Before this spring’s historic flooding on Toledo Bend, longtime guide Jerry Thompson of Living the Dream Guide Service (318-256-8991) was finding some hefty slab crappie.
And he doesn’t see that changing any time soon.
“We were filling gallon storage bags with fillets from 15 to 18 fish compared to fillets of 25 to 30 fish last year,” the 51-year-old Thompson said. “Size and quality have recently increased compared to the last two to three years.
“We had a couple of clients here recently who told us they have never been able to catch fish of such size. They had fished on the lake quite a bit, but the size they caught with us greatly exceeded their expectations.”
According to the veteran guide, there were unbelievable numbers of crappie available during the first few years after Toledo Bend waters returned to pool after the drought years.
“The sizes were down a little as a result,” Thompson said. “And in the last couple of years we have also seen smaller fish.
“But this spring has me optimistic. I think we are looking at some huge sac-a-lait to be caught this summer.”
Thompson uses more artificial plastics in May. He and his guides chiefly fish the many brush piles they have set along various locations on the edges of the river channel.
“We tend to fish jigs as much as we can,” he said. “Typically, we haven’t relied on shiners until June 1.
“And these sac-a-lait don’t like large shiners. We are more successful using small to medium shiners.”
