Thread: Sabine River Heavy-Weights (30+ pics, 3 vids)

Bout this time of year I always start looking to the headwaters of Toledo Bend for some white bass action. But it always seems I end up having a blast with the “by-catch”.

My sister and I headed over to Sabine last Saturday and started up river to a place I had never been but had heard about and scoped out on google earth. It’s a place where the river dumps over a large slab of bed-rock and makes a “mini waterfall”.

Well it ended up we put in 16 miles south of the rocks so it was an adventure getting up there. We began to doubt our navigation and asked a boat how much further to the rocks? They said, “oh bout a mile er so”. So we motored another 2 miles up and saw another boat and asked them. They said, “its bout a mile, you can’t miss it”. LOL

It was perilous river with the water so low and there are a bunch of logs in Sabine. Each big bend had a beautiful white sand bar that was nice to look at but would hang whole trees in its shallows. You have to take it slow over these with the motor trimmed up.

Made me glad I was not in the Bobbie Jean or my new rig. Both would be far to big to make it. We were barrowing Pop’s boat.


Here is a shot of us headed up river…


Was not long after we asked the second boat that the river became shallower faster…


And quick to follow we began to see large rocks in the river…


And a couple dicey shoals above that we saw the falls!


Sis and I were anxious to gets baits in the water and anchors up and put out some minnows… Wham! Fish on! And it was a heavy one… After a long battle on crappie rod this if what hit the net…

Big Ol’Buffalo and he barely fit in the dipnet we had for landing…

Riverfish (my sis) picked up the second fish in the form of a little white. He was the reason we came all this way in the first place.

Was not long before she hooked into one of the beefier species though. Here is a flipbook of 3 shots while she was fighting one. Don’t let him take you down sis!




She was down but she was not out! Scooped him up and just barely fit in the net!


We went on to catch these Buffalo one after another. Was the weirdest thing too , they were hitting minnows! I have only once before caught buffalo in the mouth and it was below Walace dam they were smashing crappie jigs one day… I guess in trail waters sometimes they just get to feedin’.

Riverfish landed two and fought two more before she decided to take a break and get us some pics / video and let her arms rest.
Here is a video I call, “That minnows too big for our minnow net”… lol
http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y24..._too_small.flv

I would be neglect if I did not mention the other species stacked up in the tail-water.
The greatest of them all… THE GOU!




And the common/golden carp!

This fish was a highlight of the trip. First I have never caught one in the mouth… (got him on dropper loop rig biated w/ minnows) Never caught one this big on rod’n’reel, awesome fight, sis and I got wide-eyed when we first saw him. And she got the whole fight on video!

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y24...t=big_carp.flv

Also caught catfish although they were not as prevalent… Picked up a couple ops which is rare for us on rod’n’reel. Even though they were not hogs they were good eatin’


And a species I know you guys will appreciate was caught on the return trip by my pop…

In addition to these pictured species we also caught yellow bass and little channel cats. So you never knew what it might be when you set the hook.

Ok enough about the species back to the battles… Here is some more Buffalo pole bending action…
Check the bend in this 12 foot crappie wizard rod…


Those bigguns would not give up… Had to lean into them…


A little further…


He finally succumb…


By this time I had completely forgotten our target was these…


But we did end up catching bout 25 bout this size for the box both days…


Here is Pop the return trip with a keeper and a throw back. Doubled up on one line…


Not to be shown up I got me a couple. LOL I cheated though I had one of these fish holding it up for the pic and dropped my rig back in the water with 1 or 2 minnows still on it… Hooked up on the second fish!

LOL this pic I include for those that say I smile too much… I am serious about some things… Serious buffalo fishermen… lol


Now for a few scenic shots of the water. Riverfish kept snapping shots and got some good ones…








And this video of the water coming over the rock…
http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y24...=waterfall.flv

This is getting to be an epic sized post so I will wrap it up with the last fish of the day. Was a long fight on a very heavy fish as the sun was coming down. I wanted badly to land it, to put a good end on an excellent adventure. I fought him carefully on the 8lb line and 12’ pole.

Got him up and saw it was another Buffalo that took the minnow. I think out of all we put in the boat that day only two were foul hooked.


Got the beast along side the boat… “Ready the harpoon captain!”


Hit the Deck! I think I pulled something in my shoulders…


A beauty! This one was kept alive and is now swimming around in my pool.


And this last shot was my favorite. I think it should be titled, “Can’t leave um bittin’”


It was dark when we got back down river to the truck… but it was worth it.

~Fishin’ Magician~

All I can say is
WOW!

great pics. looks like you had a blast.. gota love them big ole buffs tho.. always put a scare in ya

I think WOW pretty much says it all! Looks like a fantastic trip! Thanks for the post and pics! If I can't go fishing...I can fish vicariously through CDC!!!

BTW...you looked VERY serious with that buffy....I don't think anyone can say you can't be serious while you fish! LOL :D

Originally Posted by Slab Hunter

All I can say is
WOW!

Yea what he said!!!!!!!!!!

Looks like a great day. You need to put them vids on youtube

Some great pictures and videos Markham, thanks for sharing them with us.