Lake Eufaula Fishing Report May 2011

Eufaula: Level: 0.7 feet below full pool. Temp: Mid 70s. Clarity: Stained.

Bass: Good. Stephen McCord said he’s been catching fish, but it’s been a weird spawn this year on Eufaula. Fluctuating water levels and temperatures have altered patterns, and the grass is less of a factor than it usually is. Sam Williams, with S&K Outdoors in Eufaula, said tournament sacks should be in the mid to high 20s this time of year, but they are still in the mid teens. On April 18, Stephen said there were still a few fish on the beds, but most of the big girls had already spawned out. Right now, the hottest pattern going is the shad spawn. Stephen said the shad were getting started, and he’s been catching his better fish around shad on points, boat docks and seawalls. He’s throwing a Bomber Fat Free Shad or other crankbait in a shad color that dives to 8 or 10 feet. Also try a rattle bait in a shad color, like Tennessee shad or citrus shad in stained water, should do the trick. Keep a spinnerbait tied on as well. Because much of the grass has been in very shallow water when the water level is low, grass has not been producing well. Stephen prefers the lily pads for a frog and buzzbait bite and said a 100-yard stretch of dollar-pads can sometimes provide consistent action all day as the fish move up from the first breaks to feed. As we move into May, the mayfly hatches will be the ticket. Stephen said he is already starting to see a few mayflies. When they really turn on, it can be possible to have a 20- or 30-fish day all on topwater, as the bass chase bluegills feeding on mayflies. Stephen likes a Pop-R or a Lucky Craft Gunfish for fishing this bite. Go with colors that imitate shad or bluegills. A weightless Senko in green pumpkin is another good option around mayflies. Another tactic that can produce big bites in May when the water is clear and the bream are spawning is to fish swimbaits around the edges of bream beds. When he can’t find the mayflies, Stephen will resort to flipping a black-and-red, black-and-blue, green pumpkin or watermelon Coffee Tube to thick vegetation and blowdowns. Cranking with a Fat Free Shad around the first and second breaks on the points can also produce. A Senko fished with a small weight on brush in 4 to 8 feet of water is another good May pattern. Sam also noted that the fish have been off from their normal bite. He reports, “Fishermen must make an extra slow presentation to entice a strike.” He said 16-lb. sacks have been winning events as late. “Red-colored soft plastics have been the trick with my guide clients in the past two weeks. Short Trick Worms rigged on swimming jigs and Nuckle Ball jigs have been working. Lipless crankbaits in sexy shad and chartreuse sexy shad are also taking keepers. Shallow-running crankbaits as well as Chatterbaits do well where the water is dirtier. Fish are coming from cover and banks where there are bushes or blowdowns. The Revere Maxx weedless frog is getting a lot of action where the pads are trying to come back.”

Crappie: Good. Sam reports, “Crappie are still doing well. Trolling jigs and minnows on the top of the first drops is producing some good limits. Bigger fish are coming under the lights at night.”

Catfish: Good. Sam reports, “Catfish are always ready for a meal. The jug fishing is picking up, and the cut bait and shad seem to be the best thing going right now.”