Lake Eufaula Fishing Report – April 2007

Eufaula: Level: 1.9 feet below full pool. Temp: 72 degrees on main river. Clarity: Clear to light stain.

Bass: Fair. Billy Darby said the big females are postspawn and will be very hard to catch, but they are suspending off ledges in 12 to 14 feet of water. He said they can be taken on a spoon, and that there should be topwater bites early in the morning or late in the afternoon off shallow points near deep water. Some of the smaller bass are still prespawn and spawning. To catch small buck bass in shallow water, Billy suggests fishing in 3-4 feet of water near aquatic vegetation swimming white or gray jigs, Yum Dingers, hard jerkbaits or a Baby Minus One.

Linesides: Good. Hybrids and stripers can be caught on long, sandy points and sandbars in 6-10 feet of water. Billy suggested trolling lipless crankbaits, shallow-running crankbaits or 3-inch curly-tail jigs on 3/8- to 1/2-oz. jig heads, in either white/chartreuse or yellow. He also said some of the bigger hybrids, in the 8- to 10-lb. range can be caught in the creeks. “Way up in the backs of the creeks, throw a Rat-L-Trap up into the shallows or drop chicken livers to ’em to catch the really big fish,” he said.

Crappie: “Expect a slow bite,” said Billy. The crappie will be postspawn and concentrating in 12-14 foot deep brush near deeper channels after the full moon on April 2. “Live minnows will be the order of the day,” Billy said. “I would fish ’em on an extension pole, on a cork, straight down into the brush or on shallow ledges with structure, such as stump rows.”

Shellcrackers: Excellent. “Expect them to go on the bed near the new moon in April,” Billy said. When the water temperature gets to about 75 degrees, concentrate on bedding areas in shallow coves near vegetation and in cypress roots. Pond worms and wigglers are Billy’s shellcracker baits of choice.