Hey guys, I will be going to fish Tom Steed tomorrow with a buddy from work and was wondering if anyone has fished that lake? And if you have any tips for me. We will have a boat and plan to fish for crappie but I would really like to catch some White bass and hybrids if they are biting.
This time of year you could possibly have some luck in the creek mouths above the dam, but I'm not sure where you would put in with a boat.
Your best bet is to fish just below the dam. Fish a minnow on the bottom and a crappie jig about 18 inches deep.
If you don't have any luck there try the northwest corner of the lake.
Lots of submerged timber. You might catch anything there, but it's the most reliable place to catch black bass.
I don't have a clue about the hybrids.
I'm pretty much talking through my hat because I haven't done any fishing there this year even though it's the closest lake to my house.
Maybe someone else will chime in. Good luck.
Your best bet is to fish just below the dam. Fish a minnow on the bottom and a crappie jig about 18 inches deep.
If you don't have any luck there try the northwest corner of the lake.
Lots of submerged timber. You might catch anything there, but it's the most reliable place to catch black bass.
I don't have a clue about the hybrids.
I'm pretty much talking through my hat because I haven't done any fishing there this year even though it's the closest lake to my house.
Maybe someone else will chime in. Good luck.
Hey thanks for the tips. I am very excited to go. Also hoping to go to Altus-Lugert in the next couple of weeks. I love hybrid fishing and there are some really nice ones in that lake. The pics that oklahomabassin posted made me drool. I will post a report when I get back.
Was out there Monday morning with a float tube and came home with 32 in 4 hours and that was what I kept. 12-16" range
Fish the small coves on the west side as you enter into the cut that heads to the dam. I normally use a minnow 12-18" below a slip cork. Throw as close to the shore as you can get and still allow the cork to stand upright. Some of the small coves are just cuts in the bank. Look for wood as there are always fish there but wood is not necessary to catch fish.
It's also a good idea to have a second pole with a small white grub on a leadhead or a beetlespin. If you get a couple fish real quick, switch to the jig as it will allow you to spend more time with bait in the water.
Work your way south toward the dam along the west bank until you get to the big cove just before the dam. Fish the north bank of the cove and when you get to the log stay there for awhile. There are always fish by that log. I even took a 9 lbs largemouth off that log last spring. That was fun on 4 lbs test!
When you get to the northwest corner of that cove, think about anchoring so you can cast right up in the corner. It's suprising the size fish that come out of that corner.
Just remember to stay shallow. This time of year all my bites at Steed are in less than 6 feet and the majority are in 2-3 feet range.
Fish the small coves on the west side as you enter into the cut that heads to the dam. I normally use a minnow 12-18" below a slip cork. Throw as close to the shore as you can get and still allow the cork to stand upright. Some of the small coves are just cuts in the bank. Look for wood as there are always fish there but wood is not necessary to catch fish.
It's also a good idea to have a second pole with a small white grub on a leadhead or a beetlespin. If you get a couple fish real quick, switch to the jig as it will allow you to spend more time with bait in the water.
Work your way south toward the dam along the west bank until you get to the big cove just before the dam. Fish the north bank of the cove and when you get to the log stay there for awhile. There are always fish by that log. I even took a 9 lbs largemouth off that log last spring. That was fun on 4 lbs test!
When you get to the northwest corner of that cove, think about anchoring so you can cast right up in the corner. It's suprising the size fish that come out of that corner.
Just remember to stay shallow. This time of year all my bites at Steed are in less than 6 feet and the majority are in 2-3 feet range.
Oh yeah, try trolling at the mouth of where it heads to the dam with diver at about 8 feet for the hybrids.
I haven't ever fished Steed. I have went across it in the dark to go goose hunting. Goodluck, I have been catching my hybrids at Ft. Cobb in less than 5' of water.
go to the north side where steed turns into otter creek, been slaying them there for two weeks
Well guys sorry I was not able to update you guys sooner. Well me and buddy went out May 14th to Tom Steed to do some crappie fishing. We got there about 9:45 in the morning after a two and half hour drive. It was very windy and chilly pretty much the whole day with dark clouds that brought sprinkles every so often. We pretty much fished the same way Drturkenstein suggested, we were running slip bobber setups with minnows. We were fishing no more than a foot from the bank and no deeper than a foot and we absolutely slayed them. I came home with 20 nice crappie and my buddy Will, who is the experienced one at all this went home with 32. This was after we tossed about 15 back because they were a bit small.I Also caught 3 nice sand bass and a nice 1.5lb largemouth. Will caught a goggleeye sunfish or something like that and also about a 3lb drum on a jig. He also went home with 5 crappie that went over 2lbs each. We fished for about 6hrs and I have to say that I had a blast! I am ready for my next fishing trip already. Also I am pretty set on buying me a boat in the next couple of weeks. Sorry but I just got a horrible cell picture in the kitchen before I started cleaning them. Hey Oklahomabassin I am down for the some hybrid fishing whenever you are. Just let me know 
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Man, I'm glad you were about to put the smack down on 'em. That's a couple of nice stringers! I'll take the wind and rain anyday over the sun. I got burned real bad last spring on a day that was sunny but cool. I even took a few days off from work because my legs were so bad I couldn't wear pants. But I sure do love Tom Steed this time of year. I'm gonna miss it. Uncle Sam is sending me back to North Carolina in 11 days.
