So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[Catt]

Now listen to the weather prior to the tournament & y'all need to look at the length of that jig

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8861Qosrd0&feature=related

[fishfordollars]

I know Mike. He's a very consistant, good fisherman. I hate to hear that stuff about White Oak. Too many people messing with that area. The jig could have been left under cover. Very few people fish that rig. Until now.

Good job by those guys, glad they did well.

[Catt]

I aint worried with other knowing where cause most don't know how; nobody but Pat & I throw a jig that long.

[Catt]

Jasper, Tx Last Update on Jan 8, 7:25 am CST

Fair 25 °F Wind Speed: N 10 G 17 MPH Wind Chill: 15 °F

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 32. Wind chill values as low as 9. North wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

[bmadd]

I've dragged around a football jig with a full brush hog on the end but I've never seen anybody flip grass with a bait that long. Good stuff!

[Catt]

Most guys shorten their jigs which will catch but I catch better fish with a jig 5-6" long or a Texas Rigged Jig.

[bmadd]

When I fish jigs around trees or on ledges or rock, I use jigs with mop-style skirt and longer trailers most of the time. Never heard of anyone in the grass though. Always hear use compact baits.

[Catt]

01/09/2010 6:30 a.m.

Lake level: 170.79

Generator 1: Currently running 24 hrs.

Generator 2: Currently running 24 hrs.

Spillway Gates: Closed

Water temperatures 46-48 degrees

Although I have not been out some friends have but with limited success just off the main feeder creeks in 25 to 50 feet with Norman's DD22s, Jig-N-Craws, Texas/Carolina rigs, Drop Shot and Jigging Spoon patterns. Slow down and cover productive areas thoroughly changeing the angle of your casts because winter bass will bunch up tightly in cold water.

[iClass]

Catt (and ffd) Just wanted to drop you a thank you. I haven't posted in a while, but am still actively observing this thread.  I'll be up there at least 2-3 times a month for some Structure locating (and confirming with Scuba diving!) during the next 3 mos. This is still the Best thread I have ever seen or been involved with.  Awesome Job!

[fishfordollars]

Well our club voted to fish our January tournament yesterday the 9th on Rayburn. I did not fish, but 17 members and guest hit the water in the 13* weather. Five fish were weighed in by 5 different people. Largest was one that weighed 1.85 lbs. I just could not see myself tormenting myself in all that cold weather. As it turned out I did not fall very far behind for the year.LOL.

[Catt]

Member participation is extremely helpful

[fishfordollars]

Member participation is extremely helpful

You're right. I just didn't want to lump myself in with the rest of the idiots.

[iClass]

Due to this thread, I have altered my fishing style.  I will still check the banks, but only where deeper water is close by.  My favorite baits now are a 7" El Grande Mexi stick rigged Wacky, A Jig, Tex rigged 5" - 10" plastics, Spinnerbait, lipless crankbait.

 

I have recently started Scuba diving again and have been diving Toledo Bend, it is amazing how clear the water is when you drop in over 10' down.  I am now seeing how bass relate to the grass, treelines, etc.  Very Kewl.  I am going to start photographing some of these fish (I can swim very close to them)

I do have a question regarding fishing    I would like to know how YOU (Catt) fish your Texas rig on deeper structure.  I know how to fish a T rig, been doing it for a lot of years, but not deeper structure.  Any Ideas?  Line type, size, weight (tungston vs lead) rod, etc. 

[Catt]

#1 an anchor & 30' of ½ rope

Texas Rig:

Shimano Calcutta 100A spooled with 15# Berkley Big Game

Shimano Crucial Rod 6'10" Med Hvy CRC-X610MH

3/16 oz bullet weight or 1/4 oz depending on wind not depth; lead or tungston I don't care

4/0 Mustad Denny Brauer Straight Shank Flippin Hook

Gene Larew 7 ½ Salty Ring Worm Cinnamon Pepper Neon/June Bug Laminated (Camouflage) or Junebug/blue tail

Fishing the Texas Rig

1) Make a long cast

2) Strip 3 or 4 arms length of line, this will assure a vertical fall

3) Count the bait down, 15' of water count to 20 to make certain the bait is on the bottom, do it in your head if need be

4) Pause a good 30 seconds after the bait reaches bottom

5) Lower your rod to the 3 o'clock position while reeling slack & feel for anything unusual

6) Move the rod from 3 o'clock to 2 o'clock to 1 o'clock in three motions (speed varies)

7) Pause 30 seconds & feel for anything unusual

8) Repeat 5, 6, & 7 all the way back to the boat

9) If at any time you feel a noticeable tap, tug, line tighten, heaviness, or see line movement.

10) Without hesitation drop the rod, reel the slack, and set the hook

K.I.S.S.

Oh yea I fish a Jig-N-Craw or Craw Worm the same!

[iClass]

#1 an anchor & 30' of  ½ rope   Dang!  I have read this over and over in your posts and it never really hit home.  I have used a drift sock, kept the TM running, and in gen had a pain of a time fishing a TRig on the main lake points.  I'm Glad that you could bean me with this one, I have NEVER used and anchor in my boat, bet I'll be heading to Academy when I get home. 

This also allows you to position your boat and be able to fish the "current", etc.  (slapping my forhead) 

A simple adjustment like this may help more than anything else I have done in the past 5 years.  Sometimes I feel like an  idiot, but in my defense you don't really see many anglers in a bass rig with an anchor.

[Bass_Fanatic]

Catt, I got a club tourney on the Bend March 6th, and the Best 6 the first weekend in May.  If ya dont mind helping a brother out, I would appreciate any tips ya got as I will be prefishing for both and trying out some new stuff that I have learned from this thread.

Thanks!

P.S. If you want a fishing partner any this spring just let me now!

[Catt]

When I talk of fishing an area "slow" I do not necessarily mean the speed at which I move a lure but rather saturating the area with repeated cast.

Once I've positioned my boat over the primary structure there is no longer a need to move and to use a trolling motor is senseless if you think about it. Fishing deep water structure is about location and most often pin-pointing a specific location. If there is a sufficient amount wind to move your boat enough to require repositioning with your trolling motor you should be anchored. Relieving on my trolling motor to keep my boat positioned on a specific location only leaves me to far forward, to far backwards, to far left or to far right. Another key to fishing Toledo is I rarely fish "down hill" instead anchoring shallow and casting deep; this keeps your bait in contact with the bottom longer.

Bass_Fanatic,

Early march the bass on the Bend will be in pre-spawn, spawn, and post spawn depending on which part of the lake.

This is the one time of year I seldom anchor

Primary targets; in the back of creek channel coves

5 rods on deck. Texas Rigged plastic, Jig-N-Craw, Wacky Rig, Rat-L-Trap, & Spinner Bait

[Bass_Fanatic]

Thanks Catt for all the information you share.  I only get to fish the Bend 5-6 times per year, so its hard to know exactly what the fish are doing when I get teh chance to go.  I will definately have those five rigs on board.

Another question:

The places I know the best are Lanan, Louisiana Islands, Solans, and the mouth of San Miguel.  Which of these places would you target first in March?

[Catt]

February: Solans

March: Lanan, 1215, San Miguel area

April: Louisiana island

Over lapped by 1/2 the previous month

[Bass_Fanatic]

Thanks Catt, I appreciate it! 

[Catt]

Point Forecast for my place: 9 Miles SE Hemphill TX

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 56. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.

Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of rain after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.

Thursday: A 40 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. East wind around 5 mph.

Thursday Night: A 50 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 45.

Friday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 55. Chance of rain is 60%.

Friday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 41. Chance of rain is 70%.

Saturday: A 50 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 48.

Bring a rain coat & a Rat-L-Trap

[bigtimfish]

Ok Catt, For the south end Six mile/Sandy creek areas. At what water temp do the bass start bedding up? And when do you think this will start to happen? I know with the cold weather we have received latley it should delay it a little longer than normal. Do you think late feb or as late as middle to late march?

[Catt]

There so many variables involved with the entire spawning process it is impossible to predict

Last year I found water temperatures in the high 50s and low 60s in the back of creeks in mid February but no nest were found until mid March. The spawn is tied to the full moon which takes place this year on the 30th of March. Even with all the recent sub-freezing temperatures this warming trend over the next few days will have the bend back on schedule.

[FROG11]

Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to share your insight with all of us Catt!  I just got through reading all 40.5 pages of this thread last night and I'm looking forward to learning more. 

I will be at the Bend this year from March 4th - 7th looking to catch as many bucketmouths as I can  8-)  We were there last year in the 2nd week of March in that bitterly cold/rainy weather.  We still caught fish, but only a couple of good ones(4-5 lbers).  We're hoping for better weather this year.  We'll probably be staying at Alpine Marina in the Palo Gaucho area.  Any tips for that area in particular for the prespawn/spawn?  I assume there will be more prespawn fish in the first weekend of March than will be actual spawning fish.

While I'm asking my questions, and correct me if you've mentioned this before and I missed it...but I know you mention the 1/2 oz gold/black back/orange belly trap that you throw quite a bit...but how do you fish it most often?  I caught a few fish last year..even in that terrible weather..on a trap...including our biggest of the trip(5-0 lber)..but I caught some yo-yoing it back to the boat over some deeper grass..and others with a straight retrieve over shallower grass(including the 5 lber) ripping it out when it would get caught up in it.  So just wondering how you fish your trap most often.   

This will only be my third serious trip to Toledo Bend...so I'm a Toledo Rookie for sure.  I'm an Atchafalaya Basin fisherman...so I've got the "find a bank and pick it to pieces" philosophy most of the time...but I did back off and fish deeper last year with some good success.  Hoping to improve, learn a few new spots around areas we've been before, and see new parts of the lake each time I head up there.  The lake can be overwhelming to a newby..it's just so big.  I like your advice about picking a part of the lake and learning that part really well instead of trying to fish the whole lake though.  Each different area is so diverse and has so much to offer...I could make 10 trips just to Palo Gaucho and not know half of it I'm sure.  A buddy of mine going on the trip with us likes to see all parts of the lake ..which I do as well, but I like the prospects of learning certain areas really well rather than learning 15 areas not so well   Being new to the lake, I guess we just like to see the different areas to see which section of the lake is going to suit us best, then focus on those areas.

But thanks again for doing this!  Your posts are invaluable to newbies like myself! 

Justin

[Catt]

Fully Rely On God(FROG)

Well y'all are quite welcome but the joy is mostly mine since it love teaching bass fishing and I especially love Toledo Bend.

Palo Gaucho from its mouth to the very back end is a excellent location for year round fishing; in early march I would have to visit the Hines Creek area or the very back of Palo Gaucho. Pay attention to creek channel coves!

I fish a Rat-L-Trap every way possible from waking it in shallow water to kneel-n-reel in deep water; I throw it around grass and bump it into wood.