Had a really good day yesterday! Fished Big Cypress Bayou(west of the 43 bridge on Caddo). There had been some(5.2 to 7.2 to 5.4') water fluctuations the last 2 weeks but everything had settled down. Water color was still quite stained to muddy. I started off using what worked 2 weeks ago but after about 25 mins and no bites started throwing other stuff. Couple other changes and nothing so picked up the poppin pad perch and first cast "slurp" but I missed due to not actually seeing it in the darkness. Then got dialed in and wow was that a FUN next 3 hours using topwater! Had my limit by 0730 and then started culling. Mixed in some other lures(fluke/buzz bug/buzz bait/squarebill) and kept getting bites but that pad perch was king. Anything back in the shade lines twitch twitch and just little subtle "slurps" so had to pay attention. I worked the area and worked it and worked it again and finally left with prob 12.5lbs in the livewell. Headed up river and tried some places and had either small bass or nothing so came back down to what's called Benton lake. Lots of other boats in there so stayed away and circled other trees. Shade was really in play now and I caught 3 fish in there including a nice cull bass on the chatterbait moving me up at least a pound. Had a buzzbait bass bite up there but he was too small to help. End of the day I covered prob 7 miles of water and caught 25 bass or so. Most were small but still had at least 11 keepers and culled 4xs. Def nice to catch em and "not" have to worry about measuring them! 4 of the 5 I weighed were on the pad perch. 1 on a chatterbait. Ended up with 13.6lbs and 4th place in our clubs tourney.

Kinda funny story but I think I hooked a snapping turtle! Flipped the buzz bug up the bank and halfway back gets heavy and starts moving off. I real down and set the hook hard and my line breaks almost as if cut! I see a ton of bubbles come up from the bottom and then the bubbles start moving away from me. Broke 40lb braid like sewing thread.

Pics are of the pad perch(they had ate it so much almost the whole tail was gone!) and an example of how they were eating it.

Sounds like an awesome day on the water! I haven’t been able to find much of a topwater bait this summer. Thanks for the photos too!

Way to go Rudy. That was an excellent Write-Up. Thanks for sharing all the information; as that will definitely help someone be more successful.

Donald

Sounds like a fun day!

Yes, yes it was!! Taking the wifey today and hopefully they are still biting!!

Nice post.

Is that a bead you are using along with the bobber stop? Never seen anyone do this with a frog bait.

It is a bead that has small rattles inside. Maybe it helps maybe it doesn't with a frog not sure. I do use them when t-rigging under the weight and think it helps some.