So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[swglenn]

We fished Housen Friday afternoon and Saturday. Caught 25 on Friday with 11 keepers, the largest at 4#. Most caught in less than 4' of water on Senkos and flukes although we tried rattle traps, square bills, spinners, jerk baits, carolina and drop shot rigs. Saturday we caught 2. We tried the big grass flat in Housen west of Hurricane. A lot of boats there but saw very little catching. After lunch went to some humps we had caught on last March and caught nothing. Buddy went back this morning and I am waiting to hear how he did.

[Bryanhester]

Fished tue. And Wednesday with great results. Tuesday fished the bend and managed to catch 28 with the best almost 24 lbs. best bite was early with a lull after 10:00. Bite picked up again around 2. Biggest was 7lbs. Most caught on traps in staging areas in the grass !! Fished housen and six mile areas. 

   Fished Rayburn yesterday and ran the same patterns as Toledo. Traps seem to be the best bait .. red and gold with black back.  Tuesday I only saw 2 or 3 boats all day. I wish it would rain every day !! Lol

[swglenn]

We are leaving this morning after the rain passes and plan to stay through Saturday. Buddy caught an 8.5# earlier this week and he is anxious to try again before the weather changes. We will be at F&F.

[Catt]

46 minutes ago, swglenn said:

We are leaving this morning after the rain passes and plan to stay through Saturday. Buddy caught an 8.5# earlier this week and he is anxious to try again before the weather changes. We will be at F&F.

 

Kick Bass!  

[RSemmes]

with the the warmer weather and rain, will that push the fish further up shallow? I am heading up Friday and plan to fish deep most of the time, but curious if I have the right idea with warming weather and rising waters. 

 

Thanks, Ryan 

[RonnieF]

I didn't fish Tuesday but fished 3 hours in the rain Wednesday. Caught 10, biggest  was 3 lbs. broke off on another. Those 2 were in 17'. Caught the others on suspending jerk baits & tx rigged swamp hog jr. Lost another on rattling bait crawfish colored. Spent my time around north Toledo state park. Probably head out after lunch unless I hear thunder. 

[RSemmes]

I was assuming water would be rising, didn't think about them running generators to maintain lake level. 

[Bass_Fanatic]

If the water starts rising, you better follow it up. Those fish love new water!

[samwise2u]

It's rising.

[Wesleyc_08]

Do y'all think it will be any good tomorrow? Thinking about heading up on the morning to try again.

[Catt]

52 minutes ago, Wesleyc_08 said:

Do y'all think it will be any good tomorrow? Thinking about heading up on the morning to try again.

 

One way to know

[Wesleyc_08]

15 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

One way to know

Yea I just haven't had much luck on Toledo. I'm trying to learn though. I hate to make a 2 hour drive on a bad day. What patterns should I try? I'll be fishing from the Texas islands south.

[Catt]

13 minutes ago, Wesleyc_08 said:

Yea I just haven't had much luck on Toledo. I'm trying to learn though. I hate to make a 2 hour drive on a bad day. What patterns should I try? I'll be fishing from the Texas islands south.

 

Scroll up to RonnieF & Bryanhester's report, apply that to your area. 

[Wesleyc_08]

42 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Scroll up to RonnieF & Bryanhester's report, apply that to your area. 

Ok, just didn't know how this rain affected them. Thanks!

[Catt]

5 minutes ago, Wesleyc_08 said:

Ok, just didn't know how this rain affected them. Thanks!

 

The lake is at 168.94, it's up but not even a foot.

 

If this rain did anything it muddy the back of creeks but I would be near the mouths or main lake. 

[RCCA]

Caught about 12. Same place and patterns as last Sunday. None over 3. Search mode tomorrow. 

[swglenn]

Just got in from the lake. We got there Thursday right after the rain ended at 2PM. Only kept 3 with a 5#-9 oz. Friday we kept 15 with a 4#. Fished until 1:30 today and kept 8. All fish were caught in less than 5' of water using TR plastics and Wacky Senkos. We tried TR in deeper water to 15' with no success. Also tried some humps my buddy caught on Monday with no success.

Housen was muddy/stained at the west end of the buoy chain. Back 1/2 of Hurricane was muddy/stained. We tried using traps and square bills to find them with no luck.

 

Lots of wildlife out in the warm weather. We saw a young bobcat trying to stalk coots feeding close to the shoreline. He swam through the shore grass trying to get close to them. Also saw several otters, nutria, and a 5' alligator sunning.

 

[Wesleyc_08]

 

Went all day today mainly fished Carolina rig In 6 to 15 foot of water, Managed 5 fish all day. Still can't figure what I'm doing wrong. Looks like most people smoked them to day on the Toledo fishing report Facebook page.

[RCCA]

Don't get discouraged. It's all about where and not the baits. It takes time to find em on this huge place. 

[Wesleyc_08]

I been seeing a lot of people catching on jigs. I've only fished soft plastics since I've been bass fishing. What are some good jigs and trailers I should buy and what colors? Also how do you fish jigs? I have zero experience with them. Want to try to get out my comfort zone and start catching fish. Thanks

[RSemmes]

fished Saturday mostly morning, only caught 4 smaller fish. Most came right off of a channel swing, in mouth of a creek in stained water on tx rigged green pumpkin w/chartreuse tail. All in 6-12' water. Searched for hours deep and found nothing. Checked humps in Arnold's and nothing, bluff walls in housen nothing, and few other ridges and bluff walls with no luck. 

[RSemmes]

23 hours ago, Wesleyc_08 said:

 

Went all day today mainly fished Carolina rig In 6 to 15 foot of water, Managed 5 fish all day. Still can't figure what I'm doing wrong. Looks like most people smoked them to day on the Toledo fishing report Facebook page.

 

Wesley, 

 

You aren't the only one! I spent a good bit of time searching, i did not find anything deep at all. I did miss a few fish, I may have set the hook a little early lol. It's like they were grabbing the back of my soft plastics, if I had hooked every fish I would have still only had 8 total. This deep fishing still kicking my butt!!! 

 

 

[bachelorpads]

I will start with THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS FANTASTIC THREAD!  There is so much info in here that spans multiple years that i find it amazing.  One of the best single lake dedicated threads on any board i have ever read.

 

I figure it is about time.....to finally give the bend a try.

 

I am setting up a trip from Omaha, Nebraska to Toledo Bend the last few days in March into the first few days of April.  This is the 3rd bass trip in what i am calling my "tour of the best bass lakes i can find".  First i hit El Salto down in Mexico.  Then Mille Lacs to chase around the smallies.  The next target is the Bend.  The list is fairly long but if i hit 3 a year.....well i am sure i will die before i finish the list.  Considering i will definitely hit the first 2 again soon, you get the point.

 

Right now it is a group of 3.  ~40yrs old.  All capable fisherman.  We are waffling on the plan as it is still coming together here.  But how bad will the weekend before Bassmasters be?  I expect a basic level of insanity.  

 

I would like to stay as close to the area i will be most likely to fish and that seems to be the south west corner of the lake.  Any recomendations are welcome.

 

I can't imagine that there will still be a guide available on the dates i am looking at but i have found that if i can get a guide to give me a run down of a lake for a day that i can usually hold my own from then on.  As in i can usually find a way to mimic the necessary baits or concepts in other areas of a lake.  I will definitely check with some guides for the dates so any recommended guides would be great....or one of you great folks that have nothing to do but show 3 guys from nebraska some tips...hey, whatever works.

 

I expect the easiest way for me to ask is just a list.

 

-Recommendations for a place to stay?

-It would be nice if we could get a decent meal each night so a few good places to eat?

-Guides that would be able to teach, We have all our own gear, No need for tying our hooks, no need to take off our fish, but would like someone personable.  Again, i know this is a long shot for the week I am looking at but it never hurts to ask.

-Anything you want to tell someone that is effectively a Bend newbie that reads way too much on the internet and is staring at a high res map of this behemoth of a lake on a 50 inch 4k monitor and it still doesn't seem big enough.  HAHA.

 

Thanks guys....great thread

 

 

 

 

[Catt]

@bachelorpads How Y'all Are?

 

Don't worry about what tournaments are on the lake...it's plenty big enough!

 

I like Fin-n-Feather on Housen' Bayou because it's centrally located & has a great restaurant, Big Bass Marina on the Louisiana side is in a good location.

 

Guides: Darold Gleason, Zack Gagnard, Jason Courville, Stephen Johnson & Butch Covington.

[samwise2u]

@Catt, gotta ask you since you are the one that started this tutorial.

 

Do the fish stay on the "highway" from deep to shallow year round? Moving along it as the seasons change? In other words, once they find the structure with the breaks/break lines and cover along the way do they stay in that general area for life?

 

Trying to find them in this BIG body of water has not been easy.