Crankbaits and big plastic worms take center stage in my bass fishing plans for Toledo Bend when the calendar turns from May to June.
June’s typically a good month for bass fishing success on this great lake, a period I believe is the peak of the “offshore bite” in a lot of ways for the summer months. Bigger schools start to really stack up and stay in an area for a while, which makes for a good bite because bass are feeding well.
The ideal depth most of the time will be 10- to 20-feet. I’ll throw a shad-colored Berkley Dredger crankbait on 12- to 14-pound test fluorocarbon line which allows me to get the crankbait down quicker and stay down longer. Another favorite of mine is a red bug, Junebug or watermelon/red Bass Assassin 11-inch plastic worm under a ¼- to ½-ounce worm weight, depending on the wind, tied to 15- to 20-pound fluorocarbon line.
Traditional methods
Some early action could be found by throwing topwaters, especially around deeper hydrilla. A shad-colored Berkley J-Walker fits the bill perfectly.
Also, a red bug, Junebug, green pumpkin or watermelon/red Bass Assassin Tapout plastic worm on a ¼- to ½-ounce Shaky Head consistently puts bass in the boat. Carolina-rigged soft plastics also trigger their share of the bite this month.
LiveScopin’ is always a player on this lake. However, June is a month you can typically catch on the bottom with traditional “old school” methods … until July rolls around, when there’s more of an emphasis on forward facing sonar.
As of May 7, Toledo Bend’s pool level was at 169.3 following quite a few inches of slow, steady rain the first weekend in May. I really don’t expect it to rise much higher than that. There has been precious little rain in the spring to inch the lake closer to full pool, which explains the lower than usual stage. That’s good, because it seems so many years of high-water levels in the spring resulted in less hydrilla, as we all saw.
Panfish around structure
Crappie fishing ought to be real fun this month. A time when the tasty panfish are usually in 20- to 30-foot depths around timber in the mouth of creeks at the main lake. Brush piles give up their share of fish, too, but you don’t have to have brush piles to catch.
One reliable hotspot year in and year out are the pilings — day or night — along Pendleton Bridge. Some of those pilings are lighted or you can bring your own lights and enjoy pulling up slabs after sunset.
My favorite artificial for June is a Panfish Assassin Tiny Shad on a 1/32- or 1/16-ounce lead head. Monkey milk is the top color this time of year.
I advise using 8-pound test yellow monofilament line when fishing for crappie. Why? It helps my customers see a bite better because the bright line is more visible when it goes slack.
Minnows also account for plenty of crappie on a tight-line setup.
June is usually a pretty simple month to get your hookset on. Enjoy.
Call Living the Dream Guide Service at (318) 256-8991 to make a dream fishing trip come true at Toledo Bend.
