Believe it or not: Oklahoma City man catches 10-pound largemouth bass at Lake Hefner
Kevin Barnicoat with a 10-pound, 6-ounce largemouth bass caught Tuesday at Lake Hefner
Why do I drive to Grand, McGee Creek or Arbuckle when apparently there is good bass fishing in my backyard?
I would have never guessed a 10-pound largemouth bass would come out of Oklahoma City’s Lake Hefner, but it happened Tuesday.
Kevin Barnicoat of Oklahoma City landed the 10-pound, 6-ounce largemouth from a spawning bed, one of the biggest black bass ever caught from Hefner.
Bob Martin, fisheries biologist for Oklahoma City since 1982, said he can’t remember the last time a 10-pound largemouth was caught at Hefner.
“It’s been several years,” he said. “That’s a good fish for Hefner Lake. That’s a good fish for any lake.”
Hefner is known as a walleye, crappie and catfish lake. It’s not normally a destination for bass anglers.
Barnicoat, a member of the North Oklahoma City Bassmasters and other bass fishing clubs, fishes Hefner frequently because it is close to his home and he doesn’t have to pay a vehicle or launch fee there like at other lakes, such as Arcadia and Wes Watkins.
He admits he was shocked by the size of the fish.
“I’ve caught several fish in the 5 and 6 pound range in the last five years (at Hefner), but I have never heard of anything that big coming out of there,” he said.
Barnicoat was fishing with a homemade brown and green jig with green pumpkin trailer, a lure that he’s had success with at Hefner and Grand.
“They chew it up there (Grand) pretty good, too,” he said.
Barnicoat has fished Hefner every day since April 19 and caught more than 30 bass in the 5-pound range before landing the big one Tuesday evening.
He had seen the fish on the spawning bed the day before but couldn’t get a bite. He caught the fish the next day, then weighed her on the scales in his boat (he admits the weight might be a half-pound off either way), took photos then released her to spawn.
He thinks the fish has since laid its eggs because she wasn’t back on the spawning bed Wednesday.
Barnicoat’s personal best is a 12-pound, 6-ounce bass caught at Mountain Lake five years ago.
He thinks Hefner is an under-rated lake for bass fishing.
“It’s a good lake and it’s close,” Barnicoat said. “If guys would actually get out there and get to fishing on it a little bit, they would see how good a lake it is.”
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Comments
I love fishing so much but have not fished as much this year. When someone catches a really good fish I’m happy for him. I really want to commend him on the catch and release. Let the fish live and you still enjoy it just as much. cudos.
way too go kevin, what a bass. you never know when they are gonna hit. it might be that last cast or first. yep arbuckle lake is one of my favoritie lakes too fish at as well lake murray too. both lakes are full of fish. i usually go down there on thursday and friday too fish before the weekend crowd gets there. beautiful lakes there and the local town people are always friendly there. keep fishing kevin, as a matter of fact iam going this afternoon. fishing is fun and relaxing with all the hustles out there in the world. thats my two cents-ou-johnny in texas. happy for ya.
That’s a great largie. I’m from the Pittsburgh area and we don’t get those kind of monsters up this way to often. Nice catch.
What a beautiful bass. I always love to read the stories about the anglers that release big fish, especially in a lake like Hefner. Any guesses as to where he was fishing on the lake?