"Fall at Lake Caddo"
by Luke Clayton
Uncertain, Texas- As guide Billy Carter eased the pontoon boat along the Cypress River channel
on a recent trip, one that takes the time to read the subtle signs of nature could easily see that fall
is just around the corner. The lily pad fields that grow profusely along the channel were
beginning to take on a different look. The pads, a brilliant green through late summer, are
beginning to change into their fall colors. The needles from cypress trees along the river, when
observed closely, were likewise beginning to change into hues of brown and red. Greater herons
that could be seen throughout the summer ambushing baitfish from the same poles that serve as
navigation routes along the channel were on the move trying to locate fish that had already felt
fall’s early signs and moved into the current. Occasional flights of migrating teal were spotted
zooming over the vast inland swamp. Fall is coming and coming soon to this outdoors
wonderland.
Billy and I were doing a little early testing to determine if the huge schools of yellow bass had
moved into the current from the vast expanse of the lower lake knows as Big Lake. The yellow
bass, and later white bass, pack the channel from early fall through the dead of winter and
catches of more than 200 of these good eating little yellow bass is an everyday occurrence.
Rigging for these scrappy fish is simple, one third sections of minnows rigged with a split shot
above and cast into the current via a spinning rig is the time tested way to fill an ice chest. We
stopped at all the hotspots that Billy has fished for years but found the fish in a period of
transition, just like the plants and birds we encountered. It doesn’t take long to determine if
yellow bass are biting. If they are present, they will readily nail a bit of minnow placed near
bottom. Caddo has some very unique names for areas of the lake, each of which is a story in
itself. Places such as Old Folks Playground, The Oxbow, Devils Elbow, Government Ditch, and
Dragover area as familiar to Billy as is the route many of us take traveling to and from work.
Photo by Luke Clayton
Caddo Lake, situated on the Texas-Oklahoma border, offers some of the most awesome
scenery and fishing in the country.
Caddo is the only natural lake in Texas and steeped in a rich history. Billy can spend hours, and
often has during our fishing trips, relating events that occurred on these mystical waters during
his lifetime. When Billy was a young boy, the Star Ditch was widened. This channel was
originally dug in the mid eighteen hundreds as a means to float the cypress timber out of the lake
into the river system. Billy recounts looking for arrowheads along the spoil banks when the
channel was being dug. He found an old rusty revolver in the soil and, when he inquired with a
elderly gentlemen that was born and raised in along the banks of Caddo, learned the gun had
belonged one of his family members that had used the pistol in a murder years before. The last
that was seen of the suspect was him running through the woods, in the direction of Star Ditch!
Chain Pickerel are common at Caddo and these toothy fish, a member of the pike family, are
great fun to catch. They prefer flashy spinner baits and inhabit the backwater sloughs off the
main channels. I seldom fish Caddo that I don’t devote a little time to fishing for these hard
fighting little fish. Pickerel aren’t big, but a 3 pounder fights much like a black bass on steroids,
often making impressive leaps and strong runs. They are great fun to catch on light tackle.
Photo by Luke Clayton
Guide Billy Carter, pictured with a toothy chain pickerel, has spent a lifetime fishing and
hunting at Caddo Lake. It’s a good bet he knows more about the lake than anyone alive.
Even though we were a little early for our favored yellow bass, Billy and I found the black bass
and pickerel to be on a good bite, spinner baits work well on both species. This trip was really
more of a family getaway than ‘hard core’ fishing trips. Billy loaned me a jon boat with motor
and I spent plenty of time exploring the boat lanes and ventured forth into the swamp into some
areas that I had previously never dared to enter. The last thing one wants to do is get lost in the
backwaters of Lake Caddo but there are plenty of well marked boat lanes; stay in or close to
them and finding your way through the swamp is easy. I gained a good bit of confidence about
navigating the lake alone, without a guide and took the family, 2 at a time on short forays into
the backwaters. I plan to expand my knowledge of the lake during another try at the yellow bass,
probably near the end of this month.
Billy and Dottie Carter own several very nice rental lake houses situated right on the banks of
Caddo that make for a very comfortable headquarters while visiting Caddo. The houses have
docks with boat slips for your boat, should you prefer to fish on your own. Personally, I advise
newcomers to enjoy at least one fishing trip or scenic tour with Billy. He can teach you more
about the lake in 2 hours than you’ll learn on your own in two weeks!
Guide Billy Carter can be reached at 903-789-3268 or online at www.spatterdock.com
Listen to Outdoors With Luke Clayton at www.catfishradio.com