Toledo Bend

From: Greg Crafts
Email: gcrafts@bigfoot.com
Date: 9/10/03
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Toledo Bend North fishing report Greg Crafts- Toledo Bend Guide Service & Lake Cottage 936.368.7151

We are in the final stretch of summer and finally heading into fall. The morning temperatures are evidence of that fact. The days are getting shorter and the water temperature is slowly falling. Bass activity is increasing as they start feeding heavy on shad in anticipation of winter.

Fall fishing is some of the best fishing you can have all year. A lot of people will be putting their rods and reels in the closet and exchanging them for a shotgun or deer rifle. Most of the tournaments are winding down for the year and will not start back up until January or February. Fortunate for us year round fishermen, less boat traffic, cooler days, and large stringers are just around the corner.

We'll need a large arsenal of ammunition (lures) to put these ferocious feeding bass in the boat. Top water plugs, buzz baits, shallow diving cranks, traps, spinners, soft plastics, jigs, deep diving cranks, tail spinners, spoons and even grubs will be effective this time of year. The bait- fish (shad) will start migrating to the back of the coves and onto the shallow flats where the bass will follow. Locate the bait- fish and you will locate the bass. Shallow flats close to deep water off the river channel are also good areas to catch schooling bass. Work the ledges and drops of the old river channel and creeks with jigs, plastics, crank baits, tail spinners and spoons and keep a shallow diving crank bait, trap and top water plug handy if the bass start schooling. As a general rule colors and size of your lure depends on light conditions, clarity of the water and the size of the bait- fish. On clear blue bird days, throw light, clear and silver colors. On overcast low light days throw darker colors, chartreuse, pumpkin, reds, greens, browns and black or combinations thereof. Also, the less clarity of the water dictates throwing darker colors especially reds.

The crappie season is just around the corner. October is when the Crappie start moving to the ledges of the old river channel. Shiners and jigs fished from 15 to 25ft of water over brush tops work well. As the water temperature continues to fall, the Crappie will move into deeper water, 25 to 50ft, and jigs usually will be more productive.

White Bass- work the river channel sand bars in 15 to 25ft of water with slab spoons, and Rinky Dink tail spinners. Keep a shallow diving crank bait, trap and top water plug handy when schooling.

For more information on Toledo Bend, my guide service or Lake Cottage, please visit my website at www.toledo-bend.net/toledobend