Pattern on Tenkiller

First, let me say that we sure do have a great bunch of people in our Okie crappie.com group. I never fail to mention that I didn't know any of you until I joined this forum, but now have several great friends. I want to thank everyone who helped in anyway this year to put this tournament trail on. I want to thank Mark and Brian for handling most of the duties this year and I contributed when I could. Here is what Brian and I did yesterday to catch our fish.

We casted 1/16 oz jig heads with pumpkin/char slab slayers over brushpiles in 12-24 fow all day. We started out up around 82 bridge in the stained water (10 inch visibility) with no success at all. We then ran down past Burnt Cabin to clearer water (6-8 ft visibility). We caught fish on several piles, not all of them, but struggled to catch keepers. We fished probably 20 piles from south of Burnt Cabin to Sizemore, then headed back up by the 82 bridge with an hour left. We upgraded 3 times in the last hour in the dirty water and lost a giant black crappie at the boat. We wished we would have moved back up there earlier, but the bite was no good that morning. We ended the day with 15 keepers and several of those were 10 1/2 inch fish. Tough fishing for Tenkiller, because it can be extremely good at times.

Odie

Thanks for all you guys do! I really enjoy the notes about what you all did during the tournament, it helps us rookies !

Pattern Charlie and I fished was very close to what EB and Odie fished. We started the day just above Burnt Cabin on main lake points. We were fishing in 16' to 24' DOW. We cast and dragged 1/16oz jig heads early on the main lake with Charlie using a Pearl Bobby Garland Baby Shad and Pumkin/Chart 2" Slab Slayer. I used only Slab Bandits in 2" in Salt and Pepper color. We caught 4 keeper crappie before 9am then the bottom fell out of our bite. The current picked up on the main lake and even had back currents in the coves on the lower end of the lake. We had prefished for 2 days and had a plan as far as productive piles and I would say it would of been a very good day if the current hadn't picked up. We like most of the teams lost some fish we wish we had in the LW but it wasn't meant to be. The highlite of my day was catching 2 Small Mouth Brownies and a Black Bass in 3 casts on wood in 13' DOW. The smallies were small up to 2lbs and the Black Bass was around 4 1/2lb..I took the Black Bass to weigh-in trying to get Big Fish, but wouldn't you know that the crowd hollered foul since it was a trash fish, My Gr'Daughters returned it to the water to fight another day unharmed. Got to give me credit for trying to slip one in. I think that (well I know) Charlies Highlite of the day was the view he got at Chicken Creek Island..That view even had the 2 Black Labs frisky with their tounges hanging out...LOL..just sayin...
I was told I was grumpy and short at the cookout and meeting from my wife and I would certainly like to say my sorrys if that was the case. I was having severe back spasms all day and I guess they were working on me pretty bad.
Ranger

Well the pattern pops and I resorted to is what I call the blundering idiot syndrome, meaning not ever being on the lake until Friday prefishin' to sum it up we burnt a 160$ bucks worth of fuel in two days of fishing from one end to the other and back again catching fish from 1' of water to 15' of water from shooting docks to pitching lay downs to okie riggin' rocky points and never really determining a absolute reliable pattern, in better terms we just went fishin', but the five keepers we did have came off of hard wood in 15 fow letting our Crappie Pro Tiger head loaded with a Wasshoppa fall to about 7-8 fow. With a problem free tourney, kepted pops in the boat, a great feast, good company, Hey who can put a price on that, with God willing anxiously awaiting the next and even better season, until then I'm about to sign up for 100,000$ CrappieMaster shoot out on Truman, hope to see ya there. God Bless and Good Luck !!!!! Team McClish

Well the pattern pops and I resorted to is what I call the blundering idiot syndrome, meaning not ever being on the lake until Friday prefishin' to sum it up we burnt a 160$ bucks worth of fuel in two days of fishing from one end to the other and back again catching fish from 1' of water to 15' of water from shooting docks to pitching lay downs to okie riggin' rocky points and never really determining a absolute reliable pattern, in better terms we just went fishin', but the five keepers we did have came off of hard wood in 15 fow letting our Crappie Pro Tiger head loaded with a Wasshoppa fall to about 7-8 fow. With a problem free tourney, kepted pops in the boat, a great feast, good company, Hey who can put a price on that, with God willing anxiously awaiting the next and even better season, until then I'm about to sign up for 100,000$ CrappieMaster shoot out on Truman, hope to see ya there. God Bless and Good Luck !!!!! Team McClish

Oopps double post ???? BTW, have you guys ever considered having a points race ??? Maybe something like a one time $100 dollar fee with 100% payback plus a prize package of whatever else that may could be added, may help in getting participation numbers up per tourney. Just a thought ....

Dreamcatcher we are talking about an angler of the year award. EB

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Originally Posted by Eufaula boy

Dreamcatcher we are talking about an angler of the year award. EB

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Hmmmmm. IDK

Its understanding that not everyone is able to fish all tournaments, but with it formatted in taking for example the top five finishes of a team or something along that line may help in getting a little more participation per tourney. From my view of fishing crappie tournaments through the years your always going to have some (locals) that jump in tourneys with nothing more in mind other than (we are on big fish and can probably take their money) types of attitude and never see them again. I know to some it's just for fun, but I also know that there's a higher level of competitiveness that we also would like to see, and my personal opinion, I'm just thinking that a points race would be a added incentive, not only do I enjoy crappie fishing, but seeing those same 30-40 teams showing up at a tourney competeing, just would like to see this happen in our area again, willing to help in anyway possible, just let me know .....

Don I think seeing 25 to 40 teams enter and fish a tournament here in Oklahoma is all of our dreams. It can happen I think with alittle work. We are talking about a points system and Angler Of The Year Award for our TOURNAMENTS. Maybe it would acheive alittle more interest in the competitive world of crappie fishing..but I don't know only hoping..We are talking about a bait package from our 3 bait sponsors, maybe a package from Nichols Marine as well, and trying to pick up a few more sponsors too. As far as a one time fee of $100, I would be all for it, but not many of our local tournament fisherman would be willing to do that I don't think. I am like you and like the competitive atmosphere while fishing. Just from what I have seen the last 2 years doing this I can see maybe 5 or 6 teams willing to do this...Just My Opinion...if you have any ideas and we are always certainly looking for someone to help and run with new ideas. Another thing I would like to see is next year at the meeting is to elect officers for our club on a 1 year basis so just 2 or 3 guys don't have to continue to led the way year in and year out...just an opinion again...Ranger

Yes Sir, For some reason its hard to get the world of competitive crappie fishing up and running in these parts, especially when there are so many that crappie fish and claim to be the greastest ever, but you couldnt beat them with a stick to get them enter a tourney, I know a guy that fishes 24/7 and mainly on oologah, and he didnt leave the lake until 9:30 last night through all the weather,and has only fished one tourney, got spanked and said he would never fish another one (think he was ashamed to show up for work and tell his buddies he got spanked on his home lake) I loved every minute of it, just sayin'......;)... I've got some ideas to throw @ you guys... The officer thing is probably a good idea.... Whats the salary of a C.C officer ??? I may be interested.....JKing !!!!

Back on the Thread topic....I fished Tenkiller Saturday around carters landing then to caney ridge. Dropped tub jigs around docks and fished steeper rock banks for approx. 4 hrs in the morning. Ended up with 2 crappie, and a 2lb. Largemouth. Not really sure how to fish crappie in this lake because it is much clearer than the Big E and the crappie don't seem to get on the banks as shallow either. I only live 15min from the lake but have just started to fish it for something other than the ol' sand bass run in the bend....

Duxndog you can still catch them sandbass at the bend. They were there last Sunday thick! I have spent lots of time trying to figure out the killer crappie. I have made progress but it has been minute gains at best. Good luck!

Dux,
Crappie on Tenkiller relate to structure either wood or rock. Not saying that you can't catch them not around some type of structure but your chances become less. Clear water crappie during the spawn will lay eggs 3' to 4' deeper than you can see usually. So keep that in mind. Remember they relate to structure and your ahead in the game...... Ranger

The bass club that i am in gives free entry to the anglers of the year and a plack noting anglers of the year and the season in which they acomplished it..

where is the bend at on tenkiller? I don't fish over there very much but wouldn't mind a few sandies if and when I get over there.

You are probably referring to horseshoe bend.....which is up river a ways. Google a map of tenkiller and you'll see it along the Illinois just above tenkiller. Thats a primo spot for sandies when they spawn in April. Not so sure about now.