Jason Courville Full-time Guide Service/South Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn

Jason Courville Full-time Guide Service/South Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn Welcome. Joe Joslin and Jason Courville have teamed up to provide a memorable and enjoyable fishing experience on South Toledo Bend. Come join us.

Todays (Thursday) bite was a little slow compared to the last several days but the quality was still present and eager t...
04/26/2024

Todays (Thursday) bite was a little slow compared to the last several days but the quality was still present and eager to eat the hog. The massive schools we’ve seen were cut in half today but again that’s ok, even the fish have to take a break every once in a while (short break😉). We are now starting to see the decline of the full moon which in return, the morning bite should get back to normal. As the days progress more of the large females should start to really mingle in the existing schools and feed heavily on the large schools of shad.
Depth today 17 to 25ft
C-rig still is the leading boss.
Areas fished today, Mill Creek ( my home creek), 6 mile and Housen Bay.

Guided trips and Electronic classes are available
Be safe and God Bless
© Jason Courville
409-365-8245

Butter Arms What a day👍, full day guide trip today was a blast and that’s saying on the lite-side. Let’s start by ment...
04/24/2024

Butter Arms

What a day👍, full day guide trip today was a blast and that’s saying on the lite-side. Let’s start by mentioning the moon phase, yes we are upon the full moon morning spell where the morning bite will be on the slow side due to Mother Natures night light shining bright during the midnight hours. That’s ok, compensate a little by starting a little later. Hitting the water by 8:00am we headed to the first location. Fish were in the area, but the bite was just a nibble here nibble there stealing the legs off our swamp hogs😂. Again that’s ok, we have plenty of time and patience😉. The 11:00 hour rolled around and the battles began, the screens lit up and the large schools came alive (viciously). The catch was coming in fast with every cast. With a hook-up or a miss. At times we had to make a quick adjustment from a C-rig to Drop-shot but by far the C-rig was the boss. The size of the schools were increasing by the hour and the bite was becoming more intense. Digging deep into our arsenal towards the end of the trip the baits started running low🤣. At that point I started grabbing used hogs from the deck biting off the front portion and reloading the hook to keep the action coming. 7 hours into a 8 hour trip these arms started giving out and the hook sets were becoming weak (Butter Arms)…
Who won the battle today????????
I would say the greenbacks!! They were still eating as we made our way back to the ramp🤣🤣😂😂. To much fun can be painful, but I say make it hurt….Round 2 tomorrow…..

Dropshot today was ok…….
C-rig today was amazing!!!!
Best action 22 to 28ft.
5 different locations fished today, each was loaded with action, time to grab your gear!! More catching then fishing, the offshore has came alive🔥.

The month of May isn’t here yet, can’t wait to see what is on the horizon, May and June are always phenomenal….

Guided trips and Electronic classes are available, both are great this time of the year…
Be safe and God Bless
© Jason Courville
409-365-8245

Deepwater bite The release of the water has created a very nice current in the lake this past week, the fish continue ...
04/18/2024

Deepwater bite

The release of the water has created a very nice current in the lake this past week, the fish continue to pull from the shallower waters and the Deepwater schools continue to grow by the day. I have watched day to day how the transition has taken place as the fish migrate to there summertime locations, first it was the deep drains then to secondary points, main points and now the main lake offshore structures. The schools that have been located recently are phenomenal. What makes the post spawn so great is that these fish are hungry and ready to eat anything. The spawn takes a toll on the fish, building beds, guarding the eggs and fry, but once there duty’s have been completed it’s time to fatten back up quickly. This morning was a perfect example, first stop was a primary point just on the outside edge of a spawning ground, scanning the area we quickly found a large school, the first 6 cast was solid fish,for the next hour the bite continued with hook ups just about every cast. Next move was the mouth of a large drain, the numbers went down but the quality went up ( no complaining 🤣🤣here). One last stop deep hump (loaded) very large school to fish before calling it a day.
Time flys when your steadily catching 👍👍.
As each day passes the quantity and quality will increase. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING…
CABIN Available for Clients..
Map them first😉
Scan them second 😮
Catch them third.👍👍👍👍
Then repeat 😁😁

Electronic class and Guided fishing trips are available
409-365-8245
© Jason Courville
Technique and bait of Choice.
C-rig 💯 percent
Bait: V&M swamp hog.

Transition/ Current Guided trips and electronic class:: During early April/ mid April till the first week ...
04/15/2024

Transition/ Current

Guided trips and electronic class::

During early April/ mid April till the first week of May there is always a transitional period where the majority of the bass will make their way back to the deeper waters, but during the 2 week period finding the larger schools can be frustrating since the majority are scattered about. Thanks to Mother Nature the transition period had been shortened just to a few days😁. With all the heavy rains around the lake area, also including the northern parts of Texas and Louisiana the water run off is funneled through Toledo bend reservoir causing a major influx of water volume triggering the generators to be ran 24/7 and also the overflow gates to be opened to 2ft. That’s great news to us anglers. The CURRENT is a big welcome and is helping the post spawn to spring into action,(As I mentioned earlier the 2 week transition period is now 2 days) . This morning was a perfect example, I have areas I check on a daily basis to see if the schools have moved in, before today I would have said NO. Instead because of the current, overnight the schools have magical appeared, not just in one particular area, but with excitement all my transitional spots have been invaded 🤣😂. We scanned secondary points ,main points, deep humps and deep water structures, each were holding fish but the best areas were main lake points producing the larger fish. This coming week I had a several days slated for vacation time(sorry) that went straight out the window, this old boy will be on the lake enjoying the CURRENT situation🤣🤣👍. I have scanned offshore areas the past few weeks in many locations of the lake, blue lake offshore, Lanan offshore, Housen offshore and Six mile all have schools holding to offshore structures, today there was no reason to leave Six mile😳. The CURRENT is like miracle grow, keep it coming…
open days available for this coming week..

Electronic classes and guided fishing trips are offered:

Baits of choice:
Dropshot V&M green pumpkin flat tail. ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
C-rig V&M J-Bug⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spoon⭐️⭐️⭐️
Crankbaits soon to come…

Best depths: 12 to 22 feet
27 to 35 feet.
Early morning hours stay mid-depth 12’plus
Afternoon to evening hours 27feet plus..

What a amazing time of the year, stay safe and God Bless.
Big thanks to &M baits for their support

Top 3 photos from this morning trip😘

© Jason Courville 4-14-24
409-365-8245

“Gift Certificates” Guided trips or Electronic classes.. —————————- The gift that ju...
11/28/2022

“Gift Certificates” Guided trips or Electronic classes..
—————————-
The gift that just keep giving

Gift certificates are now available. The certificates are available for “Guided fishing trips “and or “On the water Electronic Classes”. Certificates can be purchased for Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn..

Please call or message for more details:
409-365-8245
Jason Courville

Fall time fishing is here!! The water temperatures have fallen into the mid 70’s and we starting to see schools ...
10/12/2022

Fall time fishing is here!!

The water temperatures have fallen into the mid 70’s and we starting to see schools of fish showing up in places where there were no signs of life all summer long. The last few cool fronts that passed has really kicked things into high gear.. the schools are bigger, deeper and hungry!!! . Large schools of crappie are starting to show up on brush piles and the schools of bass aren’t far from them.. I haven’t had the chance to check the mid-depth range yet, but soon as this next cold front pushes through next week I will definitely be checking the deeper creek swings and drains. With the water temps starting to fall the bite is really going to heat up🔥. The mid-depth and offshore is where you want to be during this time of year. Your c-rigs, drop-shots, cranks and football jigs need to be on deck at all times. This week was a prefect example, the morning bite was all c-rigs but as we approach the mid- morning hours the fish tended to suspend slightly off the bottom and the drop-shot was perfect for the situation. When I speak of the dropshot technique, I’m not talking lite weighted finesse Rigs, we are rigged with a medium-heavy to heavy rod with 15 to 17lbs test f- carbon with weights up to a 1/2oz. The bait Choice is unlimited. We tend to lean towards the trick worms ,ol-monster worms and at times the mag-fluke . The Beefier setup allows you to fish the heavier cover and more importantly have the confidence to get your catch to the boat😊.
The south end of the lake has turned over (thermocline) you can see the Reminence of this natural phenomena that happens every year by recognizing the brown bubbles on the surface of the water, once this happens the fish will immediately head to deeper waters feeding heavily on the shad.
The Fall transition has begun and there is no other place I’d Rather be!! 😀
Guided fishing trips and electronic classes are available!!

© Jason Courville
409-365-8245
Be safe and God Bless...

Great morning trip👍, after her first big fish on a 404 didn’t work out very while, She become a true believer of the Kis...
08/04/2022

Great morning trip👍, after her first big fish on a 404 didn’t work out very while, She become a true believer of the Kistler rod-n-reel, the rest of the morning was successful…
Dropshot 30ft plus…
© Jason Courville 8-4-22
Be safe and god bless
Electronic classes and guided fishing trips are available…

Toledo Bend4-16-22 What a great time of the year to be fishing the beautiful lake of Toledo Bend. The south end of th...
04/17/2022

Toledo Bend
4-16-22

What a great time of the year to be fishing the beautiful lake of Toledo Bend. The south end of the lake is in great shape, but best of all the fish are in several different stages making your options to fish shallow/mid depth or offshore, what ever your choices is you can’t go wrong👍.
Today we chose the mid depth range from 12 to 18 ft with a few at 30 ft plus.
Shallow water baits: light weighted Tx rig, Square bill - weightless fluke
Mid depth: c-rig, A-rig and crank
Offshore: c-rig, drop shot, and A-rig
As we approach the month of May the mid-depths and offshore will only get better .
Map them 1st
Scan them 2nd
Catch them 3rd
Then repeat 😊
Guided fishing trips and electronic classes are available 409-365-8245
Happy Easter
Be safe and God Bless
© Jason Courville 4-16-22

Current Lake Levels
Toledo Bend USGS 08025350
171.06
Updated: 4/16/2022 7:15:00 PM

Current Generation Schedule
Date/Time: 4/16/2022 6:00:00 AM
Current Flow: 360.00 CFS
Generator 1: No Run
Generator 2: Run 3 hrs - 12 noon to 3 PM
Spillway Gates: Closed
Comments: The generating schedule for Toledo Bend Dam is available 24/7 by calling (337) 286-LAKE (5253).
If the spillway gates are Open, except for downstream flows, the road, and recreation area below the spillway, will be CLOSED

04/17/2022

Toledo Bend
4-16-22

What a great time of the year to be fishing the beautiful lake of Toledo Bend. The south end of the lake is in great shape, but best of all the fish are in several different stages making your options to fish shallow/mid depth or offshore, what ever your choices is you can’t go wrong👍.
Today we chose the mid depth range from 12 to 18 ft with a few at 30 ft plus.
Shallow water baits: light weighted Tx rig, Square bill - weightless fluke
Mid depth: c-rig, A-rig and crank
Offshore: c-rig, drop shot, and A-rig
As we approach the month of May the mid-depths and offshore will only get better .
Map them 1st
Scan them 2nd
Catch them 3rd
Then repeat 😊
Guided fishing trips and electronic classes are available 409-365-8245
Happy Easter
Be safe and God Bless
© Jason Courville 4-16-22

Current Lake Levels
Toledo Bend USGS 08025350
171.06
Updated: 4/16/2022 7:15:00 PM

Current Generation Schedule
Date/Time: 4/16/2022 6:00:00 AM
Current Flow: 360.00 CFS
Generator 1: No Run
Generator 2: Run 3 hrs - 12 noon to 3 PM
Spillway Gates: Closed
Comments: The generating schedule for Toledo Bend Dam is available 24/7 by calling (337) 286-LAKE (5253).
If the spillway gates are Open, except for downstream flows, the road, and recreation area below the spillway, will be CLOSED

Take consideration of the weather the next few days, dangerous winds and storms in the forecast.
03/21/2022

Take consideration of the weather the next few days, dangerous winds and storms in the forecast.

03/17/2022

Warming Trend…

South-End March 16-2022

Quality fish are making another big push towards the spawning grounds😊, the last several cold fronts have devastated the shallow spawning areas but the warming trend we are experiencing this week especially with the full moon will set things in full Motion. ( south -end )
The buck bass are roaming the shallows in good numbers but for as the bigger females they are holding slightly deeper in drains just out side of the spawning grounds.


Technique:
C-rig
Lite weighted Tx rig
Depth 5 to 12ft……
Water temp today:
Morning hours 57
Late afternoon 60.5
© Jason Courville Guide Service/South Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn. March 16-2022
409-365-8245
Be safe and God Bless .

Current Lake Levels

Toledo Bend USGS 08025350
169.74
Updated: 3/16/2022 9:45:00 PM
Current Generation Schedule
Date/Time: 3/15/2022 6:00:00 AM
Current Flow: 360.00 CFS
Generator 1: No Run
Generator 2: No Run
Spillway Gates: Closed
Comments: The generating schedule for Toledo Bend Dam is available 24/7 by calling (337) 286-LAKE (5253).
If the spillway gates are Open, except for downstream flows, the road, and recreation area below the spillway, will be CLOSED!



February ( Hard Transition taking place)February 11th 2022 We are now in a transitional period from the winter time pat...
02/13/2022

February ( Hard Transition taking place)

February 11th 2022

We are now in a transitional period from the winter time pattern and entering the pre-spawn phase. The large schools that have been in place offshore during the late fall time into the mid-winter months have begun to break up into smaller schools. These schools are now making there journey towards the spawning grounds. These Groups will continue to stay close to deep waters like secondary creeks and deep drains. As we approach the full moon phase and the conditions stay stable the first wave will move up quickly. Yesterday I spent a few hours visually scanning the shallow spawning grounds
(South-end) looking for signs of life. Small numbers of fish were seen roaming these areas. In return the observation was positive, new growth of aquatic vegetation was in the shallow areas with a few buck bass and several females roaming the area. The next few weeks will be in our favor. A full moon (Feb 18th) will begin the first big wave. Until then we will continue to focus on the main and secondary points for staging fish. During this time of year your mapping system will play a key role in your success. Locating areas where creek swings are adjacent to shallow waters along with drains/ ditch’s leading into a shallow spawning ground will be a highly productive area to focus on. Take the time to study you mapping system and become more familiar with the area you choose to approach.
Understanding the transition and the migratory path the fish take will increase your odds on having a very successful trip.

Offshore schools 30 to 35ft
Transitional depth ( mid-depth 15 -20ft)
Shallow 5 to 10ft
We are at that time of year again, be patient the fish will settle down and the bite will become more consistent.
Techniques:
Wide variety.
Offshore , spoons, C-rig and Dropshot
Mid depths- football jigs,Tx rig and A-rigs
Shallow- chatter baits,light weighted Tx rig, square bills and traps.

Be safe and God Bless
© Jason Courville 2-11-2022
Guided fishing trips and electronic class are available…

Current Lake Levels
Toledo Bend USGS 08025350
168.97
Updated: 2/11/2022 9:30:00 PM

Current Generation Schedule
Date/Time: 2/11/2022 6:00:00 AM
Current Flow: 210.00 CFS
Generator 1: No Run
Generator 2: No Run
Spillway Gates: Closed
Comments: The generating schedule for Toledo Bend Dam is available 24/7 by calling (337) 286-LAKE (5253).
If the spillway gates are Open, except for downstream flows, the road, and recreation area below the spillway, will be CLOSED

Address

Hemphill, TX
75948

Telephone

+14093658245

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