Any Caddo Lake fishermen here?

[jtexas]

Spring break next week - camping all week with the family at Caddo Lake on the TX/LA border. This will most likely involve fishing early & late and (weather permitting) dragging kids around on a tube in the afternoon.<br /><br />Haven't been to this lake in 30 years, so I sure would appreciate any input on locating the bass. Also I'm told barfish are plentiful here and it might be fun to target those for the kids, if anybody has any tips they would like to share.<br /><br />thanks,<br />jtw

 

[sbump26]

Re: Any Caddo Lake fishermen here?

Haven't fished Caddo before, but have heard it is a good crappie lake. Also heard the bite was on for crappie at Pat Cleburne lake, but went today and almost got skunked. Juat a coupla small ones, one keeper. Cleburne is only an hour from Arlington, and the creek looks like it will hold some good fish, but they weren't there today. Post about the fishing at Caddo when you get back. I would like to try it one day.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Any Caddo Lake fishermen here?

This lake is, clear, shallow (less than 14 feet everywhere except on the bayou) and loaded with standing timber and vegetation everywhere. I found large-mouth in 3 to 7 ft of water but never figured out what to catch 'em on. I could see 'em swirling up out of the grass 4 to 5 feet ahead of the boat. Got a few bites on watermelon flukes. I got some kind of stomach bug two days into the trip & spent the better part of 3 days in bed. Bummer, especially when the bathroom is like 2 blocks away!<br /><br />I had a tip on sand bass at a spot called Devil's Elbow so I headed down there Friday evening & met a couple guys who gave me some live crawfish (up to an inch long). Fished these with a pumpkinseed tube jig & cleaned up on sandies with some barfish & a few largemouths (under the slot) thrown in. Saturday morning met a guide there who said she took about 160 sandies in the past week.<br /><br />A lot of folks recommended a map & GPS or compass, & they were right on the money - that lake is full of sloughs and coves and marshes. Get the map. <br /><br />Wish I had more to report, but I will definately be coming back to this lake!<br /><br />jw

 

[cajun555]

Re: Any Caddo Lake fishermen here?

jtexas, I've been to Caddo several times in the past year. I'm an old fashioned fisherman, worms and minnows. We had the best luck in main channel with minnows for crappie and bass. We were their first of march, water up 2 ft. Finally found a spot on the oxbow, did real good on channel cat. In fact going next weekend. A map is well worth it as it is easy to get lost. I see that your in Arl. Were neighbors almost. do you fish L. Arl?

 

[jtexas]

Re: Any Caddo Lake fishermen here?

cajun - is that a reference to your boat or to your heritage - I grew up live bait fishing with my dad in N. Louisiana.<br /><br />I've only spent about half a day fishing Lake Arlington so far, but it's so convenient I'll be out there a lot more I'm sure. It's just so small - I go to Joe Pool more often. Had a couple hours on Memorial Day to test some boat repairs, so we took it out on L. Arl just riding. Saw a fisherman pull about a 4 lb black out on the lake side of that concrete barrier wall over by that park on the Ft. Worth side (not sure of the name). Looked like 4 or 5" watermelon senko or trick worm.<br /><br />Do you ever see alligators on Caddo? Took the family out on an "eco-tour" through some of the sloughs & cut-outs and down through Alligator Alley but didn't see any. The locals said we were a bit early in the year for gators.<br /><br />good luck on your trip; let us know how you do.<br /><br />thanks,<br />jtw

 

[cajun555]

Re: Any Caddo Lake fishermen here?

Heritage from dads side of family.<br />Our first outing at Caddo back in Nov. saw one gator basking in the sun. Judging his distance from snout to eyes was 15 inches which I've heard relates to 15 ft. and he looked every bit it. Between the 4 of us no one had a camera. He wasn't even up in the back water, just off main channel couple of miles down stream from state park. Was just out at L. Arl. sat, caught a couple of cats and bass. None keepers.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Any Caddo Lake fishermen here?

Do you put in at Richard Simpson park? You know that section of the lake southwest from Bowman Springs that's marked with warning bouys? Do you know why the map calls it shallow & hazardous? I saw jet skis & boats running full out through there.<br /><br />I am really itching to get a line in the water - haven't been fishing since the mid-March Caddo trip. Heading in to pack up, I hit an underwater obstruction with the motor at WOT, headed upstream not 50 yards from the State Park no-wake zone. I had moved way over to the right to make way for some idiot charging full blast thru the NWZ, but I was still in 20 feet depth. Whatever it was I hit it HARD. Not a tree-top for sure; could have been stump except for the depth.<br /><br />Anyway the motor kicked up like it's supposed to. I stopped to inspect; motor undamaged but the splashwell fiberglass was broken out around one of the motor-mount bolts. Really just cosmetic damage, but while fixing that I found some rot in the transom. Just a little bit I was able to dig out and fill in. Then I decided to go ahead & tear out a rotted section of flooring. One thing led to another & I tore out the carpet, and replaced some keel rollers on the trailer, repaired the keel where the worn out rollers had scuffed all the fiberglass off. Still got no carpet, but I put a temporary floor in. All the glass work is done, though and she's sea-worthy (lake-worthy?) so I'm back in business. This winter figure I'll remodel the interior.<br /><br />Anyway then I wrecked my car, just a little tap but it's totalled, so there's the bother of dealing with ins. co. & finding a used car. Then the wind storm hit us and I've spent the better part of 2 weekends clearing limbs out of the yard. Hope you didn't take any damage. That kind of thing can really eat into your fishing time! I've probably missed the LMB spawn altogether, but I'm not complaining. The fish'll be there when I get to them, right?<br /><br />If you see an old blue 15ft Kingfisher bass boat with an old 'Rude 70, stop & say hello.

 

[cajun555]

Re: Any Caddo Lake fishermen here?

Caddo is a dangerous lake if you don't know it. L.Arl, I fished it a bunch from 70 to about 1980. Not to good then. Just started going back couple of months ago after wife and I got the fishing bug. Its a much better lake now. <br /><br />The history of L.Arl: Built in 1955 I believe, called the miricle lake becaused it filled in 1 or 2 months instead of 2 years. Thers a plaqe at the Arkansas boat launch about this. I'm not sure of the launch you mentioned, I normally put in at Bowman park. The area from Bowman park to I 20 was never finished till within the last 10 to 15 years. Also the lake stays fairly level now as they ran a pipeline from Cedar Creek Res. located Between Kaufman and Athens. Back in the 70's if we had a dry winter L.Arl would dry up on the south end. That made for some flat tracking on motor cycles and good catfishing in the creek channel.<br /><br />Sorry about your boat and not to much damage. Good luck on your truck, Iread on another post you were taking to mech. to check out.<br /><br />I'll see you out at the lake I've got a 56 feathercraft with 56 30 hp jonnie, and the wife holloring to slow down. <br /><br />I'll let you know how fishing was at caddo after this weekend

 

[jtexas]

Re: Any Caddo Lake fishermen here?

Simpson park is the one at the end of Arkansas Lane. <br /><br />I wondered about that area you mentioned down towards I-20: it's marked on the map as dangerous. Do you ever go there? I guess you wouldn't have all the pleasure boaters & jet fleas disturbing the fishing. Is it a big stump field or something? Is the channel marked?<br /><br />thanks for the info<br />jtw

 

[cajun555]

Re: Any Caddo Lake fishermen here?

Seen a few j. skies in that area west of Bowman Park. Just out their last Sat., Between the north shore an the stand of trees running 18'. Head south on west side of trees and it drops off to about 11'. Acouple of stumps. Years ago they dozed all dead trees down and burned all of it. You are still permitted to put trout lines in the S.W. end of lake. <br /><br />Tomorrow going to my favorite place, Caddo. Man its going to be hot sleepeng in that tent. Will up date you on fishing out at caddo on mon.

 

[cajun555]

Re: Any Caddo Lake fishermen here?

Made it to Caddo. Fishing really stunk. Lake was up 3 ft. Fished with worms, minnows, stinky catfish bait. Fished shallow, deep, inbetween. Early mourning, all afternoon, in the trees, in sloughs, main channel. All we had to show was a 4 inch crappie for all our trouble. Maybe next trip will be better

 

[jtexas]

Re: Any Caddo Lake fishermen here?

ouch! I guess if the fish weren't biting, the mosquito's were?<br /><br />I'll be chasing sand bass on Richland Chambers this Saturday.<br /><br />If you want to, keep posting about your Lake Arlington trips & I'll do the same. I've heard some good stuff about crappie on L Arl, just haven't taken the time to try it out.<br /><br />better luck next time,<br />jtw