Toledo Bend bass are poised for the spawn

Work your baits slow. Generally bass with spawning on their mind won’t be chasing.

If you’re going after bass on Toledo Bend as the calendar turns from January to February, here are some tips to help.

Slow down and soak a soft plastic either Neko-rigged or on a Carolina rig. And if you believe you’re going slow enough, slow down some more.

I’m talking dead-sticking. If water conditions are right, and if weather conditions permit, bass will be moving shallower as they prepare to spawn or, even, hunker down to spawn. Yep, ’tis the beginning of the season that rarely disappoints.

Bass anglers hoping for more water in the pond before February got their wish and more with heavy rains in late December. The pool level the morning of Jan. 1 was at 169.66, 2.34 feet below full pool. Water’s on the way up into the bushes and other shoreline cover while creating an inside grassline, a combination that’s hard to beat.

A rise to 170 or 171 would be ideal along with water temps rising into the 60s, at least. Water clarity will be a factor so concentrate on water with 2- to 3-foot visibility. As of now, feeder creeks are muddy to stained.

Joining bass in the annual spring transition are crappie, which like the bass gravitate to depths of 5 feet to dirt to eventually drop their eggs, too. But more about catching some slabs later in this column.

Big females

When bass make their move, some of the first to go up are the bigger females, including 10-pound-plus bass, so odds go up in our favor to land one for the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program. A double-digit bass weighing 11.66 pounds was entered Jan. 15 by Craig Bean of Lake Charles, who weighed the “hawg” at Buckeye Marina.

More will be caught and some of those will fall for Zoom Super Flukes and/or GYCB Senkos, either Neko-rigged or Carolina-rigged. One of my favorite prespawn tactics is to fish a watermelon/red, June bug/red, green pumpkin/red, South African or black Fluke on a 3/0 Gamakatsu Super Line Hook under a 1/8- or 1/16-ounce weight (depending on wind velocity). The key is to present it patiently because generally bass with spawning on their mind won’t be chasing but looking for a spot or be on a spot. I’ve always told clients to “soak the bait” and it works.

John Larry Rice, who owns Toledo Town Car Wash, is a local crappie guru who taps the crappie population regularly at Toledo Bend.

The Neko-rigged Flukes are so effective shallow around flooded bushes and inside grasslines but the C-rigs are a more effective choice a little farther away from the shoreline. Again, the key is to barely crawl the soft plastic along the bottom on the retrieve.

With all of that on the table, don’t write off moving baits such as Bill Lewis Lures ½-ounce red Rat-L-Traps, 3/8- or ½-ounce chartreuse/white or black/blue Delta Lures Thunder Jigs (bladed jigs) and the old reliable Smithwick gold/orange Rogues.

Have crappie rods handy

Bass anglers working the shallows, particularly in grassy areas such as Housen Creek and Six Mile Creek, might get some knocks, fairly good bites, then swing and miss. Often, those hits are crappie that might be in a group. Have two or three crappie rods handy that are rigged with your favorite tube jig, like a Natural Forage soft plastic or a Roadrunner.

Countless crappie fishermen enjoy the spring spawn as much or more as bass anglers. The panfish congregate around the bushes and other cover, prime targets for tight-lining the slabs in 5-foot or less depths.

Tube jigs with pink, chartreuse or white should trigger bites. A few days ago I gave my buddy John Larry Rice, a crappie guru on the lake, five packs of our 2-inch long VuDu Shrimp, which we pack and ship behind Toledo Town & Tackle. He’ll be putting those to work and puttin’ slabs in the boat through February.

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.

About John Dean 106 Articles
John Dean has been guiding on Toledo Bend most of his life. If you’d like to join him on a trip, give him a call at (936) 404-2688.