Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

[Phil Lilley]

For Immediate Release

May 11, 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

First successful trout reproduction documented in the Lower Mountain Fork River

Wildlife Department on the look out for bird flu

Ask a game warden at WildlifeDepartment.com

Outdoor Calendar

Fishing Report

First successful trout reproduction documented in the Lower Mountain Fork River

For the first time in Oklahoma, fisheries biologists have documented natural reproduction of rainbow trout. The discovery was made in the Lower Mountain Fork River trout fishery below Broken Bow Lake.

"Clearly, this new information sets the Lower Mountain Fork River apart as one of the premier tailwater fisheries in the nation," said Barry Bolton, assistant chief of fisheries for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Anglers reported observing trout spawning activity in December and January. A few months later, scattered reports began coming in of very small rainbow trout being caught by anglers.

"All of the trout that we stock are much bigger than a few inches, so we did a small survey with a bag seine," said Paul Balkenbush, southeast region fisheries supervisor for the Wildlife Department.

In four different locations, biologists caught a total of 17 young rainbow trout.

"Due to the nature of the river - lots of boulders and swift current - there was a very limited number of places we could use our seine effectively. The fact that we were able to catch young trout in every location was very encouraging and leads us to believe that they are abundant and widespread. We are not certain of their age but they were born here," Balkenbush said. "They may only be two or three-inches long right now, but we can say without a doubt that these are wild fish."

The Wildlife Department first stocked the Lower Mountain Fork River with trout more than 17 years ago. Since that time the 12-mile designated trout stream has seen many habitat improvements. Additionally, thanks to the efforts of Oklahoma's congressional delegation, the U.S. Congress passed the Water Resources Development Act in 1996 to ensure that cool water from Broken Bow Lake is released throughout the year to sustain the trout fishery.

"These young trout are, in part, a reflection of all the hard work done through a number of cooperative habitat initiatives. We could have never completed these efforts without generous donations, both in financial support and sweat equity, from several dedicated trout clubs in Oklahoma and Texas," Balkenbush said.

Rainbow trout have very specific habitat requirements in order to spawn successfully and biologists have completed several projects to make the river more suitable for trout.

For example, the Spillway Creek area of the river was once mostly a swift and straight area, not the most suitable for trout or trout anglers. Today, the area is one of the most dynamic areas of the river. Wildlife Department personnel and their cooperators used large boulders and logs to improve the river channel creating a series of riffles, runs and pools - all prime trout habitat. The habitat efforts also trapped clean gravel in shallow areas of the river providing the type of habitat needed by spawning rainbow trout.

"This natural reproduction is certainly exciting, however we don't know if this is a one-time phenomenon or if reproduction will occur each year," Balkenbush said. "Hopefully, these trout will survive and grow for a couple of years and provide anglers an opportunity to catch wild fish but at this point we don't know if that will happen or not."

Wildlife Department fisheries biologists will monitor possible future trout reproduction and track the survival of these young trout.

In the meantime, fisheries biologists will continue improving habitat in the area through projects like the Evening Hole Restoration Project - the most ambitious stream restoration project undertaken by the Department. Following two years of research and development, biologists have now begun the huge task of renovating the area known as the Evening Hole located on the Lower Mountain Fork River. The project also includes the creation of a "new" trout stream almost a half-mile long that will connect to the main river channel and provide new angling opportunities. To learn more about the project log on to www.wildlifedepartment.com/hottopics.htm

To learn more about trout fishing log on to wildlifedepartment.com or turn to page 22 of the "2006 Oklahoma Fishing Guide."

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*****Photo*****

Editor's note: Below is a link for accompanying photo and intended for newspaper publication. The ending link is .jpg for the photo. The photo will open in your browser. If you have a pc you should be able to right click, save picture as, choose the file type you want to save as and click save. The other way is on file in toolbar, save picture as, choosing the file type you want to save as and click save. Images can be viewed with the article at http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/wl_news.htm.

High resolution (300 dpi) - http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/newsrele.../troutlarge.jpg

Low resolution (72 dpi) - http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/newsrele.../troutsmall.jpg

Photo Caption: For the first time in Oklahoma, fisheries biologists have documented natural reproduction of rainbow trout. In four different locations in the Lower Mountain Fork River trout fishery, biologists caught a total of 17 young rainbow trout.

Wildlife Department part of bird flu monitoring effort

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation will be looking hard for something it hopes to never find - avian influenza or bird flu. The Department is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to sample more than 1,500 wild migratory birds in Oklahoma for the strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) referred to as H5N1 that has grabbed headlines around the world.

"To date, HPAI H5N1 has not been detected in humans, poultry or wild birds in North America. In addition, there is no known case where H5N1 has been transmitted from wild birds to humans. All that being said, we are taking this situation very seriously and will be cooperating with National and Central Flyway plans for the early detection of HPAI H5N1 in wild migratory birds if and when the virus should arrive in North America" said Mike O'Meilia, migratory game bird biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Migratory aquatic birds are the natural reservoir for 144 subtypes of avian influenza that are generally low pathogenic strains that rarely cause signs of illness in birds or humans. However, the particularly potent strain of H5N1 bird flu emerged in domestic poultry and wild birds in Asia in 1997. The H5N1 strain is substantially different from other types of bird flu and has caused mortality in over 80 species of wild birds and resulted in the deaths of over 100 people. Most of the people who have been infected with the HPAI H5N1 virus have acquired it through direct handling of infected poultry, eating uncooked or undercooked poultry products, or through contact with virus-contaminated surfaces or materials.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center has been carefully monitoring migratory birds in the United States, primarily in Alaska, one of the most likely points for the disease to enter into North America. To date, thousands of waterfowl and shorebird samples from Alaska have been analyzed, and no evidence of the H5N1 avian flu has been discovered.

For more information on avian flu, log on to the Oklahoma Health Department's Web site at www.health.state.ok.us or the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center's Web page at http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/research/avian_in..._influenza.html.

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Ask a game warden at WildlifeDepartment.com

Hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts can submit their questions on a wide range of wildlife law questions through the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Web site at wildlifedepartment.com.

Game wardens are some of the most recognized employees of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. A game warden's primary job is to enforce the fish and wildlife laws of the state. These laws ensure that all sportsmen continue to enjoy opportunities to hunt and fish for years to come.

In addition to their law enforcement duties, game wardens perform a wide range of duties in their service to the sportsmen and sportswomen of the state. Game wardens teach hunter education courses, submit weekly fishing reports from area lakes, assist fisheries and wildlife biologists in research projects, and assist landowners with technical information on fish and wildlife habitat improvement.

Becoming a game warden is no easy task. Applicants need a bachelor's degree and must take a challenging employment exam. After prospective candidates are selected through interviews and background checks, their training begins at the Wildlife Department's headquarters in Oklahoma City. There they undergo five weeks of intensive training including criminal law, arrest procedures and how to professionally contact the public. Next, new wardens attend 364 hours of training through the Council on Law Enforcement and Training (CLEET). After a rigorous final exam, they are then paired with a field training officer. The veteran officers work alongside the new wardens for 10 weeks before the wardens begin their first solo assignments.

The Wildlife Department employees about 120 game wardens, including at least one in every county of the state. To find a warden working in your county turn to page 40 of the "2006 Oklahoma Fishing Guide," or log on to www.wildlifedepartment.com/lawstatemap.htm.

To ask a game warden a question through the Wildlife Department's Web site log on to www.wildlifedepartment.com/law.htm, or send an e-mail to askwarden@odwc.state.ok.us.

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OUTDOOR CALENDAR

MAY

20 & 21: Okmulgee County Bowhunters will have a 30 Target 3D shoot. Cost is $10 and the books at open 8:00 to 3:00 each day. For more information place contact Mike Legrand at (918) 758-6801.

20: Wildflower Tour at the Wichita Mountain National Wildlife Refuge. Tours start at 10 a.m. where participants will board a bus and ride to several sites within the Refuge, where short walks will be conducted to identify various types of wildflowers. Cost is $3.00 per person. Reservations required and can be made by calling (580) 429-3222.

20: Aquatic Education Clinic: T.S.P. Pond, Tenkiller State Park. Pre-registration is required. Register by calling Bob Martin at (405) 755-4014.

21: Future Bass tournament trail at Lake Murray. The tournaments will be a team format. Team members may be two adults or one adult partnering with an angler younger than 18. To compete as a youth angler, an individual must be 17 before Sept. 24, 2006. Awards will be given at each event for the top team with a youth angler, including a $4,000 Bass Cat boat at the September championship. For more information, contact Joe Copeland, (580) 759-2088.

23: Aquatic Education Clinic: ODWC Family Clinic, Casting Pond at ODWC, Jenks. Pre-registration is required. Register by calling ODWC- Jenks at (918) 299-2334.

25: Aquatic Education Clinic: ODWC Family Clinic, Casting Pond at ODWC, Jenks. Pre-registration is required. Register by calling ODWC- Jenks at (918) 299-2334.

25: Hunter Education Home Study, H & H Gun Range, OKC; 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. (405) 947-3888.

27: American Catfish Anglers Tournament Series at Ellsworth Lake, Lawton. Meet at Ralph's Resort (city permit required). For more information contact Mike Strawn at (405) 410-9486 or http://www.catfishangler.com

FISHING REPORT FOR MAY 10, 2006

CENTRAL

Draper: Elevation 2 ft. above normal and clear. Largemouth bass good on plastic worms and spinners in cove areas with structure. Crappie fair to good on structure at 2-5 ft. of water on minnows and jigs. Report submitted by Tony Woodruff, game warden stationed in Cleveland County.

Thunderbird: Elevation 4 1/2 ft. below normal and clear. Crappie and white bass good on minnows and jigs near structure at 2-5 ft. Largemouth bass good around structure with spinners and plastic worms. Saugeye fair to good on green jigs and medium divers off points. Report submitted by Tony Woodruff, game warden stationed in Cleveland County.

Wes Watkins: Elevation 2 1/2 ft. below normal and muddy in feeder creeks and clearing in the main lake. Catfish fair to good on minnows, chicken livers, fresh cut bait, shrimp and worms. White bass fair to good trolling using crankbaits. Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs deep with some action on topwaters early in the morning and evening hours. Report submitted by M.M. Fowler.

NORTHEAST

Bell Cow: The only fishing method allowed at Bell Cow is rod and reel fishing. Elevation normal. Crappie good on minnows. Catfish fair on the east side of the islands on dough baits. Report submitted by lake ranger.

Birch: Elevation 1 ft. below normal and murky. Largemouth bass fair on plastic worms and spinnerbaits in shallow water near the bank. Crappie fair using minnows and jigs around brush piles. Striped bass hybrids good while trolling around the lake using live shad. Report submitted by Ben Bickerstaff, game warden stationed in Osage County.

Chandler: Elevation normal. Crappie good on minnows and jigs. Report submitted by lake ranger.

Eucha: Elevation 10 ft. below normal, water 63 and murky. Crappie good on jigs and minnows around brush and structure at 6-8 ft. Largemouth bass good on jerk baits off rocky points. Catfish fair on night crawlers. Bluegill being caught on crickets and worms. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa Fisheries.

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

Kaw: Elevation 5 1/2 ft. above normal and stained. Blue and channel catfish good in upper end of the lake in Arkansas arm on cut shad, stinkbait and worms at 5-15 ft. Blue catfish fair in tailwaters on shad. White bass are good in tailwaters on minnows and fair on jigs. Crappie fair at 5-10 ft. on minnows. Report submitted by Marshall Reigh, game warden stationed in Kay and Grant counties.

Keystone: Elevation 7 ft. above normal, water 70 and murky. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits and crankbaits at 2-8 ft. in the flats and flooded buck brush. Smallmouth bass fair on crankbaits and jig and chunk at 4-10 ft. along rocky banks in coves. White bass fair on minnows and small jigs at 3-6 ft. below the dam. Striped bass excellent on buck tails at 8 ft. below the dam. Channel catfish good on worms and minnows at 4-8 ft. shallow in coves. Blue catfish good on large minnows and cut shad at 5-10 ft. shallow in coves. Flathead catfish good on large minnows and shad at 6-12 ft. off steep banks in coves. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 4-8 ft. in deep coves. Report submitted by Larry Sellers, Woody's Bait and Tackle.

Oologah: Elevation 3 ft. above normal, water 60 and muddy in the upper half and clear in the lower half of the lake. Channel catfish good on shad and worms in the upper areas of the lake around flooded vegetation. Blue catfish good on shad in the river above the lake. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around submerged structure at 4-8 ft. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits and bass tubes around flooded brush. Channel and blue catfish also fair below the dam on shad. Report submitted by Brek Henry, game warden stationed in Rogers County.

Skiatook: Elevation 4 1/2 ft. below normal, water 65 and murky. Smallmouth and largemouth bass fair to good, in the shallows, on crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and some plastics at 4-6 ft. in the creeks. Crappie fair to good on small and medium minnows at 15-25 ft. around bridges and other structure, and in the creeks. Striped bass hybrids fair in creeks. Catfish fair on trotlines with very large minnows. Report submitted by Greenwood Fishing Center.

Sooner: Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water 64 and clear. Striped bass and striped bass hybrids good on live shad on mid-lake humps at 27-40 ft. Crappie fair using minnows along highways. White bass good trolling crank baits and using jigs or slabs. Report submitted by Paul Tennies, Pete's Place.

Spavinaw: Elevation 4 ft. below normal, water 63 and murky. Crappie fair on jigs and minnows around dam area. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits. Catfish good on chicken livers. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa Fisheries.

Tenkiller: Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water 70 and clear. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass slow with some action on soft plastic baits at 10-15 ft. off points. Crappie fair trolling the main channel with deep runners and around docks or brush at 10-15 ft. on minnows or jigs. White bass fair trolling the main channel on deep runners and good at night under lights on minnows at 10-15 ft. Catfish slow with some action on minnows in coves at 5-10 ft. near bottom. Report submitted by Monte Brooks, Cookson Village Resort.

Webbers Falls: Elevation normal and murky. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits and crankbaits along riprap and creek channel. Channel catfish good on cut bait and sunfish on bottom in the mud flats. Crappie good around brush structure and bridges. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.

NORTHWEST

Canton: Elevation slightly above normal. White bass and striped bass hybrids excellent along the dam on jigs and crankbaits. Walleye fair in the upper end of the lake on crankbaits. Crappie good in the upper end of the lake on minnows and jigs. Report submitted by Mark Walker, game warden stationed in Blaine County.

Ft. Supply: Elevation below normal. Crappie fair on jigs and spinners. Walleye fair on minnows and jigs. Report submitted by Mark Reichenberger, game warden stationed in Harper County.

Great Salt Plains: Channel catfish fair to good on trotlines baited with shad, slow to fair around the spillway on shad and stinkbait. Report submitted by R.C Nickols, Great Plains State Park.

SOUTHEAST

Blue River: Elevation slightly below normal, water 65 and muddy. 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.

Eufaula: Elevation 2 1/2 ft. below normal and clear. Largemouth bass good on plastic baits flipping the shallows. White bass good on crankbaits trolling the flats. Blue catfish good on shad at 10-20 ft. on the flats. Crappie good on jigs at 3-8 ft. along the banks. Report submitted Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.

Hugo: Elevation 2 1/2 ft. above normal, water 64 and murky. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits. Crappie good on minnows. Channel catfish fair on cut bait. Report submitted by Wendell Smalling, game warden stationed in Choctaw County.

Konawa: Elevation normal, water 72 and clear. Largemouth bass good on crankbaits at 4-6 ft. along points. Channel catfish good on chicken liver at 10 ft. along the dam and in coves. Report submitted by Daryl Howser, game warden stationed in Seminole County.

McGee Creek: Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water 67 and murky. Largemouth bass fair on soft plastic lures at 2-6 ft. in flooded timber. Channel catfish good on earth worms in flooded timber. Report submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in Atoka County.

Pine Creek: Elevation above normal and murky. Bass fair on spinnerbaits around points and creek channels.

Crappie fair on pink, red, and yellow jigs around timber. Catfish good on liver in upper end of lake. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.

Robert S. Kerr: Elevation normal, water 72 and stained. Largemouth bass good at 2-4 ft. using plastic baits and spinnerbaits fishing the rock, weed and woody shorelines. Crappie good at 8-10 ft. using minnows fishing the edge of the old creek channels. White bass good at 8-10 ft. using jigs fishing below Webbers Falls and Kerr dams. Blue catfish good at 3-10 ft. using fresh cut bait and goldfish fishing the edges of the current in the upper part of the lake. Flathead catfish good at 10-20 ft. using live bait on trotlines and juglines. Report submitted by Rick Olzawski, game warden stationed in Haskell County.

Texoma: Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal, water 64 and clear to the south and murky to the north. Largemouth bass good on plastic baits at 5-15 ft. around structure. White bass and striped bass good on cut shad and slabs at 15-25 ft. in Platter Flats. Catfish good on cut baits at 5-10 ft. in Washita River. Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs at 10-20 ft. around structure. Report submitted by Danny Clubb, game warden stationed in Bryan County.

Wister: Elevation 3 ft. above normal, water 68 and muddy. Channel catfish good in the flooded areas on worms or shad at 3-10 ft. Crappie good on minnows around standing brush at 3-6 ft. Largemouth bass good at 2- 8 ft. on wide variety of lures especially spinnerbaits. 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. Fishing in the lake is slowing down. Crappie have been biting on minnows. Striped bass hybrids and white bass good. Walleye fair to good. Report compiled by Quartz Mountain Grocery.

Ellsworth: Elevation 10 ft. below normal and murky. Crappie good in shallow water on minnows and jigs. Catfish fair on cut bait off rocky points. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.

Foss: Elevation 1/2 ft. below normal, water 73 and clear. Walleye and saugeye good on live bait along dam. Crappie, catfish and white bass good. Striped bass hybrids fair. Report submitted by Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.

Ft. Cobb: Elevation 1/4 ft. above elevation and murky. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs in shallow water. Catfish fair on cut baits. White bass fair on jigs and minnows. Saugeye fair on night crawlers and jigs or sassy shad drifting or trolling. Report submitted by James L. Edwards, Jr., game warden station in Caddo County.

Tom Steed: Elevation 5 ft. below normal, water 64 and murky. White bass good on minnows and trolling with crankbaits. Channel catfish fair on cut bait in Otter and Glen creeks. Report submitted by David Smith, game warden stationed in Kiowa County.

Waurika: Elevation below normal, water 70 and murky. White bass good on jigs and shad off windy points. Catfish good on juglines or trotlines baited with shad and goldfish. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at Washita Bridge. Report submitted by Phillip Cottrill, game warden stationed in Jefferson County.

[TexomaOkie]

This is exciting news for us Okies. Hopefully, it's not a one time phenomenon. Be sure to click the link to the picture of the baby trout.

TexomaOkie