Hello anglers and outdoor addicts. We finally got a real cold front that brought in the first loons of the season and set in motion late fall fishing patterns.
Bait (shad) and bass are migrating to the back of major feeder creeks. They may not go all the way to the back of major creeks but they will be in the back one-third of the creek.
You will need to use your electronics to locate them as there’s lots of bait in and around the back portions of major creeks.
I especially check the area where the creek bends as my Helix 10 shows balls of bait and as they say ‘Find the bait….find the bass.’
LAKE CONDITIONS
North Toledo if slightly stained to stained, mid lake is slightly stained to clear with south Toledo mostly clear with some stained areas in the back of some of the major creeks like Mill Creek, Six Mile and Housen.
Water temperatures in the morning have been 66-67 in the creeks with about 69-70 in the afternoon on the main lake. Shallow water warms quicker in the spring and also cools quicker in the fall.
SRA did not have a current reading midweek but last Monday it reported the lake level was 168.30’ with one generator running 24 hours and at the spillway all gates were closed.
FISHING REPORT BASS
As bass move up the creeks it makes both the deep bite and shallow bite better. I’ve been starting shallow the first hour or two usually on points plus down both sides of a point.
Our three best weapons for shallow patterns have been a Texas rigged Bottom Hopper in June bug, Berkley square bill crankbait (Squarebull/Pit Bull) and a wacky rigged General and Senko. On the Bottom Hopper we use either a 1/8 or 3/16 ounce bullet sinker, 15 or 17 pound 100% Trilene Fluorocarbon with a 3/0 offset Fusion worm hook.
On the squarebill we are using shad patterns with 12 pound Trilene Fluorocarbon with medium action 7’3 inch Fenwick HMG baitcast rod and Revo STX low profile reel.
This setup allows me to make long casts with the squarebill crankbait which I think is a plus as it keeps the lure close to the fish as I am fishing it in 5 to 8’ depth and it runs from 5 to 6 feet.
Most of you know how I fish my wacky rig as I fish The General and Senkos weightless with a 2/0 Aberdeen Fusion hook, 10 pound Big Game mono, 7’ medium action lightning rod spinning with a Revo SX spinning reel.
We have caught some very large bass on this rig including my biggest bass ever a 11.6 pound bass I caught near the Texas Islands in 2003.
My guide partner, Jason Courville, is having success fishing the back of major creeks on the southern part of The Bend.
He is spending substantial time using his electronics to look for bass/bait before he starts fishing which is a good reminder for all of us. Once he locates the bass/bait he and his party are using Carolina rigs and drop shot to catch’em.
On C. rigs they are using creature baits in green pumpkin blue flakes. On drop shot they are using Bottom Hopper Jrs. and Robo worms.
Color wise with B.H. Jrs. they are using ‘Trans Purple’ and Robo worms they are using ‘Morning Dawn.’
CRAPPIE REPORT
Crappie guide, George Jean, says the crappie bite has picked up. I talk to him around 9:30 on the lake yesterday (Tuesday) morning and they already had close to 40 in the cooler. They were using live shiners fished vertically in 22 to 28 feet depth on man - made brush piles.
Joslin is a pro guide on both Toledo and Sam Rayburn and a TPWD licensed guide since 1998. Contact him at joejoslinoutdoors@yahoo.com, 337-463-3848/409-565-1288. Joe Joslin is a syndicated writer and is published by numerous websites, newspapers and magazines. Check out his website at www.joejoslinoutdoors.com.
Source: http://www.beauregarddailynews.net/news/20181028/toledo-bend-update
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