Striper Search...

[OKFlyFisher44]

Hit the river below Zink on Sunday to see if we could find some stripers even though conditions weren't the greatest. We hit all the usual spots with no luck minus a few drum and foul hooked gar. No hybrids or sand bass either. The lack of heavy generation between periods of low water is probably to blame as the heavy generation seems to bring the fish upriver. Not sure how this year is gonna play out with the gates being broke on Zink Dam. Only time will tell...

What is everyones opinion? Some of u guys have been fishing down there longer than I have (last 3 years). Any thoughts?

On a side note, I bet we will have a good year on the Lower Illinois if they ever stop generating long enough for us to hit the river. Ready for striper season to get started! The tug is the drug...

[DaddyO]

I wonder if the heavy water below the Lower Illinois is keeping them down there?

[OKFlyFisher44]

I wonder if the heavy water below the Lower Illinois is keeping them down there?

Possibly. Won't hurt my feelings any if they all stack up in the Lower Illinois as long as they stop generating sometime soon. We r planning some night time floats for stripers in the drift boat if they ever cut the water off. I think they r feeding heavily at night down there during low water. We will find out...

[FlyfishinOK]

I hit a few holes Saturday after noon as the water was coming up. Didn't get a bite one. I was fishing some new spinning gear using large saltwater poppers & 6" sassy shad. (looking for big ones!) Should have brought some smaller stuff to search with. Didn't see anyone land a fish in about 3 hrs that I was there. I guess I'm counting on the LIR this year.

There was lots of gar and carp trollin around. Watched two guys for a while throwing small grubs for sandies. Nota.

With no river action I've resorted back to ditch fishing for chubs...

[TheDrift]

Greetings all!

I recently moved back to Tulsa after several years in Colorado. On my runs down the river trail lately I have noticed two or three people fly fishing just below Zink Dam. I can't tell you how excited I have been to see this, as the one thing I miss the most about Colorado is the fly fishing. I was fortunate enough to have worked as a guide in Colorado and lived close enough to flowing water to easily fish 6-7 days a week. A job offer brought me back to Tulsa, and while it was the mature and responsible move, I somedays miss being on the water so badly that it nearly brings me to my knees. No one here seems to understand that...I all too often hear, "I don't get it. Lighten up man, it is just fishing." Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Anyway, enough "woe is me talk." Yesterday I started doing a bit of research and reading about chucking flies on the Arkansas and was astounded to find out that it is an excellent striper fishery. That research also landed me here, among a contingent of what I assume to be like-minded people...it is nice to "meet" you.

I have some questions: my heaviest rod is a 6wt., which I assume to be too light for striper fishing; is that correct? It was my "big water" rod in northern Colorado, but big water there means 18-21 inch trout, not quite the size of the stripers I have been reading about here. Also, what size leaders and tippet are you using? I'd venture to bet that my stash of 3x-7x just ain't gonna cut it. And aside from bait fish emulators, what else do these fish take? Poppers?

Thanks for any time and advice you can share...

-Jesse

[OKFlyFisher44]

Hey Jesse...

Welcome to the forum! You will find that there are tons of fly fishing addicts in your area. Myself along with a handful of my friends all fish on what I like to call a "addictive level". Check out the link to my blog in my sig for some local/regional fishing reports and stories.

As far as your questions go....

-Yes, the 6wt will be too light for stripers, especially if you tie into a fish over 10lbs. I caught a 20lb striper last spring on a 7wt and it was too much for that rod. I went out and bought an 8wt the following week. The 6wt would be alright down there for catching white bass, hybrids, etc....but if you hook a big striper, you are in for the fight of your life.

-As far as leaders go, I normally use a 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 foot leader with 0X-2X tippet. Floating line is just fine but we sometimes will throw a sink tip line depending on the water level.

-On fly selection, your normal baitfish patterns are best. Clousers, EP minnows, deceivers, white zonkers, etc....

In all honesty, its going to be a crappy year for stripers I think below Zink Dam. The broken gates have everything all messed up. The fish need some heavy generation to make them want to swim upstream to the dam. Its been relatively low water all season down there except when they generate from Keystone Dam upstream. We have fished Zink several times this year and havent had any luck. We had a decent run of white bass before the gates broke and thats really it.

I'm hoping the fishing on the Lower Illinois river works out for a good year of striper fishing. Its under heavy generation right now which will draw the stripers out of the Arkansas River to spawn but if they dont stop generating anytime soon, we might miss out. Hopefully it will work out for us and we will be able to slay some "Oklahoma Chrome"! We are planning to do a night time float in my drift boat on the Lower Illinois if they stop generating, those fish have to be feeding like crazy at night!

Shoot me a PM if you want any more info...

[TheDrift]

Thanks for the warm welcome and thanks very much for the information! I am incredibly happy and relieved to learn that my days of fly fishing didn't die with my move to the east. A few months ago I drove over to Arkansas and fished right below Bull Shoals Dam. Water was low and crowded, and after 4 hours in the car I was a little disheartened. I rigged up and popped into the water as far from the crowd as possible (luckily for me they were all fishing the wrong water) and within a few minutes was in a reel zinging fight with about a 16 inch shouldery rainbow. All was right with the world. I started to realize on my drive home however, that 8 hours in the car was really going to put a dent into my patience and fishing life. I've been kind of down ever since. I am thrilled to learn that it won't be necessary to drive that far...especially with $4 gas!

I've got a few Clousers left from chasing wipers in Colorado, so I will likely wet a line in the Arkansas this weekend or next week and see what happens. I'll keep an eye out for any fly throwing bretheren. Saw a truck in the parking lot on Riverside the other day with a Lamson sticker in the window...made me smile and figured I was in good company.

And thanks for sharing the blog...it'll help get me through the rough days in the office.

I'll keep in touch on here and maybe someday we can get together for some fishing or some beers. Or fishing then beers. Or fishing with beers.

-Jesse

[DaddyO]

Jesse,

It's good to see another fly fishing enthusiast in the area. Chance has given you some good info and you should hook up with him as soon as possible. I have the heavy rod ready, but I haven't had the opportunity to land a striper on it yet. Unfortunately, we're having another one of those "Wet" years where our favorite fishing rivers are blown out. As Chance mentioned, the Lower Illinois (when the water level drops) will be a good river for you to visit that is only about an hour away. It's mostly fishing for Rainbows and small Browns (all stockers) and sometimes you'll get the opportunity to fish for Whites and Striper.

Until the water gets right, don't rule out tying up some small poppers and foam bugs and buggers to do a little pond hopping chasing the Bluegill and Bass. You might find yourself having hours of fun, some evening, in some of the neighborhood and city ponds around Tulsa. I live in Owasso and have been having a blast, at the pond by Home Depot, catching BlueGill, Bass and other sunfish.

Once the water gets right on TaneyCoMo, you really need to get up there and try some night fishing for the Big Rainbows and Browns. Your 6wt may be too small.

I've never fished the Current, but Chance has and he can tell you all about that as well as Crane Creek and Roaring River. Not to mention, in Oklahoma, we also have the Lower Mountain Fork river for another trout fix.

Good Luck and Tight Lines,

Phil

[OKFlyFisher44]

Phil...you NEED to go fish the Current and Crane. You would LOVE it. So much awesome water to fish. I'm headed to Crane tomorrow morning and then going to take the drift boat out on the Elk River on sunday to chase smallmouth.

Like Phil said...there are tons of places to fly fish in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas. Trout, smallmouth, largemouth, white bass, hybrids, stripers, carp, etc....can all be easily found. Sometimes it takes some driving it to get to these places but most are worth it.

[DaddyO]

I've fished Crane, once with my Dad. I want to take him again and go to the Current, also.