So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[Bass_Fanatic]

I've been debating on doing some guiding on Toledo for awhile now.  My work schedule is pretty flexible and i could do one or two trips a week if there were enough people wanting to go.  I'm no expert, but I've learned a lot about reading maps to find highly productive water then reading my graph to find cover and fish on structure.  My cost for a trip to Toledo is about $100 as I'm 2 hour drive from the lake.  If anyone is interested in setting up a trip, pm me on here and we can set up a day. It can either be a trip focused more on learning to locate and fish deep, or a trip more focused on catching fish.  I would have to charge $325 a day to cover expenses and make up for not working that day. Let me know if you are interested. 

1 hour ago, j bab said:

How do I find good spots off shore for deep cranking / c-rigging? From what I understand you need to find spots with depth change or structure or bait or all of the above, but how do you know what spots are gonna have structure? Do you have to go in blind the first time and look at your graph to figure out which ledges have structure and which don't?

For example this weekend KVD caught a lot of his fish in 20ish feet on a deep crankbait. I tried that in a couple different spots. One spot was throwing on a drop off on the edge of a big flat where I saw some fish on the graph. I tried both throwing uphill and throwing parallel to the drop off. That was 15-25 feet. The other spot I tried was off a main lake point where I had just located several big balls of bait fish. Threw the deep crank, a c rig, a jig n craw, a tx rig from different angles... Not a bite. 

Now I know I can't expect to do as well as KVD, but I was at least expecting a couple bites. Those spots sounded very promising... I located bait and fish on the graph on spots with deep water access... Please share what I was doing wrong. Could have been boat position, could have been the wrong color bait, I don't know. Also feel free to link me somewhere else if this question has been answered, I haven't read all 200 pages of this thread yet!

It sounds like you are on the right track. Look for breaklines with a creek running close by and cover on it.  Not every hump and ridge are created equal.  Some consistently produce fish while some are consistently bare.

[j bab]

12 hours ago, j bab said:

How do I find good spots off shore for deep cranking / c-rigging? From what I understand you need to find spots with depth change or structure or bait or all of the above, but how do you know what spots are gonna have structure? Do you have to go in blind the first time and look at your graph to figure out which ledges have structure and which don't?

For example this weekend KVD caught a lot of his fish in 20ish feet on a deep crankbait. I tried that in a couple different spots. One spot was throwing on a drop off on the edge of a big flat where I saw some fish on the graph. I tried both throwing uphill and throwing parallel to the drop off. That was 15-25 feet. The other spot I tried was off a main lake point where I had just located several big balls of bait fish. Threw the deep crank, a c rig, a jig n craw, a tx rig from different angles... Not a bite. 

Now I know I can't expect to do as well as KVD, but I was at least expecting a couple bites. Those spots sounded very promising... I located bait and fish on the graph on spots with deep water access... Please share what I was doing wrong. Could have been boat position, could have been the wrong color bait, I don't know. Also feel free to link me somewhere else if this question has been answered, I haven't read all 200 pages of this thread yet!

Thanks for that @Bass_Fanatic

@Catt any further advice?

[Catt]

@j bab Ledges are structure

Don't worry this was KVD's first time this lake didn't whip him!

He has never been in the top 20 on Toledo!

[j bab]

4 hours ago, Catt said:

@j bab Ledges are structure

Don't worry this was KVD's first time this lake didn't whip him!

He has never been in the top 20 on Toledo!

My mistake, I should have said cover not structure. The question still remains 

[Catt]

6 hours ago, j bab said:

My mistake, I should have said cover not structure. The question still remains 

Some times it's just a matter of timing!

I've fished some likely looking spots a dozen times with no luck & then pull up on it & slay em.

Some spots will only produce 3-4 no matter how hard ya fish it.

It's the same bigfish, I know spots that almost guarantee kicker fish. 

[BulletDon]

On 5/9/2016 at 10:00 AM, Bass_Fanatic said:

The new lowrance scare awesome, but may want to consider Humminbird just for lakemaster chip. The lakemaster chip will not work in a lowrance and IMO it's the best chip for the south end of the lake.  I've got 2 Onix 10's and I love them!

yeah, love my Onix 10's as well.  Do you have 360?  I do on the TM, and it is invaluable.  No more buoys

[Bass_Fanatic]

16 hours ago, SkeeterDon said:

yeah, love my Onix 10's as well.  Do you have 360?  I do on the TM, and it is invaluable.  No more buoys

Yea I have 360 on the trolling motor too. I'm still learning it I guess. I like it in shallow water, but don't use it much out deep

[kdietz]

2 hours ago, Bass_Fanatic said:

Yea I have 360 on the trolling motor too. I'm still learning it I guess. I like it in shallow water, but don't use it much out deep

I agree! I find it most useful in 15' and less. It stays tuned "on" , on my bow unit at all times while I'm fishing...split screen with map and 2D usually

[Catt]

My youngest son & two buddies are heading up & question is who has rooms for under $100?

[LSUh20fowler]

6 hours ago, Catt said:

My youngest son & two buddies are heading up & question is who has rooms for under $100?

Rooms are 75 per night at Big Bass.

[RCCA]

Alpine is the only one I know. 

[Catt]

Thanks guys

[mguidroz]

Good luck to everyone fishing the big bass splash. There will be a lot of boats on the lake so everyone be courteous and safe. 

[RSemmes]

What Lake Master Chip is best for Toledo Bend? I went to purchase one online and see they had a few different types. Lake Master Electronic Chart, Lake Master Electronic Chart Plus, Lake Master Auto Chart Pro, and the Lake Master Auto Chart. I have a hummingbird 999 HD SI GPS combo and a Lowrance HDS 7, I was going to remove my Navionics Platinum Plus chip from the hummingbird and put it in the Lowrance and get a lakemaster for the Hummingbird unit. I just did not see any info showing the differences between the chips I was looking at. 

 

Thanks, Ryan 

[Bass_Fanatic]

On May 20, 2016 at 10:48 PM, RSemmes said:

What Lake Master Chip is best for Toledo Bend? I went to purchase one online and see they had a few different types. Lake Master Electronic Chart, Lake Master Electronic Chart Plus, Lake Master Auto Chart Pro, and the Lake Master Auto Chart. I have a hummingbird 999 HD SI GPS combo and a Lowrance HDS 7, I was going to remove my Navionics Platinum Plus chip from the hummingbird and put it in the Lowrance and get a lakemaster for the Hummingbird unit. I just did not see any info showing the differences between the chips I was looking at. 

 

Thanks, Ryan 

I'd call Humminbird and ask them tomorrow to make sure whatever you buy has Toledo bend in HD.  I have had my lakemaster chip for a few years and Toeldo isn't HD on it.  They just started offering it in HD, so I downloaded just Toledo Bend off the Humminbird website for $30 in HD.  

[RSemmes]

On ‎5‎/‎23‎/‎2016 at 11:01 PM, Bass_Fanatic said:

I'd call Humminbird and ask them tomorrow to make sure whatever you buy has Toledo bend in HD.  I have had my lakemaster chip for a few years and Toeldo isn't HD on it.  They just started offering it in HD, so I downloaded just Toledo Bend off the Humminbird website for $30 in HD.  

Thanks Bass_Fanatic. I appreciate the info!

[j bab]

Anybody up here right now? We had an excellent day Saturday, Sunday was pretty rough, yesterday and today were a real grind for us. Saturday we did good both on and off shore, we've tried both in a ton of different spots every day since, just haven't had the same results. Any reports/tips/secret spots I need to check out?

[dcmclassic]

I spent the weekend up there and it was one of my worst weekends on TB. And I grew up on the lake......  I just couldn't get on them and stay on them. I look back now and I could have made some changes. On Saturday and Sunday I didn't really do much running though just to stay away from the crowd. Saw lots of guys ignoring no wake zones, running wide open through stump fields, cutting off other anglers. 

I made the run from Harborlight to Indian Mounds Sunday evening after the tournament traffic died.  Picked up a couple little ones in the grass, my guess is much of the lake was picked clean during that tournament. 

[Catt]

So is quite round here

[Bryan J]

Does anyone have any info on the quality of Garmin's LakeVu maps for Toledo Bend.  I am hearing the latest version (LakeVu Ultra) has 1' contours and is second to none but haven't heard of any real life tests.  I am considering the 93sv model currently along with the humminbird helix 9 unit.  

Thanks again for all of the valuable TB input.  

[jcdogfish]

Looks like lots of folks were out of power for a while this weekend.  Hope there wasn't too much damage.  I was out for about 15 minutes.  I find the fishing getting better, more predictable. Caught a lot of fish Sunday morning.  Nothing big but a real good time.  Hopefully it continues and the bad weather stops. It is getting pretty hot already.

[RCCA]

Y'all give em hell!  I'll be out of commission for the next 3 months!  The dreaded back surgery has arrived.  Catch some for me

[Catt]

5 hours ago, Little Fish.... said:

Y'all give em hell!  I'll be out of commission for the next 3 months!  The dreaded back surgery has arrived.  Catch some for me

I've put it off for years!

Anyone heard from Shane lately?

[RCCA]

Me too but it's time to pay the piper. I'll let you know how it turns out and give you the Dr's name if the result are good.

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Little Fish.... said:

Me too but it's time to pay the piper. I'll let you know how it turns out and give you the Dr's name if the result are good.

Nope!

I had one of the top neurologist in the world look at my back, he said 80% change surgery would make it worse!

Left it in God's hands

Chiropractor, exercise, ibuprofen, & an occasionally a pain pill keeps it bearable!