Lake Eufaula Fishing Report – December 2007

Eufaula: Level: 4.7 feet below full pool. Temp: Mid 60s to low 70s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Good. Eufaula guide Billy Darby said he is catching a lot of bass shallow right now on man-made brush, shallow ledges and in hydrilla mats. “Any type of brush you can find right now, there’s fish in it,” Billy said. Try crankbaits, spinnerbaits or Texas-rigged worms anywhere you find structure in 2-10 feet of water. There is also a good frog bite going on early and late in the hydrilla mats. Tim Malcolm reported a sporadic bite and schooling activity. “The fishing has been a little bit sporadic over the last couple of weeks, but good overall. The majority of the fish are being caught in the middle parts of the creeks and bigger pockets,” he said. Locate big concentrations of shad to stay in the vicinity of the fish. Look for diving gulls and surface activity to get you in the right general area. “Pay close attention to your electronics to pinpoint the exact location of the big schools of shad and fish,” he said. Before a front, fish faster-moving baits such as crankbaits and spinnerbaits to search for actively feeding fish. “A 3/8- or 1/2-oz. Buckeye Lures spinnerbait or a Stanford Razor Shad would be good choices,” he said. “My preference right now in the clearer water would be a white skirt and double, silver, willow-leaf blades on the spinnerbait, and any of the Razor Shads in the foil finish. These type baits will remain effective until the front passes through.” Once the front moves through, you will need to swap to slower-moving baits such as jigs, Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, drop-shot rigs, or jigging spoons. “Concentrations of shad are important, but you will usually have to use your electronics to find them since they move deeper following the front as well. Look for any type of cover in that depth range, and fish it slowly and thoroughly. My preference would be a 1/2-oz. black/blue Buckeye Lures Mop Jig with a green-pumpkin Yo Mama trailer made by Big Bite Baits. Remember to make slow presentations where you put the bait right in front of the fish’s nose, and keep it there as long as possible.”

Hybrids: Fair. Billy said the hybrids are hard to find right now, but if you get into one, it will most likely be a good one. The bite is better north of the causeway. Billy said to troll ledges in the creek and river channels using lipless crankbaits. He said a 1-oz. Rattlin’ Rapala is the go-to bait right now.

Crappie: Tough. “They’re hard to find,” Billy said. “And if you find ’em, they’re mixed in with so many shad they won’t bite.” He said it’s a different story north of the causeway, though. He said people are catching crappie on live minnows or spoons in about 14 feet of water on brushpiles or ledges.