CADDO LAKE

                               BASS BOAT  

UGG LOOK WHAT HE DID! THAT’S THE REASON I DON’T ALLOW CATFISH FISHING IN MY NEW BASS BOAT. JUST LOOK. THAT CATFISH POOPED ON MY CARPET. DON, I DIDN’T PUT THAT CATFISH IN YOUR BOAT, YOU DID. IT DOESN’T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHO PUT IT IN MY BOAT YOU’RE GOING TO CLEAN THE POOP UP. IT’S YOUR FAULT IT’S THERE!

DON, ART, AND I HAD PLANNED ANOTHER TRIP TO CADDO FOR THE FIRST WEEK IN JUNE AND THIS TIME DON AND I HAD GOT TO GO. ART HAD BEEN CALLED FOR GRAND JURY DUTY AND WOULD HAVE TO POSTPONE GETTING TO GO TO CADDO ONE MORE TIME. THIS WAS THE FIRST WEEK IN JUNE AND IT WAS GETTING PRETTY HOT DURING THE DAY AND THE FISHING HAD SLOWED DOWN A WHOLE LOT. ART MAY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL FALL TO GO.

HEAT IS THE ENEMY OF M/S AND I DON’T DO WELL WHEN IT’S HOT. BESIDES THE LAKE IS GETTING LOW AND WITH ART’S BIG BOAT AND MOTOR WE WOULD HAVE TROUBLE GETTING TO THE PLACES WHERE I FISH. EVEN WITH 60 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND A SASSIE SHAD AND A BUCKET FULL OF WEENIES YOU CAN’T CATCH FISH WHEN YOU CAN’T GET TO THEM. BUT THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.

DON AND I ARRIVED AT TUCKER’S CAMP A LITTLE BEFORE NOON. WE GOT EVERY THING UNLOADED INTO THE CABIN AND WERE READY TO LAUNCH THE BOAT WHEN I NOTICED ORIED, TRUE TO HE’S WORD, HAD PUT A SMALL AIR CONDITIONER IN THE BEDROOM WINDOW. I TURNED ON THE A/C AND WE WENT DOWN TO LAUNCH THE BOAT. AFTER WE GOT THE BOAT IN THE WATER WE WENT OUT TO JOHN’S HOLE. THAT’S A GROUP OF CYPRESS TREES JUST OFF THE OLD RIVER CHANNEL. I INTENDED TO PUT SOME LIMB LINES ON THOSE TREES TO FISH FOR FLATHEADS. THAT’S WHAT I CALL OPELOUSAS CATFISH, THE KIND THAT GROWS SO BIG. I WANTED TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD LINES IN THERE BEFORE I STARTED TYING MINE OUT.

WHEN WE GOT BACK TO THE CABIN THE BEDROOM WAS NICE AND COOL. BOTH OF US LAID DOWN FOR A NAP. DON ENJOYED THE A/C AS MUCH AS I DID. MISSIE, DON’S DOG THAT HE TAKES EVERYWHERE HE GOES, PILED UP IN FRONT OF THE A/C AND WAS SNORING SO LOUD THAT SHE WOKE ME UP. ABOUT FOUR O’CLOCK WITH DON AND MISSIE BOTH SNORING I GAVE UP GETTING ANY MORE SLEEP AND GOT UP. IF THEY’RE NOT GOING TO LET ME SLEEP I’LL BE DARNED IF I’M GOING TO LET THEM SLEEP. I WOKE DON AND MISSIE UP AND TOLD THEM IT WAS TIME TO GO PUT OUT MY LINES.

NOW I’VE TOLD YOU DON WONT LET ME CATFISH IN HIS BOAT SO HE WONT LET ME SET OUT MY LINES FROM HIS BOAT. I HAD TO GET IN ONE OF THE LITTLE JON BOATS WITH ALL MY CATFISH GEAR, A BREAM POLE, AND A CUP OF WORMS. I DID HAVE A TROLLING MOTOR I PUT ON THE JON BOAT. DON TIED ONTO THE JON BOAT AND PULLED ME OUT TO JOHN’S HOLE BEHIND HIS BASS BOAT. HE DROPPED ME OFF AT JOHN’S HOLE AND WENT OFF SOMEWHERE TO BASS FISH. HE SAID HE WOULD COME BACK TO PULL ME IN BEFORE DARK.

WELL I TIED OUT 10 LIMB LINES AND CAUGHT 10 BREAM FOR BAIT. WHEN I HAD EVERYTHING READY TO CATCH A GOOD CATFISH I STILL HAD SOME TIME TO KILL UNTIL DON WAS DUE BACK TO PULL ME IN. MY BREAM POLE WAS A FLY ROD AND IN

MY BREAM BOX I HAD SOME FLYS FOR BREAM FISHING. I DECIDED TO TIE ON A FLY AND HAVE SOME FUN CATCHING SOME BREAM ON A FLY. I DID JUST THAT. BUT BREAM ARE NOT THE ONLY THING I CAUGHT. BY THE TIME DON CAME BACK FOR ME I HAD CAUGHT ABOUT A DOZEN BREAM LARGE ENOUGH TO EAT, A BASS THAT WEIGHTED ABOUT FOUR POUNDS, AND TWO OTHER BASS ABOUT 14 INCHES LONG.

WHEN DON ARRIVED TO PULL ME IN I ASK HIM HOW MANY BASS HE HAD CAUGHT. NONE, HE SAID, THE WEATHER IS TOO HOT FOR BASS TO BITE. BESIDES IT’S THE WRONG TIME OF DAY ACCORDING TO MY BASS MAGAZINE. WELL I’VE GOT THREE BASS THAT DIDN’T READ YOUR MAGAZINE I WOULD LIKE TO PUT IN YOUR LIVE WELL. THERE ARE 12 LARGE BREAM THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PUT IN ALSO. THAT IS IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR THEM. DON’T GET SMART WITH ME OR I’LL LET YOU PADDLE IN, HE SAID. YOU DO REMEMBER YOUR STATEMENT ON THE WAY DOWN THAT YOU WOULD CLEAN ALL THE FISH I COULD CATCH DON’T YOU? I WAS TALKING ABOUT CATFISH DON CRIED. BUT YOU DIDN’T SAY CATFISH DID YOU? OK OK, DON’T SAY I’M NOT A MAN OF MY WORD. I’LL CLEAN ANY FISH YOU CATCH, BUT THAT’S JUST FOR THIS TRIP.

DON TIED ONTO MY JON BOAT AND STARTED TO CAMP. I COULD SEE HIS LIPS MOVING BUT I COULDN’T HEAR WHAT HE WAS SAYING BECAUSE OF THE NOISE OF THE MOTOR. BUT THEN IT MAY BE A GOOD THING THAT I COULDN’T HEAR HIM BECAUSE WHATEVER HE WAS SAYING SEEMED TO BE MAKING HIM MAD. HE WAS TURNING RED IN THE FACE ANYWAY. THE FURTHER WE WENT THE FASTER HE GOT UNTIL I FELT LIKE I WAS ON A SURF BOARD. I WAS SITTING IN THE BACK OF THE JON BOAT AND WAS HOLDING ON WITH BOTH HANDS. WHEN WE GOT TO SHORE MY LEGS WERE SO WEAK I COULDN’T GET OUT OF THE BOAT WITHOUT HELP. DON SAID YOU REALLY ARE GETTING OLD AREN’T YOU? I WAS TO SCARED TO ANSWER. BUT THEN THAT’S PROBABLY A GOOD THING BECAUSE I MIGHT HAVE SAID SOMETHING I REALLY DIDN’T MEAN.

THE NEXT MORNING WE WENT BASS FISHING FOR A WHILE BUT DON WOULD NOT USE A SASSIE SHAD AND HE NEVER CAUGHT A FISH. AS I CAUGHT THE FOURTH BASS OF THE MORNING ON MY SASSIE SHAD DON SAID HE WAS HUNGRY. WE WERE GOING TO CAMP AND EAT. I COULDN’T UNDER STAND THAT BECAUSE IT HADN’T BEEN THREE HOURS SINCE WE HAD EATEN EGGS, SAUSAGE, AND BISCUITS FOR BREAKFAST. I ALWAYS FEED DON GOOD WHEN WE GO FISHING. AFTER ALL WE GO IN HIS PICKUP AND USE HIS BOAT NOW THAT I DON’T HAVE ONE. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO CAMP I REMINDED DON HE HAD FOUR FISH TO CLEAN. I TOLD HIM I WOULD GO COOK SOME POTATOES AND A HAMBURGER PATTY FOR US WHILE HE CLEANED THE FISH. HE SAID NEVER MIND HE HAD LOST HIS APPETITE HE WOULD SETTLE FOR A SANDWICH. 

AFTER WE ATE OUR SANDWICH WE SIT ON THE FRONT PORCH AND VISITED WITH ORIED UNTIL NAP TIME. WE WENT TO BED AND SLEPT UNTIL ABOUT FOUR. THAT A/C IS NICE. WHEN WE GOT UP I FIXED THOSE FRIED POTATOES AND HAMBURGER PATTIES WITH A NICE SALAD FOR SUPPER. I NOTICED DON HAD FOUND HIS APPETITE. WHEN WE FINISHED EATING DON PULLED ME OUT TO JOHN’S HOLE SO I COULD CATCH BREAM FOR BAIT AND GET MY LINES BAITED. MY LINES HAD BEEN OUT FOR 24 HOURS AND I WAS SURE I WOULD HAVE A FLATHEAD OR TWO. WHEN WE GOT TO MY LINES AGAIN DON SAID HE WAS GOING BASS FISHING AND HE WOULD SEE ME ABOUT SUN DOWN. I USED MY TROLLING MOTOR TO MAKE THE ROUNDS OF MY LINES. I HAD TWO FLATHEADS. ONE WOULD WEIGH ABOUT SIX POUNDS AND THE OTHER WEIGHED ABOUT EIGHT POUNDS. AFTER I CAUGHT TEN BREAM AND  REBAITED MY LINES I TIED A SASSIE SHAD ON MY FLY ROD AND FISHED IN THE SAME PLACES I HAD CAUGHT THE BASS YESTERDAY AND CAUGHT TWO MORE BASS.

DON CAME BACK ABOUT SUN DOWN TO GET ME. I ASK HIM IF HE HAD CAUGHT ANYTHING. HE SAID HE HAD CAUGHT TWO BASS TODAY AND ONE OF THEM WEIGHED FOUR POUNDS. I SAID THAT WAS GREAT THAT I HAD CAUGHT TWO MYSELF AND ONE OF THEM WEIGHS ABOUT SIX POUNDS. WHAT! HE SAID, I THOUGHT YOU WERE CATFISHING. I AM BUT YOU LEAVE ME HERE SO LONG I CATCH TEN BREAM, BAIT MY LINES, AND STILL HAVE TIME LEFT OVER SO I PUT A SASSIE SHAD ON MY FLY ROD AND BASS FISH. IF YOU WILL USE A SASSIE SHAD YOU WILL CATCH MORE FISH. I’VE BEEN FISHING FOR 20 YEARS AND I HAVE A TACKLE BOX WITH OVER 60 PLUGS IN IT, DON SNAPPED. I DON’T NEED ADVICE FROM A CATFISHERMAN ON HOW TO CATCH BASS SO JUST KEEP IT TO YOUR SELF. OK I SAID BUT WOULD YOU PUT MY BASS IN YOUR LIVE WELL? NO THEY CAN JUST KEEP THOSE TWO CATFISH COMPANY UNTIL WE GET BACK TO CAMP.

WELL THE RIDE BACK TO CAMP WAS BAD. I COULD SEE DON TALKING TO HIMSELF AND IT MUST HAVE BEEN BAD ALSO BECAUSE MISSIE WAS LAYING IN THE BOTTOM OF DON’S BOAT WITH HER FRONT PAWS OVER HER EARS. DON DIDN’T BOTHER TO START OUT SLOW WHEN HE PULLED ME IN LIKE HE HAD BEEN DOING. HE STARTED OFF WIDE OPEN AND THAT’S FAST WITH A ONE HUNDRED FIFTY HORSE MOTOR. THE JON BOAT WAS ONLY HITTING THE WATER ONCE EVERY TWENTY YARDS OR SO THEN IT WOULD BOUNCE BACK INTO THE AIR. I WAS SCREAMING ALL THE WAY TO CAMP. NOT FOR DON TO SLOW DOWN BUT JUST SCREAMING. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO CAMP DON HAD TO GET IN THE JON BOAT AND PRY MY FINGERS LOOSE FROM THE SIDES OF THE BOAT. I SWEAR I LEFT FINGER PRINTS IN THE SIDES OF THAT ALUMINUM BOAT. I TOLD DON I WAS GOING TO BED WHEN HE GOT THROUGH CLEANING FISH HE COULD LEAVE THEM IN THE REFRIGERATOR UNTIL MORNING. I WOULD SACK THEM UP AND PUT THEM IN THE FREEZER THEN. YOU SURE ARE GETTING OLD LOREN I THINK YOUR HAIR IS GETTING GRAYER TOO.

THE NEXT MORNING WHEN WE GOT UP AND HAD BREAKFAST I TOLD DON I WANTED HIM TO PULL ME OUT TO MY LINES VERY SLOWLY AND I WOULD SPEND THE MORNING SITTING IN THE SHADE OF A CYPRESS TREE. I REALLY DIDN’T FEEL UP TO FISHING THAT DAY. ARE YOU SICK? NO I JUST DON’T FEEL LIKE FISHING THIS MORNING. I WANT TO TAKE UP MY LINES AND REST TODAY. I DON’T HAVE TO PULL THE JON BOAT OUT FOR YOU TO TAKE UP YOUR LINES. WE WILL JUST RUN OUT THERE IN MY BASS BOAT DON SAID. WHEN WE GOT THERE I STARTED TAKING UP MY LINES. DON WAS VERY HELPFUL. HE WOULD PULL UP TO A TREE WITH HIS TROLLING MOTOR, UNTIE THE LINE, AND PASS IT BACK TO ME. AS HE PULLED UP TO THE SECOND LINE, THE LIMB IT WAS TIED TO STARTED JERKING WILDLY. HAY! WE GOT A FISH ON THIS LINE AND IT MUST BE A BIG ONE THE WAY IT’S JERKING THAT LIMB. HE GOT HOLD OF THE LINE AND PULLED THE FLATHEAD TO THE SURFACE OF THE WATER. OH, IT IS A BIG ONE IT MUST WEIGH OVER 20 POUNDS DON CRIED. GET MY BASS NET AND COME UP HERE AND NET THIS FISH. BUT DON THAT’S A CATFISH AND YOU DON’T ALLOW CATFISH IN YOUR BOAT. SHUT UP AND GET THAT NET UP HERE, DON HOLLERED!

I NETTED THE FLATHEAD AND HANDED THE NET HANDLE TO DON. HE SWUNG THE FISH ON BOARD AND PUT HIM IN THE FLOOR. HE WAS TOO BIG TO GO IN THE LIVE WELL. AS WE CONTINUED TAKING THE LINES UP WE HAD ANOTHER FLATHEAD ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AND WE LANDED HIM THE SAME WAY WE DID THE FIRST ONE. I WASN’T ABOUT TO PUT A CATFISH IN DON’S BOAT JUST IN CASE SOMETHING WENT WRONG HE COULDN’T BLAME ME. WHEN WE GOT DOWN TO THE LAST LINE IT HAD A CHANNEL CAT OF ABOUT THREE POUNDS ON IT. DON SAID HE WOULDN’T NEED THE NET FOR THIS ONE. HE PICKED THE LINE UP AND GRABBED THE FISH. WHEN HE GRABBED IT, HE SQUEEZED IT HARD TO KEEP IT FROM FINNING HIM AND HE SQUEEZED OUT A BUNCH OF CATFISH POOP ALL OVER HIS CARPET.

I DIDN’T DO THAT DON! I DIDN’T PUT THAT CATFISH IN YOUR BOAT! NO BUT IT’S YOUR FAULT AND YOUR GOING TO HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP. THAT’S THE REASON I DON’T ALLOW CATFISH FISHING IN MY BOAT, DON SAID.   ALL I COULD SAY WAS, YES DON. I WAS LAUGHING TOO HARD TO SAY MORE. DON’T LAUGH AT ME OR YOU WILL SWIM BACK TO CAMP YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR JON BOAT WITH YOU TO DAY. NOW I DON’T KNOW IF DON WOULD HAVE MADE ME SWIM BACK TO CAMP OR NOT BUT HE WAS MAD ENOUGH TO TELL ME WHEN WE GOT BACK TO CAMP WE WERE JUST GOING HOME.

WHEN WE GOT BACK TO CAMP DON CLEANED THE FISH AND I CLEANED HIS BOAT. WE DECIDED WE HAD HAD ENOUGH FISHING FOR THIS TRIP. WE HAD TWO ICE CHEST FULL OF FISH AND HAD HAD A VERY INTERESTING TRIP. WE LOADED UP AND STARTED FOR HOME. DON SAID,  WE SHOULD COME BACK JUST AS SOON AS WE CAN. BUT REMEMBER YOU CAN’T CATFISH FISH IN MY BASS BOAT.