It's my understanding that the Grasslands are made up of several inter connecting lakes. Are they stocked with some unique fish? Their website says: Sunfish, Cats, Bass & briefly references Bowfin & Crappie. All but Bowfin can be found locally. Can you share some personal experiences?

Also curious if anyone has bow hunted there out of their yak & the requirements for doing so?

Actually there are two grasslands areas, about 120 miles apart. There's the LBJ grasslands just north of Decatur (lots a small lakes/ponds, some hard to find without a map), and then the Caddo grasslands between Bonham and Paris (3 lakes: Fannin, Coffee Mill, and Crockett).

The Decatur/LBJ lakes are very cool. You can fish several of them in a day. Think farm pond, though a few are decent sized. I do think that the larger more more popular ones suffer from heavy pressure during the summer months.

The Caddo lakes are bigger. Coffee Mill is maybe 700 acres. Great for crappie, good for bass. Crockett (350 acres maybe) is awesome for bass. There's some good ones
in there. Fannin is small (50-70 acres) and does not allow gas motors. Lots a bass, though not really known for size.

The fish (we're mainly talking lmbs, perch and crappie) in these lakes are only exotic in that they are very healthy, relatively under pressured, and they don't live in trash lined mud holes that are overrun by skiers and glitter rockets. Exotic indeed.

Watch out though. There are lots of hillbilly meth head canniballistic necrophiliacs in the grasslands who prey on bow hunters/bow fishermen only, much in the same way that some of your "noble" vampires on TV and in bad novels only feed on the blood of criminals and low-lifes. They leave C & R kayak fishermen alone. Not sure about bait fishermen.

Clicky

Bowfin are in most if not all of the Trinity and Sabine and their impoundments. They're definitely in the north end of Ray Hubbard.

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3236201/Re_8_Lb_14_Oz_Ray_Hubbard_Bowf

Coffee Mill is a great Crappie and Catfish lake. I never fished for bass, but would be surprised if it wasn't pretty decent also. The lake was drained dry around 1990 for dam work and re-stocked with brood from TPW fisheries center in Athens. This is after the Genetic development (think share a lunker) program started, so I imagine there are a few decent bass there also. I know it did wonders for the Purtis Creek bass population.

Let us know how you do. Phill

LBJ Grasslands has 6 lakes and 2 smaller ponds.

Clear Lake
Cottonwood Lake
Black Creek Lake
Rhodes Lake
Windmill Lake (Was "Fly only", don't know if that;s still true).
Chicken Lake

Rucker Pond
Dan Pond

I've fished Cottonwood, Black Creek and Dan. Caught Bass, Bluegill and Crappie. Didn't fish for cats or ever hear of any Bowfin caught out there.

You can pick up a map of both LBJ and Caddo Branch at the Forest Service Office in Decatur on Hwy 287 just north of 380.

Sabine, for sure, but the bowfin's range just barely makes it into the Trinity system. Of the 4 forks of the Trinity (I know, it sounds funny) they can be found in the East Fork.

That is to say, eastern Dallas County is the far western edge of their natural range.

They are amazing fish, and it is probably close to time to go up the river on Hubbard isn't it?

Coffee Mill is a great bass lake. It stays VERY muddy year round. Don't let that fool you. Our club tourney every year does very well on that lake. Its a nice little lake. Fish are always shallow..white spinners will get you tore up. Good luck.

No expert here, but I think that the LBJ grasslands has a few more ponds than what's listed on the website. If you scroll to the bottom of this TPWD Community Lake Page and look at water bodies in Wise County, it lists several ponds that aren't on the internet schematic map. Gotta get the paper map, and maybe even talk to the rangers I think to find all of them.

Windmill Lake on the LBJ Grasslands is still indeed C&R and fly fishing only.

I did a lot of archery deer hunting at LBJ this year. It's tough hunting out there.
I did see a couple ponds that I'm going to try fishing this summer myself.

I have been trying to become a better fisherman and let my 11 yr old son have some fun catching bass. He wants to go after his fishing merit badge. Sounds like a good place to go. Is there good bank access to most of the ponds? I don't have a kayak or canoe. Nice kayak by the way, Shaun. What is it? Any pics of your rigging.

Black creek has good access. and the area where the creek feeds in has crappie and bass.

It's a Ocean Kayak Endeavor. It's made by Ocean Kayak and sold exclusively through Bass Pro. I've only had it a few months but love it. i haven't had a chance to out fit her yet.




I'm 6'2" @250lbs for size comparison.

The Endeavor looks just like the old Prowlers before they went to the Trident line. I think OK just gave Bass Pro the exclusive rights to sell the same yak under a new name. It's a good yak though for sure! Just wish the transducer scupper was in the front... Other than that, I love mine too