Texan takes 11-plus-pounder near Housen Bay on Toledo Bend

Madeley’s bass caught on red crawfish Rat-L-Trap during Fishers of Men tournament March 1

With only 30 minutes until weigh-in for the Fishers of Men tournament at Toledo Bend on March 1, Texan Kevin Madeley and David Miller of Lake Charles had five fish in the livewell and just a few more minutes of fishing time to spare.

Madeley, 41, of Vidor, had scouted the area near Housen Bay on a previous trip and wanted to try to make one more quick stop.

“I told David that I had one more spot to try where I had caught a few fish in the past,” he said.

The anglers arrived and began casting red crawfish Rat-L-Traps on a hump in the area that held both grass and a sand flat.

Madeley was throwing the lipless crankbait on 12-pound Sunline fluorocarbon spooled to a Lew’s reel on a Denali rod.

“It was 3 p.m., and the weigh-in was scheduled for 3:30 p.m.,” Madeley said. “I was throwing the Rat-L-Trap in 6- to 8-feet of water, and there was a sandy spot between areas on the hump that I was targeting.”

When the lure suddenly stopped, Madeley set the hook.

“I told David that I thought that it was a pretty good fish,” Madeley said. “I was thinking maybe 3 to 4 pounds.”

When the big fish surfaced, both anglers realized how big she was, and with the Rat-L-Trap hooked firmly to the both the mouth and an area under the gill plate, the fight didn’t last long.

“That’s when I got nervous seeing how big the bass was,” Madeley said.

They worked quickly, culling a fish and reaching the weigh-in at Fin and Feather Resort right on time.

Madeley’s huge bass officially weighed-in at an impressive 11.56 pounds.

For the day, Madeley and Miller weighed 5 bass that weighed 20.46 pounds, earning the duo a 9th place finish in the tournament.

Madeley was notified that he would receive a free replica of his bass courtesy of the Toledo Bend Lake Association.

The Toledo Bend Lunker Program awards any angler catching a 10-plus-pounder a free replica if the fish is tagged and released back into Toledo Bend waters

About Chris Berzas 368 Articles
Chris Berzas has fished and hunted in the Bayou State ever since he could hold a rod and shoot a shotgun. Berzas has been a freelancer featured in newspapers, magazines, television and DVDs since 1989.