Reneau tops field at stormy Toledo Bend

Deep bite puts co-angler Aylor atop Everstart Texas event

MANY, La. – Unlike washing your car, catching a bunch of fish before a rainstorm imparts no sense of remorse or regret. Just ask Tim Reneau, the Texas pro who topped the first day’s standings at the EverStart Series Texas Division tournament on Toledo Bend Reservoir.

Reneau and the rest of the field knew that the lake’s moody post-spawn temperament would be complicated by an approaching weather system. Of course, most also figured that the barometric fluctuation, cooling air temperature and cloudy skies would also trigger a heavy feeding period prior to the storm’s arrival.

Well, the rough stuff arrived mid morning and once the wind and waves roiled the lake, Reneau’s bite fizzled. Fortunately, he had already stuffed a leading limit of 26 pounds, 10 ounces into his livewell.

“Today just started really good,” Reneau said. “I found little spot yesterday morning, caught a big one and threw back in there and had another bite. I started there this morning and the first fish was a 9-pounder. My second fish was a 7-pounder – that same fish I caught yesterday. It has some distinctive marks on it. That was pretty cool. When that happened, I knew the day was going pretty good.

“I was catching smaller fishing right up until the wind hit and then I had to go to the other side of the lake. I didn’t catch anymore after about 8:45.”

Reneau caught his fish over deep grass in about 20-22 feet. He fished a 1 1/2-ounce Lateral Perch – the hybrid jig that he invented. Designed with a lead head and a panfish body, the bait sinks on its side like a wounded bream. Reneau said the key to successful presentations was rod posture and line control.

“You don’t hold a tight line, but you hold your rod tip up to create some line drag,” he explained. “That way you get the bait to sway back and forth.”

Reneau’s catch was one of six stringers over 20 pounds. Although Toledo Bend proved unkind to many competitors, pros caught 61 limits, co-anglers added 18 and several fish over 7 pounds were weighed.

Jeane, Loyd tie for second

Now, about an hour before Reneau weighed his fish, Louisiana pro George Jeane Jr. blistered the scales with a 25-pound, 12-ounce limit anchored by a big-bellied toad that went 13-4. Not surprisingly, Jeane’s massive fish took Snickers Big Bass honors. Jeane also now owns the sixth-place spot on the list of heaviest fish caught in FLW competition.

Jeane caught the whopper around 11 a.m. on a Texas-rigged Berkley Havoc Bottom Hopper in watermelon candy. Fishing mostly brush piles, he also caught fish on jigs, but noted that his day was more about quality than quantity.

“I had five keeper bites all day,” Jeane said. “I had to run around a lot.”

Shortly after Jeane’s big splash, Lamonte Loyd, of Gilmer, Texas hauled a big sack to the stage, registered the day’s second weight of 25-12 and tied Jeane for what would become the shared second place spot. Working a hump in 25 feet, Loyd fished a deep diving crankbait that he custom painted in a bream pattern.

“I caught two or three good fish on my spot in practice, but they were stacked in there today,” Loyd said.

Loyd found his fish suspended in trees on the hump he fished. His was a busy morning and he intentionally stopped fishing around noon.

“As tough as it’s been, I didn’t want to put any more keepers in the boat,” he said. “I caught 15 keepers but I quit fishing because I didn’t think I could cull up. With these anglers, you have to do good every day.

Harvey takes fourth

David Harvey, of Beaumont, Texas enjoyed a productive early bite, but made a key move when the storms approached and ended up catching a limit that weighed 25-10. Starting on main lake ledges, Harvey had to flee the rough open water for the sheltered area of a creek arm. Fortunately, he was able to employ similar tactics in both spots.

“I kind of mixed it up a little,” he said. “I threw a Carolina rig early and got an early limit. When the storm came in, I switched gears to get out of harm’s way. I ducked into an area where I could fish and I landed on a couple of lucky bites that helped me out tremendously.”

Harvey fished a Big Bite Creek Creature (tilapia color) on his Carolina rig. He also threw crankbaits and big Texas-rigged worms.

Fifth-place Allen bags lunker

Harold Allen, of Shelbyville, La. caught an even 24 pounds to take fifth place. His catch included the day’s second-largest fish – a chunky 9-6. Targeting main lake ledges in about 25 feet, he had to contend with the day’s blustery weather, but he believed his area was worth a strong dose of persistence.

“The key for me today was just slowing down,” Allen said. “I’m out in the wind; the wind has hurt me pretty bad but I just have to slow down and methodically cover my water.”

Allen said some of the spots he worked had steep drops of up to 15 feet. He threw mostly Texas-rigged 10- and 11-inch worms.

Best of the rest

Rounding out the top-10 pro leaders at the EverStart Series Toledo Bend event:

6th: Glen Freeman, of Converse, La., 22-11

7th: Russell Cecil, of Willis, Texas, 20-09

8th: Ryan Pinkston, of Center, Texas, 19-11

8th: Bert Thompson, of Benton, La., 19-11

10th: Phil Marks, of Dallas, Texas, 19-8

Aylor rides all-day action to co-angler lead

Benny Aylor, of Round Rock, Texas caught a limit weighing 16-4 and took the top spot in the co-angler division. Paired with Trinity, Texas, pro David Curtis (12th place), Aylor was treated to a day of abundant opportunities over productive bottom.

Aylor caught his fish on a Norman DD22 crankbait (Tennessee shad) and a Yum Pumpkin Ed shaky head fitted with a 10 1/2-inch Yum Money Worm. Targeting standing timber on a ledge, he said the number of fish on this spot was amazing.

“We were just (fishing) over fish that were stacked up,” Aylor said. “David had fish that were stacked up. I mean every cast was a fish.”

Ronald Milton, of Maurepas, La. took second with 14-6 while Gary Reimers, of Taylor, Texas placed third with 14-1. Bennie Anderson, of Grand Prairie, Texas and Kerry Barnett, of Waldron, Ark. tied for fourth with 13-5.

Best of the rest

Rounding out the top-10 co-angler leaders at the EverStart Series Toledo Bend event:

6th: Steve Corbin, of Bacliff, Texas, 12-10

6th: Buddy Hicks, of Port Neches, Texas, 12-10

8th: Howard Hartley, of Berwick, La., 12-0

9th: Elton Brock, of Denton, Texas, 11-10

10th: Kenny Moser, of Alba, Texas, 11-6.

Moser took Snickers Big Bass honors with his 6-14.

Day two of EverStart Series Texas Division action on Toledo Bend Reservoir continues at Friday’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 6:00 a.m. (Central) at Cypress Bend Park located at 3462 Cypress Bend Drive in Many, La.