So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[Catt]

Excellent reports guys; I've not been out lately but I usually make a trip around my birthday (12-20)

[HitmanFO]

I fished Sandy Creek/Willow Oak on Saturday.  First few casts of the day I caught the only keeper I'd see that day... 2.5lbs or so, right up next to the reeds sticking out of the water at the very front of Sandy Creek, north side... Tenn. Shad Stanley Wedgeplus.  Me and a buddy worked our way from there all the way to Willow Oak, over the course of the day, and I only picked up two dinks after that, him 4-5 dinks.  Weather was constantly changing... the wind would blow, then stop for a while.  The sun would come out for an hour, then clouds would move in for a couple of hours, then the sun would come back and it would clear up.  I think I threw every type of bait in my box during the day... nothing was consistent... me, the weather, or the bite  ;D.  I caught mine on the spinnerbait and a trap, my buddy caught his mainly on wacky worm.

I talked to another friend fishing and he had the same results Saturday, in Six Mile... but then, after the front moved through Saturday, he put 8 keepers in the boat on Sunday, with 17 dinks.

The water varied from 58-62 deg over the course of the day.

Better luck next time...

[capierrottie2]

Catt,

Can we have a learning session with our maps of the Housen Bay area. I like fishing there and want to make sure I have not missed anything looking at my map. I read through the thread again to make sure we did not discuss that area.

Thanks,

Capierrottie2

[Catt]

Yes we could but we aint

Housen' Bayou is my ace in the hole!

[Catt]

Y'all want to do Housen' Bayou?

[Dalton Tam]

I believe I PMed you last year about this time for some information about the best places and techniques on Toledo Bend during the spawn. Although I didn't get to make it last year, there will be another National Highschool Tournament in March this year and I have already got arrangements set up to be there. I have read up on last years posts around the March season but was wondering if you could help me out when it gets closer to that time? I beleive the tournament will be on March 27th. Take off will be at Cypress Bend boat ramp. I wouldn't expect anyone to put me on the fish when I don't know them, lol, but if you couldn't just give me a few tips, it would be WAY more than appreciated. BTW did you get snowed on this weekend? We saw a small amount but wish it was more :'( lol

[Catt]

BassFishinMagician what you need to do is spend time studing this link; keep in mind the dates listed are not the actual date the tournament was held. Any one seriously want to learn more about Toledo Bend should read every thing contained in this link. Not only do I re-read this info I've downloaded it into a Excel spread sheet which lets we sort it in numerious ways.

The snow wasn't much after all

http://www.toledo-bend.com/lconline/index.asp

[alwayslooking]

always interested in learning more from you, Catt, Housen or any other place on the big pond,,,would really be interested in learning how you disect your fishing areas and make moves throughout a day on the water,,,

[Catt]

"Would really be interested in learning how you dissect your fishing areas and make moves throughout a day on the water."

How do I dissect an area?

I'm a structure fisherman so an anchor is my #1 tool and then I finesse fish power baits.

What determines my moves throughout a day on the water?

#1 weather; when I get up in the morning I pull up NOAA on my computer and scan the Doppler radar and then go outside and drink a cup of coffee. If the weather is nasty I'll stay close to the camp if not I talk locations with Pat over breakfast.

My moves throughout the day is based solely on instinct.

[Catt]

There are a lot of options open to anglers on Toledo Bend when it comes to choosing what bait or technique to use so what do you do?

Let me save y'all some time here guys, I have 30 some odd years of tournament data typed on paper, in Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. Using Excel I can sort this data by lure used to win each tournament and the results are as follows Texas Rigged Plastic, Jig-N-Craw, and DD-22. Does this mean no outher lure or technique will catch bass, absolutely not but these are the most productive most often. Beleive it or not the DD-22 is most productive from late December through per-spawn.

I carry 5 rods/reels in my boat regardless of time of year

Texas Rigged Worm

Texas Rigged Craw Worm

Jig-N-Craw

Rat-L-Trap

Spinner Bait (or Buzz Bait)

Most generally the Trap and Spinner Bait is in my rod box

Side note: this data is from tournaments I've fished over years as well as data from Lake Caster Magazine

[alwayslooking]

the instinct part is where the learning curve hurts the most,,,some get it, some don't,,,i hate being one that don't...generally speaking, I assume you pick a place that you want to be around,,Housen, six mile, etc,,then a starting point,,,then a spot on a spot?   a bit early, but looks like no wind saturday

[Catt]

Consistently catching bass is a process of elimination and duplication. Eliminate patterns and waters that are non-productive and duplicate patterns and waters that are productive.

Lure patterns are one example others would be catching bass off of willows and not other trees, catching bass off of Hydrilla and not Milfoil, catching bass off of inside grass lines and not outside grass lines.Some times it requires running & gunning to several locations while other times it requires staying & playing on a couple of locations.

Let's use ACME Mapper 2.0, put in N 31.29062 W 93.72831, hit find; this will be my starting structure (it's a grass flat).

Tell me what see?

http://mapper.acme.com/

[alwayslooking]

i see middle of housen,,,maybe straight out from fin-an-feather,,,  looks like it might be cordinate #38 on my hook-n-line

[capierrottie2]

Catt,

OK catt I am at the location on the map.

[Catt]

Notice the "150"?

That is the elevation of this flat, hump, or whatever y'all want to call it; for this lesson nomenclature is not important, its location is more important. 

The current lake level is 171.04 with both genorators running 24/7

The fact that both genorators are running creating a slight current, a creek on both the south and east side tells me the bass should be located here.

The point located on the lower south east side is where I will anchor my boat and begin casting 360 degrees.

[alwayslooking]

Humm, what am i doing wrong,,can't see a 150?

[Catt]

I forgot to tell y'all to click on topo...oops

[capierrottie2]

Thanks Catt,

Just showing me the ACME Mapper was educational enough. Just another tool I can use. I see I need to study my maps and pay more attention to detail.

capierrottie2

[Catt]

Here's something else nice about Acme Mapper

Enter N 31.27915 W 93.72179 then click on Satellite; what we have here is Fin-N-Feather as it is now but if you click DOQ you will see the way it was. Many times places like this still have the old piling under water which are excellent for holding fish; unfortunely not so with F-N-F since they removed all pilings at the bottom level.

[5Biguns]

Excellent thread Catt!!!  8-)

[5Biguns]

Question, In your experience with the bend, Will the fish winter in that spot or any other like it or do the move father down the creek channel toward the main lake?

[HitmanFO]

Catt, I'm following... just FYI... no question yet...

[alwayslooking]

just another fyi,,,when i first pulled up the map and went to topo,,,no lines in water,,,had to zoom in to find them,,,NOW i know,,,lol

[alwayslooking]

Alright, found the point,,i think  i understand the logic there,,,is that place any better (if so why, or not) than N31.29306  W93.72430?

[5Biguns]

The main thing I see different with the 2 is thats cat's spot has the main channel running on one side and your point has only secondary drains.  :-/