- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: The pressure on the bass on Toledo Bend is insane...
Posted on 3/30/26 at 2:02 pm to Clyde Tipton
Posted on 3/30/26 at 2:02 pm to Clyde Tipton
quote:
white perch
0
Posted on 3/30/26 at 2:08 pm to TrueTiger07
quote:
My lake is professionally managed and we keep every bass 15” and under.
Despite that, I’ve still got buddies that argue me down about keeping and eating bass!
I have some friends like that. Every couple of years I go help my cousin cull bass at his step dad's 30 acre lake. I brought a buddy one time and I thought he was going to stroke out when we were filling ice chests. IDK why he even cared, it is a private pond.
Posted on 3/30/26 at 2:45 pm to TrueTiger07
To further your point, the worst thing you can do in a private lake or pond is not harvest any fish. I have seen countless awesome private ponds and lakes ruined because of overpopulation and stunted growth. Most of the time, it is directly due to the ignorance of management regarding harvest.
In my ponds, all crappie and bass under 2 lbs are getting fileted. In about 45 acres of total water, I’d guess I keep around 1500 lbs of fish a year. I’ve been doing it the same way for almost 40 years now, and every year the fishing is unbelievable. Matter of fact, the best fishing is the year following the biggest harvests.
That considered, I’m really not sure rod & reel anglers have any effect at all on the fish populations in a lake, regardless of lake’s creel limits. I think it has more to do with nature, which impacts the success of the spawn and available cover. This is most apparent in crappie, and your success in having a good population is 100% hit or miss, as it seems to be dependent on the weather during spawn. I know this from summer/fall inventories on fingerlings using a cast net. Some years are booms, most years are busts.
The holding capacity of a body of water is finite. I think if anything, all this catch and release has only accomplished making the fish you have smarter.
In my ponds, all crappie and bass under 2 lbs are getting fileted. In about 45 acres of total water, I’d guess I keep around 1500 lbs of fish a year. I’ve been doing it the same way for almost 40 years now, and every year the fishing is unbelievable. Matter of fact, the best fishing is the year following the biggest harvests.
That considered, I’m really not sure rod & reel anglers have any effect at all on the fish populations in a lake, regardless of lake’s creel limits. I think it has more to do with nature, which impacts the success of the spawn and available cover. This is most apparent in crappie, and your success in having a good population is 100% hit or miss, as it seems to be dependent on the weather during spawn. I know this from summer/fall inventories on fingerlings using a cast net. Some years are booms, most years are busts.
The holding capacity of a body of water is finite. I think if anything, all this catch and release has only accomplished making the fish you have smarter.
Posted on 3/30/26 at 2:56 pm to Clyde Tipton
50 limit of WP each day this weekend, Bass are about all done in the shallows, maybe a few buck bass around...most decent bass are on the early shad spawn suspended around balls of them. Chased some early yesterday and picked up 11 then caught our WP real quick and came home.
Posted on 3/30/26 at 3:42 pm to OleBallCoach
quote:
OleBallCoach
You see any ducks out there?
Posted on 3/30/26 at 3:48 pm to RandRules
quote:
That considered, I’m really not sure rod & reel anglers have any effect at all on the fish populations in a lake, regardless of lake’s creel limits. I think it has more to do with nature, which impacts the success of the spawn and available cover.
This is a great point. Most guys fish the best spots which is a small portion of the lakes but the spots that tend to hold the most fish and best bang for their buck time wise. All the while 90% of the lake still has fish that spawn and grow.
It’s like red snapper in the gulf, any spots that have low fish are just spots over fished. There’s millions of spots no one fishes that hold fish.
Posted on 3/30/26 at 4:20 pm to Motorboat
naw baw, its sucked for a few years now. Woodies is about it. Scuap and redheads hardly show up, what few Canvasbacks show up come late late. Also dont have the coots like we used to. Sucks Hay Day of the bend are long gone. Unless you wanna chase tame Canadians
Posted on 3/30/26 at 6:15 pm to OleBallCoach
A duck would starve to death in Toledo Not much duck food anymore except in a few highly pressured fishing areas
(Non fish eating ducks)
(Non fish eating ducks)
This post was edited on 3/30/26 at 6:16 pm
Posted on 3/30/26 at 7:37 pm to TrueTiger07
quote:
some people are raised to never put a filet knife on a bass.
I was raised that we eat bass.
Posted on 3/30/26 at 8:34 pm to The Last Coco
quote:
If every bass sees multiple baits a day, it doesnt matter how many there are - they will be hard to catch.
quote:
Toledos bass population are just fine, its just the amount of boats on the lake and baits in the water spring and summer is a ton of pressure.
Going on Thursday and again next week. We are going to look for something well off the bank. Preferably in timber.
Posted on 3/30/26 at 8:48 pm to Clyde Tipton
If LA is good at one thing it is fricking up every last natural resource it has. Usually fricking it up and fricking it's citizens over in the process.
This post was edited on 3/30/26 at 8:49 pm
Posted on 3/31/26 at 1:05 am to OleBallCoach
Usually bass fish the bend. However, going this weekend with 3 kids to try our luck at some sacs. Anyone have any suggestions on how we can get on a mess? Was thinking about checking some of the sra and ldwf reefs. We are staying around big bass marina. Any help is appreciated.
Posted on 3/31/26 at 2:38 am to GREENHEAD22
Exactly, we do the opposite of what makes every other state better than us at wildlife management. I am praying the changes made at Saline Larto work. If so, the state may realize the err of their stubborn ways. There is no reason for the ridiculously liberal creel limits on most state waters. I hope you guys realize that the state protects gou more than sacaulait.
All that said, LA relies on sampling from gill nets and shocking. They sample the exact same spots year after year. Supposedly these surveys don't show any decilnes. I didn't ask about Toledo but there is no way they can say nothing changed over there. Anyway, pressure is up 10X over the last 10 years according to my source in the LDWF. He thinks that's why fishing is so much worse overall. They can't propose changes to regs without data to present to the deeply crooked wildlife commission. Even if they had the data to show change is needed the commission still might not accept the changes. They are the problem.
All that said, LA relies on sampling from gill nets and shocking. They sample the exact same spots year after year. Supposedly these surveys don't show any decilnes. I didn't ask about Toledo but there is no way they can say nothing changed over there. Anyway, pressure is up 10X over the last 10 years according to my source in the LDWF. He thinks that's why fishing is so much worse overall. They can't propose changes to regs without data to present to the deeply crooked wildlife commission. Even if they had the data to show change is needed the commission still might not accept the changes. They are the problem.
This post was edited on 3/31/26 at 2:39 am
Posted on 3/31/26 at 7:35 am to mrcoon
quote:Those changes go directly against the science. There was never a numbers problem there.
I am praying the changes made at Saline Larto work
Posted on 3/31/26 at 8:14 am to chellelsu
quote:
going this weekend with 3 kids to try our luck at some sacs. Anyone have any suggestions on how we can get on a mess?
There is a big wave of spawners that are moving back out. I found brush piles in 16-18' in the coves were holding fish. I checked a few deeper main lake brush piles and they were empty.
Keep in mind the lake is 3' low. So go look at piles that are usually 20' deep to find "17' deep brush piles" in the backs of coves. If that makes sense...
Posted on 3/31/26 at 8:27 am to Clyde Tipton
Toledo Bend Reservoir has approximately 1,200 miles of shoreline (bank). Stretching 65 miles long along the Texas-Louisiana border
You wouldn't think the entire think would be pressured
You have to get off the bank
You wouldn't think the entire think would be pressured
You have to get off the bank
Posted on 3/31/26 at 8:39 am to AlxTgr
We will find out if the state uses good or bad science. I believe the latter. How can lower limits and increased minimum lengths work so well everywhere else but not here?
Chicot for instance went to dog shite in just a couple years after removing the slot. The state claimed the slot wasn't working because of what they saw in the gill nets. They put zero credence in what the anglers were saying. The big fish went away and the numbers went away. The lake has too much pressure for state rules.
Chicot for instance went to dog shite in just a couple years after removing the slot. The state claimed the slot wasn't working because of what they saw in the gill nets. They put zero credence in what the anglers were saying. The big fish went away and the numbers went away. The lake has too much pressure for state rules.
Posted on 3/31/26 at 9:30 am to mrcoon
quote:Because it's counter to the problem. The problem is too many small fish and not enough food. Taking fewer and larger by fisherman, if it does anything, will be a negative.
How can lower limits and increased minimum lengths work so well everywhere else but not here?
Posted on 3/31/26 at 1:16 pm to chellelsu
naw forget that idea. Go find some grass and fish the outside line(deep side) as it follows the bank. Troll of you know how to do that with a chartreuse and blue, green, or black jig. You'll find em. If you cant troll then stay off and cast to edge of gras and retrieve slow letting it fall and pop it a lil. after about 3- foot from grass reel in and do it again. work those grass lines. Plenty stacked up for another couple weeks specially with rain and a cool snap coming they gonna stage up and suspend around that grass.
Posted on 3/31/26 at 1:20 pm to Clyde Tipton
Wasn't the Oilman's this weekend? Maybe I have my dates wrong
Ah...yea it was two weeks ago
Ah...yea it was two weeks ago
This post was edited on 3/31/26 at 1:22 pm
Page 2 of 5
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News