Lake Eufaula Fishing Report July 2011

Eufaula: Level: 0.2 feet below full pool. Temp: Mid 80s. Clarity: Light stain.

Bass: Tough. Sam Williams reports, “Bass are in the summer slump with the hot water now getting even hotter. Presentations must be super slow for any results. Spinnerbaits are too fast. Topwater frogs and poppers are the trick very early. Work them as slow as possible all the way from cover to the boat. The fish will sometimes follow the lure, undecided, and strike when you begin to lift it into the boat. Keep an eye on your bait. You will often see more than one bass following the lure. Title Shot jigs are doing well with soft plastics worked around the rocks, grass and cover. Again, the slower you work them, the better the results. Carolina rigs on deep brushpiles and wood have produced well this past week. If they are pulling water, work down the slope. If they stop pulling, work from deep to shallow. Keep it slow.” Fish are stacking up on the ledges during the heat of the day, and the best time to get bit will be during generation hours. Currently, water has been moving in the late afternoons. Look for any irregularity or point along the channel. Stumps and trees are a bonus for holding fish. It’s hard to beat Carolina rigs and deep-diving crankbaits in these areas. Early in the morning you can find some fish shallow in grass or lily pad fields. The closer you can find these places to the deeper water, the better chance you’ll have of getting bit. Frogs, buzzbaits and small, white swim jigs will work. “The Lee King Tournament was a lot of fun,” Sam said. “It took 15-plus pounds to win it with a 6.19-pounder to get big fish. We have the first flight for the 2012 event almost full. Visit <www.leekingbenefit.org> for more details. For an article on Eufaula bass fishing, turn to page 18.

Bream: Good. Sam reports, “The mayflies are hatching, and the ’gills are under all the hang downs. Crickets and worms are producing some nice fish. Beetle Spins are doing well, and the bass are hitting the ultra-lights, and that is really fun. Bass feed on the panfish, so these are great areas to target.”

Catfish: Good. Sam said, “Cats are always doing good in the hot weather. Cut bait is a good choice.”