does the Oklahoma city and surrounding areas really suck this bad ? No one ever posts anything about lakes close to the area. Just wondering if so where would be the closest lake to start fishing
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does the Oklahoma city and surrounding areas really suck this bad ? No one ever posts anything about lakes close to the area. Just wondering if so where would be the closest lake to start fishing
Sparky, I live in SW OKC and have fished Thunderbird, Hefner, & Draper. I have not been on Wes Watkins yet but plan to. I have caught Crappie at all those lakes. I don't fish Hefner much because from where I live I can be at RC Longmire (E of Pauls Valley) about as quickly. The same would be for Arcadia but I'll never fish it for personal reasons. I've heard the twin lakes at Shawnee can get good. The biggest Crappie that ever came into my boat was in February (over 20 years ago) at T-Bird. It weighed just over 3 lbs and my wife caught it on a small crankbait! The majority of crappie I catch there are smaller than I like to keep so I'll normally bypass it for a better lake if I can. My roots are eastern Oklahoma so I go there every opportunity I get. I keep an RV at Eufaula so just need to drag my boat down and pull it out and set it up. I don't know where you live in the Metro or if you have a boat. That makes a lot of difference in which way to point you.
I'm just getting started in fishing again after a loooong time away, and I will be spending most of my time on OKC area lakes. Since I have been on many types of forums over the years for all my various hobbies (even been a mod on one for a while), I am used to posting a lot, and I will regularly post successes as they happen. I don't expect the in-city lakes to be ideal for Crappie...more so for various bass species (Hefner)...but I will be trying my luck on them none the less. I do hope to visit Thunderbird quite often as it is the closest (what I consider) 'real' lake where crappie success is likely.
I hear Arcadia can be very good, but you have to pay to play (entry fee AND boat fee, from what I understand). I'm sure I will visit a few times, but ultimately success will determine the number of repeat visits. Since I am in Yukon, Ft Gibson is also a potential destination every once in a while. Luckily for me, IkenI and I are going to become BFF's, and he is going to take me to Eufaula a lot for camping and fishing! ;)
IkenI...is Longmire typically worth the drive? I don't really know anything about it?
Jon, Longmire has been real low for some time so I haven't fished it for the last couple of years (before this last Dec.) It's coming back up now and you can get a boat on it. I went down in Dec and caught several nice keepers but haven't been back with this cold weather. In past years it was a very good Crappie lake and I expect it to be again. I live almost in Norman so it's not too bad a drive for me. I've bypassed Tbird several times to go there.
I'll probably only hit it once or twice in the next month or so because I need to learn something about the Nav canal and Oologah for the upcoming tournaments there. My last few outings have been up at the dock at Carl Blackwell and the Keystone tournament.
Yes they suck compared to other lakes but can produce. T -bird has been the best to me. I fish it almost all the time. I live next to Wes Watkins and have tried it from the banks but they are too shallow and really need a boat. Arcadia cost too much to fish. Was $9 a day last time I went. Add a boat and it is nuts. Hefner I have had no luck but heard it can produce off the dam. Draper I haven't fished since a kid when I didn't know what I was doing. Just got hip to it being able to produce some crappie though. Twin Lakes I heard good about but haven't fished it. I will be posting more and more now that I have a boat since I won't be land locked. That and I took some time off after my boy was born a year ago. Overall the whole Oklahoma forum kinda died down from Sept to just recently. People get busy I guess. Glad to see it picking back up.
thanks for the input guys I live about 5 miles from Draper never fished it because its been low I have fished arcadia and caught a few small ones but its not worth the entry fees to come home with no keepers . I was just wondering because all the posts looks like they are coming from eastern OklahomaI'm thinking I may need to make a trip that way if it is much better .
We would welcome you with open arms and possibly even an open seat on a boat.Quote:
Originally Posted by sparky405
Bobo
I was at dolese youth pond recently and a young man told me he fishes overholzer almost every day and fishing their has been good--especially catfish
I tried fishing Overholzer once in 2012. Didn't catch a dang thing. Could of been my non fishing partners fault. All he wanted to do was hotrod around in his boat. Real shallow lake though.
Thanks for the info . I think I will give thunderbird oR carCarl blackwell a try if that doesn't work out I will just have to head east .
Sparky, I plan on spending some time this summer (when I'm here) re-learning Draper. Years ago it had some good crappie fishing and it finally has some water back in it. I do spend much of my fishing time in Eufaula tho'. I had a travel trailer down there so all I had to do was pull it out to a campsite. I got a new trailer recently and it's up here while we load it and get it ready. I hope to move it back to Eufaula by spawn time. I also really like to fish Sardis and it's a prettier lake to camp at. I wouldn't give up on the city area totally. It's good for a quick trip from home.
Wiley post isn't bad either at maysville