Toledo Bend Reservoir Today

Toledo Bend Reservoir

TODAY www.tbrtoday.com MARCH 2018

Complimentary Issue INSIDE

Bassmaster College Series.....................................1, 6 TBLA Poster Artist...................................................1, 6 Tournament Schedule................................................2 Bassmaster High School.........................................3, 7 Country Roads & Fishing Holes.............................. 4 TBLA................................................................................5 TBLA Lunker Weigh Stations.................................. 6 Media Bass..................................................................... 8 Bassin’ Facts & Trends................................................ 9 Fishing Report.......................................................10, 16 Texas Bass Couples.....................................................11 TBLA Lunkers..............................................................11 Lake Records...........................................................12, 13 Soil Culture............................................................ 14, 15 Toledo Bend Map................................................. 16, 17

Fog cancels final day of Bassmaster College Series event; Wisconsin-Platteville claims win

T

he week has been full of twists and turns for Hunter DeSplinter and Conner Choate of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Cen-

tral Tour presented by Bass Pro Shops on Toledo Bend.

After catching 25 pounds, 9 ounces on Friday, they took the lead as the

JoAnn Cason commissioned as 2018 Bass Unlimited Poster Artist By: Ramona Moore

S

abine Parish’s own JoAnn Cason has been commissioned to paint the 2018 Bass Unlimited Poster for Toledo Bend Lake Association. Mrs. Cason is a member of the Depot Art Guild and Gallery in Many. She is presently employed by the Sabine Parish School Board in the talented program. Her past accomplishments include the 2015 and 2016 Sabine Free State Festival Posters, painting of the 2011 Lunker Fish located near Wal-Mart, 2008 Zwolle Tamale Fiesta Poster, and the 2007 TBLA Bass Unlimited Poster.

She is currently painting one of the Book Nooks, soon to be placed in Sabine Parish.

The Poster Unveiling is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, at the Cypress Bend Resort Grand Ballroom. The Unveiling event is open to the public and has no admission charge. Mrs. Cason will be present to sign and personalize posters. Former BU poster artists Don Edwards and Eddie Pastureau will See TBLA, page 6

Photo by: Ronnie Moore/B.A.S.S. After a final day fog cancellation, Conner Choate (right) and Hunter DeSplinter of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville won the 2018 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Central Tour presented by Bass Pro Shops on Toledo Bend Reservoir out of Many, La., with a two-day total weight of 41 pounds, 6 ounces.

Top 30 teams prepared for the final day of competition. Little did they know they wouldn’t need another cast on Toledo Bend to take the Central Tour title.

Saturday’s action was canceled after heavy fog hung over Toledo Bend, and Choate and DeSplinter were named champions with a two-day total of 41-6. Conditions weren’t conducive to send teams onto the 185,000acre reservoir — and as the minutes ticked by, the fog seemed to settle into the Sabine River impoundment more

and more.

“If half of the day or more is threatened by a delay, then the day is canceled,” Tournament Director Hank Weldon said. “We scheduled Saturday’s final day to be an eight-hour event, but with fog making visibility non-existent on Toledo Bend we canceled Saturday’s action for good reason.”

When the clock struck 11 a.m. CT, the 30 teams had mixed emotions as See B.A.S.S. COLLEGE, page 6

2018 Toledo Bend Reservoir

Tournament Schedule DATE

ORGANIZATION

SITE

2-3 3 3 6-9 8-10 9-10 10 11 15-17 16-17 17 23-24 23-25 24-25 24 31 31

Haynesville Shale Bass Tournament Army Rec Site Monthly Bass Tournament Sportsman’s Bass Club BASS Nation Ross Granger Memorial Tournament Crappie for Cash SCLA High School Bass Trail Texas Bass Couples Texas Oilmen’s Bass Invitational Southeast Regional Texas Bass Nation Tackle Box Open Shoot Out 3rd Annual Dylan Kyle Poche Memorial Ultimate Bass Club Shoot Out Tournament North Central Bass Club ABA Ram Trucks American Fishing Tour V&M Bait Sportsman’s Bass Club

5-8 7 7 14-15 14 20 20-21 21 26-29 27

Louisiana Oilman’s Bass Invitational Army Rec Site Monthly Bass Tournament Fishers of Men Team Series Texas East Division Media Bass ABA Ram Trucks American Fishing Tour Bass Unlimited FLW Outdoor Series Tackle Box Open Shoot Out Toledo Bend Oilman’s Louisiana Bass Nation State Tournament

Cypress Bend Army Rec Site Six Mile Marina Cypress Bend Army Rec Site Cypress Bend San Miguel Big Bass Marina Cypress Bend San Miguel

4-6 5 5

ALBC SCLA High School Bass Trail Army Rec Site Monthly Bass Tournament

Cypress Bend Big Bass Marina Army Rec Site

March

April

May

Cypress Bend Army Rec Site Big Bass Marina Cypress Bend San Miguel Cypress Bend Big Bass Marina TBA Cypress Bend San Miguel Big Bass Marina Cypress Bend San Miguel Big Bass Marina Army Rec Site Big Bass Marina Big Bass Marina

Jewelry Signs Used Furniture Kitchenware Sewing Notions

Lineman’s Fishing Rodeo ABA Ram Trucks American Fishing Tour Sabine SWCD Fish Fest Tackle Box Open Shoot Out Army Rec Site Monthly Bass Tournament Oilman’s Classic Haynesville Shale Event Tackle Box Open Shoot Out Sportsmans Bass Club Media Bass Tackle Box Open Shoot Out

7 8 14 15-16 21 28

Army Rec Site Monthly Bass Tournament Bass N Bucks Trail Tackle Box Open Shoot Out H&W Marine Sportsman’s Bass Club Sportsman’s Open Team

4 11 18

Army Rec Site Monthly Bass Tournament Tackle Box Open Shoot Out Sportsman’s Bass Club

June

July

August

SITE

San Miguel TBA Cypress Bend Cypress Bend San Miguel Army Rec Site Cypress Bend Big Bass Marina San Miguel Army Rec Site Cypress Bend Big Bass Marina Army Rec Site Cypress Bend Cypress Bend Big Bass Marina Big Bass Marina Cypress Bend Big Bass Marina Army Rec Site Cypress Bend Big Bass Marina Cypress Bend Big Bass Marina Big Bass Marina Army Rec Site Big Bass Marina Big Bass Marina

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1-2 2-3 2 2 2 7-9 14-15 16 23 23-24 30

Media Bass Texas Bass Couples Wild Life & Fisheries 5th Grade Bass Champs Southwest La. High School Bass Fishing Assoc.

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Chicago team wins Bassmaster High School Central Open

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cott Springer and Trust Say, a pair of 17-year olds from the Chicago area, used a noontime flurry of big bass bites to power past the 241 other teams competing on Toledo Bend Reservoir on Sunday in the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Central Open presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

The teens, who are part of the Christy, Springer and Say Community Club, boated a five-bass limit that weighed 21 pounds, 7 ounces, which was more than 2 pounds heavier than the second-place duo. That catch propelled Springer and Say into the High School national championship tournament, which will be held at an undisclosed location later this year. In all, 24 of the 242 teams (the Top 10 percent) earned a berth in the championship with their showing on Toledo Bend.

“I’m still in shock,” Springer said not long after he and Say hoisted the championship trophies above their heads to the delight of many hundreds of fans at Cypress Bend Park.

“I’m speechless,” Springer told the crowd.

Instead, the Illinois residents let their fishing do the talking. They had approximately 6 pounds of bass on board at noon. But they didn’t fret, despite BASSTrakk showing other teams pushing the pace ahead of them. They remained calm, they said, mainly because their best spot in practice was located off a point that had been most productive in the afternoon sunshine.

So when the sun shot through overcast skies late Sunday morning, Springer and Say headed straight there.

A quick electronics check had

them giddy, as a 10-mph morning breeze stacked baitfish into their spot.

Springer and Say started throwing Alabama Rigs toward the point from about 20 yards away and hardly had to let the lures fall through the water column before getting bit.

They had approximately 12 bites in the span of an hour, including a 7-pounder that anchored their total.

There was enough weight in the livewell, in fact, that the team removed the divider from its center to allow more space.

“The bites were coming in about 8 to 10 feet of water,” Say said. “And they were coming fast.”

Photo by: Andy Canulette/B.A.S.S.

The biggest bite was a thrill for both anglers.

Scott Springer (right) and Trust Say of the Christy, Springer and Say Community Club won the 2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Central Open presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods on Toledo Bend Reservoir out of Many, La., with 21 pounds, 7 ounces.

“I was burning that A-Rig pretty fast,” Springer said. “I was throwing it on a Shimano rod and reel. The big fish was the last one of the day. I wasn’t expecting it at all. I hooked into him and I just knew it was a giant. I told my partner ‘Get the net, because this is what we need.’”

and Say with a bounty of prizes. They won $2,000 for their fishing team, and they picked up a $250 gift certificate from Mossy Oak, as well as an Abu Garcia rod/reel combo. The win also earned them a combined $20,000 scholarship offer to compete with the McKendree University fishing team.

Say said the big bass didn’t get a clean bite on the Alabama rig, so getting it into the net was a careful process.

The fact that McKendree also is located in Illinois is an added bonus,

“I had to kind of slide the net up under it,” Say said. “(The rig) was in the corner of his mouth. I said ‘Oh no!’

It was pretty scary.”

“It’s an incredible feeling,” Springer said.

Christopher Capdeboscq and Forrest Lagarde of Northlake Christian School in Covington, La., finished second with 19-4. That earned them trophies, $1,500 for their school, a $250 See B.A.S.S. HIGH SCHOOL, page 7

EDITORIAL STAFF

Cheryl Gilcrease, Designer; JoAnna Martin, Editor Cindy Eubank, Marketing Representative Sharon Roberts, Marketing Representative Published by Main Street Marketing of East Texas PO Box 1058, Center, TX 75935 • 936-591-7210 www.tbrtoday.com • Email: info@tbrtoday.com Like Us On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TBRTODAY/

Once that kicker bass was in the boat, Springer and Say breathed a sigh of relief. Still, the teens only thought they had about 19 pounds, but they took the hot seats early in the weighin, and were there until the very end.

they said.

The opinions expressed by the writers are theirs and do not necessarily represent the views of Toledo Bend Reservoir TODAY.

The victory provided Springer

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Country Roads & Fishing Holes

by Jim Binns

It’s Time to Catch The Bass of a Lifetime

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he arrival of spring means that Big Bass are heading for shallow water. Few things will warm up cold hands and numb toes more than a big ol’ lunker bass tugging on the other end of your fishing line. All those cold miserable hours of fruitless casting are suddenly forgotten. That fish of a lifetime is brought into the boat, you snap a couple of quick photos, and release the lunker to fight again another day.

How could it get any better than this!

Big Bass are on the move and here are a few tips that should help as you venture out to set that new lake record.

This is the time of the year to cover lots of water and zero-in on prime staging areas and spawning locations.

Bass will follow river channels, ditches, points and any other “highways” that lead them from deeper water into spawning areas, so concentrate your fishing on areas that have sudden changes in water depth nearby. Creek channels are my number one choice when looking for springtime bass.

And don’t get too caught up in fishing just the “outside bends” because there are times when the inside bend or a stretch of water that has lots of trees, brush or grass can hold a boatload of fish. Creek channels also offer good protection from bad weather when wind and waves make fishing the open bays and flats tough.

I remember a pro angler stating that you should begin your search for good pre-spawn fishing locations at home with your lake map. Mark areas that identify large spawning flats and then circle deep water areas such as creek channel bends and main lake points near deep water. Then look for areas on the map that are between the spawning flats and deeper water.

These will be the key areas where the bass will position before moving up to spawn. And as I mentioned previously, look for those areas that are protect-

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ed from prevailing winds.

great fishing day with the weather that Mother Nature throws at us but just remember that some of those cold, windy and rainy days can often produce some of the best fishing. Most of these conditions are a great deal more unpleasant for the fishermen than for the fish. A front rolling in may produce a good bite but when those “blue bird” skies appear the bite can get pretty tough. On those post-frontal days bass will often pull back from the flats and form tight schools in creek channel bends or off secondary points.

Sight fishing for bass on the nest is loved by one group and frowned on by others. This article is not intended to make a case one way or the other on this subject. But one thing is certain, once the female gets on the nest to spawn they can be tough to catch because feeding is definitely not the prime thing on their mind.

The first thing on your “to-do” list should be replacing that ten-year old fishing line you have spooled on your reels. It would be a tragedy to hook the biggest bass of your life and have that old, brittle line break. Some anglers prefer using monofilament while others opt for braded line. Regardless of your choice just be sure to use a quality product. The same thought regarding quality and strength should also apply to your hook selection.

So what is the best time to be fishing at this time of the year? Many anglers will say “come early and stay late.” This is probably good advice since the weather can make fishing patterns change on a daily basis. One day you can be on a good spinnerbait bite and the following day you can’t get a hit. Being on the water a great deal allows you a better chance of hitting one of those windows of opportunity where the fish are actively feeding.

Bass will bite a variety of lures at this time of the year but a few seem to catch more than their fair share of fish.

A spinnerbait is definitely a go-to bait for covering lot’s of water. The market is loaded with a variety of colors and sizes but I would recommend a chartreuse/white combo with double-willow leaf blades as a starter. A jig with a plastic or pork trailer is a dynamite bait for fishing an area slowly and the black/blue color has been a favorite of anglers for many years. A Rat-LTrap should definitely be tied on one of your rods because it can produce a lunker bass on any cast. Good colors for this time of the year are Toledo Gold, Orange Crawfish and Rayburn Red Zombie. A weightless Fluke, Crankbait, Texas-rigged lizard or a Carolina-rig with a Brush Hog or 10inch worm can also be very effective.

In recent years a swimbait and the Chatterbait have also become a favorite of many anglers.

Dressing properly seems like such a simple statement, however, you would be surprised how many anglers venture out on the water unprepared for sudden weather changes. Our part of the country is usually blessed with rather mild weather … but don’t let your guard down. Every once in awhile that weather forecast of a “slight chance of rain” will result in a cold downpour and that 5 mph wind can actually develop into strong winds and rolling whitecaps. When you head out for that early morning fishing trip always dress for colder temperatures. You can always take off those extra clothes should the weather warm up, but it is tough to put on additional clothing if you left all of them hanging in the closet at home.

of useless equipment stuffed away somewhere in your dry storage compartment. Drowning and hypothermia are still major problems, and that life jacket may be what allows you to swim to safety, or get out of the water should you fall overboard. For safety sake, take a friend with you on these winter trips and tell someone where you are going and approximately what time you will return.

I truly believe that big bass areas produce season after season. Something is attracting the big bass to these spots and you really need to work these areas thoroughly - and at different times of the day. Just because they didn’t bite in the morning doesn’t mean they won’t be feeding in the afternoon. But also be open-minded.

If you have been chunking a Carolina-rig all morning with no results it may be time to change your approach and used a different technique. My favorite bait doesn’t produce every day and yours probably won’t either.

Try something different until you find what the fish want.

It’s almost a guarantee that some of the biggest bass caught this year will be taken in the upcoming months.

More anglers will be on the water and the bass will be hungry. And keep in mind that even though many bass will be making their way toward shallow water, that doesn’t mean that all of them will be there at the same time.

Some bass in our lakes stay in deeper water and will slowly work their way into the shallows as water temperatures and weather permit.

Good Fishing – JB Thought for the Day - Letting the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back in.`

Wear that life jacket. It wasn’t made to be a seat cushion or a piece

I know it is difficult to coordinate a

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Boise Cascade to sponsor Bass Unlimited Poster By: Ramona Moore

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he Toledo Bend Lake Association (TBLA) is pleased to announce the 16th Annual Bass Unlimited – Back a Great Fighter Poster Unveiling Gala and Auction at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, in the Grand Ballroom at Cypress Bend Resort on Toledo Bend.

The Unveiling Gala is open to the public. There is no admission charge. Refreshments will be served, and a cash bar will be available. The talented staff of Nichols will decorate the Grand Ballroom for this festive event.

This year’s poster is sponsored by Boise Cascade, located in Florien, LA. For more than 50 years Boise Cascade has been producing quality wood products in Sabine Parish. Boise is vital to Sabine Parish and the entire Toledo Bend

area, providing jobs at the mill itself as well as many jobs in the timber industry across the state of Louisiana. Boise Cascade in Florien employs over 400 people, making a huge impact on our economy.

Kevin McDonald. JoAnn Cason, this year’s artist, will be on hand to sign and personalize posters. Additionally, two pieces of original art by previous Bass Unlimited artists – Don Edwards and Eddie Pastureau, will also be auctioned the night of the Gala.

L a r r y Hataway of Boise-Casc a d e plans to attend the Unveiling Gala on Thursday, April 5, when the original artw o r k , as well as the first numbered framed poster, will be auctioned by professional auctioneer

formation and to order your print on line you can go to www.toledobendlakeassociation.com.

Toledo Bend Lake Association is made up of citizens dedicated to serving and improving the Toledo Bend Lake area. TBLA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Bass Unlimited Poster, Banquet and Auction are the Association’s only fundraisers.

The signed and numbered 2018 Posters can be pre-ordered now, and will be available for pick up at the Poster Unveiling event. For more in-

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B.A.S.S. College some were fine with not going and others were frustrated they didn’t have one more opportunity to compete for the win. Meanwhile, the winning team of Choate and DeSplinter were seemingly numb and stunned by what had happened.

The sophomore tandem was more than intimidated by the vastness of Toledo Bend when it was announced on the schedule, but they started the week with a plan to try to simply make the 2018 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship. Not only did they survive and qualify, but they withstood the field after two days and were alone at the top of the leaderboard.

“This is our second event together as a team,” DeSplinter said. “It is unexplainable at the moment. We watch these events on TV and we dream of

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it, everyone does. But for everything to come together and to win; we may never experience this again.”

weeks ago for the team as they bested the 248-team field. Their miracle Day 2 weight carried them past the Day 1 leaders of Tyler Craig and Spencer Lambert of Louisiana-Monroe who weighed back-to-back 20-pound bags and found themselves just 5 ounces off the pace with 41-1.

The duo fished on the south end of Toledo Bend and caught every fish, including their 10-pound kicker on Day 2 on a Strike King 5XD crankbait.

Their main area was a swift drop in bottom contour off a grass flat. Their double-digit bass also took Big Bass honors for the week.

“To finish in second place is great because our main goal was to make the national championship,” Craig said.

“It was the right decision to cancel, but it does sting some because we wanted a shot to win today. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

“Anglers were fishing too shallow and basically were on top of the fish, but they were focused on the grass,” Choate said. “Hunter found a perfect lineup, and we were able to run our crankbaits off the drop and it was incredible.”

Craig and Lambert claimed second at the 2017 Central Regional just down the road at Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Pair that with a great track record and a Top 12 at the 2017 national championship and this duo will be one to watch this summer once again.

This marks the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s first Bassmaster College Series victory as a school and one that seemed inconceivable a few

Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Central Tour presented by Bass Pro Shops Toledo Bend Reservoir - Cypress Bend Park - Many, LA

Name

# Fish # Live Lbs-Oz PTS

1 Conner Choate - Hunter DeSplinter UW - Platteville 2 Tyler Craig - Spencer Lambert University of Louisiana at Monroe 3 Caiden Sinclair - Hunter Gibson University of Alabama 4 Matt Baker - Kory England Arkansas Tech University 5 Colin Steck - Andrew Wolfe University of Wisconsin 6 Jackson Carrell - Kyle Pasket Sam Houston State University 7 Hunter Freeman - Wesley Banks La Monroe 8 Crosley Welch - Hayden Lee Missouri State University 9 Scott McClellan - Adam Forester LA Tech 10 Dakota Pierce - Tristan McKormick Bethel University 11 Gregory Green - Dustin Nash Northwestern State University 12 Jarrett Robertson - Brandon Smith Tarleton State University 13 Shane Campbell - Ethan Jones McKendree University 14 Jake Biram - Rhett Meyer Oklahoma State University 15 Luke Gillund - Jack Kons Bemidji State University 16 Carter Henderson - Connor Whisenant Texas A&M University 17 Dillon Harrell - Colby Bryant Sam Houston State University 18 Caleb Dennis - Hunter Presley Central Alabama Comm College 19 Jeffrey Hopkins - Austin Handley Auburn University 20 Hunter Louden - Seth Roberts Bethel University BIG BASS Day Name City,State 1 Brent Rome Jr - Zachary Adams Baton Rouge, LA 2 Conner Choate - Hunter DeSplinter Platteville, IA TOTALS Day # Fish # Live Lbs-Oz 1 532 532 1309-14 2 626 626 1615- 9 3 0 0 0-0

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10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 10

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 10

Lbs-Oz 7- 7 10- 0

# Limits 50 84 0

6

41- 6 500.00 41- 1 497.98 38- 3 495.97 34- 7 493.95 34- 4 491.94 32-14 489.92 32- 8 487.90 31-12 485.89 31-10 483.87 31- 7 481.85 30-13 479.84 30- 7 477.82 30- 3 475.81 29- 9 473.79 29- 7 471.77 29- 4 469.76 28- 1 467.74 27-13 465.73 27-10 463.71 27- 9 461.69

TBLA

Third place went to Caiden Sinclair and Hunter Gibson of the University of Alabama who jumped to the podium after catching 22-11 on Friday.

They were roughly 3 pounds off the pace and were definitely in contention on Toledo Bend going into Saturday.

The Top 30 teams slated to compete on Saturday didn’t leave unrewarded as they clinched berths into the College Series National Championship, which will be announced at a later date. With the completion of the Central Tour on Toledo Bend, there are now three more Tour events for anglers to fish as well as their state qualifiers. The next Tour event is slated for Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala., on April 19-21.

The event was hosted by Toledo Bend Lake Country.

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also be in attendance at the Unveiling along with Larry Hataway from Boise Cascade, this year’s Bass Unlimited poster sponsors.

Mrs. Cason’s original painting, the first signed and numbered poster, as well as two original art pieces

by Don Edwards and Eddie Pastureau, will be auctioned that evening.

Signed and numbered posters can be pre-ordered now, and will be available for pick up at the Poster Unveiling event. For more information and to pre-order your print on-line you can go to www.toledobendlakeassociation.com and select the Bass Unlimited – Back a Great Fighter tab.

TBLA Lunker Bass weigh in stations

T

oledo Town and Tackle, LA side, Mid Lake -Hwy 191 and LA 6 (318) 256-5613; Buckeye Landing, LA side, South Lake- 268 Buckeye Lane, Many, La (24-hr. on call #’s) (318) 586-4757 or (318) 508-2971); Fin & Feather Resort, TX side South Lake- 245 Fin & Feather Drive., Hemphill, Tx (409) 579-2056; Fairmount General Store, Tx side South Lake- 2419 Fairdale Rd., Hemphill, Tx (409) 579-9080; Keith’s Toledo Bend Tackle, Tx side, Mid Lake- 6302 State Hwy 21 E, Hemphill, Tx (409) 625-0181; Holly Park Mid-lake TX side, 3000 E Carter’s Ferry Rd, Milam, Tx (409) 625-4424, 24Hr# (936) 596-5343; Huxley Bay Marina, Tx side, North Lake, 13200 FM Rd 2694, Shelbyville, Tx (866) 733-8193.

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B.A.S.S. High School Mossy Oak certificate and Abu Garcia rod/reel combos. Grayson Morris and Tucker Smith of Alabama’s Briarwood Christian School placed third with 18-5. They won $1,250 for their school and trophies and rod/reel combos for themselves.

The Big Bass Award went to Col-

n w To

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o d e c. l n I o , T lty

by Miller and Jaden Cedars of Oak Hill (La.) High School who boated a 9-3 lunker. Capdeboscq and Lagarde caught an 8-4 bass to anchor the Northlake Christian bag.

Rea

Toledo Bend Lake Country hosted the event.

12000 Texas Hwy Many, LA 71449 info@toledo-town.com

Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Central Open presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods

Judy Cathey, Associate Broker Tori Cathey, Broker Bus: 318.256.9844; Cell: 318.452.0185 judycatheybroker@yahoo.com

Toledo Bend Reservoir - Cypress Bend Park - Many, LA Name

# Fish # Live Lbs - Oz

# Fish # Live Lbs-Oz

– NOW OPEN! –

PTS

1 Scott Springer - Trust Say Christy, Springer and Say Com. Club

5 5 21- 7 5 5 21- 7

0.00

2 Christopher Capdeboscq - Forrest Lagarde Northlake Christian

5 5 19- 4 5 5 19- 4

0.00

3 Grayson Morris - Tucker Smith Briarwood Christian School

5 5 18- 5 5 5 18- 5

0.00

4 Wes Rollo - Dustin VanMatre Natchitoches Central HS

5 5 17- 5 5 5

17- 5

0.00

5 Beau Browning - Cole Lamb Melbourne Bearkatz

5 5 16- 9 5

5

16- 9

0.00

6 Colby Miller - Jaden Cedars Oak Hill HS Bass Club

5 5 16- 8 5 5

16- 8

0.00

7 Tyler Lubbat - Tyler Christy Buffalo Grove Bass Fishing

5 5 15- 3 5 5

15- 3

0.00

8 Mason Pitts - Jackson McGee Captain Shreve Gators

5 5 15- 1 5 5

15- 1

0.00

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9 Brody Metcalf - Hunter Wallace Harleton HS

5 5 14-14 5 5 14-14 0.00 10 Hunter Muncrief - Landen McCary West Sabine Bass Club

5 5 14- 3 5 5 14- 3

0.00

11 Jacob Lee - Mason Bounds North DeSoto High School

5 5 14- 0 5 5

0.00

14- 0

12 Brett Wray - Kasey Anderson North Desoto HS

5 5 13-12 5 5 13-12 0.00 13 Hunter Courvelle - Alex Erickson Sam Houston High School

5 5 13- 8 5 5 13- 8

0.00

14 Jonathan Burns - Zach Naquin Assumption High School

5 5 13- 6 5 5

13- 6

0.00

15 Braxton Voisin - Cameron Cannon St Thomas More HS

5 5 13- 5 5 5

13- 5

0.00

16 Dawson Andrews - Wyatt Ensminger Central HS

5 5 13- 1 5 5

13- 1

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17 Brentyn Wheat - Christopher Smith Livingston Parish Bassmasters

5 5 13- 0 5 5 13- 0 0.00 18 Ethan King - Matthew Vining SC Fishing Team

4 4 12- 7 4

4

12- 7

0.00

19 Drew Herrmann - Wyatt Gabby Marion High School

5 5 12- 2 5 5

12- 2

0.00

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20 Dillan White - Dathon Taylor Southside Anglers

5 5 11-10 5 5 11-10 0.00

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Jeane/Reynolds wins at Media Bass tournament weighing in 35.17 lbs.

Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 12 13 14 1 5 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 29 31 32 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33

George Jeane, Jr. and Tater Reynolds wins with 5 fish weighing 35.17 lbs.

Eric Arnold and Tater Reynolds takes second with 5 fish weighing 26.15 lbs.

Cory Chustz and Bryan Aguillard come in third with 5 fish weighing 20.24 lbs.

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Angler 1 George Jeane, Jr. Eric Arnold Cory Chustz Tim Baker Brooks Forsyth Malcom Franks Bill Hudspeth John Barrera Jeff Grubbs, Sr. Scooter Clark Ben Matsubu Daniel Campbell Phil Hennigan Jimmy Brooks Scott Deshotel Kevin Lasyone Philip Crelia Spencer Lambert Selvin Cartwright Dustin Jumonville Jimmy Campbell Jim May Heath Melancon Mike Haney Ralph Logan Mike Nicholson Robert Moody Stephen Labry Mack Whiteman Terry McFarlin William Flournoy * C.J. Guidry Charles Dixon David Gunter Justin Cook Ron Risenhoover Andre Martin Robert Lafitte Jamie Waller James Moore Mark Eberlan Chris Ebarb

Angler 2 # Bass Tater Reynolds 5 Brannon Mire 5 Bryan Aguillard 5 Bryce Dickey 5 Jim Furr 5 Ronnie Bland 5 John Clark 5

5 Chris Lovett 5 Zac Clark 5 Hannah Gryder 5 Timbo Sessum 5 David Ozio 5 Penny Price 5 Robert Gann 5 Randy Despino 5 T.J. Gooodwyn 5 Tyler Craig 5 Tommy Land 5 Lee Nassar 5 George Herr 5 Rick May 5 Blake Forsyth 5 Brad Haney 5 Skip Floyd 5 Bob Lane 4 Benjamin Moody 5 Shane Frederick 4 Kevin Whiteman 3 Tony Coburn 3 Lynn Atkinson * 4 Sidney Maise 2 Duane Hill 0 Clint Nunnally 0 Tyler Wenzel 0 Larry Green 0 Glen Freeman 0

0 Troy Keele 0 Brandon Simoneaux 0 Leroy Wilson 0 Dustin Boyt 0

Place Big Bass 1 George Jeane, Jr. 2 Eric Arnold Statistics

Tater Reynolds Brannon Mire

Entries =

Number Limits =

Number Zeros =

42 26 10

Bass Weighed = 150

Bass Released = 150

Total Pounds = 471.27

Avg. Bass In Boat = 3.6

10535 Hwy. 111 Anacoco, LA

8

Pounds Winnings Points 35.17 $2,000.00 185.17 26.15 $1,000.00 175.15 20.24 $500.00 168.24 20.00 $458.00 167.00 19.89 $350.00 165.89 18.56 $250.00 163.56 18.14 $230.00 162.14 17.95 $200.00 160.95 17.83 159.83 17.15 158.15 17.15 158.15 16.69 155.69 15.60 153.60 15.31 152.31 14.54 150.54 14.35 149.35 14.26 148.26 14.07 147.07 13.96 145.96 12.40 143.40 12.23 142.23 11.81 140.81 11.77 139.77 10.39 137.39 9.91 135.91 9.86 134.86 9.07 133.07 8.89 131.89 8.09 130.09 8.09 130.09 7.05 127.05 4.70 123.70 0.00 59.00 0.00 59.00 0.00 59.00 0.00 59.00 0.00 59.00 0.00 59.00 0.00 59.00 0.00 59.00 0.00 59.00 0.00 59.00

Pounds 9.43 8.59

Avg. Lbs. In Boat = Avg. Bass Size =

Winnings $350.00

11.22 3.14

Total Payout = $5,338.00 * Anglers-Of-The-Year - Fish Free!

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BASSIN’ FACTS AND TRENDS

by Pro Guide, Joe Joslin

Rewards of Wacky Worming sets. Fluorocarbon is also very durable. The only negatives are it has more memory than mono and also the cost factor which is about 3 times the cost of regular mono. However, my experience is that it will last 2 or 3x as long as mono lines.

When I use mono I normally change lines each day.

Part One/ By pro Guide, Joe Joslin

W

ACKY WORMING is a beginning anglers dream pattern and a tournament angler’s friend. In my opinion there is not a more productive technique for the beginning angler and experienced angler as well than the wacky worm. How successful can this technique be?

My records show that we catch hundreds of bass on wacky rigs each year and one year registered catching over 2,000 and many of those were caught by novice anglers. I used the wacky worm method to introduce my wife to bass fishing and she has become an avid angler. This is a light tackle technique but definitely not ultra light. My largest bass ever (a Toledo 11 pounds 8 oz) came with a wacky worm on light tackle (Spinning) and this method will also produce a lot of action from all sizes of bass.

Light line is one of the secrets of wacky patterns as I have seen it many times where an angler using 15-17 lb. line caught about half the bass as another angler in the same boat using 10-12 lb test. There’s something about light line that makes the bait look more natural. My favorite wacky reel is a Abu Revo 20 S or 30 S. The 20 and 30 have larger spools which helps to minimize memory which assist with line twist. These reels are very light , durable and have an excellent drag system.

When fighting a trophy bass on light tackle it is mandatory that your reel has a dependable and smooth drag system. For wacky rods I use a 7’ Veritas medium action. Since the hook is exposed you do not need a heavy action rod to set the hook plus with light line you would break the line when you set the hook.

For all anglers, a proper knot is vital!! I use a Palomar knot 100% of the time with wacky worming. To see how a Palomar is tied Google it and you can see the few steps as it is easy to tie. A proper knot is vital when using light. If you have never used a wacky rig you are missing a great fishing pattern. God Bless and I’m wishing you great fishing. For my wacky soft plastic I use a Sinking Minnow, Senko and Bottom Hopper. With the Bottom Hopper I insert a 1 inch paneling nail in the head of the worm and fish the Sinking Minnow and Senko weightless. I insert the hook in the middle of the worm.

It is not uncommon in the spring and fall to catch 30-40 bass a day with wacky rigs. I’ve had several days catching 70-80 with me and two clients. My last double digit bass was caught in April 2016 weighed 10 pounds 5 ozs. and “guess what?”? It was caught on wacky rig. There is no doubt this Photo By Joe Joslin Outdoors pattern will catch lots of bass as Angler Rod Pollard with his personal best bass well as trophy bass especially in caught in mid February on A Wacky Rig. the spring and fall. As far as how I set up my wacky rig, my line with wacky worming is either 10-12 lb.test Berkley Big Game monofilament or Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon in 8-10 lb. test. The water I fish 95% of the time is the southern portions of Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn which normally has very clear water conditions. The fluorocarbon has great sensitivity and aids to detect light strikes and also has low stretch to help with hook-

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Toledo Bend Fishing Report North End Greg Crafts-Toledo Bend Guide Service & Lake Cottage – gregcrafts@yahoo.com (936) 368-7151, www.toledobendguide.com

A

t the time of this report the water level is running about four feet below high pool. Exceptionally cold weather has kept the water temps below average for this time of year.

March is probably the most prolific fishing month out of the year. “Love” is in the air or I should say the water. The fish (Blacks, Whites and Crappie) will be bunched up in concentrated areas preparing to spawn or in the process of spawning.

In March, the black bass and Crappie will be moving in and out of the spawning flats through out the month. The water temperature is one of the single most factors to consider in locating and catching fish. When the water temperature reaches the middle to upper 50s the Black Bass and Crappie will start moving (staging), heading to the spawning flats. Concentrate on the drains and ditches

leading to the flats. When the water reaches the upper 50s and lower 60s the fish will start moving onto the beds. Not all fish move onto the beds at the same time, but will move in waves and a number of fish might use the same beds at different times. If a cold front moves in and drops the water temperature, the fish will not move far. They will just back out to the nearest deep water. The key is to fish slowly. If you catch one fish, there should be more fish in the same area.

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Mid-Lake Fishing Report Miles McDaniel,Holly Park Fishing Guide – 409-625-4424 – www.hollyparkmarina.com

A

s of 2/12/18 the water depth is @ 168.93. A lot of the creeks are muddy due to all the recent rain. The water temps are on the rise but this last cold front dropped it back a few degrees. The Water temps before cold front were around 52 deg. With warmer weather on the way and hopefully no more harsh cold fronts the temp. should rise and the bass fishing should get exciting. Bass are already being caught shallow on rattle traps, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits. A lot of fish are suspended off deep points and can be caught with suspending jerk baits and crank baits. Bass can be caught in all depths right now but if you decide to fish shallow then try to find the warmer pockets of water. There will be a lot of big bass staging up to the spawning areas in the next few weeks. When fishing for the staging bass focus on deep drains leading to shallow water and drops on the end and side of main lake points. A lot of people like to go straight to the tip of a point and not fish the sides, but I have noticed that there are more fish that like to hold to the side of point more that they do on the end. Being that there is no grass in this area of the lake try to focus on finding laydowns and brush because that’s where the big ones will be holding as they are staging up. There have ben some nice sacks being weighed in at some of the bigger tournaments and should continue to get

better. The majority of the bigger fish are still out deep waiting on the water to warm up some more.

A 1/2oz black/blue jig has ben my go to bait for the deeper fish. If you have never caught a large Toledo bend bass then this is the time to do it. The next month or 2 should be exciting!

Crappie are still being caught at the chicken coop on the edge of the river in 25-30’. For some reason the chicken coop bite never did get to hot this year even with all the right conditions. It wont be long and the crappie will be heading to the banks. I think that as soon as we get a week or so of warm weather it will start the move up. Any standing timber in 2-4’ and laydowns will be the ideal place to fish for the crappie once they get shallow. If the water comes up then the crappie like to get around the cypress trees.

White bass should be making a run up the river.

South Lake Fishing Report

Pro Guide Joe Joslin, 30 Yrs. Experience – joejoslinoutdoors@yahoo.com – 337-463-3848 – 409-565-1288

H

ello anglers. March is here and is one of the most active months as far as boat traffic/fishing pressure on my favorite fishing hole. “Behold” I have some really good news. The hydrilla has returned in several places on south Toledo including Housen Bay, Hurricane Creek, Six Mile, Sandy and Mill Creek to name a few. I haven’t heard any hydrilla reported north of Lowes. That doesn’t mean that there is none north of there but I just haven’t heard of any. I have talked to several anglers who fish from Lowes north to midlake/Patroons Bayou (Texas side) and 1215/San Miguel on the Louisiana side. However, guide Jack Adams said there was some hydrilla in the Blue Lake area which is super good news.

favorite method of catching shallow water fish will work. Early March is a little bit early for top water but late March will work as I’ve caught some nice bass in late March on a buzz bait. In addition Jerk baits, squarebill crankbaits, flip/pitching jigs, Carolina rigs, Texas rigs, wacky rigs, Stanley vibrashaft spinnerbaits and Bill Lewis Rat-L-Traps.

LAKE CONDITIONS: The lake level at press time (late February) was 168.01 and the SRA was running one unit weekdays 2-3 hours per day. The 168 lake level will definitely rise as Toledo’s watershed had just received 7-9 inches of rain mid- February. Water temperatures had risen to mid- 50s and climbing.. North Toledo is stained/muddy, mid lake is stained to slightly stained and south Toledo is clear close to the dam but Housen Bay and Six Mile is slightly stained with heavily stained conditions in the back of major feeder creeks.

It probably wouldn’t be wise to try all of the listed techniques on a single trip so you might start with your favorite 2-3 techniques. So far this early spring I am fishing a square bill crankbait which is made by Berkley called a Squarebull. Another technique that’s working for us is a Texas rigged Bottom Hopper in green pumpkin, June Bug and Shady Watermelon Candy. When fishing this shallow (1-12’) I use a 3/0 Daiichi or Fusion wide gap worm hook, 3/16 or ¼ oz. black sinker and 17 lb. test Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line. My rod is a 7’2” or 7’ 6” medium heavy Fast Tip Fenwick Elite rod and Revo STX low profile bait cast reel. This is a dream rig when fishing a Texas rig. .

BASS FISHING REPORT: March is an awesome month to catch fish on The Bend. A large percentage of Toledo’s bass are in depths of 1’ to 12’ so whatever your

On the squarebull I use a 7’ medium action rod, Revo SX reel and 12 lb. Trilene See REPORT, page 16

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Grubbs win second tournament of season at Texas Bass Couples

By Tammy Mong

T

ournament #2 was held on Toledo Bend February 11.

It was a cold and windy one!

Jeff & Pam Grubbs had the big sack today! They came in with 17.42 with the Men’s Big Bass of 6.13. Way to go Team Grubbs!!

Shawn & Christina Malone finished 2nd with 11.72

Rodney Powell & Alayna McKinney came in 3rd with a close 11.60.

Molly Laird had ladies Big Bass with a 3.16

We are really hoping the weather will be better for our next tournament!

See y’all on Rayburn February 25.

Pictured top right: Team Grubbs 1st Place & Mens Big. Pictured bottom left: Rodney Powell & Alayna McKinney 3rd Place Pictured bottom right: Winners of the second tournament of the season.

Two lunkers weighed-in in January VISIT WWW.TBRTODAY.COM

Submitted photo

Submitted photo

George Jeane of Evans, LA caught this 10.32 pound Lunker on January 13, 2018, and weighed it in at the Texas Team Trail Tournament. Congratulations on your catch.

This is fish number 13 for the Toledo Bend Lake Association Lunker Bass Program, May 2017 to May 2018.

Hunter DeSplinter of Athinson, IL, caught this 10.00 pound Lunker on January 26, 2018, and weighed it in at the Carharatt Bassmaster College Series Tournament. Congratulations on your catch. This is fish number 14 for the Toledo Bend Lake Association Lunker Bass Program, May 2017 to May 2018.

11

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Texas All-Tackle Records for Toledo Bend

Great Catch!

Updated February 2, 2018

Species

Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Striped Bass, White Bass, White x Yellow Bass, Yellow Bluegill Bowfin Buffalo, Bigmouth Buffalo, Smallmouth Bullhead, Yellow Carp, Common Carp, Gass Catfish, Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Flathead Crappie, Black Crappie, White Drum, Freshwater Gar, Alligator Gar, Longnose Gar, Spotted Pickerel, Redfin Shad, Gizzard Sunfish, Longear Sunfish, Other Hybrid Sunfish, Redbreast Sunfish, Redear Warmouth

Species Bass, Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass, White Bass, White x Yellow Bass, Yellow Bluegill Bowfin Buffalo, Smallmouth Bullhead, Yellow Carp, Common Catfish, Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Flathead Crappie, Black Crappie, White Drum, Freshwater Gar, Spotted Sunfish, Longear Sunfish, Other Hybrid Sunfish, Redbreast Sunfish, Redear Warmouth

Weight Length 15.81 15.32 3.40 33.22 4.40 2.01 1.86 1.12 19.00 81.50 84.76 1.25 39.50 53.50 84.00 7.94 97.50 4.00 3.44 31.50 260.00 43.80 8.78 0.66 0.83 0.54 1.12 0.88 0.80 1.09

32.50 28.00 16.25 41.00 20.00 16.00 15.00 10.63 32.50 47.50 47.00 13.00 40.25 49.00 51.25 25.00 48.00 17.00 17.13 30.00 96.00 60.50 36.25 13.00 12.75 8.50 10.88 9.75 10.50 11.00

Date May 25, 1987 July 3, 2000 Feb. 7, 2009 Feb. 8, 1980 June 19, 2010 June 12, 2013 May 19, 2013 June 2, 2015 Jan. 3, 1975 July 4, 2011 Sept. 9, 2006 March 16, 2011 March 31, 2013 Aug. 2, 2006 April 13, 2007 April 25, 2009 May 24, 1991 Dec. 5, 2002 Feb. 21, 2011 March 3, 1995 March 18, 2017 March 13, 2016 March 11, 2012 Feb. 10, 2009 March 30, 2014 May 5, 2012 April 4, 2016 July 4, 2010 Sept. 5, 2008 April 14, 1995

Angler

Method

Johnny Pritchett Eric Weems Larry Upshaw James Kent Jr. Lisle Brook Jody Holden Grant Ketelers Angela H. Eastridge George E. Lord Martin McIntyre Miles McDaniel Mark Balderas Michael Hutto Tontie Pennock Thomas Allcorn Clint Walker Otis L. Pleasant Hazel Bolton Claude Gilcrease Jr. Freddie Keel Hunter Graham Michael Hutto Dylan Lyons Bill Ritzell Richard Fleury Hunter Woodward Dennis Taylor Gage Shepherd Robert Prejean William Tawney

JUNIOR ANGLER RECORDS Weight Length Date Angler 11.48 1.50 2.24 1.48 1.86 1.03 8.75 53.15 1.25 24.40 43.50 3.68 26.60 2.54 2.75 4.48 8.78 0.54 0.89 0.88 0.80 0.68

26.00 13.75 17.25 14.25 15.00 10.50 27.00 38.00 13.00 0.00 43.50 22.00 36.00 15.13 16.50 24.25 36.25 8.50 10.50 9.75 10.00 8.75

March 6, 2007 March 17, 2011 May 12, 2008 Oct. 21, 2011 May 19, 2013 May 18, 2014 March 17, 2011 Oct. 28, 2014 March 16, 2011 March 13, 2012 July 1, 2017 April 8, 2012 July 4, 2017 Feb. 19, 2011 March 18, 2011 May 22, 2011 March 11, 2012 May 5, 2012 May 31, 2015 July 4, 2010 April 12, 2011 May 21, 2010

Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod & Reel Trotline Bow and Arrow Bow and Arrow Rod and Reel Bow and Arrow Rod and Reel Trotline Rod and Reel Trotline Cane Pole Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Bow and Arrow Bow and Arrow Bow and Arrow Rod and Reel Bow and Arrow Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel

Craig Zrust from Plymoth MN caught this 8lb bass yesterday out of Holly Park Marina.

Method

Dylan Lyons Gage Shepherd Dylan Lyons Nicholas Hirsch Grant Ketelers Jayden C. Romero Gage Shepherd Dylan Lyons Mark Balderas Dylan Lyons Gage Shepherd Lexie Murty Gage Shepherd Forrest Gothia Gage Shepherd Mashaelie Blackwell Dylan Lyons Hunter Woodward Gunner R. Norton Gage Shepherd Carson Downey Holly Berry

Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Bow and Arrow Rod and Reel Bow and Arrow Handline Jug Line Handline Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Bow and Arrow Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel Rod and Reel

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Submitted photo

12

Submitted photo Mikey Garcie with two kickers caught north of Lanan, that put him at best 5 for the day with 19.06 lbs., 6.00 and 6.15 lbs. on Pousson Punch Skirts and Natural Forage Baits Little Joe Craw.

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Louisiana State Fish Records for Toledo Bend

Send your great catch to info@tbrtoday.com

Rod & Reel

Documented and kept by the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association - Updated August 16, 2017 Rank Species Weight Angler Date

2 3 7 1 3 4 2 1 2 3 8

Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Striped Bass, Striped Bass, Striped Bass, Yellow Bowfin Crappie, Black Drum, Freshwater Drum, Freshwater

15.21 15.00 11.75 47.50 38.75 38.25 2.56 20.50 3.55 23.18 20.0

Tadd R. Jennings Richard Thompson J.D. Murphy James L. Taylor Larry Simmons Anthony Clemens Dean Higginbotham Brian Fant Jodie E. Crouch, Jr. Dallas Cole Richard L. Doggett

May 1992 June 1993 March 1979 August 1991 September 1992 June 1988 January 2011 April 1976 March 2003 February 2002 March 1994

Include name, date of catch, and if possible the general location, weight and bait used.

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Soil Culture

by John Talbott

Plant Propagation by Stem Cuttings Article compiled by John Talbott-Talbott Nursery and Poultry of Jasper, Texas

cuttings: herbaceous, softwood, semi-hardwood, and hardwood.

These terms reflect the growth state of the stock plant, which is one of the most important factors influencing whether or not cuttings will root.

P

ropagation by stem cuttings is the most commonly used method to propagate many woody ornamental plants. Stem cuttings of many favorite shrubs are quite easy to root. Typically stem cuttings from tree species are a little more difficult, but cuttings from trees such as crape myrtles, elms, oleanders and some birches are fairly easy. A greenhouse is not necessary for successful propagation by stem cuttings; however maintaining a high humidity around the cuttings is critical. Maintain high humidity by covering a pot and cuttings with a clear plastic bag. Cuttings can also be placed in plastic trays covered with clear plastic stretched over a wire frame. Plastic will keep the humidity high and reduce water loss from the cuttings.

Herbaceous cuttings are made from non-woody, herbaceous plants such as coleus, chrysanthemums, and Dahlia. A 3-5 inch piece of stem is cut from the parent plant. The leaves on the lower one-third of the stem are removed. A high percentage of these cuttings root, and they do it quickly‌.7-15 days.

Propagated Coleus.

There are four main types of stem

new growth of woody plants, just as it begins to harden. For most woody plants this stage occurs in May, June, or July. The soft shoots are quite tender, and extra care must be taken to keep them from drying out. The extra effort pays off, because they root quickly‌2-3 weeks.

Semi-hardwood cuttings are usually prepared from partially mature

Softwood cuttings are prepared from soft, succulent,

Plug tray with hibiscus propated.

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wood of the current season’s growth, just after a flush of growth. The wood is reasonably firm and the leaves are of mature size. This type of cutting is normally made from mid-July to early

this method.

Hardwood cuttings are taken from dormant, mature stems late fall, winter, or early spring. Plants are generally fully dormant with no obvious signs of active growth. The wood is firm and does not bend easily. Hardwood cuttings are most often for deciduous shrubs, but can be used for many evergreens also.

Procedure for cuttings:

Prepared mix to be used for both seeds and stem cuttings. fall. Many broadleaf evergreen shrubs and some conifers are propagated by

Cuttings should generally consist of the current or past season’s growth.

Avoid material with flower buds if possible. Take cuttings from health, disease-free plants, and preferable from the upper part of the plant. Avoid taking cuttings from plants that show symptoms of mineral nutrient deficiency. The stock plant should not be under moisture stress. In general, cuttings taken from young plants root in higher percentages than cuttings taken from older more mature plants.

Cuttings from lateral shoots often root better than cuttings from terminal shoots.

Early morning is the best time to take cuttings, because the plant is fully turgid. It is important to keep cuttings

Our garden center is #1 in this area with colorful baskets and pots as well as bedding plants both vegetable and flowers.

cool and moist until they are stuck in the rooting medium. If there is a delay, refrigerate in cool moist paper towels.

Cuttings are generally 4-6 inches long.

Use a sharp, thin-bladed pocket knife or sharp pruning shears. Probably one should dip the knife or shears in rubbing alcohol or bleach between cuts to sterilize. Treating cuttings with root-promoting compounds can be a valuable tool in stimulating rooting of some plants that might otherwise be difficult to root. Either liquid or powder rooting hormones are equally good. Materials commonly used as the rooting medium are course sand, a mixture of one part peat moss and one part perlite, and prepared bought mix. Vermiculite by itself is not recommended because it compacts and holds too much moisture. We have a growing/rooting medium and Rootone F rooting hormone that we use to root with, which works well and is fairly cheap.

Some information compiled and consideration given to Ervin Evans, Extension Associate and Dr. Frank Blazich, Professor Horticultural Science of North Carolina State University and North Carolina A & T State University.

Water the medium first until moist then insert the cuttings onethird of their length into the medium. Make sure the buds are pointed upward. Space cuttings far enough to let all leaves get sunlight. Water gently

Propagated Impatiens.

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again until moist then let drip. Cover the cuttings with plastic and place in indirect light. Avoid direct sun. Keep the medium moist until the cuttings have rooted. Rooting will be improved, if the cuttings are misted on a regular basis. Rooting times vary with the type of cutting, the species being rooted, and the environmental conditions.

15

Email: info@tbrtoday.com

Report

from page 10

Fluorocarbon. On the wacky I use spinning tackle so please check out my wacky column in this issue for lots of hopefully helpful info on wacky worming. My job as a Toledo bass guide just got much easier with the return of some of our lost hydrilla. The last 3-4 months I have been guiding Rayburn more than Toledo due to the abundance of hydrilla on Rayburn.

CRAPPIE/WHITE BASS I don’t guide for crappie but if I was looking for a crappie guide I would check out Jack Adams or Butch Covington. These guys are pros and have been guiding for crappie 25-30 years. For an exciting white bass trip check out guide Greg Crafts. March is an awesome month to load up on the whites as Crafts is located on the north part of Toledo and whites migrate north and stack up.

Joe Joslin is a syndicated writer and is published by numerous websites, newspapers and magazines plus is a pro guide on Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn and a TPWD licensed guide since 1998. Contact at joejoslinoutdoors@yahoo.com, 337-4633848/409-565-1288 and website www.joejoslinoutdoors.com.

Visit tbrtoday.com and check out therecent catches from around the lake!

Send your great catch to info@tbrtoday.com

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Operating out of Huxley Bay

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Visit one of our local dealers to pick up your tournament winning

Talon Fishing Unlimited, Inc. Milam, Texas, U.S.A. Talon Lures! talonfishing.com VISIT WWW.TBRTODAY.COM

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VISIT WWW.SAMRAYBURNTODAY.COM

15

Email: info@samrayburntoday.com

SETX

from page 12

shallower pattern with 6th Sense Rambo Red lipless cranks.

“The day went pretty smooth, the kids did not lose any fish. It’s hard to stay focused when the bite is slow and it’s cold outside, but these kids gave 100% and never gave up,” said Capt Shook. The team wished to thank SETX sponsor Casey Sobczak with Sixth Sense Lures for making such a wonderful product.

Third Place Team- Hamshire Fannett- 19.46 LBSGabe Constance and Colton Savoie- Boat Captain John Constance

Make it two 3rd place finishes in a row for team Hamshire-Fannett!! Quite an accomplishment in a 500+ boat field.

The team reported having pre fished and learning a bit from the past weekend. “It’s always important to take note of subtle changes the lake may have gone through during the past week,” said Capt Constance. Launching at the public ramp near Umphrey, the team reported having run to both some lower end and mid lake area’s where they fished 3-12 foot of water with SETX sponsored Rat-L-Traps. Capt Constance said the team had a limit by 7:30 and were culling fish by 7:45.

“We had a few issues during the day. First thing we had was 2 rods with broken tips and we had to get a hook out of Gabe’s head and John’s hand AT THE SAME TIME. That was fun!” concluded Constance.

The team wished to thank MK Construction, Klint’s Reels, Steel Painters, Morvant Boat Storage, Philpott Ford, Exxon Mobil, Texas Marine, Thermacon, Dr. Sonnier, Dr. Rose, MOC Products, County Home and Ranch, SETX HS Fishing Association, and in loving memory of Trevor Chesson.

Rest of the Top Ten 4th Place- 19.15 LBS- Jasper- Matthew Mcclendan

Submitted photo Ethan Collins and Hallie Hanna pose for a picture of their winning fish at the Southeast Texas High School Fishing Qualifying Tournament #2.

3rd Place- 8.02 LBS- Evadale- Kyler Kirkland and Ashton Granger V&M Baits-Leak Sealers Conservation Award Winners Porter HS- Bradly Hughes and Michael Wilganauski The SETX board wanted to make sure they sent out many THANKS to the all the volunteers who helped last Saturday. Your time and your patience is absolutely necessary for the success of this organization. We simply cannot thank all of you enough for your efforts. THANK YOU ALL.

Lastly, the board wanted to make sure that all of you take the time to go by the many sponsor booth’s at the tournaments and say “HI” and “thank you” for supporting the young anglers of Southeast Texas.

As always, please remember these companies when it comes time to make your own personal purchases!! They are supporting us, so please support them.

When out and about, let these people know you support them because they support SETX HS Fishing.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE SETX SPONSORS for helping make SETX the premiere HS Fishing Trail in the country!!!

5th Place- 18.85 LBS- Barbers Hill- Dylan Frazier and Denton Hargrave 6th Place- 18.39 LBS- Hudson- Kagen Nevills and Bailey Roland 7th Place- 18.07 LBS- Friendswood- Johnnie Nemecek and Hunter Scott 8th Place- 17.99 LBS- Huntington- Brenton Peters and River Johnson 9th Place- 16.90 LBS- Burkeville- Donald Miller and John Martian 10th Place- 16.68 LBS- Jasper- Hudson Faircloth and Chase Webb Top 3 Big Bass 1st Place- 8.26 LBS- Huntington-Hallie Hanna and Ethan Collins 2nd Place- 8.09 LBS- Corrigan Camden- Ty Nicholson and Alex Villafuerte

VISIT WWW.SAMRAYBURNTODAY.COM

Submitted photo Top three winners in the SETX Q2 tournament. The top teams were Ethan Collins and Hallie Hanna of Huntington; Kyler Kirkland and Ashton Granger of Evadale; and Gabe Constance and Colton Savoie of Hamshier Fannett.

14

Email: info@samrayburntoday.com

Huntington team busts 20 lbs to claim SETX Q2 Hanna boats the 8.26 lb. tournament big fish

A

nyone who knows a little about bass fishing can tell you there are not to many places in the world they would rather be than Sam Rayburn Reservoir in early February.

“Historically, the next few weeks have been known for producing some huge bass on this lake. Most of the big females are at their heaviest this time of year and we should see some big girls come across the stage today,” said SETX board member Clint Fountain of Kirbyville.

The young anglers did not disappoint the rain soaked crowd at Umphrey Pavilion at weigh in time as the 2nd of 5 qualifying tournaments on the FORD SETX Championship Series presented by SKEETER BOATS got underway. Several 8+ lb. fish were brought to the stage, some anchoring bags with 15+ lbs. of Rayburn beauties.

Preliminary weather forecasts called for afternoon rain and seasonal temps, but mother nature had other plans for the day as intermittent showers began early in the morning and continued throughout the day as overcast skies blanketed the region and kept temperatures from climbing.

“We will see a lot more fish and bigger fish cross the stage than we did at our first tournament three weeks ago,” said SETX board member and weigh master Tom Webb of Jasper.

Tackle Addict First Place TeamHuntington- 21.34 LBS- Hallie Hanna and Ethan Collins- Boat Captain Randy Hanna

Almost one year ago, Hallie and Ethan missed winning an SETX tournament by just ounces with a 2nd place finish. These sophomore cousins from Huntington considered themselves recreational anglers up to that point, but to be so close to winning lit a thirst in them that could only be quenched by surviving the TH Marine hot seat and coming out on top.

“Both anglers are quiet and studious for the most part, but when they get into the boat, that is when the fun starts,” said Captain Randy Hanna.

Friday practice helped the team elim-

inate some unproductive water and gave them plenty of confidence going into Saturday as they settled in on an area on the north end of Rayburn.

Ethan caught their last fish around 11:30 and that allowed the team to cull a 14 inch swimmer. The 21.34 lb. bag was anchored by Hallie’s monster 8.26 lb. toad, which also gave her the big fish for the tournament. The monster put up quite the fight as the team reported the fish “ran under the boat numerous times and was pulling drag with every run she made.” Landing the fish was quite the adventure as well as it almost caused the captain to take a swim!!

The duo targeted pre spawn fish that were staging along drains in the 10 foot depth range by slow rolling lipless crank baits all day. Hallie, Ethan, and Randy agree that there are so many wonderful volunteers and sponsors, that they could not possibly name them all, but wanted to give a big Texas thank you to the special people that serve on the boards and committees that make this tournament trail the biggest and best in the world!!

Second Place Team- Evadale- 19.81 LBS- Kyler Kirkland and Ashton Granger- Boat Captain Brian Shook

Having already won an SETX event in February of 2017, this team from Evadale found themselves in familiar territory once again on Saturday. Because of high winds, the team elected not to pre fish on Friday, but did get some time on the water the weekend before, where they found some fish offshore around brush and a couple stretches of grass to throw RatL-Traps in.

Launching at Caney Creek and staying in the mid-lake area, Capt.

Shook reported that the early morning bite was rather slow, but picked up around 8:30 and the team had 5 in the boat by 9:30. Probing brush in 25-30 feet of water, the team was able to cull one time at about 10:30 by throwing an SETX sponsored 6th sense cloud 9 deep diving crankbait and fishing a See SETX, page 14

VISIT WWW.SAMRAYBURNTODAY.COM

Submitted photo Hallie Hanna and Ethan Collins take the winning trophy at the SETX Q2.

The Best Waterin’ Hole in East Texas!

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11

Soil Culture

by John Talbott

Spring, fall gardens - what, when to plant

By John Talbott

Talbott Nursery and Poultry, Jasper

G

rowing vegetables need either warm or cool weather to grow well. One can divide them into two distinct groups: cool season for spring and fall and warm season for summer.

To grow vegetables really well, one needs to keep this in mind. If you prefer to go by a calendar, the Agricultural Extension Service usually has one with the seasons! You can search the web or call your extension service for more information.

Hardy vegetables tolerate hard frosts (usually 25 to 28 degrees F).

Again these are usually grown in spring and fall gardens. Kale, Spinach, and collards are the hardiest and

can tolerate temperatures into the low 20s and high teens. All taste best when they mature in cool weather, so they are well suited for late summer starts for fall harvest. Times vary depending on how cold one normally expects the weather to be. Because many of these hardy vegetables will continue in the garden for weeks after the first hard frost, it is a wonder that there are not more fall gardens.

Some examples of cold hardy vegetables are as follows: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, collards, English peas, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, mustard green, parsley, radish, spinach, and turnips.

There are also semi-hardy vegetables which tolerate light frosts (usually

29 to 32 degrees), examples are:

beets, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, endives, Irish potatoes, lettuce, radicchio, rutabaga, salsify, and Swiss chard.

For summer gardens, plant these in early spring after the threat of frost is past. These are tender vegetables and need warm weather (50+degrees F). They can be killed by a late frost, so if a light frost is predicted, one would be prudent to cover with coffee cans or a film of plastic to hold the ground heat around the new plants. If, per chance, you get caught and some of the leaves freeze back…don’t give up, one can generally cut the affected area back and a new top will regrow!

Here are some of the plants for a

Kale

spring/summer harvest garden: beans, corn, cucumber, eggplant, gourds, melons, okra, peppers, pumpkins, Southern peas, Summer squash, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.

Don’t forget, from seed, it takes about six weeks just to have a plant recognizable for what it is actually going to be, and another six weeks to as much as 75 or so days to actually have viable vegetables to harvest. Seeds are an inexpensive way of starting a garden, and we have seed at the nursery; but if one wants to get a head-start on the garden, don’t forget we also grow 6-paks and 3 inch of most of the above, and usually we have several varieties of, for instance: squash (4), tomatoes (10), and cucumbers (2).

Mustard Greens

VISIT WWW.SAMRAYBURNTODAY.COM

Email: info@samrayburntoday.com

10

Submitted photo Stephen Burgay and Chandler Burgay brought in a 5-fish limit weighing 23.83 lbs.

Sweet

Submitted photo from page 8

ing their choice of two Pride Rods.

The format of the Sweet Sixteen is a little different than tradition tournaments, and it appears our fishermen like it. The concept is simple – catch 16 pounds or more and be guaranteed a check. When the tournament is over our teams know whether or not they need to bring their fish to weigh in. If they do not have 16 pounds, they can release their fish in the lake and not put them through the stress of the weigh in process. It also saves teams the time and money of going to the weigh in when they know they will not be getting a check. This lets them get home earlier and get their “honey do’s” so they can come back to the lake and fish next weekend!

The team of Jason Wells and Ricky Sims got a 5-fish limit weighing 23.47 lbs.

Out of the 97 teams entered, 19 teams brought in 16+ pounds winning over $9,600 in cash and prizes.

We were also able to add $1,649 to the Championship Fund making a total of $2,720 with one tournament remaining on March 4. The March 25 Championship looks be a great tournament with a great payout!

We want to thank all of the anglers that fished Sunday. We really do appreciate each and every one of you!

You guys are helping us grow, and with growth we are able to produce even bigger and better tournaments for you! We hope to see all of you back at the 3rd Sweet Sixteen Sunday Series tournament on March 4th. For more information about our tournaments, visit www.FishOutlawOutdoors.com.

SEND YOUR TOURNAMENT RESULTS AND NEWS to info@tbrtoday.com!

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9

Email: info@samrayburntoday.com

Lebrun, Lipham win Sweet Sixteen with 30.19lbs.

By Clint Wade, Outlaw Outdoors

W

e had a great turnout for the second of four tournaments in our Sweet Sixteen Sunday Series. A total of 97 teams tried their hand at catching 16 pounds and taking home a guaranteed check.

Fishing on Rayburn the past couple of weeks has been challenging due to the cold water temperatures, but it seems that things are rapidly changing on Rayburn. Fishing is finally getting back to normal after the cold winter, and the weights show it! We had a total of 19 teams bring in bags over 16 lbs to receive checks.

The first to prove the fishing had drastically improved was the team of Philip Crelia and TJ Goodwyn. When they came to the scales and asked for a second weigh in bag, we knew we were going to see a huge stringer of fish.

They set the bar high early with their giant bag of 29.29 lbs. We thought for sure that would stand as the best bag of the day. They didn’t stay in the top seat for long though. Nick Lebrun and Clint Lipham brought in a massive bag of 30.19 lbs. Their impressive stringer also included the Pride Rods Big Bass of 9.02 lb. Nick and Clint took home over $2,300 in cash and prizes includSee Sweet, page 9

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Submitted photo Nick Lebrun and Clint Lipham win the Sweet Sixteen Series held Feb. 4. The duo weighed in a 5-fish limit of 30.19 lbs.

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the fish would be deeper this time of year.

“There was some bait in these areas, but we were mainly just running as many brush piles as we could. We were trying to hit the brush pile with the crankbait.”

Shook and Iles earned $9,957, which included $2,332 of Anglers Advantage cash.

MANSFIELD AND JONES THIRD Targeting spots near the Highway 147 bridge where they have significant history, Grover Mansfield and Dale Jones caught a limit that went 29.62 and earned them the third-place spot.

Mostly targeting open hard spots within the grass, the anglers caught their fish in 3-8 feet of water. Rat-Ltraps in crawfish patterns produced all of their bites.

“Every day is different; you just have to figure out how they want to eat it,” Mansfield said. “Today, it was just slow rolling it like a spinnerbait.

They were just set up on this spot and feeding heavy. About 9 o‘clock, the fish shut down. We had all out weight before 9.”

Mansfield and Jones earned $7,045, which included $2,120 in Anglers Advantage cash.

MCGAHA-WERNECKE FOURTH, MARTIN-STEVENS FIFTH Eric McGaha and Kris Wernecke weighed five bass worth 27.98 pounds, taking fourth place and earning $5,002. Behind them was James Martin and Terry Stevens with 26.11. For fifth place, they earned $4,052.50.

BIG BASS Shelby Shaw and Lance Hughes landed 6th place with 24.61 lbs. The team also took home $1475, for their Big Bass that weighed 10.23 lbs. (See photo at right.)

For full tournament results go to texasteamtrail.com.

Schedule of Events from Around the Lake MARCH - APRIL

DATE/TIME

EVENT

LOCATION

Nacogdoches Hemphill Hemphill San Augustine

Farmers Market Sabine County Farmers & Artisans Market Wild West Casino Night Junk In The Trunk Trade Day

April, each Saturday, 8 a.m. - 12:00 noon April, each Saturday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

April 6th April 7th, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Nacogdoches Hemphill San Augustine Hemphill/HS Cafeteria Jasper Hemphill

Farmers Market Sabine County Farmers & Artisans Market Junk In The Trunk Trade Day Lion’s Club Amateur Talent Show Azalea Festival, On the Square Livestock Show & Rodeo

March, each Saturday, 8 a.m. - 12:00 noon March, each Saturday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

March 3rd, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

March 17th, 6 p.m.

March 17th, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

March 31st

Sam Rayburn Lake Weigh Stations

SEND YOUR TOURNAMENT

Jasper - TPWD Jasper District (Call Ahead), www.tpwd.texas.gov/fishrecords, 900 CR 218, Brookeland, 409-698-9114, 120 lb.

Jasper - Brookeland/Lake Sam Rayburn KOA, 505 CR 212, Broookeland, 409-698-3422, 600 lb.

RESULTS, NEWS & PICTURES to info@samrayburntoday.com

The Closest Thing To Heaven in Texas!

Jasper - Piney Point Plaza, 3881 RR 255 West, Sam Rayburn, 409-698-2309, 30 lb.

Jasper - Sam Rayburn Marina and Resort, www.samrayburnmarinaresort.com, 4404 Sam Rayburn Parkway, Brookeland, 409-698-2696, 66 lb.

San Augustine - Jackson Hill Park & Marina, www.jacksonhill. us, 1705 FM 2851, Broaddus, 936-872-9266, 30 lb.

San Augustine - Parkway Pantry & Grocery, 18968 FM 1751, Bronson, 409-584-1594, 150 lb.

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Bed & Breakfast Lakeside Cabins • Incredible Rishing • Quiet Atmosphere • Gourmet Meals 1705 FM 2851 • Broaddus, TX • 936-872-9266 • jacksonhill.us

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7

Dominate

from page 1

“ If we went around a corner and actually saw a couple of fish on the graph that didn’t eat the crankbait, we‘d throw on top of them with a jig,” Reneau said. “We caught four on the crankbait and three on the jig.”

“Somedays, they want you hopping the jig; somedays they want you dragging it; this was just dragging it.”

Noting presentation specifics, Marks said that the angle at which he and Reneau approached the targets was critical. Random casts wouldn‘t cut it with these picky prespawners and success required exacting performance.

“They wanted the bait going kinda quarter from shallow to deep,” Marks said. “If you went deep to shallow, you couldn’t get bit. When you‘d get the angle right, you could duplicate it.”

“On one spot, I caught three big ones on five casts. I‘d already fished through it in a different direction and I spun around and fished it from a different. Those fish, no doubt, had already seen my bait, but it was the right angle. I got one to bite and that kinda triggered the school.”

Marks said he knew he and his partner weren‘t fishing for a lot of bites. In fact, they knew that targeting the big prespawners meant they had to make the perfect casts and capitalize on every opportunity.

“I‘d circle these fish and I went 360 around the tip of this little point and fish four or five different angles and finally got one to bite,” Marks said of a day-making flurry. “I caught three of our seven bites in five casts; one of those was a 6-pounder and one was an

eight.”

Marks said he and his partner fished their crankbaits on 14-pound Gamma fluorocarbon and used 20-pound fluoro for the jigs. The fish, he said, were not feeding aggressively.

Most were barely hooked.

“We were fortunate that we didn‘t lose any because they were not hooked good,” Marks said. “When you see the fish and he‘s hooked outside the mouth, you have to slow down and really take your time with him.”

For their efforts Marks and Reneau earned a Ranger Z518C with a 200hp Evinrude outboard. In addition, they claimed $3,180 of Anglers Advantage cash. Their total payday was $50,075.

SHOOK AND ILES SECOND Rayburn holds a bunch of brush piles and the second-place team of Brian Shook and John Iles tried to hit as many as they could. Doing so led them to a hefty limit that weighed 30.07 pounds.

Photo courtesy of Texas Team Trail The team of Brian Shook and John Iles took second place with a 5-fish limit weighing 30.07 lbs.

Starting uplake and working their way down to the midlake area, Shook and Iles targeted deep drop-offs with brush in 20-28 feet. They threw 6th Sense Cloud 9 C-20 and C-25 deep diving crankbaits in citrus shad, along with a Divine Structure Jig with a Strike King Rage Craw.

“We’ve been practicing and fishing some other trails recently and that’s just a pattern where we‘ve been getting bit,” Shook said. “I think it‘s about water temperature. We‘ve had colder weather, so we were thinking See page 7

Photo courtesy of Texas Team Trail Grover Mansfield and Dale Jones wrapped us the third spot with a limit weighing 29.62 lbs.

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6

Email: info@samrayburntoday.com

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Species

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Date

Bass, Hybrid Striped 2.95 21.00 June 21, 2007 Nicholas Montano • Rod and Reel Bass, Largemouth 11.57 28.25 April 23, 2005 Brandon Adams • Rod and Reel Bass, Spotted 4.10 19.50 Sept. 18, 2010 Tanner Moreno • Rod and Reel Bass, White 2.18 16.75 April 20, 2008 Hunter Muncrief • Rod and Reel Bass, Yellow 0.98 12.13 March 13, 2011 Hunter Boren • Rod and Reel Bluegill 0.71 10.25 June 14, 2007 Tyler Hutchison • Rod and Reel Carp, Common 14.98 32.75 March 13, 2017 Brittan Caraway • Rod and Reel Catfish, Blue 31.00 38.00 Dec. 30, 2017 Noah Ishomer • Rod and Reel Catfish, Channel 3.16 0.00 April 17, 2011 Cord Copley • Rod and Reel Catfish, Flathead 52.00 43.25 March 25, 2011 Blake Terry • Rod and Reel Crappie, Black 2.12 15.50 May 30, 2009 Ross Brusenhan • Rod and Reel Crappie, White 2.38 18.13 June 22, 2015 Daron Johnson • Rod and Reel Drum, Freshwater 2.45 17.25 June 13, 2017 Crew (Bear) Copley • Rod and Reel Gar, Alligator 192.00 93.00 April 21, 2007 Ariel Drewery • Rod and Reel Sunfish, Redbreast 0.45 8.50 June 14, 2008 Hunter Muncrief • Rod and Reel Sunfish, Redear 0.27 7.63 June 9, 2012 Branden Ringham • Rod and Reel Warmouth 0.57 9.00 July 11, 2015 Daron Johnson • Rod and Reel

Talbott

409-381-0138

NURSERY & POULTRY

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Email: info@samrayburntoday.com

Texas All-Tackle Records for Sam Rayburn

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287 £ ¤

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Bass, Hybrid Striped 11.58 27.25 April 6, 2005 John Olive • Rod and Reel Bass, Largemouth 16.80 28.75 May 31, 1997 Tommy Shelton • Rod and Reel Bass, Spotted 5.50 27.25 Feb. 14, 1987 Curt E. Smith • Rod and Reel Bass, White 4.75 22.50 July 7, 2010 Marc Shaw • Rod and Reel Bass, Yellow 1.78 14.88 Dec. 13, 2012 Brandon Domangue • Rod and Reel Bluegill 0.75 10.00 April 28, 2008 Robert Biskamp Sr. • Pole & Line Bowfin 13.65 32.00 Dec. 8, 2017 Kenny Foutain • Rod and Reel Buffalo, Bigmouth 76.00 47.00 April 8, 2016 Benny Elliott • Bow and Arrow Buffalo, Smallmouth 84.00 48.00 Aug. 17, 2005 Kevin LaForge • Bow and Arrow Bullhead, Black 1.46 15.13 Feb. 17, 2007 Randall Bradfield • Rod and Reel Bullhead, Yellow 2.51 18.38 May 27, 1997 Willis Francis Jr. • Trotline Carp, Common 27.00 36.50 April 18, 2004 Jim Welborn • Rod and Reel Carp, Gass 85.25 48.25 Nov. 14, 2016 Benny Elliott, Bow and Arrow Catfish, Blue 83.50 54.00 Jan. 15, 2001 Michael Crochet • Trotline Catfish, Channel 12.32 29.25 June 13, 2005 Gary Ritnour • Trotline Catfish, Flathead 84.06 53.00 March 17, 2003 Donald Latham • Trotline Crappie, Black 2.15 17.00 May 1, 2007 Ricky Ethridge • Rod and Reel Crappie, White 2.94 17.00 March 28, 1995 Paul Burleson • Rod and Reel Drum, Freshwater 6.50 23.75 Dec. 31, 2016 Benny Elliott • Bow and Arrow Gar, Alligator 244.50 97.75 Aug. 4, 2005 Keith Riehn • Bow and Arrow Gar, Longnose 49.25 64.00 May 7, 2016 Benny Elliott • Bow and Arrow Gar, Spotted 7.75 33.50 June 7, 2016 Benny Elliott • Bow and Arrow Pickerel, Redfin 0.55 13.75 April 6, 2009 Douglas Wright • Rod and Reel Sucker, Spotted 3.75 16.75 Jan. 1, 2017 Benny Elliott • Bow and Arrow Sunfish, Other Hybrid 0.52 8.25 June 1, 2014 Lucy Ray • Rod and Reel Sunfish, Redbreast 0.57 9.38 April 10, 2005 Randall Bradfield • Rod and Reel Sunfish, Redear 0.60 9.50 March 5, 2006 Randall Bradfield • Rod and Reel Warmouth 0.69 9.00 Dec. 22, 2016 Kenny Fountain • Rod and Reel

³ ±

³ ± Nacogdoches

Texas County Lines

10

Leased Marin

Tyler Co.

Email: info@samrayburntoday.com

4

On Thursday, March 29, there will be a live and silent auction to “auction off” professional athletes and professional anglers. Bidders are invited to make a bid for a one-on-one boat experience with a participating professional athlete and/or professional angler. Winner of the auction will fish the following day in an exclusive VIP tournament with the person they won.

To fish the open tournament, anlers can fish with a two-man team or as individual for the one day tournament. Last year the event payed out over $22,000.00 to participating anglers. There were over 200 entries and every angler that entered received an RTIC cooler, goodie bag, t-shirt and a meal.

Mingle with pro athletes, enter

the tournament, participate in the live auction, or become a spectator at the 2018 Reel ‘Em In Tournament! Come out and support a worthwhile event for a safer community.

For more information on entry, or to be a sponsor or make a donation, go to www.brianrobison96.com, phone 832- 745-3553, or email brianrobison96@aol.com.

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Email: info@samrayburntoday.com

3

2018 Sam Rayburn Brian Robison Reel ‘Em In Tournament Schedule Foundation Benefit Tournament March 29-31 DATE

ORGANIZATION

MONTH

SITE

SEND US YOUR 2018 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE!

3 3 4 4 10 10 17 17-18 24 25 31 7 7-8 7-8 8 14 20-22 28 28 29

MARCH Fishers of Men ET Div. Media Bass American Bass Anglers Sweet Sixteen Sunday Series DETX Qualifer #6 Bass Champs SETX High School Anglers Quest Texas Tournament Zone Sweet Sixteen Sunday Series American Bass Anglers APRIL DETX Qualifer #7 Texas Poormans Bass Club Anglers Quest American Bass Anglers SETX High School Big Bass Splash Dodge Ram Series Outlaw Outdoors Spring Average Joe Texas Bass Couples

Cassels Boykin Jackson Hill Monterey PR Cassels Boykin Jackson Hill Marina Umphrey Pavilion Umphrey Pavilion Lakeview Umphrey Pavilion Cassels Boykin Monterey PR Jackson Hill Marina Umphrey Pavilion Lakeview Monterey PR Umphrey Pavilion Umphrey Pavilion Umphrey Pavilion Cassels Boykin TBA

3rd annual event to benefit K9s4COPs training

G

et ready for some Fishing!

And some fun too at the 3rd annual Brian Robison Reel ‘Em In Foundation Tournament. This year’s tournament will be held March 29-31 on Sam Rayburn at Umphrey Pavilion.

Avid angler and NFL defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings, Brian Robison, along with his wife Jayme, created the Reel ‘Em In Foundation in 2015. The non-profit organization was founded on the desire to give back while making an impact in their com-

munity.

Last year they aligned themselves with K9s4COPs, providing highly trained K9s, that cost between $15,000 to $25,000 to local law enforcement agencies. K9s4COPs is also a non profit organization with the belief that lack of funds should not be an obstacle for any law enforcement agency working to keep our streets safe. The Reel ‘Em In Foundation also aided in Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

See page 3

MAY

JUNE Anglers Quest Fishers of Men ET Div. Ram Dodge Series Outlaw Outdoors Father’s Day Tournament Texas Fallen Heroes Youth Open Tournament

2-3 9 9 16 23-24

Fishers of Men ET Div. SETX High School Championship Weekend Anglers Quest American Bass Anglers DETX Championship Outlaw Outdoors Memorial Day Tournament

5 5-6 5-6 12-13 12-13 28

15

Ram Dodge Series

SEPTEMBER

Cassles Boykin Umphrey Pavilion Lakeciew Monterey PR Jackson Hill Marina Cassels Boykin Lakeview Cassles Boykin Umphrey Pavilion Cassels Boykin Jackson HIll Marina Umphrey Pavilion

EDITORIAL STAFF

Cheryl Gilcrease, Designer; JoAnna Martin, Editor Published by Main Street Marketing of East Texas PO Box 1058, Center, TX 75935 • 936-591-7210 www.samrayburntoday.com • Email: info@samrayburntoday.com

The opinions expressed by the writers are theirs and do not necessarily represent the views of Sam Rayburn TODAY.

VISIT WWW.SAMRAYBURNTODAY.COM

Brian Robison #96 Defensive End for the Minnesota Vikings, along with his wife Jamye, created the Reel ‘Em In Foundation Tournament that benefits K9s4COPs.

Email: info@samrayburntoday.com

2

SamRayburn

TODAY www.samrayburntoday.com MARCH 2018

Complimentary Issue INSIDE

Texas Team Trail ...................................1, 6, 7 Reel ‘Em In Tournament ....................... 2, 3 Bass Tournament Schedule ...................... 2 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Map ............... 4, 5 Sam Rayburn All Tackle Records ...........4 Sam Rayburn Junior Angler Records .... 5 Schedule of Events ...................................... 7 Sweet Sixteen ............................................8, 9 Soil Culture ............................................ 10, 11 SETX HS Q2...........................................12, 14

Marks, Reneau dominate on Sam Rayburn

By David A. Brown

N

early surgical precision and disciplined patience proved to be the winning formula for Phil Marks and Tim Reneau, who won the second event of the 2018 Texas Team Trail, presented by Cabela ‘ s, at a Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Sacking up a massive 5-fish limit of 37.04 pounds, the Texas duo won by nearly a 7-pound margin.

really know why. I‘ve gotten a bite here and a bite there, but there have been schools of big ones in these two places.

“I fished stuff that was identical; same bottom topography, same depth, wind orientation, the whole nine yards and, I don‘t know - they‘re just

little glory holes, I guess. “

With the day‘s cloudy, foggy, rainy conditions, Marks said he knew they could expect a solid crankbait bite.

True to form, a Strike King 8xd in chartreuse/blue and Tennessee shad tempted the giants; but the winners

also caught a couple of fish - including one of the ones they weighed on a 1-ounce Strike King Denny Braue r Structure Jig (blue craw peanut butter) with a Junebug Strike King Rage Bug trailer .

See Dominate, page 6

Working the lake’s upper end, near the Highway 147 bridge, the winners caught fish on two spots, which Reneau described as corners at the ends of ridges in 18-10 feet. Both anglers have decades of experience on Rayburn, but these particular areas were the ones Marks fished during a recent BFL win.

“They’re hard bottom with isolated stumps on them,” Marks said.

“They have old spider stumps; you can see them on your down scan. I don’t know that we caught any that weren’t around stumps. I known the first 8-pounder I caught, my bait deflected off the stump and it locked up.”

Marks said his experience has taught him that the spots that produced are especially productive on the low, stable water conditions that Rayburn is currently experiencing.

Classic prespawn staging areas, these waypoints were inexplicably unique.

“Over the course of the last six weeks, I‘ve checked hundreds of spots just like them, but I could only count on these two places,” he said. “I don’t

Photo courtesy of Texas Team Trail Phil Marks and Tim Reneau win the second event of the 2018 Texas Team Trail with a 5-fish limit of 37.04 lbs.