Guide shares how he puts his clients on fish this month
I was pleasantly surprised at Toledo Bend’s pool stage the first week of July. It was at 171.57 feet, just below full pool. We were still catching bass fairly shallow early last month. To be sure, bass are scattered offshore and shallow, with the shallower fish biting more.
I happen to be more of an offshore angler than a shallow-water guy so, yes, I prefer the lake to be down a little bit more by now. That said, more bass seem to be biting in 12-foot depths along points. We catch them by working the points with hydrilla with a 5/8- or ½-ounce shad-colored Rat-L-Trap, a ghost minnow color is my favorite. Or try using a similarly colored, heavier Trap to touch the bottom or maybe a hard spot. I have pulled in plenty fish in the summertime with that old-school technique.
About the hydrilla
There are some areas perhaps a little thinner than last year due to high water, but some areas that didn’t have much hydrilla last year have more this summer. Based on recent observations, I’d say Buck, Sandy, Six Mile, Housen, San Patricio, Carrice and Britain all have hydrilla. Palo Gaucho even has some.
It’s definitely an option if an angler wants to punch around in hydrilla with a big grass jig. A lot of anglers like to peg a ¾-ounce weight above a Texas-rigged soft plastic creature bait. It’s a good time to drag a big worm around brushpiles. My preferred colors in August are plum apple and red bug.
If the bite gets tough, like it sometimes does in August, you might want to try this: It’s hard to beat a drop-shotted soft plastic finesse worm, such as a Zoom or Robo product. I do that a little different than most, as I use a 3/8-ounce weight and No.1 regular worm hook tied to 10- to 12-pound test line on a baitcaster. I had a customer a couple years ago, and I can’t explain why, but he started throwing a tequila sunrise and started catching big fish, 6- and 7-pounders. We were throwing in the same spot! He’s catching big ones and I’m catching dinks. With all the pressure on lakes, a lot of times go to a dropshot.
Chasing crappie
As for the white perch, believe it or not, we’ve been catching quite a few in 12 feet of water. Most of the catches have come on natural stuff but I did catch them on a 12-foot point the other day with a few deadfalls on it.
Matt Loetscher, another Living the Dream guide, came in behind me while fishing up north and nailed crappie off a stump along the edge of the river, about 12 feet deep.
There’s still a lot of crappie out scattered on deeper brushpiles but not biting so well, so I’m looking for the lake to start falling. It’s a pleasant surprise the fish are first, so shallow, and second, biting so well. As the lake starts to fall I look for that to change to that 18- to 24-foot range offshore. It might be 20 feet or deeper, but the fish are hanging out in 16.
Colorwise, it’s hard to beat a “monkey milk” minnow-style soft plastic like a Bobby Garland or Natural Forage product. Good thing about Natural Forage is you can get them custom made.
I fish the artificials on 1/32-ounce jigheads. Usually I’m going to be throwing 8-pound test line, although I do throw 6. I actually use Mr. Crappie Camo monofilament line. It’s very successful so you might want to try that.
Using minnows
Minnows, of course, account for their share of slabs. I go to a little smaller weight on minnows and maybe a No. 6 blue, red or bronze (my preference) hook. I even go so far as tying a loop knot because I think it makes that minnow look a little more natural.
One of the biggest tips is to fish subtle. I believe less is more. Don’t jig a minnow (the smaller the better). I’ll either deadstick it or bring it up as slow as I can turn the handle. And if you’re having trouble getting bit, go to a smaller hook, smaller weight and smaller line.
One more thing. White bass fishing has been pretty good with the generators running. We’re catching them up to 3 pounds on jigging spoons and minnows.
I’ve been guiding with Living the Dream Guide Service since 2022, call us at (318) 256-8991 to make a dream fishing trip come true on Toledo Bend.
