The Oklahoman’s Ed Godfrey is your guide to the great outdoors

Last chance to apply for controlled hunts

Today (May 15) is the last day to apply for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s popular controlled hunts program.
The controlled hunts program offers once-in-a-lifetime elk and antelope hunts, highly sought-after buck hunts, and other quality hunting opportunities through randomized drawings that only cost sportsmen $5 to enter.
Opportunities offered through the program include hunts on Wildlife Department or other government-owned or managed lands where unrestricted hunting would pose safety concerns or where overharvest might occur.
The online application process takes just a few minutes and must be completed through the Wildlife Department’s website at www.wildlifedepartment.com.
All applicants, including lifetime license holders, must pay the $5 application fee to enter the controlled hunts drawings.
The fee is paid only once per person per year regardless of the number of categories entered.
Log on to https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/controlledhunt/ctrlhunt.asp to complete an application for the Controlled Hunts program.

DU banquets in Norman and Woodward on Saturday

Two Ducks Unlimited banquets are scheduled Saturday in Norman and Woodward.
The Cleveland County Ducks Unlimited fundraising banquet and auction is scheduled Saturday in Norman.
The address for the event is 1005 S. Lexington, near the YMCA.
Doors open at 6 p.m. Dinner begins at 7 p.m.
Tickets are available at the door for $75 a couple and $45 for singles.
A new Ducks Unlimited chapter in Woodward also is holding a fundraising banquet Saturday at The Conference Center in Woodward.
The evening will include auctions, raffles and games. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the dinner following at 7 p.m. Auctions will begin at 8 p.m.
Admission is $60 per couple or $35 for single tickets.
For more information, contact Justin Zimmerman at (580) 339-1391 or Texaszimmerman@gmail.com.

Feral hogs still a big problem in Oklahoma

From the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation:

Feral hogs destroy wildlife habitat at alarming rates and cause a number of important concerns to hunters, farmers and other landowners in Oklahoma.
Feral hogs can cause extensive damage to farm fields, crops, stored livestock feed, woodlots, suburban landscaping, golf courses and wildlife habitat relied upon by native species such as deer, turkey, squirrels and quail.
Their voracious appetites, destructive habits and prolific breeding patterns wreak havoc on the landscape, often resulting in overwhelming competition to native species. They may also carry diseases that can be transmitted to other species, including humans.
“The bottom line is they don’t belong here,” said Kevin Grant, Oklahoma state director of Wildlife Services for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which oversees feral swine management issues in Oklahoma as part of a memorandum of understanding with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The memorandum is rooted in the fact that feral swine are not true wildlife, but rather descendants of domestic stock living at large in a feral state.
Grant said millions of dollars and significant resources have been spent in an effort to make sure domestic swine stock is safe from disease, so the presence of feral populations raises concerns for the safety of domestic swine and the swine industry.
“If they’re here, they need to be on the plate or in a pen because they’re not native to the Americas, and the way that they’re really taking off out there is pretty phenomenal,” Grant said.
Grant’s comments were part of a presentation to the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission on the statewide status of feral swine, or “wild hogs” as they are often called in Oklahoma.
According to Grant and officials with the Wildlife Department, feral hogs are a well-established and still growing problem in Oklahoma.
“They are probably the most prolific large mammal around,” Grant said, adding that feral swine can reach sexual maturity by 6 months of age, have relatively short gestational periods and can give birth to large litters multiple times a year.
In the 1990s, the Agriculture Department worked with the Wildlife Department and the Noble Foundation to study the spread of feral hog populations in Oklahoma. Feral hogs seemed to originate in southeastern Oklahoma, and they since have spread to all 77 counties.
Grant said a common question is what can be done about growing and problematic feral hog populations.
“There is no one thing,” Grant said. “It’s our nature – we want to believe that there’s a magic bullet we can employ that will solve this.”
But Grant said solutions are not simple.
“It’s going to take a combination of a lot of things to get any kind of control on feral swine,” he said.
Grant said to truly have an effect, an estimated 70 percent of the feral hog population would need to be harvested annually for several years, an unlikely probability due to lack of access to populations. Additionally, in a given area, some landowners may wish to eradicate populations whereas others may not wish to do so on their property.
Three possible approaches to feral hog population control include trapping, aerial hunting and the use of toxicants, Grant said, though each has significant limitations.
For example, hogs can learn to avoid or even escape traps, a common method used across Oklahoma.
“It’s a good method; it’s not the end-all,” Grant said, adding that trapping may at least help keep up with feral hog reproduction in a local population.
“Aerial hunting is a really good way to get them,” he said “But it has its downside, too. One is that you have to be able to see them.”
Visibility restricts aerial hunting to those times of the year when there are no leaves on trees and brush. Additionally, hogs can learn to avoid aerial activity and adapt simply by moving onto properties not frequented by low-flying airplanes and helicopters.
Aerial hunting also can be risky and hazardous. The state Legislature has passed two bills that allow aerial hunting from helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft outside the Oct. 1-Jan. 15 period.
The governor has signed one bill, and another is awaiting signature.
The Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services also is studying the use of toxicants as a method for control, though it has not been implemented in the United States.
In Australia, hog populations are being successfully controlled with the use of sodium nitrite.
However, any toxicant used in the United States for wildlife population control must be registered with the EPA after a tremendous amount of testing and evaluations. Effective solutions for avoiding non-target species also must be developed.
“This is going to be some years down the road,” Grant said.
Alan Peoples, chief of wildlife for the Wildlife Department, said traditional methods of hunting hogs do not decrease populations of feral swine as much as simply dispersing those populations.
Still, feral hog hunting is a popular pursuit in Oklahoma.

Weekly Fishing Report

CENTRAL
Arcadia: April 22. Elevation 2 ft. above normal, water 58 and murky. Largemouth bass good on worms at 5-6 ft. along north shores. White bass fair. Blue catfish good on shad at 6-10 ft. in evenings. Crappie fair to good on live and plastic minnows and jigs at 7-12 ft. around docks early and late. Report submitted by Sheila Hutton, gate attendant.
Hefner: April 22. Elevation normal and rising, water 58-64 and muddy. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits at 3-6 ft. along rocky banks. Smallmouth bass fair on crankbaits at 3-6 ft. along rocky banks. White bass and striped bass hybrids good on white grubs 2-6 ft. at the water inlet. Channel and blue catfish fair. Crappie good on chartreuse jigs and minnows at 4-10 ft. along the dam. Walleye fair on jerk baits and grubs at 2-8 ft. along rocky shorelines. Report submitted by Lucky Lure Tackle.
Overholser: April 24. Striped bass hybrids fair to good on chicken liver and jigs on warm days. Report submitted by David Rempe, game warden stationed in Oklahoma County.
Thunderbird: April 21. Elevation 4 1/2 ft. below normal, water muddy. Channel catfish fair on cut bait and stinkbait at 6-10 ft. Report by Tony Woodruff, game warden stationed in Cleveland County.
Wes Watkins: April 21. Elevation 7 ft. below normal and rising, water muddy. The main boat on the north side is now open. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs. Report submitted by Mike France, game warden stationed in Pottawatomie County.
NORTHEAST
Bell Cow: April 21. Elevation below normal, water 58 and muddy. Bass good on plastic baits in shallows. Channel catfish fair on dough bait. Crappie good on minnows around docks. Report submitted by Gary Emmons, game warden stationed in Lincoln County.
Birch: April 22. Elevation 8 ft. below normal, water clear. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits along shorelines. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 6-10 ft. around structure. Report submitted by David Clay, game warden stationed in Osage County.
Carl Blackwell: April 23. Elevation below normal, water 59 and murky. Crappie fair at the enclosed dock and off rocks. Striped bass hybrids excellent along the dam in the afternoon. Report submitted by Wade Farrar, game warden stationed in Logan County.
Chandler: April 21. Elevation above normal, water 58 and muddy. Channel catfish fair on dough bait and stinkbait. Crappie good on minnows and jigs off the dam. Report submitted by Gary Emmons, game warden stationed in Lincoln County.
Copan: April 21. Elevation normal, water clearing. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 5-8 ft. White bass slow on minnows and jigs in white and hot pink near the mouth of creeks and inlets. Blue catfish being caught on cut bait. Report submitted by Joe Alexander, game warden stationed in Washington County.
Ft. Gibson: April 20. Elevation 10 ft. above normal, water 58 and murky. Catfish excellent on juglines, trotlines and drifting shad, shrimp and cut bait around Long Bay and Toppers areas. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around the docks and rocky banks. White bass good in the main river channel around Chouteau Bend. Paddlefish excellent in the low water areas and below the main dam. Largemouth bass fair on crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Report submitted by Rick Stafford of Wagoner.
Grand: April 21. Elevation 3 ft. above normal, water 58. Largemouth bass good on various baits shallow. White bass slow to fair on small crankbaits and jigs. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 5-10 ft. Catfish good on fresh cut bait shallow. Paddlefish slow to fair up river. Report submitted by Kody Moore, game warden stationed in Delaware County.
Greenleaf: April 23. Bass good on soft jerk baits, lipless crankbaits, rattletraps and chatter baits; they have moved back just a little. Crappie good on Bobby Garland baby shad in blue thunder, electric chicken and red. Report submitted by Mike’s Outdoors.
Hudson: April 22. Elevation normal. Largemouth bass fair to good on plastic baits and crankbaits. White bass good in the upper end below Pensacola Dam. Channel and blue catfish good on cut shad. Crappie fair on small lures and minnows. Paddlefish good in the upper end. Report submitted by Steve Loveland, game warden stationed in Rogers and Mayes counties.
Hulah: April 21. Elevation normal, water clearing. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 4-6 ft. White bass good on minnows and jigs in white and hot pink near the mouth of creeks and inlets. Blue catfish good on cut bait and worms. Report submitted by Joe Alexander, game warden stationed in Washington County.
Kaw: April 23. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. above normal. White bass good along the Arkansas River. Channel and blue catfish good on juglines and rod-and-reel with cut bait. Crappie slow on minnows and jigs at 15-20 ft. in the main lake. Paddlefish slow below the dam. Report submitted by Emily Long, game warden stationed in Kay and Grant counties.
Keystone: April 23. Elevation 2 ft. above normal, water 60. Crappie fair on minnows. Catfish fair on cut bait. Report submitted by Karlin Bailey, game warden stationed in Creek County.
Lower Illinois: April 22. Elevation above normal and rising, water 44 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on minnows at 3 ft. in coves. White bass good on jigs and spinnerbaits at 3 ft. all along the river. Striped bass slow on shad at 3 ft. at the mouth of the river. Channel catfish excellent on cut bait on bottom all along the river. Crappie slow on jigs at 3 ft. below Gore Landing to the mouth of the river. Trout excellent on flies on the surface, on rooster tails at 1-2 ft. and on Power Bait from the dam to Gore Landing. Report submitted by D. Tracy, Town of Gore.
Oologah: April 22. Elevation 1/2 ft. below normal, water lower to mid-50s and clear. Crappie fair at 6-10 ft. around brush piles. Blue catfish fair on worms and shad at 10-15 ft. along flats. White bass fair on jigs in the river above the lake. Report submitted by Brek Henry, game warden stationed in Rogers County.
Skiatook: April 22. Elevation 12 1/2 ft. below normal, water clear. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits in back of coves. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 5-20 ft. around structure. Report submitted by Paul Welch, game warden stationed in Osage County.
Sooner: April 22. White bass, striped bass and striped bass hybrids good on rattletraps, topwater lures and sassy shad in the discharge. Catfish fair on cut bait and live bait at the intake at the north end of the dam. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs off Hwy 15. Report submitted by Doug Gottschalk, game warden stationed in Noble County.
Tenkiller: April 22. Elevation 2 ft. above normal, water 61-62 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and soft plastic baits. Crappie fair on minnows and small jigs at 10-15 ft. in docks. White bass being caught on inline spinnerbaits and jigs. Sunfish fair on worm-Webbers Falls: April 23. Bass good on soft jerk baits, flukes, jigs with plastic trailers and spinnerbaits in back of creeks. White bass excellent on almost anything including jigs and redeye shad in back of creeks. Report submitted by Mike Hicks with Mike’s Outdoors.
NORTHWEST
Canton: April 20. Elevation 14 ft. below normal, water clear. White bass fair along the dam in evenings. Channel catfish fair on shad near Big Bend campground. Report submitted by Mark Walker, game warden stationed Blaine County.
Ft. Supply: April 21. Elevation normal, water 52. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs along jetties. Walleye fair trolling the sandbars. Report submitted by Mark Reichenberger, game warden stationed in Woodward County.
SOUTHEAST
Broken Bow: April 22. Elevation slightly above normal, water mid-60s. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass good on soft plastic baits and crankbaits in shallower water around points. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 8-10 ft. around structure. Walleye should start being caught on crawdad type crankbaits in deeper water later in the month near the full moon. Report submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
Eufaula: April 21. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. above normal, water clear in the east and murky in the north and west. Largemouth bass fair on plastic baits and spinnerbaits along brushy and rocky areas. White bass good on small spinnerbaits and jigs in feeder creeks that have substantial current flow. Blue catfish good on a variety of baits in shallow areas around brush and rocks. Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs at 1-6 ft. moving with the cold fronts. Report submitted by Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.
Hugo: April 21. Elevation 1 ft. above normal. Crappie fair to good on minnows around button brush along the creek channels. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits and soft plastic baits in and around the flooded brush. Crappie and white bass fair to good on jigs at 10-13 ft. below the dam. Report submitted by Jay Harvey, game warden stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties.
Konawa: April 20. Elevation normal, water 64 and clear. Largemouth bass good on plastic worms at 4-8 ft. around points and weed beds. White bass and striped bass hybrids fair on jigs and shad at 15 ft. in the discharge canal. Channel catfish fair on chicken liver and stinkbait at 5-10 ft. in coves. Report submitted by Daryl Howser, game warden stationed in Seminole County.
Lower Mountain Fork: April 21. Fishing has been great. In addition to midges and blue-winged olive mayflies, March Browns and tan caddis flies are beginning to take trout throughout the river. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
McGee Creek: April 21. Elevation 1/2 ft. below normal, water 56 and murky. Largemouth bass fair on soft plastic baits at 5-15 ft. Crappie fair on minnows at 10-18 ft. over cedar brush in creek channels. Channel catfish fair to good on liver and stinkbait in the upper creek channels where fresh water is coming in. White bass being caught on grubs and jigs at the first shoal at the north end of McGee Creek. Report submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in Atoka County.
Murray: April 23. Elevation 7-8 ft. below normal, water 62. The marina boat ramp is the only ramp open. Largemouth and smallmouth bass good on soft plastic baits, spinnerbaits, worms and crankbaits at 2-4 ft. Channel catfish fair to good on worms, stinkbait and chicken liver. Crappie slow to fair at 3-4 ft. around brush piles, rock structure and habitat buoys. Walleye fair on minnows and jigs right before dark off the dam. Report submitted by Jeremy Brothers, game warden stationed in Carter County.
Pine Creek: April 21. Elevation above normal, water 59 and clear. Bass good on soft plastic baits. Crappie good on minnows near the banks. Catfish fair on trotlines baited with cut shad. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
Robert S. Kerr: April 23. Bass fair on crankbaits, stick baits and topwater lures off points, along creek channels and in coves up river in coves. White and spotted bass excellent up the Canadian River; look for concentrations of gulls; white bass are congregated in deeper pools. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 2-4 ft. up Big San Bois Creek, in strip pits and shallow weed areas. 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.
Sardis: April 20. Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water 68. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits and plastic worms in shallows. White bass fair in creek channels. Channel and blue catfish good on cut bait and dead minnows. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 2-8 ft. Walleye good trolling at 8-14 ft. Report submitted by Dane Polk, game warden stationed in Pushmataha County.
Texoma:  April 21. Elevation 2 1/2 ft. below normal, water 56 and clear in the south and murky in the north. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fair to good on plastic combination baits, crankbaits and spinnerbaits at 5-20 ft. in the creek channels. Striped and white bass fair to good on live bait, sassy shad and slabs at 10-30 ft. in the river channels. Channel and blue catfish fair to good on live bait, stinkbait and worms at 10-20 ft. from the Washita River to Catfish Bay. Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs at 5-10 ft. in underwater brush and gravel shorelines. Sunfish fair to good on worms and small tube jigs at 5-10 ft. around fishing docks. Report submitted by Danny Clubb, game warden stationed in Bryan County.
Wister: April 21. Elevation 8 1/2 ft. above normal, water murky. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Crappie fair to good on minnows and white grubs at 2-4 ft. around brushy cover. Catfish fair to good on juglines and trotlines baited with cut bait and dead minnows at 8-12 ft. Report submitted by Randy Fennell, game warden stationed in LeFlore County.
SOUTHWEST
Altus-Lugert: April 21. Elevation 26 3/4 ft. below normal and steady. Overall fishing is better but still slow. Catfish and walleye being caught near the dam. Crappie being caught near the low water dam. Report submitted by Sue Hokanson, Quartz Mountain Nature Park.
Ellsworth: April 21. Elevation 8 ft. below normal, water muddy. Blue catfish fair to good on cut bait off rocky points. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.
Foss: April 23. Elevation 12 ft. below normal with gates closed, water 50s and clear. Striped bass hybrids good on slab and live bait in deep water near the dam. Walleye fair to good on live bait near the marina. Largemouth bass fair on live bait. Catfish good on the north side of the lake. Crappie slow near brush around the lake. Report submitted by Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.
Waurika: April 22. Elevation 12 ft. below normal, water murky. Striped bass hybrids good on crawfish and jigs along the dam. Blue and channel catfish good on worms, shad and punch bait at 4-12 ft. near submerged timber. Report submitted by Ted Hasty, game warden stationed in Jefferson County.

Wanted: Turkey Feathers

Members of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma are asking turkey hunters to provide feathers for their ceremonial Turkey Dance.
“We have about 20 dances carried over from ancient times,” said Phil Cross, a historian for the Caddo Culture Club in Binger.
“We have a special dance called the Turkey Dance that is one of our most cherished. We use the feathers of the wild turkey in our dances and regalia.”
With Oklahoma’s wild turkey hunting season underway, Harris is hoping that hunters could donate some feathers for the ceremonial dances.
“Wing and tail feathers are the most desired for making our fans and other items,” Cross said.
The Caddo Culture Club was established many years ago to preserve and teach the Caddo Indian culture and traditions.
Members of the club have appeared at powwows, universities, public schools, civic clubs, historical societies and museums throughout the United States to perform their dances.
If you have turkey feathers to donate, call Harris at (405) 933-2473 or email info@caddolegacy.com.
More information about the club can be found at www.caddolegacy.com

Christie wins on Bull Shoals

FROM BASS REPORTS

Two days ago on the Ramada Quest stage, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jason Christie bemoaned the crystal water and dead-calm conditions of Arkansas’ Bull Shoals Lake.
“Clear water and no wind scare the heck out of me,” said the Elite Series rookie from Park Hill on that second day of competition. He dropped from fourth place to 14th.
It was a serious fall in what had become the “ounces-count” Quest.
If Christie was scared, he was scared straight. On the third day, the Oklahoma pro managed to climb up to 11th place and qualify for Monday’s fourth and final round. He was 5 pounds, 6 ounces behind the leader.
Monday at the weigh-in, he showed what having the fire under you can do. He turned in a huge bag, the tournament’s largest: 18 pounds even. Christie won his first Elite Series trophy and $100,000. It was his second consecutive Bassmaster Classic qualification.
“Awesome,” said Christie about his secure return to the Classic.
“I was hooked on it last time, and I’m ready to go again.”
Christie’s winning weight was 56 pounds, 8 ounces. The five largemouth in his Day 4 bag of 18-0 included two 4-pounders and a 5-0, the largest bass of the day.
His margin of victory was 1 pound, 2 ounces over Fred Roumbanis of Bixby, Okla. That was a notable achievement given that the Day 3 leader, Casey Scanlon, led by 12 ounces, and the Day 1 and 2 leader, Greg Vinson, led by 1 pound and by 3 ounces, respectively.
Christie’s leapfrog from 11th into first place was the biggest Day 4 comeback in Elite Series history. (Arkansas pro Kevin Short rose from sixth place to win the 2009 Mississippi River Elite event.)
Christie, 39, came into the Quest hot off an April 14 FLW Tour win on Beaver Lake. The Elite Series title of Monday chalked up rare consecutive wins in the sport’s best-known circuits, both on White River impoundments in Arkansas.
“I just want to ride this train ’til it wrecks,” said Christie of his winning streak.
He said he saw few similarities in Beaver and Bull Shoals, except for one factor:
“Beaver taught me the fish are not as far along as we thought that they were. The males are pulling up, but the females are still in the eating mode,” he said. “But Beaver and Bull Shoals are a lot different, even though they’re on the same river [the White]. Beaver has a lot of colored, flat water — but Bull Shoals has a lot of fish in it.”
At Bull Shoals, his winning pattern was firing casts to schooling fish busting the surface of a creek he fished all four days. But he didn’t see that schooling action until the fourth day. On the first day, he used a crankbait. The second day he tried the crankbait, then put it down when it didn’t produce and went to a Carolina rig. The third day he went again to the rig, but abandoned it for flipping bushes. On Day 4, when the fish started to show themselves, he broke out a Heddon Zara Spook One Knocker, a bait with one big internal weight in a transparent finish.
“I was going from bush pocket to bush pocket, and they came up,” Christie said. “I stayed there. When I need a 3 1/2 to cull, and I haven’t seen a 3 1/2 all week, I’m going to stay there.”
He said the bass were breaking the surface across a “giant” area.
“The only ones you could catch were the ones close to you,” he said. “They were going so much, I’d turn to one side, go for one, then turn to another. I tried to stay on top of it as much as I could.”
He caught his entire 18 pounds Monday on the Spook. When he was flipping to bushes, he used a green-pumpkin Yum Wooly Hawg. The crankbait was a Bomber 6A in crawdad.
Day 3 leader Scanlon of Lenexa, Kan., ended in third place with 54-11. Finishing fourth at 54-1 was Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla. Fifth place was taken with 53-15 by Lake Wylie, S.C., pro Britt Myers, who finished second in the 2012 Quest.
Christie’s victory was his first Elite Series win, but third on the Bassmaster circuit he joined in 2012 to make his bid to be an Elite pro. In the Opens, he won a Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open event and secured a berth in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic, his first. By the end of the season, he had amassed enough Northern Open points to qualify for the Elite Series. He also scored a second 2012 Open win.
In his first Classic appearance — in February on his home water, Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees — Christie finished seventh. His Elite debut was not so pretty: 69th at the Sabine River. He recovered nicely with a Top 12 on Falcon Lake.
The Quest produced a new leader in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race: Edwin Evers of Talala.
Former leader Brandon Card of Caryville, Tenn., dropped into sixth place. Evers has 259 points; Card, 233.
Between Evers and Card in AOY standings are Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., second place with 250 points; seven-time AOY winner Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., third place with 250; and Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif., and Jeff Kriet of Ardmore, both with 238 points.

Do you really want to noodle a Blue?

Noodlers in Oklahoma will be able to go after channel catfish and blue catfish next year along with flatheads.
Gov. Mary Fallin has signed legislation which makes it legal for noodlers, or hand fishermen, to keep blue cats and channel cats in addition to flathead catfish. The law takes effect Nov. 1.
Whether noodlers actively will search for blue cats, however, is another story.
Blue cats are known for having a sharper bite than flatheads, and many noodlers who have snatched them in past have expressed regret.
“Compared to a dog, a blue cat is a pit bull and a flathead is a poodle,” said Skipper Bivens of Temple, star of the Hillybilly Handfishing television show.
Most noodlers are able to snatch catfish during spawning season when the males are guarding the nests. But there is a difference in the bite of a blue cat and a flathead.
“If they catch a blue cat, they will pay for it,” said Robert Fleenor, head of the law enforcement division for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Weekly Fishing Report

Here is this week’s fishing report compiled by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Arcadia:  April 15. Elevation above normal, water 54 and murky. Largemouth bass good on worms at 5-6 ft. along north shore. White bass fair. Blue catfish fair to good on shad at 6-10 ft. in the evenings. Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs at 7-10 ft. early and late. Report submitted by Sheila Hutton, gate attendant.
Hefner:  April 15. Elevation below normal and rising, water 56-58 and murky. Largemouth bass good on crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs at 3-6 ft. along rocky banks. Smallmouth bass fair on crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs at 3-6 ft. along rocky banks. White bass and striped bass hybrids good on grubs and sassy shad at 2-6 ft. along inlets and rocky shorelines. Channel and blue catfish fair. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 6-12 ft. along the dam. Walleye fair on jerk baits and grubs at 2-6 ft. Report submitted by Lucky Lure Tackle.
Overholser:  April 15. Water below normal, water murky. Striped bass hybrids fair on whole shrimp and chicken liver. Catfish fair on punch bait off the floating dock. Report submitted by David Rempe, game warden stationed in Oklahoma County.
Thunderbird:  April 14. Elevation 6 1/3 ft. below normal, water murky. Crappie fair on minnows and small jigs at 5-8 ft. around structure. Bass fair on tandem spinnerbaits around structure. Channel catfish fair on cut bait and stinkbait at 8-10 ft. around drop-offs. Report by Tony Woodruff, game warden stationed in Cleveland County.
Wes Watkins:  April 15. Elevation 8 ft. below normal, water stained. All boat ramps are closed due to low water. Crappie fair on jigs. Report submitted by Mike France, game warden stationed in Pottawatomie County.
NORTHEAST
Bell Cow:  April 14. Elevation below normal, water 59 and muddy. Bass good on plastic baits and minnows at night around the dock. Report submitted by Gary Emmons, game warden stationed in Lincoln County.
Birch:  April 17. Elevation 8 ft. below normal, water 50s and clear. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits and plastic worms along shorelines. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 6-10 ft. Report submitted by David Clay, game warden stationed in Osage County.
Carl Blackwell:  April 16. Elevation below normal, water 58 and murky. Crappie good on live bait and jigs around structure. Striped bass hybrids excellent on swim baits on bottom around rocks. Report submitted by Wade Farrar, game warden stationed in Logan County.
Chandler:  April 14. Elevation below normal, water 59 and muddy. Largemouth bass good on plastic baits. Crappie good on small crankbaits and jigs off the dam. Report submitted by Gary Emmons, game warden stationed in Lincoln County.
Copan:  April 11. Elevation normal, water clearing. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 5-8 ft. White bass good on minnows and jigs in white and hot pink near the mouth of creeks and inlets. Blue catfish being caught on cut bait. Report submitted by Joe Alexander, game warden stationed in Washington County.
Eucha:  April 16. Elevation 1/4 ft. above normal, water 60 and clear. Crappie excellent on minnows and jigs at 4-6 ft. Largemouth bass fair on jerk baits and crankbaits. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa.
Ft. Gibson:  April 15. Elevation 5 ft. above normal, water 59 and murky. Catfish excellent on cut bait and shad at 10-15 ft. drifting the flats. Paddlefish excellent in the Chouteau Bend and low water dam area. White bass are spawning and found in all the creeks and the Chouteau Bend area of Grand River. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 1 ft. at dusk; they are starting to go into the shallows. Report submitted by Rick Stafford of Wagoner.
Grand: April 14. Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water mid-50s. Largemouth bass good on jigs, jerk baits, Alabama rigs and crankbaits in pre-spawn patterns. Catfish good on fresh cut bait at 10-20 ft. White bass good on small lures up creeks and rivers and below the dam. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 10-15 ft. around structure. Report submitted by Kody Moore, game warden stationed in Delaware County.
Greenleaf:  April 15. Bass good to excellent on soft jerk baits and chatter baits moving up the lake. Crappie good on Bobby Garland lures, Strike King lures and minnows around brush and covers. Report submitted by Mike’s Outdoors.
Hudson:  April 15. Elevation normal, water 53. Largemouth bass good on plastic baits and spinnerbaits. White bass good on small lures. Crappie fair to good on small jigs around brush pile areas. Paddlefish fair to good. Report submitted by Steve Loveland, game warden stationed in Rogers and Mayes counties.
Hulah:  April 11. Elevation 1 ft. below normal and slowly rising, water clearing. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 4-6 ft. White bass good on minnows and jigs in white and hot pink near the mouth of creeks and inlets. Blue catfish good on Acut bait and worms. Report submitted by Joe Alexander, game warden stationed in Washington County.
Kaw:  April 16. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. above normal, water 56. White bass good along the Arkansas River. Channel and blue catfish good on juglines and rod-and-reel with cut bait. Crappie slow on minnows and jigs at 15-20 ft. in the main lake. Paddlefish slow below the dam. Report submitted by Emily Long, game warden stationed in Kay and Grant counties.
Keystone:  April 16. Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water 54. Crappie good on minnows and jigs. White bass good in creeks. Catfish fair on cut bait. Largemouth bass fair on crankbaits and jigs. Report submitted by Karlin Bailey, game warden stationed in Creek County.
Lower Illinois:  April 15. Elevation normal, water 44 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on minnows at 2 ft. in coves. White bass fair on jigs and white rooster tails at 2-3 ft. all along the river. Striped bass slow on shad at 2-3 ft. at the mouth of the river. Channel catfish excellent on cut bait on bottom all along the river. Blue catfish excellent on cut bait on bottom at the dam. Crappie slow on jigs at 1-3 ft. below Gore Landing. Trout excellent on flies on the surface, on rooster tails at 1-2 ft. and on Power Bait from the dam to Gore Landing. Report submitted by D. Tracy, Town of Gore.
Oologah:  April 14. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal, water lower to mid-50s and clear. Crappie fair at 10 ft. around brush piles. Blue catfish fair on worms and shad at 10-15 ft. along flats. White bass fair on jigs in the river above the lake. Report submitted by Brek Henry, game warden stationed in Rogers County.
Skiatook:  April 16. Elevation 13 1/2 ft. below normal, water clear. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits in back of coves. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 5-20 ft. around structure. Report submitted by Paul Welch, game warden stationed in Osage County.
Sooner:  April 15. White bass and striped bass hybrids fair on live shad and slabs in the lake and at the north end of the dam. Striped bass good on sassy shad in the discharge. Catfish fair on cut bait and live bait in the discharge. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs off Hwy 15. Report submitted by Doug Gottschalk, game warden stationed in Noble County.
Spavinaw:  April 16. Elevation 3/4 ft. above normal. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around boat houses. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa.
Tenkiller:  April 16. Elevation 2 3/4 ft. above normal, water 61-63 and clear. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass fair to good on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and soft plastic baits in shallow water. Crappie fair to good, staging at 10 ft. White bass fair on spinnerbaits, spoons and jigs in the upper end of the lake. Sunfish good on night crawlers in or near docks. Report submitted by Monte Brooks of Cookson.
Webbers Falls:  April 15. Bass good to excellent on soft jerk baits, flip baits and spinnerbaits up creeks and back waters. White bass fair to good moving up into the creeks and around Grand River bridges. Striped bass hybrids fair to good around Grand River bridges. Report submitted by Mike Hicks with Mike’s Outdoors.
NORTHWEST
Canton:  April 12. Elevation 14 ft. below normal, water clear. No useable boat ramps on the lake at this time. Walleye fair on crankbaits and jigs along the dam. Report submitted by Mark Walker, game warden stationed Blaine County.
Ft. Supply:  April 14. Elevation normal. White bass fair on minnows and jigs at the south end of the lake. Channel catfish fair on stinkbait off the dam. Crappie good on minnows and jigs along jetties early and late. Walleye fair to good trolling the sandbars and fair on worms and minnows off banks. Report submitted by Mark Reichenberger, game warden stationed in Woodward County.
SOUTHEAST
Arbuckle:  April 13. Elevation 7 ft. below normal, water 59. Crappie fair on minnows and small feathered jigs around docks early and late and in the lake at the mouths of coves. White bass being caught on small rattletraps and wiggle-tailed grubs in back of creeks along channels. Bass being caught on shaky heads, flukes, Alabama rigs and sunfish colored crankbaits. Report submitted by Mark Reichenberger, game warden stationed in Woodward County.
Blue River:  April 16. Elevation normal, water 72 and clear. Smallmouth and spotted bass good on soft plastic baits and small crankbaits around rocks and structure. Channel catfish good on stinkbait, minnows and chicken liver around current in small pools. Sunfish good on crickets, small jigs and small spinnerbaits in shallow slack water areas. Trout fair on garlic Power Bait in large pools around waterfalls. Report submitted by Matt Gamble, biologist at the Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.
Broken Bow:  April 14. Elevation slightly above normal, water mid-60s. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass good on soft plastic baits and crankbaits in shallower water around points. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 8-10 ft. around structure. Walleye should start being caught on crawdad type crankbaits in deeper water later in the month near the full moon. Report submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
Eufaula:  April 14. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. above normal, water 59 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on plastic baits flipping the brush. White bass good on small spinnerbaits and jigs along feeder creeks where water is running. Blue catfish good on various baits along shallow flats and where water is entering the lake from rivers. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 1-7 ft. moving on and off banks with changing water levels and temperatures. Report submitted by Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.
Hugo:  April 14. Elevation 1 ft. above normal. Crappie fair to good on minnows around button brush along the creek channels. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits and soft plastic baits in and around the flooded brush. Crappie and white bass fair to good on jigs at 10-13 ft. below the dam. Report submitted by Jay Harvey, game warden stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties.
Konawa:  April 15. Elevation normal, water 60 and clear. Largemouth bass excellent on plastic worms at 3-6 ft. along cattails and moss beds. White bass and striped bass hybrids fair on jigs and shad at 15 ft. in the discharge canal. Channel catfish fair on chicken liver at 5-10 ft. around points. submitted by Daryl Howser, game warden stationed in Seminole County.
Lower Mountain Fork:  April 14. Fishing has been great. In addition to midges and blue-winged olive mayflies, March Browns and tan caddis flies are beginning to take trout throughout the river. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
McGee Creek: April 14. Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water 56 and murky. Largemouth bass fair on soft plastic baits at 5-15 ft. Crappie fair on minnows at 10-18 ft. over cedar brush in creek channels. Channel catfish fair to good on liver and stinkbait in the upper creek channels where fresh water is coming in. Report submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in Atoka County.
Murray:  April 15. Elevation 7-8 ft. below normal, water 62. The marina boat ramp is the only ramp open. Largemouth and smallmouth bass good on soft plastic baits, spinnerbaits, worms and crankbaits at 2-4 ft. Channel catfish fair to good on worms, stinkbait and chicken liver. Crappie slow to fair at 3-4 ft. around brush piles, rock structure and habitat buoys. Walleye fir on minnows and jigs right before dark off the dam. Report submitted by Jeremy Brothers, game warden stationed in Carter County.
Pine Creek:  April 14. Elevation above normal, water 52 and clear. Bass good on soft plastic baits. Crappie good on minnows near the banks. Catfish fair on trotlines baited with cut shad. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
Robert S. Kerr:  April 16. Bass fair on crankbaits and stick baits off points, along creek channels and in coves up river. White and spotted bass excellent up the Canadian River; look for concentrations of gulls. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 2-4 ft. up Big San Bois Creek and in strip pits; look for improvement with warmer days. 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.
Sardis:  April 14. Elevation 3/4 ft. above normal, water 61. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and plastic worms in shallows. Channel and blue catfish good on cut bait and dead minnows. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 7-8 ft. Walleye good trolling at 12-14 ft. Report submitted by Dane Polk, game warden stationed in Pushmataha County.
Texoma:  April 14. Elevation 2 3/4 ft. below normal, water 55 and murky in the north and clear to the south. Largemouth and smallmouth bass good on crankbaits and jig combination baits at 10-15 ft. in the creek channels. Striped and white bass fair to good on slabs, live bait and sassy shad at 10-30 ft. from Platter Flats to the islands. Channel and blue catfish fair to good on live bait, cut bait and stinkbait at 10-20 ft. from the Washita River to Catfish Bay. Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs at 5-15 ft. in underwater brush and in the upper creeks. Sunfish fair to good on worms, shrimp and small tube jigs around fish attractors. Report submitted by Danny Clubb, game warden stationed in Bryan County.
Wister:  April 14. Elevation 9 ft. above normal, water murky. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Crappie fair to good on minnows and white grubs at 10-12 ft. around brushy cover. Catfish fair to good on juglines and trotlines baited with cut bait and dead minnows at 10-15 ft. Report submitted by Randy Fennell, game warden stationed in LeFlore County.
SOUTHWEST
Ellsworth: April 14. Elevation 12 ft. below normal, water murky. Blue catfish fair on cut bait off rocky points. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around boathouses at Ralph’s Resort. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.
Foss:  April 15. Elevation 12 ft. below normal with gates closed, water lower 55 and clear. Striped bass hybrids good on slab and live bait. Walleye good on live bait near the south end of the dam. Bass fair on live bait and jigs. Catfish good. Report submitted by Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.
Lawtonka:  April 14. Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water clear. Crappie fair on jigs. Catfish fair on cut bait at the dam. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.
Tom Steed:  April 15. Elevation 9 ft. below normal, water 54 and murky. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 10 ft. near rocks and brush piles. White bass good on minnows off points. Catfish good on cut bait. Report submitted by David Smith, game warden stationed in Kiowa County.
Waurika: April 15. Elevation 11 ft. below normal, water muddy. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around submerged timber. Blue and channel catfish good on cut shad and punch bait at 3-12 ft. Report submitted by Ted Hasty, game warden stationed in Jefferson County.

Oklahoma pro wins FLW tournament on Beaver Lake

Jason Christie of Park Hill brought a 20-pound, 4-ounce stringer to the scales Saturday – the third-largest stringer ever weighed in during FLW competition at Beaver Lake.
Christie didn’t duplicate that effort Sunday, but he didn’t need to. After the final fish was weighed, Christie’s five-bass limit worth 14 pounds, 1 ounce gave him a total four-day weight of 61 pounds, 8 ounces as well as the championship trophy and $126,500 at the Walmart FLW Tour at Beaver Lake presented by Kellogg’s.
“I’ve got a little groove going right now,” said Christie, who earned his second career victory in FLW Tour competition. “If you had asked me after practice if I was going to do any good in this event, I would have said ‘no way.’ It always seems like you win tournaments when you least expect it, and I really did not expect this one.”
Christie’s four-day total of 61 pounds, 8 ounces was the heaviest weight to ever win an event in FLW competition at Beaver Lake.
“My key bait this week was a Yum Yumbrella Flash Mob Jr.,” he said. “It’s a special rig. It’s more compact and has willow leaf blades on it. And, it’s tough. I used one rig and it lasted all three days. I never broke a wire or anything – it’s really the best one on the market.
“When I get in the groove, I just seem to make good decisions. Today (Sunday), I really struggled. I was expecting to catch them real well, and I didn’t. I found a stretch that I hadn’t fished all week, and something just told me to pull up there. When I did, I started catching them.”

Broken Bow Lunker

The Central Oklahoma Bassmasters held a tournament on Broken Bow Lake last weekend where Greg Blaylock of Norman caught two 10-pounders on back to back days.
Blaylock caught a 10.4-pounder on Saturday and another 10-pounder on Sunday.
The lake was 7 feet high and dropping last weekend and lots of good fish were caught in the tournament, club member Richard Schwalbach reported in an e-mail.
Blaylock’s lunker on Saturday anchored his six-fish, 24-pound stringer that day. He won the tournament.