New Kaw lake record
flathead hooked
If Lesley McNeff of Mustang had caught her 78 lb. flathead catfish from Kaw
Lake this time last year, she may have been the only one to cherish the
sweet memory, but since she caught it March 8 of this year, the big cat will
go down in the record books.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation initiated its Lake Record
Fish Program in February, 2008, to recognize the biggest fish from a number
of lakes across the state, as well as the anglers who reel them in.
McNeff’s catfish goes down as the first lake record flathead catfish and the
third lake record caught since the inception of the program. It was caught
on a trotline baited with whole shad, and McNeff, 25, and her father braved
cold weather to bring home the fish.
“It was really cold,” McNeff said. “It was 19 degrees when we got on the
water.”
The pair checked her father’s trotline first, coming up with three
nice-sized flatheads, then switched to check Lesley’s trotline. There was
only one fish on the trotline, but neither of them expected to find a Kaw
lake record — weighing an even 75 lbs with a length of 51 inches and a girth
of 34.25 inches.
“I was not disappointed that it was the only fish on the line!” McNeff said.
McNeff enjoys running trotlines this time of year with her father, who
learned the art of successful trotline fishing from his father.
“My dad’s the best trotline fisherman I know,” McNeff said. “He knows how
and where to set them, how to run them.”
And McNeff’s father has been showing her the ropes since she was just a
youngster. Her flathead catfish comes after two other lake records were set
in late February. One was a 14 lb., 8 oz. largemouth bass caught by Allen
Gifford, Davis, from Arbuckle Lake, and the other was a 40.1 lb. Grand Lake
blue catfish caught by Illinois resident Denny Halgren.
Besides Kaw Lake, there are currently 12 other major lakes included in the
Lake Record Fish pilot program, including Arbuckle, Broken Bow, Canton,
Eufaula, Ft. Cobb, Grand, Keystone, Sardis, Skiatook, Tenkiller, Texoma and
Thunderbird.
Species eligible for spots in the lake records book include flathead, blue
and channel 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 and are detailed on the Wildlife Department’s Web site at
wildlifedepartment.com.
Anglers who catch a potential record fish 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.
An easily-operated search feature is available on the Web site 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.
All past and current state record fish are registered in the Lake Record
Fish Program as records for their respective lakes.
For more information about the new Lake Record Fish Program, or for more on
bass fishing in Oklahoma, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
Lesley McNeff of
Mustang
FISHING REPORT FOR MARCH 20, 2008
FISHING REPORT FOR
MARCH 19, 2008
NORTHEAST
Birch: Elevation normal, water in the lower 40s and clear.
Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 15-30 ft. around
brush piles. Blue catfish good on cut shad at
10-15 ft. near creek channels. Striped bass hybrids and white bass
fair on jigs and spinners up the creeks. Report submitted by Spencer Grace,
game warden stationed in
Osage
County.
Carl Blackwell: Elevation normal, water 51 and murky.
Crappie fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish fair on cut bait. Report
submitted by Jon Cunningham, game warden stationed in
Payne
County.
Copan:
Elevation 1 1/2 ft. above normal. Crappie slow on
minnows and jigs near submerged structure. Report submitted by Joe
Alexander, game warden stationed in
Washington
County.
Ft.
Gibson: Elevation 1 1/2 ft. above normal, water
43 and murky. Largemouth bass fair on salt craws and
jigs around rocky points and deep structure.
Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 15-20 ft. around docks.
Paddlefish snagging fair around Rocky Point.
Report submitted by Marvin Stanley, game warden stationed in
Wagoner
County.
Grand: Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water 46-57 and dirty above
Sailboat
Bridge and from
Sailboat
Bridge to Horse Creek and
stained from Horse Creek to the dam. Bass being caught on jigs, spinnerbaits
and crankbaits. Crappie slow with a few being caught on darker colors,
Grandpa's gigs in the browns, blacks, or grays at 10-25 ft. Catfish being
caught drifting and on jugs with shad at 15-20 ft. in mid-lake.
White bass being caught in the upper end of the
Neosho
River and in
Spring
River. Paddlefish
being snagged trolling in boats at Riverview
Park in Miami;
there are more being caught from the mouth of Elk
River
up to Osage Hollow. Report submitted by Littlefield’s Sporting Goods & Greg
Lamb’s Guide Service.
Greenleaf: Elevation normal, water clear. Largemouth
bass good on spinnerbaits and crankbaits along creek channels and shoreline.
Catfish good on stinkbaits and cut baits on bottom.
Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 8-12 ft. around brush structure and
fishing dock. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed
in Muskogee
County.
Hulah: Elevation normal. Crappie fair on minnows and
jigs near submerged structure. Blue Catfish fair on cut shad. Report
submitted by Joe Alexander, game warden stationed in
Washington
County.
Kaw: Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water 47 and murky. Blue catfish
excellent at 6-18 ft on the trotlines and juglines on the flats in the Coon
Creek and Washunga
Bay areas using cut shad.
Crappie fair on minnows and jigs off of the Washunga bay
riprap, Pioneer, and Osage cove areas at 6-15 ft. White bass fair in the
upper Arkansas
and Little Beaver areas on sassy shads and in line spinners.
Paddlefish snagging fair to good for smaller males below the 1,000 ft. mark
of Kaw dam on both sides of the river. Report submitted by Tracy Daniel,
game warden stationed in Kay
County.
Keystone: Elevation 3 3/4 ft. above normal, water murky.
Largemouth bass good on jigs, chunk baits and spinnerbaits at 4-8 ft. in
creeks and rocky points along clay banks. Smallmouth bass fair on
crankbaits, jigs and chunk baits at 6-10 ft. around secondary points in deep
coves. Spotted bass fair on spinnerbaits and small jigs at 4-8 ft. in small
coves off main lake. White bass fair on small jigs and minnows at 4-8 ft. in
creeks. Striped bass good on bucktails and sassy shad at
3-6 ft. below dam. Channel catfish good on worms
at 5-10 ft. in creeks. Blue catfish fair on shad at 10-20 ft. midway
back in coves. Flathead catfish slow on goldfish and shad at 10-20 ft.
around rocky bluffs. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at
4-20 ft. in creeks and deeper around docks and main lake. Report
submitted by Woody’s Bait and Tackle.
Oologah: Elevation 1 ft above normal, water upper 40s to low 50s and murky.
White bass good on jigs in the
Verdigris
River and Big Creek above
the main lake. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs in creeks around the
lake at 4-8 ft. Blue catfish fair on shad off flats on the upper end of the
lake at 10-15 ft. 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 fair trolling super dupers at
10-20 ft. Spotted bass fair on crappie jigs and spinnerbaits at 10-15 ft.
Report submitted by Spencer Grace, game warden stationed in Osage County.
Skiatook: Elevation 6 ft. above normal, water clear. Crappie fair on minnows
and jigs along creek channels in standing timber. Report submitted by Paul
Welch, game warden stationed in
Osage
County.
Sooner: Largemouth bass fair on crankbaits. White bass
good. Hybrid striped bass good in the discharge channel on sassy shad
and rattletraps in the evening. Crappie fair on minnows
and jigs in deep water over brush piles. Report submitted by Doug
Gottschalk, game warden stationed in
Noble
County.
Tenkiller: Elevation 5 ft. above normal and falling, water murky mid-lake to
clear at both ends of the lake. Largemouth bass slow on bass jigs with some
action in coves. Crappie slow on 1/16 oz. jigs, some action at 30 ft. around
brush. White bass starting to hit in the upper end
trolling. Report submitted by Monte Brooks, Cookson Village Resort.
Webbers
Falls: Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water
murky. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits along riprap and
creek channels. Catfish good on cut baits and
stinkbaits. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at
bridges and brush structure. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game
warden stationed in Muskogee
County.
NORTHWEST
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 1/2 ft. above normal, water 49 and
stained. White bass excellent up creeks in shallow water
using rattletraps and grubs. Crappie fair off
docks and brush piles using jigs. Bass fair using crankbaits, jigs
and Carolina-rigged lizards. Report submitted by Jack Melton.
Blue
River: Elevation slightly above normal and
rising, water 59 and murky to muddy. Largemouth bass slow on minnows and
flies. Channel catfish fair on liver and worms. Trout fair on power bait,
super dupers, roostertails and mealworms. Report
submitted by Charles Baker, technician at the 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. White bass have
started running in the upper end of the Mountain Fork and are being caught
on white and yellow roostertails. Report
submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in
McCurtain
County.
Eufaula: Elevation 1/2 ft. above normal and clear. Largemouth bass fair on
jerk baits and plastic baits at 3-6 ft. around rocky areas. Blue catfish
fair on shad deep in creek channels at 10-20 ft. Crappie fair on minnows
around the I-40 riprap and boat docks at 6-15 ft. Report submitted by Ed
Rodebush, game warden stationed in
McIntosh
County.
Hugo: Elevation normal, water 49. White bass good on
jigs and trolling crankbaits. Channel catfish fair.
Crappie good on minnows at 10-15 ft.
All fishing good below the dam. Report submitted
by Jay Harvey, game warden stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties.
Konawa: Elevation normal, water 55 and clear. Largemouth
bass good on plastic worms in weed beds at 4-8 ft. White bass and hybrid
striped bass good on shad and minnows at 15 ft. in the discharge channel.
Report submitted by Daryl Howser, game warden stationed in
Seminole
County.
Lower
Mountain
Fork River:
Trout success has been reduced due to recent rains. The river is running
high and very muddy. Once the rain subsides, the river system clears pretty
quickly and will return to good fishing in a couple of days. So the fishing
should be back to normal by the weekend, assuming the rain subsides soon.
Report submitted by Beavers Bend Fly Shop.
McGee Creek: Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water 49 and clear.
Largemouth bass fair on soft plastic lures and jig and
pig at 10-20 ft. and fair on deep running crankbaits along rocky points.
Crappie fair on minnows at 12-18 ft. over cedar brush.
Report submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in
Atoka
County.
Murray: Water
49 and clear. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fair on
crankbaits and jigs on soft plastics. White bass
being caught on minnows, jigs and crankbaits.
Crappie are being caught at 3-10 ft. on jigs and minnows around the
dam. Report submitted by Jeremy Brothers, game warden stationed in
Carter
County.
Pine Creek: Elevation above normal, water murky. Bass are good on soft
plastics. Crappie good on minnows around submerged tops
and timber. Catfish fair on chicken liver and night crawlers. Report
submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in
McCurtain
County.
Robert S. Kerr: Elevation normal, water 55 and murky. Largemouth bass fair
on spinnerbaits and plastic baits at 5-6 ft. fishing the weed, rock and
woody banks. Crappie fair on minnows at 10 ft. drift fishing in the old
creek channels. White bass good using shad imitation lures fishing up in the
major creeks; fish have started moving up the creeks. Blue catfish fair at
3-6 ft. using fresh cut bait fishing the windy shorelines that contain some
cover. Report submitted by Rick Olzawski, game warden stationed in
Haskell
County.
Sardis
Lake: Elevation 1 1/2 ft. above normal and
murky. Largemouth bass good to excellent on plastics, spinnerbaits and plugs
along riprap, in coves and off points. White bass
excellent on grubs and sassy shad in creek channels. Blue and
flathead catfish fair on jugs and trotlines baited with live shad or cut
bait. Walleye fair on grubs in creek channels and around riprap. Report
submitted by Allen Couch, game warden stationed in
Pushmataha
County.
Texoma: Elevation 1/2 ft. below normal, water 49 and clear. Striped bass
fair to good on live bait and sassy shad near the islands at 15-20 ft.
Largemouth and smallmouth bass fair on slow moving bait at 15-20 ft. around
riprap. Channel and blue catfish fair to good on live bait and cut shad at
10-15 ft. in the upper Red River.
Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs at 10-15 ft.
deep around brush and fish attractors. Report submitted by Danny
Club, game warden stationed in
Bryan
County.
Wister: Elevation 15 ft. above normal and murky.
Largemouth bass good on soft plastic baits.
Crappie very good with minnows and jigs below dam. Channel and blue
catfish very good on cut shad below the dam. Report submitted by Randy
Fennell, game warden stationed in
LeFlore
County.
SOUTHWEST
Altus-Lugert: Elevation 4 ft. below normal and rising.
Crappie poor. Walleye fair on those too small to keep; poor on
"keepers." White bass fair. Trout fishing slow to fair in the river. Report
submitted by Sue Hokanson,
Quartz
Mountain
State Park.
Ellsworth: Elevation above normal with one floodgate open. Walleye and
saugeye fair to good behind the dam on jigs and spinners.
Crappie good at Ralph's Resort on jigs and minnows.
Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in
Comanche
County.
Foss: Elevation 1/2 ft. above normal, water 50 and clear. Crappie and
catfish fair. Walleye and striped bass hybrids slow. Report submitted by
Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.
Ft.
Cobb: Elevation 3/4 ft. above normal. Crappie
slow around marina and boat slips. Saugeye slow along east end of dam.
Catfish slow on cut baits. Report submitted by James Edwards Jr., game
warden stationed in Caddo
County.
Lawtonka: Elevation normal and clear.
Crappie fair off the dam in deep water. Report
submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in
Comanche
County.
Waurika: Elevation normal, water 46 and murky. Blue catfish being caught on
shad and punch bait. Crappie being caught on jigs and
minnows in the marina and Wichita Ridge. White bass are being caught
off points and along dam. Report submitted by Phillip Cottrill, game warden
stationed in Jefferson
County.
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.
|
 |
