Heated fishing docks

FYI... as of today (11/28/11) Keyport Marina's fishing dock is still closed.. I have Emailed them 2 times and have called 3 times and left a msg to call me back but they do not respond. I have a friend that lives near there go by this after noon and he stated that there was no one maning the office area and the place looks to be shut down for the winter....

Bummer!

The good news though.. The city of Manford is in talks witha coproration and the Corps of engeniers about a new marina are, complete with a fishing dock, in the Manford landing area... it is still unknown as to when this might happen though.

Tried Greenleaf day after Thanksgiving and the indoor marina was closed. We hit the outside and just caught a few dinks - I think the bluegill we picked up were bigger than the crappie, but not plentiful enough to keep.

This past weekend I tried out the docks at Eufaula State Park - very nice facility. Fishing was suprisingly slow; I blamed it on the lack of wind...don't remember ever fishing Eufaula without at least a 15mph breeze!? But now that I've spent a day locating the brush I'll definitely be going back for more. ;)

What type and brand of rod do you recommend for fishing the heated docks?

Everyone has their own preferences... I like to use about a 5' UL.

Getting ready to order a Loomis SJR6400. That will be my go-to dock rod.

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Originally Posted by minnowtime

What type and brand of rod do you recommend for fishing the heated docks?

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Well, when talking heated docks you're generally talking cold weather fishing, and I usually find the dock bite to be REAL soft in the winter. So I'd say the lightest, most sensitive rod you can find/afford - but most any ultralight will do. The next thing I usually look for is one that is comfortable to my hand but allows me to easily reach the line with my pointer finger to feel even the slightest nibble on my line. So pick the rods up and get a feel for which one you think fits your hand the best and is most comfortable.

As for reels, you will want it light weight (since you'll likely be holding your rod out for extended periods) so the smaller the better. You're not looking to do much casting, so it doesn't need to be a top-of-the-line, 18-bearing, $150 number, most any little reel will let you drop your jig...

That's my two cents, and that ain't much. ;) There are literaly thousands of rod/reel options out there, and lots of guys have found setups that work well for them. But really it's all personal preference, so check 'em out and find the one that feels right for you!

On a side note - I think being able to find the right size, color, and style of bait may be the most important factor this time of year (when the spots tend to be pretty picky). So it's good to be ready with lots of colors and sizes of jigs and heads to meet all needs.

I tried the Fort Cobb dock and the Arcadia dock over the Christmas holiday. I didn't catch a crappie at either one. Has anyone been catching any crappie at the docks?

I went to the dock at Carl Blackwell yesterday. It was a slow day, and there were about a dozen people fishing the dock. Everyone caught at least one fish, but it was slow. I only managed three keepers in six hours of fishing.

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Originally Posted by Originalcuz

I tried the Fort Cobb dock and the Arcadia dock over the Christmas holiday. I didn't catch a crappie at either one. Has anyone been catching any crappie at the docks?

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A few fish were being caught at the Lake Eufaula Marina dock last weekend. Looked like everyone was fishing jigs. I was at my slip ad caught one 11" fish in a hour.

Ive heard from the guy that works at Keyport Marina that they will be opening the fishing dock at Keyport Marina to be open 24/7 with an honesty box to put your money in!! Lets support them and I hope people will truly be Honest, I enjoy the docks that are heated and 24/7!!

did he say when they would open?... last time I drove by there the place was still in shambles with no way to even get to the dock...I would certainly support them.