FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026 · CADDO LAKE
Fall bite firing on grass edges and cypress as water settles into the sweet zone.
WATER 69°FAIR 56°FWIND 1 MPH ESEASON FALLPOOL -1.2 FT
We're in the heart of fall transition with water holding steady in the upper 60s, the perfect comfort band for largemouth to hunt aggressively. The pressure is steady, skies clear and sunny through midday with light winds out of the northeast shifting southeast, so the shallow grass lines and cypress wood will be productive all day. Baitfish are stacking on the grass edges and in the river cuts as they settle into fall patterns, and bass are gorging on shad and reacting hard to anything moving through that cover. This is wide-open fishing.
The day's game plan
EARLY MORNING · 7:26 AM to 9:00 AM
Shallow cypress and lily pad edges in 2 to 4 feet of water along the river mouths and protected bays, work the grass lines where they meet open water.
4-inch black or junebug Texas-rigged soft plastic on a 1/4-ounce weight, pitched tight to cypress knees and tree trunks with a skip-cast entry and a slow drag along the muck bottom. Keep your rod tip low and work the wood methodically.
Cold air overnight means the shallow wood is colder than the main lake, so bass hunt those cover zones early before the sun warms the shallows. Light is low, so they're willing to move a step or two off structure. The junebug color reads well in the stained water and cypress bass respond to a quiet, deliberate presentation against the wood.
MORNING · 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Transition from cypress to the grass edges and pads in 3 to 6 feet, especially anywhere the river cuts or a bayou opens into the main lake. Work the soft grass line and the pads themselves.
Lipless crankbait, chrome or shad pattern, 5/8 ounce, cast beyond the grass and cranked back with a steady retrieve through the edge zone. Let it tick bottom in the cuts. Also carry a 3/8-ounce spinnerbait with a single Colorado blade in white or chartreuse, slow-rolled along the grass perimeter.
The sun is climbing and warming the shallows, so bass start sliding out to the grass edges where bait is and deeper water is close. A lipless crank and spinnerbait are reaction baits that trigger schooled bass even if they aren't hungry, and the shad pattern matches the forage bass are chasing. The morning solunar window around 10:53 AM will add a small bonus to the bite.
MIDDAY · 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Main lake grass edges in 6 to 10 feet, river channel swing bends, and any timber or structure touching the grass line. The sun will be high and bright so bass back off the shallowest wood into slightly deeper cover.
6-inch shad-pattern swimbait on a 3/8-ounce jighead, slow-rolled 12 inches above bottom along the channel edges and grass breaks. Cast parallel to grass lines rather than into them. Also work a fluke in watermelon red or natural shad, Texas-rigged light, dragged slowly through the cuts and deeper pockets in the pads.
Midday sun pushes bass away from the thinnest cover, but they stay related to the bait and the structure nearby. A swimbait and fluke are baits that mimic the shad they're feeding on, and the slower pace lets bass in deeper, calmer water commit to the strike. The water is clear enough and warm enough that natural forage colors work better than dark plastics.
LATE AFTERNOON · 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Return to the grass edges and cypress flats in 4 to 7 feet, working any trees or dense pad mats. Focus on the lee side of the pads and behind cypress clusters where current breaks form.
Chatterbait, white or shad pattern, 3/8 ounce, cast to the edge of the grass and retrieved with a steady medium speed. Let it wander and dip into the pockets. Also run a topwater plopper or walk-the-dog spook pattern lure in shad color over the top of the pads if you spot bait activity or hear popping.
Afternoon light angle makes the grass and pads cast shadow, and bass hunt the shaded edges aggressively. The chatterbait blade creates vibration and flash that triggers reaction strikes in stained water. If you see bait schooling or hear the plop of shad under the pads, switch to topwater and cover the zone with noise and movement.
EVENING · 5:30 PM to 6:33 PM (sunset)
Back to the shallowest cypress and lily pad flats in 2 to 4 feet. Fish tight to the trees and pads themselves, right on the structure.
Black or junebug topwater frog or hollow-body frog, working it with short pops and brief pauses over the pads. Also have a 4-inch junebug worm rigged Texas-style on a 1/4-ounce weight ready to flip into any pocket or tree.
As light fades, bass move back shallow to hunt the cover where baitfish hide in the pads and against wood. A frog works the thin stuff where heavier baits can't go, and the popping action is visible and audible even in low light. Bass will strike aggressively at sunset because they know feeding time is ending.
DUSK · 6:33 PM to 7:30 PM
Cypress flats and dense pad mats in 2 to 5 feet, anywhere with overhead cover. Work the thickest stuff you can reach.
4-inch black or junebug Texas-rigged creature or worm on a 1/4-ounce weight, punched or flipped into the densest pad mats and underneath fallen cypress. Pause longer between movements and let the bait sit.
Low light activates bass in shallow cover. They're no longer worried about predator exposure and will hunt deep into the pads and root balls. A punched rig gets the bait through thick salvinia and dense vegetation where open-water baits can't penetrate. Black reads as a strong silhouette against the remaining light.
NIGHT · 7:30 PM onward
Stay on cypress flats and creek channels in 3 to 7 feet. Bass will hunt the shallow wood and pads throughout the night if there's moon light or if you run a light.
4-inch junebug worm, Texas-rigged on 1/4-ounce, worked along the wood with a slow deliberate pace. If running a light or under full moon, a topwater frog over pads will draw strikes. A silent approach is critical.
The waxing gibbous moon will provide enough light for bass to hunt the shallows all night. They're less cautious and will chase further. Junebug and black baits are maximum contrast in low light. If you fish after dark, avoid noise and splashes, keep a light hand on the trolling motor, and work the cover methodically. This is the one period where a silent entry and stealthy boat handling separate success from wasted casts.
Where to fish
- River and bayou grass edges (lily pads, hyacinth, and sword grass lines) — 2 to 8 feet · Soft grass transitions from shallow flats to deeper channel cuts, pockets within dense mats, and open-water edges where vegetation meets sand or muck bottom.
Baitfish congregate and hide in the grass. Bass hunt the perimeter and inside the pockets. The transitions create current breaks and shade lines that concentrate bass. Fall is peak time as shad school on these edges and bass gorge before cooler water arrives. - Cypress flats and tree structure (cypress trees, knees, stumps, root wads) — 2 to 6 feet · Scattered cypress on shallow flats, dense clusters of trees and knees, submerged root systems, fallen laydowns.
Cypress is the primary cover on Caddo. Bass use wood as ambush points and daytime sanctuaries. The stained water and shallow nature of Caddo mean bass rely heavily on tight wood cover rather than open-water structures. Cypress flats are especially productive in early morning and evening. - River channel transitions and bends — 6 to 15 feet · Inside and outside channel bends, drop-offs from shallow flats to channel depth, hard-bottom or timber-lined edges where channel meets flats.
Channels are highway systems and holding zones. Inside bends create current breaks and hold feeding bass. Outside bends have steep drops where bass stage and retreat. Channel swings near shallow flats are staging areas for bass moving shallow to feed. - Creek arm openings and protected bays — 3 to 10 feet · Cypress flats at creek mouths, wood-lined creek transitions, baitfish concentration zones where creeks meet the main lake.
Creeks funnel baitfish and are natural travel corridors for bass moving between deep and shallow water. Protected bays warm quickly and hold active bass. The current from creek inflows concentrates forage and triggers feeding.
What to throw
- 4-inch Texas-rigged soft plastic — 4 in · black or junebug · 1/4 oz (early morning, evening, dusk, and around structure)
pitched tight to cypress and flipped to pads, dragged slowly along muck and wood - Lipless crankbait — 2 to 2.5 in · chrome or shad · 5/8 oz (morning through early afternoon on grass edges)
cast beyond grass and cranked through the edge, letting it tick bottom in cuts - 3/8-ounce spinnerbait — n/a · white or chartreuse, single Colorado blade · 3/8 oz (morning and transition hours when grass edges hold schools)
slow-rolled 6 to 12 inches above bottom along grass perimeter and timber edges - 6-inch shad-pattern swimbait — 6 in · natural shad or pearl · 3/8 oz jighead (midday on main-lake grass edges and deeper pockets)
slow-rolled 12 inches above bottom, cast parallel to grass lines and channel breaks - Topwater frog or hollow-body frog — 2 to 2.5 in · black or shad · n/a (evening, dusk, and night when light fades)
worked with short pops and pauses over dense pads, or walk-the-dog retrieve along grass edge
How to work it
- Tight-to-cover pitch and flip — Early morning, evening, and dusk when bass are hunting the cover. Critical in stained water where bass rely on proximity to structure. · Cypress flats, cypress knees, submerged root wads, dense pad mats, fallen trees.
Make a short accurate cast (10 to 20 feet) to a specific tree, knee, or pad pocket with a controlled entry and minimal splash. Use a flipping stick or short rod, keep the line semi-tight, and guide the bait down with your reel hand. - Slow drag and bottom contact — All day but especially early morning and midday when bass are on or near bottom holding wood. · Cypress flats, muck-bottom transitions, channel bends, timber-covered ledges.
Cast to the area, establish bottom contact with your weight, and drag the bait along the muck and wood with occasional pauses. Feel for changes in bottom composition and wood. Use a heavy rod to maintain contact. - Reactive presentation retrieve — Morning through midday when bass are actively schooled and feeding. Most effective when bass are grouped and competitive. · Grass edges, channel perimeters, open transitions between shallow and deep structure.
Cast a lipless crank, spinnerbait, or chatterbait and retrieve with steady speed or slight pulsing motion, allowing the blade vibration or bait profile to do the work. Cover water efficiently and fish reaction strikes rather than hunger. - Silent approach and boat control — Any time but critical at dawn and dusk when light is low and noise carries farther. · All shallow cover but especially cypress flats and dense pads where bass are spooky.
Kill the trolling motor 30 to 50 feet before your target. Drift or pole quietly into position. Avoid loud splashes and abrupt movements. Let the bait's presentation speak, not your approach.
Pro tips
- When you hook a bass on the grass edge, work the adjacent area immediately. Fall schooling means if one bass is feeding, others are nearby. Cast the same spot or work 10 feet parallel to your strike zone before moving.
- Listen for popping sounds under the pads or watch for white birds sitting on the water. Those are signs of baitfish under the cover and bass underneath them. Slow down, switch to a frog, and work that zone methodically.
- Salvinia mats can choke navigation in the back bayous this time of year. Stick to the main river and wide-open bayou passages where the grass hasn't piled up. Ask locals or run a dedicated Caddo map to stay out of the weeds.
If conditions change
If wind picks up past 10 mph out of the southeast, work the northeast banks and the lee side of cypress clusters where waves flatten. Wind-blown banks with grass edges are prime. If a front rolls in and pressure drops hard before conditions worsen, fish aggressively early with reaction baits to catch the pre-front bite. If the front blows through cold and clear, downsize everything to 3-inch worms and drop shots, slow the retrieve by 50%, and target the densest cypress cover only. If water clarity muddies from rain or run-off, switch to chartreuse accents, upsize blade vibration with a wider Colorado blade, and work the water column higher than bottom to give bass a better chance to find the bait by lateral line.
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