Toledo Bend lake level is 172.00.

 That puts the lake at full pool. With Toledo being full pool that means that we finally have water in the bushes. At this time Toledo has had from two to three feet of water in the bushes on the north end of the lake; also,  pepper grass and lily pads are growing around the bushes and on the main flats coming off the bank. Best to start off in the morning with your PG-143-6’10” with a Falcon spinnerbait in 3/8 or ½ oz. size, best color has been white or golden shiner. Then pick up your PG-104-7’6” with a Senko or Fluke, best color is watermelon red. Also fish on top of the pepper grass and around the lily pads with your Ribbit and Spro Frog. When fishing a frog best to use your PG-104-7’6”, with a Pflueger Summit 7.1 reel rigged with 40 lb braided line. With your big stick and big line this will help you get the big ones out of the lily pads and pepper grass. Then my favorite way to fish is to pick up my PG-104.5-7’6”,  Pflueger Summit,  rigged with 50 lb braided line and start flipping in the bushes. Best baits to flip in the bushes are Falcon ½ oz jig, tube or Beaver, best colors back-blue or black-red. Then pick up your crankbait box and pull out shad and perch color crankbaits that run from 8 to 15 feet. When using your crankbait best to use your PTC70-7’0” with Pflueger Trion reel,  rigged with 12 or 14 lb line. These fish will be on the outside edge of the grass in 9 to 14 feet of water. Also pick your PG-144-7’0” with your TX rigged worm and work your worm off the edge of the grass, best color is red-bug and watermelon-red. There will be fish in the hydrilla on the south end of the lake. These  fish will be better later in the month as the water heats up. Pick up your PG-104.5 Summit reel rigged with 65lb braided line with a Falcon 1 or 1 ¼ oz jig in black-blue or black-brown-amber and start flipping. Have a great time fishing Toledo Bend this month. 

 Good Fishing,

Stephen Johnston