ODWC Release

[Phil Lilley]

For Immediate Release

April 20, 2006

A service of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

News Contacts: Micah Holmes or Kristen Gillman (405) 521-3856

Web site: www.wildlifedepartment.com

Free fishing classes offered across the state

Crappie moving to shallow water across the state

Brochure offers tips for attracting purple martins

Outdoor Calendar

Fishing Report

Free fishing classes offered across the state

More than 50 free fishing clinics are scheduled this summer at many different locations around the state. The fun, hands-on courses are all open to the public and are coordinated through the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

"These clinics are really fun for everyone involved and one of the best things is that the courses are almost always held near a pond and kids get to go fishing as part of the clinics," said Damon Springer, aquatic resources education program coordinator for the Wildlife Department.

Springer said fish identification, angler ethics, water safety, casting and knot tying are a few topics covered in the clinics which typically last about two to four hours.

To view a list of free fishing clinics log on to www.wildlifedepartment.com/aquated2.htm. To find out more about fishing opportunities in Oklahoma, Oklahoma's free fishing days, or more information about fishing clinics and other events happening across the state, log on to the Department's Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com.

Individuals interested in becoming a certified aquatic resources education program volunteer can contact Damon Springer at (405) 521-4603.

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Crappie moving to shallow water across the state

Forget the big fancy boat and huge tackle box - all you need to catch crappie this time of year is a rod and reel and a handful of jigs. Anglers are catching crappie across the state in shallow water, according to the weekly fishing report compiled by Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

From Canton, to Kaw, to Kerr, to Keystone lakes, anglers are catching crappie from the bank as the popular fish move into shallow water to spawn. Crappie fishing is one of the most popular fishing opportunities available due to their willingness to bite and their fine flavor at the dinner table.

"The best place to fish for crappie this time of year is around brush in shallow water," said Paul Mauck, southcentral region fisheries supervisor for the Wildlife Department. "Crappie can be found moving into shallow water to spawn once the water temperature reaches the upper 50s to lower 60s. Crappie spawning generally takes place in water only two to three feet deep."

Catching crappie is a great opportunity to introduce a youngster to fishing. No fancy gear is required. A small jig or minnow is often very effective.

For a complete list of regulations, anglers should pick up a copy of the "2006 Oklahoma Fishing Guide" before heading out on any fishing adventure and check out specific lake conditions and fishing action by logging on to the Department's Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com.

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Brochure offers tips for attracting purple martins

Time is running short to make your feathered neighbors welcome. Purple martins have begun arriving in Oklahoma and are looking for homes to raise their young. With cheerful, chattering calls, graceful flight and an appetite for insects, purple martins are welcome neighbors.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation offers a free brochure on how to attract purple martins. To request a copy, call the Wildlife Diversity Program at (405) 521-4616 or write to P.O. Box 53465, Oklahoma City, OK 73152. You may also print a brochure from the Department's Web site www.wildlifedepartment.com/brochure.htm.

Purple martins once nested in rock crevices and hollow trees, but for the past 400 years they have been nesting in man-made structures. Native Americans and early settlers provided hollow gourds for martins to nest in. Today, purple martins in the eastern U.S. nest almost exclusively in manmade houses. To assist the modern-day purple martin landlord, houses are available commercially. These apartment style houses are made of aluminum, plastic and wood.

Purple martins are among the first songbirds to return to Oklahoma. They spend the winter months in Brazil. The largest member of the swallow family, these dark, purplish birds measure up to eight inches long and have long, pointed wings, forked tails and broad beaks.

Purple martins prefer to nest near broad, open fields and meadows within one-half mile of ponds, marshes, streams or other wetlands. They dine on insects and can catch up to several hundred per hour. They eat insect pests such as beetles, moths, wasps, flies and mosquitoes.

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OUTDOOR CALENDAR

APRIL

29: American Catfish Anglers Tournament Series at Longmire Lake, Paul's Valley. Meet at south ramp. For more information contact Mike Strawn at (405) 410-9486 or http://www.catfishangler.com

29: The First Oklahoma Trappers and Predator Callers Association Spring Meeting at the Okmulgee Fairgrounds. For more information contact Reginald Murray at (918) 694-8190.

29: "Leopold Education Project Workshop" at Oxley Nature Center, Tulsa. The workshop runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is open to ages 18 & older. The Leopold Education Project (LEP) is a critical learning, interdisciplinary curriculum for educators and youth leaders of grades 6-12 designed to establish a positive land ethic among its participants. The fee is $35.00 per person (includes a copy of A Sand County Almanac, a set of Task Cards, and the curriculum). Bring your lunch. For more information or to register contact the staff at (918) 669-6644.

FISHING REPORT FOR APRIL 19, 2006

CENTRAL

Draper: Elevation 3 ft. above normal and clear. Crappie good on minnows and jigs off fishing piers and in coves around structure. Largemouth bass good on tandem spinners and plastic worms in coves around structure. Report submitted by Tony Woodruff, game warden stationed in Cleveland County.

Thunderbird: Elevation 5 ft below normal and clear. Only four boat ramps open on the lake; Hog Creek, Fisherman's Point, South Dam, and Little Axe ramps. The rest are closed due to low water levels. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 1-4 ft. White bass good on jigs and medium divers off points. Largemouth bass good on tandem spinners, medium divers and plastic worms in coves and on structure. Report submitted by Tony Woodruff, game warden stationed in Cleveland County.

NORTHEAST

Bell Cow: The only fishing method allowed at Bell Cow is rod and reel fishing. Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water 69 and murky. Crappie good on minnows around fishing docks. Catfish slow. Report submitted by Gary Emmons, game warden stationed in Lincoln County.

Birch: Elevation 6 ft. below normal and clear. Striped bass hybrids good around the lake using shad while trolling. Crappie fair around brush piles using minnows and jigs. Catfish fair near the creek channel drift fishing with cut fish and shrimp. Report submitted by Ben Bickerstaff, game warden stationed in Osage County.

Chandler: Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water 69 and murky. Largemouth bass fair to good shallow. Catfish and crappie slow. Report submitted by Gary Emmons, game warden stationed in Lincoln County.

Eucha: Elevation 11 ft. below normal, water 52 and murky. Crappie fair on jigs and minnows around brush and structure on lower end of the lake. Largemouth fair on spinnerbaits off rocky points. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa Fisheries.

Grand: Elevation below normal and clear. White bass good on spinnerbaits and around rocky points. Channel catfish fair to good on cut shad at 15-20 ft. in river channels. Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs at 10-15 ft. around brush piles. Report submitted by Jim Littlefield, game warden stationed in Delaware County.

Greenleaf: Elevation 2 ft. below and clear. Largemouth bass fair on crankbaits along shoreline. Catfish good on cut bait on bottom. Crappie good on minnows and jigs around fishing dock. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.

Kaw: Elevation normal, water 62 and clear. Crappie fair at 2-6 ft. on jigs and minnows. Blue catfish excellent at 2-6 ft. around Bear and Coon creek areas on cut shad and cut carp. White Bass good in tailwaters on jigs, spoons, and minnows during times of water release. Blue catfish fair in tailwaters on shad. Channel catfish are fair in Arkansas River on stinkbait. Paddlefish poor in tailwaters. Report submitted by Marshall Reigh, game warden stationed in Kay and Grant counties.

Keystone: Elevation 2 1/2 ft. below normal, water 60 and clear to murky. Largemouth bass good on soft jerk baits and spinnerbaits at 2-6 ft. in creeks and coves. Smallmouth fair on jig and chunk at 5-10 ft. in mouth of coves. Spotted bass fair on crankbaits at 6-12 ft. in deep coves. White bass fair on minnows and sassy shad at 4-8 ft. in creek and river channels. Striped bass fair on jerk baits and buck tails at 4-8 ft. below dam. Channel catfish good on worms and crawdads at 5-10 ft. in coves and creek channels. Blue catfish good on shad at 5-10 ft. in mouth of coves and flats. Flathead catfish fair on crawdads and shad at 8-15 ft. in deep coves. Crappie excellent on jigs and medium minnows at 2-6 ft. in coves. Walleye and saugeye slow on minnows and jigs at 4-8 ft. in river below dam. Report submitted by Larry Sellers, Woody's Bait and Tackle.

Lower Illinois River: Trout good in most areas of the stream. Striped bass good in the lower end of the Illinois River on live bait. Striped bass and walleye good at the mouth of the river. White bass good from mouth of the Illinois River all the way to Lock & Dam 16, both trolling and bank fishing. Catfish have been slow. Crappie good at the dam when the water is off and is also good near the lock channel on the Gore side in the evenings. Report submitted by Ryan Callison, Gore.

Spavinaw: Elevation 4 34/ ft. below normal, water 66 and murky. Crappie fair on jigs and minnows around dam area. Largemouth fair on spinnerbaits. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa Fisheries.

Tenkiller: Elevation 9 ft. below normal, water 62 and clear. Smallmouth and spotted bass fair on bass jigs in coves and points at 3-10 ft. Crappie fair at 3-10 ft. on jigs in coves and around docks and good trolling the main channel with deep running crankbaits. White bass good trolling mid to upper end of lake and good off points on spoons or spinners. Sunfish good around docks on small jigs and worms. Report submitted by Monte Brooks, Cookson Village Resort.

Webbers Falls: Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal and murky. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits along shoreline. Catfish good on cut bait on bottom. Crappie good on minnows and jigs around structure and bridges. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.

NORTHWEST

Canton: Elevation slightly above normal. Crappie good on the upper end of the lake on jigs and minnows. White bass and striped bass hybrids good along the dam late afternoon and early evening on jigs and crankbaits. White bass good in river above lake on jigs and crankbaits channel catfish good in upper end of lake on live bait and stinkbait. Report submitted by Mark Walker, game warden stationed in Blaine County.

Ft. Supply: Elevation below normal and water 70. Crappie good on jigs and spinners along riprap. Report submitted by Mark Reichenberger, game warden stationed in Harper County.

Great Salt Plains: Few channel catfish are being caught around the spillway on shad or stinkbait. Report submitted by R.C. Nickols, Great Plains State Park.

SOUTHEAST

Arbuckle: Elevation 3 1/2 ft. below normal, water 64 and clear. Crappie good off docks. White bass up all three creeks. Bass fair on jigs, spinnerbaits and soft plastics. Report submitted by Jack Melton.

Blue River: Elevation normal, water 2 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on minnows and flies. Catfish fair on liver and worms. Report submitted by Charles Baker, technician at Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.

Broken Bow: Elevation 10-12 ft. below normal, water 50 and clear. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits in the mouths of creeks. White bass good on white and yellow grubs and rooster tails along Panther Creek. Crappie good on minnows and jigs around structure and in the upper-end of Holly Creek. Walleye good on rouges late evening and early morning in the upper end of Holley Creek. Report submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.

Eufaula: Elevation 5 ft. below normal and clear. Largemouth bass good on plastic baits at 1-8 ft. along the banks. White bass fair on jigs at 6-10 ft. around rocky areas. Blue catfish fair on shad at 4-10 ft. on the flats. Crappie good on jigs at 1-8 ft. along the banks. Report submitted Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.

Hugo: Elevation 69 ft. below normal, water 60 and murky. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits and soft plastic lures. Crappie good on minnows. Channel catfish fair on cut bait. Channel catfish fair on cut bait. Report submitted by Wendell Smalling, game warden stationed in Choctaw County.

McGee Creek: Elevation 2 ft. below normal, water 64 and clear. Largemouth bass good on soft plastic lures at 2-6 ft. Channel catfish fair on juglines and live bait. Crappie fair on minnows around cedar brush off the main creek channels. Report submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in Atoka County.

Pine Creek: Elevation above normal, water clear. Crappie fair around the banks at 3-6 ft. Bass good on soft plastics at 6-8 ft. Catfish fair on cut bait around brush. White bass fair on shad-imitating plastics. Report Submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.

Robert S. Kerr: Elevation normal, water 69 and stained. Largemouth bass good at 2-4 ft. using plastic baits and spinnerbaits fishing the weed, rock and woody shoreline banks. Crappie good at 2-3 ft. using minnow fishing the spawning areas around the lake. White bass good at 5-10 ft. fishing below Webbers Fall and Kerr dams and the mouth of the Illinois river. Blue catfish good at 3-6 ft. using fresh cut shad fishing the windy shorelines. Report submitted by Rick Olzawski, game warden stationed in Haskell County.

Sardis Lake: Elevation normal. White bass good in Jack Fork Creek. Crappie good on minnows around bridges and tower. Report submitted by Allen Couch, game warden stationed in Pushmataha County.

Texoma: Elevation 1/2 ft. below normal, water 60 and clear to the south and murky to the north. Largemouth bass fair to good on plastic baits at 5-10 ft. around points. White bass and striped bass good on sassy shad and slabs at 15-25 ft. in Burns Run area. Catfish fair to good on cut bait at 5-10 ft. in Washita River arm. Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs at 5-10 ft. in Widow Moore Creek. Report submitted by Danny Clubb, game warden stationed in Bryan County.

Wister: Elevation normal, water 64 and murky. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits at 2-6 ft. Crappie good on minnows near the bank at 2-4 ft. White bass good up the creeks or river arm on road runners or beetle spin type lures. Channel and blue catfish good on cut bait or chicken livers. Flatheads are starting to be caught on trotlines mostly on live bait. Report submitted by D.G. Belcher, game warden stationed in Latimer County.

SOUTHWEST

Altus-Lugert: Elevation 14 ft. below normal and murky. North shore boat ramp is high and dry. Crappie good on minnows. Striped bass hybrids good off swim beach. White bass good. Walleye good on minnows. Report compiled by Quartz Mountain Grocery.

Ellsworth: Crappie and white bass good shallow around structure ion jigs and minnows. Catfish fair on jugs and rod and reel in channels and off rocky points. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.

Foss: Elevation 2 ft. below normal, water 70 and clear. Walleye and Saugeye good in deep water. White bass good along dam. Bass fair. Catfish good on live bait. Report submitted by Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.

Ft. Cobb: Elevation normal. White bass slow to fair in creeks. Crappie slow to fair on minnows and jigs around structure. Striped bass hybrids slow to fair off windy points. Catfish slow to fair on cut baits. Report submitted by James L. Edwards, Jr., game warden station in Caddo County.

Tom Steed: Elevation 5 ft. below normal and murky. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 3-8 ft. White bass good on minnows. Report submitted by David Smith, game warden stationed in Kiowa County.

Waurika: Elevation below normal, water 65 and murky. White bass and striped bass hybrids good on jigs. Crappie good on jigs. Catfish good on cut bait. Report submitted by Phillip Cottrill, game warden stationed in Jefferson County.

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[TexomaOkie]

Here's an update to the fishing report for Lake Texoma.

Striped Bass fishing is excellent in the Big Glasses arm of the lake on the windy side of points. Top water lures in low light conditions and slabs in bright light conditions have been consistent producers.

This pattern should remain consistent until a weather change moves in late Monday and early Tuesday. This usually causes the fish to move to deeper water where drifting live shad is the best bet. By Thursday, the wind is forecasted to return from the south and the striper fishing should be hot and heavy on the points using artificial lures again!

Catfishing has been good on cut and live bait and is usually not effected as much by weather changes.

I plan to be there for the next seven or eight days, so I'll try to let you know how we fare.

TexomaOkie