About to Break Loose. 3-11-19

[willyfish]

Somebody needs to put this post in the hall of fame. A guy can learn, laugh, and remember old friends on this one. Thanks 

[Bill Babler]

3 hours ago, Sore Thumbs said:

Thanks for sharing that story. I loved it. I have been fishing for about 10 years on Beaver and I have yet to find a money spot like that. One of these days it will happen. 

Thumbs that location is really a head scratcher.  I have fished it at the right and wrong time for 25 years.  It is a huge tree row, with none of them really ever visible.  I have caught them there maybe a handful of times.  My best ever was on a spook and a Dixie Jet.  We had between 20 and 23 pounds off it, one day.  Another time another guide buddy told me he had hammered them out there on a weightless Worm.  I went out there the next day and it was stupid.  Just catching and releasing them we had close to 100 pounds of Bass off that tree line.  99% were quality LM up to 6 pounds.  BP yellow floating worm with a full finish nail in the head and a swivel about 2 ft. up the line.  Just throw it out and tight line it down.  They just hammered it, usually between the count of 10 and 20.  Went back 3 days later and no bites and for the rest of that year checking it now and then on anything I would throw, no bites.

Beck and I went out there once several years ago about this exact time.  I was fishing a Megabass 110 weighted in french pearl and he was fishing a Spro Blue Bandit we had both baits weighted with lead on the hooks.  He gave me a butt kicking that still hurts if I sit down wrong. He had 6 that would have gone 18 before I got seated really well.  

You never want to get behind that far fishing a jerkbait cause if you do you will never catch up. There is no way to slow down if your behind like that.  Bill told me the day he got kicked out there it seemed to him all he was doing was netting is Co. anglers fish.  He said it got so bad and he got so flustered he was fishing his stickbait like a buzz bait.

Buster of course knows about it.  It is usually a bit to far for him to drive, but right when the Keitech's came out a few years ago he caught an early Spring bag off it swimming a 3.8 inch rainbow shad Keitch on I believe either a 1/4 or 3/8 scrounger head thru that set of pole timber.

He told me they were on it in there BigTime all LM and scary big.   I went back twice in the next week and all I got was tree bit.  One of the strangest locations on any lake I've ever fished.

O have lots of fishing stories and most end with someone hammering me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jaguar 97]

I fished with Bob a couple of times. Once in the fall and once at night. I really learned a lot from him. In the fall we we're dragging jig's and throwing his spinner bait called blue nose Bob. That was a great bait then and I still have a few. I remember him picking us up for the fall trip it was pretty cold and he's got shorts on. And like you said he could smoke. Cigarette burns all in the carpet on back deck lol. Great guy!

[DavidB]

Great stories!!!  Keep them coming!  Can't wait 'til we make our annual trip from Louisiana to The Rock, in April.  Toledo Bend has been unusually slow for January and February, but is beginning to bust loose.  All of our guys envy you for being on such a beautiful lake, with smallmouth and those football spots.  

[Ham]

Yeah David, but Toledo Bend is beautiful also. 

Do you know how many 10 lb bass were caught from TB last year? And that’s the ones that were officially documented.

i would guess the number of true 7 lb and larger bass caught from Toledo Bend in a calandras year would be staggering. 

I love our lakes and I love the lakes that I grew up on. My first trip to Toledo Bend was 1972. 

The 10 hour trailer down to TB keeps it mostly safe from me these days. 

 

[swelbo1]

I’m not sure how many were caught last year, but DavidB caught one over 10lbs last weekend. I think the count so far this year is around only 30. If has been tough for me down here. Can’t wait to get up there!

[Randy Moore]

Thanks for update Bill.  I went out yesterday for a while and noticed a lot of dead shad (hundreds of sea gulls) near Hideaway Marina up the James.  What is the current water temp?  At what temp will the Kentucky's and Smallmouth start to go shallow to spawn?

[Bill Babler]

Randy it is different everywhere this time of the year.  I saw some 51 degree water up at Shell Knob yesterday and it did not help me.  Some main lake water out in front of Campbell Pt. was 44.9 so it is kind of a mix with I think the most at mid to high 40's.  Its 55 at the Lodge outside this morning so 50 plus degree nights will get both the fish and the temps moving up.

[dblades]

3 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

Randy it is different everywhere this time of the year.  I saw some 51 degree water up at Shell Knob yesterday and it did not help me.  Some main lake water out in front of Campbell Pt. was 44.9 so it is kind of a mix with I think the most at mid to high 40's.  Its 55 at the Lodge outside this morning so 50 plus degree nights will get both the fish and the temps moving up.

I was showing 52/53 up Kings river later yesterday afternoon.

[STLbassbuster]

I am thinking about fishing the BBB on the 5-7th. Full moon on Friday along with warmer water temps it should get them fired up.