One of the best bass lakes in Texas is about to deliver a solid test for some of the best anglers in the world.
The EverStart Series is headed to Toledo Bend Reservoir Feb. 14-16 when as many as 300 pros and co-anglers take to the water for the second of four stops in the Texas Division.
“Toledo Bend is on fire right now,” said Kellogg’s pro Jim Tutt of Longview. “It should be a phenomenal tournament. The weather has been typical of late winter in Texas, warm for a while with the occasional brief cold front. The key this year for Toledo Bend is the water levels. The lake has been low for a few years and now it is back up closer to normal.
“There is a lot of hydrilla all over the lake,” Tutt continued. “When you have a lot of hydrilla in the pre-spawn, it makes for a very good spinnerbait, Rat-L-Trap and jig bite, and that is exactly what is happening. They are catching them big time. The only thing that could stop a good tournament on Toledo Bend would be a strong wind. A cold front will not hurt them as bad, but a hard north wind will make it tough for anglers to move around on the lake.”
With temperatures hovering around the mid- to upper-50’s, Tutt suspects this tournament will be won with mostly pre-spawn bass. Tutt’s projected winning weight for the three-day tournament is just over 65 pounds of bass.
Anglers will take off from the Paradise Point Park in Hemphill, at 7 a.m. each day. Daily weigh-ins will be held at the park beginning at 3 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Pros will fish for a top award of $40,000 plus a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard if Ranger Cup guidelines are met. Co-anglers will cast for a top award consisting of a Ranger Z117 with 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $5,000 if Ranger Cup guidelines are met.
The EverStart Series consists of five divisions — Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western. Each division consists of four tournaments and competitors will be vying for valuable points in each division that could earn them the Strike King Angler of the Year title, which allows them to fish the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup.
The EverStart Series tournament on Toledo Bend Reservoir is being hosted by Sabine County.
