Warm weather, rising pool would make anglers very happy
A January with warmer weather and a rising pool level at Toledo Bend are my wishes to start off 2024.
Hopefully, it’ll be a real happy new year for bass anglers who’ll get a chance to enjoy typically good bassin’ success if Mother Nature ushers in those two conditions in January. With the lake’s pool level still a bit low in December, it’d be great to get 3- to 3 ½- feet more in the lake, in addition to warm stretches that often happen in mid-winter to bring water temps out of the 50s.
Such a scenario would trigger a migration of many bass to shallower depths. What they do is move up and look for something to eat in the new cover and more inviting water temperatures. When the migration thing gets going, it’s time for soft plastics, mainly Carolina-rigged watermelon or green pumpkin Zoom Super Flukes.
And there’s even more hydrilla for bass to gravitate to up and down the lake on the Texas side with some grassy areas taking over on the Louisiana side.
I’ll be retrieving a C-rig around a stump and dragging it around stump fields if we ever get a 3- to 4-foot rise to put water inside the grass line.
Standby patterns
Until that happens there are two patterns that often produce. During any brief warmups following a cold front, a bunch of bass might make a move from the deep onto humps and ridges to feed, even in the main lake. Then it’s a ½-ounce gold or red Rat-L-Trap that steals the show when bass anglers run across any school of fish.
The catchin’ can be awesome.
I’ll share just how awesome. I had a mid-winter guide trip a few years ago out on Indian Mounds. The water temp had dropped and bass mostly were uncooperative as the two guys had a total of six bass up to just past midday, fairly tired after throwing the lipless crankbait nonstop. But an afternoon warmup heated the water a couple degrees around 1 or 2 o’clock and we went back to the first outside hump we fished.
They stayed in their seats while I went up and tossed the Rat-L-Trap, catching a 2- to 2 ½-pounder on one of my first few casts. A school had moved up and the anglers joined in. We absolutely worked on them. Those bass pulled up and ate. That’s how it works.
Crankbaits and bladed jigs, such as Delta Lures Thunder Jigs, also produce at times like that. And don’t forget gold/orange Smithwick Rogues, even in 50-degree temps this month. It’s at its best in stop-and-go presentations in cold water.
Otherwise, if the midwinter deep chill persists, it’s time to either drop shot soft plastics in 25-foot depths for a lot of bites or drop ¾-ounce spoons or tail spinners in those depths and deeper. I remember the old green/white Toledo Jig, a hair jig, that whacked ‘em good many cold days years ago on Toledo Bend.
Did I say big bass opportunities could happen in the winter? Of course. The 11th 10-pound plus lunker of 2023-24 was recorded on Dec. 3 after Joseph Simar of Montgomery, Texas, reeled it in, then weighed it at Buckeye Landing Marina. It won’t be long, possibly before February, and other double-digit bass will be on their beds as, usually, they are among the first to spawn. When the big girls are ready to drop, they do it.
Happy New Year, y’all. I’ve been guiding on this lake most of my life and you’re welcome in my boat. Give me a call at (936) 404-2688.
