Spinnerbait Fishing on Caddo Lake
Caddo Lake · Texas / Louisiana · South Central
Caddo Lake is a 26,000-acre natural lake and cypress swamp straddling the Texas-Louisiana border, fed by Big Cypress Bayou and characterized by dense stands of bald cypress draped in Spanish moss, emergent aquatic vegetation, and a network of named "sloughs" and open "ponds" that segment the fishery into distinct zones. Water clarity trends stained to murky year-round, with visibility rarely exceeding two to three feet outside of drought conditions. Largemouth bass are the primary target species, though chain pickerel, crappie, and catfish share the same structure and routinely complicate the catch.
A wire-arm lure with one or two rotating blades and a skirted jig head. The blades produce flash and vibration that triggers reaction strikes from bass that may not be actively feeding. Exceptional in low-visibility water, around grass edges, over submerged structure, and during cloudy or windy conditions.
Spinnerbait Setup for Caddo Lake
| Rod | 7'–7'3" medium-heavy casting rod, moderate-fast action |
| Reel | 6.4:1–7.1:1 baitcaster |
| Line | 15–17 lb fluorocarbon or 30 lb braid |
| Weight | 3/8–3/4 oz (lighter in shallow, heavier for deeper retrieves) |
Seasonal Tactics on Caddo Lake
Lake: Pre-spawn largemouth push into shallow cypress flats and lily pad fields in February and March as water temps climb through the mid-50s into the low 60s; flipping a 1/2 oz black-blue jig or a punch rig into pockets along the standing timber edges is the most reliable pattern. Spawning fish in April and May spread across shallow hard-bottom areas tucked inside the cypress stands, with topwater and shallow-running squarebill crankbaits producing in early morning.
Spinnerbait: Best season for spinnerbaits. Slow-roll a 1/2 oz through shallow grass and over submerged timber in pre-spawn.
Lake: Summer bass retreat to slightly deeper slough channels (6–12 ft) and stack under dense lily pad canopies to exploit shade and ambush baitfish; a weightless or Texas-rigged soft plastic worked slowly through pad stems, or a hollow-body frog dragged across the mat surface, accounts for the bulk of daylight catches. Afternoon topwater action heats up in shaded canopy pockets near the Louisiana state line.
Spinnerbait: Slow-roll deep along grass edges and main lake points at first light. Night fishing with black spinnerbait is excellent.
Lake: Cooling water in October and November triggers a shad migration into the open pond areas and main bayou channel, pulling bass out of the pads and into more predictable ambush positions along submerged timber edges; a War Eagle 3/8 oz spinnerbait in white or chartreuse-white, or a shallow swimbait on a 1/4 oz head, draws reaction strikes as water temperatures drop through the low 60s.
Spinnerbait: Match shad patterns — white/chartreuse with willow blades. Cover water fast along shoreline transitions.
Lake: Winter concentrates bass in the deepest available slough channels (8–14 ft) along Big Cypress Bayou and in the Mooringsport area near the Louisiana end of the lake; a 3/8 oz football jig dragged slowly across channel floors or a Megabass Vision 110 worked on 10- to 15-second pauses in cleaner-water pockets can pry out lethargic fish during the coldest weeks.
Spinnerbait: Slow-roll a heavy (3/4 oz) spinnerbait along steep banks and points at the slowest possible retrieve.
Best Conditions
Stained to muddy water, wind, overcast skies, grass edges, spring pre-spawn, post-cold-front recovery, shallow flats
Trailer hook is not optional in open water — bass swipe at spinnerbaits and miss the main hook constantly. Add a #4 trailer hook always.
More Techniques for Caddo Lake
Ready to fish Caddo Lake?
Ask Hank about current conditions, water temp, and exactly what to throw today.
Ask Hank →