Lake Toho Bass Fishing Reports

Nowsker · January 08, 2006, 08:32:16 PM

Wow, great reports! I will be on West Lake Toho Fri/Sat 13th/14th of January. Anybody give some pointers on fishing artificials out there?

I fished the lake once with shiners several years ago but I don't remember any spots. Really looking forward to it and hopefully I will have a great report to follow this up!

Swede · January 08, 2006, 08:47:08 PM

I'd be loaded up with flukes of your choice in watermelonseed, red shad, and shad imitating colors. Also get some trick worms in junebug and black w/blue flake and fish weightless. Work the grass - if you find baitfish present - work the area harder than other areas. Have you tried paddletail worms - suggest black/blue, black sapphire, junebug/blue color combos. Locals throw a lot of these colors in all plastics.

Fishey Business · January 09, 2006, 07:17:25 AM

Swede Hit the nail on the head on whats hot and look early as they are hitting top at first lite. Mouth of Gobblets on right side off the point .

Capt Jim

Fishey Business · January 09, 2006, 10:29:32 AM

Lake Conditions really changed this weekend as a cold front moved thru Fri.the 6 th water cooled to 56 and stayed there,wind blew hard thurs and fri. It didn"t bother the fish as the came on strong each day all three days Fri, Sat and Sun were good, clients brought to the boat over 20 each morning . I will say the bite only lasted till around 9:30 But it was good. Brent, Glen and myself all scored over 20 per outing. Joy Ruasell was the Big bass winner with 3 over 5 a 6 and a 7 1/2 Her husband Lawrence was on her coattails with several in the 4 to 5 lb You don"t catch those # in Smith Lake Double Springs Ala. Right Joy.

Patterns are what Swede talked about in previous article with artificial flukes and worm. I do like to throw a Rat-A trap along the outside edge of grass I find fish in.
Shinners are what going on and it puts fish in the boat for my clients, # and size.

Bellies are full of shad and Bass are chaseing them early, so get on out there and try your luck on catching that Trophy It"s everybody oppertunity to catch one from now till May.
Untill next week happy fishing and come on down and try your luck.

Cap"t Jim www.fishcentralfla.com ps. I post each weeks pic on my web site come and visit.
1/9/06

Nowsker · January 09, 2006, 10:53:13 AM

~c~Awesome, thanks guys

Lipripper · January 10, 2006, 07:59:47 AM

Cap"t Jim thanks for that good report

Nowsker · January 10, 2006, 09:27:41 PM

Hey, would a horny toad or a chug bug do the trick on the early topwater bite? $:-\$

Fishey Business · January 11, 2006, 06:56:29 AM

Yes very much so as my neighbor throws nothing but the toad since I introduced him to one. He does quite well early and loves the way they bust it.

Hydrilla Houndawg · January 11, 2006, 07:52:42 AM

My .02

I fished a tourney out of Southport on 1/8/06

The top 5 boats fished browns point all day and first place total was 20lbs 5 fish. Most of the anglers who fished the point said they caught fish all day, but most were dinks and the bite would come in spurts. Seemed like most guys were throwin a c-rig or Senko wacky style. Big fish was 8+ and was the only fish the guy weighed in. I had 2 bites all day and only hooked one that went 5.62. I caught him flippin some gator grass (thats what I call it anyway) and it was in a spot that holds no name. Browns had many boats on it and I just kept on going. Looks like maybe I should have joined the club...

Conditions were pretty tough with the weather bouncing all over the place days in advance and up to tourney day. Lows in the 30's highs in the 70's. Windy , not windy.

Take care

Swede · January 11, 2006, 12:09:08 PM

Frog may work - try it. A pro last year did well on a Rat. Used at Guntersville - not used south very much and this guy took advantage. He said - I saw no Rat Trails in grass mats. Something Old - Something New.

Nowsker · January 15, 2006, 08:34:32 PM

Alright, here is the report I promised from my tournament on Lake Toho on Saturday Jan 14th.

Mike Cork · January 15, 2006, 08:48:23 PM

Doesn't sound good Nowsker, what happened $:-\$

Pferox · January 16, 2006, 02:56:16 AM

Hey Nowsker, did the cold front lock em up? Sorry to hear, they were pretty active all week until the front came in .

Nowsker · January 16, 2006, 01:43:47 PM

The winds were 25-35 mph with gusts of 40. It was miserable. I fished shingle creek most of the afternnoon with about ten other boats to stay out of the wind. I caught six undersized fish(3 over 12 inches but under 14 but we did not have exemptions for this tournament). The first two hours we were on the main lake with anchor down and trolling motor maxed into the wind and we were still getting dragged to fast to fish and this was on the northwest side, the side the wind was coming out of! There were only 3 keepers caught out of the 10 or so boats in our tournament one of which was 5.3lbs. Oh well it happens, got Lake Tarpon next week hopefully the weather will be a little more coopertive.

Pferox · January 16, 2006, 01:47:07 PM

Yep, hope you have better luck on Tarpon.

Lipripper · January 16, 2006, 03:21:16 PM

Nowsker sorry to hear that the winds go tyou

and your right hard to fish in 30 to 40 MPH winds

flippin-fool · January 19, 2006, 09:47:42 AM

I'm fishing the BFL gator division tourney as a non boater next Saturday on lake toho. I believe that the fish will be staging near spawning grounds, provided that it stays cold. How would you guys attack these fish from the back of the boat? I am planning on using lipless crankbaits. Is this wise? The way I see it is the boater will probably get upset if I try to catch bedders next to him. Since the back of the boat will be within a cast from the first drop off those beds, I feel that trying for stagers will give me the best chance. Any help would be greatly appriciated.

HillbillyBassR · January 19, 2006, 11:54:56 AM

Hey Flippen,
Your boater may not stay in Toho, better fish south is what I hear. I would do 2 things. Rattle Trap and flip with a 1-1/2 oz. tungsten and a Kissimmee Blue craw or tube. Chances are if your boater is going for bedders he won't go for the heavy mat that may be near. Punch threw that stuff and see what happens. I'll be on Kissimmee this weekend to prefish and then the Sunday after the BFL I'll be fishing the Accent Marine Tournament. Being a non boater your kinda in limbo. You don't know who you might draw as a boater. Some will put you on fish and some will back end ya. Good luck!

Gambler AL · January 19, 2006, 02:23:06 PM

Good luck next week fishing Toho. I will be fishing on the boater side.I will be there this fri. and sat. then i will be back there thurs. fri. and sat. I will be in a Gold Gamber you cant miss me.

Lipripper · January 19, 2006, 02:56:30 PM

Good luck to the both of ya'll an dhope ya'll catch a Big Hawg

Swede · January 19, 2006, 08:31:30 PM

If I were fishing and had 6 rods in the boat, I'd rig them up this way:

Rod 1 - frog
Rod 2 - fluke (watermelonseed or junebug)
Rod 3 - Rattle Trap
Rod 4 - weightless trick worm (Junebug Blue/Black Blue/Black Sapphire)
Rod 5 - spinnerbait (White Okeechobee Special)
Rod 6 - Bandit 100 (Gold Splatterback)

Been watching the reports - this should do it. The Bandit was thrown in because it is great for any schooling and fish roaming. Killed the bass on it there in past, but work erratic and slowwwww. Flukes and trick worms for the thick grass. Frog for the reaction bite from beneath the grass mat. Trap for outside the mat. Spinnerbait when the Bandit ain't hacking it. I don't like dropping big lead through mats, and it is my weakness, therefore I don't mention those. If you have a Rod 7 I'd rig with the heavy lead.

Good Luck!!!!

flippin-fool · January 20, 2006, 05:06:02 AM

Thanks guys for all the help and wishes of good luck.

I will be tying on the following, a watermelon seed fluke, a weighted watermelon seed fluke, a spinnerbait, a lipless crankbait, MY FLIPPIN STICK w/gambler craw, and a shakyhead jig with trickworm 1/8 oz. I will have my bag an Okachobee flats filled to the brim so adapting won't be a problem. I have frogs, bandits, and tons of other special stuff if the need arises.

Fishey Business · January 21, 2006, 05:27:25 PM

Lake conditions have not been the best as last Sat the winds were :help:howling and it's was not a good time to be on the water. My clients canceled till the next day. Sunday and the north wind is cold left the ramp at 6.30 and felt like we were up north again as the wind was still blowing. Water was a stained mess but Buddy Eddington caught fish, only lasted till 9 but everyone was satisified

I guess the wind the previous day kept them from eating. left at 10 am 8 fish with a 6 { Pics on site] Monday was and afternoon trip and Chuck Grant from Tampa and Mary Lemke from Atlanta were our guests Chuck did all the fishing as mary was out just to

enjoy. 3 hrs later and 7 fish biggest was 5 1/2. off the next 3 days with no complaints as the water needs to clear up although she blew hard again on tuesday all day. Watched the weigh-in on East Toho on Thurs as the Top 50 Division leaders in Bass competed for $ 100,000. ending on sat. It was great as we were watching Good # weighed in and at the same time the Rocket blasted off to Pluto

what a site, only in Fla, right. Friday back on the water and Brad and daughter

were ready to fish. Daughter learned fast and dad played catch up. Chalsey still kept the lead with a 7 as dad tried with a 5 1/2 and a 6. I do believe they both lost a bigger fish, but thats fishing

. Full week ahead and looks like good sailing as for the weather.
Come on down and try your luck at a Trophy. Bass are moving on and off the beds as 1/2 were spawned out and 1/2 were full. Great days ahead. Lots of Bass will be heading shallow and big Gals are in the packs.

Capt' Jim.
www.fishcentralfla.com. 1/20/06

Rodney · January 24, 2006, 01:10:10 PM

come on guys...need some boaters to sign up for this weekend sreies tourney put on by BASS...there is a few more non-boaters than boaters, anyone interested, they take entrys all the way to Sat 1-28!!!!

Fishey Business · January 24, 2006, 07:15:34 PM

Fishey Business here, going to be in the Stickmarsh area next monday maybe as my son and neighbor will be down and they want to fish the marsh. Haven been in a couple years how is the fishing, with live bait and any ideal what part of the farm is working this time of the year.