Toledo Bend Guide is dedicated to providing Toledo Bend bass fishing and boating enthusiasts a venue for posting news about your bass fishing and boating experiences, questions and comments. You submit the news about your lake, bass fishing tournaments, conservation issues or anything else, related to bass fishing, boats and boating, that's on your mind.
Visit Your Account link to register
(free), create your own personalized navigation menu of favorite areas of the
site. Make announcements to all users online, exchange private
messages with
other bass fishing members and customize the look
of the site to suit your own personal taste.
Posted by BigBassJB on Monday, June 29 @ 16:14:12 CDT (6 reads)
(Read More... | Score: 0)
Toledo Bend Reservoir - July 2009
HOT!!! That is the word for the month. We sure need some of those nice refreshing rains to start coming back to our area. Starting an early morning fishing trip when it is already in the high 80’s makes for an uncomfortable day by the time the sun really gets up. Come On Rain!
The lake level at the time of this writing stands at 170.74 with generators running 6 hours – 2pm-8pm. The spillway gates are closed and current waterflow is 204 CFS. I would rate the clarity of the water in the southern part of the lake as very clear. Hot days and water evaporation are causing the lake to slowly fall, and unless we get those rainy days this trend will unfortunately continue. I checked the surface temperature yesterday and it was in the high 80’s.
Most anglers are in the early morning and late evening fishing mode. Deepwater fish can certainly be caught .. if you can take the heat. This is also the time of the year when many of our anglers head out to do a bit of night fishing and at times the action can be really good on dark-colored spinnerbaits and worms.
Bass – One day you can have a really good trip like I had earlier last week, and then the next day (fishing the same places) it can be a bummer. There are still a fair amount of bass in the shallow water (if you have grass or deepwater structure near-by) and these fish are hitting frogs, smaller topwater baits like the clear-bodied Pop-R and Zara Spook or the Chug Bugs. Schooling bass can surface at any time so keep a Rat-L-Trap or one of the above-mentioned topwater baits handy. Earlier this week I caught bass on jigging spoons in from 14-18 feet of water so you don’t have to fish those 25+ feet depths to get some action. Carolina-rigged centipedes and Texas-rigged Ol’ Monster and Strike Kings new Rage Worm series are good producers. I recommend watermelon-red and watermelon-candy as good colors to start with.
Crappie – Slow fishing has been the word with best results coming from 20 feet of water over brushpiles or on the edge of the deepwater grassline using live shiners.
Stripers/Hybrids - Fishing has been on and off but I would rate it as slow. Fish that are being caught are nice size (7 to 15 pounds) and are coming from about 20+ feet of water on spoons.
Yellow Bass – Action has picked up considerably for the yellow bass. Deep channel ledges and points (16-26 feet of water) or out in deeper water suspended are the places to look. I caught some last week over 45-feet of water suspended at about 26 feet and the schools of shad were nearby. Black bass were running in the same school but holding a bit deeper than the yellow bass. There are some excellent schools running in Housen Bay across from Fin & Feather Resort. The nickel color Texan spoon has been the best bait with a nickel tail-spin coming in second.
The Fairmount Bass Club will hold its July monthly bass tournament the 18th of this month, beginning at 8pm until 2am. This is a great bunch of folks and I would encourage you to attend one of these events and meet the folks. Contact President Suzanne Hennigan at (713) 655-1200 or (409) 835-5011 or Scott Tangman at the Pleasure Bend General Store (409-579-2203) for more information.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission has approved increases to hunting and fishing licenses, as well as boat titling and registration fees. Most fees will increase by five percent and the increases take effect with the 2009-2010 license year, starting this fall for recreational hunting and fishing licenses. Hunting licenses will increase from $23 to $25, while the popular Super Combo all-inclusive license increases from $64 to $68. Non-resident hunting licenses increase by $15 from $300 to $315, which also reflects a five percent hike. Fishing packages will also increase by $2. The resident freshwater fishing package increases from $28 to $30 and the saltwater fishing package increases from $33 to $35. The biggest increase in license fees approved by the commission affects lifetime licenses. The resident lifetime fishing and hunting licenses will increase to $1,000 and the lifetime combination license increases to $1,800. Boat owners in Texas will also see increases in boat registration and titling fees. Boat registration, which are valid for two years, for vessels less than 16 feet in length increase from $30 to $32 and those in the 16-26 foot range go from $50 to $53. Boats 26-40 feet increase from $70 to $110 and boats greater than 40 feet increase from $90 to $150.
******************************************************************* There is a new bait showing up in our area and it goes by the name of Spigg. The company was formed in 1997 with the idea to create a lure with a super-erratic and strike-triggering action. The bait comes in a number of sizes and each has its own special action.
The Spigg can be twitched, cranked, jerked or trolled. The unique wide-to-thin shaped contour of the bait produces an action that you will have to see to believe.
The bait advertises an Asymmetric Weight Distribution (AWD) system that allows both erratic lateral movement and creates an tremendous amount of vibration and sound to be generated within its large internal rattle chamber. The bait casts great in the wind and the hand-painted finish, quality hooks and stainless hardware make this a bait you can depend on for your future fishing trips.
The Spigg Original is 3-inches long and comes in a floating or slow-sinking version. The Mid-Spigg is a 4-inch floating model. The Big Spigg is a 5.5-inch floating and suspending version that is sure to attract the attention of the BIG fish. The Spigg Jerk measures 5.5-inches and is a carefully balanced, slow-sinking jerkbait with plenty of swimming action.
A predator fish usually looks up at it’s prey and the Sprig’s wide contour gives an impact that a pen-shaped lure never will create. The super-erratic swimming-action of the bait switching from wide to thin is almost like a spoon-bait. Reaction from the fish is guaranteed!!
Look for the Spigg soon because I have a feeling that it will be one of those baits you definitely will want to have in your tacklebox.
********************************************************************************** For those of you not familiar with our area let me tell you a bit about Toledo Bend Lake. Toledo Bend Lake is located on the Sabine River. Beginning in May 1963, land acquisitions for Toledo Bend Reservoir started as a joint management project of Texas and Louisiana River Authorities. The construction of the dam, spillway and power plant was initiated in April 1964. The closure section of the earthen embankment and impoundment of water was begun in October 1966. The power plant was completed and began operating in the early part of 1969.
Toledo Bend Reservoir forms a portion of the boundary between the states of Texas and Louisiana. From the dam site, which is north of Burkeville, TX, the reservoir extends up the river for about 65 miles to Logansport, LA, and inundates land in Sabine, Shelby, Panola and Newton Counties, Texas, and Sabine and DeSoto Parishes, Louisiana.
Toledo Bend Reservoir is the largest man made body of water in the south and the fifth largest in surface acres in the United States, with water normally covering an area of about 200,000 acres and having a controlled storage capacity of 4,477,000 acre-feet (1,458,934,927,000 gallons). It is the nation's only public water conservation and hydroelectric power project to be undertaken without federal participation in its permanent financing. The Toledo Bend Project was constructed by the Sabine River Authority of Texas, and the Sabine River Authority of Louisiana, primarily for the purposes of water supply, hydroelectric power generation, and recreation.
Toledo Bend, with its 1,200 miles of shoreline, offers an almost unlimited opportunity for recreational development and is a major element in serving the growing demand for water oriented outdoor recreation. Both private and public facilities are available for swimming, boating, picnicking, fishing, camping, hunting and sightseeing. The lake has a large area of submerged timbers, which serves as the fish’s prime habitat. Black bass, crappie, blue gill, feisty striped bass and catfish are found in abundance in the lake. Guided fishing trips can be booked through many of the local marinas. A population of 300 pounds of game fish per acre and an annual fingerling restocking program make Toledo Bend one of the best fishing lakes in the country with an abundance of black bass, white bass, stripers, Florida bass, crappie, bream and catfish.
Along the timbered shoreline are marinas, lakeside cottages and fine luxury homes. There is a natural harmony with the woods, the land and the water. Throughout the region, nature's abundance of wild flowers, scented blooms, majestic pines and leafy shade trees all erupt in fountains of color. Yet, there is a blend in the mysterious, almost primitive shallow bayous and coves that make up the shoreline.
The area surrounding Toledo Bend Reservoir is home to many species of birds including coastal shorebirds, pelicans, egrets, cranes, bald eagles, ducks and a host of migrating birds. Other wildlife in the area include white tail deer, fox, armadillo, opossum, raccoon, coyote, wolf, beaver and wild hog.
A moderate climate with minimum temperature in January average 38 to 40 degrees and the maximum temperature in July averaging 94 degrees and an annual rainfall of about 50 inches allow year-round recreational use of Toledo Bend Reservoir.
Many people who once visited Toledo Bend are now residents of areas bordering the lake in Texas and Louisiana. Have a great month and I will see you on the water!! – JB
May/June 2009
Posted by BigBassJB on Thursday, May 14 @ 22:30:47 CDT (30 reads)
(Read More... | Score: 0)
Where is the world did all of this wind come from in the past month? And if you were on the water without a good set of raingear you definitely got wet. The rains we have experienced have really been “gully washers”.
The lake level as of today (May 13th) is 171.77 (normal pool level is 172’ mean sea level) and both generators are running 24 hours per day. Current waterflow is 13694 CFS. Surface water temperature remains in the lower 70’s and the southern part of the lake has mostly clear conditions except in the back portions of feeder creeks where the clarity is somewhat stained.
Bass Fishing – When the wind is not howling the bass fishing is rated from fairly good to somewhat slow, depending on who you are getting a report from.
I was on the water a couple of days this past week and found bass in about 14- to 18 feet deep, with the Carolina-rig/Crème Pro Series "Big Pig" (4-inch size) in a watermelon-seed color producing best. Texas-rigs have also been good and it seems a quicker retrieve is working better than the “s-l-o-w retrieve. Watermelon red and watermelon candy are always good color selections for Toledo Bend fishing. Before leaving your fishing spot be sure to chunk a black/blue or brown jig and trailer because there are just some times that the bass pefer the jig over the regular plastic. A few topwater fish are being taken and the frog bite should be getting hot during the upcoming month.
Yellow Bass – Fishing is starting to pick up for these guys. I caught 38 earlier this week jigging a ¾-oz silver Texan spoon in about 21-28 feet of water. These were not the really quality size that I have seen in the past, however, they were just the right size for some nice fillets to put in the freezer.
Crappie – Pro/Guide Stephen Johnston had a couple of good trips last week and on a normal trip he was taking about 40+ fish, with some really nice size fish. I caught one of the biggest crappie I have taken in a couple of years on a jigging spoon fished in about 14- to 18 feet of water. I talked to a few folks “strolling” tube baits and they also were taking scattered fish. If you don’t have a few secret brushpiles I suggest that you drift the edges of the grassline in from 10- to 18 feet of water and use chartreuse/black tube baits or live shiners for bait.
Catfish – Not sure what other folks are using for bait but this 20-pounder was caught on May 14th using a Texan ¾-oz silver jigging spoon in 23 feet of water.
Buzzin' For Bass
Posted by BigBassJB on Monday, April 27 @ 11:55:28 CDT (44 reads)
(Read More... | Score: 0)
Buzzin’ Your Way To Success
There are few baits on the market these days that are as exciting to fish as a buzzbait. The bait is up there in your face as it is retrieved and the explosive strikes have been liken to a concrete block being dropped on the lure, or the bait just suddenly disappearing in a huge “flush”.
Lunker Lure was one of the first baits to make a big slash back in 1976 and anglers across the country soon became proficient at skimming the lure along the surface of the water. The bait can be popped; gurgled and teased back to the boat and it still puts lots of bass on the stringer. I am not sure what a buzzbait looks like to a bass but most strikes are violent. A good buzzbait angler once told me that looking up at the bait it created a silvery, sparkling image that resembles a school of shad. Sounds good to me.
There are many other manufacturers of buzzbaits such as Strike King’s “Tri-Wing” or Double Take”, Lil’ Hustler’s "Viper" and "Okie Twister", Booyah’s “Pond Magic Buzz” and Bass Pro Shops “Laser Eye” Pro Series. Primary colors are white, white/chartreuse and black. The most commonly used blade colors are chrome, aluminum, chartreuse and black.
Most anglers already know that the bait can catch fish when worked over the top of vegetation, but it can even be used to draw up big bass over open water. For this article let’s get into the meat of the issue and see what the “pros” do when they use a buzzbait.
When To Fish The Bait – Many pros think of the buzzbait as a good choice when the water temperature is above say 55-degrees. The buzzbait does not seem to work well in extremely choppy water, but other than that it can be basically fished year-round. A buzzbait can provoke a strike in clear or murky water, open water, heavy cover, and during the day or night. A big bass blowing up on a buzzbait out there in the dark will really get the hair on the back of your neck standing up.
Slow Down – “Buzzing” is a term most anglers associate with a fast retrieve. However, a medium to slow retrieve will usually be more productive. The real key is varying the speed of the retrieve and “bump” the bait into any obstacle such as partially submerged brush, stumps, or dock pilings as it gargles its way back to the boat. That is really what gets the bass excited and provokes the stike. On occasions when a bass misses the bait, try quickly speeding up the retrieve of the lure and the bass will usually crush it.
Does Lure Size and Blade Color Matter – This really depends on water clarity. If the water is really clear drop down to the 1/8-ounce or 3/8-ounce size lures. For stained water use the bigger baits such as the ½-ounce model. As a general rule, use the smaller blades when the water is calm or quiet, and when the water gets choppy go to larger blades, double blades or even a triple-wing blade.
Rod and Line Selection – There is an old fisherman’s saying, “Don’t set the hook with a buzzbait until you feel the pull of the fish”. If you are using a stiff rod and braided line, you can miss a lot of fish because of the fast reaction of the rod and line. A better combination is to use a softer action such as composite or fiberglass. One angler I know states that he look away from the bait as it is being retrieved, which delays his reaction time when he has a strike. Chunking a buzzbait can provoke some violent strikes and in many cases the bass will be either in or near cover. You will need line in the 17- pount-plus range to horse the fish out of the thick stuff and get it headed your way.
Make It Squeak or Clack – A few years back it was not uncommon to see an angler driving down the highway holding a buzzbait out the window. He was letting the wind “wear” or open the clevis hole that the wire rides in. After about ten minutes the bait would squeal like a mouse. This can also be accomplished by removing the rear clevis and drilling out the hole a bit larger. Does the “squeaking” really help? You bet it does! Having a “clacker” on the bait also opens up another dimension of sound. The purpose of the clacker is to bang against another part of the lure when it is retrieved. The clacker is very effective in the springtime, around grass, near heavy cover, choppy water or in an area holding lots of smaller aggressive bass.
Stinger Hooks – I recommend using a stinger hook to get those “short-strikers”. Cut the rubber skirt of the bait back to the bend of the main hook, slide the eye of the stinger hook (I recommend a short-shank O’Shughnessy style hook) into a small piece of surgical tubing and then stick the main hook point through the eye of the stinger and the tubing. The tubing will make sure that the stinger stays in position and doesn’t flop around and get hung-up on brush and such. Make sure the stinger is pointed “up” when it is placed on the main hook. I knew an angler that placed his pointed down and he hung up on just about every cast. I have also had good success using a small piece of red plastic worm instead of tubing. The red provides another visual attraction for the bass.
Well there you are, a few tips that I hope will help you on your next fishing trip. When you have a big bass jump all over your buzzbait you will be a “Buzzer” for life. Good Fishing -- JB
Nice Fish!!
Posted by BigBassJB on Thursday, February 26 @ 16:10:52 CST (95 reads)
(Read More... | Score: 0)
Friday, Feb. 13 wasn't so unlucky for Clayton Harrell of Beaumont, TX.
Clayton landed this 10 pound bass using a lizard, throwing up near the bank.
He was fishing in a side cove off Hickory Ridge on Toledo Bend.
Congrads Clayton!!!!!
Chain Pickerel Fishing In Texas
Posted by BigBassJB on Wednesday, February 11 @ 19:39:17 CST (75 reads)
(Read More... | Score: 0)
A mid-January fishing adventure by Bill Heugel of Fairmount, Texas.
The air temp was in the 40s, water temp in the high 40s and the fish were in water just inches deep here in East Texas. Those are the conditions Don McMurry and I recently experienced as we fished for Chain Pickerel on Hawkins Lake which is near Tyler. Other Texas lakes that have this variety of fish are Caddo, Dangerfield and Toledo Bend (TB). The only pickerel I have seen in TB were small and stayed near grassy areas.
The Chain Pickerel is a distant cousin of the Great Northern Pike. The best time to fish for them is from about mid-December through March. That’s when they leave the cover and come to the shorelines to spawn.
Rob Woodruff is one of the premier guides for pickerel. He has written articles about fishing for them and enjoys using the bass fishing techniques during the time when bass are deep. Jackfish and Pike are common names for this fish.
You don't "lip" these fish because like their northern cousins .... they have a mouth full of teeth. The Texas record is 4.74 lbs, but they sure make up for their size by putting up a great fight.
Don and I met Rob at the boat ramp about 7am and didn’t go far to find the first fish. Just a short distance from the ramp Don caught a two pound-plus fish using what looked like a black clouser. Fortunately Don remembered to not lip the fish. Rob had given me some suggestions on what flies might work so I tied up some of my rabbit flies and also selected several others that I thought might work.
We continued fishing the shoreline and neither Don nor I had any more hits. I finally changed flies and put on an orange and red rabbit fly. Rob had indicated that Mickey Finn colors also worked well so after a bit I put one on and a few casts later a fish came up and took it while I was talking and looking away. Typical Heugel stuff!!
After that I caught several fish but then disaster struck. The fly that was working so well got cut off by a fish. I fished several other flies with no luck and finally put on one of Rob’s Mickey Finn colored clousers. Success again came my way.
Throughout the day we had plenty of hook ups. Some of the fish made flashy jumps while others simply "bull-doged" their way in various directions. We also managed to catch a few bass in the process. It was interesting that some bass remain in the shallow areas under these weather conditions. Only one bass we caught looked like it had come from the deeper water, the others were dark and looked like they had been in the shallows for some time.
We did most of our fishing on this trip with 6 weight rods. This was due primarily because of the wind. We could have also fished with wire leaders and that would have eliminated some of the cut offs. However, according to Rob that would also have eliminated the possibility of catching the bass.
Here is an example of the shoreline we were fishing. Sometimes it was over dead lily pads and other times just grass. The pickerel attaché the eggs to the grass and then leave.
Lake Dangerfield would also be an interesting adventure. They have an overnight group facility which supports 20 folks in 5 rooms. It would make a great trip for our club since it's not too far. The cost is $225 per night. With our fantastic bank account it could be shared by the attendees. As I recall there are no motors allowed on the lake, however, it is quite small so it’s easy to get around.
It was a fun trip, and as the postcards say .."Wish you were here"! ..... Bill
Advertising
Login
Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As a registered user you have some advantages like theme manager, comments configuration and post comments with your name.
