So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[Marshfly]

Got to fish the little cove we are in towards the back of Negreet for an hour or so just before dark today. Had a blowup on a Plopper right under a cypress tree and a few bites on a 10" ring worm. There were fish hitting little bitty glass minnows on top the whole time but I couldn't get them to bite. Threw the plopper, a shad colored square bill, and a fluke with little success. And help would be much appreciated.

 

Still trying to figure out where to head in the morning. 

[Catt]

@12poundbass

 

Dee Thomas first B.A.S.S. win was on Bull Shoals but that wasn't his first tournament. His first tournament was the week before on Toledo Bend where he failed to make the top 50 & the next year he failed to make the top 100. Dee said of Toledo Bend, "I was awestruck, that lake has such a target rich environment that I tried flipping them all."

 

There's over 1,200 miles of shoreline & thousands of acres of shallow flats!

[Marshfly]

Started today on the big flat at the mouth of Negreet. Picked up a couple small fish that were schooling on a trap. Moved to La Nana and found a spot where a creek hit the main creek and the water dropped for 5ft to 30ft in the feeder. Threw a sexy spoon and got nailed by a 3 pounder. Moved towards the back and found some fish schooling on shad on top so hung out for an hour or so casting at blow ups. Picked up another 4 or 6 small fish on the trap and one more keeper on an Alabama rig. 

 

Being from Houma, these were my first two fish on a flutter spoon and an A-rig so that was pretty cool. Might change it up and head to Houssen in the morning and throw a buzz bait around lily pads. I bought a few of those Cavitrons from the constant recommendations on here. It's amazing how squeaky they are right out of the box and how slow you can reel them.

[Catt]

@Marshfly where ya launching?

[Marshfly]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

@Marshfly where ya launching?

I'm keeping the boat at the house we rented in the water. It about halfway back in Negreet. 

[Catt]

@Marshfly

When entering Housen' stop on the north corner, throw buzzbaits/traps, move the the island in the mouth of Hurricane, same lures, & the west side of Hurricane.

 

Don't worry about graphing just chunk-n-reel little over casting distance from the bank!

 

Just saying  ?

[Marshfly]

14 hours ago, Catt said:

@Marshfly

When entering Housen' stop on the north corner, throw buzzbaits/traps, move the the island in the mouth of Hurricane, same lures, & the west side of Hurricane.

 

Don't worry about graphing just chunk-n-reel little over casting distance from the bank!

 

Just saying  ?

Thanks!. We were in Houssen this morning and just couldn't figure it out.

[specklebelly]

First time post slow all day broke off twice but that was all. Shutdown to watch LSU went back and had three in 2-4 lb range right at dark. Planned on staying late but couldn't handle the mayflies when will they slack up some

[Catt]

@specklebelly Welcome & how y'all are ?

 

What area of the lake?

 

On what?

 

Tiger's won ?

[specklebelly]

Toro bay ole monster trig 12-18'

[Marshfly]

So, we're back home from the lake. This is our third trip in the past year. Having grown up fishing the bayous and marshes around Houma, I am continually humbled by how much different and challenging lake fishing is. I guess I'll have to break down and hire a guide for my first day on the next trip up there if I want any chance of doing more than just scratching out a fish here and there. Over 4 days I'd say I put a total of 12-15 fishing the boat with two of those being keepers. Tough to put it simply.

 

[Amateur Hour]

Just signed up fellas and wanted to introduce myself.  As the name states I am fairly new to the game of big water fishing.  My parents have a place in San Miguel so I get to fish the bend as often as I can.  I will be there next Thursday through Sunday.  

[RCCA]

Welcome Amateur Hour and good luck. 

 

Fly, don't get discouraged. It takes a while to find areas that hold fish in that huge place. Believe me, that's the key. The right areas. Not the baits, not the depth, not the line etc. You can catch them anyway you want once you find them. Good luck. 

[Amateur Hour]

Catt, as dicusssed I would love your or anyone else’s help in learning how to fish the San Miguel and clear creek area.  I have a tendency to want to run to the banks and want to learn how to fish offshore.  What are some things y’all look for?  I use my navionics boating app on my iPad to find some areas then try to find these areas while in the boat.  I mostly look for humps but those almost seem too obvious and I have had limited success.  Any ideas and help would be appreciated.  Thanks.

[Catt]

@Amateur Hour welcome aboard?

 

@A5BLASTER sounds like your neck of the woods!

[Amateur Hour]

Can we have a general discussion about finding productive offshore areas to fish not specific to an area of the lake?  For example, it is often spoken that deep water nearby is always a good thing to have.  What is considered nearby?  Is it 50 yards or a quarter  of a mile?  Also, when I look at many coves on the map I can see creek bed running up into them.  Are these what you guys refer to as creek channels or are you referring to the main channels that are found in the main arm of lanan or san miguel? Here is an area I thought would be productive.  More to follow.   Thanks.

[Amateur Hour]

 

 

Anyone care to point out what is good or bad about these areas?  How would you approach them?  Thanks.

[RCCA]

I like big flats with creeks, ditches, and or drains running thru them. Still trying to learn how to find them anywhere else. Spent three years trying the points/humps with sharp breaks with minimal success. I'm probably doing it wrong or not on the right ones though. 

[Hez]

4 hours ago, Amateur Hour said:

Can we have a general discussion about finding productive offshore areas to fish not specific to an area of the lake? 

Have you tried reading the beginning of this thread?  Catt breaks a lot of stuff down.  

Get you the Hook, Line and Sinker map...go to page 1 of this thread...and start reading.   

 

You will thank me later.  

[Bass_Fanatic]

The 2nd pic looks really good. That point with steep drops looks like it should hold fish. I usually look for a steep part of a ledge or a point jetting off of a ledge or hump that has a creek swing touch the tip of it. 18-23 seems to be the best depth for me.

[FishNChip]

Points and ridges near channels are good places to start.  However, there is no guarantee they actually hold fish.  The best looking locations won't produce a bite if the fish aren't there.  Even entry level electronics are a must, otherwise you are taking a shot in the dark.  Do your pre-trip mapping, then when you're on the water, before you wet a line, make some passes with the sonar to see if you have bait fish and then bigger fish to catch in the area you chosen.  If not, move on.  You may have to check a number of spots before you actually find the fish.  A little perseverance can pay off big.

One other thing, especially this time of year.  Bass follow the forage, forage follow the plankton, plankton are blown by the wind.  The wind is you friend (up to a certain point).

[Amateur Hour]

Thanks.  I have hds gen 3 with down imaging up front and hds gen 2 at console with side imaging.  You guys will actually circle a hump before fishing?  The outboard won’t scRe the fish?  If You are circling with side scan and see a ball of baitfish but no obvious bigger would you stop?   Thanks.

[Amateur Hour]

1 hour ago, FishNChip said:

Points and ridges near channels are good places to start. 

 

When you guys say channels are you talking about these smaller blue dotted lines are does it have to be a bigger creek like in the second pic?

 

 

Pic #2

[FishNChip]

On that app, both are channels, one smaller creek then San Miguel.

Depends on how deep the water is to scare the fish, but yes you can circle a hump or idle around a point/ridge.  if you see a bait ball but no predator fish move on till you find them.  Not fishing for shad.  Sometimes you will see a school of fish but no bait.  if you're not sure what fish can look like on the sonar (they can look like the classic arch but not always), check out Jason Courville's facebook page.  He often shows sonar screen shots of his outings.  A free electronics lesson.

[Amateur Hour]

On that app, both are channels, one smaller creek then San Miguel.

 

Gotcha, but are the smaller ones enough to hold fish?  Meaning if I am looking to find a cove to go fish and I see the small creek bad is that enough of a "highway" for this fish to use?  Would it make sense to keep my boat in the creek while casting up on the flats on either side?  My theory is these fish should be moving back in the creeks and will come up and eat on these flats.