Louisiana Sportsman

Guide Darold Gleason shows off a couple of nice bass up at Toledo Bend.

Goin’ deep at the Bend

December 30, 2018 Jerald Horst

Largemouth bass fishing in Louisiana, especially South Louisiana, is a shallow-water affair. Most fish are caught in waters 6 feet deep or less.[…]

Above: Noah Jarrett of Hallsville, Texas, caught this chunky bass while fishing in the FLW High School Open on Nov. 4 at Toledo Bend. Jarrett, who fished with Davis Butrum, is the son of Ben Jarrett. The father-and-son found bass in the same patterns as guide John Dean — in shallow areas around peppergrass and milfoil — on buzzbaits, plastic frogs and Flukes in the middle section of creeks keying on channel swings in 2- to 10-foot depths.

Action at Toledo Bend should improve

December 16, 2018 John Dean

A guide to catching bass in December at Toledo Bend.[…]

This 7-pound, 2-ounce bass was caught by Dusty Anders of Alexandria on a Top Toad in the 12-15 area.

Fall bass moving shallow at Toledo Bend

November 14, 2018 John Dean

Bass are biting as the water temperature starts to cool. When November rolls around, expect bass fishing success to be pretty solid.[…]

Early starts can deliver a daybreak bonus for ambitious fall anglers.

Toledo Bend’s fall feeding frenzy

November 1, 2018 David A. Brown

Days grow shorter; appetites grow larger. Water temperatures will be falling, but bass aggression is spiking.[…]

Toledo Bend cool down

September 27, 2018 John Dean

Bass anglers who frequent Toledo Bend can’t wait for hoodie weather in this part of the state.[…]

Brian Matthews holds a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass he caught on a plastic frog while fishing with his son Max and guide John Dean at Toledo Bend.

Heat on high at Toledo Bend

September 4, 2018 John Dean

Toledo Bend bass anglers stymied by the dog days of summer can’t wait to escape the blistering heat and welcome the cooler temperatures of (hopefully) late September.[…]

Louis Laville of Baton Rouge caught this 4 ½-pound bass in June while fishing with John Dean.

Nighttime is the right time at Toledo Bend

August 16, 2018 John Dean

Getting bites during the heat of the day in August could be a challenge for bass anglers at Toledo Bend.[…]

A jig is a very effective spotted bass bait because it casts well and quickly reaches bottom.

Spotted bass are an aggressive, competitive lot; but even a robust school sees peaks and valleys in its feeding. When this happens, you certainly have the option of giving them a rest and returning later. However, Bassmaster Elite pro Gerald Swindle would first try a little spot stimulation strategy.[…]

They don’t get as big as largemouth, but spotted bass offer plenty of aggression.

An unlikely ‘spot’ spot

August 1, 2018 David A. Brown

Finding three Bassmaster Elite Series pros working a hot bite less than a rod length from one another is a rarity, if not the prelude to a heated interaction.[…]