Merry Christmas To All

Unfortunately, I don’t know that I have ever had a more inclusive idea as to what is going on both here on Sabine Lake and Toledo Bend than I

do right now.Thanks to Covid, however, I have been unable to put even a single tip to use for the better part of two weeks.

I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the non-stop texts I have received wishing me well.In my case, however, that is a little misleading as I

don’t text and trying to answer even one can tie up the remainder of any given day! I do a little better with phone calls and e-mails, when I am not in the hospital, but that has been unpredictable.Out of frustration, I initially decided to turn off my phone for good as every message started

out the same, “How are you feeling?” Then my wife, who is currently fighting Covid as well, wisely noted, “If someone cares enough to take the time to call, what else can they ask?” Soooo….in an effort to show my appreciation while still giving me hope for discussing something other than my health, I solicited only fishing reports. Let me tell you something folks, lots of folks are still well and catching lots of fish on both T-Bend and around Sabine Lake! The opportunity to share some of that information is the only reason I decided to cough my way through this column and it has proven to be therapeutic thus far. My best and most consistent reports are coming off of Toledo Bend and it has very much been dealer’s choice as to how you choose to get it done. Easily the most enjoyable technique this past week involve fishing a shorter four to five inch tail on a Whacky rig in less than six feet of water. Marvin Cole and his family decided back in the summer that they would spend the entire Christmas break on the lake.Marvin calls it “enjoyable quarantining.” I has apparently been really enjoyable thus far. “I didn’t catch this many bass on a Whacky worm all spring long,” says Marvin and it may be because I didn’t fish the shorter worm more. I have been fishing only the Centipede and four inch Lil’ John.” Pat Greer did equally well this past week, bouncing a ¾ ounce spoon off the bottom in 28 feet of water in the El Camino area.Limits have been easy and they have also fooled a couple of bass us to six pounds. If I don’t lose all of my spoons I might just stay up until next Christmas and avoid the Covid.”

In talking with anglers from Buck Creek to Toro Bay, there is no doubt that a lipless crankbait like the red-eye shad or Trap has just been

deadly in three to twelve feet of water throughout the day. Few hard plastic lures are more versatile or user-friendly than the Trap.

In spite of a couple of days of pretty heavy rain, the trout bite has held up exceptionally well. It has been kinder to the more patient waders

than boat fishermen, but that is not unusual this time of the year. The Corky is getting more playing time and size has improved with that

switch in tactics. Pink is really starting to be the choice of color again. I know how frustrating it can be for waders when they have to deal

with boat traffic as well, so I will only share the fact that mid-lake flats on the east side of the lake have been pretty good for fish up to

four pounds. Capt. Chuck checks on me regularly and said he has been splitting time between bothering redfish and killing ducks. He has apparently been successful at both. He said that he easily caught good numbers of solid redfish on back to back wades on the north end last week. If you don’t care to wade, all is not lost. Some very good trout and redfish catching took place early last week for boaters working the

revetment walls with Softdine XL’s and Catch V’s. Any color combination that included a dab of chartreuse was the ticket.

So there you have it. Now, can you imagine arming a life-long fisherman with that much information and telling him to lie there with an I.V. in

his arm?

The best Christmas gift you can give this year is doing what you have to do to make next Christmas the best one ever. Merry Christmas and God

bless you and your family!