| Author | Message | ||
| Tomc
Minnow Username: Tomc Post Number: 67 Registered: 12-2006  Rating: N/A |
The last time Tommy and I were on Caddo was about 10 years ago with the Irving Bass Club (IBC). Tommy has always said that Caddo was his favorite lake as we fished it with IBC when he was ~10-years-old and again when he was ~14. With Tommy out of the Navy at 24 and ready for his 1st IBC tourney since fishing Lake X just before entering boot camp, we are ready to head to Caddo. This would also be my first IBC event since Tommy left for the military. We left the house at about 4:30am Thursday morning looking forward to getting familiar once again with the eeriest and most beautiful lake I have been on in TX/LA. We started out with a tip from the tour guide at the state park. Her name is Cindi and she can be found at the boat shack just around the corner from the state park boat ramp. Tommy and I fished one of the ponds off of the river Thursday morning. We were fishing in from the boat lane in the pond and talked to several folks who were not getting bit. So we got off the boat lane areas and back into the thick veggies via push pole. We picked up 3 would be keeper fish ~13-14” in a matter of and hour on frogs and I think Tommy caught a slot fish there and we had a dink. We headed right out of there thinking this would be our starting point for the IBC tourney on Saturday. We took a break after about 3-4 hours fishing and went in to eat and then the rain and lightning keep us off the lake the rest of the day. The weather was not much better Friday as we fished in sometimes pouring rain and navigated the narrow boat lanes with the rain feeling like an acupuncture treatment much of the time. We fished about 3-4 hours Friday and managed 2 would be under keepers, both on soft plastics punched through the veggies with a half ounce weight; one fish on the river in the pads and another back in one of the bayous. Tourney morning Saturday had us fishing the pond off the river, in the veggies, and we managed only a slot and a 10” fish that we could not weigh in. IBC allows 12-14” and over 18” fish to be weighed at Caddo with the slot being 14-18”. We fished our two other places to no avail for keepers and then headed to other areas out towards the main lake. We started flippin’ the cypress trees and picked up a couple of more fish right away with Tommy hammering a nice slot fish with a grn-pumpkin power worm. We managed 3 slot fish and a couple of dinks in the afternoon. Tommy also picked off a 13.5” fish as our only weigher before we headed to weigh in at 3:30. There were at least 2 over 5 lbs. weighed in by IBC members on Saturday. I am not sure how many other overs there were. What we had learned by then was that if we wanted to get into some better fish, we needed to get out of the river areas and out towards the main lake and work the isolated or clumps of cypress trees. The topwater bite proved to be off and on throughout the day. Sometimes early with cloud cover was not as good for us as later in the day with the sun popping through; imagine that. The word there is, when on Caddo, to just keep chunkin’ it. We had a great catfish dinner Saturday evening with most or every club member in attendance at Shady Glade’s cafe while enjoying the fellowship of the club as IBC had the cafe packed to the hilt. Thanks to the IBC for the nice welcome back for Tommy and I this weekend. It was super to see all the regular faces along with meeting some new folks as well. This is a very friendly club that makes new members feel right at home. Our plan for Sunday was to stick with the cypress trees and throw topwater while trolling from tree to tree. Tommy picked up a good slot fish on about his 3rd cast on a frog first thing Sunday morning. I picked up an over about 20” on a grn-pumpkin/grn baby brush hog on the first set of trees we worked. Tommy lost about 2-3 fish that were hanging him up in the pads while flippin’ the trees. I ended up catching 2 unders, one on a frog and one flippin’. We caught a couple of more slots and a small fish and that was it for us on Sunday. The over we had weighed 4.69 and I think I had close to 7 lbs. for the 3 fish so that put us at about 8 lbs. for the weekend. One IBC club member weighed in a super 8.58 and there were a slew of overs weighed in on Sunday. I would guess for Caddo, that the club did real well overall for the weekend. The lake is now mostly overgrown with veggies due to the low water levels from the past year. Many areas that were normally fishable in the past are now inaccessible via boat even with a push pole. Over the long weekend, we caught topwater fish on white, black, pearl/watermelon red and other colored frogs. Yellow magic also produced some fish when worked slooooowly. We stayed at Crips Camp in cabin 12. If staying at Crips Camp, I would not suggest that you get cabin 12. They do have some nicer cabins and trailers available. Club members also stayed at Shady Glade and The Uncertain Inn among other places. Caddo is one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever been on and a lake that we will surely drive the ~ 3 hours again in the future. Nothing like a long weekend on the lake with your son; priceless. Thanking Him, all day long --- tomc | ||
| Charles
Moderator Username: Charles Post Number: 890 Registered: 7-2004 Rating: N/A |
Good times! | ||
| Picou
Wall Hanger Username: Picou Post Number: 2579 Registered: 8-2004  Rating: N/A |
Sounds like some tuff fishing but a great time despite the conditions. Congrats on weighing in some fish and hopefully you have some pictures to share with the group...  Great recap Tom, thanks for putting it together.  Thank you Lord for my family and the waters I get to fish | ||
| Ozziefish
Crappie Username: Ozziefish Post Number: 581 Registered: 8-2004  Rating: N/A |
Here's my recap of Caddo. Casting, casting, casting, reeling, reeling, reeling, splash miss darn it! More casting & reeling...no fish, no fish, no fishes...and more casting then driving, driving and driving...Almost forgot, raining and drining and raining and RAINING! Man, I'm beat down after this weekend. OzzieFish "In GOD I trust" | ||
| Basshunter
Minnow Username: Basshunter Post Number: 86 Registered: 1-2007  Rating: N/A |
My Caddo experience ended with a blowout on I-20.....found out my Ford lug wrench does not fit my Triton trailer lug nuts. Man that sucked! Looks like I need to buy another Chevy. Good meeting you Tom. | ||
| Rumbanator
Bluegill Username: Rumbanator Post Number: 145 Registered: 3-2006  Rating: N/A |
Sounds like it was a tuff weekend, that lake is so pretty though it almost doesn't matter now does it? Appreciate the detailed report maybe it will help us weed out some spots. | ||
| Tomc
Minnow Username: Tomc Post Number: 69 Registered: 12-2006 Rating: N/A |
Rumbanator, The lake looks good just about everywhere. We did our best by just stopping the boat almost anywhere and fish. Just keep your line wet. I would keep about 2 or 3 different topwaters tied on and ready to go along with a couple of flippin rigs. I used 3/16 to 1/2 oz weights on the flippin rigs depending on the density of the veggies around the trees. Thanking Him, all day long --- tomc | ||
| Wes
Moderator Username: Wes Post Number: 310 Registered: 8-2004  Rating: N/A |
Sounds like you and Tommy had a blast. Congrats on catching some fish and getting to spend some time with your son. | ||
| Tomc
Minnow Username: Tomc Post Number: 70 Registered: 12-2006 Rating: N/A |
Rumbanator, Found this post by a Caddo angler: Try the flat off Sand Island, Big Green, Jap Island, and the Bird Island areas. Be careful getting out of the channels. There is a lot to hit in Caddo, but it's not hard to stay safe with a little common sense. Get a map and a compas and use your GPS, at least until you learn the boat lanes. We catch the bigger fish toward the main lake and off of channels in the pads. To fish Caddo try to think about the lake without the vegitation and look for channels and humps like you would on a regular lake. When you find that then look for the points where that structure and the pads come together and you will find fish. It can be a tough lake to fish. Thanking Him, all day long --- tomc | ||
| Rumbanator
Bluegill Username: Rumbanator Post Number: 146 Registered: 3-2006 Rating: N/A |
Thanks Tom thats some good info, just read Chronarchs most recent report as well, I think I have too much info and will probably second guess myself unless I get on a bite early. Oh well, why should this trip be any different from my others |
