Chuck56 Loc: Texas

During a tournament this weekend , a # 15.67 bass was caught , breaking the lake record.
5 double digit bass were caught there this week . My understanding is all were caught in relatively deep water , 12’ or more . Water run - off from all the rains has brought some slightly warmer / muddier water into the lake . Toledo bend is pretty big , ~ 289 square miles surface area , and if I recall around 170 ft deep at full pool , maybe slightly more . .And it’s real close to full pool now . . it starts warming up from the north end first . So maybe the north end is where the activity is starting to pick with these bigger fish . Anybody that might be considering a trip to Toledo bend soon for bass fishing might do well looking at areas up north first . Could possibly save a lot of running in the boat lanes . Also , rain run off usually brings more tree logs and limbs floating around , so be aware ...My2cents....

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

That's an awesome catch Chuck. The fish of a lifetime for me. Thanks for the informative report. It should really help people who want to try their luck.

Chuck56 Loc: Texas

Yeah Fred . That would have been a lifetime catch for me too . Problem for me would have been once I had seen the mouth on that fish , I probably would have gone into shock , and fell out of my boat . I’ve heard stories of guys catching really big bass and getting the shakes . I remember when I caught my biggest bass . When I got her to the boat , she had 1 barb of a size 2 treble hook in her lip . ( crankbait ) I thought my heart was gonna jump out of my chest until I got her in the net . I have never fished by myself since that day . In my boat if somebody has a big or real decent fish on , the other guy has net duty ...lol before I retired from chevron I worked with a bunch of guys that bass fished . And guys that caught big fish basically said the same thing , when they saw how big the bass actually was , it got stressful . You don’t want to hurt the fish , you don’t want to lose the fish , and you want to get it in the boat as soon as possible . Some guys stumble around in their boats , drop stuff, etc . It can be tense until it’s in the boat . One guy I knew caught an 11-7 on a chatter bait . Fish got roughed up getting it in his boat . He turned her in to Toyota sharelunker , but she died the next day . A sad reality that things can go wrong .

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

That's something I never considered. I fish alone all the time, and have lost big fish at the net, but nothing like that. I'll keep that in mind and try to remain calm if the situation ever arises. Thanks for the info my friend. Have a pleasant evening, I'm out for the night.

Pounding banks Loc: South Central Texas

beginning of every year, you want to fish area's on the north east side of the lakes. more sun hits that area throughout the day. 15 + is a hawg for sure, i haven't hit the double digit bass yet, but we will see ehat this year brings. good luck everyone....

Harris T. Fudpucker Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

I too never considered that. I fish alone also but have caught fish that would never fit in any net. A six-foot alligator gar, another one only 4 feet. I didn't get either one in the boat but had them next to the boat. I now carry a gaff with me, and a small handgun to shoot them first. I had a friend that lived in Logansport, La., the only town on Toledo Bend. We did catch a lot of fish using his little flat bottom boat. Just bass.