fishingcajun

I stayed at Emerald Cove a couple of times, in the Duplex. Nothing fancy, but clean and comfortable. They have a private launch on site, but i would guess it is high and dry by now. The creek that runs back into Patroon passes closer to the south side, or opposite side of Emerald Cove. Holly Park Marina is just across the bridge from Emerald Cove, you could call them to check if their launch is still accessible. Caught some fish in the coves south of the bridge, Texas side, small coves just north of Palo-Gaucho, just off of Spring Hill Boat lane. Watermelon Red, swimming senko, senkos, and baby brush hogs.

20 Keepers ?? On What ?? Where on Lanana? I stay at a friends camp straight across from United Bay, Youngs Trailer Park.

I should be able to drive in that Saturday morning. Also will probably have a friend. I used the public launch Texas side just past the dam on Monday, I was looking for Fin&Feathers but got a little turned around and came across this launch. However I am up for any launch site.

Fishing Report : Fished 21st. 3PM-6:30. Three in our party. Fished in Community Cove area. My boat- Caught 15 or so bass with four keepers, 2-3# Range, Texas rig WR baby brush hog. 2nd Boat - two keepers with 15 or so caught. Fishing Senko's. 22nd. 3-boats. Fished 1215 area, 1st boat fishing chug-bug and Senko's caught 14-keepers largest around 4# with another seven or so weighing 2-3# range. 2nd boat - same area with 6-keepers. My Boat only two keepers. Traveled back Monday 25th. for a day on the water Fished Sixmile - Managed to boat 6 keepers, 2-3' water. All on Baby Brush hog WR. Caught all the fish on one point, with the fish holding on stumps with a little grass. Tried the big grass beds early, with no luck, and lots of wind !! Also watched a young doe swimming across the lake in sixmile.

I'm In

If you have any doubt about entering pro-am tournaments, my experience was great. Read on Catt, Sorry it took so long. To: fishingcajun Dude you need to write this up for the site, many tournament anglers get the bad mouth for being to selfish & self centered, Gleen is nowhere close to that. I relate many aspects of fishing to hunting, I thoroughly enjoy the hunt for bass but as soon as the fights over it's like "Let's go get some more?" 2 Sent box » Re: Fishing Line Color on: Sep 2nd, 2010 at 2:06pm From: fishingcajun To: Catt Yes, gentlemen they are. I met them both for the first time this weekend. Gleen's hand was the last I shook before i departed Sunday. I really couldn't have scripted better drawing Gleen. I started reading your posts last spring ( 2009), and really wanted to become a more rounder fishermen, leave the banks, which i love in the spring and learn offshore. This is why i sent in to fish the AFL & BFL this year. Everything I wanted to observe and learn for the most part happened in these two tournaments. I am getting to old to dream of the tournament trails, don't think the siblings will ever let me retire. Sorry about the rambling, we have a lot of free time offshore sometimes. Every Time i pick up the map and study for a few hours I see something different, the 3-D vision only came to me last week. I finally found ACME Mapper, so i guess now i can follow you guys a little better. I have three paper maps and all are a little different. Anyway thanks again for all the help. I know what you mean about enjoying the teaching as much as fishing. I enjoy studying and learning and the anticipation of finding fishing spots i picked out on the map to try. 3 Inbox » Re: Fishing Line Color on: Sep 2nd, 2010 at 7:46am From: Catt To: fishingcajun On the occasions I've beaten Gleen & Harold they were ones of the few to quickly offer a hand shake & congratulations. 4 Sent box » Re: Fishing Line Color on: Sep 2nd, 2010 at 7:27am From: fishingcajun To: Catt Thanks for the response. Yes Gleen was very nice, and invited me to give him a call when I go up next time, which will be the Oilmans next weekend. I also use Berkly Bigame 15#, I tried many of the new lines and could not find one that held up as good as Bigame, and for the price. 5 Inbox » Re: Fishing Line Color on: Sep 2nd, 2010 at 7:18am From: Catt To: fishingcajun I believe line color is a non factor on Toledo Bend because there is some much vegetation in the water a bass can not distinguish between the two. At various times of the year the water color changes so I'll change my line color to one that allows me to see it better, I use green, amber, & electric blue. With the exception of using braid for punching I use Berkley Big Game 15# 100% of the time. Gleen Freeman has been around Toledo longer than I have, he & Harold Allen are long time fishing buddies. We are not personal friends but our paths have crossed at cafe's or in tournaments many times. You could not have had a better partner then Gleen, a true gentleman! 6 Sent box » Fishing Line Color on: Sep 2nd, 2010 at 6:22am From: fishingcajun To: Catt Catt, read some where that when fishing deeper water on Toledo bend or i should say one particular hole, you needed to use green line, that it made a difference. Unfortunately i can no longer ask this person what type of green line they were referring too. Keeping in mine this information was cataloged some 10-15 yrs. ago. I just wanted to know if you ever ran into this and what green line do you think they were referring too. Other than clear i have only used Big game in green before, but i know there are other versions. Your insight would be greatly appreciated. Not sure how well you know him, but i had the pleasure of fishing with Gleen Freeman this weekend for the BFL. His total weight was 40+ lbs. The guy is a machine when he gets on them, all i had time to do was net!!! The structure fishing you have taught us in the past two years was well demonstrated this past weekend. After studying my maps after returning is was obvious of some of the spots we fished. I had several marked already in my old catalog of holes.

I vote Nov. 6th.

Anybody !! How will the generators running 24/7 effect the bass movement the first couple of days, like Friday and Saturday. I have been catching a few fish starting to move back into the shallows 8-12 but mainly 18-25. Will this make them pull back from shallow feeding drains, etc. early on or just when they become to low. This is new territory for me, Last time I was around for low water was probably 98-00, fished a Oilman's in the middle of a tropical storm for two days, and i remember fishing so far north that basically we fished the main creek, lake was basically dry. That's was pretty much a no brainer, I am more interested in the first couple of days. In the past couple of months the bite was better during the 2-3 hrs. the generators were running. Does that mean they will feed all day now, or will the normal feeding periods come into play. New topic for the Guru's .

I can make the first weekend in November 5,6,7. Working last weekend in October. However IF all agrees on last weekend in October, and IF my daughter makes homecoming court, then i will have to take that weekend off to be home for the 29th, I could possibly make a Saturday morning fishing date. Just my two cents !!

Just read in Lake Charles Paper that the draw down has been approved and will begin Sept. 10. Plans are to bring lake level to 165

Catt, sent PM

Not to change the subject, just wanted to give a fishing report from this past weekend BFL. Bite was very tough for many including this angler on day two. Day one partner won the tournament, myself ended up 13Th. Fished north of the bridge the first day. Sorry can't give more details, these guys or making a living on the lake. I can say that jigs,worms, craw worms were the bait of choice. Day two partner took us south, way south in Catt's back yard, Sandy Creek grass beds. I can tell you an 8+ lb. was caught in sandy creek, but for the most part the fish were smaller than the stringers up north. Early bite was on spinner baits, then flipped outside edge grass beds along sloughs with a jig.

Jack, would the old roadbed ditches running either side north to south be defined enough to see now! on your electronics, and is this an example of what we should be looking for and fishing parallel too.

So true, about motoring in an around a hole. However I have seen where they also would stir the bait fish up and turn the fish on for a minute or two. Your other point about getting out what you put into it, is one of the things I have learned about TB, doing your homework and dissecting an area and most of all don't give up on the fish or the place.

It would be a good time to retrieve lost baits !! I will be fishing the BFL as a co-angler this weekend as well. We call the area Community and 2nd cove. Caught enough to collect a check in the Oilman's this year. However I never studied as close as Jack. I have been following his post since last year. I guess one day we will run into each other.

I would like to thank Catt and the others again. I have been using your deep water patterns and searching out the spots that may not be as well known. I happen to have found one such place that hopefully will still hold some bass for the Sept. Oilman's. Caught and released some very good fish there. Hope to buy a little better electronics this spring. After fishing the AFL as a co-angler and watching them use their Lowrance HD-10, it almost doesn't seem fair !!. I know you still have to make them bite and catch them. But they really work great reading bottom contour. Catt, not much of a night guy, but my buddy has been asking me to go. We will be up this weekend working on the camp. Any suggestions, mid-lake area.

Planning a trip to Fork, next weekend. Please post any information you think will help. First Trip down. I am open to a half day guided trip, but have limited funds. Plans are to stay at the Lake Fork Marina, any pros or cons on this. Thanks

Thanks Catt, your input is greatly appreciated. It may take me a week to get back with a report, but I will get back and post it when possible.

Yes, you are correct. I am not sure where i want to start fishing. But as mentioned in other post, I am trying to learn different areas of the Lake. Thanks for the information on tackle selection

Well, I got the green light from the wife for another trip to the bend. After watching the weather last night, it's looking real good, no rain and sunny. Not sure about the wind just yet, but I going anyway. Any of you want to hookup one of the days let me know. More than likely I will stay at the Sabine Inn. ( Thursday and Friday 6-7 ) Sat. ? P.S. Please reply with the other places to stay from Lowes back to Six Mile, i may think about trying one of those places, may save a few bucks !! Catt- I am determined to make this trip for quality rather than quantity. I have read through all the posts again, and have narrowed down my tackle selection to C-Rig ( Watermelon,WR,W-candy), Texas Rig, Spinner bait, and the last resort DD crankbait, and or drop shot. Few questions - 1. Do you peg your Texas Rig, and do you still stick to the 1/4 and 3/16 ounce sinkers, no matter what the depth. 2. Do you try and match your sinker color to the plastic color. 3. Do you use tungsten or lead, etc. 4. C-Rig - Average length of your leader. 5. C-Rig - Do you find lead,brass,tungsten, anyone stands out in number of bites. Stepping out on a limb here. Catt, don't want you to give up any of your best holes, especially with the BBS coming up. If you could point me to a couple of points with grass, creek and deep water that you have had luck on in the past, I would greatly appreciate. I have caught fish this year on the main lake points North side of Palo Gaucho, on the grass beds that are visible. There is a good creek within 75- yds, but i cannot seem to get any fish to bite once i back off of locations i have been catching and search the creeks, etc. feeding them. I can't tell you how many fish I know was caught this year in the coves just north of Palo Gaucho, it has a good creek feeding it, at least two good secondary points with the creek running almost up to each point. I have tried to back off and work the deeper water, once the early bite slowed down, but have failed to get a bite. I have to admit, I did not give it the time I should have, but I plan to do that this trip. If you have time, look at those coves, and any feed back would be appreciated. Those or the two spots, that i would pick since i have caught fish there this year. I also tried this spot this year, The intersection of the main river, Spring hill boat lane, and the pipeline crossing next to Texas side Penelton Bridge. Any thoughts on that spot ? Jack - I have located part of the creek that leaves carrice and cuts through community cove, however I have not been able to determine by my electronics at what point it crosses the old road bed. Looking back at the aerial views from 2007, it appears the road cuts directly over the main Island ? That area has all the things you and Catt have mentioned, deep water, with a creek, road bed, etc. I have seen quite a few boats at times tied up fishing the main creek where it makes a sharp turn back towards the Texas side, my maps show an old road bed in that vicinity. Again, my electronics and my lack of knowledge using them prevent me from locating ( pinpointing ) all off the above mentioned spots. As mentioned in some of the other posts, I have just begun to fish bass again, ( last April 09 ). Back in the 88-99 yrs. I caught fish in the carrice creek and 1215 areas, but never paid attention to details. Now that i have read this forum, I have been paying attention to my surrounding's and trying to locate where the creeks entered the lake, etc. My next hurdle it to trying and find structure and outside grass lines, etc. to incorporate all of the things i have learned from reading this forum. Catt- at the present lake level - what would be the average depth of the outside grass line in the Palo Gaucho area and the coves mentioned above. Sorry for the long post, I have a lot of time offshore, I tend to get diarrhea of the fingers, !!

Yes, you are probably correct about everything being booked. I haven't fished the McDonald's BBS in years and forgot how many boats show up.

Just my two cents. If the Driftwood you are referring to is the same as Ethel's Driftwood, you might want to rethink your choice. It's very old, but under new management. I was there a couple of weeks ago and spoke with the manager. I was told that they did paint the rooms and clean !! The Sabine Inn ( Motel 8 ) on the Texas side is very clean and in a good central location. Rooms-69.00 a night. There is a public launch 400 yds. down the road. A couple of good places to eat next door and back across on the La. Side. Winds and waves permitting you are a 10-15 min. run to 1215 area- north. If you are set on fishing the 1215 area, you probably would be better off launching on the old highway-free. If you launch at the North Toledo Bend state park ( Not sure of the fee )- you still have access to 1215 - idling following the bank, which i did this year if the waves or too bad to run, or go up Sam-Miguel. Of course the Driftwood launch is about the same as North TB state park,- but I was charged 5:00 bucks a couple of weeks ago. I apologize to any of you if I offended you suggesting that It.scrap not patronize a certain hotel or launch, but times or hard, and I know i have to save where i can.

It's a good thing I am working that week, I would have been supporting Catt and Jack for another couple of fishing trips. But seriously, a very good point about running at night and relying on electronics that were not checked out in advance. All three of my maps from 10+ years back were nothing like the current conditions on the lake in regards to the boat lanes, which I found out last April. I have since purchased an updated map, and have been trying to re-learn the boat lanes and started marking way-points and such. There was still green and red main river buoys when i had to take a leave from fishing awhile. It has really been fun searching different areas of the lake this spring. I have been as far north as Bison, and south this past trip to Pirates Cove. Catt, I know you probably don't need a map for the bend, however for us rookies, which map would you recommend now for navigation purposes. Or better yet, you could give me that old marked up map you have tucked away, since you don't need it anymore. !!

That's really sad. Another reminder that we are only here for a short time. His family will be in our prayers.

Thanks for your thoughts !