Toledo Bend reservoir TX (FH) - Printable Version +- Offishial Business Outdoors (https://offishialbusiness.com) +-- Forum: Fishing Reports (https://offishialbusiness.com/forum-Fishing-Reports) +--- Forum: Other Fishing spots (https://offishialbusiness.com/forum-Other-Fishing-spots) +---- Forum: Texas Fishing (https://offishialbusiness.com/forum-Texas-Fishing) +---- Thread: Toledo Bend reservoir TX (FH) (/thread-Toledo-Bend-reservoir-TX-FH) |
Toledo Bend reservoir TX (FH) - Mikey - 02-17-2013 Hello, Anglers. I'm looking forward to another great time at this weekend's annual Central Gulf Coast Boat, Sport and RV Show which is scheduled for this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Lake Charles Civic Center . If you love the outdoors you will certainly find multiple items of great interest at this year's show. There will be the latest bass boats, pontoons, bay boats, ski boats and duck boats plus check out the newest tackle innovations that will be shown at multiple tackle outlets. In addition, you will see booths of almost every description with a link to the outdoors. Check out the trout fishing pool for the kids plus a huge bass aquarium and a pro angler giving how-to on fishing lures and casting techniques. Friday hours are 1 to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. till 8 p.m. and Sunday hours are 11:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. I will be in the Lake Charles Tackle booth located near the aquarium on Friday and Sunday afternoon. Stop by for a visit and we can swap some fishing stories. LAKE CONDITIONS: The lake level early this week was 168.90 feet with both generators shut down as they have been for 2-3 weeks. However, that could change this week with recent rains and the level rising rapidly. Water temps last week climb were 54 to 58 with even water at 60 degrees in coves during the late afternoon but this minor cool front cooled things just a bit as low 50s will be common by the weekend. The lake is in great shape with north Toledo stained, mid lake is slightly stained while south Toledo is clear. As normal this time of the year, there are stained and even muddy conditions in the upper portions of all major feeder creeks especially since the rain over the weekend. FISHING REPORTS/BASS: Early February is always a transitional month on Toledo and especially on south Toledo . Last week we caught a lot of bass shallow but this week could be different. Looking at weather patterns into the weekend the temperatures will be 10 or more degrees cooler than last week plus high barometric pressure will be another issue. Yes, I expect to catch a lot of bass this week but we may have to fish deeper and tweak our patterns from what we did last week. Also, throw in another factor that the lake is rising and may rise 6 to 9 inches by the end of the week. Sometimes, rising water can be a good thing in the spring so we’ll have to see what the fish think about it. It is gonna be a fun week! Current successful patterns include both aggressive and finesse approaches with Bill Lewis’s Rat -L-Traps and Stanley Spinnerbaits getting more and more attention. It has depended on how the grass is growing in a particular area as to whether we throw a Trap or a spinnerbait. We are, for the most part, using double willows on our spinnerbaits with at least one of the blades gold/copper. Our Trap has been both a ½ as well as a ¾ oz version in the new “Red Hot” cherry bomb color. This color is almost impossible to find. Last week I had only one left and caught a 6 pounder on it and about three casts later had a hang-up and lost it. I considered going swimming for it but water temp was in 50s. We were able to come up with a source where we got our hands on 3 or 4 more of them. Don’t worry, I will re-tie often and will use a slightly heavier line. Wes Higgings, Bill Lewis Sales Manager, says they are shipping all they can make and have a back-log of orders for this color. On the more subtle approach, weightless and light-weighted soft plastics will continue to play a huge part in how we catch fish for the next 3-4 months. On the south end of Toledo and Rayburn the water is clear, for the most part, which many times warrants a slower, more deliberate approach. Such lends itself well to weightless Texas rigs, very light-weighted Texas rigs and wacky rigs. Of course on the deeper patterns, we will rely on a drop shot, Stanley Bug Eye jig, Norman crankbaits and spoons. CRAPPIE/YELLOW BASS: Some of the bigger female yellow bass are showing up on some of the humps and deep ridges near main creeks and the river. Jigging spoons and tailspinners (Knock-off by Norman and Little George by Mann) are great choices for yellows and white bass. The crappie bite this week will be determined by water quality and how the rains impacted the color of the water. Rising water levels is usually not a good thing for late winter crappie. Before the recent heavy rain, they were still catching a few nice crappie off deep structure. AUTHOR INFO: Joe Joslin is a syndicated outdoor columnist, tournament angler and pro guide on Toledo and Sam Rayburn. Contact him at 337-463-3848 or e-mail at joejoslinoutdoors@yahoo.com or website www.joejoslinoutdoors.com. |