How to catch bass/crappie in winter at Thunderbird?

[sh00ter]

Fished for bass from early afternoon until dusk Saturday by boat with a variety of lures with no luck. Switched our target to crappie and anchored and tried fishing small jigs off the bottom near the bridge and also worked some docks. Wanted to try the large concrete structure (water treatment?) but there was already a boat right beneath it enjoying the bright lights and rip rap to fish (assuming crappie). One guy before dusk was slaying them by the dam with jigs in deep water near the buoys. But me and my buddy couldn't figure it out and got skunked. I do okay there in warmer weather but I've never fished much for bass in winter. Crappie I've done okay in the past if I knew where a brush pile was on other lakes but this mud bottom bowl is a challenge for me apparently. I'm also interested in saugeye if there are any tips on that too. Thanks!

 

[sh00ter]

I have a saved link to the general forum and forgot about the other forums; this should go to the hunting & fishing forum; sry mods.

 

[swampratt]

That water intake tower is excellent for crappie I fish jigs along the walls. Used to be easier before the roped it off and put up no trespassing signs.
Not rare to get 2 at a time there if you tie on 3 jigs or 2 minnows.

Either side of it works.
Night fishing with lights at the higher bridge was really good and you will get catfish too.
You could anchor near the dam and drop lights at night and about an hour later should be into fish. say 1030 pm.
That has worked at many lakes I have fished including Overholser.

I like minnows at night under the light best.

 

[sh00ter]

Okay, well I saw a boat with 2 guys that went PAST the barriers somehow at the tower and were tied up right next to it. I guess they figured there was no lake patrol after dark in the winter time. Also, I thought crappie lights worked best when they could attract bugs and not when it was cold? Oddly enough, we anchored directly under the high bridge and dropped a light (sinker not floater) a few feet down and were there maybe 45min or so but no bites...using jigs though and not minnows because we'd come prepared only for bass fishing and didn't intend on night fishing that day.

 

[MacFromOK]

"How to catch bass/crappie in winter at Thunderbird?"

I'm thinkin' you should be drinkin' Thunderbird in the winter, and fishin' in the summer...

 

[dennishoddy]

That water intake tower is excellent for crappie I fish jigs along the walls. Used to be easier before the roped it off and put up no trespassing signs.

After 911, all Corps of Engineer lakes got roped off at the areas that need security against possible terrorist acts. Some of the private lakes as well.
Sooner lake is privately owned by OG&E and it as well as other power plant lakes got A lot of security upgrades as critical infrastructure.
Violation of those barriers can result in hefty fines at the least.

 

[swampratt]

Yea those rule breakers are the worst.
You can also try dropping a light just outside of the cable around the intake tower.
It takes about an hour to get fish to gather around the light.

It is not bugs that bring in the bait fish it is the light and plankton.

When we fish for them we wait about an hour after the light is on, drop down a minnow about 4-5 feet and jig it slowly up and down about a foot each way. More like pull it up really slow and ease it back down and hold for a couple minutes.

Then drop another 4-5 feet and do the same.
Then another 4-5 feet and the same..You will find them at a certain depth.

We also take one minnow and place it on the very bottom and secure that pole well.
That one usually picks up the odd fish like a drum or catfish.

There are huge saugeye near that tower also so if ya get one don't lip it.
If ya get a small crappie you can use it for bait near the bottom also.