So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[dcmclassic]

I was seeing the same thing. I fished a few hours this morning and decided to avoid the crowded points and ledges and found some decent ones flipping shallow shaded cover that was close to deepwater. 

[Kidflex]

Here's an interesting article. There's a section that goes against the latest  bassmaster report of Toledo being fished out. 

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2016/07/01/monster-bass-toledo-bend-conditions-ideal-lunkers/86499320/

[BulletDon]

Nice video Josh.  Great job again.

 

[Bass_Fanatic]

Fished today. Didn't fish hard, had my wife with me is we just rode around and looked most of the day. Did catch a few schoolers on a jerkbaot and a dropshot and then broke off possibly the biggest fish I've ever hooked in a brush pile on a jig.  When I set the hook into her she bowed me over and then turn and ran. When she did my rod broke in half!! I managed to turn her twice, but I would reel her up 4 ft and then she would turn and rip 20 ft back off! Ended up breaking me off on the second run.  I don't know if it was a bass, but if it was, I'm positive I would have gotten a free replica today.

[Catt]

@Bass_Fanatic

Love it when ya set hook & they set hook back!

[Bryanhester]

Got to fish an hour or so before dinner and caught 14 all on a spoon off a ledge. Man it's great to be back on the bend. Gonna hit it early for a couple of hrs. Then back to the camp for a little work and family time .. ?

[Bryanhester]

Caught a nice one yesterday afternoon !! Caught in a football jig on a hump in 15 fow.  8lb 4 oz.. 

 

[Bass_Fanatic]

Nice fish Bryan! Wish I could have gotten on something worth catching.  I ended up catching 18 Saturday, with my biggest going maybe 3.5lbs.  I just couldn't find fish like I had been the previous 3 months.

[Bryanhester]

I have not found them stacked up . A couple off of each spot. Going looking for some new territory next outing. ?

[Bassin225]

For those of you that punch deep hydrilla, do you punch the stuff that you visibly see growing up to the surface or the scattered stuff that grows out deeper that you can't see?

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Bassin225 said:

For those of you that punch deep hydrilla, do you punch the stuff that you visibly see growing up to the surface or the scattered stuff that grows out deeper that you can't see?

Both

[june-bug]

21 hours ago, Bassin225 said:

For those of you that punch deep hydrilla, do you punch the stuff that you visibly see growing up to the surface or the scattered stuff that grows out deeper that you can't see?

If you give me the coordinates to the deep hydrilla i'll go out and take a first hand look so i can give you the proper technique.  

[Bass_Fanatic]

If you can find deep hydrilla right now, it's bound to be loaded with fish! I can't find anything deeper than 8-10ft.

[june-bug]

So I have had my camp now a little over a year and have concentrated exclusively on learning a few mid lake areas. Pretty much Oil Well, Lowes, Palo Gaucho/Spring Hill and Slaughter. While I have had some good trips and broke my personal best 3 times in the last 12 months I find that more often than not I am struggling. It almost seems like when I used to just come up a couple times a year for the most part I had better fishing trips. I am now on the lake at least twice a month for 2-3 days at a time. I guess my question is do you guys that have experience in the areas that I am fishing think that possibly the fishing in general is just tougher in these areas. Meaning easier to get on patterns south or north vs mid lake? Or do I just suck that bad lol. I always catch a few fish but I am having trouble getting on numbers of anything.  I’ve spent a lot of time fishing offshore ledges, humps, creek intersections/bends, points etc. and I just can’t seem to find the larger schools. Not even the whites are cooperating. What am I doing wrong? Or do I just need to start venturing elsewhere? One thing is for sure besides a little hay grass i'm not finding much of any other type of grass...especially deep.

[herruberraschen]

2 hours ago, june-bug said:

So I have had my camp now a little over a year and have concentrated exclusively on learning a few mid lake areas. Pretty much Oil Well, Lowes, Palo Gaucho/Spring Hill and Slaughter. While I have had some good trips and broke my personal best 3 times in the last 12 months I find that more often than not I am struggling. It almost seems like when I used to just come up a couple times a year for the most part I had better fishing trips. I am now on the lake at least twice a month for 2-3 days at a time. I guess my question is do you guys that have experience in the areas that I am fishing think that possibly the fishing in general is just tougher in these areas. Meaning easier to get on patterns south or north vs mid lake? Or do I just suck that bad lol. I always catch a few fish but I am having trouble getting on numbers of anything.  I’ve spent a lot of time fishing offshore ledges, humps, creek intersections/bends, points etc. and I just can’t seem to find the larger schools. Not even the whites are cooperating. What am I doing wrong? Or do I just need to start venturing elsewhere? One thing is for sure besides a little hay grass i'm not finding much of any other type of grass...especially deep.

In the past 12 months the fishing pressure has been at an all time high and the grass is going away too.... 

[Bass_Fanatic]

june-bug,

The past year has fished different for me.  I fish Lowes, Springhill, and Slaughter quite a bit and outside of a few decent trips, I haven't done much there this year.  Earlier this year I was smashing them from the dam to the mounds, but the midlake bite was tough for me.  I did have a few decent trips in slaughter and one in Lowes, but with no grass this year I haven't been able to get on anything consistent.  Bad news for me is that I can't even find much on the south end now.  Normally, I like the south end until mid-May then midlake from mid-May until September.  This year I don't like anything since May lol.

[Catt]

@Bass_Fanatic hit on it!

The lack of grass is changing how the lake fishes!

With the lack of grass some of the older guys are concentrating more on "wood", standing timber, laydowns, brush, & brush piles.

I've noticed this year has really been hit or miss with no in between.

[ToledoMard928]

Back a few years ago I fell in love with punching deep hydrilla.  1 oz jig or 1 oz tungsten punch rig was what I fished most of the time.  Over the past two years that has obviously went away. I have caught a few punching Hay grass but that has been very hit or miss for me.  The only pattern that has any consistancy is deep cover; wood, brush piles,etc..  I have burned more fuel this season idling around than running the Lake.  The positive that has come from this is I have alot more confidence in my ability to read my electronics.  Like Catt said "been hit or miss with no in between", that sums it up pretty well.

[june-bug]

Anybody go this weekend? How was the bite? I stayed home and pressure washed the house and driveway but will be headed up this Friday for a couple days....

[Bryanhester]

Caught fish early and late but very slow during the day for me. Graphed for a couple of hrs. But never found anything worth fishing. Need to do a little night fishing !! 

[Bassin225]

Got home earlier today from The Bend so I figured I'd give yall a report.

Friday: Started off fishing 20-25 ft deep on a point in mill creek and picked up 7.  After that it got tough and me and my partner only managed to catch 3 more fish.  10 total with 4 keepers.

Saturday: Ran to a different point in mill creek and started fishing deep and got into some schooling fish.  We managed to catch 22 fish on topwater.  Once the topwater bite stopped we ran numerous points/ledges/humps in mill and buck creek and picked up 20 more fish. 42 total with 15 keepers.

Sunday: Ran to Six Mile and only picked up 1 fish there(5 pounder).  There was a boat on every spot we wanted to fish.  Decided to run back to Mill and finished the day there with 12 more fish. 13 total with 5 keepers.

This morning we fished until about 10:00 am and started off in Mill where we caught all the schooling fish.  They were not schooling but we fished deep on a point and caught 12 fish with 7 keepers on 10 inch worms.

 

The wind really blew the last few days which made it hard to stay on a spot and fish.  We caught most of our fish on a dropshot and on top water when they would school.  Other than this morning when we caught fish on big worms a drop shot was the only thing they would bite.  We tried jigs, trigs, deep cranks, and flutter spoons and the drop shot out produced all of those.

Totals for the trip were 77 fish with 31 keepers.  We caught tons of 2-4lb fish just couldn't get the big bite.  For our second time ever on Toledo Bend I think we did pretty good.  If yall have any questions feel free to ask or you can DM me.

[mguidroz]

Thank you for the report Bassin225.

I fished Housen and 6-mile Friday and Saturday nights. We caught 3 fish Friday and 13 Saturday night. All were good quality fish with the biggest being 7.5lbs and several 4s. I should have caught more but was using a new tungsten bead on my CR and finally determined it was the cause of me braking off 10 or so times. (I do not recommend using tungsten beads) Anyway we fished points and humps in 8-15 fow adjacent to creek channels. The majority of the fish were caught on CR green pumpkin baby brush hogs and TR green pumpkin 6" thumper worms. I will should be up next weekend and will report. Good luck and God Bless...

 

[BulletDon]

TFTR mguidroz.  keep after them.  Looks like you all had a good stringer Saturday.

[mguidroz]

Thanks Skeeter Don. The wife give me a pass last Friday (7/22) evening so I ran up for one night. I arrived at 8:30pm and fished from 9pm to 3am. I fished the same areas (housen and 6 mile) as the previous weekend and ended up with a 7.4, 6.6, 5, (two) 4s and two around 2lbs. All were caught on 8" green pumpkin dead ringer worms TR with a 1/4oz weight. I've been concentrating on wood where the creek channel swings adjacent to a flat, hump or point. The fish I'm catching are on the edge in 8 to 15 feet. You have to been patient and wait for them to move up. I should be there this weekend and will report. Good luck

[june-bug]

Good report Guidroz. I fished Palo Gaucho Sunday morning and never really got on anything. Did catch 4 all under 2 pounds in 15' fishing  timber next to creek channel. One on top water, one on fluke , one on one knocker, and one on a spoon lol