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FISHING
REPORT FOR JANUARY 19, 2011
NORTHEAST
Copan:
January 17. Elevation normal, water clear. Crappie good on minnows and hot
pink jigs at 10-14 ft. near submerged structure north of Washington Cove and
on the north side of the dam. Catfish slow on cut shad on bottom. Report
submitted by Joe Alexander, game warden stationed in Washington County.
Ft.
Gibson: January 16. Elevation 2 ft. below normal, water clear. Crappie good
on minnows and jigs at 15- 25 ft. around the docks fishing just off the
bottom around structure. Catfish good on live shad and cut shad in the main
channel fishing the bottom. Striped bass fair on live shad and balloons
below the dam during generation. Report submitted by Rick Stafford of
Wagoner.
Hudson:
January 17. Elevation normal. Blue catfish fair to good on cut bait. Crappie
good on minnows and jigs around brush pile areas. Report submitted by Steve
Loveland, game warden stationed in Rogers and Mayes counties.
Hulah:
January 17. Elevation normal, water clear. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs
in deep water near submerged structure on the north side of the dam. Report
submitted by Joe Alexander, game warden stationed in Washington County.
Kaw:
January 17. Elevation above normal, water 35 and clear. Bear Creek boat ramp
is inaccessible to large boats; all other ramps are open and usable. Crappie
good on minnows and jigs at 15-25 ft. under Washunga Bay Bridge and over
brush piles throughout the lake. Blue catfish fair on juglines baited with
shad at 15-20 ft. in the Arkansas River arm and fair on stinkbait in the
Beaver Creek arm. Report submitted by Spencer Grace, game warden stationed
in Kay County.
Skiatook:
January 18. Elevation 4 1/2 ft. below normal, water 40s and clear. Crappie
fair on minnows and jigs along creek channels and standing timber. Report
submitted by Paul Welch, game warden stationed in Osage County.
Sooner:
January 17. White bass fair on live shad and slabs in the discharge canal.
Report submitted by Doug Gottschalk, game warden stationed in Noble County.
SOUTHEAST
Arbuckle:
January 15. Elevation 2 1/2 ft. below normal, water low 40s and clear.
Crappie being caught off docks early morning hours. Report submitted by Jack
Melton.
Blue
River: January 18. Elevation slightly below normal, water 45 and
clear. Trout fair on orange and garlic Power Bait and in-line spinnerbaits.
Fly-fishing fair on woolly buggers, San Juan worms and elk hair caddis
flies. Smallmouth and spotted bass fair on soft plastics. Channel catfish
good on cut minnows and stinkbait. Report submitted by Matt Gamble,
biologist at the Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.
Broken
Bow: January 17. Largemouth and smallmouth bass good on jig and pig. Catfish
good on juglines baited with cut bait. Crappie good on jigs at 30-35 ft.
along structure. Report submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in
McCurtain County.
Eufaula:
January 17. Elevation 4 ft. below normal, water clear. Crappie fair on
minnows and small jigs at 8-20 ft. under boat docks with brush. Report
submitted by Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.
Hugo:
January 16. Elevation 3 1/2 ft. below normal. Crappie slow to fair on jigs
along the river channel. Report submitted by Jay Harvey, game warden
stationed in Choctaw County.
Konawa:
January 17. Elevation normal, water 40 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on
crankbaits at 8-10 ft. around points. Report submitted by Daryl Howser, game
warden stationed in Seminole County.
McGee
Creek:
January 16. Elevation 1 ½ ft. below normal, water 46 and clear. Crappie fair
on minnows and jigs at 16-24 ft. around cedar brush off main creek channels.
Largemouth bass fair on soft plastic lures and dark colored jig and pig,
fished slowly around structure and off rocky points, 12-25 ft. Report
submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in Atoka County.
Pine
Creek:
January 16. Elevation below normal, water clear. Bass good on jigs and
spoons fished in the deeper waters around points. Crappie good on minnows
near creek channels. Catfish good on trotlines baited with cut shad near
mouths of creeks in the lower end of the lake. Report submitted by Mark
Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
Sardis:
January 17. Elevation below normal, water murky. Crappie fair to good on
minnows and jigs at 18-25 ft. Report submitted by Dane Polk, game warden
stationed in Pushmataha County.
Texoma:
January 16. Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water 46 and clear. Largemouth and
smallmouth bass fair on jig and pig combination baits at 15-20 ft. around
the drop-offs. Striped and white bass fair on live bait and sassy shad at
10-20 ft. in the river channels. Channel and blue catfish fair on live bait
and worms at 10-20 ft. from Platter Flats to the north. Crappie fair on
small minnows and jigs at 5-15 ft. around underwater brush. Paddlefish fair
when generating below the dam. Report submitted by Danny Clubb, game warden
stationed in Bryan County.
Wister:
January 16. Elevation 1/2 ft. below normal, water murky. Largemouth bass
fair on dark colored jig and pig. Crappie slow to fair on minnows and jigs
at 18-25 ft. around structure. Channel catfish fair on juglines baited with
cut shad and liver. Report submitted by Randy Fennell, game warden stationed
in LeFlore County.
SOUTHWEST
Ellsworth:
January 16. Elevation 2 ft. below normal, water murky. Crappie good on
minnows and jigs at Ralph's Resort. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game
warden stationed in Comanche County.
Foss:
January 14. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal with gates closed, water 50s
and clear. Striped bass hybrids fair on slabs in deep water. Walleye slow on
live bait. Crappie fair on live bait around marina. Catfish fair. Report
submitted by Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.
Lawtonka:
January 16. Elevation below normal, water clear. Crappie good on minnows and
jigs at the dam. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in
Comanche County.
Tom
Steed: January 17. Elevation normal, water 40 and clear. Crappie fair on
minnows at 15-20 ft. near brush piles.
WATERFOWL REPORT FOR JANUARY 19, 2011
NORTHWEST
Canton:
Lake level is 1.76 ft below normal. Habitat conditions are fair on the lake,
with winter wheat planted and harvested row crops in the area are in fair to
good condition. Duck season closed. Goose numbers are low. Hunting activity
is low, with no reports of success. Some geese are roosting on the lake and
feeding on crop fields around the lake. Boat ramps are still usable on all
sides of the lake, but shallow water may be encountered leaving the cove
from the NW boatramp, and the Longdale ramp is usable by small boats only.
Ft.
Supply: Lake level is 0.23 ft above normal. Habitat conditions are fair,
with most local wheat up. Duck season closed. Goose numbers are low. Hunting
activity is moderate, with low success. Bird numbers decreased over the
weekend, but an increase was seen with the arrival of the recent cold front.
SOUTHWEST
Ft. Cobb:
Lake level is 0.80 ft below normal. Habitat condition is good, with fair
winter wheat. Duck numbers are high. Goose numbers are high. Hunter activity
is fair, with fair success. Geese in the area have been using the wheat
fields and returning to the lake during the middle of the day.
Hackberry: Flat reservoir is 6 ft below normal. Habitat conditions are good,
with winter wheat, some milo and native vegetation available. Duck numbers
are fair. Goose numbers are good. Hunting acitivy is moderate, with fair
success. No significant bird movement was observed in the area.
Mtn.
Park: Lake level is 2.02 ft below normal. Habitat condition is fair. Duck
numbers are low. Goose numbers are low. Hunting activity is low, with fair
success. A group of ducks seen using the WDU area in the morning, and a good
concentration of birds also using the southwest portion of the lake.
Waurika:
Lake level is 1.00 ft below normal. Habitat conditions are poor on the lake,
but fair on the wetland units. Winter wheat in the area is in fair condition
for geese. Duck numbers a low. Goose numbers are fair. Hunting activity is
low, with no reports of success. A small decrease in the number of birds in
the area has been observed since the last survey.
NORTHEAST
Copan:
Lake level is 1.40 ft below normal. Habitat condition is good, with flooded
native plants on units in excellent condition. Duck numbers are low, but
increasing. Goose numbers are high, with mostly Canada's. Hunting activity
is high on weekends and low during the weekdays. Hunting success has been
low.
Eufaula:
Lake level is 3.80 ft below normal. Habitat conditions at current lake level
are very poor, and farming activity in the area is low. Duck numbers are
low. Goose numbers are low. Hunting activity is very low, with no reports of
success. No significant bird movement has been observed in the area
recently. Lake elevation needs to rise a few feet before improved habitat is
available.
Ft.
Gibson: Lake level is 1.33 ft below normal. Habitat conditions are good,
with smartweed, barnyard grass and some agricultural crops in the area. Duck
numbers are moderate to high. Goose numbers are moderate. Hunting activity
is moderate, with good success. No significant bird movement has been seen
in the area.
Hulah:
Lake level is 1.20 ft below normal. Habitat conditions are poor. Duck
numbers are low. Goose numbers are moderate. Hunting activity moderate, with
low success. Most bird movement in the area was observed on the lake.
Kaw: Lake
level is 0.10 ft above normal. Habitat conditions are poor, with low
quantities of millet sedges and natural waterfowl vegetation. Duck numbers
are low. Goose numbers are low. Hunting activity is light, with fair
success. Bird movement in the area has been low.
Keystone:
Lake level is 3.39 ft below normal. Habitat conditions are poor due to
storage of water in the flood pool over the summer, and many sloughs and
cutoffs that are typically hunted are dry. WDUs are currently dry due to
renovation work. Duck numbers are low. Goose numbers are low. Small numbers
of birds seen migrating through the area, but none are staying due to poor
conditions. Cottonwood Creek WDU is currently dry and will not be pumped
this year due to renovation work.
Oologah:
Lake level is 1.47 ft below normal. Habitat conditions are poor at current
lake level, with no flooded millet, some plants on the edge of the lake and
ag fields around the lake in poor condition. Duck numbers are good, with
American wigeon, ring-necked, hooded mergansers, common mergansers,
buffleheads, mallards and gadwalls. Goose numbers are good, with a mix
resident Canadas and migrants in the area. Hunting activity is moderate to
high, with fair to good success. Bird numbers are the best yet for this
season.
Sooner:
Lake level is 3.00 ft below normal. Habitat conditions are poor, with winter
wheat stressed around lake. Duck numbers are fair, with mostly mallards.
Goose numbers are fair, with mostly Canada geese. Hunting activity has been
moderate, with fair success. No significant bird movement was observed in
the area recently.
Webber
Falls: Lake level is 2.34 ft above normal. Habitat conditions are good, with
smartweed, barnyard grass, bidens, cut soybeans, corn, milo and wheat in the
area. Duck numbers are moderate to high. Goose numbers are moderate. Hunting
activity is moderate, with good success. No significant bird movement has
been seen in the area.
SOUTHEAST
Hugo:
Lake level is 4.00 ft below normal. Habitat conditions are poor due to water
level. Duck numbers are low, with mainly mallards. A group of 1,500 snow
geese were seen on the lake this week. Hunting activity is low, with low
success. No significant bird movement was observed in the area.
Red
Slough: Units 27A, 27B, 30 & 38 are mostly full. Units 15, 31 & 37 have
enough water to make the usable. Other units are dry. Excellent wild forage
overall in the area. Duck numbers are fair, with around 3,000 birds
observed. Goose numbers are low. Hunting activity is low, with fair success.
No significant bird movement was observed in the area.
Sequoyah
NWR: Food conditions in the area are excellent. Duck numbers: mallards
2,226; pintail 20; green-winged teal 16; shoveler 26. Goose numbers:
snow/blue 9,223.
Texoma:
Lake level is 0.69 ft below normal. Habitat conditions are fair with good
Japanese millet. Duck numbers are low. Goose numbers are low. Hunting
activity is light, with fair success. A rise in water level and cooler
temperatures are needed in order to see an increase in bird numbers.
Oklahoma Spoonbill Fishing
Dustin Newer
April 2010
These were
caught near the Twin Bridges State park fishing with Dempsey’s Guide
Service…My fishing partner is a well known OkieFish contributor but I
will let her send in the pics of the 60 lber she caught.
Huge striped bass hybrid takes lake
record spot at Canton
Lifelong Oklahoma angler James Wesley Jones, Jr. of Canton said
he loves fishing because it is a relaxing activity, but there was likely no
relaxing going on April 19 when he landed a 23.2-lb. (23 lbs., 3 oz.)
striped bass hybrid from Canton Lake. The huge fish qualifies as a lake
record for Canton
and falls only about an ounce shy of taking the state record spot as well,
which is held by Paul Hollister and his 23-lb., 4 oz. fish caught April 1,
1997, from Altus-Lugert
Lake.
Jones caught his fish in the evening using a 1-oz. rattletrap.
Though the hybrid fell short of the state record, it reminds anglers that if
they catch a potential state record fish, they should contact an employee of
the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation for procedures on
certifying state records. Lake
record fish are weighed on scales through lake record keepers registered
with the Wildlife Department, but the weighing of state records must be done
on certified scales with a witness from the Wildlife Department present.
Jones said the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s
new Lake Record Fish Program does more than just recognize fish, but that it
also encourages the sport of fishing. Before the program was in place, his
near state record fish could have gone overlooked by anglers across the
state, but the recognition his fish received through the Lake Record Fish
Program reminds anglers of the potential that Oklahoma’s lakes hold for
producing monster-sized fish.
“It gets people motivated to fish knowing that there are larger
fish in the lake,” Jones said.
He said it is common in discussions among anglers to wonder
about the sizes of the largest fish caught in lakes across the state.
“You don’t have to wonder anymore,” he said. “You can just go on
and find out.”
Jones is referring to the Wildlife Department’s Web site,
wildlifedepartment.com, which includes an easily-operated search feature
that allows those interested to view a wealth of lake record fish
information, ranging from the size of record fish caught to what kind of
bait or rod and reel was used to catch them. And right now, lake records are
being set and broken on a regular basis, which means the wealth of
information on the Web site is updating and growing regularly as well.
Other recent lake records include a 4.8-lb. smallmouth bass
caught by Derek Thurman of
Collinsville. His fish went down as a record
smallmouth for Skiatook Lake, but that record was broken just days later, on
April 5, when angler Jim Horn of Cleveland landed a 6.6-lb. smallmouth bass
from Skiatook using a bait casting rod and reel set up with a jig.
Lakes included in the program include Arbuckle, Broken Bow,
Canton, Eufaula, Ft.
Cobb, Grand, Kaw, Keystone,
Sardis, Skiatook, Tenkiller, Texoma and Thunderbird.
Species eligible for spots in the lake records book include
blue, channel and flathead catfish and largemouth, smallmouth and spotted
bass in addition to crappie, paddlefish, striped bass, striped bass hybrids,
sunfish (combined) walleye/saugeye and white bass. Minimum weights are set
for each species are detailed on the Wildlife Department’s Web site at
wildlifedepartment.com.
Anglers who catch a potential record from a participating lake
should contact designated business locations around the lake that are
enrolled as lake record keepers. A listing of official lake record keepers
is available on wildlifedepartment.com.
Once it has been determined that an angler has landed a record
fish, the media is notified and the public will be able to view information
about the catch on the Wildlife Department’s Web site at
wildlifedepartment.com.
All past and current state record fish are registered in the
Lake Record Fish Program as records for their respective lakes.
To see the complete database of all lake record fish caught, or
to learn more about the Lake Record Fish program, log on to the Wildlife
Department’s Web site at wildlifedepartment.com.
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