My guess is black/chart minnow minder. I think grandkid will be the one to land it.
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My guess is black/chart minnow minder. I think grandkid will be the one to land it.
Caught 21 today in 16-20 fow! The hot bait was surprise surprise pump/chart slab slayer! EB
Got there at daylight. 18 degrees upstairs and 40 in the water. Trolling motor shaft froze so when I hit the pedal it pulled the cable wire out of the thingamajig. Whole day kind of followed that pattern. Saw lots of fish glued to the wood but they were mostly snobs waiting for EB to come back. Ended up catching 11 total ( yeah I actually count my dinks which I know is pitiful but.......) ate the four that did not embarrass me to keep. The highlight of the day was watching two river otters playing in the water. I didn't even know we had those around here so at first I thought they were that new strain of tailless beaver but they were way too narrow for that . Beavers osprey and now otters- if the crappie bit better I would spend the winter out of the wind on the nav.
Back to the nav yesterday. One more trip like this will make a pattern. When I put my boat on the ramp I realized that my locator was at home so back to the house for that. Then the battery was too low to start in the cold even tho my on board charger was on it for a week. Jumped it from the trolling motor battery. Next I pulled the cable out of the TM head for the trifecta. By the end of the day we had fished 12 BP and caught 5 crappie. Once again we saw a lot of fish on brush with shad balls nearby. Fished from 17-30 fow and threw everything in the boat at them. Best news from that outing is that Robby should have my TM cable replaced in time for me to get back out try to get it right tomorrow. If anyone has experience on the oxbows of the navigation channel in the winter please let me know if they always shut down when it gets cold or if I may find them again before spring. Thanks.
Sorry for the trouble Ciller, but glad you got out and tried!!!
Went out today put in at afton ran up the channel to a pump station water temp was 38 got about a dozen small ones on slab slayers in Cajun cricket and black and pink hit a couple other spots with no luck wind was to strong to hold tight to brush stayed out for 5 hours not a very good day!!
Paying our dues I hope Cruz. Are you fishing standing timber in the oxbows or submerged lay downs? I appreciate your weighing in on the nav. It is my favorite place to have a slow day.
Oh yeah. And is there structure associated with the pump station or is that just an area designation?
There is a lot of brush around the dock that's where I caught the dinks! Tried some standing timber seen a lot of fish on locator but couldn't get a bump but the wind didn't help at all!
Thanks Cruz. That's been our experience the last two trips. Lots of fish on the locator that just are not in the mood. We were really on em right up to Christmas day when my son the Crappie Fool caught 36 keepers in a row up to 15.5" all off one big lay down in 17.5 fow.
Yes sir not a problem that sounds like a pretty darn good day! What part of the river you fishing?
The Nav channel really frustrates me. I haven't been back since last spring when i swore i would never go back. I've made 4 or 5 trips and it's been the same thing each time, tons of dinks but no keepers. I know the big ones are in there - but i haven't managed to find them. I'm sure the sometime this spring i'll get tired of fighting the wind on Oologah and try it again.
Cruz I put in at Bluff Landing and fish that oxbow and the channel itself heading back north. Have not gone through the lock and dam yet but may do that out of sheer boredom if it is slow next time
Schifendecker I know the feeling and except for my sons Christmas day experience we haven't even caught the dinks there. Like you it is the shelter from the wind that brings me back.
ciller the big tree in the bend of that oxbow is almost always good for a few dinks.
Thanks Dino. Been a month since we found biters there so you had me at " a few dinks ". I am familiar with the bend so inside or outside? Standing timber or lay down? Water depth? Pretty helpless huh?
Tie off in the middle of the big tree tangle that's always outta the water and just drop a jig down through the limbs try different depths till you find them. also a little ways before that as you're coming from the ramp there is a creek that goes off to the left. There is part of an old bridge down there that I have caught a few around.
Ok Dino. You must mean the grove of standing timber and sunken branches on the outside of the bend there. Your right and we usually find a few good fish in there too. That thing is so big they have too many hiding places though. I have checked out the old bridge and it seams to be lying on the bank now. Not much in the way of structure in that creek and it runs only to about 9' deep currently. I'll give it one more try then I probably better stretch my wings again and find some new water to terrorize the dinks on.
I didn't know what the water level was like. I ain't been out there in a year or two. Sorry I can't be more help.
30 years ago I lived in Broken Arrow. I used to fish Bluff all the time. Dinks are the norm, but there are bigger fish to be had. As a matter of fact one of my lifes most memorable fishing trips was there. It was late winter, early spring, I don't remember exactly. I decided to make a night trip to the Bluff accompanied by the smartest dog I've ever had who was a half black lab, half bird dog combo. His name was Captain and he virtually went everywhere I went. We were a team. At the time I had a 12' V bottom with a 9.9 Evinrude pushing her. I would tell Captain to get up front while under full power which would plane the boat out while skimming the water at top speed. Using the reflection on the water as my guide, I strained my eyes to look for the floating mines the creeks would disperse into the channel. It's not fun slamming into one of those big floaters whilst whizzing so fast among the dark waters of the night.
I went into Adams Creek, past the bridge and took the feeder creek to the left. I was in 4.5' of water and had brought a bucket of minnows with me. Using no weight and letting the minnow swim free on the hook about 8" below the bobber, I shortly found myself in a Crappie fishermans heaven as the bobbers would slowly head off and begin to dive as they were being Captained by a Submarine Commander. This all happened under the light of a 12 volt rough service bulb mounted in an aluminum shrouded clamp light. Captain would sit at attention watching the bobbers with as much, or more intensity as I was. He knew what game was being played and loved every minute of it as I did. On my command, he would dive into the water and retrieve the lost bobbers. Some might think this action scared the Crappie out of the area, but it didn't. We would both watch a beaver weave it's way through the brush and my lines and at times slap her tail on the water as if to warn the Crappie that Captain and the Reaper were nigh.
I was at the right place, at the right time as the bobber did their little dance with the sound of freight trains in the distance sounded their warning as they approached another intersection. We ended the night with 20 Crappie which were all over 2lbs each. I lost at least another 15 due to losing the war to the brush they so tightly held to. So much for the "Hold 'em Trilene" thought! I also loved to doodle sock the brush during that period of my life as one could really do well in that little feeder creek.
I took several trips to the same area for years to come and have never been able to replicate that single magic night of Crappie fishing in the area. It did however give me the experience that I've held for years and shared with others just how important it can be to check out every little stick of brush when fishing a creek.
But the best part about my trip, was the memory I have from it, of just how lucky I was in that one silent night of fishing with the best friend I ever had!
Thank you for sharing that great memory Reaper. That is a great spot but obviously you have to be there at the exact perfect time as it did for me only once and never repeated again.
Now that story rises to the level of special Reaper- one that belongs in a fishing magazine really. I would guess that most of us have experienced our own " perfect day on the water" but I doubt that many others (if any) feature 20 over 2 pounds. I feel bad for you that you have used up your lifetime allotment of monsters while lucky for me all of my 2 pounders are still swimming around looking for the dinkmaster. Thanks for taking the time to share that great dog and fish story.
Reaper, I would have to agree with Ciller that is some great writing!!! I am impressed, you should submit that to Slab for a front page article!! Thanks for taking the time to post it.
Never ceases to amaze me......nice article Reaper..some help you with the spelling.....lol...Ranger
I agree. I think that is a front page article for sure.
Odie
I kin spil vewy gud. I jest kant tipe worf a poop.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ranger09
Thanks for the kind words guys!
Just think what a great story Captain is telling in doggie heaven.
Maiden Voyage of the new refurbished Ranger yesterday. Unloaded at 8am and fished til 12 Noon. Fished some really good stuff in 16' to 25' DOW on the Channel itself and bombed out. All the time it was going thru my head what EB said quote, " If they have your boat all cleaned and the fish smell off it your in for it since I have BOMBED out 5 times on Eufaula without a bite since cleaning mine up". Well it was going thru my pea brain just that exact thing..Left and headed North......Ft Gibson Thread to follow this days fishing report!.......Ranger
I fished the nav. Yesterday and did just slightly better than Ranger. I caught 8 with 3 keepers in the first 30 minutes then 7 more dinks the rest of the day. The fish I did manage to luck into were in 20-25 fow suspended at 10-12'. I saw plenty all the way to the bottom but my last 2 trips all the biters were feeding at about 10'. The "hot" color was a hand dyed blue and chartreuse minnow minder both days but again I threw everything I had and all were equally rejected. At the end of the day I made a personal pact to stay away from the nav until I have tried out brand new water. Thinking maybe Keystone but I am like Sargent Schultz of Hogans Heroes here. " I know nothing" about the lake.
Hey, Mr Ciller, holler at me if you decide to try Keystone and I'll tell you as much as I know or if you I'll go out with you. Launch is a little difficult at some ramps and not bad at others. Let me know if I can help. Woodworker42.
Ciller come on over to killer and we can talk while we both don't catch fish!! Haha!
Ranger glad you got the boat stinked up!
Two welcome offers. Let's do it fellers. Thanks for taking pity on me! Woodworker, promise you won't throw me out of the boat for using jigs now. I know you're a minner man.
Contrary to rumors goin round, I am a reasonable man; therefore I will throw you a life jacket after I throw you out.:) jkjk Johnnyshad gave me some lessons in how to jig, so maybe you can help me along my learning curve. I'm really a "whatever works". But, lets get together.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crappie ciller
Make that three offers George. If'n I snag the boat I want, you may be the first to join me in her maiden voyage. I'll toss ya an inflatable life vest and leave it up to you whether you want to pull the cord or not.
Say it ain't so Reaper! Are you a minners first guy as well? Well I guess the truth is I would use dough balls if the crappie would hit em best.I too have no pride and will not win the sportsmanship trophy again this year. I will bring the champagne to christen the new boat with. I don't drink it but I'm pretty sure it's ok for me to smash it across the bow......Gently.
I pick up minnows when I take all the girls out. Otherwise, strictly jigs.
I have spider rigged minnows, jigs, minnow tipped jigs, maggot tipped jigs, maggot tipped minnows, juvenile perch, goldfish, and thread fin shad. I have caught fish on all of that in fact the number one thing I have found in a big crappie stomach was a log perch darter! I don't know how to catch them or I would use them! ;) EB
This 'ol fart never even heard of a perch darter. Shows you how much I know...
A what!!!!!!!!
EB you just gave me a good tip!! We used to catch tons of darters up the creeks! Guess I have an experiment to run!
Oh Creek Darter....now I get it.....Ranger