From January through the end of February there were already 13 bass over 10 pounds taken from Toledo Bend. These lunkers ranged from 10 to 12.86 pounds, according to Toledo Bend Lake Association records and other documented reports.
But catching monster bass is not just about fishing during the spawn: From June through December 2013 there were 12 fish caught that tipped the scales at between 10 and 12.4 pounds.
“These are just fantastic numbers of bass 10 pounds and over,” TBLA coordinator Dinah Medine said.
Medine said 58 bass topping 10 pounds were logged into the program between June 2012 and May 2013, with the anglers catching those fish receiving free replicas during the Sealy Big Bass Splash.
“That the most replicas we’ve ever given out to anglers since the program started,” she said.
Medine said the current period of the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program began on May 19, 2013, and runs through May 18.
Anglers who enter their Toledo Bend lunkers into the program will receive their replicas during the 2014 Toledo Bend Big Bass Splash tournament in May.
The purpose of the program is to encourage Toledo Bend anglers with a bass weighing 10 pounds or more to release the fish alive and tagged back into the lake.
To qualify for a free replica offered by the TBLA, anglers must have their bass officially weighed at specific stations before being tagged and released. Rules can be found at toledobendlakeassociation.com.
According to TBLA President Ted Dove Dove, the TBLA has put more than $600,000 into the local area for lake infrastructure and area improvement.
“Our future plans include embarking on a project to enhance and improve lake navigation on the Louisiana side,” Dove said.