bubbles are released. Bass are drawn to the “breathing” bait by the sound and sight of the air bubbles.

“The collapsible rings feel like something alive. When the fish grabs it, they just hold on,” says Stanley. “Since bass hang on tight it's hard to miss the fish when setting the hook. The point of the hook is exposed yet hidden in the flexible rings, for weedless fishing.” The bait is ideal for Carolina and Texas rigging and works great with Drop Shots and Shaky Heads. And according to Stanley, there is no better jig trailer.

When pulled behind a bare hook the Y-NOT looks amazingly like a frog. The trapped air adds buoyancy that floats the soft bait along the water's surface. As the air bubbles escape the lure sinks so slowly, that it looks just like a frog swimming with outstretched legs. Add a 5/0 hook and the bait will suspend the hook, sinking ever so slowly. It is absolutely awesome for fishing with a Carolina Rig. Y-NOT is available in 4 and 3.5 inch sizes and 11 top producing colors

ItzaBug – Although there are a number of “creature baits” on the market these days, nothing has all of the features of the new “ItzaBug”. The design combines the soft “real-feel” rings of the Sidewinder lure for the body with a pair of crawfish claws. Then throw in a couple of screw-tail tentacles and you have a “bug” that's dynamite for fishing our Texas/Louisiana waters.

ItzaBug's soft flexible rings trap air, emitting tiny bubbles that imitate a live, breathing crawfish. Bass will hang on tight to the collapsible rings that feel like moving prey in the fish's mouth. Two flat appendages with pincers and the pair of curly-tail tentacles add a liveliness that drives bass crazy. The small 4-inch ItzaBug is as versatile as it is effective. The soft bait can also be fished behind a 1/8 or 1/4-ounce jig head. “It's a great jig trailer,” says Lonnie Stanley. When the ItzaBug is slid onto a skirted jig the wide ringed body opens up expanding the skirt and the escaping air bubbles give it a “breathing” effect. The bait is also perfect for throwing after cold snaps, when the bass tend to favor smaller baits. It is ideal on a 3/0 or 4/0 hook Carolina-rigged or Texas-rigged, and works great when drop shot'ing. ItzaBug fished on a Texas-rig is deadly on the bedding bass. How the ItzaBug is fished, is limited only by one’s imagination.

The Sidewinder – This bait has a “soft ringed” body and sinks slowly with a life-like movement that bass just can’t resist. Multiple rings surround the soft bait from tip to tail, trapping air as its cast and giving it slight buoyancy. As it falls, the tiny air bubbles escape allowing the bait to sink deadly slow. The Sidewinder remains in the water column longer thus maximizing its visibility in the strike zone.

The Sidewinder has a rattle chamber in the tail that enhances its attraction. When used without a rattler the chamber becomes an air pocket that causes the tail to stand straight up. A slight shake of the rod allows trapped air bubbles in the rattle chamber to escape. The Sidewinder is extremely versatile and is ideal for shaky heads, Texas and Carolina-rigging or dead-sticking. The slow sinking Sidewinder can also be fished near the top “fluke style”. It can create some explosive strikes when snaked over or through thick cover. The tip of the hook can be exposed yet it's hidden in the rings, making it weedless.

The bait is also going to be great for those of you that like to “wacky worm”. Paired with the Stanley T-Wacky hook either 1/16 or 1/8-oz., the weighted hook and slow-sinking Sidewinder “fight” each other, giving it a life-like action whether the bait is hooked through the middle or the nose. The rings of the bait are so flexible that when you try to grab the bait in the water, it feels like trying to hold on to a live worm or snake.

The 5 1/2-inch Sidewinder can also be trimmed to a 4 to 4 ½-inch length and fished as a “jiggin” eel, with the air pocket in the tail giving it a floating snaky action; or insert a rattle in the chamber making the Sidewinder a deadly muddy-water jig trailer. Put a rattle in then slip it on a spinnerbait and you have the world’s first rattling spinnerbait trailer! The Sidewinder is available in eleven top producing colors Double Take Hook

Ribbit Double-Take Hook As most of you know, the Ribbit is one of the most widely used baits in our area. Lonnie Stanley and colleague John Hale applied a great deal of common sense and logic when coming up with the idea of the Ribbit Double-Take Hook. As in most cases, two heads are better than one when solving a problem, and two hooks are always better than one for hooking and landing big bass!

The Ribbit Double-Take Hook is specially designed to fish with Stanley Lures' Ribbit soft bait but works wonders with other frog-imitation soft lures as well. Bass tend to strike violently at the “racing” frogs that run across the top of the water, and will often miss a single hook.

The Ribbit Double-Take Hook with its longer shank and two points doubles your chances of hooking up, says Bassmaster Classic veteran, Stanley. It's longer than other hooks, allowing the tips of the two hooks to penetrate lower within the legs of the Ribbit frog. The churning legs of the frog grab the fish's attention and are often the target of the strike. The added length to the shank of the hook greatly reduces the likelihood of the fish missing the hooks. The Ribbit Double-Take Hook is definitely going to get a double take from our anglers.

SwimMax Jig – In the past year or so the swimming jig has slowly moved more and more into the spotlight for our local anglers. There are just some days when this technique is about the only one that produces a strike.

My partner A.D. White and I experienced this in the recent January Fairmount Bass Club tournament. Although a few fish were caught on other baits, the majority of our first and second place finish came by swimming a black jig that had a dark crawfish trailer.

One of the bass caught (by A.D. White) pulled the scales down to 11-pounds 6-ounces. That is a BIG BIG bass!

Stanley has spent a great deal of time perfecting a jig made for this swimming technique. The shape of the head allows the bait to swim over and through grass, pads and all types of structure. The bait won’t roll over on a fast retrieve and it is great when fishing those tough areas of fallen timber. The bait has a patented “Wedgehead” design that is like adding a four wheel drive to your jig. It's the most weedless jig that Stanley has ever produced and comes in sizes of 3/8 and 1/2 oz

T-Wacky - If you haven’t tried fishing “wacky style” then you have missed out on some great fun and probably some nice bags of bass. Wacky worm fishing is one of the most effective do-nothing methods available today.

Stanley has just introduced the T-Wacky which may well be the best hook system on the market for wacky fishing. The T-Wacky has a teardrop front weight design so the lure will fall naturally. All of the T-Wacky hooks come with a weed guard and are super sharp. The unique teardrop head design allows the hook point to stay up as the weight falls head first, allowing you to have a superior hook set. BugEye Jig

Bugeye Football Jig – Football jigs have certainly made their presence known in the past year or so and some anglers believe that they are the hottest thing going for big bass. Lonnie Stanley states that he has caught more monster bass on the jig and trailer than any other lure they make. The new Bugeye Football Jig will certainly enhance your chances of getting that big bass into the boat. The bait has realistic eyes, a quality Owner hook, Accent Flash Skirt, and the best paint jobs you'll ever see. All you have to do is pitch, flip, or cast and hang on. Original Casting Jig

Casting Jigs – These are the “bread and butter” baits that started the entire Stanley product line. The original casting and flipping jigs are the best of the basics for all jig fishermen. An all time favorite color would have to be black/blue, but others that receive a nod of approval from our area pros are the black/brown, white and watermelon seed. RFE

RFE - Platinum Bloodspot Series – The new Realistic Flat Eyes bait comes with Bloodspot skirts and the patented two color weed guard. The weed guard is made with a few stands of red facing up... Where it counts. This bait should have a numbers of users because it is really one of the finest looking jigs on the market today. The bait sports a super sharp Mustad Ultra point hook, Hot Flash Blood Spot skirts, a rattle chamber and Realistic Flat Eyes. Jim Binns with Jan Toledo Bend Lunker

Well there you are, a few of the newest baits on the market from one of the front runners of the fishing industry – Stanley Baits.

As I mentioned earlier, quality is what you get when you purchase a Stanley product and having a high level of customer focus is their way of doing business. Give some of these baits a try – They just may help you catch that bass of a lifetime.
Good Fishing – JB

For more information go to www.fishstanley.com or contact Ken Chaumont at kenchaumont@fishstanley.com