Hello, anglers and outdoor lovers.
Wow, did we ever have a cool front and the results are fantastic with night lows in the low 60s and highs in mid 80s. The
front hit Toledo Bend Saturday morning at sunrise just as we (with tournament partner David Brown) were headed up the lake
to begin a bass tournament.
We were able to get up the lake several
miles and into our main fishing area before the winds got really bad.
Coming back
down the lake Saturday afternoon was another matter all together
as the lake was rolling with 20-plus mph winds and huge swells.
Here are a few hints for anglers and boaters who are just starting to learn how to operate a boat in less-than-ideal conditions.
Last Saturday we were going with the
winds and waves so the best thing to do in those situations is to
basically surf the
swells and not get in a hurry. It is usually necessary to make
frequent adjustments on the throttle in these conditions as
you need more power to get on top of a swell and then you back off
throttle as you come off a big wave. Too much power or
speed when you come off a swell can cause you to spear a wave,
which can prove scary, to say the least, and dangerous if you
take on enough water.
It is not uncommon to spear a big wave and take on 50 to 100 gallons of water in a matter of seconds.
In elementary school we learned that
water weighs about 8 pounds a gallon, so do the math. Having 400 to 800
pounds of extra
weight in a 20-footbass boat changes a lot of things. For one,
your boat loses much of its buoyancy and rides deeper in the
water.
If you spear a second swell before you have time to bilge out then you could be in danger of sinking. Always make sure your
boat has two bilge pumps to allow you to quickly get the water out of your boat and if one malfunctions at least you will
have one working. Bilge pumps are relatively cheap and can save your life.
I have an automatic 1,500 gph plus a manual 800 gph. I do not go fishing without both of them in working order.
Some final thoughts on safety involves
what size motor do you put on your next new boat? Also, how big is big
enough and why
should I spend the extra money for a 150 hp when a 115 would do or why
a 250 when a 175 hp will move me on up the lake? My experience,
and I have owned at least 25 boats over the years, is to put the
maximum rated horse power. It will perform better, and in
many cases even use less fuel and also provides reserve power in
case your boat takes on water and needs to climb up on top
of a big wave and out of a hole between two big waves.
On this subject, I recall a sobering
experience on Sam Rayburn several years ago. In my opinion, if my rig
had been underpowered,
I would have capsized. The scene was as follows: A late winter,
fast moving storm found us in massive swells on the main lake
and we had taken on a lot of water hence the boat was very heavy
with several hundred pounds of water onboard. The rig felt
like someone had filled the bottom of the boat with cement and we
were deep in a hole(between two big waves).
The 250 Yamaha moaned and groaned but
finally got the weighted-down rig back on top of the surf where I could
go parallel
with the waves long enough for the bilge pumps to do their work
and give us some more buoyancy. I repeat, if I had been underpowered
or bilge system failed, I am convinced that we would have taken on
another wave and capsized. Also, it was February and the
water temps were not friendly so the situation was very serious.
To recap, I strongly encourage boaters to purchase rigs that
are properly powered and by all means, make sure you have the best
bilge pumps money can buy. Be safe out there, respect big,
open lakes and stay pumped!
For the past several weeks the lake
level remains stable with level at 168.4 feet and minimal generating at
the dam. Water
temps continue to slide (a good thing) and are running from 82 to
86 degrees. The entire lake is in great shape with slightly
stained conditions on the north end, mid lake is mostly clear
while south Toledo is very clear.
We
fished several days last week with decent results and lower water temps
will improve already good fishing conditions. Bass
are moving more shallow, as a general rule, with topwater,
spinnerbaits, light-weighted plastics all catching bass. Also,
as in every September on Toledo, there are always bass holding
deep which is the case currently. Deep diving crankbaits, jigs,
Carolina rigs, Texas rigs and drop shot rigs are all catching
bass.
There were two major bass tournaments
held on Toledo over the weekend and some really good fish caught. We
will give a detailed
report of both next week. We competed in one of them, Skeeter Bass
Champs East Texas Championship, with decent results. The
highlight of the week for me was when my tournament partner, David
Brown of DeRidder, caught the Big Bass of the event weighing
10.98 pounds. The beautiful bass hit a Texas rig on a south Toledo
main lake ridge in about 20’ of water. Sure glad I didn’t
mess up the net job. It was Brown’s largest bass ever and to catch
it in tournament conditions made it even more exciting.
Great job, partner.
•••
Joe Joslin
is a syndicated outdoor columnist, tournament angler and pro guide on
Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn. His column appears Thursdays.
Contact him at 463-3848 or joejoslinoutdoors@yahoo.com or visit www.joejoslinoutdoors.com