Look for groups of forage fish to find the bass
If Toledo Bend’s pool level stays around 168 feet going into and through May, I expect pretty good fishing success for both bass and sac-a-lait.
This region would have to get a lot of rain to cause a significant rise because it has experienced such a dry year. With low water and the spawn all but ended, bass and crappie should group up during this post-spawn period on points or along the edges of flats, although crappie typically set up deeper than bass this time of year.
For bass, you should be able to target them away from the spawning areas and closer to their summer areas. Depths can be wide ranging, anywhere from 5 feet all the way out to 20 feet, as they work their way out of creeks and onto the main lake around outside timber or the outside edge of grasslines. Find concentrations of shad, usually along the edge of the flats, and you’ll find the bass.
The bite can be shallow, especially if the early morning shad spawn is happening as April turns to May. That scenario paves the way for some fun on topwater poppers or buzz baits.
Remember that bass focus on forage fish this time of year. Look for groups of forage fish, whether they are shad or bluegill, and you should run into the bass.
Top baits
Soft plastic worms and other soft plastics, plus crankbaits, account for most of my success this month. I like to use a Texas-rigged red bug Bass Assassin Tapout worm or a Carolina-rigged watermelon/red Bass Assassin Shad. My other go-tos now are sexy shad- or chartreuse/blue Berkley crankbaits, whichever model is needed to reach the depth I’m targeting the fish.
Before getting off the bass track, it was an active March for the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program. In fact, one of our Living the Dream Guide Service guides, Damon Borel of Hemphill, Texas, got in on the action March 23 when he hooked and boated a 10.64-pounder while prefishing for a tournament. His double-digit bass was one of 18 registered in March.
April started out with a bang the first week of the month when Greer Billeaud of Lafayette got his hands on a 12.50-pound “hawg” on April 6. (See related story on his big catch in this issue of Louisiana Sportsman.) I anticipate more big’uns being caught as well.
Crappie getting heavier
Crappie fishing success ought to be as good or better as the bass fishing in May. Those panfish usually are somewhat deeper than the bass, typically hanging on the edges of flats and off points in 15- to 25-foot depths. They’re starting to bulk up these days, getting heavier.
Sure, planted brush piles give up crappie. However, fishermen don’t have to rely on forward facing sonar to put fish in the boat. You can just get around timber and bridge pilings and drop a jig down to find them. Sometimes they can still be pulled off docks as well in the aforementioned depths.
Tightline a live minnow or use light soft plastics like the Panfish Assassin Shad or Curly Shad in monkey milk, very popular in May, or perhaps chartreuse/blue.
Call Living the Dream Guide Service at (318) 256-8991 to make a dream fishing trip come true at Toledo Bend.
