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Two huge fish break in new Lake Records Program

 

            You don’t have to convince Allen Gifford, Davis, that now is the time to be bass fishing in Oklahoma. He already knows, and the 14 lb., 8 oz., largemouth bass he caught Feb. 27 out of Arbuckle Lake proves it. Not only that, but the huge bass, along with a hefty 40.1-lb. blue catfish caught out of Grand Lake the same day are the first record setting fish to be landed since the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s new Lake Record Fish Program launched just weeks ago.
            Gifford landed his bass in the afternoon using a Terminator spinnerbait.
            “As soon as I set the hook, I knew it was big,” Gifford said. “But I didn’t know how big.”
            The bass has a girth of nearly 23 inches, is over 25 inches long and falls just over three ounces shy of the state record that was landed from Broken Bow Lake in 1999.
            And at Grand Lake, Illinois resident Denny Halgren managed to land his lake record blue catfish with natural bait. The fish was released, but had a length of 43 inches and a girth of 28.5 inches.
            The Lake Record Fish Program was initiated Feb. 1 to recognize the biggest fish from certain reservoirs and the anglers who catch them. Currently, thirteen major lakes are included in the pilot program, including 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.
            “The largemouth bass and blue catfish caught Feb. 27 are noteworthy catches, and we feel the fish as well as the anglers who caught them should be recognized,” said Barry Bolton, fisheries chief for the Wildlife Department. “These are the first record fish actually caught and certified since the program’s inception, and we couldn’t ask for a better way to kick of the program than with a bass going over 14 pounds and a nice, bragging size catfish.”
         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.
            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.
            As for Gifford, whose new lake record largemouth nearly took state record status, it is not a coincidence that he caught the giant bass this time of year. According to fisheries biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, right now through the next month is among the best time all year for catching big bass.
            An avid, lifelong fisherman, Gifford agrees this is the time to be fishing, as well as into the spring.
            “I’ve been catching fish all winter to be honest with you,” Gifford said. “The fish have got to eat all year long.”
            Coming out of colder weather means bass are actively feeding and putting on weight for spawning, which in turn means they will be found in shallower waters and may bite more often.
            Bass are likely the most sought after game fish in Oklahoma.
            “This is such a great time to go bass fishing,” said Jeff Boxrucker, assistant chief of fisheries for the Wildlife Department. “You can find them all over Oklahoma, and any angler, whether experienced in bass fishing or not, can catch plenty of them. But you have to be out there to catch them. Now through the next few months will be some outstanding fishing.”
            For more information about the new Lake Record Fish Program, or for more on bass fishing in Oklahoma, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
 

FISHING REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 27, 2008
 
CENTRAL
 
Draper: Elevation normal, water clear. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 8-10 ft. around structure. Report submitted by Tony Woodruff, game warden stationed in Cleveland County.
 
NORTHEAST
 
Birch: Elevation normal, water lower 40s and clear. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 15-30 ft. around brush piles. Blue catfish fair on cut shad at 30 ft. fishing flats near the creek channels. Report submitted by Spencer Grace, game warden stationed in Osage County.
 
Ft. Gibson: Elevation 4 1/2 ft. above normal and dropping, water 38 and muddy. Catfish good on whole shad and worms in running water areas, drop-offs and rocky points. Report submitted by Marvin Stanley, game warden stationed in Wagoner County.
 
Greenleaf: Elevation normal, water clear. Largemouth bass fair on crankbaits and spinnerbaits along shorelines and brush structure. Catfish fair on cut baits and stinkbaits on bottom at the spillway. Crappie fair on minnows and grubs at 12-18 ft. around fishing dock and brush structures. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.
 
Kaw: Elevation 2 ft. above normal, water 40 and murky. Blue catfish good on cut shad in the Coon and Bear Creek areas. Crappie good on darker colored jigs, such as chartreuse/black, red/black and blue/black, over manmade brush piles at 20-30 ft. Report submitted by Tracy Daniel, game warden stationed in Kay County.
 
Keystone: Elevation 2 1/3 ft. above normal, water murky to muddy. Largemouth bass fair on chartreuse spinnerbaits, jigs and chunkbaits at 5-10 ft. in creeks and riprap. Smallmouth bass fair on chartreuse jerk baits, small jigs and chunk baits at 8-12 ft. near points of coves. Spotted bass fair on small crankbaits, jigs and chunk baits at 5-10 ft. around bluffs in main lake pockets. White bass fair on minnows and jigs at 6-12 ft. in creeks. Striped bass fair on bucktails and shad at 3-6 ft. below dam. Channel catfish fair on liver and worms at 5-10 ft. in creeks and shallow coves. Blue catfish fair on cut shad and worms at 8-15 ft. in mid section of deep coves. Flathead catfish fair on live shad and worms at 10-18 ft. around bluffs and riprap. Crappie good on blackhead minnows and chartreuse jigs at 8-18 ft. in shallow creeks and backwaters, deeper water at docks and on lake. Report submitted by Woody’s Bait and Tackle.
 
Oologah: Elevation 1 ft. above normal and falling, water 40 and murky. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 15-20 ft. around brush piles and below dam. Some walleye and striped bass hybrids being caught below the dam. Report submitted by Brek Henry, game warden stationed in Rogers County.
 
Pawhuska: Elevation normal and rising, water lower 40s and clear. Trout excellent on power bait, fair on super dupers and roostertails at 10-20 ft. Sunfish being caught on small crappie jigs along the dam at 10-15 ft. in brush piles. Report submitted by Spencer Grace, game warden stationed in Osage County.
 
Skiatook: Elevation normal, water lower 40s and clear. Crappie fair on large minnows along creek channels with standing timber. Report submitted by Paul Welch, game warden stationed in Osage County.
 
Sooner: White bass and striped bass hybrids good in the discharge channel on rattle traps and sassy shad and in the evening on ghost minnows and topwater lures. Crappie fair in the lake on minnows and jigs around brush piles in deep holes. Report submitted by Doug Gottschalk, game warden stationed in Noble County.
 
Webbers Falls: Elevation 2 ft. above normal, water murky. Largemouth bass fair on crankbaits and spinnerbaits in creek channels. Catfish fair on stinkbaits and cut baits on bottom. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 8-18 ft. around brush structures and bridges. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.
 
 
NORTHWEST
 
Canton: Elevation normal. Crappie good on minnows and jigs along dam near brush. Channel catfish fair on shad and stinkbait. Report submitted by Mark Walker, game warden stationed in Blaine County.
 
Ft. Supply: Elevation above normal, water clear. Crappie fair on jigs and spinnerbaits at the dam and jetties. Report submitted by Mark Reichenberger, game warden stationed in Harper County.
 
SOUTHEAST
 
Arbuckle: Elevation 1 ft. below normal and rising, water 46 and stained in creeks and clear on main lake. Crappie good on curly tail jigs near dam at 3-4 ft. White bass being caught along channels in upper arms. Bass slow to fair on crankbaits, jerk baits and Carolina-rigged jigs. A 14.8-pound largemouth bass was caught Feb. 27 on a Terminator spinnerbait. Report submitted by Jack Melton.
 
Blue River: Elevation normal, water 48 and clear. Bass fair on minnows and flies. Catfish fair on liver and worms. Trout good 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. Report submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
 
Eufaula: Elevation 1/2 ft. above normal, water clear. Largemouth bass slow. White bass slow. Blue catfish fair on fresh shad drifting deeper flats. Crappie fair on minnows at 8-15 ft. in riprap at I-40 and under docks with brush at 10-20 ft. Report submitted by Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.
 
Hugo: Water 48 and murky. Crappie good to excellent on cork and jig at 8 ft. below the dam and fair in the lake on minnows and jigs. Channel catfish good on whole shad below the dam, small-sized shad work best fished on bottom and fair in the lake on cut shad. Report submitted by Joe Young, game warden stationed in Atoka County.
 
Konawa: Elevation normal, water 50 and clear. Largemouth bass good on plastic worms at 5-8 ft. around points and road beds. White bass good on jigs and shad at 15 ft. in discharge canal. Report submitted by Daryl Howser, game warden stationed in Seminole County.
 
Lower Mountain Fork River: Trout good. Report submitted by Beavers Bend Fly Shop.
 
McGee Creek: Elevation 2 ft. above normal, water 47 and murky. 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.
 
Pine Creek: Elevation above normal, water murky. Bass fair on red shad-colored soft plastic lures and red/gold-bladed spinnerbaits. Crappie fair on minnows. Catfish good on beef blood magic bait. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
 
Robert S Kerr: Elevation normal, water 46 and clear. Largemouth bass slow on plastic baits and jigs at 6-8 ft. around rock and woody structure next to deep water. Crappie fair on minnows at 10 ft. along the edge of the old creek channels in the Big Sans Bios, Dirty and Sallisaw Creek areas. White bass slow on jigs at 10 ft. below Webbers Falls dam. Blue catfish good on fresh cut bait at 5-15 ft. along the windy shorelines. Sauger fair bouncing minnows and jigs off the bottom below Webbers Falls on the east side. Report submitted by Rick Olzawski, game warden stationed in Haskell County.
 
Sardis: Bass good to fair on plastics around points and mouths of creek channels and around rip raft. Crappie good off of Jack Fork bridge with minnows. Catfish good on cut bait fishing deep on flats near creek channels. White bass fair around mouths on creek channels or if schools of shad can be located. Walleye slow to fair on warmer days around 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 10-15 ft. near the islands. Channel and blue catfish fair on live bait at 10-20 ft. at Platter Flats. Report submitted by Danny Club, game warden stationed in Bryan County.
 
Wister: Elevation 10 1/2 ft. above normal, water murky. Largemouth bass fair to good on soft plastic baits. Crappie good on minnows and jigs below dam. Channel and blue catfish good on cut shad. Report submitted by Randy Fennell, game warden stationed in LeFlore County.
 
SOUTHWEST
 
Altus-Lugert: Elevation 4 9/10 ft. below normal and rising. Crappie slow. Walleye slow. Trout very good on corn in river. Report submitted by Sue Hokanson, Quartz Mountain State Park.
 
Ellsworth: Elevation above normal. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at Ralph’s Resort. Catfish fair on cut bait off rocky points. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.
 
Foss: Elevation 7 in. below normal, water 44 and clear. Hybrid striped bass slow on slabs. Walleye slow on live bait. Crappie fair on small jigs. Catfish good on stinkbaits. Report submitted by Eric Puyear, B and K Bait House.
 
Lawtonka: Elevation normal. Crappie good on minnows off the dam. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche 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.