Lake Eufaula Fishing Report – July 2008

Eufaula: Level: 0.6 feet below full pool. Temp: 88 degrees. Clarity: Slight stain.

Bass: Very good. With water temps moving into the mid to high 80s, the ledge bite should be going strong, and it is, but according to both guide Billy Darby and Tim Malcolm, there are still a lot of fish being caught shallow. “There are a lot of bass still in shallow water up north,” Billy said. “They’re shallow in the grass adjacent to deeper water.” Billy said to try swimming a white jig in these areas, which have been yielding some good sacks for tournament anglers. The recent Lee King Benefit tournament was won with five fish that weighed more than 20 pounds. Tim said there is also still a short-lived early topwater bite in the grass. The other good bite going on is the typical summer ledge bite. Billy said to pull a Mann’s Go 2 off the ledges. The bait is a Mann’s 15+ or 20+ with a special paint job. Both Billy and Tim said moving water is a big plus for the ledge bite. “The bite is better on the ledges when they’re pulling water,” Billy said. “Calling and getting the generation schedule is a big bonus for you.” Billy said to be sure and account for the time it takes for water to get moving. Water flow will start sooner in the creeks closer to the dam, and the fish have been holding on shallower ledges (7-8 feet) closer to the dam. The farther you get out on the main lake, the ledges where fish are holding get progressively deeper. Billy said to move a lot until you find the fish. Pay attention to where the sun is because the fish will hold on the shaded sides of the ledges. Another bite to watch for while you’re on the lake is mayfly hatches. “If you find a mayfly hatch, it’s your choice of topwater lures,” Billy said. “But you’ve got to be lucky to find a mayfly hatch where the fish are.” Texas-rigged Big Bite curly tail worms in green pumpkin will also produce some spotted bass in the 3- to 3 1/2-lb. range from brushpiles in 12 to 14 feet of water on the south end of the lake, Billy said.

Crappie: Fair. “You can catch an abundance of small fish from brushpiles in 12 to 14 feet of water, but it’s hard to keep minnows alive and almost impossible to fish jigs in those brushpiles,” Billy said.

Linesides: Poor. The hybrids aren’t doing anything, Billy said. There’s some short-lived topwater activity early around shallow hydrilla patches that are are near deeper water, and they’re also hitting spinnerbaits. However, the bite on deep-water humps should pick up soon. Look for humps that come up to 10 or 20 feet out of 50 or 60 feet of water anywhere along the main river channel. Fish a jigging spoon or troll the humps with a Mann’s 10+ or 15+.

Bream: Good. Billy said people are reporting good catches of bream around the same 12- to 14-foot brushpiles on crickets.