Toledo Bend’s slab crappie smackdown

Jun 11th, 2019 by Keith Worrall 636

Modified Jun 11th, 2019 at 1:48 PM

Zachary Dubois of Kaplan has been catching quality black crappie at midlake in Toledo Bend.

Sac-a-lait have transitioned to deeper structures along the submerged Sabine River channel. Here’s where and how to catch Louisiana’s cherished and official state freshwater fish.

Many’s Zack Gagnard was on target after experiencing a couple of weeks catching limits of sac-a-lait (crappie) in deep brushpiles in Toledo Bend waters.

So Tuesday, May 28, the 29-year-old angler with Elite Guide Service (318-308-7574) had no misgivings whatsoever about fishing deep at midlake near Lowes Creek and the Indian Mounds.

“The fish were there,” Gagnard said. “We launched at 9 a.m. and fished some natural structure 30 feet deep and had 29 in the boat by 11. We caught the remaining 21 at a brushpile ending the trip with 50.

“The fish were mostly black crappie ranging from ½ to 1 ¼ pounds with one white – a 1 ¾-pounder.”

Gagnard was fishing small and medium shiners when using a Bass Pro 6-foot crappie rod and spinning reel combo. His reel was spooled with K9 Hi-Vis 15-pound braid with a 6-inch K9 fluorocarbon leader. The angler used a ¼-ounce egg sinker to get the shiner down to the structure.

Near Negreet, Cajun Lures’ Zachary Dubois also found sac-a-lait and a few other species on main lake brushpiles in 30 feet of water Saturday afternoon, May 25.

“On my sonar unit, I noticed the fish were bunched tightly and we had to keep our jigs in one small spot,” the 27-year-old Kaplan angler said. “There was also a school of white bass next to the brush pile.

Toledo Bend’s slab crappie smackdown

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