Fishing Report

Saturday, March 30, 2002

At the beginning of March the lake level was 4 feet low at 616 feet and the water temperature was holding around 45 degrees 6 feet deep at the dam. Heavy March rains in Oklahoma combined with 7.88 inches falling on the lake have raised the elevation to 616.25.  The water temperature has come up to 53 degrees.  We have seen temperatures in shallow water as high as 59 degrees.

Crappie and sand bass are loaded with roe and milt.  The stripers are just beginning to form eggs.  Ideal spawning temperatures for stripers to spawn are 57 to 65 degrees.  Because of the long cold winter in 2001 the water stayed below 57 into late April.  This caused a late spawn.  May fishing was a little slower than normal.  Most of the 10 to 30 pound silversides were caught in June and July.  With the water temperature rising 8 degrees this March, the forecast is for a normal spawn.  Striper fishing should be excellent in May and June.

The month of March produced several stripers over 8 pounds.  They were caught on live bait and 1.5 ounce chartreuse sassy shad in water depths varying from 4' to 70'.  The frequent fronts and wind changes had the
silversides moving in an out of shallow water.  If the angler could get that first fish on his line in deep water the stripers would pile up under the boat in a feeding frenzy and several could be caught before the school left.
If and when you found a few hooks on the sonar getting that first one on could be very hard.  When the stripers could not be found hugging the bottom in deep water casting sassy shads into the shallows on points and step drop offs would produce some large fish.  Be alert for diving gulls.  This is the sign that the dinner bell is ringing for schools of striper.  Get upwind and drift in, casting directly into the school.  Let your 4 inch sassy shad sink
deep and retrieve the lure slowly.

Sand bass are moving up stream into both river channels to spawn. Largemouth bass are slow to fair and getting better.   Fish are hitting crankbaits and spinner baits in 3 to 10 feet of water. Carolina rigs with lizards and jigs are starting to work.  Sand structure seems better now than rock, but this will change.

Blue catfish to 50 pounds are being caught on jug lines in 30 to 45 feet of water using cut shad.  After rains when fresh water is running into the major creeks, channel and blues are being caught on prepared baits. One of the best I have found is Danny King's Punch Bait.

Tinker’s Striper Guide Service, http://www.tinker.net

To see February and March pictures go to: http://www.tinker.net/fishpics02/fishpics01.htm