Toledo Bend Bass Limits

Why is the possession limit on Toledo 8 when many lakes are only 5? Is TX bending to LA’s wishes?

Lousiana has a statewide 10 bass limit except for the Texas border lakes(and some LA slot lakes). So the 2 States just reached an agreement of 8 I guess.

Cuz dem Cajuns hungry.

Typical Texas thinking they are better than everyone else mentality. I live here in Texas and love most things about this state and there are times I make idiotic statements. Texas shares Toledo with the neighboring state of Louisiana and therefore have to negotiate certain rules. As far back as I can remember Toledo has stood the test of time with being one of the best fishing lakes in America...everything will be alright even with the Cajuns next door!

Sure was a pretty fish over 10 that hit the grease today and I’d bet the 6 they caught joined it.

You haven’t fished Toledo much have you. It’s not even a shadow of what it once was.

And you truly believe anglers from Texas have never done that...a great deal of ignorant statements! I would never take a fish like that; hell I don’t like cleaning any fish. I understand the negativity on keeping too many fish or fish with size but these statements although funny are very ignorant!

Oh it's some Texas guys too but ..if it was all Texas guys Rayburn would be cleaned out as well. Toledo isn't half what it was a few years ago but luckily it's a big lake and it'll rebound. They definitely fillet more big bass on Toledo than most places

This is SOP on the east side of TB

They were posting pictures like that every day on the Toledo Bend Fishing Report page on Facebook until they couldn't catch them anymore.

People today, would lose their minds if they could see pictures from the mid 70 to mid 80s. The limits were 15 then and I've seen many pictures where 3 guys would have 45 from 3- 7 1/2 lbs. I also have been in some of those pictures. But with todays pressure if everyone kept 5 each, It wouldn't be long before a good day would be 1 or 2 keepers.

Now they on Rayburn...

It's never going to get better. More people, more camps, it is what it is. Hopefully the grass comes back to counter the knives. I don't think most people understand the sheer numbers of people on that lake everyday. Luckily it's a big lake, can't fish it out but can certainly bring it down to "just another lake"

I guess it’s that time of year again where you think every boat is just keeping everything they catch. For every group like that there is probably 5 more doing catch and release. If they are keeping a legal limit then they have every right to do what they want so get over it.

I agree to a point except nearly every boat I see on Toledo keeps every keeper. I don't see it that much on Rayburn. Just the way it is over there. Not a big deal, it's their right

Yes, I was in Six Mile, on Toledo yesterday(Friday), and I saw lots of bass caught and lots of Texas and Louisiana fishermen keeping them. I also noticed many of the 18"-21" bass had dropped their eggs already. Talked to two guys from LA., who said they had caught 15 bass with many looking like females with no eggs. Way too many people on the lake for this old man, ramps full and every cove had 10-15 boats...must be Spring break, near a weekend, and spawning time!

if a fisherman buys his license an obeys the fish keeping restrictions folks need to not worry about it an mind their own business.

Yes, you are right!

I absolutely agree that anglers are entitled to harvest daily limits. I agree, too, with the concerns that many have expressed with the harvest rates on TB in comparison to other lakes. It is a known fact that harvest rates (percentage of anglers keeping fish) are much higher on TB than Rayburn. When you factor higher harvest rates and larger bag limits (8 fish v 5 fish), there is little doubt that TB loses more fish to the ziplock bag than most TX lakes.

But, too me, the biggest issue is lack of law enforcement on the lake. My family has had a camp on TB for 35 years. I have seen a game warden in our area two times in 35 years. I have never been checked by a warden on TB. I am sure they work the public boat ramps, etc. but it is impossible to enforce game laws at the private camps.

TB is known for the annual meat hunts every Spring. And why not? You can legally keep more fish than other TX lakes. You won’t likely run into a game warden (if you are one to stretch the rules).

I’ve often wondered if fisheries would benefit from a catch and release only format from 2/1 to 5/1? I just hate to see those unpatched eggs removed from the lake.

so from 2- 1 to 5-1 cancel all the tournaments that time of year In east tx or have paper tournaments good luck with that idea.

You are releasing fish in tournament formats. Sure their is some mortality but not much at that time of the year.

I just wonder what impact harvesting fish during the spawn has on the overall population? Seems like we do that with most deer regulations. Doe season usually ends before they are impregnated.

Looks like even the kayakers are hammering them on Toledo

My question is, how did TX agree to the 8 fish limit when the state wide limit is 5? Yes people have a legal right to keep a limit of fish, but we also have a right to revisit those laws. We used to be able to kill 10 pintails, but it wasn’t sustainable, and laws were rewritten. States around the coast are revising trout and flounder size and bag limits. We need to ensure the resource is available everyone.

I’m interested to hear what you are calling it’s “old self”? A few years back it was the #1 lake in the country for several years. The lake has been open since the 60’s and Louisiana residents didn’t just discover it existed. In fact for most of its life span it’s actually been easier to access from the Louisiana side. 25-30 years ago most Texans felt it was too far and the roads to the lake were in bad shape.

It’s survived and prospered throughout its life span. But when the grass goes it effects the survival rate of fry and the fish positioning changes. Too bad the anglers aren’t able to change as quickly so we would not have to hear them look to blame everything else but their own deficiencies.

Prime example was Cody Huff.

The lake will never die, just time will tell if it'll get back to 2013-2014 numbers of big fish. You could literally go down the bank and pass up 5lbers all day. The lake had an unbelievable amount of quality in it that you had to see with your own eyes to believe it. All this new pressure in the past 5 years has made an impact combined with lack of quality cover both from fluctuations in water and collateral damage from salvinia spraying. Like I said, we'll see if it rebounds. I know this though, the numbers of fisherman isnt going down and it increases every single year