The crappie have dropped down to 17' on the dam and 15' in the docks.
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The crappie have dropped down to 17' on the dam and 15' in the docks.
I figured this week would help move them in. I was out friday and didn't see the schools on the dam that indicate they are there, but found a few fish. Water was still 49 degrees. Last year the fishing was best when the temp was under 40.
Dirk - The temp has dropped from 52 to 49 in a week. I expect the fish are still transitioning onto the dam.
Yup, the fish are still moving and maybe next week or so the fish will start to bite.
My dad went out today and fish along the dam, he only caught 1 crappie and no one was on the lake besides him. He told me the water is still too warm and it needs to get colder for the crappie to move in along the dam.
Snappie or Dirk - What is the status on Hefner? Have the fish moved in more? Have they dropped below 17' yet?
The fish have not move in yet, I would say probably another week or so. I did not see anyone on Sat. The water temp needs to get colder for them to move in along the dam side. But I will keep you posted as to if they are moving in or not.
Thank you
good post
Went out today with my dad along the dam around 3pm and fish till dark.
We caught 1 or 2 small crappie, they are not in there yet. So, I guess I have to try again around this week or next week and let you guys know. Fishing is extremely slow and they was biting way out there. I'm still waiting on the big crappie to go come on in.
I will check the water temp tomorrow during the day. Those fish should be concentrated on the dam by now. Where were you fishing near the Intake tower? I would expect them around 20-22' by now.
I was fishing at the big Bend then at the pump house then to the intake tower.
Today was a tough day, I caught only 2 small ones, which I threw back.
I guess tomorrow is too windy.. winds out of the South at about 20mph or higher.
But this week it may get some flurries, I may go to Overholser instead at the pier which have better luck then Hefner. But I will keep trying Hefner when the wind is out of the North.
Hello All, This is my first post.
I fished the marina at Ft Cobb last nite, it was slow but with the help of Thomas (man who runs the marina) and a local named Mike we put 20 slabs in my bucket. I live in Moore so Ft Cobb is a long drive for me to go Crappie fishing on a regular basis. Im hopeing to get some pointers on the way you guys are fishing the the Hefner Dam for crappie from the bank, is there a slip cork tecnique you guys are using? types of rods line and slip cork, time of day any info you are willing to give up would be much apreciated.
Thanks
Dirk
I will be glad to give advice....
If you going to slip cork, you will want to get a long rod around 8ft or 10ft with a small spinning reel that will hold 6lb or 4lb line. You will have to get a float that is slim and a 1/4 oz egg weight sinker. I recommend you go to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation website and look at their video on "close to home fishing". They was fishing Hefner with Carl Jones, and he is the guy that know all about slip corking.
For me, I really don't slip cork, the action is too slow and you have to pay attention to the cork. My main fishing is cast and retrieve I use 4lb line with a 1/8 oz jig and I drag the jig near bottom and work it really slow. I have been doing this for a long time, so if you need any pointers just ask. Also you may want to do a search for my name on this site and there are several post I did last year on cast and retrieve. So, good luck.
Snappiee
Thanks okstateSnappiee,
cast and retrieve is more my style also, I'm use to crappie fishing from marinas doc's and boats. so usually I fish crappie with a jig vertical so this will be new to me I will give it a shot tomorrow and trough the week thanks for the information.
Dirk
I went out saturday morning with a buddy of mine on the dam at Hefner, fished in my three best spots and got nothing. We tried live minnows, jigs on slip corks, and straight retrieve on jigs. We went to Overholser and saw one guy catch two in about 45 minutes. Does anyone know where the crappie in OKC are??
The fish are there, they just have not move in yet.
I know this because I fish Hefner with my dad all the time. The fish are there at Hefner, the weather needs to get colder for them to move in the dam side.
I fish with my dad on Sat afternoon and we caught a couple small crappie along the dam side and my dad caught a couple small walleye which we release all of them.
I am making another batch of slip corks which balance well at 1/4 oz. and are super sensitive at 3/8 oz. They are solid black in color so that they do not "disappear" in the glare. They are real easy to see. I have used them on the dam for years. I am making a big batch for the c.c March Gettogether @ Eufaula. If anyone wants some send me a PM.
Donnie Jenkins, owner of the Canton Motel and Crappie King Guide Service, just set the lake record for crappie on Canton. The fish was 2.1 pounds and 16" or 16.5" long with a 12" girth. WTG Donnie!!
hey Snappiee, where is that video on the conservation website? i looked and cant find it. sounds like it would be helpful.
George, what style are them slip corks? how much u want for em? i been using those thill slip/fixed corks that tell what size weight they are for but they dont seem as sensitive as id like
Here is the link...
Outdoor Oklahoma TV Program
scroll down and look for the Title "Close to Home Fishing"
it should be on the side bar to the right use it to scroll and look for the title.
RNSooner - They are cigar shaped and made of cedar. They balance well around 1/4 ounce and are super sensitive at 3/8th ounce. Lip Rippers went out tonight with one of the floats and cast 35 yards with it. I think he was using a 3/8ounce egg sinker. Most people use 1/4th or 3/8 oz depending on the aggresiveness of the fish and how far you want to launch them. They are $3.00 each. They respond differently than foam or plastic when you are winter fishing. There is virtually no resistence when a fish hits.
The surface temperature on the dam is now 42 degs. I expect that it will drop a couple more degs by after Christmas with this wintery blast coming in today. I expect we may get a little shad kill if this storm is as bad as forecast. I also expect that the shad should be concentrating soon to winter on the dam after this storm is over.
I have been checking Hefner every other day since the blizzard, and havent caught one Crappie, I did get to see a Bald Eagle catch a fish Thursday nite about 200 yardes out from the dam, that was and awsome sight. any one else been trying? I also went back to Ft Cobb the day after Christmass and caught 21. will be glad when they arive at Hefner Dam..
Dirk
I just got back from Hefner with my dad, we got out there around 3pm.
I tried at least 15 to 20 different colors tube jigs and my hand tie jigs also. We didn't get a single bite, we move to 5 different spots along the dam to locate the crappie. Well, nuthing and I think it may be like this for a while. No one was on the lake fishing besides us and usually we would catch 1 or 2 if it is a really bad day, but today is the worst of days not a single bite, no sand bass no walleye either.
Well, letting you guys know it is pretty tough at Hefner, I went to Overholser last Sunday and didn't catch anything at the pier, so I'm stump. I guess I tie some more jigs and try again sometime this week.
Went to the dam today caught 2 crappie at 20 ft on a gene lerew jig orange and chartuese. Wish i had more time to fish and find the jackpot maybe after this thursday when it gets really cold the big schools will move in. Has anyone else had any luck.
I tried two different spots and got nothing. I tried slip corking from 12-30 feet and never got a strike. I hope the really cold moves them in.:confused:
Does anyone know, if it is legal to sink cedars in city lakes? Also, is anyone doing any good around the fishing docks this time of year?
Hopefully I can save someone a trip to Hefner. The ice is extended out about 3-400 yards and while there are a few small openings in the ice only a few are over structure.
Thanks for saving me the trip, I was goin to go out there this week.
I have to wait till the ice melt then I can try locating the crappie.
hey cricket...you fishing from boat or tube and are you fishing the brush row or next to the tower?....i usually catch the fish right next to the tower and the second turn on the dam...and you are right...the colder the better!
I fish from the bank sometimes and from a boat. What brush row?? I also catch the fish along the dam to the second turn. I have not been fishing Hefner since before Christmas.
I am heading out of state for 3 days of ice fishing in Northern Nebraska with a client. We hunt or fish together at least once or twice a year. This time we are pursuing northern pike, walleye, yellow perch, crappie and some pig bluegill. I have seen several 2 pound bluegill mounted from this region that I am headed to. We never really know what will hit our wax worms or our minnows. The ice rods are only approx 16" and if you hook a 3# walleye or bigger on these rods its a rodeo deluxe.
I sure have been itching to make my way out to hefner, but it sure sounds like things aren't going to well right now. I just got back from Fort Cobb....wow did I get skunked... I arrived to find about ten guys fishing and one had a bucket full....Woo Hoo....fish must be biting....nope, found out all those guys had fished all night and my friends and I were the only ones standing there at eight in the morning....lol....we packed it up and headed back about ten...We stopped by the little casino right before I-40 and I won 191 dollars.....not a bad trip afterall!
i went by Hefner today and the water was glass....boy, i can't wait till spring. But more than likely most of my fishing will be away from Hefner...Seems like there is nothing but dinks there anymore and you will be lucky to catch more than 15. What I don't get is paying money for fishing and getting my boat on the water and the only thing the money goes to is trails and parking lots for people who pay nothing to use the lake....how about a 5 dollar bike fee and using the money to bring back the fishing we had back in the 80s and early 90s?
Maybe as a group we should bring that up to Mick and the rest of the gang.Quote:
Originally Posted by lazylakedog
i would love to see some of the money go to fishing for once....go to draper and there is a fee for everything you do there...don't get me wrong...i love there being a safe place for familes to go and enjoy the outdoors but spend some money on the actual lake for once...but i don't know if the bricktown mafia would go for something like that.
Yup, I have fish Hefner lake for over 15yrs and before Carl Jones even set up shop at Hefner. Lots have change and it is getting harder every year to catch fish at Hefner.
I would catch lots of dinks at Hefner and I would have to throw them back, some days I may get lucky and keep a few that are good size. But there are more people on the bike trails and running on the lake compare to fishing. Heck I pay the fishing permit every year and I do hope that money goes into re-stocking fish at Hefner and Overholser. The hybrids at Overholser has not been the same like 5yrs ago, it has been on the down hill.
Well, that is my complaint.. I have to go out this week sometime and try to fish Hefner and see if I get anything.
I started fishing Hefner in 1984 from the banks and docks. Back then you could drive the dirt roads completely around the lake and fish anywhere you wanted to. In 1986, my folks bought their first boat and we pretty much lived there on the weekends. Back then you could easily catch over a hundred sandies every trip and most of them a decent size, now you would be lucky to catch twenty small ones on a good day. We used to go to the dock on a Saturday and catch huge crappie all day and night. We would only keep the nice ones and throw plenty small ones back. I have not been able to do that in years. I do have to admit though, this past summer and fall was one of the best catfishing years for nice fish that I have ever had there. But, as for crappie...forget it. I would like to see where all of our donations to the lake in the form of permits go to?....I really don't see the fisheries dept doing a thing for the people who actually throw money at the lake and get no results. Would it be too much to ask to maybe start putting a few brush rows in? Those are pretty much free!...Then again that would make too much sense.
The water surface temp today was 37 degs taken @8:30 AM at the water intake tower. 1 Person fishing in his tube off the dam. I think he is a regular winter only fisherman. I seem to only see him during the winter.
hey cricket any fish actually caught?....I used to fish out at the tower in my tube a few years ago with two other guys. We used to catch twenty or so each. The funny thing about the tube is it was not actually considered a watercraft so you could tie up to it. Boats are supposed to stay 500 feet away from it. I don't know if that still applies since they make you buy a boat permit for a tube. I already pay for my boat and im not about to pay to put my tube on there too. Thanks for your updates!
LLdog - Last year when I bought my boat permit I noticed that my registration # was not asked for on the permit. My light bulb popped on and I thought geeeeeeee I can use this permit on my other boat for Hefner too. I am renewing my fishing permit today at Carl's and i will double check. Check your permit.
Seems fair that a owner could transfer the permit from boat to boat and it's what I do however, while a purchase annual boat and fishing permits each year I rarely use them and have never been checked by the police dept..Quote:
Originally Posted by cricket george
I carry the boat stickers with the permit. We all know life ain't fair so it will probably cost me when and if the time comes.
SS