Lake Eufaula Fishing Report – June 2008

Eufaula: Level: Full pool. Temp: 72 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Billy Darby said the fish must be confused. “This has been the longest spring with the coldest water temps I’ve ever experienced,” he said. “Finding a pattern for the bass is almost impossible.” He said that by June the weather should have stabilized, and the bass should be on their normal ledge pattern. Early in the month, the bass will be on the creek-channel ledges in 10 to 12 feet of water, and later in the month they will move out onto the river ledges in 15 to 20 feet of water. A crankbait is deadly this time of year. Billy said to fish a Mann’s 20+ for fish suspended on the deeper ledges. Good colors to try are gray ghost, baby bass or natural shad. The same colors apply to a 15-foot-running crankbait for the shallower ledges. If there is a stain to the water, try something with a little chartreuse. “You’re going to be dragging that crankbait along the bottom until it comes off the ledge,” Billy said. “That’s when he’ll hit it.” Another option for the ledge bite is a Carolina rig in Carolina pumpkin for shallow, clear water and green pumpkin for deep, dark water. Also, Billy said there is always an early and late bite on the rip-rap this time of year, especially rip-rap on the points. Fish topwater with a Pop-R-style bait, and if there is some vegetation around the rip-rap, try a Big Bite Top Toad frog. For vegetation that is a little deeper, try a Big Bite Trick Stick with very little or no lead. “Fluorocarbon is almost a must when fishing Trick Stick baits,” Billy said. “It lets them sink a little faster.”

Crappie: Fair. The shallow spring crappie bite is over, and the fish have moved back out to brushpiles in 12 to 15 feet of water. Billy said he has been catching pretty good numbers dropping minnows to these brushpiles with extension poles, but the fish are mostly small — 1/2 pound and lighter. The fish should progressively move to deeper brushpiles as June continues.

Linesides: Good. Billy said there is a very good hybrid bite up the river on the shallow 12- to 15-foot ledges that starts as soon as they start pulling water. “We hooked three that straightened out a No. 2 steel hook,” he said. “It was amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.” He has had luck either dropping spoons to fish that are visible on the depthfinder or casting spoons into surface activity. “The bite should last all month, but, by July, they will be chasing shad up on the humps really early and late, or within 45 minutes after they start pulling water,” he said. “Also, trolling those same types of areas with a Mann’s 10 to 15 Stretch in chrome/blue, black back or gray ghost is always effective.”

Bream: Good. The shellcracker bedding bite is about over, but bream should be bedding on the new moon the first week of June. Try fishing crickets in, around and under cypress trees and their root systems, Billy said.