So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[Clinton john]

Well what a wild day it has been for me.

 

Started at just before daylight. Winds not to bad cloudy sky.

 

Took off and hit some coves and was on the fish big time, not a lot of size but a few eaters. 

 

Fish are holding dang tight too any wood they can find and 6 inches of water for the most part.

 

Very skiddish, all the tourney pressure the last few days had them on a knife's edge but I was able too figure them out.

 

Later in the day the wind went crazy and so did the bite, I went threw 5 packs of swimbaits in one cove. 

 

Round 1pm started back too the house and nearly sunk the boat when I got side loaded on a stump. Got it back and unloaded, then headed for the ramp to trailer it because the weather fool is calling for lots of rain.

 

Coming around the point into Gracie's landing I took on enough water to put bout 8 inches of water in the boat and had to kick on the bilge pump.

 

Fished alone today so didnt get any pics but ended the day with 6 keepers all in the 14 1/2 to 15 1/4 length range. In total I hooked up and landed close too 60 bass and had atleast 20 jump the hook. No big girls today.

 

Baits were kvd 4 inch ghost shad on some owner underspiner hooks.

[PlanoSooner]

Our High School team got some bites on a trick worm(secret color) and chrome/black back rattle trap early.
Sadly, they were in a small area and couldn't get out of it to cover more water. 
Had an early weigh in time today.... otherwise they might have had a shot at a couple of more. Bites picked up again after 3:00 like the day before.
They launched at Solan Camp. 
12.62 pounds. Biggest was 17.5"
Outside of the top 15 of the 158 boat tournament. 

 

The teams weighed 3 bags over 20 pounds. 1 was barely shy of that.
15th place was 15 pounds. 
So some people found them.

 

[Catt]

Sulphur High School Team

 

[Dougw]

Fished last week Wed - Sun. Spent most of my time from Oil Well cove or North of there on the Texas side. I did hit Six Mile and some spots in Housen on Wed. 1/4oz 1 knocker put a few fish in the boat as did a c-rig. As expected a lot of boats on the water - A LOT. Bank was getting beat to death so I moved off shore - not exactly the best idea I had all week. Bait fish I found were mainly located in 30-50 fow. On Saturday (tournament #1) I ran from the Army ramp to just North of Cypress Bend on the Texas side. A bit of a bumpy ride getting there and when I ran back @ 13:30 it was even mo' bumpy. Just glad it wasn't a North wind blowin'...

 

ABA tournament on Saturday was won by Tater Reynolds with 14.40. There was another 14# sack weighed in for 2nd and 3rd came in at 10#s+. There were 20 boats in the tournament. I weighed in 1 fish for 1.97#s and finished in the middle of the pack(9th). There were two other tournaments out of the Army ramp on Saturday the Fort Polk Bassmasters and the Army ramp open tournament. One of them, I don't know which, took 16#+ to win.

 

The Sunday ABA tournament was the only tournament going out of the Army ramp. I stayed in Caney(Pirates Cove) all day. Tried shallow and deep. Caught a 4.02 in about 14' of water c'riggin' around 10am and pounded that area for the next 3 hours with the c-rig - nothing to show for it. Moved to another point and got several bites and finally put the second fish in the livewell for a total weight of 5.73#s. Again... Tater Reynolds won tournament #2 with 28.80#s and took big fish with one weighing 8.80#s. 14#s+ took second and I think 8#s+ took third. Word was Tater was done bass fishing ~10am and then proceeded to put 25 crappie in the boat. And again I finished in the middle of the 11 boat field with my 2 fish.

 

Water temps all week moved from 52 - 64. Saturday where I fished the water temps didn't get above 55 degrees that I saw. Sunday in Caney creek temps were ~63 degrees off shore.

 

 

[Catt]

@Dougw While I love this time of the year I hate it because of the weather!

 

Going on right now, severe weather alert: high winds with cloud to ground lightning.

 

[RonnieF]

On 3/8/2022 at 6:36 AM, Catt said:

@Dougw While I love this time of the year I hate it because of the weather!

 

Going on right now, severe weather alert: high winds with cloud to ground lightning.

 

I drove through that mess yesterday headed home. 
I spent a number of days at the camp. My best luck was around North Toledo state park. Friday a friend and I boated 17 with 7 keepers. Spot remover Jackhammer, suspending jerk bait, and black/blur flake yum dinger with a light weight. The next couple days we’re slower, but same lure arsenal. 
I did catch a 3 lber on a white perch jig on 4 lb test! That was fun. 

[Old Nitro]

Well we picked the wrong week for annual lake trip. Got down Sunday and did well around mid lake, found 66 degree water temp and was able to catch them in multiple ways (plastics, cranks, jerkbait). Cold front arrived Monday then cold rain all day Tuesday. Wednesday the warmest water I could find was 55 degrees and they appeared to have lock-jaw. Headed back Thursday as more cold was inbound….

[Catt]

I was asked how the lake level can drop when SRA is not generating & the gates are closed.

 

Trying to find a picture of the Toro Creek spillway during low water but apparently Google doesn't understand low water vs flooding.

 

The Toro Creek spillway controls the lake level with a series of 11 flood control gates. In the very center of the spillway is a gate that never closes. This gate keeps the Sabine river from drying up. 

 

Many people don't understand the difference between the Sabine river generating part of the dam & the Toro Creek flood control part of the dam.

 

Toro Creek flood control gates

 

 

 

 

[Dougw]

I went back n' forth over the dam/spillway 'bout a dozen times or so last week. I can assure you they are releasing no'mo that the law requires. Precious  little water seeping out the gate. Another factor of water loss that many fail to recognize as a significant source of water loss is evaporation.... Lotta surface area on TB!

[Catt]

7 minutes ago, Dougw said:

Another factor of water loss that many fail to recognize as a significant source of water loss is evaporation.... Lotta surface area on TB!

 

180-190,000 surface acres!

 

[Clinton john]

3 hours ago, Dougw said:

I went back n' forth over the dam/spillway 'bout a dozen times or so last week. I can assure you they are releasing no'mo that the law requires. Precious  little water seeping out the gate. Another factor of water loss that many fail to recognize as a significant source of water loss is evaporation.... Lotta surface area on TB!

That is very true.

 

But the problem with that is the river has been putting nearly 3 times the cfs into the lake then has been going out for the last 6 days that sra has been showing on their website that all gates closed, no running generators and only 360 cfs water outflow at the dam/spillway gates.

 

Not to mention the rain we just had.

 

Now the water level has come up at my house in the last 3 weeks we have had right at a 5 inch raise.

 

According to the sra website the lake came up a foot in the last week. And I can tell you from my own eyes and tracking it every day, it has not come up anywheres close too a foot in depth.

 

Not to sidetrack this amazing thread but SRA is absolutely either lieing or they are embarrassing incompetent in their handling of the water control systems of the dam.

 

On a side note the bass are still biting in the 2 to 4 foot range on watermelon red baby brush hogs rigged on a 3 size superfine hook and 1/4 once texas rig.

[Catt]

3 hours ago, A5BLASTER said:

Not to sidetrack this amazing thread but SRA is absolutely either lieing or they are embarrassing incompetent in their handling of the water control systems of the dam.

 

172' full pool is measured at the dam.

 

If we look at the topography from Logansport south its on an incline. The north end will rise & fall before the dam area. 

 

Either way I take what published on anyone's website with a grain of salt.

 

This is why I preach if ya wanna know what's going get outdoors. Are the Dogwoods blooming, are the Pecan trees budding?

 

Hung up the phone & get outdoors!

[Clinton john]

Well they done learned today lol

 

11 dinks, 5 nice keepers and 5 between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 lbs.

 

All came from biut a foot of water on a 4 inch swimbait in ghost shad color.

[CrashVector]

Never fished Toledo or Lacassine.

 

Guess I'm gonna have to rectify this soon. Lol

[Clinton john]

Well this afternoon was so weird. Got the boat back in the water around 2:30 and went see if I could get them bitting.

 

I tryed swimbaits, weighted and unweighted texas rigs, chatterbaits,spinnerbaits, soft plastic jerk bait, hard jerk baits. Nothing seemed too get them to bite.

 

I knew they were there because they would bust some shad but just would not bite anything.

 

So in a last ditch effort I picked up the ole black and red flake baby ribbet and well they went too town on that thing. Straight up smashing it.

 

But back 2 in the 4 to 4 1/2 pound range and found a big girl defending a bed she came in at 5 1/2 ish pounds. Put back 9 dinks and was 1 bass short of my daily limit at dark.

[Clinton john]

Catt.

 

I have a question maybe you could answer.

 

How long has 172 been the official pool level for toledo bend lake?

 

Was "pool level" ever lower then 172?

[LovestoFish]

Great job adjusting A5.

 

Been fishing mid lake since wednesday pm. Caught most of our fish in 3 to 8 ft on plastics.  Saw some males up on the bank. Its close!

[Catt]

On 3/18/2022 at 11:14 PM, A5BLASTER said:

Catt.

 

I have a question maybe you could answer.

 

How long has 172 been the official pool level for toledo bend lake?

 

Was "pool level" ever lower then 172?

 

Conservation pool elevation172.00 ft above NGVD29

 

Emergency spillway crest elevation173.00 ft above NGVD29

 

Maximum design elevation175.30 ft above NGVD29

 

Top of dam elevation185.00 ft above NGVD29

 

172' is considered "full pool", at or approaching 173' requires the flood control gates to be opened cause major flooding down river.

 

If 172' is the "official" pool level that leaves one foot wiggle room for emergency spillway crest. Y'all ever seen the lake raise a foot?

 

Y'all remember 2016? 

 

I do Interstate 10 at the Sabine river between Lake Charles LA & Orange Texas was impassible.

[Clinton john]

15 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Conservation pool elevation172.00 ft above NGVD29

 

Emergency spillway crest elevation173.00 ft above NGVD29

 

Maximum design elevation175.30 ft above NGVD29

 

Top of dam elevation185.00 ft above NGVD29

 

172' is considered "full pool", at or approaching 173' requires the flood control gates to be opened cause major flooding down river.

 

If 172' is the "official" pool level that leaves one foot wiggle room for emergency spillway crest. Y'all ever seen the lake raise a foot?

 

Y'all remember 2016? 

 

I do Interstate 10 at the Sabine river between Lake Charles LA & Orange Texas was impassible.

Yes I remember that. I was standing on my dock in 6 inches of water catching white perch like it was going out of style lol.

 

A freind of mine asked me if it's always been 172 feet or if at one time it was lower and they had raised it too 172 feet. I didnt know the answer too that question or where to find it.

[Catt]

43 minutes ago, A5BLASTER said:

I didnt know the answer too that question or where to find it.

 

I just answered it

 

16 hours ago, Catt said:

Conservation pool elevation172.00 ft above NGVD29

 

172' is the "designed" full pool level. That doesn't mean SRA has to keep at that level. 

 

If you look at the historical data since the lake was originally flooded 169-170'' is your lake average. 

 

For some reason people have jumped on this wagon saying the lake is suspended to be maintained at 172'.

 

At 65 miles long, 10 mile wide, covering 185_190,000 acres good luck holding that steady.

 

The guys above the dam want it high, the guys below the dam want it low.

[Dougw]

172' is indeed the designed full pool level(conservation level). Anticipated levels of 175' is also planned for. The bone of contention between the SRA and lakeside property owners was the max drawdown level. To my knowledge, prior to reaching an agreement several(many) years ago, there was no limit and the lake was regularly pulled down below 168' rendering docks and other lakeside facilities unusable. Hence the landowners legal battle to limit how far the SRA could pull the lake down to generate power. An agreement was reached and the limit was set at 168'. That's not to say the lake can't go any lower than that - it can. But the SRA can't willfully pull the lake down below that level for power generation.

[Catt]

Some of y'all all want the grass back?

 

Drop the lake level 

 

Some of y'all want the lake at 172'.

 

Any major rains means opening flood control gates & flooding everyone below the dam.

 

My point is controlling the level of a lake this size ain't easy. Your average swimming pool loses 1/4" to evaporation daily how much ya think Toledo Bend loses?

 

The major issue is does SRA worry about land owners not being able to use boat docks or do they worry about flooding homes below the dam.

[jchief]

https://www.srala-toledo.com/page?menuId=28

There is grass coming up. Just gotta put the time in to find it. 

[Clinton john]

5 hours ago, Catt said:

Some of y'all all want the grass back?

 

Drop the lake level 

 

Some of y'all want the lake at 172'.

 

Any major rains means opening flood control gates & flooding everyone below the dam.

 

My point is controlling the level of a lake this size ain't easy. Your average swimming pool loses 1/4" to evaporation daily how much ya think Toledo Bend loses?

 

The major issue is does SRA worry about land owners not being able to use boat docks or do they worry about flooding homes below the dam.

I dont care about the grass, I can catch bass without it lol.

 

For me I want the lake at 172 from early January till June.

 

Makes it easier and safer too get around on the lake and puts enough water up in the bushes and lay downs for the bass too get up and spawn in peace from most of the fishing pressure.

 

The rest of the year, I dont care if they keep it at 150 feet.

[Catt]

My personal preference is169-170, but my best days for big bass is during low water.