So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[5Biguns]

Did I run everybody out of the thread?  :-/

[alwayslooking]

Christmas shopping,,was thinking that spot was point of two creeks, however i checked that spot on my navionics chip and its actually looks like it might be an island,,,

[Catt]

No island! But during low lake levels some parts are only inches deep

[5Biguns]

Catt, What depth do you find the healthiest Grass in the winter?

[Catt]

Y'all ever see these during the winter?...They aint feeding on dead grass

[5Biguns]

I hate loons, They make a mess when you hit one in the dark.  ;D

[Catt]

Dude those are Poule D'eau (Coots) and they feed only in grass that is alive so fine them and you'll find fishable grass.

[Catt]

I aint saying nothing til y'all tell me what y'all see

N 31.35162 W 93.63407

[HitmanFO]

Let me let my ignorance flap in the breeze for a moment...

As far as terrain features go, that looks like the middle of a hill running from NE to SW that could vary from 159-150 ft of elevation. It could drop down to 141 ft around the south, east, and north sides (between 150 and 141 ft, a little channel running around 3 sides). The west side drops off into the depths of the main lake.

It looks like a creek once flowed from the east, split to the east of this hill, and flowed down each side of it, north and south, making deeper channels on the three sides.

I guess bass coming in from the main lake would encounter this hill first when coming in from the depths on an west-to-east line... if they swam over it, they would find that it drops back off into deeper water on the east side, fairly sharply, and climbs back up toward the shoreline. They would find this to be the case on most of the north side and all of the south side.

Sooooooooo.... maybe this is a place where grass might grow on the top of the "hill", and then they have deeper waters to retreat to on all four sides? Three sides would be creeks/channels/ditches, whatever you want to call them, and the fourth side, the west side, would be the main lake.

With the main lake at 170.55 today, I'd expect these exact coordinates to be somewhere in 11.55 to 20.55 ft of water, depending on if the elevation at that point was just under 160', or just above 150', which is the variation we could have since the contour lines are marked every 10' and this hill is between the 160 and 150 contour line.

AND, based on your post the other day, if the generators were running today (they're not), I'd expect a current to be running down each side of this hill... approaching from the east side, running down the north and south sides.

Alright... I was brave enough to lay it out there instead of just waiting to see what everyone else said... don't be too hard on me when you straighten me out! ;D

[alwayslooking]

x2,,hill, ridge,,,,,,creeks,drains all around, the creek, drains appear to be narrow,,,no drain due north to bank, lots of bends and intersections, points, etc,,I would start at those cordinates then work east,,ne,,,

[Catt]

Is this not a wild looking piece of structure?

First off the coordinates I gave mean absolutely nothing I just wanted to get y'all to look at the entire area.

Keep in mind that the current lake level is 170.55 which puts the 150 contour line at 20.5' and the next contour line towards the shore at 10.55.

If you zoom out you can see where Arnold Creek come into the cove directly to the right of the coordinates which I assume creates this bottom feature.

I would like to see this area with side imaging

[HitmanFO]

Whew... OK... glad that worked out. ;D

Going back to the beginning of this whole topic, you said time and time again that bass coming off of the main lake may stop at the first bit of structure they come to. Well, I would expect that, coming from the main lake into this cove, this hill is going to be the first bit of structure they come to, especially attractive if it has grass on top. So, I'd start on the west side of that hill first and then, like alwayslooking said, work my way east.

Thanks for the question, Catt... made me do a whole lot of thinking and map-checking... you're opening my eyes on what to look for with underwater structure! I've studied maps before, trying to pick out good features, but your input is making me look at it in a different way now.

[capierrottie2]

Catt,

   

I have fished this area before. I know that the grass here is not as good as years past, but is coming back little by little each year. In my experience here the morning bite is the best. I have a friend who has a camp  east of the coordinate you gave on the pennisula. He said that in the past when the grass was plentiful he would never have to crank his engine. He would limit out fishing this area. It is a good area to fish by experience.

[alwayslooking]

when i clicked on the sat image, it showed the spot as deep with shallower mass to the left,,,not sure how old the topo info is, and assume siltation has changed the area some,,,

[Catt]

capierrottie2, I've done well in that area but like your friend said the grass has changed

alwayslooking, The is no siltation taking place other than in the back of creek or along and close to the shore line but not on the main lake.

[5Biguns]

Catt, Just to the Southwest of these coordinates is a Hump With a 150 line and a Creek coming out of the main lake running on the south side of it.  Would this be the first stop for fish as they move up in the spring? OR do you think they would bypass it in favor of the larger structure closer to shore?

[fishfordollars]

Ya'll might want to double check those cordinates. These cordinates just came off my Lowrance unit and they are all over on the west side of the lake. Are ya'll working off a map or a website? All my maps correspond with these figures.

Bugg Island:

N31 27.150

W93 44.100

Boat Lane/Mouth of Palo Gaucho:

N31 25.050

W93 40.200

Carrice Creek Hump:

N31 25.050 Here's a hump that always has fish on it.

W93 44.580

See where I'm going with this. These are all over on the Texas side.

The back end(West) of Housen Bay is going to lie in the W93 50.000 area or close. Draw a straight line across the mouth of Housen through Gilley's point and you are staring at W93 40.780.

The W93.63.407 cordinate is going to show up west of Toledo Bend a mile or more(Maybe a lot more) off the West side of the lake.

Datum use WGS84

Reading Degrees, Minutes, Seconds

Something ain't right.

Here's one for you. W94 01.868. This is a hump on Rayburn in Sollie's woods. This W93 63.407 should lie about half way between Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend.

Jack

[Catt]

That's wierd Mytopo.com shows it at N 31 21 07 W 93 38 03 

[fishfordollars]

Catt, long Mike and I were just on the phone talking about it and he went onto Google Earth and the W93 showed up in the middle of the lake.

Not sure what is going on, but somethings not right. I'll try to get to the bottom of it. Is that site working off WGS84 Datum?

[fishfordollars]

That's wierd Mytopo.com shows it at N 31 21 07 W 93 38 03

Check your map Datum. It may be working off NAD 83 instead of the WGS84. It will be listed in the area that shows the list of cordinates. That will make a difference. check if you are reading degrees, minutes, seconds or something other.

[5Biguns]

Fishfordollars, We are working off of Acme.mapper.com. It shows to be wgs84 Degrees minutes and seconds.

I am on the road now but when I get home I will check the coordinates against lowrance Hotmaps veiwer. 

[fishfordollars]

Thanks, that coordinate is showing up out in the middle of the lake on several maps and other mapping sites. Catt, Long Mike, and I have run through several sites and we keep getting different locations.

That could be my poor map comprehension too.

[HitmanFO]

Hey Catt (and everyone else), I'm going to launch at Fin-and-Feather in the morning and run out to that flat in Housen you pointed out, to take a stab at "structure fishing".  I'll try it out, and probably spend the rest of the day at various places in Housen.  If any of you see a black/red/silver Champion with two guys shivering their butts off in Housen tomorrow, feel free to swing by and say hi!  My name's John and I'll be up front, my buddy Dylan will be in the back.

I'll let you guys know how it goes... hopefully I'll be posting a new PB... just like I think I will every time...  :

[5Biguns]

Good luck today!

[alwayslooking]

Hitman, did you go to fin-n-feather? thought i saw skeeter with those colors at six mile...was a tough windy day for me,,,couldn't pattern the keepers,,,did catch one 2 1/2 pd catfish on tx rig,,,   oh,,,you said champion,,,