Hello the forum,

 

I have been fishing my favorite lake in N.W. Oklahoma for about 50 years.(Lake Lloyd Vincent)(About 700 acre lake)

 

This lake underwent a complete kill by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife 4 years ago and was re-stocked with perch, large mouth bass and catfish.

 

I started fishing the lake again this year after a 4 year illness.

 

I fished today from sunup for about 4 hours. I worked the shoreline with worms and spinnerbaits, and finally pulled a 4 pound bass. This was my only strike and only fish. This is my third trip on the lake this year, and this was my first strike and first fish. The lake has a lot of brush, a lot of bloodweed, and a lot of trees and tree stumps. The deepest part of the lake is near the dam, and is about 30 feet deep. Most of the rest of the lake is in the 12 to 15 foot level. The North end gets shallow, down to about 3 feet where the river runs in. The water temperature is 80 degrees F. and pretty consistent all over the lake. I don't see a lot of fish on the sonar.The water is clear. The sonar is a Humminbird 787C2i and I fish from a Lowe 170 bass boat. Wife was with me today and never had a strike.

 

Something is wrong, and I can't figure it out. What do I need to do? All ideas are appreciated.

 

Thanks.

Try night fishing.

The lake has a river channel running it's length, get a good map and start fishing the old river bed. Look for rocks, rock piles, big boulders, where the channel makes bends and fish every rocky area you can locate. Fish points that drop into the river channel. Forget about the wood along the bank, water maybe to hot to bass during the day time, OK at night.

4 lb LMB in 4 years is decent growth rate.

With 80 degree surface water there should be a defined thermocline, my best guess is around 12' to 16', you need to meter it with your sonar unit. Spend a lot go time fishing structure about 3' above the thermocline layer until the lake rurns over.

Stay with crawdad colors for bottom contact lures and fire tiger crankbaits and spinnerbaits, if this lake doesn't have a shad population. If the lake has shad, then locate the shad and fish shad colored spoons and spinnerbaits, along with the crawdad colored jigs and worms.

Good luck.

Tom

Hello. I am near Eufaula Lake in OK. You mentioned that you don't see a lot of fish on your sonar. Are you sure it is adjusted properly? You also mentioned the lake has a lot of brush; are you mistaking submerged brush for fish? On my sonar, if I go over a submerged tree limb it will give a fish "V" mark. Also, just because it was stocked does not mean that it now has a healthy population of fish. There are many things that can prevent a stocking from becoming a healthy fish population. Try to talk to others that fish that lake and see what their experience is in catching fish. Watch others when you see them fishing the lake and try to notice what baits and methods they are using (do not infringe on their fishing space, though while watching). I keep a small pair of binoculars in my boat for observing wildlife (handy for seeing what baits others are using without intruding). If you've seen someone catching fish, go over and see what kind of structure and cover they were fishing after they leave. There are many ways to learn what works on a particular lake, if the fish are there.

Water temp? Did you see any bait movement? Any birds feeding on the shore?  Where did your fish come out of?