Lake Eufaula Fishing Report March 2017

Eufaula: Level: 0.4 feet below 190 full pool. Temp: Low 60s. Clarity: Moderate stain and clearing.

Bass: Guide Billy Darby reports, “The bass are scattered. We’re catching bass in brush up to 14 feet deep. Some of the brushpiles at the creek mouths are loaded, but the bass can be finicky. Slow down, size down, and don’t expect to catch monsters. In the 8- to 10-foot range, bass are hitting Rat-L-Traps and ChatterBaits on points and not necessarily points with structure. Deeper into the pockets, some big bass are cruising, looking for warmer water to warm their eggs, but these fish are sluggish. Try a Big Bite Trick Stick, and throw it into submerged grass. Let it lay there, and then barely give it a twitch. You may just see the line moving and not detect a strike at all. I caught a 7-pounder and a 6 this week doing this, and we had numerous fish pull off—they’re not taking it in the mouth.” Tournament angler David Lowery reports, “Bass fishing on Eufaula has been good. With the water temp up in the 60s, the females are on the move. The water is also clearing up all over. The baits that are working great right now are a 5-inch Big Bite Fighting Frog fished on the edges of the grass and dropped in the grass. The best colors at Eufaula are black-and-blue and green-pumpkin. Also try swimming a 5-inch Big Bite Cane Thumper over the grass—try white or shad colors. ChatterBaits are also working good, and try a 4-inch Cane Thumper on your ChatterBait as a trailer. This should work up until the fish leave the spawning areas.” Guide Sam Williams reports, “The heavy rains up north over the past few days have the river rising. Pumping at the dam has the river dirty, but the creeks are staying cleaner. The shore cover that has greened up with the extremely warm winter are now under water and holding baitfish. Bass are hitting shaky heads with shortened Trick Worms. Noisy baits are doing well. Frogs and topwater plugs are working, as well.”

Linesides: Guide Billy Darby reports, “We stay on these Eufaula hybrids and stripers all the time. With the water stained a bit, the bite is best on sunny days during the midday when they can see that spoon better. Use your Humminbird to scan main-lake humps, drop a spoon and hang on. The smaller hybrids are running up into the creeks. Use smaller curly tail jigs, like a 3-inch or 4-inch.”

Crappie: Guide Billy Darby said the crappie fishing has been slow. “The crappie are just now moving into shallow water and are very difficult to find. If you have post-frontal conditions, just stay home. Crappie can be caught before the full moon in March, when they will be up on the flats.” Guide Sam Williams reports, “Crappie fishing is trying to get better as the creeks clear up. Use your fish finder, and locate the brushpiles on the creek ledges. Fishing jigs tipped with minnows is a good bet.”