Rather-b-fishin

I'll have to remember that!

Fished the Oilmen's Classic. Got on the shad spawn early but somebody please remind me to never ever again bang the bank in late April on Toledo Bend. The fish just aren't there. I think I finally learned my lesson that Toledo fishes deep and you CAN NOT fish a Rayburn pattern on this lake. I deserve the "I told you so".

How is the jerk bait bite these days?

Anyone here try fishing the back of six mile behind the bridge?

I have a few questions that have eluded me over the many years I've traveled to fished Toledo as well as other lakes. I've always felt the need to put my crank bait, spinner bait, top water, etc down mid morning, slow down and fish plastics. Questions: 1. How does one know whether or not to slow down and fish plastics after the morning bite is over? I notice a very large number of folks fishing plastics at this time of day and I do the same. I guess I have this preconceived idea that once the morning shad spawn or morning feed is over the fish go deep and need to see something slow in front of them. It literally blows my mind when I here about people fishing crank baits or topwaters all day with blue bird skies. I'm thinking downsize, slow down.... I continually watch people fish over areas during the day and I come in behind them and catch those fish by slowing way down. But, these pro anglers throw jerk baits all day and catch kickers at 11:30am! 2. After the morning bite is over where do these fish go? Do they settle back to deeper grass only 30 ft away or do they travel back to 20ft+ depths? If I'm hammering fish on a point during the morning shad spawn and it all the sudden stops, do I back off that point and fish deep? Are those fish still there? I'll be heading to Toledo for my yearly tournament visit end of April. In your opinion how should I spend my prefishing day? I have some shallow water areas that produce well in the mornings but I go brain dead during the heat of the day. Thanks so much for your insight! I really enjoy this forum!

Wow, this is where I could really use help. I rarely ever fish off shore. I have very low confidence in all of that open water. I'm typically a shallow water fisherman (7ft and below) and it's killin me on some of my trips. I think I saw most of the boats on Toledo fishing out in the main lake. I was thinking surely if the fish are out there they are going to be along the hay grass lines but that wasn't the case at all for us this last trip.

Fished Toledo Thursday-Saturday and coudn't find a single fish on a bed. 90% of the boats we saw were pulled out to the main lake points and flats for the most part. Had about 15lbs thursday, 7lbs Friday, and 2 small keepers Saturday. Fished Six Mile Thursday. Fished Cypress bend area Friday and extreme south end Indian Village area Saturday.

Awesome...good to know. Will be fishing Toledo this weekend. Knowing that will definitely help us as we typically don't get to Toledo Bend but once a year. Thanks guys

Would you guys say the spawn is pretty much over on Toledo Bend?

Figured the fish out at 2 pm. If I had another hour we probably would have had a decent limit. My Dad & I love to power fish so it took me all day to finally sloooww doooown.

Well, didn't do too well. It appeared that the lake was blooming and generally when that happens the bite slows way down. I managed 3 keepers and caught probably 20 fish all day. For some reason the fish weren't feeding early on the points like I had thought they would. Most fish in our club was caught in shallow water along buck brush or in the grass. It was a weird fishing day. Our 3 keepers came in the very back of a couple cuts.

Excellent info guys thanks so much! I'll let y'all know how I do.

Thanks so much! I was thinking about starting off on Needmore but I wasn't sure if I should make the run to it first thing. You confirmed my thoughts..Thanks! Also, San Augustine is just north of Buck Bay so if we end up there that's great as well.

Got a tournament this weekend...any ideas on where to start first thing in the morning out of San Augustine? Any good points to start off on? Thanks!