So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[Catt]

The generating schedule for Toledo Bend Dam 03/16/09

Lake Level: 170.13

Generator 1: Currently shut down

Generator 2: Currently shut down

Spillway Gates: Closed

Current water flow: 204 Cubic Feet per Second

The GENERATING SCHEDULE / LAKE LEVEL (above) is maintained by the Sabine River Authority - Louisiana. The information is posted irregularly as it changes. Sometimes the generating schedule or spillway gates are adjusted very frequently (e.g. multiple times in a given day) when conditions merit; other times the schedule is constant for a period of time. Any time the schedule is changed, SRA-LA updates the schedule that appears here.

http://www.toledo-bend.com/toledo_bend/index.asp?request=lake-level

TOLEDO BEND BOAT LAUNCH DIRECTORY

http://www.toledo-bend.com/toledo_bend/index.asp?request=launch

I've found surface temperatures in the upper 50s since mid-February and last week it was in the upper 60s and yet the bass are not on the beds at least not in numbers. Every one I've talked to have caught in 5-8' of water on just about any bait.

[Catt]

Ok guys I've handed out advice for up coming trips & y'all aint reported back voluntarily so I guess I'll have to call y'all out by name.

[fishfordollars]

Ok guys I've handed out advice for up coming trips & y'all aint reported back voluntarily so I guess I'll have to call y'all out by name.

Kinda strange ain't it. You'll give it out, but they want to keep it to themselves. What's up with that? I know Wesley fished cause I talked to him while he was on the water.

[Low]

Hey guys.  I'm new to this site.  Just wanted to say hello.  I've read through this post and like what you're doing Catt.  I've been fishing Toledo Bend for as long as I can remember.  However, I haven't fished it much in the last several years except for the last three weekends.  I mostly fish around Toro Bay area (Pirates Cove etc.)  Fished last Sat. and Sunday.  Fishing was pretty slow except for Sat evening when it started raining about 5:00.  Caught about 8 or 10 that evening on a Fluke over grass flats.  Biggest went 5 lbs.

[Wesley]

Ok guys I've handed out advice for up coming trips & y'all aint reported back voluntarily so I guess I'll have to call y'all out by name.

Kinda strange ain't it. You'll give it out, but they want to keep it to themselves. What's up with that? I know Wesley fished cause I talked to him while he was on the water.

Talk about getting called out!!!

Well we fished all day, caught a few on flukes.  Looked for some on beds.  Talked to a friend that really tore them up on a trick worm out on a point.  Water temperature is 64ish today.  Tomorrow we are headed out to locate some bed fish for the tournament saturday, we think we may have a pretty good day.

[Catt]

Jack either we didn't help & they are to embarrassed or we did so good they don't want to share  :

Wesley I'm gonna call you out real soon, my #1 partner just got a camp just north of the Six Mile bridge so we gonna hook up real soon.

Low welcome back to the Bend  

[fishfordollars]

Well I told Wesley to throw the trickworm so I guess my info was right on. I also posted I was fishing points. Guess they were fishing the wrong points.

Hey Wesley, did you get bit back in Hines creek?

[Wesley]

Didnt get to head back there, was going to today.  Went out this morning and fished for 30 mins and broke my trolling motor good.  Had to pull it out the water and head to Jasper to get it fixed.  My brother went out with a friend and caught 3 on beds and we are saving the rest for tomorrow morning.  We are going to go rideing around this afternoon and locate some more on beds.  

[fishfordollars]

Well I told you I would be there last night, but due to a family situation I cannot be there today or fish the tournament tomorrow. Just sucks but I have to be here this weekend.

[Wesley]

Well we got out on the water about 6, and it was well before daylight so I tied on a spinnerbait. First fish was a 2.5 and the second was a 6.14(new personal best). We culled our first fish at 7:30 and had around 16lbs, culled again around 11:00 up to about 18 lbs. After that we went looking for some bed fish we located earlier in the week but there were boats all over them so we went back to a 4 foot grass bed near where we started and at 2 culled up to what we thought was 20 lbs. Weigh in started at 3 and closed at 3:30 so we were still fishing till about 3:15. My wife called and said 15 was winning, I told her not for long we are on our way. We weighed in 19.67 and big fish 6.14. Held first place by 4 lbs prize was $1600. My friend from Arkansas was second and had never been on the lake before. I ended up missing big fish by .3 which would have been another $400.

Baits were talon spinnerbait in whiter chart. Mardi gras colored Trick worm  rigged Texas weightless. Basicaly I just dead sticked the worm for 20-30 seconds and if no bites reeled it in and threw again.

Pic will come later, I'm posting from my iPhone now.

Edited for Grammar.

[Catt]

Alright Wesley  

[fishfordollars]

Nice job Wesley. Congratulations on the new pb.

[Wesley]

I am on the left, my brother is on the right.  

[AndyE]

Nice catch! Thanks for the post. Heading there Wed for our annual family shootout.  ;D

[Catt]

Dude I recognize that ugly mug, either at Sportsman's (Vaughn's K & K) Caf é, Fin & Feather, Fat Fred's or Lowe's Creek Marina.

Andy Kick Bass  

[fishfordollars]

Nice job guys.

[Wesley]

Dude I recognize that ugly mug, either at Sportsman's (Vaughn's K & K) Caf é, Fin & Feather, Fat Fred's or Lowe's Creek Marina.

Andy Kick Bass

I eat at Fat Freds regularly.  Now that I am looking at the pics closely that one in my brothers right hand looks like a spotted bass.  And if i remember right that fish weighed 3lbs 10oz on our digital scales, thats close to the TBend lake record.

[Wesley]

Well we got out on the water about 6, and it was well before daylight so I tied on a spinnerbait. First fish was a 2.5 and the second was a 6.14(new personal best). We culled our first fish at 7:30 and had around 16lbs, culled again around 11:00 up to about 18 lbs. After that we went looking for some bed fish we located earlier in the week but there were boats all over them so we went back to a 4 foot grass bed near where we started and at 2 culled up to what we thought was 20 lbs. Weigh in started at 3 and closed at 3:30 so we were still fishing till about 3:15. My wife called and said 15 was winning, I told her not for long we are on our way. We weighed in 19.67 and big fish 6.14. Held first place by 4 lbs prize was $1600. My friend from Arkansas was second and had never been on the lake before. I ended up missing big fish by .3 which would have been another $400.

Baits were talon spinnerbait in whiter chart. Mardi gras colored Trick worm rigged Texas weightless. Basicaly I just dead sticked the worm for 20-30 seconds and if no bites reeled it in and threw again.

Pic will come later, I'm posting from my iPhone now.

Edited for Grammar.

you really have to back away from the bank about 1 boat length and throw your weightless rigs where other people are positioning thier boats.  everyone else is slamming the banks and you can come along behind them and pick up some good ones if your patient.

[Catt]

you really have to back away from the bank about 1 boat length and throw your weightless rigs where other people are positioning thier boats. everyone else is slamming the banks and you can come along behind them and pick up some good ones if your patient.

Anglers who have not been on the lake recently will assume the nest are closer to the bank but the bass have already built their nests so with the lake level up ¾ of a foot in the last week you will have to stay farther away from the bank.

[Shanon]

Here's my update:

6 guys fished from March 19 Thursday till March 27. We didn't Saturday due to that constant wind creating 4 foot swales and stirring up mud at every point. But we had enough great weather to boat over 210 fish and with 109 keepers. We had 1 guy catch a 7lber took pics & released near Big Bass Marina.

The fish that we kept were split 50/50 males to females. It seemed in the back of coves only the bucks were left protecting the fry.

Let me say what we don't fish with: white spinnerbaits, carolina rigs, or crankbaits/rattletraps. You may now figure we fish topwater & soft plastics.

The first half of the trip the topwater bite was on as more than 50% caught with a twitchbait. The second half was all WACKYWORM. We threw 2 colors (watermelon pepper or Black/Blue Lamaniate). Black and Blue caught more quality fish.

The topwater bite ended on the rising water. We had to back off the bank and fish outside grass lines slow. We log every condition during the trip (I don't have the log with me) but we caught more fish on bluebird days than the cloudy days.

My earlier posts indicated where we fished. I only get to fish the lake once a year and I absolutely love Toledo Bend. I was extemely happy with the LA side adding new bouys. They were very easy to navigate after dark on our way back to camp. Texas side needs to catch up. After Thursday's storm we noticed a lot of bouys blown out of place. Is there anyone to contact or does a regular maintenence crew keep people out of the trees?

If anyone's getting ready to go bring your wacky worms (and o-rings) - throw at every point with submerged grass.

Already booked next year's trip...

Shanon

[Bass_Fanatic]

Well, I'll be up on the Bend this weekend and I may need a fishing partner for Saturday!  I am thinking about fishing Lanana area.  I am hoping the weather is better than forecasted, but regardless, I'll be there.  Are the fish pretty much in full swing of the spawn now?

[Catt]

Excellent report Shanon with outstanding results but just because you're back home don't forget to check in.

Bass_Fanatic I just looked at NOAA and the weather looks fine to me; shoot Wesley a pm since he is currently fishing that area.

[Wesley]

I wish I was fishing on the Bend this week, but I am currently at work untill Apr 10th, and when I get home I will be concentrateing on Rayburn looking for some big Fish for the McDonalds.  

If I had to go out right now and fish toledo I would probably throw weightless plastics on grass lines and maybe top waters early.  

[Bass_Fanatic]

Well, I looked at the forecast again and Catt, you're right, the weather is supposed to be perfect.  And Wesley, thanks for the insight on what to throw.  I will probably throw some early and late topwater with senko and swimbaits throughout the day.  I'll let yall know how it went next week.  

Oh and by the way, the reason I didn't post my last report form the Bend was because I was a little embarassed too, but this is it...

I got out on the water early Friday, March 6th, to prefish for my club tourny the next day.  I caught a total of eleven fish with my biggest going maybe 3lbs, but around 4 that evening I got my trolling motor hung inside a hollow stump.  I had to get out of the boat and pick the boat up and when I did the whole trolling motor ripped off the bow.  I was ticked, so I went back to the truck to fix it for the next day.  When I got back to my truck I had a stupid flat tire and so I crawled underneath to get the spare.  Then I realized the cable that holds my spare had rusted i half and somewhere along the way I lost my spare.  I live like 2 1/2 hours from Toledo, but luckily my buddy was prefishing up the lake.  I called him and he came and picked me up and brought me to get my tire fixed.  By this time everyone around was closed, so I had to plug the tire myself and never got time to mess with the trolling motor, so I fished in the tourney the next day with no trolling motor in 25 mph winds.  I ended up with two fish, 4.4 lbs.  The worst fishing trip of my life!

[Catt]

Dude its trips like those that let us enjoy the good days

Some days are diamonds, some days are stones, some days you wish you never left home