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Hi Mikie, the Altus Times tonight reported it indeed was golden algae. I guess we will just have to wait and see what the damage will be. I've been thinking of trying lake humphries over by Duncan for some winter crappie. Caught some nice ones there late last spring, but haven't been back since.
Thanks SlabHungry I don't get the Altus Times and thought it might be a big enough story to make it to some of the other media like the Wildlife Dept. website or channel 7 news maybe I missed it. Well it seems instead of a 50 mile round trip it is going to be fewer 100+ mile round trips to get my fishing fix or maybe take up some indoor sport, well maybe not, I know I could move to someplace with water but wait that would take a lot of money and that I don't have. I think the best plan will be to pray for rain that would help a lot more people. Good luck and maybe you can do a post on Duncan city lakes haven't heard much from that neck of the woods.
Sorry CrappieReaper I missed the link you posted it kind of said it all. Guess if I was smart I would be someone else!
You're smart enough to be chasing crappie and that's all that counts around here. Good job on the reports!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikie
This is unofficial but I think Lake Altus has suffered the final blow. I went to look around last week there were very large hybrids; blue cats; carp and assorted other fish dead along the bank. I noticed several small flathead catfish in about 6 inches of water gasping for air. There was a boat on the lake that was coming to the ramp I met him at the dock to find out if he had caught anything. The gentleman was from the Lake Meredith area of Texas and said he ran a concession on that lake during the summer, he said he came to Lake Altus in the winters for the good crappie fishing. I asked if he had caught anything that day, his reply made my heart sink. He told me he had been from one end of the lake to the other had visited every brush pile, drop off, channel, flats and miles of water in between and had not seen one fish on his locator. As I stood on the dock and viewed the numerous dead fish which littered the bottom of the lake in every direction I had no reason to doubt him. I would like to add that Quartz Mountain State Park is still a nice place to visit with the lodge and restaurant, hiking, biking and walking trails with many birds,deer and other wildlife to observe (not sure if the eagles will stay not much to feed on) and a great park staff. A visit with Miss Sue at the nature center is always fun and informative also group camps and nice cabins with winter rates you know. Tomorrow I may try Tom Steed lake or maybe clean my garage just don't know my fishing has been awful this year.
Mikie,
I talked to my brother-in-law today, he lives just north of Granite. He told me the same thing. He saw a LOT of dead fish, including large walleye and crappie. Very sad for SW Oklahoma to loose such a great fishing lake. We have fished that lake for many years, and I pray that it comes back someday!
Bob
nice to meet you mikie. I fish steed often also and am waiting for the crappie to enter the bottle neck. I have drove from indiahoma to steed the last two weekends looking for crowds at the dam but nothing so far. Cover is coming off the boat this weekend and jugs are going in. Steed looks pretty rough but I still had pretty good luck with the hybrids and blues all fall. I have just moved back to indiahoma from okc and dont know a ton about steed so I am excited to see this sw ok thread. thanks for the info about altus
Welcome CrappieBob and Opey thanks for your posts. I when to Tom Steed yesterday 2/28/2013 lake is low and muddy I guess I misunderstood the weatherman on his forecast for wind speed. I got off to a late start when I removed the tarp from my boat it looked like someone had a pillow fight in the thing. Judging by the wings there must have been 3 or 4 of those big collared doves eaten in the thing. The suspect left muddy paw prints on my throw cushion where I suppose it took a nap after dinner. I know the cat isn't killing the birds I have found them dead in the yard on the roof and there are no signs of trauma they just died. I had heard mothballs would keep cats out of your boat and I had bowls of them in boat, myth busted didn't bother kitty at all. Finally made it to lake and it's white capping but not bad so I launch boat, go park truck get in boat push off wave hits knocks boat into dock this breaks one rod holder and busts half the windshield off. Alright glad my luck is holding the boat didn't sink, I head to the canyon and arrive wide awake from all the cold spray in my face. My 30 year old 17ft Lowes aluminum is sea worthy but if it's windy you will get wet. I fished the brush and some drop offs could see fish on locator but caught none. Did snag some nice brush though which took my jigs, oh well I have way to many for the amount of fish I catch anyway. Headed out of the channel and found out wind had increased somewhat bigger waves more spray. Loaded like I knew what I was doing. Got home safely another great adventure WOW! Now if I could only catch a fish anyway it beats work. Look out Lake Lawtona your next Mikie is on the way.:Rofl
Well that sounds like a mess. Funny you should mention windsheilds. Wow have you priced them, just a bubble windsheild , which is just a pc of plastic , 200 to 300. Thats crazy. I have been searching ebay for one for my alumacraft .When i was a kid growing up in indiahoma, you could walk boat to boat in the bottle neck at steed in late winter . what has happened to the crappie pattern . There used to be 30 boats every weekend just slaying the crappie in the bottle neck. I realize the lake is really low which makes me think that the crappie would group up at the mouth of the bottle at prespawn, not to mention the wind has been hard from the north for a month.any thouughts? has anyone fished the timber on the sw corner which is about 12ft - 14ft of water?all this timber would seem irresistable i would think but with so much wind from the north it may be a war of the wills.......
hello from Rush Springs oklahoma