Lake Eufaula Fishing Report – January 2008

Eufaula: Level: 0.9 feet below full pool. Temp: Low 60s. Clarity: Clear to slight stain.

Bass: Good. The small crankbait bite is on around ditches and hydrilla north of the causeway said guide Billy Darby. He said the fish are feeding on shad in 8-12 feet of water, and that light line, 10-lb. test or lighter, is very important in clear water. He said a small shad-imitation crankbait that gets down into the 8- to 12-foot range should work where there are shad present. “If you see birds, make sure you go over to them, and keep a close eye on your electronics,” Billy said. Tim Malcolm also said to keep an eye out for the birds. “Since the last report, fish have been caught in a variety of areas and using a variety of techniques. Some are being caught in extremely shallow hydrilla on Rat-L-Traps in large coves. The best pattern, however, on my last outing involved fishing irregular features in the mouths of larger creeks along the channel in 12 feet of water,” Tim said. “Consistent with the previous report, keys to finding and catching fish were to fish in the area of gulls and at the depth of the shad noted on electronics.”

Hybrids: Good. Billy said the hybrids are being caught trolling river ledges north of the causeway. Troll with lipless crankbaits in 12-15 feet of water on the dropoffs. Shad-colored or chartreuse lipless crankbaits 3/4-oz. to 1-oz. are the best producers. In the next few weeks, Billy expects the big hybrids to start moving onto the flats on the south end of the lake. “That’s when we catch some sure-enough big ones,” he said. The fish should come up on 20-foot flats near the main-river channel, and they can be caught with 3/4-oz. to 1-oz. Man-O-Lure chrome or white spoons. Billy said they will hold tight to the bottom.

Crappie: Poor. Billy said the crappie are non-existent. “I’ve looked in 20 different brushpiles in all different depths where I saw loads of crappie last year,” he said. “I can’t find a one.”