It also serves as a major recreational destination, as it is surrounded by 9.5 miles of bicycle trails. Water level is way low. I started with 20 pound test monofilament, but the catfish kept breaking me off on the rocks, so I re-spooled my reels with 30 pound and 40 pound line. "They are moving up," Motley said. Give a Gift They just dont get very big.. Water muddy. Photo by Jeff Samsel. He kept going back and fishing with crankbaits instead of switching to traditional catfish bait, choosing to stick with what was working, even though it cost him several lures. That being said, I could usually drag up a few bass on white Colorado single bladed spinner baits on the east end. Activities: Stars & Stripes Park, fishing, boating, sailing, sailboarding, jogging. Three Hot Oklahoma Crappie Holes - Game & Fish Thunderbird is well known for its healthy population of crappie, and according to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Kurt Kuklinski, the crappie recently sampled are showing a marked difference in quality. When cast parallel to the rocks, small jigs and bright-colored spinners in the 1/4-ounce size work well. Off bottom, with a common slip rig. This is a turkey hunter's take on the classic Swiss dish. Click the images and links above for species details. #google_translate_element2 {display:none!important;} Fishing shallow cover with jigs and minnows during the spawn is one of the easiest ways and most fun ways to catch crappie. The water there is shallow, usually ranging from 2 to 3 feet, so you simply swim a jig around each stickup. main tactic for catching spring specks involves the use of a slip-cork. White Bass with a Cotton Cordell Lipless Crank, 2 lb. The ODWC has several brushpiles that are prominently marked with buoys; both baitfish and schools of crappie, as well as other fish species, cavort among these. His favorite colors are pink, black/pink, and white/pink. Oklahoma River Flows | Contact him at egodfrey@oklahoman.com or on Twitter @EdGodfrey. Summer anglers regularly catch hefty limits of crappie at Eufaula, making it one of the most popular destinations for anglers statewide. Wanted: New Shakespeare 1924 Model Fk Fishing Reel For Sale? But though the average-sized T-Bird crappie tends to run on the small side, serious slabs are occasionally caught there. Required fields are marked *. 18 in. Hefner anglers are allowed a generous daily limit of 37 crappie with no length restrictions. From March 10-20, Richardson said you can catch crappie between 2-15 feet. Named in honor of the city's Mayor, Robert Alexander Hefner, the lake covers a surface area of 2,500 acres and holds a water volume of 75,000 acre-feet. When the crappie are biting, Carl can be found fishing the riprap area just a stone's throw from his shop. "I love it when a plan comes together:" Thomas Allen may have missed a day-starting coffee and chill time, but his planning before a recent turkey hunt in Minnesota had him ready when gobblers showed up earlier than expected, and just before an April winter storm blew in. Lake Hefner OK Fishing Reports, Map & Hot Spots In the past, this lake was hit hard with largemouth bass virus, but it's rebounding vigorously, and the crappie seem unaffected. With trips starting from just $50 per person, theres never been a better time to go fishing at Lake Hefner! Reported by: Oklahoma Wildlife Dept. The lake is a fee-use area with prices posted at the entrances. he was fun to catch. Fishing, boating and swimming are popular activities in Virginia's many pretty lakes. According to Martin, the crappie will move out of shallow water after spawning and congregate near ledges in 6 to 30 feet of water.