As of late, the weather is not the only thing that is hot. The bass fishing on Toledo Bend has created a heat wave of activity itself with anglers pulling double-digit lunkers from its clutches. George Jeane Jr. of Florien struck gold late in the afternoon on Sept. 2, 2025, and joined the recent double-digit club when he landed his 11.92-pound largemouth bass.
It was approximately 4:30 p.m. and Jeane was fishing solo near the well-known Fin and Feather Resort in Hemphill, Tex. The water was notably clear, and he was fishing nearly 50 feet off the grass line.
“I was fishing deep in 22 feet of dead calm water when I caught her,” he said. “I was using a 6th Sense Glide bait.”
Jeane had been scanning the conditions with the LiveScope mounted on his Ranger 521L bass boat outfitted with a 250 horsepower Yamaha. Utilizing the technology, he knew he was faced with an opportunity to land a substantially large fish.
“I knew it was a good one when I set the hook,” he said. “I was fishing by myself and forgot my net, but my son happened to be around the point fishing with his girlfriend, and they tried to troll over to help out.”
Jeane said landing the big bass demanded a combination of time and effort. While his son’s girlfriend was going to offer their net, Jeane acted.
“Most fish make a run or two before they give up, but this fish didn’t,” he said. “I got the fish up to the boat and just lifted her out.”
Tagged bass
Using his son’s scale, Jeane immediately weighed the bass and noted the 11.92-pound size. He attempted to contact Fin and Feather to certify the weight, but it was after hours. He then went to Buckeye Landing.
“I don’t like to take big fish like that for long boat rides,” he said. “It’s not good for them, but in this case I had to find the next best location, which was Buckeye.”
After arriving at Buckeye Landing, Jeane’s big catch matched the same reading on his son’s scale, but even more interesting, the bass was previously caught and tagged on March 27, 2025, with a recorded weight of 11.91 pounds. Adding to the uniqueness of the catch, the bass was tagged and released at Fin and Feather Resort on that day in March.
Jeane knows Toledo Bend like the back of his hand. He has fished it his entire life and operates his guide service, Jeane Tackle Guide Service, on the reservoir. As a result, he carries a highly equipped understanding of how to catch fish there.
“Right now, I would say good luck catching fish with the heat we have been having,” he said. “It’s going to be getting better soon with the weather cooling off.”
According to Jeane, when the water temperature looms between 70 and 80 degrees, the activity will pick up. He recommends working the grass starting early with a topwater lure.
“Consider something along the lines of a ¼-inch Texas rig or a 12- to 14-inch Carolina rig,” he said.
Jeane’s bass became the 11th bass of the 2025-26 Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program season.
