Fishing Report

Thursday, March 20, 2003

Water pool level: 614.01, normal annual pool level is 617 feet.

Water temperature: 48 degrees.  Water clarity: clear.

Generating from 6:00 to 7:00 AM and 7:00 to 8:00 PM

Today was partly cloudy with a strong north wind, low 46 degrees, and high 54 degrees.  March precipitation has been .92 inches.  The extended forecast is for cool mornings with afternoon temperatures rising to the higher 60s to lower 70s.   There is a 30% chance of rain Saturday.

April 21 is the first day of spring and May is just around the corner. Make your plans early to get out on Lake Texoma and enjoy the excellent spring fishing.  One of the best ways to catch fish is to go  with a professional guide.  These experienced fishermen have modern and safe striper boats with the latest electronics, bait tanks and fishing equipment.  They fish nearly every day so they know how to catch fresh shad for bait each day and also keep up with where the elusive silversides are schooling.

Warming water temperatures are getting the stripers excited.  They are being caught in water two feet deep to 40 feet deep.  Most of the females are already carrying rolls of green roe.  If western Oklahoma and the panhandle of Texas get a heavy rain we could see an early spawn in April.  As all of you know, when the silversides come back from spawning their bellies are empty and they are very hungry.  Jigs, slabs, live shad and cut bait will all catch you a nice striper. 

I would like to share a story with you about early spring stripers get into a feeding frenzy.  It was around 1:00 PM on a nice May afternoon. I had three fishermen in the boat.  We were drifting the Oklahoma flats between Mac Creek and Roads End about two hundred yards north of the Red River.  The guys had caught their limit before noon and we were catching and releasing small stripers and sandies. The bait was getting low so I started cutting the shad in half.  An older gentleman in the back of the boat said "give them fellers the shad.   I can catch these thangs on anythang."  I watched as he opened an individual size candy bar, put it in his mouth and to my surprise put the foil wrapper on his hook and made a long cast.  He made about six turns on
the reel and jerked. Of course, I thought he was just goofing around.  The next thing I saw was him landing a seventeen inch striper. He said "see thar, I told ya'll I could catch one on anythang.  Well, I can't remember his name, but I will never forget that day. If you have a funny or unusual fishing story, email it to tinker@tinker.net and I will share it with the other readers.

The Sooner state blue catfish record was broken last weekend.  Ardmore resident Rusty Keeton was using shad gizzards Sunday, March 16 while fishing on Lake Texoma near Briar Creek when he hooked the 87 pound, 4 ounce blue cat.   After fighting the fish for thirty minutes on a little inexpensive rod and reel combo with 25 pound line he got the big fish to the boat.  Already tired from reeling and pulling he had another problem of landing the big blue without a landing net.  He grabbed what he could and somehow rolled him into the boat. Thanks to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation fisheries technician Randel Currie being able to keep the fish alive, it was weighed on certified scales at the ODWC regional office in Caddo.  The big blue cat was 53 inches long and had a girth of 35¼ inches.  The previous state record, an 85 pound, four ounce blue cat was taken from Lake Ellsworth in December 1999 by Dale Dennis. The Lake Texoma rod and
reel record blue catfish was caught on the Texas side of the lake from the bank at Eisenhower State Park.  It weighed 100 pounds.

Largemouth bass are hitting Excalibur Fat Free Fry in Tennessee Shad color, Road Runner Marabou Jigs and Mad Man Lizards.  This is the time of the year to try your favorite spinnerbait or buzzbait.  Check out
your boat and fishing gear and get on the water.  Spring is almost here and bass fishing should only get better.

Monday, Justin Baty and his son Landon enjoyed Spring Break spending a morning on Lake Texoma fishing with Guide Chris Campbell. Landon caught his largest fish ever. It weighed eight pounds and was thirty-four inches long. His dad sent it to the taxidermist to have a trophy made for Landon.
 

To see March's pictures go to: http://www.tinker.net/fishpics03/fishpics02.html