HEMPHILL, Texas – In addition to worms, jigs and crankbaits, anglers fishing the Stren Series Texas Division event on Toledo Bend Reservoir on Wednesday were packing plenty of ice and water into their boats this morning – and for good reason.
“Hot” is not quite good enough to describe summertime heat in Texas; the words “scorching” or “sizzling” might work, but throw in the Lone Star State’s sopping 90-percent humidity (as of this morning) and you start moving into the “suffocating” category.
Wednesday’s highs are supposed to top out in the mid-90s, making today – according to the forecasts – the coolest day of the four-day event. Over the next two days, temperatures are likely to sit just below the century mark.
Regardless of the stifling conditions, some 300 anglers were raring to take a crack at Toledo Bend’s bass this morning (maybe moderately raring).
One phenomenal aspect of Texas’ blessed bass and grass fisheries like Fork, Rayburn and Toledo Bend is that the summer heat does not deter the bite near as much as on other lakes void of vegetation. Deep, lush vegetation keeps bass cool and in a more cooperative mood later in the day.
What’s more, Toledo Bend is unusually high for this time of year.
According to local pro Harold Allen of Shelbyville, Texas, the lake is about 2 or 3 feet higher than normal.
“Due to a recent change in lake management policy, the Sabine River Authority is keeping the water a little higher right now,” Allen noted. “Normally, at this time of year, this lake would be about 3 feet lower. So the fish have more shallow shoreline cover and grass to use than they’ve had in the past.”
Allen believes the increased water levels will help the shallow-water bite while lessening the deep-water bite.
“The fish now have more options, and as a result, they’re a little more scattered out,” he added. “Some guys are catching shallow fish on up in the day, and I’ve found the deep fish not to be as concentrated.”
Predictions, however, are that the deep bite will still be the ticket into the top-10 cut, especially for local pros who know where to fish Texas-rigged worms and jigs in deeper grass.
Kellogg’s pro Jim Tutt of Longview, Texas, noted that Toledo Bend’s grass is in great shape.
“The grass is thicker now than I’ve seen it in recent years,” Tutt said. “Since the water is up, the grass is not matted, but it is growing as deep as 17 or 18 feet in the lower end. Some of the locals that know where those key places are will do well here this week.”
Top-10 cut estimations after three days seem to fall in the 33- to 35-pound range.
“We’ll probably see a couple of bags top the 20-pound mark today,” Tutt added.
Logistics
Anglers will take off from Frontier Park & Marina located at 360 Frontier Drive in Hemphill, Texas, at 6 each morning. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m.
Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 155 San Antonio Ave. in Many, La., beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Pros will fish for a top award of $25,000 plus a $40,000 519VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics if contingency guidelines are met. Ranger will award another $3,000 to the winner if he or she is a participant in the Ranger Cup program.
Co-anglers will cast for a top award of $5,000 plus a $30,000 Ranger boat and trailer if contingency guidelines are met.
Wednesday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:11 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 73 degrees
Expected high temperature: 92 degrees
Water temperature: 86 degrees
Forecasted winds: light and variable
Day’s outlook: hot, 30-percent chance of storms