Shad congregate when the water temperature goes down
This time of year jogs many great memories of crappie fishing bonanzas enjoyed years ago on Toledo Bend along the upper channel of the Sabine River.
While the stretch of river channel from Gibson Point north (including the notorious Chicken Coop) to and past Huxley Bay generally sees less fishing traffic in this modern era of strategically planted brush piles and advanced marine electronics, such as forward facing sonar, there’s no doubt it should be a player again this January.
Yes, there have been some extraordinary crappie catchin’ days along the winding old river channel, where huge balls of shad congregate when the water temperature drops and drops. Year in and year out, it’s been fairly easy to find the crappie that follow them and suspend in 25- to 30-foot depths.
I’ve had my share of crappie fishing heydays on Toledo Bend, starting with the late Harold Ensley, whose popular television fishing show “The Sportsman’s Friend” was broadcast in eight states. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Harold shared regional “hotspots” with his viewers for different species at different times of the year and that meant frequent trips with me. I was beginning my guiding career on a young Toledo Bend.
Find the baitfish
We’d hit that river channel along with all the other boats — boats carrying locals as well as “snowbirds” — that lined up for miles and miles to catch crappie in the middle of the winter. Harold, his son, Dusty Ensley, myself and, often, others, would fill up ice chests with mostly 1 ¼- to 1 ½-pound crappie. It was slab time as they gorged themselves on baitfish slowed by the frigid water.
Harold, who died Aug. 24, 2005, at age 92, brought scenes from the “Chicken Coop” and other hotspots along the river channel into the living room of crappie anglers. The fish can be caught the same way this month, weather and water conditions permitting.
First, there must be shad present. Crappie will be there with them, suspended, along the old, natural cover of the old river channel, what’s left of the tree lines that once followed the shores of the river that was dammed to create Toledo Bend.
Drop a minnow, a tube jig, hair jig, or heck, try the crappie killer Blakemore Roadrunner, white with a white head, 20- to 25-feet down in generally 40- to 45-foot depths along the break lines. Like the yesteryears, you still can tie up to a tree, but also can use modern technology like “spot lock.”
Usually you can catch six to eight and move on, but the numbers really add up when you hit schooling crappie. It’s time to move on when the bite stops and it’s time to find more slabs. As you know, forward facing sonar can pinpoint those these days. Bass fishing
January bass fishing can be just as good as the crappie fishing. What would help is more water in the pond to bring the pool stage up. At least 4 more feet would put water behind the vegetation that has grown shore to shore in many creeks, particularly on the western side.
Get water behind the grass and it’ll open up proven patterns to get early pre-spawn bass that move into the newly created inside grassline. It’s a time for Carolina-rigged soft plastics and, for me, deadsticking Senkos on Neko rigs and Flukes. The key to that is very light weights.
Putting a little heat on the water sometime this month can prompt isolated fish to go to the bank and spawn, including big females. I’m expecting to see more and more double-digit bass hit the digital scales any time now.
Until the warmup, though, work the drains (migratory routes) with moving baits such as red Rat-L-Traps and gold/orange Rogues.
Have a Happy New Year! Take care and be safe.
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.
