So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[Catt]

If y'all think I'm putting y'all on exact locations, then y'all are funny

I've gave y'all the structure, how to fish any grass & timber, but y'all will need to locate the bass according to the present weather conditions.

[fishfordollars]

Here you go:

Northern point:

N 31  27  02.27

W 93  45 29.69

  There is a boat house off this point. Water off the end of dock is 11-13' and has a big brushtop under it. 25 yards S.W. of the dock is another brush pile sitting on the outer grass line in 15-16'. Look just south of the boat house and you will see a bulkhead running back into the pocket to another dock. Fish this bulkhead early. It is 3-4' just off of it and there is a 8-9' ditch following it around into the pocket to the inner dock. The matted grass on the northern pocket point will guide you around the point into the ditch.

South point;

N 31  26  49.63

W 93  45  18.76

  This is a grass covered shallow flat that runs out to the Carrice Creek boat lane on the south side of the ditch. The ditch is narrow enough to fish each side as you make a pass down the middle. Move out on the flat carefully a cast or two away from the matted grass, lots of stumps under the water. It is many acres in size. Work it out to the deeper water as the sun gets up and you will just have to watch your sonar looking for the ditches as you come across them. Great big fish area. You will see lots of boats working it but there is plenty of room. They won't hang around long. They never fish it right. Just stick with the plastics and work your way around the outer edges out toward the boat lane. I would start in the ditch and work it out to the boat lane and then turn south and fish the creek edge. Grass will run out to the drop and you should have no problem finding it. If it is a bright day I would be throwing a watermellon/red baby brushhog and if it is cloudy i would stick to the darker shades.

Ledge off Carrice Creek Boat Lane:

N  31 26  49.63

W  93 44  59.13

  This area is out close to the bouys in the boat lane. the water will be in excess of 25' in this area. Fish the ledges that fall off in this area and watch for schooling fish. Mid morning is when they usually show. Lots of good solid 3 pound fish will be in these schools and some yellow bass will be in the mix.

Good luck. i have put you in the area. The road bed that crosses the ditch has a few remains of a bridge in the bottom of the creek. Lately I have not caught a lot of solid fish behind where the road bed crosses but it may be worth a quick pass if you are in there early. Tons of grass, I just have stayed out from the road bed to the outer edges of the points. you will see a lot of docks running north back toward the bridge from this area. I have not done well on these docks due to the shallow water under them. They look great just have not produced for me.

If you decide to run the pipeline boat cut from Carrice to the river you can fish the ridges out off Bugg Island. I would concentrate on the East side of the island as it is closest to the river. If you are not familiar with this area be careful. You cannot see the island but be aware it is just south of the boat run. lots of fish caught there. Here is a cordinate for the east side of Bugg Island:

N 31  27  38.28

W  93 44  20.90

Good luck, and if you struggle Saturday I will have my cell phone on if you are allowed to make a call.I definately have a few more cordinates I can share with you. Or feel free to call me during the Thursday-Friday practice.

Sorry for the long post.

Jack

[fishfordollars]

If y'all think I'm putting y'all on exact locations, then y'all are funny

I've gave y'all the structure, how to fish any grass & timber, but y'all will need to locate the bass according to the present weather conditions.

Catt, they are up. not exact but it will get them in the area. up to the ones that use them to see how well they can pick apart an area.

[BulletDon]

holly crap jack, I know exactly where you are talking about.  Fished that area back in the mid 90's and look, it is still producing.

Fished a tourney and only had one bite all freaking day.  30 min left, came in on that point and 15min had just over 15 lbs with 5 - 7 casts.

That place was always picky.  The boat could be pointed directly towards land and you would catch maybe 3 fish.  Fish it for 30 minutes and nothing.  Fish it from another angle and immediately start catching again.  You had to keep changing the direction of your presentation, not necessarily changing the bait.  Thanks Jack you just brought back a memory.  this is a type of area that you checked throughout the day because you did not know when they would bite.

Mmmm Between Jack and Cat there is almost 60 years of experience.

[fishfordollars]

holly crap jack, I know exactly where you are talking about. Fished that area back in the mid 90's and look, it is still producing.

Fished a tourney and only had one bite all freaking day. 30 min left, came in on that point and 15min had just over 15 lbs with 5 - 7 casts.

That place was always picky. The boat could be pointed directly towards land and you would catch maybe 3 fish. Fish it for 30 minutes and nothing. Fish it from another angle and immediately start catching again. You had to keep changing the direction of your presentation, not necessarily changing the bait. Thanks Jack you just brought back a memory. this is a type of area that you checked throughout the day because you did not know when they would bite.

Mmmm Between Jack and Cat there is almost 60 years of experience.

Yep, it's all about timing and angles (Ain't it always though?)...And big old brush tops that I ain't disclosing.

[Catt]

I laugh when one of my students brings up the subject of not fishing history but fish the moment, my next question is why would you throw away years of experence?

The structure is there & it aint moving!

The overall shape/contour & amount of grass will vary year to year but the structure remains unchanged.

Many anglers are under the false assumption all the wood has disappeared, while no longer as visible on the surface below the surface it's all still there. For some thing to rot, rust, or corrode oxygen must be present gas form not liquid.

[BulletDon]

oh my gosh, that is unbeleivable.  Thanks for the pics.

[fishfordollars]

If a person is serious they will have the cameras out in full force. Ten years ago when Rayburn went down we took well over 200 pictures anjd matched with the cordinates. It has been time well spent.

[BulletDon]

thats when you want to go out there and dig you a good ditch for the future.  Even if one had to dig it by hand.

[fishingcajun]

It would be a good time to retrieve lost baits !! I will be fishing the BFL as a co-angler this weekend as well. We call the area Community and 2nd cove. Caught enough to collect a check in the Oilman's this year. However I never studied as close as Jack. I have been following his post since last year. I guess one day we will run into each other.

[fishfordollars]

It would be a good time to retrieve lost baits !! I will be fishing the BFL as a co-angler this weekend as well. We call the area Community and 2nd cove. Caught enough to collect a check in the Oilman's this year. However I never studied as close as Jack. I have been following his post since last year. I guess one day we will run into each other.

It's like any other spot on the lake. you get out of it what you put into it. i have spent countless hours mapping a grid with my units from the points out several hundred yards. Almost without exception boats come in the area and motor over the best areas shutting down the bite. They leave shortly fishless when all they need to do is shut down well away from the area and come in on the TM. Ninty nine out of a hundred have their eyes on the points and motor right over the best areas. I see it every trip, not that I mind.

The reason a lot of people refer to it as a community hole is that they can motor in and catch a couple. If they took the time to look and learn a little more about it they could go in and catch ten.

This is by no means my numero uno spot up there. It's just one that can be very consistant if you watch what you are doing. I have this area mapped from the points out 1/4 mile in every direction you can go. It's almost like fishing a farm pond to me now. It's where i always go if I am in need of a large sack to either catch or hold off someone in our club.

[fishingcajun]

So true, about motoring in an around a hole. However I have seen where they also would stir the bait fish up and turn the fish on for a minute or two. Your other point about getting out what you put into it, is one of the things I have learned about TB, doing  your homework and dissecting an area and most of all don't give up on the fish or the place.

[fishingcajun]

Jack, would the old roadbed ditches running either side north to south be defined enough to see now! on your electronics, and is this an example of what we should be looking for and fishing parallel too.

[jsn]

Looking at the coordinates you've showed us, how would the fish relate to these structures during the fall?  Would they follow the ditches or would the migrate to the back of Carrice Creek?

[fishfordollars]

Jack, would the old roadbed ditches running either side north to south be defined enough to see now! on your electronics, and is this an example of what we should be looking for and fishing parallel too.

The roadbed is very shallow and totally covered with matted grass except for a few yards off each side of the ditch. It's a waste of time.

[fishfordollars]

Looking at the coordinates you've showed us, how would the fish relate to these structures during the fall? Would they follow the ditches or would the migrate to the back of Carrice Creek?

I don't fish a lot behind the bridge unless high wind and waves drive me back there. Tons of fish back there just not the consistant size I'm looking for. Personally i've caught very few larger fish behind the bridge. The fish will definately use the ditch between the points in the fall. If the water comes back up before winter there will be lots of very good fish sitting in the back of the ditch and out on the sides. If you go in there while the water is down and look you will see why it will hold so many. Tons of stumps, laydowns, and grass. Not hydrilla either, it will be the stuff that has grown up while it is out of the water. The ditch will run straight back in a NW direction until you reach the treeline (100 yards or so). It then forks and the right fork will run through a fence into a neighbor's pasture. Classic spawning area in the spring. When the water gets up in the spring you can actually stay on the TM through the cut in the south side of the woods and move south down lake to the next several pockets without coming back out on the main lake. This really helps when the wind is up and you don't care to fight it. It's very thick and room for one boat at a time to get through, but there are tons of flipping opportunities as you work your way through.

[TBendBassin]

just to let yall know some low life punks are breaking into boats and they are hitting em pretty heavy.. Two nights ago there were 17 boats total that got broken into at two different campsites on 3315.. make sure to keep yalls boats locked up if yall are going up there. While im on this subject i would highly suggest that everyone invest in a Loc-R-Bar

http://www.locrbar.com/index.htm

Without this any thief can brake most all rod box locks with just a crow bar, but most thieves won't take the time to try and cut the masterlock, or you can even drill out the hole a little bigger and put a trailer hitch lock in there. 

[BulletDon]

Thanks for the update. I installed a boat alarm with a remote pager. Best $200 I have spent.  ;D

[jsn]

thanks for the info fishfordollars. 

[Bull]

Catt, My place is up in hickory ridge according to the bouy markers, on the map you asked us to get it is called Lowes creek. Several years ago you could not count the boats out on the flats by pleasure bend and magees landing. Now there are not many boat out there to be seen. I know the contours are still there but maybe not the moss. Could that be the reason? Will the bass still be at these locations.

[Bull]

thanks for the info tbendbassn, my place is close to there off of pleasure bend road.

[alwayslooking]

Bull, i can tell you that the fish are still on mcgee flats,,was there on the 21st,,,and caught a few,,and watched a competitor fishing opposite side of channel catching some as well,,,

[Catt]

Bull, there is (Jessie) Lowes Creek located off of FM83 at mid-lake & then there is Lows Creek located off of FM3315 on the south end which is the one your place is near.

There are areas of the lake that receive constant boat pressure simply because they are well know through out the fishing world; examples would be San Miguel, 1215, La Nana, Palo Gaucho, Housen', & Six Mile.

Then you will have areas that receive a lot of boating pressure because of some recent event; example the lake record was nearly broken recently and you would be amazed at the number of boats the pounded this area of Six Mile for weeks even though that bass had died in captivity.

[Bull]

Catt, yes my place is off of Lowes creek off of 3315. On old maps its Lowes creek and the new maps its call Hickory ridge. In the eighties and early nineties, you could'nt count the boats out there. On the hook and line map its called Rickbay or little Lowes flats. Then when they started droping the level 10 feet during the winter , it killed alot of the moss. Some of the moss is starting to return now that they are keeping the level at 168 or higher. so I hope the fish will return also. I would also like to thank everyone for the info that they are sharing.

[Bull]

Paul, thanks for the info, I have'nt fished Mcgees flats that much. I guess I was talking about Little Lowes flats.I see you fish that area some what. If you are ever looking for some to fish with give me a shout. I mostly fish by myself since I work shift work. Hoping to go back up to the lake on Monday and fish for a few days.