Thread: Fort Gibbson archives

Jon the best info I now of for Chouteau Bend area is Hudson Lake discharge. Unless Pryor area gets a real heavy rain Hudson Lake

Thank you for the comment and the link. I think that Gibson is already up around 4' from it's "normal" elevation and if that's the case the Neosho river should be high, too. Sometimes I think I need to find a lake to fish that doesn't have such weird water fluctuations.

Fished Sat and Sun finally figured them out. Fish have pulled off the banks while they were sucking the level down. Got one man limit in 3 hours in 12-16 FOW.

I trudged off to the Dead Sea (Gibson) yesterday and took my boat along. First stop was Chouteau Bend to check on the river. Water is high and fast and a few people were out on it but I stifled the urge....Mother K never raised such a foolish child.

I doubled back and headed to Blue Bill. The water was up a bit over 1.5' and it was relatively clear so rather than launch I fished from the banks. There were a few bass fishermen out on the lake, scouting for some upcoming tournament but not much else. I fished a popping cork with a jig and hooked and lost several small bass but I didn't bump a sand bass or a crappie.

Conditions are tough on these Corp lakes and I'm kinda at a loss on what to do. You would think that it would be a relatively simple thing to find a place to fish, catch a few and satisfy the urges but I'm beginning to think that my optimism is wearing thin. Oh well.

Originally Posted by Jon

Conditions are tough on these Corp lakes and I'm kinda at a loss on what to do. You would think that it would be a relatively simple thing to find a place to fish, catch a few and satisfy the urges but I'm beginning to think that my optimism is wearing thin. Oh well.

I feel your pain! Since Gibson is the only lake I fish since my boat is docked on the water, I have tried to just except that conditions are always going to get this way every year at some point. For the last 10 years that I know of it's been this way, but if you stay persistent at some point there is a bite worth waiting for on both sandies and crappies, thing is I usually here about it more than I experience it.

Thanks for the sympathy! Lol, I'll take all I can get.....the "fishing" thus far has been a real let down but I'm with you. I've been out on days and caught more than I deserved but like you, I hear about it much more than I experience it. I'd like to locate some spawning blue gills but they won't hit the nests until May or early June.

Didn't catch a lot but did get a few good ones about 6 total, fished Sunday morning it was an early bite 7 to 8 and not much after that the water was still rising at the time but now it's going back down. They were all back on brush in 8 to 10 fow.

I cleaned 9 last night, 6 with eggs all of these fish had really rough beaten up tails. They came off the tops of brush biting in about 3 fow water, water depth was 8 to 10 fow. Lake was dropping fast but was still at 557.45 at the time, it has since dropped on down to 556.36 and still going.