Fishing trip planned - Caddo Lake!

I just booked my stay for myself and some buddies at Caddo Lake State Park. We reserved a cabin on April 4th, 5th and 6th. We typically go to Fork each year. Needless to say I have never been to Caddo. I have seen pictures and that is it. I was hoping for a little friendly advice. How does it typically fish this time of the year? What should I focus on? Any spots i should hit. This is a 4-5 hour drive for me, so don't worry about me stealing your honey hole. Any and all advise/tips appreciated. I cant wait.

Thank you

I wish I could help but it's on my "To-Fish" list as well... I need to make that happen in the next year or two. I hope you guys have a great time and get pointed in the right direction!

Thanks a lot. I'm excited.

If the water temp is right, they might be stacked up on trees in Pine Island Pond, or Big Lake ( there are a lot of trees). I'm no Caddo expert but black and blue senkos, or tubes work well flipping around the trees when the water temp is right. Also had luck with the frog bite around the pads, or and shad colored rattle traps where the creeks dump into the river. Make sure you take a ride down government ditch, it is my favorite spot on the lake. Also get a map and pay attention to what boat roads you use, there has been grown men who have been on that lake all their life get lost overnight, but they are usually in spots that you could never get a bass boat. I would suggest day renting a house closer to uncertain, and put in at Johnsons ranch or Crips Camp if the water is up to normal. There are some decent cabins at Crips to stay in. I'm just not a fan of the state park, the cabins are way off the water and not close to the boat ramp.

Blk red sweet beaver is all u need. Fish single trees mostly. U can pm me closer that time and I let u know what they doing. I hopped in boat wit Blu-ranger last year to show him around. That's only bait I thee for over a month and caught 9.6

That sounds great! Mudd i will definitely take you up on that offer when it gets closer to that time. I probably should have did a little research when booking the cabin, i just panicked when the first couple of weekends i wanted were booked up.

I would put a Horny Toad on and go to chunking until your arm falls off!

I love frog fishing! that would be awesome!

Sounds good. Frog fishing isn't too great around then usually.

Yeah, but if I see any Lillie's, it will be pretty tempting!

Get mudd in your boat, let him run the trolling motor, fish what he tells you to, net his big fish

I know how I'm fishing Caddo next Spring

Braid and super hooks. All I'm going to say.

I stayed in a cabin last year for a week at Shady Glade Resort.
http://www.shadygladeresort.com/Lodging.html
Great Folks, good boat ramp, boat slips available, Cafe on site.
Highly recommend them!

When I lived in Shreveport I fished Caddo almost every weekend. It's a great lake to fish and it's one of the most beautiful places in the world! This time of year a 10" - 12" black-red flake worm, pitched to the base of single cypress trees will get your arm broken. Fish the single trees around Potters Point and Big Green Brake. I wish I was going!

Feel free to give me a holler, also. If I can help just give me a call. Check out my website. Fishing will be awesome then, if you know where to be at.....

Try going into Buzzard bay and pitch Big Worms next to the single trees. Take your time and stay back from the trees and fish all the way around them. You will have a great time. We had a camp in Buzzard Bay for about 10 years and I loved fishing the lake year round.

Also hope we get lots rain being lake up full pool so it fish better in spring

Big Green Break ( northeast side and all in between ) Sand Island, Big Sandy, Little green, Aim Springs, turtle shell.. all will produce monster bass. Don't ignore the single cypress tree all by itself.

I would have tied on... Pumpkin/Chartreuse Lizard, Black sluggo ( or senko type bait ) with a Split shot about 12" above the hook rigged Tx, Junebug Worm with 1/4 oz bullet weight. Pitch to the base of the tree's ( cypress knees ) and hold on. Jigs work too...

You'll find that the deepest part of the big lake is 6-7 feet and most places will be in 3 ft, so be careful running outside the boat lanes. Since the lake is so low, hope for some flooding rain to fill it up. I would definitely say carry iPhone or GPS to find your way back. Caddo scenery is awesome and looks the same if you get turned around so be careful not getting lost.

Also, take a camera! Governments Ditch is pretty cool.

I grew up on Caddo ( Atlanta, Texas ), so feel free to shoot me a PM if you have questions.

JD

Gov ditch way kool Make sure you eat at Big Pines, Yikes
I'am doolin !

Pray for more rain

Some good advice in this thread. Don't overlook Jeems Bayou on the Louisiana side.

I'm loving the tips guys, thank you

Is Jeems Bayou also called James Bayou?

Yes, it's referred to on maps by both names.

Don't run too close to boat lane markers nor too far from them. Some nice stumps beside a few. Pray for rain like mentioned.

Have been living on Caddo for over 30 years, fish it 2,3,4 days a week. You have been given some great advice, send me a pm just before you head this way for a little more.....and yes pray for rain.

I'll be sure to do that! I sure do appreciate it.

good morning,

my best luck has been tubes(anything with fleck) and brushhogs around trees and pads...

get someone to show you where the "cathredal" is and go real slow....very special place, i don't fish there, just go to look...every trip i go

get a map!!!!

good luck,
PURA VIDA,
bluebonnet2

OK, now i want to change my reservation from the state park to somewhere else. Suggestions? Has anyone stayed in the Possum Trot cabin at Johnson Ranch Marina? I was thinking of switching to there.

Here's what I recommend:

http://www.hodgepodgecottages.com/


These are fully furnished houses with bed sheets, pot/pans, towels, soap, washer/dryers, etc. all you have to bring is food and a boat.

Suggest the red house so you can use the carport for the boat. Use the shady glade ramp which is 200yards from the cabin. They also have a "community" dock for you to tie up during the day.

check out gator lodge. gatorlodge.com Tell them allen's guide service sent you.

Ok guys I leave Thursday morning, again I have never fished here. I'm not a tournament fisherman, just going with buddies for good time. How is the lake fishing? What should I be doing this weekend? Where should I be focusing? I'm camping at Johnson Ranch.Thanks guys.

been catching fish up shallow about 3ft or less on wacky worm, not having much luck on big lake i would try turtle shell, old folks, try to find cleaner water, jeems would be better but its a little bit of a run

Caddo is my favorite of all places to fish and explore. I do it all from a canoe. We make the 6 hour trip to get there at least three times a year and always stay with the Carters at "Spatterdock". Hopefully, a frog bite will be on. It's so much fun. My 1st trip was with a guide and he would wake'm up for me by rippin' a Ribbet thru the pads, then I would cast a Spro. If they missed the Spro with the 1st explosion, I would follow with a weightless fluke and that almost always put the fish in the boat.
The knock on Caddo is the fish aren't big enough, but that's not true. I've landed a 7 and a 9 in the past year and I fish from a canoe and really don't know even a fraction of what I hope to know about bass fishing with a few more year's under my belt.
You and your bud's will make this magical place a annual trip.

I can't wait

Hey bassdad44, I hope you do well!! Me and my fishing partner will be there On April 7th for the week. This is our first trip to Caddo also. We live in Arkansas and usually make a trip to a different lake every year. This year we chose Caddo. Good luck and let us know how you did.

Will do. Thank you!

clean water + kicking up mud with trolling motor = success

+ 1 to what BASS COACH said, but when you find that success try backing off to a little deeper water for the post & pre spawn big girls. I've been picking up alot of 7 & 8 lber post spawn fish doing this.

So I should expect to find fish in all 3 stages, prespawn, postspawn and on beds?

I went a few weeks ago and had a blast. The fishing was actually on the tough side, but it was still pretty cold then. I'm sure it is much better.

You can read about my trip on my website. Lots of pics as well.

Click here: http://updownbass.com

How much rain has Caddo received this week, and how will this cold snap effect the bite? It's supposed to warm back up by saturday

Good question

Oh it got a 5in hail storm Saturday. 2 days 60 plus wind storms. 1/2 in last night ad more tomorrow. I know they bite Monday but Saturday idk. I'm scared to know or even ask since I have tournament.

with the cooler weather they tend to hang very close to the trees you have to hit the tree with the bait and as it is falling down the tree they swim off with it ,you just have to slow down and most time very light weight

+1 on staying at shady glade. I'll be there in early May.

How is the crowd on holiday weekends? I will be there for four days at Memorial day.

As long as you stay out of the river, Memorial Day shouldn't be too bad. Of course you'll miss all of the pretty scenery if you know what I'm sayin...