So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

[Catt]

KICK BASS

[hunterfishes]

Thanks for the help on here. Dad and I got to fish 2 days. Still mostly got little ones, but did get one keeper up the lake and dad got a 4 pounder. I still have some time before dead water so I get to go practice some more. There just wasn't a top water bite and the wind made it tough but i am not givng up.

[Catt]

What did Ole Catt say?

[shaneus]

update on my new personal best...... 9 pounds! caught Saturday morning on a jig..... Post picture when I Get home....my girl friend was there to see it she was happy, said I was like a little kid dancing around

[Catt]

Sweet

[shaneus]

Just so y'all know I'm 5'10 270

[Catt]

That aint Community Flat

[mguidroz]

Report for the weekend

As mentioned in my previous post, I took a friend of mine sons fishing for his birthday this past weekend. We fished Pirates Cove and Yocum.

Daytime fishing was slow with only a few keeper on TR and CR worms and creature baits.

Nighttime fishing was much more productive. We fish TR 8" and 10" worms with 3/16 and 1/2oz weights (depending on wind) in 15 to 18 fow. Our main colors were plum and watermelon/candy. We fished the outside edge of grassline. Friday night was more of searching than fishing but we managed a few solid keepers. Saturday night we had 15 to 20 fish from 8 pm to midnight. The best 5 went 16 to 18lbs. The son had a 4lber and the dad a 5lber. All in all a good trip taking a young kid fishing. Thanks to all for replying to my previous post when I was asking for info.

[shaneus]

just so y'all know that was the only fish i caught all weekend........i can't fish, i prefer luck........in my past 5 trips I've caught one over 4.5 everytime, but I cannot put together any kind of limit! Where are all the small Eatin fish!?

[Catt]

Put the jig down & throw a Wacky worm or topwater for small fish.

[shaneus]

okay i will try that.......i was throwing 3 different kinds of jigs.......knew they would hit one......i fished the outside grass line with no luck in a few different areas.....I was looking for bigger fish though since I have a tournament next weekend......I have two spots need some more fish to fill a limit though

[cajunpapi]

update on my new personal best...... 9 pounds! caught Saturday morning on a jig..... Post picture when I Get home....my girl friend was there to see it she was happy, said I was like a little kid dancing around

Congrats, nice fish, keep on dancing, you have all the right to!

[mguidroz]

okay i will try that.......i was throwing 3 different kinds of jigs.......knew they would hit one......i fished the outside grass line with no luck in a few different areas.....I was looking for bigger fish though since I have a tournament next weekend......I have two spots need some more fish to fill a limit though

Shaneus

Are you fishing the up and coming night tournament next weekend?

[shaneus]

yeah I am, with the 409 Bass club

[Catt]

shaneus you switch off with a Texas rig?

I throw both on each piece of structure

Are you structure fishing or just grass?

Here's a big question for all, y'all anchor ot stay on the trolling motor?

[Bearonthewater]

Catt,

 

I've noticed you've mentioned anchoring your boat  and "fan casting" many times in this thread.

 

I'll be the first to admit, I've never anchored while fishing for bass.

 

Might cover a small over and over while tolling slowly back and forth.........

 

Are we missing out on something here?

 

Educate us please..........

 

Thanks again in advance.

[Catt]

Now this my opinion on anchoring vs staying on the trolling motor.

First off I'm most generally fishing structure, even when fishing grass. After 41 years I'm not searching for structure I already know where it is. And dispite what some will tell the structure does not change. What does change is the grass on the structure, the grass line/break line changed shape.

When we move from winter into spring and the grass starts growing all I look for is the outside grass line on the structure. Once located we have 2 options, stay on the trolling motor searching for bass or anchor on "prime" structure and wait on the bass.

In mind it's easier to wait on the bass because I'm not having to concentrate on the trolling motor.

[Catt]

This is going to be extremely fun

Let me add right here many anglers will say "the Pros don't anchor', wrong! They do if conditions warrent it, case in point go to youtube and watch Paul Elisas catch the largest 4 day stringer in history. Tell me if he was anchored or not?

Let me get my thoughts together and I'll continue!

[shaneus]

the pros anchor all the time, with that said most of the time its tying to a tree! and not with those ugly things on the back of the boat, i dont understand electric anchors you can use them 1 month a year while sight fishing??? and they cost 3-4K i dont get it to each their own.......by the way brent chapman won toledo bend elite series and he stayed tied to a tree the last day (anchored).............catt, i stay on the trolling motor and i look for the sweet spots on my electronics, i stick with jigs because of the versatility, swim, hop on bottom, burn, flip, pitch.......right now im looking for the edge of grass mixed in around timber next to a shelf. i was going to take a picture of my side imaging and show you guys but i didnt have a memory card, gave me the red a$$, but i now have a memory card so i can take pictures next time...i have a white swim jig, a pb&j jig, and a toledo perch jig, that im rotating between, i get bites but their taking the trailer 98% of the time, the big ones just swim away with it, you feel nothing...........catt, i want to get my dad fishing jigs, but he cant feel the bite and i cant describe it to him how can i teach him to feel it, any pointers?

[Bass_Fanatic]

I have anchored a few times when Im on big schools of fish, but the majority of the time Im on the TM.  BUT, I like to fish fast, heck I even fish a jig or t-rig fast by putting on a 3/4 oz jig or 1/2 oz weight on my t-rig.  Alot of people say go as light as you can get away with, which works well, but I have found that many times the faster fall rate creates a reaction bite.  Plus I can make more casts in day...more cast=more bites...at least in my mind.  

[Catt]

Shaneus, you're looking for sweet spots, I know where they are. Every thing you do with a jig I do with a T-rig & jig, giving them a choice of 2 different profiles.

If you took the time & anchored maybe your Dad could get use to the feel. Another teacher is night fishing a new moon

Bass_Fanatic, while you are more cast in they are where the bass aint.

With a T-rig I don't go over a 1/4 oz unless punching, with a jig its 3/8 or 1/2 most of the time.

I guess y'all gonna make me have on the water classes!

[Catt]

Just because I anchor don't think I don't move, some days I'll only hit 2-3 spots, some days 10-12.

My biggest tournament 5 bass stringer of 33.3# was off 1 spot. I also caught 3 over 10# from 3 spots!

Anchoring gives you another opinion

[shaneus]

i dont mind being the reason your on the water more catt! ill be the excuse lol.....and yes catt the saying older and wiser is true, ive been fishing toledo for 8 months now im fairly happy with my success , but there is 2 things in life that has always humbled me, golf and fishing. im not good at either im sub par, and want to continually get better at both....back to the fishing, i dont catch anything on worms at all! i must be doing something wrong, maybe its a confidence thing...and yeah if i knew hotspots on toledo i would fish the same way you do catt because thats what i do at rayburn, but im still trying to find my spots that have fish on the bend....catt ill come pick you up and pay for everything im all for an on the water class! i at least want to get to where i can bring someone  fishing and catch a bunch of little fish...i have a lot of my a.c.t.s. brothers that want me to take them fishing and their kids i need to find some spots for the fall....

[Catt]

With school just starting its back to coaching PE 5 days a week leaving just Sat to head to the lake.

I don't have to be @ school til 2, so let me work on it.

[Bass_Fanatic]

I'll admit, Im nowhere near the Toledo expert Catt is, so listen to what he says  .  Most of my success on Toledo is on "spots", not stretches, although there are a few good stretches in Housen I like to fish.  I just look for the active fish, then move.  I may hit 30 spots in a day, sooner or later Im going to find a spot that is holding active fish.