Laroux caught his latest monster in Housen Bayou on March 5
Longtime Many resident Bob Laroux hooked his third 10-pound-plus bass at Toledo Bend in Housen Bayou last week, becoming the newest member of the Lake Association’s Elite Lunker Club.
Laroux landed the 10.04-pounder last Wednesday afternoon, following up on his first 10-pounder in February of 2009 and his second 10-pound hawg he landed in January of 2011.
Membership in the Elite Lunker Club is limited to anglers who have taken at least three 10-pounders from the reservoir and entered all of them into the Toledo Bend Lunker Program, which awards fisherman a free replica if they agree to return their big bass back to Toledo Bend waters.
His years of experience on the lake helped last week, when he was throwing a black/blue Winch jig with a black/blue crawfish trailer tied to 20-pound Sufix fluorocarbon on a Shimano Core reel. He was using an Omen Black 7-foot-3-inch heavy rod.
“Well it was cold that week, but I found these fish on Tuesday when fishing a little creek channel in 12- to 14-feet of water in Housen Bayou,” said Laroux, 61.
He returned to that same area Wednesday morning around 8 and found the fish were still there.
“That morning, I caught five fish with one at 4½ pounds,” he said.
It wasn’t until after lunch around 1 when Laroux hooked the double-digit bass.
“She hit the jig and I stuck her,” he said. “At first, she didn’t move so I knew it was a big fish.
“She wanted to stay on the bottom, and I could feel her shaking that big head down there. She didn’t jump at all, so I just kept working her and she came my way eventually.”
Since he was fishing alone, Laroux lipped the bass into the boat, placed the lunker in his livewell and kept on fishing.
“I wanted to fish that creek a little bit farther before getting back,” he said.
Thirty minutes later, he was out of the water and had arrived at Toledo Town and Tackle to officially weigh the bass and have her tagged before releasing her back into Toledo Bend waters.
T-Town’s scale read 10.04 pounds, and the Elite Lunker Club officially had its newest member.
Laroux is well-known in the community and also to many of the Bassmaster professionals who frequent the reservoir, and is excited about the quality of bass that should greet the Elite Series pros May 1-4 at Toledo Bend.
“Most of the bass will have spawned and will be moving out to 6- to 8-feet of water,” he said. “I think that if the weather holds that we should see great weights. The grass looks good and the lake is in great shape. We have more grass this year than I’ve seen in a while.
“If conditions remain as they are now, we’re going to see a great Elite tournament this year.”
For more information regarding the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass program, visit their Facebook page by clicking here.
