New paddlefish management program already
increasing fishing opportunities for anglers
An agreement between the City of Miami and the Oklahoma Department of
Wildlife Conservation will mean better and cheaper fishing for paddlefish
anglers in Miami’s Riverview City Park.
At a recent meeting, the Miami City Council unanimously approved a proposal
from the Wildlife Department to eliminate the City of Miami spoonbill permit
that has, up to this point, been a requirement for paddlefish anglers in the
park. With the city permit abolished, paddlefish anglers will only need an
appropriate state fishing license and the Wildlife Department’s free
paddlefish permit. In return, the Wildlife Department will provide the City
of Miami with $5,000, to be matched with up to $15,000 of Sport Fish
Restoration funds, for increasing fishing and boating access in the area.
“This agreement comes as a result of the Wildlife Department’s new
paddlefish program,” said Keith Green, paddlefish program coordinator for
the Wildlife Department. “This is a major increase in opportunity for
Oklahoma paddlefish anglers. They don’t have to buy a permit from the City
of Miami, and they can expect even better fishing access in the future.
Improving and increasing fishing opportunities like this is only one of
several important intended effects of the paddlefish program. So far, the
program is working for anglers in exactly the way we had planned.”
Mike Johnson, City of Miami parks and recreation supervisor, said the
agreement benefits everyone involved, from the City of Miami to the Wildlife
Department to the anglers who fish for paddlefish in the park.
“It’s a win-win situation,” Johnson said.
Green emphasized, however, that voluntary angler participation is important
for the agreement to stay in place and for the paddlefish program to
prosper.
“The City of Miami is going to look at the agreement on a yearly basis, and
base future agreements on the success of the paddlefish program,” Green
said. “That means anglers need to participate. They need to go fishing for
paddlefish and take advantage of the services provided by the paddlefish
management program. ”
The paddlefish management pilot program was established recently near the
Twin Bridges area of the Neosho River and, as evidenced by the agreement
between the Department and the City of Miami, is playing an important role
in paddlefish management. The primary functions of the paddlefish research
center are to collect important data for the Department’s paddlefish
management plan, process paddlefish meat for anglers and salvage paddlefish
eggs. Funds derived from the program go back to the resource, which means
better fishing in the future, along with projects such as improved fishing
access, paddlefish management, angler education and more.
The Department’s paddlefish management program has involved an extensive
process of netting, weighing, measuring and marking paddlefish with metal
tags on the front of the jaw before releasing them to be caught by anglers
by way of snagging. Anglers who snag a tagged paddlefish are encouraged to
report their catch to the Wildlife Department to not only help in the
management of paddlefish in Oklahoma, but also to provide anglers with
unique information about the individual fish they caught.
The center is open during prime paddlefish snagging months (approximately
Feb. 15 – May 15), and anglers can bring their catch to the center for
cleaning and processing. Additionally, anglers such as those at Miami’s
Riverview City Park also can call the paddlefish processing center to come
pick up their paddlefish for processing. Anglers who take advantage of the
service will take home meat from their own fish that has been safely cleaned
and packaged.
The paddlefish research center is seasonally staffed by employees trained in
proper handling and processing of fish products, and other research centers
may be set up at future locations.
Paddlefish anglers are required to obtain a free paddlefish permit before
fishing for paddlefish in Oklahoma. Each angler that obtains the permit will
be assigned a number that must be attached to all paddlefish that are caught
and kept. The permit system will provide clearer information about
paddlefish anglers and help better manage paddlefish populations. The permit
is annual, and the permit number can be used on every paddlefish tagged
during that period. Permits can be obtained through any fishing license
dealer or online by logging on to wildlifedepartment.com.
For more information about paddlefish angling, including regulations and hot
fishing locations, consult the current “Oklahoma Fishing Guide” or log on to
wildlifedepartment.com.
FISHING REPORT FOR MARCH 05, 2008
CENTRAL
Thunderbird: Elevation normal, water clear. Crappie good on minnows and jigs
over structure at 8-10 ft. Report submitted by Tony Woodruff, game warden
stationed in Cleveland
County.
NORTHEAST
Birch: Elevation normal, water in the upper 40s and clear. Crappie fair on
minnows and chartreuse jigs at 10-20 ft. around brush piles. Blue catfish
good on cut shad at 30 ft. fishing flats near the creeks channels.
Largemouth bass fair on fire tiger crankbaits at 12-18ft. in creek channels.
Report submitted by Spencer Grace, game warden stationed in
Osage
County.
Ft.
Gibson: Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water 43
and murky. Largemouth bass fair on chartreuse crankbaits and salt craws.
Crappie good on minnows or jigs around docks and brush piles. Paddlefish
good snagging white bluffs to Whitehorn Cove. Report submitted by Marvin
Stanley, game warden stationed in
Wagoner
County.
Greenleaf: Elevation 1 1/2 ft. above normal, water murky. Largemouth bass
fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits in creek channels and along shoreline.
Channel catfish fair on cut baits and stinkbaits near spillway on bottom.
Crappie fair on minnows at fishing dock. Report submitted by Lark Wilson,
game warden stationed in
Muskogee
County.
Kaw: Elevation 2 ft. above normal, water 39 and murky. Blue catfish good to
excellent on juglines with cut shad at 2-20 ft. in the Coon Creek, Bear
Creek, and Washunga
Bay
flats. Crappie fair on minnows and dark-colored jigs in 1/16 oz. at 20-25
ft. over manmade brush piles in the Sarge Creek and Beaver Creek areas.
Paddlefish snagging has been slow below Kaw Dam as the water temps are not
warm enough yet for the fish to move out of
Keystone
Lake on their spawning
run. Report submitted by Tracy Daniel, game warden stationed in
Kay
County.
Oologah: Elevation 1 1/2 ft. above normal, water in the mid-40s and murky.
Crappie fair around brush piles at 15-20 ft. Crappie and walleye are being
caught below the dam on jigs. Report submitted by Brek Henry, game warden
stationed in Rogers
County.
Pawhuska
Lake: Elevation normal, water in the upper 40s
and clear. Trout excellent on power bait and marshmallows; also fair casting
super dupers and little cleos at 4-10ft. Sunfish fair on earthworms 10-15
ft. in brush piles. Report submitted by Spencer Grace, game warden stationed
in Osage
County.
Skiatook: Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water clear on lower end and murky
on upper end. White bass fair on white grubs up Hominy Creek. Crappie fair
on large minnows along creek channels. Report submitted by Paul Welch, game
warden stationed in Osage
County.
Tenkiller: Elevation 3 ft. above normal, water 42 and murky mid-lake and
clearer in lower end. Crappie fair in lower end on minnows and jigs around
docks. Sunfish fair around docks on worm-tipped jigs. Report submitted by
Monte Brooks, Cookson Village Resort.
Webbers
Falls: Elevation 3 ft. above normal, water
murky. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits in creek channels, near brush
structure and along riprap. Channel catfish good on stinkbaits and cut baits
on bottom. Crappie fair on minnows around brush structure and at bridges.
Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in
Muskogee
County.
NORTHWEST
Canton: Elevation normal. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs near
brush. Channel catfish fair on cut shad on lakeside of spillway. Walleye
fair on jigs and crankbaits along dam. Report submitted by Mark Walker, game
warden stationed in Blaine
County.
Ft.
Supply: Elevation above normal, water clear.
White bass good on jigs and spinnerbaits along the dam. Crappie good on jigs
at the gate tower and at the jetties. Report submitted by Mark Reichenberger,
game warden stationed in
Harper
County.
SOUTHEAST
Arbuckle: Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water 46-48 and clear to
stained up creeks. Crappie fair using jigs around docks and brush piles.
White bass up creeks hitting rattletraps. Bass fair to good; some good fish
being caught on spinnerbaits and jigs. Report submitted by Jack Melton.
Blue
River: Elevation a few inches above normal,
water 50 and murky to muddy. Bass slow to fair on minnows and flies. Catfish
fair to good on liver and worms. Trout fair to good on powerbait, super
dupers, roostertails and mealworms. Report submitted by Charles Baker,
technician at Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.
Broken Bow: Elevation rising, water 49 and murky. Largemouth bass fair on
spoons and deep running crankbaits around islands and off points. Catfish
good on juglines and trotlines baited with cut bait. Crappie fair on minnows
or jigs around structure in the upper end of the lake. Walleye good in the
upper end of the lake staging at 40-45 ft. on deep running crankbaits.
Report submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in
McCurtain
County.
Eufaula: Largemouth bass, white bass and blue catfish slow. Crappie good on
minnows around riprap at I-40 and around boat docks with submerged brush
piles. Report submitted by Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in
McIntosh
County.
Hugo: Water 48. White bass fair on crankbaits in the upper
Kiamichi
River. Blue catfish and
crappie good in the tailwaters. Report submitted by Jay Harvey, game warden
stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties.
Konawa: Elevation normal, water 51 and clear. Largemouth bass good on
plastic worms and Carolina
rigging at 5-8 ft. around weedbeds and roadbeds. White bass and hybrid
striped bass good on jigs and shad at 15 ft. in discharge canal, along
roadbeds and off points. Report submitted by Daryl Howser, game warden
stationed in Seminole
County.
Lower
Mountain
Fork River:
Trout good on small flies with emerger-type patterns. March Brown emergers
and dryflies have also produced lots of fish when the hatch is on. Best
flies have been Zebra midges, UFOs, soft hackled hares ear, Red fox
squirrel, March brown soft hackle, pheasant tail, and as always the woolly
bugger. Report submitted by Beavers Bend Fly Shop.
McGee Creek: Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water 48 and clear. Largemouth
bass fair on soft plastic lures and jig and pig at 16-30 ft. over submerged
humps. Crappie fair on minnows at 16-25 ft. over cedar brush. Report
submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in
Atoka
County.
Robert S. Kerr: Elevation below normal, water 54 and murky. Largemouth bass
fair at 6-8 ft. using plastic baits and jigs fishing the rock and woody
structure next to the deeper water. Crappie fair at 10 ft. using minnows
fishing the old creek channels. White bass fair at 10 ft. using minnows and
jigs fishing the mouths of the major feeder creeks; fish are staging up to
begin their spawning run. Blue catfish fair at 8-10 ft. using fresh cut bait
fishing the windy shorelines. Report submitted by Rick Olzawski, game warden
stationed in Haskell
County.
Sardis
Lake: Largemouth bass good on plastics off
points and along riprap. White bass fair on grubs in the mouths of creeks.
Catfish good on cut bait, live shad and minnows in creek channels and along
the flats. Crappie good to excellent on shallow-timbered areas on minnows
and off jigs around bridge. Walleye good around the islands and riprap.
Report submitted by Allen Couch, game warden stationed in
Pushmataha
County.
Texoma: Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water 48 and clear. Striped bass fair
on live bait at 15-20 ft. near the islands. Channel and blue catfish fair on
live minnows at 10-20 ft. above the Hwy 70 bridge. Crappie fair on minnows
and jigs at 5-15 ft. around underwater brush piles. All other fishing is
slow at this time. Report submitted by Danny Club, game warden stationed in
Bryan
County.
Wister: Elevation 7 ft. above normal and murky. Largemouth bass good on soft
plastic baits. Crappie good on minnows and jigs below dam. Channel and blue
catfish good on cut shad below the dam. Report submitted by Randy Fennell,
game warden stationed in
LeFlore
County.
SOUTHWEST
Altus-Lugert: Elevation 4 ½ ft. below normal and rising. Crappie and walleye
poor. Trout very good in river on corn. Report submitted by Sue Hokanson,
Quartz
Mountain
State Park.
Ellsworth: Elevation above normal, all floodgates closed. Crappie good at
Ralph's Resort on minnows and jigs at 18-20 ft. Report submitted by Mike
Carroll, game warden stationed in
Comanche
County.
Foss: Elevation 1/2 ft. below normal, water 47 and clear. Gates closed.
Crappie fair around south side of lake on baby bass jigs. Striped bass
hybrids fair with slabs in deep water. Walleye slow but should be spawning
soon as water temp. rises. Catfish fair with stink bait. Report submitted by
Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.
Ft.
Cobb: Elevation 1 ft. above normal. Crappie slow
around marina and boat slips. Saugeye slow along east end of dam early and
late. Catfish slow to fair on cut baits and on jugs. Report submitted by
James Edwards Jr., game warden stationed in
Caddo County.
Lawtonka: Elevation normal. Crappie fair to good in deep water off the dam
on minnows and jigs. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed
in Comanche County.
Waurika: Elevation slightly above normal, water 43 and murky. Blue catfish
being caught on shad and punch bait. Crappie are being caught around
timbered areas. Report submitted by Phillip Cottrill, game warden stationed
in Jefferson County.
WATERFOWL REPORT FOR MARCH 5, 2008
Duck season is closed. Conservation Order Light Goose Season (COLGS) open
until March 30. For zone maps and complete waterfowl hunting regulations,
log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
NORTHEAST
Ft. Gibson: Lake level is 2.18 ft. above normal. Habitat condition is fair.
Due to the extreme high water throughout the summer and early fall, the
vegetation is in poor shape. Their are some agricultural crops in the area.
Goose numbers are low. Hunting activity is low, with low success.
Webber Falls: Lake level is 2.73 ft. above normal. Habitat condition is
fair, with smartweed, barnyardgrass, bidens, cut soybeans, corn, milo in
area and wheat in area. Goose numbers are low. Hunting activity is low, with
low success.
Wintertime Striper Fishing
First Big
Striper of 2008
Introducing Angella:
She is an avid fisherperson and fishes year round, Angella's favorite is
Lake Eufaula and the Lower Illinois River. She is like Okiefish, where ever
her travels take her, she fishes. This picture from a trip to Cozumel,
Mexico. When the fish are biting and where ever, you'll most likely find
Angella close by.
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