Toledo Bend Reservoir will host the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional Oct. 14-16, 2020.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
October 8, 2020
Toledo Bend Hosts B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional
MANY, La. — Grass-roots anglers from eight states will take to the iconic waters of the Toledo Bend Reservoir Oct. 14-16, 2020 for the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional. Toledo Bend recently ranked No. 6 on Bassmaster Magazine’s list of Top 25 Best Bass Lakes of the Decade.
The tournament is one of five regional championship events B.A.S.S. Nation originally scheduled around the country this year. Anglers will be competing for cash prizes and a spot in the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, Nov. 11-13 on Alabama’s Pickwick Lake.
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs, of Huntington, Texas, expects good fishing and pleasant weather for the Central Regional.
“October is one of my favorite months to fish in that part of the country,” Combs said. “It should be a good tournament. There will be a lot of bass caught.”
He noted the weather will be cooler with nice, calm days, so the contenders won’t have to battle the wind, which can be a major problem in the spring at Toledo Bend.
Combs thinks some Toledo Bend bass will be changing from summer to fall patterns during the tournament. “It will still be kind of a blend of summer with a little bit of fall stuff mixed in,” Combs said. “There is not a lot of grass in the lake right now, so more summertime patterns may prevail in that tournament.
“There will be a lot of bass caught on typical Texas stuff, like deep cranking and throwing a 10-inch worm,” Combs said. “There will also be some bass caught shallow on topwater, and there will be a lot of schooling bass out there, too, but I don’t know if those will be the right fish to get the job done.”
The Texas pro predicts fishing should be good throughout the whole lake. “I think guys will do really well fishing south, as well as guys fishing north,” Combs said. “I think it will be spread out, so people will have options. It really depends on what water clarity a guy prefers to fish.”
Combs believes Toledo Bend’s bass fishing has been better this year than last year and has the potential to produce a 30-pound limit. “It is just that kind of a lake,” Combs said. “If you land on the right spot at the right time, it can happen really quickly. There will be some big ones caught. The big bass of the tournament will be a 9-pounder or something along those lines, I am sure of that.”
While the potential to catch a huge bag is there for the regional competitors, Combs thinks they can set their sights on a lower weight total to succeed.
“If a guy over the course of three days could average 18 to 19 pounds, he is going to be doing really well,” he said.
Competition days will start each day at 7 a.m. CT from Cypress Bend Park. Weigh-ins will be held back at the marina each day at 3 p.m., with a full field fishing Days 1 and 2 and the Top 18 in the pro and co-angler divisions competing on Championship Friday.
The tournament is being hosted by the Louisiana Office of Tourism, Toledo Bend Lake Country, the Sabine River Authority, DeSoto Parish Tourist Commission and the Vernon Parish Tourism Commission.