Toledo Bend South - 5/30 and 31 long-sorry

We usually go to the State park for Memorial Day weekend, but had a wedding, so we went last weekend. I fished mostly around the La. Islands and surrounding coves. A little on the Tx. side. Between the high water and cold winter, the grass is not like it's been the last few years in late May. It's scattered and sparse in the depths I fish. Very little hydrilla. The grass I pulled up was some other feathery looking stuff. The Perches were just above it.

I caught best when my boat was between 22 and 16 feet. I do not stroll, so I was casting Garland minnows in Blue Ice and Monkey Milk. 1/32 oz silver heads.

Got there Thursday evening, and just had time to make a few casts before dark. I caught one on my first cast. My live well is broken, so I did not keep any then. I probably caught 8 or so then.

Started keeping fish Friday morning. The size was overall better than the last two years. If I got into a school they were small. The bigs were mostly by themselves. I lost two huge whites at the boat because I do not carry a net. Those suckers don't lift as well as blacks. Anyway, I had a blast fishing just a few hours at a time because this was a camping trip-not a fishing trip. I probably had around 14 in the boat when the picture was taken on Friday. I easily kept a selective limit on Saturday, but they were being thrown in icy slush, so no pics. I need to get my live well working. May go back Saturday.

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good job

Nice fish !! Good trip. Love Toledo Bend. Going back on the 13th.

Well done.

great catch.....

Nice catch!

sweet

still good!!!I just look at the pic over and over again......I need to get a life, huh????

Good catch PMantle

Nice I love camping at South Toledo Bend State Park.

I went back on the 7th. The pattern was basically the same, but I caught fish in fewer places. After fishing a few hours with mixed results and thinking I had wasted a trip, I found a school. Nothing remarkable about the spot itself. Just a contour line out from a little pocket in the bank. The most surprising part was the # of bites on my drag line. I was dragging a Zoom tiny fluke on a 1/16 oz white head. Most the the clear keepers came on that, while all my casting fish were caught on Garland Blue Ice. My boat was almost always from 16 to 22 when I would get a bite.

The pic below is of 23 perch and one cat. I threw back easily as many small ones, as the size went down from last trip. You'll probably not hear from me again until October. I cannot catch a summer perch to save my life. Have a great summer everyone!

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well done......thanks for posting......see ya when it cools down.....

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Originally Posted by PMantle

I went back on the 7th. The pattern was basically the same, but I caught fish in fewer places. After fishing a few hours with mixed results and thinking I had wasted a trip, I found a school. Nothing remarkable about the spot itself. Just a contour line out from a little pocket in the bank. The most surprising part was the # of bites on my drag line. I was dragging a Zoom tiny fluke on a 1/16 oz white head. Most the the clear keepers came on that, while all my casting fish were caught on Garland Blue Ice. My boat was almost always from 16 to 22 when I would get a bite.

The pic below is of 23 perch and one cat. I threw back easily as many small ones, as the size went down from last trip. You'll probably not hear from me again until October. I cannot catch a summer perch to save my life. Have a great summer everyone!

Attachment 164942

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Fine lookin box o fish there.

Nice PMantle. Last trip a couple of weeks ago I managed to filet and freeze four quart zip-lock bags full of crappie. Picked on the bream for a day and a half and boated several as well. Like you, done up there until the early Fall - then once a month until this time next year. Booked a week during the first week of October. Those of you guys that go during the summer - pull the crank baits. Half of what you catch will be channel catfish though with me for some reason. You can easily fill the live well with those.

Going on Friday morning with some friends with a guide, Coon Gilespie. I will also be bringing my boat to fish through the weekend. May have to try pulling cranks, although i've never done that. How deep should they run?

No idea on the cranks, but all my fish were deeper than 13 and shallower than 22.

Dapet, saw Coon set some more brush piles last Fall out of Cypress Bend. Enjoy talking to that fella. He must have a bunch by now. Find the grass for the cranks. Pitch out the back as far as you can. Start pulling, you will be able to tell when you're tagging the grass depending upon how much line you have out and how fast you're going. Reel in some line if your in the grass to get on top of it. For some reason, the pink and orange crank baits attract a lot of catfish, don't know why. Haven't figured out how to keep the catfish off. Let us know how you do - and pictures!

Nice catch