Texas Fishing Forum

Toledo Bend Hydrilla

Posted By: blueduck

Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/03/16 01:56 AM

Just wondering what happened to all the hydrilla? We've been from the Penelton Bridge to the dam and have not found any hydrilla patches. So where's the hydrilla?
Posted By: Jarrett Latta

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/03/16 02:16 AM

In the gulf by now...
Posted By: basscfo

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/03/16 02:32 AM

2 years of unusually high water, and who knows what else,like a lot of herbicide intended for giant salvinia, and the hydrilla is mostly gone.
Posted By: Jarrett Latta

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/03/16 02:49 AM

Mostly high water....same on Rayburn. It will be back.
Posted By: lamoon78

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/03/16 01:37 PM

Originally Posted By: blueduck
Just wondering what happened to all the hydrilla? We've been from the Penelton Bridge to the dam and have not found any hydrilla patches. So where's the hydrilla?
There is some in places just not like it was but it will come back.
Posted By: Jigaholic

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/03/16 01:39 PM

There's been so many cranks and traps slung around that lake this last year that all the hydrilla has been ripped out..... bolt grin
Posted By: SoCal Tom

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/03/16 02:19 PM

It's there in the few places I was on the lake a couple weeks ago. There are patches around some of the islands not far from Fin and Feather.
Posted By: BMCD

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/03/16 02:58 PM

High dirty water late spring killed most of it.
Posted By: jhall239

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/03/16 03:05 PM

There is some in shallower water but I cant find it deep
Posted By: Mike Yeager

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/03/16 06:00 PM

High water for a while kills it off. It is coming back nicely already but just not out in the deeper water yet.
Posted By: Neal G

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/04/16 12:36 AM

I am not looking to start an argument with anyone but I certainly think that something besides "high water" helped kill the grass. I have fish TB for 30+ years and have seen the good and bad grass years. I just think that there is more to it this year.

Additionally, the water level on TB does not get near as high or fluctuate as much as Rayburn, Amistad, etc. Nor does it get as muddy or stay muddy like other lakes that can keep some grass.
Posted By: lamoon78

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/04/16 03:37 AM

High and dirty water basically for the last 2 years will do it and did.
Posted By: Razorback

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/04/16 01:15 PM

Here are graphs showing Toledo Bend's water level for the last year and over the last 45 years. Other than dropping really low in about 2012, when were the huge fluctuations in water level that would have killed the hydrilla? We spent several days down there in October of 2014 and the lake was full of grass from Palo Gaucho south to at least Six Mile. To my knowledge the lake level hasn't changed drastically since then.

I don't see anything in these charts that shows Toledo Bend fluctuating any more recently than is has over the last few decades. If the grass didn't die then, why now?

http://waterdatafortexas.org/reservoirs/individual/toledo-bend

Click on the "Historical" tab to see past years.
Posted By: BMCD

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/04/16 01:24 PM

So u see that really high mark in 2016? That was the beginning of the grass die off.
Posted By: the skipper

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/04/16 01:37 PM

The water has been up and muddy for a while. Especially in the spring and that's when muddy water can kill grass really quick. Even at a steady water level if the sun can't get thru to the grass it's going to die pretty quick. That's a lot of why the grass hasn't been on Rayburn in a while also. Seems like every winter it gets really stained up or high here lately and kills the grass. I'm hoping for some steady levels for this winter and spring to see if it will come back good.
Posted By: Fish2222

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/04/16 02:08 PM

I've read that high water at the wrong time is the biggest factor in grass die-off. If water is too high and dirty in late spring the grass dies after using most of it's energy to set roots in the early spring.

Looking at the chart posted above, I'll buy it.
Posted By: Texascajun69

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/04/16 03:35 PM

There is grass to be found in a lot of places. Not so much out deep. Slaughter is full just about all the way to the back of the cove. I started fishing t-bend with my dad when the trees in the middle of the lake had green leaves on them. I joined a bass club in 1974 that fished 12 tournaments a year there. The grass has always fluctuated. If you look the lake got hit with a double whammy. It was over 10 ft. low for almost 2 years. (Hydrilla doesn't grow well on dry ground). Then when the lake die rise it came way up and stayed that way for almost 2 yrs. This did not fair well for the growth of the grass. But I do want to point out in the mid 80's there was a grass virus that pretty much cleaned the lake of grass for almost 2 yrs. and it came back. I think these die offs are good in the long run. Lake has been voted best in the country 2 yrs.in a row. I wouldn't worry. Enjoy throwing a sq. bill in 5-8 feet of water. You want be able to do that very often this time of year.
Posted By: lamoon78

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/04/16 06:01 PM

Originally Posted By: Razorback
Here are graphs showing Toledo Bend's water level for the last year and over the last 45 years. Other than dropping really low in about 2012, when were the huge fluctuations in water level that would have killed the hydrilla? We spent several days down there in October of 2014 and the lake was full of grass from Palo Gaucho south to at least Six Mile. To my knowledge the lake level hasn't changed drastically since then.

I don't see anything in these charts that shows Toledo Bend fluctuating any more recently than is has over the last few decades. If the grass didn't die then, why now?

http://waterdatafortexas.org/reservoirs/individual/toledo-bend

Click on the "Historical" tab to see past years.
True it has not been high like say Rayburn but this year it did get to over 2 foot above pool but the biggest problem the last 2 years is the lake has basically been at full pool and dirty which is what happened to the grass.
Posted By: jhall239

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/04/16 08:05 PM

Originally Posted By: Texascajun69
There is grass to be found in a lot of places. Not so much out deep. Slaughter is full just about all the way to the back of the cove.


This is good, there wasn't hardly any in there in May well that I found anyway
Posted By: Neal G

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/05/16 01:40 PM

The South end of Toledo Bend does not get real dirty and definitely not dirty for long periods of time. If more people fished out their regional areas more often the definition of what dirty/muddy, cold, high flow water looked like would be much more consistent.

Thinking that 2 foot high water causes a massive grass (Hydrilla, Milfoil, Coontail, Pondweed) kill at anytime of the year is very hard to believe. There are lakes and river systems that fluctuate much more and have high current flows throughout the country.

The Toledo Bend lake level may have not have had many instances of being over full pool in the past twenty years but it still fluctuated regularly.

Something else helped kill the grass(es). Whether it was due to natural cycles, virus, herbicides, Martians - I don't know....
Posted By: Chris B

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/05/16 03:58 PM

Originally Posted By: Neal G
The South end of Toledo Bend does not get real dirty and definitely not dirty for long periods of time. If more people fished out their regional areas more often the definition of what dirty/muddy, cold, high flow water looked like would be much more consistent.

Thinking that 2 foot high water causes a massive grass (Hydrilla, Milfoil, Coontail, Pondweed) kill at anytime of the year is very hard to believe. There are lakes and river systems that fluctuate much more and have high current flows throughout the country.

The Toledo Bend lake level may have not have had many instances of being over full pool in the past twenty years but it still fluctuated regularly.

Something else helped kill the grass(es). Whether it was due to natural cycles, virus, herbicides, Martians - I don't know....

I was down there this March when the entire lake, including the south end, turned to chocolate milk. That part is correct but the grass was already gone in most spots I fished. I can't help but wonder if there was some spraying for the sylvania that killed the hydrilla.
Posted By: Preacher Ed

Re: Toledo Bend Hydrilla - 08/05/16 09:34 PM

Look at it like this, in the next year or 2 when the fishing drops off, everyone will be able to argue about why the fishing is poor. Is it because there is no grass like there once was, or because of the increase in fishing pressure (because of #1 ranking in US) and so many fish killed due to poor fish management during all the tournaments and people keeping the fish to eat. It is what makes these forums entertaining-our opinions!
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