The Bend
 

Let me throw this scenario out there. I'll be heading up this weekend and have never fished Toledo bend before. We will have a boat but no depth finder. What would be your strategy, what kind of baits would you throw? I am hoping catch a bass or two, possibly sacalait. Thanks for the help guys.

This is where I'll be staying.
Attachment 74714

last time i went i didnt have a depth finder. couldnt find the depths i needed. only caught real early in the morning on top water. everyone else was fishing 30+ FT and i had no clue where the ridges were lol. good luck!!

Gunna be tough to fish offshore with no depth finder of some sort. Most of the fish are in 15 foot or deeper water this time of the year. You could fish by/under the pendalton bridge with a bomber slab spoon and catch white bass and some largemouth. I like the 1 3/4" size but all sizes work.

With no depthfinder, I would fish (topwater / shallow crankbaits / senkos / spinnerbaits) grass lines near the bank early morning and evening. You will be able to see the grass. Use shad color CBs and look for schoolies. Good Luck

You dont need a dept finder to catch fish up there... patterns right now have been topwater plugs early or spooks, medium diving cranks, carolina rigs, t rigged brush hogs, jigs. Looks like you will be around Boones Pt.. follow the boat lane heading west directly across from there (second dotted line south). Fish south of the boat lane a few yards starting at the intersection and working your way west. There are several ridges off of the river (dotted lines you see on the map). You will see a few boats out there now. Otherwise you can head to Arnolds Cove (which is the cove directly EAST of boones crossing) and start in the pockets working your way into the main lake... its pretty much 10-15 feet throughout that whole area. Look for grassline off the main shore... there are several.

Right now is transition into fall patterns.... crankbaits, carolina rigs, etc should be picking up with the cool fronts and moon we just had. I caught the majority of bass a week ago in 10-15 ft of water along grasslines.

If you head due west you will find yourself at Harpers ridge (Texas Side)... the area just south of harpers is Indian Mounds. Can be great fishing this time of year. Find grass... find grass. find grass. Did i emphasize GRASS... you can see it 3 ft under the water... when you find it look for where it stops. fish along the edges working back n forth. Hydrilla only grows in up to 17-20 ft of water... after that it becomes very sparse.

Thanks I will give it a try. I just found out there is a depth finder on the boat so hopefully that'll make finding these changes easier. I've never used one before. Would it be easy to find where the hydrilla stops growing with that?

And I got a hooknline map for TB, would it show the coves and the Indian mounds that you suggested?

you opened a can of worms with Hook N Line... Harpers Ridge is waypoint # 49. Arnolds Bay is waypoint 117. Indian Mounds is the whole bay just south of Harpers. If you follow the bank just south south of Harpers ridge you will see 5 finglerlike covers... The points of these coves have the grass you seek. Good luck.

Lots of great info. Thanks Salte!

You da man. I'll be sure to post a report. Looking ahead, the weather doesn't seem to be cooperating with us....

According to Wunderground most of your rain should pass around 5am Sat give or take a few hrs... I would love to be up there in the front. I fished the rain all memorial day weekend and caught over 30 keeper bass... I have a few reports in Freshwater section. You wont be able to fish Boones crossing with any kind of North wind. I would stick to the north banks of arnolds cove or the 5 fingers of Indian Mounds.

You can try boones but it gets choppy in any kind of ind over 7mph. Big Bass Cove is north of the Pin you dropped... Fish can be caught around the small island in the mouth of big bass cove.

I think the rain would feel great. Thanks again man

Another thing to keep in mind, when you leave the marked boat lanes, idle to your fishing area, lots of submerged stumps. Good luck.

Go find grass beds early and late in the day

Thanks for the info guys

Tim I have a camp just around the corner from where your staying. From the water plant intake all the way northeast along the bank are numerous boat houses ...... If you work them all with a small crank bait you will catch fish ..... Nothing big but plenty fish .... In front of most boat houses is a brush pile ....... Most hold fish both sacalait and bass ...... Like everyone else said fish before daylight to 9 or 10 then the last few hours of light ..... Enjoy the lake it's one of my favorite places


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I'll give it a try wed68, the dang weekends aren't long enough hahaha

Bump

Anything else guys? I'll be giving it a try in the morning. Wish me lucj

Good luck !!! Post pics


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