ZWOLLE, La. – Due to a postponement of the original season-opener, the Cowboy Division of the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine will be treated to a doubleheader weekend on Toledo Bend to open its 2026 schedule on Feb. 21 and 22.
After frigid temperatures and ice hit the area in late January, the bass may be inching closer to spawning as temperatures warm and spring approaches. There is a potential for some eye-popping weight totals at both events, like we have seen in recent years on the lake.
What to expect
Bass Pro Tour angler and Toledo Bend local Justin Cooper said that his home lake is fishing very well. He anticipates excellent fishing over the weekend of these events, especially if the weather warms up.
Even with anglers limited to just three hours of forward-facing sonar use, he expects the technology to play a major role in the outcome.
“With the new rule change, those three hours are going to be crucial for the anglers,” he said. “You’ll definitely want to find an area where that is going to play and make the most of your time, because a lot of those big fish will be out there floating around. But, there will be other ways to catch them after that, and the hydrilla and milfoil are really healthy and will hold big prespawn bass, too.”
Cooper expects the traditional East Texas and Louisiana approach to fishing vegetation will be in full swing.
“Those bigger females get in those deeper drains with grass and wait for the water temperature to get right,” he said. “Even if it doesn’t warm up a ton by then, those fish start to migrate to those areas because the days are getting longer, and late February is the time they do it. The grass is where you are going to find a lot of those 5- to 10-pound females.”
Lower-than-usual water levels on the lake will likely crowd anglers into certain areas, but Cooper thinks there should still be plenty of bass to go around.
“The lake is close to 5-feet low right now, so that takes a lot of the northern part of the lake out of play,” he said. “The lower two-thirds of the lake is definitely better right now, and where the grass is.”
Baits to bring
Cooper said there are no secrets about what to use this time of year on Toledo Bend. A vibrating jig and lipless crankbait are must-haves for fishing the grass. When anglers can use forward-facing sonar, a jighead minnow and Alabama rig will likely rack up some serious weight.
What will it take?
Toledo Bend is full of big fish, and this might be the best time of the year to be there. Cooper said it should take “north of 30 pounds” both days to have a shot at the win. To cash a check, weights around 15 or 16 pounds will suffice, but he said that number could creep even higher with the right conditions or if the Alabama rig bite is on.