Lake Eufaula Fishing Report – January 2010

Eufaula: Level: 2.2 feet above full pool. Temp: 48-51 degrees. Clarity: Muddy.

Bass: Stephen McCord stays shallow to catch bass on Eufaula in January. “They are going to be close to points and flats, holding tight to wood, and the key to finding them is to look for these structures close to the deeper water,” said Stephen. Because the temperatures are so low, the fish aren’t as active as they are in warmer months, but they’re still not difficult to catch if you’re persistent and have a general idea of what to do. “The bass will move up from the river channel onto the flats to chase baitfish in the mornings, and then by midday a lot of them have moved back to the river channel,” said Stephen. “But, then they’ll move up and feed again in the afternoon. After I’ve found a general location that looks good for fish, I start looking for them with a moving bait. I’ll usually start out with a Rat-L-Trap, a crankbait or a spinnerbait, something to cover a lot of water.” Once he catches a fish in a certain area, he will slow down and start to fish something a little slower. Another thing most anglers won’t even think about trying in January is a buzzbait, but that’s one of the things in Stephen’s arsenal that puts the big ones in the boat. “I don’t catch a whole lot of fish on them,” he said, “but when I do it’s always a good one. You’ve got to be slamming it into the brush just like you would all of the other baits.” For more information on Stephen’s January tactics, turn to page 78.