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FISHING REPORT FOR APRIL 7, 2010
 
CENTRAL
 
Hefner: April 7. Elevation above normal and rising, water 55-60 and clear to murky. Largemouth bass good on jigs and crankbaits shallow near rocky banks. Smallmouth bass good on stick baits and crankbaits shallow near rocky banks. White bass good on sassy shad shallow. Striped bass hybrids fair. Channel catfish good on cut baits along windy banks. Blue catfish good on cut baits deep. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 6-8 ft. Walleye good on stick baits and grubs shallow at night and off points. Report submitted by Lucky Lure Tackle.
 
Overholser: April 5. White bass slow to fair on jigs on the west side along north and south facing points depending on the wind. Crappie slow to fair on jigs at 2-6 ft. on the east side. Report submitted by Joey Rushing, game warden stationed in Canadian and Oklahoma counties.
 
Thunderbird: April 4. Elevation 1/2 ft. above normal, water 53 and clear. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 4-6 ft. around brush piles and structure. Largemouth bass fair to good in coves on tandem spinnerbaits with black and yellow skirts at 3-4 ft. around structure. Report submitted by Tony Woodruff, game warden stationed in Cleveland County.
 
Wes Watkins: April 5. Elevation normal, water 62 and clear. Largemouth bass good on white spinnerbaits at 1-4 ft. White bass good on soft plastic shad-looking lures. Crappie fair on minnows. Report submitted by Mike France, game warden stationed in Pottawatomie County.
 
NORTHEAST
 
Birch: April 5. Elevation normal, water 55 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on plastic worms and spinnerbaits. White bass good below the dam. Crappie good on minnows and jigs all around the lake. Report submitted by David Clay, game warden stationed in Osage County.
 
Carl Blackwell: April 5. Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water 57 and muddy. Crappie good on minnows and jigs. Saugeye good jigs and crankbaits shallow. Striped bass hybrids good on minnows and jigs. Catfish good on cut bait and minnows. Report submitted by Jon Cunningham, game warden stationed in Payne County.
 
Copan: April 4. Elevation normal. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at Copan point and Cotton Creek and in areas with submerged structure. Blue catfish are fair on cut shad. Channels starting to bite on chicken liver. Report submitted by Joe Alexander, game warden stationed in Washington County.
 
Eucha: April 6. Elevation slightly above normal, water 61 and clear. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits and jerk baits. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 12-14 ft. around brush and structure. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa.
 
Ft. Gibson: April 4. Elevation 1/2 ft. above normal, water 52 and stained. White bass excellent on white grubs and jigs bouncing the bottom with the current up the river and in the creeks. Crappie good to excellent on minnows and jigs along the banks and in shallow. Largemouth bass being caught on spinnerbaits and crankbaits, they have moved into the shallower areas and are staging for spawn. Catfish good on night crawlers and cut baits in the creeks and below the dam. Report submitted by Rick Stafford in Wagoner, Ok.
 
Grand: April 5. Elevation 2 1/2 ft. above normal, water murky. Largemouth bass good on green and brown crankbaits and jigs at 5-10 ft. along brush and rock piles. White bass good on white and chartreuse rooster tails and grubs in Spring River. Catfish good on shad, night crawlers and liver at 30 ft. in the lake and rivers. Crappie good on Bobby Garland jigs in electric chicken, Cajun cricket, gumdrop and salt and pepper, on Grandpa’s jigs in brown and orange, on tube skirts in black and green, red and green and chartreuse and yellow and on minnows at 5-12 ft. along bridges and brush docks. Paddlefish good from Sailboat Bridge to the Miami Bridge. Report submitted by Grand Lake Sport’s Center.
 
Greenleaf: April 5. Elevation normal, water 55 and clear. Largemouth bass good on crankbaits and spinnerbaits around rocky points, creek channels and shorelines. Catfish good on fresh cut bait on bottom. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 6-12 ft. around brush structure and fishing dock. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.
 
Hudson: April 5. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. above normal, water murky. Largemouth bass fair to good on crankbaits. White bass good on minnows and small lures in the upper end. Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs in coves and brush piles. Paddlefish fair to good in the upper end. Report submitted by Steve Loveland, game warden stationed in Rogers and Mayes counties.
 
Hulah: April 4. Elevation normal. Crappie being caught at 6-12 ft. near submerged structure in shallow creeks entering the lake. Blue catfish being caught on cut shad. Report submitted by Joe Alexander, game warden stationed in Washington County.
 
Kaw: April 5. Elevation normal, water mid to upper 50s and stained. Blue and channel catfish good on juglines with cut bait at 6-12 ft. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 1-5 ft. over structure up the creeks. White bass and striped bass hybrids excellent on jigs up the Arkansas River and Beaver Creek. Fishermen should try Beaver, Otter, Wolf and Osage Creeks for white bass and crappie making a run up these creeks. Report submitted by Spencer Grace, game warden stationed in Kay County.
 
Keystone: April 6. Elevation above normal, water 56 and murky. White bass good on minnows and split tails in creeks. Striped bass fair on spinnerbaits and bucktails below the dam. Channel catfish good on juglines with shad and secret seven in the lake. Blue catfish good on goldfish and shad in the lake and below the dam. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 4 ft. in coves and docks. Paddle fish fair on #12 treble hooks below the dam and Cimarron River. Report submitted by Woody’s Bait and Tackle.
 
Lower Illinois: April 5. Elevation below normal, water 49 and clear. Largemouth bass slow on small jigs at 1-3 ft. in the coves. Spotted bass fair on jigs at 3-5 ft. in coves and back water. White bass slow on jigs at 1-5 ft. all along the river. Channel catfish fair on cut bait on bottom all along the river. Crappie fair on jigs at 1-5 ft. all along the river. Trout excellent on flies on the surface, rooster tails at 1-2 ft. and power bait on bottom above Gore Landing. Report submitted by D. Tracy, Town of Gore.
 
Skiatook: April 5. Elevation 3/4 ft. above normal, water mid to low 50s and clear. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits in backs of coves. White bass good on white grubs and white rooster tails in Hominy Creek. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 5-10 ft. Report submitted by Paul Welch, game warden stationed in Osage County.
 
Sooner: April 5. White bass and striped bass hybrids fair on sassy sad and topwater lures. Catfish fair to good on cut bait and live bait around points. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around brush piles. Report submitted by Doug Gottschalk, game warden stationed in Noble County.
 
Spavinaw: April 6. Elevation slightly above normal, water 57 and dingy. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around the dam area. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa.
 
Tenkiller: April 5. Elevation 4 3/4 ft. above normal and steady, water 59 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits or finesse worms on shaky head jigs at 4 ft. Crappie slow in coves and around docks or brush. White bass good on jigs and spinnerbaits in coves with running water and in the Horseshoe Bend area. Report by Monte Brooks, Cookson Village Resort.
 
Webbers Falls: April 5. Elevation 3 ft. above normal, water 55 and murky. Largemouth bass fair on jigs, worms, crankbaits and spinnerbaits in creek channels and riprap. Catfish good on fresh cut bait on bottom in mud flats. Crappie good on minnows and purple, red, green or yellow jigs at 6-12 ft. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.
 
NORTHWEST
 
Canton: April 4. Elevation 1/2 ft. below normal, water 56 and clear. Walleye and white bass fair on jigs and crankbaits along the dam late afternoon and evening. Striped bass hybrids good on night crawlers and crawdads from Sandy Cove to Longdale Landing. Report submitted by Mark Walker, game warden stationed in Blaine County.
 
Ft. Supply: April 5. Elevation 1 ft. above normal. White bass fair on jigs and spinnerbaits along the dam. Walleye fair on minnows, jigs and spinnerbaits along the shorelines. Report submitted by Mark Reichenberger, game warden stationed in Woodward County.
 
SOUTHEAST
 
Arbuckle: April 3. Elevation 8 inches below normal, water stained. Crappie being caught on minnows and small chartreuse jigs around docks and brush piles. White bass being caught on wiggle tail grubs up creeks. Bass slow on crankbaits, jerk baits and shaky-head jigs. Report submitted by Jack Melton
 
Blue River: April 6. Elevation slightly above normal, water 57 and clear. Bass slow to fair on minnows and flies. Catfish fair on liver and worms. Trout slow to fair on power bait, mealworms, rooster tails and super dupers. Report submitted by Charles Baker, technician at the Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.
Broken Bow: April 4. Largemouth and smallmouth bass good on flukes at 5-6 ft. around structure. White bass being caught on inline spinnerbaits and twirl tail grubs in white, yellow and chartreuse in the Mt. Fork River. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 4-5 ft. around structure. Walleye fair on rogues and witches brew grubs around points and upper end of the lake. Report submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
 
Eufaula: April 4. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. above normal, water clear in east and murky in west. Largemouth bass good on jerk baits and plastic lures at 1-6 ft. in rocky areas. White bass good on small spinnerbaits and jigs in feeder creeks. Blue catfish fair on shad at 6-10 ft. drifting the flats. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 2-8 ft. near banks and in deeper water. Report submitted by Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.
 
Hugo: April 4. Elevation normal, water 53. Crappie good on minnows around the brush and along the creek channels. White bass good on spinnerbaits and jigs at the first two shoals above Rattan Landing. Catfish good on cut bait below the dam. Largemouth bass fair to good on spinnerbaits and lizards around the button brush. Report submitted by Jay Harvey, game warden stationed in Choctaw County.
 
Konawa: April 6. Elevation normal, water 62 and clear. Largemouth bass good on plastic worms at 2-5 ft. along the weed beds and cattails. White bass and striped bass hybrids good on jigs and shad 10-15 ft. in the discharge canal. Channel catfish fair on cut bait at 5-8 ft. along points. Report submitted by Daryl E. Howser, game warden stationed in Seminole County.
 
McGee Creek: April 4. Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water 61 and clear. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 16-25 ft., best off of creek channels around submerged brush. Largemouth bass fair to good on dark colored soft plastic lures at 3-10 ft.  Report submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in Atoka County.
 
Murray: April 7. Water 53 and clear. Largemouth bass slow. White bass good in the northeast area of the lake around Martin's Landing on jigs, minnows and crankbaits. Crappie fair in minnows and jigs close to the banks. Walleye good on jigs and minnows late evening around the dam. Report submitted by Jeremy Brothers, game warden stationed in Carter County.
 
Pine Creek: April 4. Elevation above normal, water murky.  Crappie excellent on jigs at 4-6 ft around brush. Bass good on crankbaits at 6-8 ft. near rocky structures. Catfish fair on bait shrimp and cut shad near brush. Wh ite bass good on white rooster tails in the upper river channel. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
 
Robert S. Kerr: April 5. Largemouth bass fair. White bass fair. Catfish good on fresh shad with juglines and poles. Crappie good on minnows in Big San Bois Creek area. Report submitted by Leland Sockey, game warden stationed in Haskell County.
 
Sardis: April 5. Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water 54-56. Bass good on spinnerbaits and plastic lures. White bass good on minnows and jigs. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs. Report submitted by Dane Polk, game warden stationed in Pushmataha County.
 
Texoma: April 4. Elevation normal, water 52 and clear south and murky north. Largemouth and smallmouth bass good on plastic combination baits at 10-15 ft. in the creek channels. Striped and white bass good on live bait and sassy shad at 10-20 ft. in the river channels and points. Channel and blue catfish fair to good on cut shad and stinkbait from Platter Flats to the north to the Washita River. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 5-10 ft. around the fishing docks with brush and Widow Moore, Kansas, upper Rock, and Little Glass's creeks. Paddlefish fair to good below the dam. Report submitted by Danny Clubb, game warden stationed in Bryan County.
 
Wister: April 4. Elevation 3 ft. above normal, water 54 and murky. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits, worms and jigs. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 15-25 ft. around structure. White bass good on white roadrunners in upper Poteau River. Channel catfish good on juglines with cut shad and liver. Flathead catfish fair on live sunfish. Report submitted by Randy Fennell, game warden stationed in LeFlore County.
 
SOUTHWEST
 
Altus-Lugert: April 4. Elevation 14 1/4 ft. below normal and rising slowly. Catfish active around Red Bluff area at northwest end of lake. Walleyes good. Crappie and white bass fair off the points near the main swim beach and around the Hicks Mountain Area. Report submitted by Sue Hokanson, Quartz Mountain State Park.
 
Ellsworth: April 4. Elevation normal, water murky. Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs at Ralph’s Resort and Toney Creek. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.
 
Foss: April 7. Elevations 1/2 ft. below normal with one gate open, water lower 50s and clear. Walleye good on live bait and silver lures in front of dam. Crappie fair on live bait around fish house. Catfish fair on stinkbait and hot dogs in channels. White bass slow and should be moving up river. Report submitted by Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.
 
Lawtonka: April 4. Elevation above normal, water clear. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at the dam. White bass fair at Robinson’s Landing. Report submitted by Mike Carroll game warden stationed in Comanche County.
 
Tom Steed: April 5. Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water 52 and muddy. White bass and striped bass hybrids good on minnows and crawdads off points. Crappie slow on minnows and jigs near the dam. Walleye fair on minnows at 8-10 ft. along rocks near the dam. Report submitted by David Smith, game warden stationed in Kiowa County.
 
Waurika: April 5. Elevation slightly above normal, water 58 and murky to muddy. Striped bass hybrids excellent on crawdad tails and white sassy shad along the dam, windy shorelines and points. Blue catfish good on stinkbaits and cut shad along windy points. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 2-6 ft. around rocks at Walker Creek and Corum Bridge and fishing docks over brush. Report submitted by Vince Mesis, game warden stationed in Cotton County.
 


 

 

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.