Check out a state park
Hikers enjoy a view from above at Robbers Cave State Park near Wilburton
The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department has issued the following news release about upcoming activities and specials at Oklahoma state parks.
A variety of events are scheduled to take place throughout the month of February at Oklahoma State Parks, including two special packages at Beavers Bend State Park and Robbers Cave State Park.
At Beavers Bend
Beavers Bend State Park in Broken Bow is offering a sweetheart package at Lakeview Lodge for the entire month of February.
Regular guest rooms are $70 plus tax, while suites are $95 plus tax. The package includes a gift basket on the day of arrival and a complimentary continental breakfast. Call (800) 435-5514 to reserve this special offer.
At Robbers Cave
Robbers Cave State Park in Wilburton is offering a winter lodging package that includes a variety of activities. Guests can fish for trout in the river, hike the trails near the cave or relax around a campfire.
Rates start at $165 for three nights in a cabin or lodge room. This package includes a bounty basket with food items and park souvenirs. Reservations may be made by calling the park at (918) 465-2562.
At Lake Thunderbird
Eagle watch tours are available at Lake Thunderbird State Park near Norman on Feb. 2 and Feb. 16. The bare trees during the winter season make it easy to spot the magnificent bald eagle in their nests. Meet at the Discovery Cove Nature Center at 9:30 a.m. for an information session, then tour the park to view the birds in their winter home.
At Lake Eufaula
Learn how to make a soap that is rich in emollients and good for skin at the Lye Soap-Making Workshop at the Deep Fork Nature Center on Feb. 9 at Lake Eufaula State Park. Class size is limited and pre-registration is required by Feb. 2. To register, call (918) 689-4607.
At Sequoyah State Park
Enjoy live music performed by professional fiddle players, and grab your partner for daily and evening dances the State Fiddlers Convention at Sequoyah Lodge at Sequoyah State Park Feb. 21-23. Educational workshops are part of the activities and jam sessions will be held during this fantastic musical event. For more information, call (800) 368-1486.
Oklahoma Fishing Report
Jarret Cofer of Norman with a nice trout from Oklahoma’s newest winter trout fishery in Medicine Park.
Here is this week’s fishing report as compiled by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
NORTHEAST
Ft. Gibson: January 26. Elevation normal, water clear. Catfish good on juglines baited with whole shad and sunfish and drifting the main river channel and open flats. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 15 ft. around docks. Largemouth bass fair on crankbaits and Sink-O worms at all depths around structure. Report submitted by Rick Stafford of Wagoner.
Grand: January 27. Largemouth bass slow on soft plastics and jigs but should pickup with warmer weather. Crappie good on Fle Fly jigs in black and chartreuse around brush piles in the Neosho River. White bass good on bottom up the Neosho and Spring rivers. Blue catfish excellent on cut shad at 75 ft. on deep ledges in the main river channel. Paddlefish excellent from Patricia Island all the way to the mouth of Elk River; stay in the main river channel and you will find them. Report submitted by Rusty Pritchard, Pritchard’s Guide Service.
Greenleaf: January 29. Bass good on square bill spinnerbaits and jigs. Crappie good around brush piles. Report submitted by Mike’s Outdoors.
Hudson: January 30. Elevation normal. Largemouth bass good on plastic baits and crankbaits. Crappie good on minnows and jigs along the Hwy 20 bridge, around heated docks and brush piles. Report submitted by Steve Loveland, game warden stationed in Rogers and Mayes counties.
Kaw: January 28. Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water 44. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 10-12 ft. around Sarge Creek towers. Report submitted by Emily Long, game warden stationed in Kay and Grant counties.
Keystone: January 29. Elevation 4 1/2 ft. below normal, water 46. Largemouth bass good on plastic baits and crankbaits. Catfish good on cut bait near channels. Crappie good on minnows and jigs around docks and brush piles. Report submitted by Karlin Bailey, game warden stationed in Creek County.
Lower Illinois: January 28. Elevation normal, water 46 and clear. Largemouth bass slow on stinkbait at 1-3 ft. around coves and bridges. White bass slow on jigs and spinnerbaits at 1-4 ft. at the mouth of the river. Striped bass slow on trout and shad at 1-5 ft. at the mouth of the river. Channel catfish good on cut bait on bottom all along the river. Crappie slow on jigs and spinnerbaits at 1-4 ft. at the mouth of the river. Trout good fly fishing the surface, on rooster tails at 1-2 ft. and on bottom from the dam to Gore Landing. Report submitted by D. Tracy, Town of Gore.
Oologah: January 27. Elevation 4 1/4 ft. below normal, water low to mid 40s and clear. Crappie fair at 10-15 ft. around brush piles. Blue catfish fair on worms and shad at 10-15 ft. on flats. Report submitted by Brek Henry, game warden stationed in Rogers County.
Pawhuska: January 30. Trout good on Super Dupers and Power Bait. Report submitted by David Clay, game warden stationed in Osage County.
Sooner: January 29. White bass and striped bass hybrids fair on ghost minnows, topwater lures and sassy shad in the discharge early and late. Catfish fair on cut and live bait around points. Report submitted by Doug Gottschalk, game warden stationed in Noble County.
Tenkiller: January 28. Elevation 10 1/4 ft. below normal, water 50 and clear. Largemouth bass slow on soft plastic baits. Sunfish fair on night crawlers at 15-20 ft. around docks. Report by Monte Brooks, Cookson.
Webbers Falls: January 29. Bass good on spinnerbaits, square bill crankbaits and jigs with trailers. Catfish good in channels and bends. Report submitted by Mike’s Outdoors.
NORTHWEST
Canton: January 26. Elevation 9 ft. below normal, water clear. Channel catfish fair on stinkbait near Big Bend. Report submitted by Mark Walker, game warden stationed Blaine County.
Ft. Supply: January 28. Elevation 3 ft. below normal. White bass fair on jigs along the dam and intake. Crappie fair on jigs along the dam and the intake. Report submitted by Mark Reichenberger, game warden stationed in Woodward County.
Watonga: January 28. Stocked 710 lbs. of trout on January 17. Report submitted by Jody Laubhan, Byron State Fish Hatchery/Northwest Region
SOUTHEAST
Arbuckle: January 26. Elevation 6 ft. below normal, water 45 and clear. Crappie slow around docks and fair on minnows and jigging spoons at 55-60 ft. on mid-lake knolls and drop-offs. White bass being caught on drop-offs in mid-lake and in coves where gulls are working. Bass being caught on jerk baits, crankbaits and Alabama rigs. Report submitted by Jack Melton.
Blue River: January 28. Elevation normal, water 54 and clear. Trout good on salmon eggs, in-line spinnerbaits and mealworms around structure in current. Channel catfish good on blood bait, stinkbait and liver in deeper holes around slow current. Report submitted by Matt Gamble, biologist at the Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.
Broken Bow: January 28. Elevation 9-10 ft. below normal, water 50. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass fair to good on jerk baits and crankbaits around structure and points. Walleye good on rogues, rattletraps and 5-inch twirl-tail grubs with 1/4 ounce jig heads in the upper end of the lake. Report submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
Eufaula: January 27. Elevation 5 ft. below normal, water clear. Blue catfish fair on shad on the flats. Crappie fair on minnows and small jigs around boat docks with brush. Report submitted by Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.
Hugo: January 27. Elevation 6 ft. below normal, water 48. Blue catfish fair on trotlines baited with shad. Crappie fair on minnows along the river channel. Report submitted by Jay Harvey, game warden stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties.
Konawa: January 28. Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water 42 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on crankbaits at 8-10 ft. around points and fair on jigs and jigging spoons at 15-20 ft. along creek channels. White bass fair on minnows and jigs at 15 ft. in the discharge canal. Report submitted by Daryl Howser, game warden stationed in Seminole County.
Lower Mountain Fork: January 27. Blue Zone rainbows are attacking soft plastic baits, and small browns are biting dry flies near the spillway. Fishing activity is up but there is still plenty of room for new anglers. Report submitted by Jesse King, Three Rivers Fly Shop.
Lower Mountain Fork River: January 25. Stocked 1,577 lbs., approximately 2,210 rainbow trout. An additional 2, 600 10-inch rainbow trout were stocked in Zone II. Report submitted by Don Groom, southeast region fisheries supervisor.
McGee Creek: January 27. Elevation 11 ft. below normal, water 48 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on soft plastics and jig-and-pig combinations at 10-25 ft. Crappie fair on minnows at 12-28 ft. over cedar brush piles in creek channels. Report submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in Atoka County.
Pine Creek: January 27. Elevation below normal, water clear. Boat ramps have been reopened. Bass good on jerk baits. Crappie good on jigs. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
Robber’s Cave State Park: January 25. Stocked 385 lbs., approximately 644 rainbow trout. Report submitted by Don Groom, southeast region fisheries supervisor.
Texoma: January 27. Elevation 5 ft. below normal, water 50 and clear. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fair to good on slow moving crankbaits, plastic worms and spinnerbaits at 10-15 ft. in creek channels. Striped and white bass fair to good on live bait, slabs and sassy shad at 10-20 ft. in the river channels. Channel and blue catfish fair to good on live bait and stinkbait at 10-20 ft. from Platter Flats to Johnson Creek. Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs at 10-15 ft. in upper creeks. Sunfish fair on tube jigs and worms at 5-10 ft. around fishing docks. Report submitted by Danny Clubb, game warden stationed in Bryan County.
Wister: January 27. Elevation 1/2 ft. above normal, water murky. Largemouth bass fair on black plastic worms with white tail tip and fair on silver crankbaits. Crappie fair to good on minnows and fair on white/pink tail grubs at 15-20 ft. Catfish fair on juglines and trotlines baited with cut bait and liver. Report submitted by Randy Fennell, game warden stationed in LeFlore County.
SOUTHWEST
Altus-Lugert: January 27. Elevation 26 3/4 ft. below normal and rising. Catfish, crappie, walleye and striped bass hybrids fair. Report submitted by J. D. Stauffer, game warden stationed in Harmon County.
Ellsworth: January 27. Elevation 12 ft. below normal, water murky. Blue catfish fair on cut bait off rocky points. Crappie slow to fair on minnows around the boathouse at Ralph’s Resort. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.
Foss: January 28. Elevation 12 ft. below normal with gates closed, water low 50s and clear. The main ramp is still open. Striped bass hybrids good on slabs in deep water near the marina. Walleye fair to good on jigs around docks. Crappie slow to fair around the marina. Catfish fair. Report submitted by Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.
Medicine Creek Park: January 23. Trout fair on Gulp Power Bait, in-line spinnerbaits and flies and good on Super Dupers and small minnows using light line and ultra-light pole. Report submitted by Larry Cofer, southwest region supervisor.
Waurika: January 28. Elevation 11 ft. below normal, water murky. Blue catfish good on fresh shad at 25-30 ft. near the dam. Report submitted by Ted Hasty, game warden stationed in Jefferson County.
Wild game TV chef at OKC show on Friday
Wild game chef Scott Leysath will be doing a cooking demonstration at the Sportsman Channel booth at the Oklahoma Tackle and Hunting Show on Friday.
The Oklahoma Tackle and Hunting Show opens Friday in the Transportation Building at State Fair Park.
Among the celebrities making appearances will be wild game chef Scott Leysath, whose television show “Dead Meat” is on the Sportsman Channel on Sunday nights. Leysath is the author of two cookbooks and will be chatting with visitors at the tackle show from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday.
Leysath will be serving up free samples of rabbit-rattlesnake, elk and wild boar sausages.
On Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., stars of the Reel Girls fishing show will be meeting guests at their booth. Jep, Jessica, Godwin and Martin from the Duck Dynasty also are scheduled to appear at the show.
The Oklahoma Tackle and Hunting Show opens Friday at noon and closes at 9 p.m. Saturday’s hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. while Sunday’s hours are 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for ages 6 to 12. Ages 5 and younger receive free admission.
Admission is half-price on Friday from noon until 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.okctackleandhuntingshow.com.
Oklahoma Fishing Report
Here is this week’s fishing report as compiled by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
CENTRAL
Hefner: January 22. Elevation below normal and dropping, water 44-48 and clear. Largemouth bass slow. Smallmouth bass slow. White bass fair on grubs at 18-25 ft. along the dam. Striped bass hybrids fair on jigs and grubs at 18-25 ft. along the dam. Channel and blue catfish good on cut bait at 30 ft. along the dam. Crappie good on minnows, jigs and grubs at 20 ft. along the dam. Walleye slow. Report submitted by Lucky Lure Tackle.
NORTHEAST
Eucha: January 23. Elevation 11 1/4 ft. below normal, water 40 and dingy. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around the dam area. Largemouth bass fair on plastic baits. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa.
Grand: January 20. Elevation 2 ft. below normal. Bass fair on worms and jigs. White bass slow. Catfish excellent on fresh cut bait in deep water. Crappie good on minnows and jigs 10-20 ft. below docks. Paddlefish fair above Sailboat Bridge to Grey’s Ranch. Report submitted by Kody Moore, game warden stationed in Delaware County.
Hudson: January 21. Elevation normal. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 10-15 ft. around heated docks and brush piles. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by Steve Loveland, game warden stationed in Rogers and Mayes counties.
Kaw: January 21. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 10-12 ft. around Sarge Creek towers. Report submitted by Emily Long, game warden stationed in Kay and Grant counties.
Keystone: January 22. Elevation 4 1/2 ft. below normal, water 44. Largemouth bass good on plastic baits. Catfish good on cut bait near channels. Crappie good on minnows and jigs. Report submitted by Karlin Bailey, game warden stationed in Creek County.
Lower Illinois: January 21. Elevation normal, water 43 and clear. Largemouth bass slow on crankbaits at 1-2 ft. along coves and bridge. White bass slow on jigs and spinnerbaits at 1-3 ft. in coves. Striped bass slow on trout and shad at 1-4 ft. at the mouth of the river. Channel catfish good on cut bait on bottom all along the river. Crappie slow on jigs and spinnerbaits at 1-3 ft. in coves. Trout excellent fly fishing the surface, on rooster tails at 1-2 ft. and on Power Bait on bottom from the dam to Gore Landing. Report submitted by D. Tracy, Town of Gore.
Oologah: January 20. Elevation 4 ft. below normal, water near 40 and clear. Crappie fair at 10-15 ft. around brush piles. Blue catfish fair on worms and shad at 10-15 ft. on flats. Report submitted by Brek Henry, game warden stationed in Rogers County.
Skiatook: January 21. Elevation 12 ft. below normal, water clear. All fishing slow. Report submitted by Paul Welch, game warden stationed in Osage County.
Spavinaw: January 22. Elevation slightly below normal, water 40 and dingy. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around the dam area. Largemouth bass slow. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa.
Tenkiller: January 21. Elevation 10 ft. below normal, water 50 and clear. All fishing slow. Report by Monte Brooks, Cookson.
NORTHWEST
Canton: January 20. Elevation 9 ft. below normal, water clear. All fishing slow. Report submitted by Mark Walker, game warden stationed Blaine County.
Ft. Supply: January 21. Elevation 3 ft. below normal. Crappie fair jigging at the intake. All fishing slow. Report submitted by Mark Reichenberger, game warden stationed in Woodward County.
SOUTHEAST
Arbuckle: January 19. Elevation 6 ft. below normal, water 44 and clear. Crappie slow on minnows and jigs at 25 ft. off brush piles. White bass slow on CC spoons along mid-lake knolls and creek channel bends. Bass slow on jerk baits, crankbaits and Alabama rigs. Report submitted by Jack Melton.
Blue River: January 23. Elevation normal, water 39 and clear. Trout good on salmon eggs, gold spinnerbaits and mealworms around waterfalls. Fly fishing good on caddis flies, zebra nymphs and egg patterns around structure in current and riffles. Channel catfish good on blood bait and liver in larger, deeper holes around structure. Report submitted by Matt Gamble, biologist at the Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.
Blue River: January 15. Approximately 2,000 rainbow trout were stocked on January 16. Report submitted by Matt Gamble, biologist at the Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.
Broken Bow: January 21. Elevation below normal. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass good on crankbaits and black #11 jig-and-pigs in deeper water around points. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around structure. Catfish fair on juglines and trotlines baited with cut bait. Report submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
Eufaula: January 20. Elevation 5 ft. below normal, water clear. Largemouth bass slow. White bass slow. Blue catfish fair on shad on the flats. Crappie fair on minnows and small jigs around boat docks with brush. Report submitted by Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.
Hugo: January 20. Elevation 6 ft. below normal, water 48. Blue catfish fair on trotlines baited with shad. Crappie fair on minnows along the river channel. Report submitted by Jay Harvey, game warden stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties.
Konawa: January 20. Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water 45 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on crankbaits at 5-10 ft. around points and roadbeds. White bass and striped bass hybrids fair on minnows and jigs at 15 ft. in the discharge canal. Report submitted by Daryl Howser, game warden stationed in Seminole County.
Lower Mountain Fork River: January 20. Blue Zone rainbows are attacking soft plastic baits, and small browns are biting dry flies near the spillway. Fishing activity is up but there is still plenty of room for new anglers. Report submitted by Jesse King, Three Rivers Fly Shop.
McGee Creek: January 13. Elevation 10 1/2 ft. below normal, water 48 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on soft plastics and jig-and-pig combinations at 10-25 ft. Crappie fair on minnows at 12-28 ft. over brush piles in creek channels. Report submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in Atoka County.
Pine Creek: January 20. All public boat ramps have been closed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. No fishing activity to report due to extremely low water levels. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
Robert S. Kerr: January 23. Bass fair on crankbaits and stick baits off points, along creek channels and up the river in coves. Spotted bass excellent up the Canadian River; look for concentrations of gulls. Crappie good up Big San Bois Creek around deeper submerged brush. White bass and striped bass fair on minnows and shad crankbaits up river in deeper holes and around rock ledges. Channel and blue catfish excellent on trotlines and juglines baited with cut bait at 12-20 ft. near creek and river channels. Report submitted by Allen Couch, game warden stationed in Haskell County.
Sardis: January 18. Elevation 2 1/2 ft. below normal, water 49. All fishing slow. Report submitted by Dane Polk, game warden stationed in Pushmataha County.
Texoma: January 20. Elevation 5 ft. below normal, water 58 and clear. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fair to good on large crankbaits and plastic combination baits at 10-20 ft. around points and riprap. Striped and white bass fair to good on live bait, slabs and sassy shad at 10-30 ft. in the river channels. Channel and blue catfish fair to good on live bait, cut bait and stinkbait at 10-20 ft. from Catfish Bay to Burns Run. Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs at 10-15 ft. around underwater brush. Sunfish fair on small tube jigs and worms at 5-10 ft. around docks. Report submitted by Danny Clubb, game warden stationed in Bryan County.
Wister: January 20. Elevation normal, water murky. Largemouth bass fair on black plastic worms with white tail tip and fair on silver crankbaits. Crappie fair to good on minnows and fair on white/pink tail grubs at 15-20 ft. Catfish fair on juglines and trotlines baited with cut bait and liver. Report submitted by Randy Fennell, game warden stationed in LeFlore County.
SOUTHWEST
Ellsworth: January 20. Elevation 12 ft. below normal, water murky. Blue catfish fair on cut bait off rocky points. Crappie slow to fair on minnows around the boathouse at Ralph’s Resort. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.
Foss: January 22. Elevation 12 ft. below normal with gates closed, water low 50s and clear. Striped bass hybrids good on slabs in deep water. Walleye fair on jigs around docks. Crappie fair on live bait around the marina. Catfish fair on juglines. Report submitted by Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.
Lawtonka: January 20. Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water clear. Crappie fair on minnows off the dam. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.
Tom Steed: January 22. Elevation 8 ft. below normal, water 42 and murky. Blue catfish fair on cut shad. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by David Smith, game warden stationed in Kiowa County
Big Stringer at Arbuckle
Tournament anglers Jeff Reynolds and Johnny Thompson caught a stringer of five largemouth bass Saturday at Arbuckle Lake that weighed 42 pounds.
Oklahoma’s bass tournament season is off to a strong start with two Calera anglers boating a five-limit, 42-pound bag Saturday in the Backyard Bassin’ Tournament on Arbuckle Lake.
Jeff Reynolds and partner Johnny Thompson weighed in five fish for a total of 42.04 pounds, providing more proof that Arbuckle has become the best bass fishing lake in the state.
Two of the five fish were caught on an Alabama rig, two were caught with a jerk bait and one on a football-head jig. The biggest was a nine-pounder and smallest was a six.
The second place stringer in the tournament weighed in at 28.42 pounds and included a 6.54-pound smallmouth bass. Anglers in the tournament also produced two 10-pounders and at least a dozen fish that weighed more than 8 pounds, tournament officials said.
Big Broken Bow Bass
Scott Hayes of Broken Bow landed this 12-pound bass last month on Broken Bow Lake.
Broken Bow Lake held the state record largemouth bass for 13 years until it was broken last March by Benny Williams Jr. of Poteau, who caught a 14-pound, 12-ounce lunker from Cedar Lake in Le Flore County.
It beat the old largemouth record held by William Cross of Broken Bow by just one ounce. Cross caught his fish in 1999 at Broken Bow Lake.
Even though Broken Bow Lake has been dethroned, it likely holds another state record if someone can catch it.
Just last month, Scott Hayes of Broken Bow landed a 12.12 pound largemouth at the lake. The fish was 27 inches long.
Hayes decided to go bass fishing on the morning of Dec. 1 because it was too warm to go deer hunting. He was just trying to catch some spotted bass for the supper table when he landed the biggest largemouth of his life.
“I got out to the lake early in the morning,” Hayes said. “I was using a drop shot with a 10-pound test line. I felt the line get heavy, so I lifted up and started reeling.
“Instantly, my drag started to sing. I knew that I had a good fish. The fish broke the water and I thought it might be 8 or 9 pounds, biggest one I ever caught.
“I worked the fish closer to the boat and she came out of the water again. I thought it might be closer to 10 pounds. Before I could get the net, she came up right at the boat. I just knew she was going to get off.”
Only after netting the fish and getting it in the boat did Hayes realize how big it was. He had it weighed on certified scales at a local store.
“That’s a pretty exceptional fish for almost anywhere,” said Gene Gilliland, assistant chief of fisheries for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “I don’t doubt there is good number of that caliber of fish down there (in Broken Bow Lake).”
Trout fishing tourneys on Taneycomo
Lake Taneycomo, that runs through the heart of Branson, Mo., is one of the best trout fisheries in the Midwest and winter often is the best time to fish there.
During late fall Table Rock Lake, which feeds Taneycomo, turns over, inverting the waters. This, in turn, causes the water flowing into Taneycomo to hold more oxygen for trout.
On Saturday, Jan. 12, and Feb. 23. Taneycomo will be the site of two trout tournaments.
Anglers will take off at 8 a.m. from Lilleys’ Landing to try their luck and skill for cash prizes and trophies in the two public tournaments. Entry fee is $50 per each two-man team. Both tournaments are catch-and-release and anglers can only use artificial baits. All entrants and spectators are invited to a free meal immediately following the weigh-in at 4 p.m.
Marabou jigs have long proved to be a mainstay on the lake, because they are cheap at $1 each, and can last through a dozen or more fish.
Lilleys’ Landing tackle shop carries jigs in several different size of weights to vary with Taneycomo’s generation schedule.
Scuds and midges are also great to try in the upper lake, sometimes with a tandem rig tied with an egg fly or a San Juan worm 18 inches below the scud.
“We see midge hatches almost every day in the winter here on the lake, and that means our rainbows are ready and waiting to munch on little flies swimming up from the bottom and hatching on the surface,” said Phil Lilley of Lilley’s Landing.
More information on the tournaments is available from http://www.lilleyslanding.com/news/lilleys-landing-fishing-tournaments or by calling 888-545-5397 for a copy of the entry form and rules.
For current fishing tips for Taneycomo, anglers can go to www.Ozarkanglers.com.
H&H Shooting Sports Complex Power Lunch Chat with Ed Godfrey
Oklahoma Fishing Report
Anglers fish for trout at Oklahoma’s newest winter-time trout fishery, Medicine Creek in Medicine Park near Lake Lawtonka in southwest Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation opened the trout fishery on Jan. 1, putting 760 pounds of rainbow trout in Medicine Creek for the opener. Trout fishing will continue on Medicine Creek through March. Only a state fishing license is needed. Photo by Donny Carter
CENTRAL
Hefner: January 7. Elevation below normal and dropping, water 45-47 and clear. Largemouth bass slow. Smallmouth bass slow. White bass and striped bass hybrids fair on grubs at 18-25 ft. along the dam. Channel and blue catfish fair on cut bait at 30 ft. around the dam. Crappie slow on minnows and jigs at 20 ft. along the dam. Walleye slow. Report submitted by Lucky Lure Tackle.
NORTHEAST
Ft Gibson: January 7. Elevation 1 ft. below normal, and clear. Catfish excellent on jug lines and rod and reel on whole live shad and sunfish in 10-20 ft. on the flats. White bass good on silver spoons around piers under Taylor’s Ferry bridge. Crappie good on minnows and jigs around docks at 15-25 ft. Special caution to be taken due to low water levels and submerges obstructions. Report submitted by Rick Stafford of Wagoner.
Hudson: January 7. Elevation normal. Striped bass fair to good on crank baits and plastic baits. Crappie good on minnows and jigs around boat docks and brush piles. Report submitted by Steve Loveland, game warden stationed in Rogers and Mayes counties.
Kaw: January 7. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 10-12 ft. Report submitted by Emily Long, game warden stationed in Kay and Grant counties.
Keystone: January 8. Elevation 4 1/2 ft. below normal, water 47. Catfish fair on cut bait. Crappie fair on minnows around docks and brush piles. Black bass fair on spinner baits. Report submitted by Karlin Bailey, game warden stationed in Creek County.
Lower Illinois: January 7. Elevation normal, water 43 and clear. Largemouth bass slow on stick baits at 1-3 ft. White bass slow on jigs and spinnerbaits at 1-3 ft. all along the river. Striped bass slow on trout and shad at 1-4 ft. at the mouth of the river. Channel catfish good on cut bait on bottom all along the river. Crappie slow on jigs and spinnerbaits at 1-4 ft. all along the river. Trout excellent fly fishing the surface, on rooster tails at 1-2 ft. and on Power Bait on bottom from the dam to Gore Landing. Report submitted by D. Tracy, Town of Gore.
Oologah: January 6. Elevation 4 ft. below normal, water lower 40s and clear. Crappie fair at 10-15 ft. around brush piles. Blue catfish fair on worms and shad at 10-15 ft. Report submitted by Brek Henry, game warden stationed in Rogers County.
Pawhuska: January 8. Trout good on small spinners, Super Dupers and Power Bait. Report submitted by David Clay, game warden stationed in Osage County.
Sooner: January 7. Sand bass and hybrid bass good on ghost minnows, top water lures and sassy shad at the discharge in the evening and morning. Catfish fair on cut and line bait around points. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by Doug Gottschalk, game warden stationed in Noble County.
Tenkiller: January 7. Elevation 9 1/3 ft. below normal, water 50-52, clear and steady. Crappie fair on minors or tube jigs around docks at 20-25 ft. Sunfish fair on worm-tipped jigs at 10-15 ft. around docks. Report by Monte Brooks, Cookson.
NORTHWEST
Watonga: January 4. Wildlife Departmenbt stocked 710 lbs. of trout on January 3. Report submitted by Jody Laubhan, Byron State Fish Hatchery/Northwest Region.
SOUTHEAST
Arbuckle: January 6. Elevation 5 1/2 ft. below normal, water 46 and clear in the lake and stained in upper creek arms. Crappie fair on minnows and white/chartreuse jigs at 25 ft. around brush piles and slow around docks. White bass good on CC spoons along mid-lake knolls and creek channel bends out from the dam. Bass fair on jerk baits, crank baits and drop-shot rigs and fair on Alabama rigs. Report submitted by Jack Melton.
Blue River: January 8. Elevation normal, water 41 and clear. Trout excellent on orange and garlic scented Power Bait, in-line spinners with hook dressing, and power worms. Fly fishing excellent on soft hackle pheasant tails, woolly buggers, San Juan worms, and caddis flies. Smallmouth and spotted bass slow. Channel catfish fair on blood bait in deeper pools around current. Report submitted by Matt Gamble, biologist at the Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.
Blue River: January 8. Approximately 2,405 rainbow trout were stocked on January 2 and approximately 4,000 rainbow trout were stocked on January 8. Report submitted by Matt Gamble, biologist at the Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.
Broken Bow: January 6. Elevation below normal. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass good on crank baits and black #11 jig-and-pigs, in deeper water around points. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around structure. Jug and trot lines baited with cut bait fair. Report submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
Eufaula: January 6. Elevation 5 ft. below normal, water clear. White bass and black bass slow. Blue catfish fair on fresh shad drifting the flats. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around boat docks with brush and along riprap areas. Report submitted by Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.
Hugo: January 6. Elevation 8 ft. below normal. Boating extremely hazardous. Catfish fair on trotlines baited with cut bait. Report submitted by Jay Harvey, game warden stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties.
Konawa: January 5. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal, water 44 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on crank baits at 8-10 ft. around points and road beds. White bass and hybrid bass fair on minnows and jigs in the discharge canal at 15 ft. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by Daryl Howser, game warden stationed in Seminole County.
Lower Mountain Fork River: January 6. Try mayfly nymphs in sizes 16, 18 and 20. Size 20 soft hackles in yellow, olive and orange are working in all three zones as well as pink and yellow egg patterns. Report submitted by Jesse King, Three Rivers Fly Shop.
McGee Creek: January 6. Elevation 9 3/4 ft. below normal, water 49 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on soft plastics and jig-and-pig combinations at 10-25 ft. Crappie fair on minnows at 12-28 ft. over brush piles in creek channels. Report submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in Atoka County.
Pine Creek: January 6. All public boat ramps have been closed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. No fishing activity to report due to extremely low water levels. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
Robert S. Kerr: January 8. Bass fair on crank baits and stick baits off points, along creek channels and up river in coves. Spotted bass excellent up Canadian River, look for concentrations of gulls. Crappie good up Big Sanbio Creek around deeper submerged brush. White bass and striped bass fair on minnows and shad crank baits up river in deeper holes and around rock ledges. Channel and blue catfish excellent on trotlines and juglines baited with cut bait at 12-20 ft. close to creek and river channels. Report submitted by Allen Couch, game warden stationed in Haskell County.
Texoma: January 6. Elevation 5 1/4 ft. below normal, water 58 and clear. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fair to good on deep diving crank baits and plastic worms at 15-30 ft. around drop-offs. Striped and white bass fair to good on live bait, sassy shad and slabs at 15-30 ft. in river channels. Channel and blue catfish fair on live bait, stinkbait and worms at 10-20 ft. from Platter Flats to the Washita River. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 10-20 ft. around underwater brush. Sunfish fair on worms and small tube jigs at 5-10 ft. around underwater brush. Sunfish fair on small tube jigs and worms at 5-10 ft. around fish attractors. Report submitted by Danny Clubb, game warden stationed in Bryan County.
Wister: January 6. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal, water murky. Largemouth bass fair on black plastic worms and silver crank baits. Crappie fair to good on white tail grubs at 15-20 ft. Catfish fair on jug lines and trotlines baited with cut bait and liver. Report submitted by Randy Fennell, game warden stationed in LeFlore County.
SOUTHWEST
Altus-Lugert: January 6. Elevation 27 ft. below normal. Catfish, crappie, walleye and hybrid bass fair. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by J. D. Stauffer, game warden stationed in Harmon County.
Ellsworth: January 6. Elevation 12 ft. below normal, water murky. Blue catfish fair on cut bait off rocky points. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.
Foss: January 7. Elevation 12 ft. below normal with gates closed, water 50s and clear. Hybrid bass good on slabs in deep water. Walleye good around docks on jigs. Catfish fair. Crappie slow. Cold and damp weather has been good for fishing. The main ramp is the only one open at this time. Report submitted by Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.
Lawtonka: January 6. Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water clear. Crappie fair on minnows off the dam. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.
Medicine Creek Park: January 7. Trout fair on Power Bait and spinners. Wildlife Department stocked 760 pounds of trout last week.
College anglers deserve support
Oklahoma State University students Zach Birge of Blanchard and Blake Flurry of Roland won the 2012 Carhartt Bassmaster Collegiate National Championship in 2012. The 2013 collegiate tournament season began last weekend with a tournament in Florida.
I received the following email from Kimberlee Flurry of Roland, mother of Blake Flurry, who partnered with Zack Birge of Blanchard last summer to win a collegiate bass fishing national championship at Oklahoma State University.
Collegiate bass fishing is growing with more tournaments and more schools, but in Oklahoma and most universities in the country it is treated as a club sport with little or no financial sport from the schools. The bass fishing clubs raise money so its members can travel and compete.
Hi Ed,
I came across an article you had written back in 2010 or 2011 where you were discussing the OSU bass fishing teams and how you thought T. Boone Pickens would be making a donation to that sport.
Well, my son and his partner won the Carrhart Bassmasters National Collegiate Championship in July 2012 for OSU.
I was really hoping that they might hear something from Mr. Pickens, especially after knowing that he has contributed to the FLW Tour.
These boys fish hard, long hours competing all over the country to get to that championship chance. I was extremely proud of all the competitors at the national championship.
They fished six consecutive days in 105 degree plus temps for eight hours a day. They had meetings at night on the next day rules and preparation and got to bed late and back up a 4 each morning, not to mention the mental stress as well.
This is definitely a sport that is becoming large. I watched at the tournaments over the last couple of years and there are actually schools that offer scholarships, funding, boats, etc. I have been very impressed with OSU as a college, but I am sad to say that OSU is behind other colleges in the bass fishing area.
My son will graduate this year and his fishing partner just graduated in December. College is expensive enough without having to fund all the fishing expenses also.
I am saying this to you for the future fishermen of OSU. Maybe their road will not be as financially grueling as ours has been. I would do it again, though, as it has opened many doors for our son and his partner for a future at possibly fishing professionally. It has been a great experience.
I know that there are others that deserve a chance to prove their fishing skills but, due to finances, will not ever get that opportunity. It would be nice that the fishing team be recognized for the national championship win. I believe that all others sports at the college receive some kind of national championship ring when a national championship is won.
I hope that maybe Mr. Pickens will reconsider funding the fishing team and help OSU grow this already rapidly growing sport.
Kimberlee Flurry, Roland
