So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[live4ever]

I'm enjoying the discussions of the toledo bend grass issue (or lack thereof). I'd like to chime in with one idea/theory. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember researching hydrilla and finding some interesting info. Besides the fact that it provides better habitat for baitfish and bass alike, it apparently allows bass to feed more comfortably. In other words, bass can't help but use the grass to ambush prey. They feel safe and are given a better vantage point when they live there. If this theory is correct, it may  be that these fish are just not feeding as rapidly and thus, this may have done two things. 1- The bass aren't growing as quickly AND 2- the bass are a little harder to catch. I may be entirely wrong here, but I wonder if this may be the long time result of little grass. 

The lake is still awesome btw. If anything, I think the fishing pressure has had more of an effect that the lack of grass.

[Catt]

@live4ever ya still gotta consider the amount of available food source & Toledo Bend has an abundent supply.

[live4ever]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

@live4ever ya still gotta consider the amount of available food source & Toledo Bend has an abundent supply.

Right, but could the habitat itself lend itself to more or less feeding opportunities for bass? I wonder if less grass has shaken up the comfort level of these fish when feeding.

[A5BLASTER]

1 hour ago, live4ever said:

Right, but could the habitat itself lend itself to more or less feeding opportunities for bass? I wonder if less grass has shaken up the comfort level of these fish when feeding.

I don't think so. I live on San Miguel. Hasn't been much of any grass in several years.

 

The bass just adapt to holding on brush,laydowns,stumps to hide and ambush prey.

 

Have to remember bass follow the prey, take a wind blown bank for example. If it has grass the bass will be staged along the grass edges ambushing prey that's blown into it.

 

Take away the grass, they still have to hide to ambush prey and the wind is still going to blow prey onto that bank.

 

So they hide on what's there, stumps,laydowns, buckbrush even just useing the shape of the bottom to lay in wait and rush up from deeper water to ambush prey being blown up to the shallow bank.

 

Like I said San Miguel has very lil grass over the last several years, but my catch rate goes up every year.

 

I just try to keep thinking outside the box and adapt to what the fish are doing. It may look like I'm beating the bank but you can bet 100% I'm doing something totally diffrent then what the next 100 guys are doing.

 

Like others have said, the bass are still there, they are still feeding and mating, they just changed habits and adapted.

 

We as anglers have to do the same.

[Catt]

7 hours ago, live4ever said:

Right, but could the habitat itself lend itself to more or less feeding opportunities for bass? I wonder if less grass has shaken up the comfort level of these fish when feeding.

 

The lack of grass has shaken up the comfort level of the angler!

 

As I mentioned earlier when the lake was first flooded the was no grass & yet it was still known as the bass fishing capital of the world. 

 

When hydrilla, coontail, & milfoil were introduced everyone hated it because they didn't know how to fish it. The bass adapted to the grass & so did the angler.

 

Now we're back to less grass & the bass has adapted but the anglers haven't.

 

Did the grass help the bass & all other species...absolutely. What myself & others are saying is the lack of grass is not the doom & gloom others a predicting.

 

Another big misconception about the lake is harvesting bass. If you listen to the naysayers the lake will soon have no bass left in it. 

 

Again I say go watch Ken Smith's interviews with Todd Driscoll. 

[JMW]

48 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

The lack of grass has shaken up the comfort level of the angler!

 

As I mentioned earlier when the lake was first flooded the was no grass & yet it was still known as the bass fishing capital of the world. 

 

When hydrilla, coontail, & milfoil were introduced everyone hated it because they didn't know how to fish it. The bass adapted to the grass & so did the angler.

 

Now we're back to less grass & the bass has adapted but the anglers haven't.

 

Did the grass help the bass & all other species...absolutely. What myself & others are saying is the lack of grass is not the doom & gloom others a predicting.

 

Another big misconception about the lake is harvesting bass. If you listen to the naysayers the lake will soon have no bass left in it. 

 

Again I say go watch Ken Smith's interviews with Todd Driscoll. 

Catt, 

 

I watched the interview, it was very interesting, those guys are there to help the lakes and the aquatic life in them not destroy them. That is what they went to school for.

[Catt]

58 minutes ago, JMW said:

Catt, 

 

I watched the interview, it was very interesting, those guys are there to help the lakes and the aquatic life in them not destroy them. That is what they went to school for.

 

Exactly 

 

I'm watching them again this morning & Todd says all the research shows the bass are still there but the catchablity rate has went down.

 

The lack of grass has scattered the bass making them harder to locate. Todd also mentioned the bass's main forage is Threadfin Shad which are a pelagic species & they are a open water fish not cover orientated. Threadfin roam open water & the bass follow.

 

There's so much to comprehend I suggest watching the video series more than once.

[OK_fisher]

I know this is a little off topic but I was wondering if anyone knew how long the lake was going to be low for? I wasn’t sure when they were going to be done fixing the spillway or dam. Thank!

[RCCA]

I think they are done. It is slowly rising and two feet higher than it was a couple of months ago. 

[A5BLASTER]

11 minutes ago, OK_fisher said:

I know this is a little off topic but I was wondering if anyone knew how long the lake was going to be low for? I wasn’t sure when they were going to be done fixing the spillway or dam. Thank!

Works finished, lake is rising. It's up to mother nature to get it back to pool level now.

[JMW]

Question,

 

Does anyone fish with the shaky head jig? If so what time of the year is a good time to use it? ( I have been reading some articles, but was looking for some personal information, i guess ) 

[RCCA]

Not my favorite deal but I’ve had good luck with it in the fall under docks. 

[Catt]

2 hours ago, OK_fisher said:

I know this is a little off topic but I was wondering if anyone knew how long the lake was going to be low for? I wasn’t sure when they were going to be done fixing the spillway or dam. Thank!

 

https://www.waterdatafortexas.org/reservoirs/individual/toledo-bend

 

2 hours ago, JMW said:

Question,

 

Does anyone fish with the shaky head jig? If so what time of the year is a good time to use it? ( I have been reading some articles, but was looking for some personal information, i guess ) 

 

Some are throwing it now

[RCCA]

Not too shabby for a washed up lake with no grass lol. I know it’s been better but it’s still good for them hammers! A 10-7 and a 9 pounder for Johnston and Gleason. They adapted!  Pulling for both of them. 

[Dougw]

Johnston - Replaces a 2#er with a 10#er otherwise he's at 15#s.

 

Gleason - Replaces a 2#er with an 8#er otherwise he's at 14#s.

 

Huff - Catches a 6#er and a 4#er late to replace 2 - 2#ers otherwise he's at 14#s.

 

Only 4 - 20+#s sacks. From some of the best Toledo anglers in the country. Admittedly under some rather tough conditions. And, except for the late catches so noted above, it could of been only a single 20# sack on day one!

 

I'm not sure if they've "adapted" or simply got "lucky"... I'm leaning towards the later. Lucky they know the lake well enough to guide them to places that could potentially be holding a day altering fish... or two.

 

I'm not suggesting all the big fish are dead. I am suggesting that there are not as many big fish as there were. Lakes cycle just a matter of fact. Big fish don't live forever and they certainly don't all survive being caught/released.

[Catt]

48 minutes ago, Dougw said:

Only 4 - 20+#s sacks. From some of the best Toledo anglers in the country. Admittedly under some rather tough conditions. And, except for the late catches so noted above, it could of been only a single 20# sack on day one!

 

That's any tournament on any lake ?

 

While a 25-30# sack averages out to 5-6 #s ea that's seldom the case, it's about kicker fish.

 

If 50 yrs on Toledo Bend has taught me anything it's raising water levels are the toughest.

[A5BLASTER]

14 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

That's any tournament on any lake ?

 

While a 25-30# sack averages out to 5-6 #s ea that's seldom the case, it's about kicker fish.

 

If 50 yrs on Toledo Bend has taught me anything it's raising water levels are the toughest.

That's why the boat is still parked under the car port.

 

I'm ready to fish but it's still a bit chilly, for me too go tryem in the raising water levels.

 

Once it stabilizes it's on like donkey kong.

[RCCA]

I agree with all that. Just trying to keep on the positive side cause I’m on my way there. 

[operationgrass]

So I’ve made more than 100+ dives in various areas on Toledo and I can firmly tell you the fish are still there. See the great thing about diving is that bass and other species are curious and attract towards you typically. I think it has something to do with the bubbles. On numerous occasions I’ve actually had schools of 10 to 20 3 pound bass feed near me or come and check me out. And once had a mega school 100+ fish come out of no were and start chomping. I’ll see if I can find the GoPro footage it was amazing. 
 

most guys are off the mark when fishing even if they’re in the right area.

Think about it like this. How many 3 to 5 pound bass can you fit in your live well? Personally I know I can fit 20 comfortably. Now think how big a creek channel live oak stump and root system is let’s say 10x10 give or take a few feet (This is your break line on a creek channel that’s 3 miles long).  How big is that live oak stump system? You can easily fit 20-100 fish on one stump. Now take the depth of water say 15 feet across the whole lake just to make it easy. Now take how many square acres Toledo is 185000 square acres. It all boils down to you’re looking for a break line that can be a 1 foot square or 20 foot square on a lake that is 185k acres with or without grass. And you may say but the grass holds them true but when fishing grass I know typically I catch all my fish in key areas of the grass. Guess what, there is a break line there it may be rock, a stump, lawnmower etc. anything you name it. 

[Dougw]

Catt’s gonna be P.O.’d with you giving up his lawnmower pattern!!!

[operationgrass]

I wish I knew where that lawnmower was lol

[A5BLASTER]

17 minutes ago, operationgrass said:

I wish I knew where that lawnmower was lol

Me too. I think I burned out the weedeater last spawn lmao.

[operationgrass]

I just get tired of people complaining about the grass.  I only fished the lake a few times before the hydrilla died and yes it was fun to punch it, but to say this lake doesn't produce is crazy

I've been beat by a few 30+ sacks in the last 3 years, and most spring tournaments I've averaged 13-18 pounds and have been beat by plenty of 20-25 pound sacks.

[Smalljaw]

16 hours ago, operationgrass said:

I just get tired of people complaining about the grass.  I only fished the lake a few times before the hydrilla died and yes it was fun to punch it, but to say this lake doesn't produce is crazy

I've been beat by a few 30+ sacks in the last 3 years, and most spring tournaments I've averaged 13-18 pounds and have been beat by plenty of 20-25 pound sacks.

It is tiring, and the fish haven't disappeared.  They're just harder to locate and pattern. There's a constant drumbeat, though, from many who insist that the grass has disappeared because of spraying.  Others, and I include myself, suggest that cyclical changes, high and off-color water are the culprits.  In any event, it's a fine fishery, and we're fortunate to call it our home lake!

[RCCA]

Fished Rayburn today in solid grass. Got my tail handed to me. New area, all looked good and they whacked em for the 16 tourney so grass is not the most important thing. I believe I’ll follow my grassless creek channels on Toledo tomorrow ?