So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[Catt]

@FlukeJr

This is just my personal opinion

 

First there isn't a "total" lack of vegetation!

 

What's missing is Hydrilla, there's still Milfoil, Coontail, Pepper grass, Hay grass, & others. 

 

The high water level last spring slowed the resurgence of Hydrilla but it is coming back.

 

 

[FlukeJr]

Catt, I didn't see any grass, and that includes hay grass, milfoil, Ect. I fished mostly mid-lake from Lanan, 1215 thru Blue Lake up to Martinez on the Texas side. I'm wondering if some of the chemicals used to combat salvina has affected other vegetation? Or, maybe it's just too early? 

[Catt]

Even during the early 70s when the grass really became wide spread the area from Tennessee Bay south to Mill Creek were the first areas to see matted grass of any kind.

 

North of the bridge was later & never really had the grass like south of the bridge. 

 

When I fish north of the bridge I targeted wood primarily, down south it's grass.

 

I sure it will be the same this time around.

[gut hooked]

Catt and others contributing to this thread............thanks for all of the hard work and knowledge.  I sincerely appreciate the info.  

 

I fished the San Miguel area in a BASS SE Texas event on Saturday as a co-angler.  We fished the San Miguel area, including the cove behind Tranquility Bay.....Sorry I don't know the name, but you have to go under a bridge to get into the area....we got blanked.....not even a bite.....

 

The area on the outside of the cove showed fish at 20-25 ft, but we didn't stop to fish.....big mistake IMO.

 

The San Miguel area gave up nothing but bucks.  I saw a number of 9-10 lb 5 fish stringers.....very frustrating

 

It seemed that the creek channels in front of the absolutely amazing crappie piers held good numbers of fish.....the boat driver would not fish deep, so I didn't have a chance to work the fish marking in 20-25 ft.  There were good numbers showing on the brush piles in front of the piers......

 

The shallow bite was non-existent  on Friday and Saturday.  The fish we did catch were in 10-15 feet on rip rap and bulk heads....

 

I didn't find any good grass or vegetation of any kind in the areas we fished......

 

The big bags up to 36 lbs in the basschamps event came from Housen and 6 Mile areas..........

 

I look forward to continuing to learn in this thread.........

[Catt]

@gut hooked How Y'all Are

 

Sounds like typical pre-spawn!

[gut hooked]

Catt I am well.  Thanks for asking.  So am I on to something looking at the deep brush piles to hold bass this time of year?  It doesn't looking lie there is much else happening where we were......

[Catt]

6 hours ago, gut hooked said:

 

The big bags up to 36 lbs in the basschamps event came from Housen and 6 Mile areas.....

 

[gut hooked]

Got it......

[gut hooked]

Thanks, Catt

[tigerdh]

Catt, somehow I stumbled across this thread and now i'm addicted to it. You have a wealth of information tucked away. Thanks for sharing. I have not yet read the entire thread so forgive me if my question is redundant... My first question (of many more to come, I'm sure) is; how deep can bass live? Is there a limit? 

[Catt]

5 hours ago, tigerdh said:

My first question (of many more to come, I'm sure) is; how deep can bass live?

 

Is there a limit? 

 

How y'all are?

 

Couldn't give you a number but I the limit would be dissolved oxygen level.

[getting there]

"Couldn't give you a number but I the limit would be dissolved oxygen level. ".........Wonder how many ATMS of pressure they can stand??------over 5 or 6???????-----comfortably??........

[tigerdh]

So would greater depth adversely effect the oxygen content? My understanding is the deeper you get; the cooler the temps. Cooler temps will hold O2 better than warmer temps, correct? Also, would a lake like the bend have any stagnant, O2 deficient water anywhere? Bare with me, I'm a novice deep water, big lake angler. Most of my days on the water are spent in the Atchafalaya basin. Water depths greater than 12 to 15 feet are non existent. 0 to 8ft is mostly what it consists of. I've been to the bend twice in my life. Both times last year. I have two trips planned so far this year and will likely take a few more. First two trips are at the end of March and at the end of April. I am looking forward to putting the info I've learned here (so far) to practice and upgrade my personal best. Currently just over 4 pounds.  

[Catt]

Thermocline?

Phenomenon called stratification?

 

Learning to fish deep water ya need to understand those two.

[A5BLASTER]

Living on the Bend this is a awesome topic for me been reading it through trying to find tips to up my deep water and structure fishing and finding game.

 

I hold my own fishing shallow water say 10 feet or less but deeper then that and finding structure and travel routes is my weak link.

 

Catt, I could use some advice about a point that's in San Miguel just past the San Miguel park headed towards Rebbicas gas station.

 

The hook and line map shows the channel runs right up to it, and speaking of maps where can I find a map that shows more changes in elevation then the hook and line map.

 

Thank you for any advice you could give me on this subject.

[Catt]

@A5BLASTER what the point?

 

Google topo maps, the list is long!

 

Most guys use Navionics or some other app

[A5BLASTER]

Thanks for the advice I will look those other sites up now.

 

The point is the first point past wild wood headed towards Rebbicas on the south shore where the hook and line map shows the channel running very close to it, the map is a lil off because it shows the boat lane is not close to the point but in real life the lane runs very close to the point and over the channel.

 

My boat has a older model fishfinder and I'm not very good at useing it so I use topo maps more to find elevation changes.

[Catt]

Uhhh! Don't go by their boat lanes...you'll end up in the woods!

My depthfinder is a Hummingbird 535

 

Start in the shallow areas ya know & move out from 10' to 15'. Creek channels & points are always good starting structure. 

 

You also need to keep in mind there is two types of fishing deep. One you're in 15-25' of water but still within a distance of the bank. The second you're in 15-25' of water but you're nowhere near a bank.

[Marshfly]

We have another Toledo Bend trip in a month and a half. I feel like I need to reread both this thread for the third time and the Spoonplugging home study books but don't have time for both. What to do, what to do.

[tigerdh]

On ‎2‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 5:49 AM, Catt said:

Thermocline?

Phenomenon called stratification?

 

Catt, I've been doing a little research... I've always heard the term "thermocline" before, and just thought it was relevant to the difference of temps in the water column. I've definitely never dug into it this way though. I'm a long way from being an expert, but I have a better understanding of the effects of thermocline now. Thanks for the tip. 

Question: I read that some lakes will equalize in temps throughout the water column in early spring and fall. Have you ever seen The Bend do this?  

[Catt]

1 hour ago, tigerdh said:

Question: I read that some lakes will equalize in temps throughout the water column in early spring and fall. Have you ever seen The Bend do this?  

 

Yes it's called turn over

[tigerdh]

4 hours ago, Catt said:

Yes it's called turn over

 

 

Ok, so based off what I've read about lake turnover, I'm going to assume that Toledo Bend has only a fall turnover (monomictic). No spring turnover. Even though the stratification levels will change, and the thermocline will sink during the winter, she just does'nt get cold enough for a spring turnover. As spring rolls in and turns to summer, the thermocline will rise again and stabilize until the fall turnover. Would this be correct?

 

Also, I'm having trouble finding this answer and hope you'll grant me a shortcut to it. During stabilized stratification in any season, is it a given that the water below the thermocline be devoid of oxygen? 

 

[Catt]

1 hour ago, tigerdh said:

Also, I'm having trouble finding this answer and hope you'll grant me a shortcut to it. During stabilized stratification in any season, is it a given that the water below the thermocline be devoid of oxygen? 

 

That ain't a simple yes or no answer

 

[tigerdh]

Ahhh.... it's the gray area. I gotcha. Would you be willing to elaborate on your knowledge and understanding of it? I like to learn things the hard way most of the time, but I'm also open to other views and interpretations. Especially from someone with wisdom such as yours. Sometimes, this helps me get around the road blocks in my own brain. 

[june-bug]

tigerh in my opinion you are putting way to much thought into something that really doesn't matter. You can catch them shallow or deep year round on Toledo. Use your eyes to find the bank and your graph to find what depth the fish are holding at on the days that you decide to fish deep.