November remains one of my favorite months to catch bass on Toledo Bend.
Before getting into where-to’s and how-to’s, I’ll take a minute to say goodbye to one of this lake’s most widely known fishing guides and a former pro bass angler, John Dean Jr. Mr. Dean died Sept. 21. He was a good friend of all the Living the Dream Guide Service fishing guides and personnel here at Toledo Bend. He taught me a lot about bass fishing on this lake, for sure.
Louisiana Sportsman readers may remember his monthly report about how to catch bass, bream and crappie on this lake shared by Louisiana and Texas. He was so successful fishing the lake since it was born. Bass fishing for him was more than a pastime, it was a passion, one that prompted him to start a line of soft plastic frogs that still catch bass here, anywhere, with the original Ribbits, including the Top Toads and Poppin’ Toads.
We all paid our final respects to the all-around outdoorsman (he also enjoyed deer hunting) Oct. 14 at a memorial service in Many. Goodbye, Mr. Dean. I’m proud to say you were a good friend.
Lures for bass
As for bassin’ prospects in November, it’s all about the seasonal cooldown, which should lower water temperatures to the 65- to 75-degree range. Typically, what we see in the late fall and early winter is a late transition by bass to deeper water, with many going to 15- to 30-foot depths. They feed on shad along the creeks, holding on the edge of channel swings, then on warmer days move on the flats to eat.
At the same time, however, there will be a lot of fish feeding inside 10-foot depths. Myself, I will target 5- to 15-foot depths as long as possible. If there are Indian summer conditions and it stays warm, bass will stay on the flats chasing shad and gobbling crawfish, which are major players before it gets cold. The colder it gets, the more they relate to creek channels and river channels.
My go-to artificial lures this month include anything from shad- or crawfish-colored lipless crankbaits to 15-foot deep diving Berkley crankbaits. My choices for soft plastics are Texas-rigged crawfish- or beaver-style baits such as Bass Assassin Skunk Apes and Lit’l Skunk Apes. My color preference leans decidedly to green pumpkin this time of year because the color imitates shad and crawfish.
Any of the major creeks up and down the lake, either side, offer some good bass fishing. On the Texas side, the stretch from Indian Creek north to Bayou Siepe is hard to beat.
Targeting crappie
As for crappie, concentrate on 15- to 30-foot depths. They’ll relate to creek and river channels but be on nearby flats during warmer weather. The colder it is the more they’ll be down on the edge of the channels.
Target natural wood this time of year and the edges of drains and creek channels using monkey milk- and pumpkinseed-colored Panfish Assassin Jigs on 1/16- to 1/32-ounce jigheads. Crappie usually bite pretty well this month. When I get on a spot, typically the fish that are going to bite do it quickly. I don’t wait them out much. I’ll catch what bites and move on.
Focus on creeks on the Texas or Louisiana side from the lower end to past the bridge a way but on the northern third of the lake fish the river channel.
Call Living the Dream Guide Service at (318) 256-8991 to make a dream fishing trip come true on Toledo Bend.
