Okatibbee Guys?

[arkie55]

Just attempting to get a little recommendation form you Okatibbee regulars. Which boat ramps do you prefer? Above the bridge or below the bridge for spawning crappie? Structure preferred by the spawning fish? My home is on the north side of Meridian and I am close to 493. Not a very long drive to the launch off of 495 after crossing the bridge or to the ramp at Pine Springs.

[grizzrider09]

I would launch at pine springs or collinsville beach or the dam. Stay away from gin creek. Water is very shallow


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[matt1991]

I would launch at pine springs or collinsville beach or the dam. Stay away from gin creek. Water is very shallow


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

i was actually coming to ask about gin creek.. i watch a bunch of vids of guys fishing under bridges and doing very well with crappie do you think it would be a bad idea to do this? i just bot a inflatable boat big enough for me and a few rods and thought about putting ti at gin creek and fishing under the bridge with minnows and jigs or do you think i should go to the splashdown area at that boat launch since its deeper? tbh thats the only place iv reallyfished was the boat launch past the splashdown

[SteveJ]

i was actually coming to ask about gin creek.. i watch a bunch of vids of guys fishing under bridges and doing very well with crappie do you think it would be a bad idea to do this? i just bot a inflatable boat big enough for me and a few rods and thought about putting ti at gin creek and fishing under the bridge with minnows and jigs or do you think i should go to the splashdown area at that boat launch since its deeper? tbh thats the only place iv reallyfished was the boat launch past the splashdown

With that boat I won't get to far from land, Okatibbee can get rough in a hurry. At Collinsville landing there is the cove there at the landing, some deeper water if you don't get too far in the back plus someone has put some trees in the middle of it. At the Corp landing during spawn the cove there can give up some plus going behind the marina you can fish it in a small craft, find the road and where the bridge was and it can be pretty good. Pine Springs, go north and around the point can be good at times plus go into the emergency spillway and fish the rocks, always had better luck on the east side. Plus in spring the brim, not large, usually spawn at the back end of the rocks, both sides. Brim also spawn on the rocks at the causeway, had better luck above the road. When you say splashdown I'm guessing
you are talking about the Pat Harrison ramp, in that cove there I would say only good in the spawn as well as the 2 small coves south of there. just too shallow most of the time. During high water all bets are off, have caught fish around the shower building or the west side when the water was very high.

[grizzrider09]

i was actually coming to ask about gin creek.. i watch a bunch of vids of guys fishing under bridges and doing very well with crappie do you think it would be a bad idea to do this? i just bot a inflatable boat big enough for me and a few rods and thought about putting ti at gin creek and fishing under the bridge with minnows and jigs or do you think i should go to the splashdown area at that boat launch since its deeper? tbh thats the only place iv reallyfished was the boat launch past the splashdown

I have fished the two bridges more than i can count. Only had one day that I caught my limit on them. With that boat I would definitely follow SteveJ advice. Tibbee has gotten ruff enough before I had swells coming in my big boat. You’ll be alright though on fair days. I would think that inflatable would get in some skinny water. You should be able fish gin creek above the road just fine. I’d for sure go fish the creek as far as I could get up it. There are some good holes in there


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[matt1991]

I have fished the two bridges more than i can count. Only had one day that I caught my limit on them. With that boat I would definitely follow SteveJ advice. Tibbee has gotten ruff enough before I had swells coming in my big boat. You’ll be alright though on fair days. I would think that inflatable would get in some skinny water. You should be able fish gin creek above the road just fine. I’d for sure go fish the creek as far as I could get up it. There are some good holes in there


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

what are swells? yeah i only planned to go out no more than 80 yards or so enough to throw a few jugs out n check them n fish some with 3 crappie rods but u said u dont think the fishings that good at gin creek on the bridges right

[matt1991]

With that boat I won't get to far from land, Okatibbee can get rough in a hurry. At Collinsville landing there is the cove there at the landing, some deeper water if you don't get too far in the back plus someone has put some trees in the middle of it. At the Corp landing during spawn the cove there can give up some plus going behind the marina you can fish it in a small craft, find the road and where the bridge was and it can be pretty good. Pine Springs, go north and around the point can be good at times plus go into the emergency spillway and fish the rocks, always had better luck on the east side. Plus in spring the brim, not large, usually spawn at the back end of the rocks, both sides. Brim also spawn on the rocks at the causeway, had better luck above the road. When you say splashdown I'm guessing
you are talking about the Pat Harrison ramp, in that cove there I would say only good in the spawn as well as the 2 small coves south of there. just too shallow most of the time. During high water all bets are off, have caught fish around the shower building or the west side when the water was very high.

yeah tbh iv only bee there 3 times iv only ever fished the spillway never had great luck in the spillways though yeah the place im talking about is past the hotel and waterpark till you hit the boat launch there in that little cove area i use to fish off the boat ramp iv caught a few crappie there thats where i planned to go this time so you dont think that place is very good for what im doing huh im not familiar with the lake


id like to find a good spot to fish for flathead catfiish and crappie im gonna leave 1 bank pole on the shore for my catfish throw out about 3 jugs and use 2 to 3 rods in my small boat with minnows n one with a jig n hopes to catching some crappie hoping to get at least 6 fish i can take home iv never even fished in a boat lol so not sure about the depth to fish atm for crappie

[SteveJ]

The 1st cove I'm talking about is the one behind the breakwater fence north and the other 2 are south of the ramp you are talking about. But you know the fish always make a lier out of you but generally speaking. As far as flatheads I have caught about 4-5 fishing for bass and crappie and they were always out on the creek. Use to be a guy up there that set out lines on the creek and used BIG circle hooks and NO bait, just polished the hooks each time and I know he caught a good many flatheads. I think flats like wood. Wish I could be more help but I always like deep water on drop offs so don't know much about shallow or bank fishing. I do know they catch a good many from the bank during the spawn. Thats a 22lb flat I caught on a jig and pig while bass fishing some time ago in my pic.

[grizzrider09]

what are swells? yeah i only planned to go out no more than 80 yards or so enough to throw a few jugs out n check them n fish some with 3 crappie rods but u said u dont think the fishings that good at gin creek on the bridges right

Swells are just big waves. I’m not saying you won’t catch fish on the bridges. I just have never had any luck on them. If you wanna catch catfish to though that’s the place to do it. During April and May the catfish will spawn on the rocks next to the road that goes across it. You can slap wear em out with jugs and catalpa worms or night crawlers. Crappie should be spawning here real soon so you should be to get anywhere they are spawning. The reason I was saying stay away from Gin creek is the flats out in front of it is loaded with stumps and you can tear a lower unit off a motor fast. That water was super shallow out there a week or so ago and I have seen people beach big boats out there. You should be good with an inflatable though


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[matt1991]

The 1st cove I'm talking about is the one behind the breakwater fence north and the other 2 are south of the ramp you are talking about. But you know the fish always make a lier out of you but generally speaking. As far as flatheads I have caught about 4-5 fishing for bass and crappie and they were always out on the creek. Use to be a guy up there that set out lines on the creek and used BIG circle hooks and NO bait, just polished the hooks each time and I know he caught a good many flatheads. I think flats like wood. Wish I could be more help but I always like deep water on drop offs so don't know much about shallow or bank fishing. I do know they catch a good many from the bank during the spawn. Thats a 22lb flat I caught on a jig and pig while bass fishing some time ago in my pic.

yeh i see that ncie fish i caught a 40 pound flathead in my cats net at the spillway in 2010 lolzittook 3 people to pull him up the walls

id like to catch them under 10pounds for eating i don like big catfish fillets smaller fish r muhch better and id feel bad about killing a big flatty since they are so hard to catch anyways

its so hard to catch bluegill right now for some reason i went to bonita lakes walked the entire backtrail fishing all the small coves with great structure with worms and jigs for 3 hours didnt catch a single one so right now i have to wait for gills to come into the shallows i guess to get live flathead bait


yeah i plan to fish when the crappie spawn in the shallows which occurs in march-april only right when its good to fish in shallow water?