So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[Clinton john]

On 5/1/2019 at 6:51 AM, Catt said:

 

Glad ya still hanging around ?

 

I think Rayburn maybe fishing better than the Bend right now.

I don't know how Rayburn is fishing but after going throw 5 and half bags of ribbets  yesterday afternoon in 4 hours I would say the big pond is fish great for me.

3 hours ago, Bass_Fanatic said:

Lol I swear I seen this on Facebook somewhere lol.

[Bass_Fanatic]

3 hours ago, A5BLASTER said:

I don't know how Rayburn is fishing but after going throw 5 and half bags of ribbets  yesterday afternoon in 4 hours I would say the big pond is fish great for me.

Lol I swear I seen this on Facebook somewhere lol.

Lol. ?

[RCCA]

Ya, with this "lovely" weather, I decided not to go all the way to Rayburn today. So, I stayed around Six Mile and Sandy and caught 9 on a frog instead. Enjoyed it. 

[Clinton john]

1 minute ago, Lil Joe The Grinder said:

Ya, with this "lovely" weather, I decided not to go all the way to Rayburn today. So, I stayed around Six Mile and Sandy and caught 9 on a frog instead. Enjoyed it. 

White and chartreuse feet baby ribbet is the hotness when it's cloudy outside.

 

[RCCA]

I tried 3 colors of ribbets including that one. One blow up in six hours was all. They usually like them around here too but not for me today. Hollow body only. Well, one on a buzz bait with a toad. 

[Clinton john]

55 minutes ago, Lil Joe The Grinder said:

I tried 3 colors of ribbets including that one. One blow up in six hours was all. They usually like them around here too but not for me today. Hollow body only. Well, one on a buzz bait with a toad. 

Was it the baby ribbet size? I find that they like the baby ribbet better then the bigger sizes.

 

Wish they made my 2 fav colors in the ribbet runt size as well.

 

Also was you useing the weighted style ribbet hooks?

 

If so here is a lil tip, get the ribbet hooks in number 4 size that has no weight on the hook shaft. It makes the action much more better.

[kajun32]

5 hours ago, Bass_Fanatic said:

Lol. ?

I want to go on the 17th 

Bass_ fanatic I want to go on the 17 th 

[Dougw]

Welp... I'll be there from Wed-Sat coming up. I've got my electronics back but don't have a clue as to if they're functional or not. Sure hope so based on the images coming from Bass_Fanatic. Worst case I'll at least have GPS and the Airmar TM185HW 2D transducer. Last time I didn't have anything but empty mounts... Last I checked the lake had jumped up .3' from the storm that passed through last night/this morning. Oughta be some current somewhere...

[Clinton john]

Ok so last thing we was kind of discussing was bottom composition i.e hard spots.

 

So here goes. The area I have been fishing the last few days. Is just covered in aquatic plants  ( hydrilla, pepper grass, hay grass, and Lilly pads) but the bottom is either mud or a nice sandy bottom.

 

The grass really doesn't have much in the way of hard defined lines. Meaning it's all kind of mixed together, no real transition lines.

 

So I used the old wooden stick method every time I got a bite or caught a fish to check bottom type.

 

Now I did catch some fish over the mud bottom but those mostly came when the wind was blowing. Most of my fish came from over the sandy bottom.

 

But it seemed the bass in this area relate mostly too one type of grass.

 

Now I did catch a few in the pads but most say 8 out of 10 came where there was pepper grass. The bass weren't in the thick part of it but more on the edges.

 

Now the wind was blowing and pushing balls of bait along these grass flats and the bass were setting up to ambush them.

 

But it was clear that they wanted to be over the sandy bottom but in the pepper grass and not the hydrilla or pads or the coontail.

 

I have always heard and beloved that hydrilla and coontail was the best grass for bass.

 

But after several trips up too this area it doesn't appear so.

 

I'm still wondering if it was totally the grass type or if it was more of the bottom type because the sandy bottom was always along a ditch are creek channel.

 

My past fishing experience wants to say it is due too the sandy bottom along the travel routes. But there just has been too many bass along the pepper grass edges too convince my mind too stay with that thinking.

 

Long winded and probably confusing as heck. What you say Catt?

[Catt]

@A5BLASTER Bottom composition is just one portion of the equation. Bottom

composition changes form breaklines.

 

In your case have you noticed that each type of vegetation grows on slightly different bottom compositions?

 

The edges of each type of vegetation is also forming a breakline, even though not well defined.

 

Next you add in a flat, ditches & creek channels.

 

Breaklines, flats, ditches, & creek channels ie structure!

 

Pepper Grass, Hydrilla, Coontail, Lily Pads ie cover!

 

 

[Clinton john]

38 minutes ago, Catt said:

@A5BLASTER Bottom composition is just one portion of the equation. Bottom

composition changes form breaklines.

 

In your case have you noticed that each type of vegetation grows on slightly different bottom compositions?

 

The edges of each type of vegetation is also forming a breakline, even though not well defined.

 

Next you add in a flat, ditches & creek channels.

 

Breaklines, flats, ditches, & creek channels ie structure!

 

Pepper Grass, Hydrilla, Coontail, Lily Pads ie cover!

 

 

That's what I was looking for a clear understanding of what type of grass was growing on what type of bottom.

 

But near as I could tell, every type of grass up in that area was both growing on the sandy i.e. harder bottom plus the mud bottoms.

 

I typically try to break down a area first by understanding how the bait will be positioned either due too lake flow or wind current.

 

I then like to find the travel routes they would use and how too setup with the bait movement and placement.

 

Since I haven't never had a chance to fish this much grass on the big pond before. I was more at a lose I guess because my mind was telling me. They are here due too travel routes and bait placement.

 

But the area seemed too sujest it was more of a preferred grass type. That they wanted to be at along those first 2 conditions.

 

Since this area is so shallow I didn't bother with the electronics and just used a old broom stick handle too feel the bottom.

 

Either way I'm having a blast learning a newer area and condition. Then my usual buck brush type conditions.

 

It's nice and cloudy and a lil breeze blowing so I'm probable going hit the water and see if my thinking is sound.

[Catt]

1 hour ago, A5BLASTER said:

But near as I could tell, every type of grass up in that area was both growing on the sandy i.e. harder bottom plus the mud bottoms

 

The types of "grass" you mentioned will grow in similar bottom compositions but if you notice one type of grass will be predominate over the others.

 

1 hour ago, A5BLASTER said:

 

But the area seemed too sujest it was more of a preferred grass type. That they wanted to be at along those first 2 conditions

 

It's quite common for bass to key on one particular grass in an area over other types (pattern).

 

1 hour ago, A5BLASTER said:

They are here due too travel routes and bait placement.

 

Exactly!

 

1 hour ago, A5BLASTER said:

 

But the area seemed too sujest it was more of a preferred grass type. That they wanted to be at along those first 2 conditions

 

Again your pattern!

 

Your thinking is pretty solid ?

[Clinton john]

4 hours ago, Catt said:

 

The types of "grass" you mentioned will grow in similar bottom compositions but if you notice one type of grass will be predominate over the others.

 

 

It's quite common for bass to key on one particular grass in an area over other types (pattern).

 

 

Exactly!

 

 

Again your pattern!

 

Your thinking is pretty solid ?

Well it held true again today. But the size was down. Me and dad got the water at 2 this afternoon. Very quickly running the catch count up too 36 but not one of those bass was legel turns out a huge school of dinks moved in since yesterday and stacked up right in the area where I caught the most of my keepers my last trip up there.

 

We moved on and counties too find fish but the only keepers we found belong to my dad he put a 4 and a 2 pounder in the live Well for supper tonight.

 

The keepers came on the swimbait and almost all of the dinks as well.

 

I did catch a few dinks on the frog but the sun and clouds were just going in and out too much and the color they wanted to hit would never really stabilize.

 

We did have a few mishaps dad hit my rod and I backslashes my frog rod so bad I had to cut and lose most of my spool and then tie in and refill. Pulled some trash up in the pisser a few times and had to clear it.

 

Meet a few very fine individuals prefishing for a tourney that was ever so kind to troll by with the outboard right where we were casting too.  Like 25 feet from us.

 

After the third time they wasn't  to happy with me when I hit one of them in the head with a swimbait. 

 

Depending on weather I'm going to try again Tuesday morning at first light.

[blanked]

What are your top 2 plastic lures/ rigs for off shore summer patterns.  Of those 2 mention color, lure weight and depth 

[Clinton john]

3 minutes ago, blanked said:

What are your top 2 plastic lures/ rigs for off shore summer patterns.  Of those 2 mention color, lure weight and depth 

Was you asking me or just asking as kind of general question too the board?

 

For me it would be either Texas rigged or Crig.

 

Color depends but my go to is watermelon red, black/redflake or black with chartreuse tail.

 

Lizards-6,8 and bigger inches

Curtail worms-8 inch are bigger

Brushhog- standard or baby

Hook size and weight varies on weather and wind so won't worrie much about listing all that.

 

Hope this helps sir.

[blanked]

Sorry general board question for toledo

[Catt]

4 hours ago, blanked said:

What are your top 2 plastic lures/ rigs for off shore summer patterns.  Of those 2 mention color, lure weight and depth 

 

Texas Rig & Jig-n-Craw ?

 

The Carolina Rig is hot right now!

[blanked]

What size jig n craw and color works for you

 

is it as weedless as Texas rig

[operationgrass]

Rayburn went pretty well for me. Swim jig and then backing off with a Carolina rig later in the day. Rayburn is nice but it's still not the big pond.

[Catt]

5 hours ago, blanked said:

What size jig n craw and color works for you

 

is it as weedless as Texas rig

 

1/4, 3/8, or 1/2 oz, depending on rate of fall the bass want.

 

For years my #1 color choice was black-n-blue until a very popular guide gave me something to consider. He explained the #1 jig color nation wide is black-n-blue & the #2 color is green pumpkin.

 

He's throwing a black-n-blue jig with green pumpkin highlights & a Okeechobee Craw trailer, now you have the #1 & #2 colors combined.

 

In my hands a Jig-n-Craw is every bit a weedless as a T-Rig!

[Dougw]

Looks like I need to bring diving gear this time... Nasty chit is 'spozed to be on the way wed/thur and then actually the rest of the week after that.

[Clinton john]

1 hour ago, Dougw said:

Looks like I need to bring diving gear this time... Nasty chit is 'spozed to be on the way wed/thur and then actually the rest of the week after that.

Awesome. Can't wait. Looks like I will be going throw a few bags of the old ribbet frogs this week then.

[Basscat89]

Where and when do I sign up

[RCCA]

Today was kinda slow for me. Caught 4 lil ones early this morning on a frog and baby brushhog. Stayed shallow in the shade until 10:30 with no more bites. Backed off and fished the outside edge of the grass in 10-12 and caught one on a Red bug trick worm. Headed for deeper water and checked a 15' hump surrounded by deeper water. Looked loaded on the graph. Caught one on a drop shot and tried everything else I had. One thing... nothing. Went back shallow in Sandy for three hours before I caught another on a frog. Couldn't stand anymore. Drug up. 

[Dougw]

3:30am... Headed that'a way... Checked the lake level and it's dropping. I'm stunned that SRA could get the lake to drop unless y'all simply didn't get the rain we did. I'm about 20 miles east of Houston and my weather station recorded 6.98" of rain fell yesterday.