Thread: Anyone Fishin Gibson?

Something has changed over the last year at Gibson I dont seem to catch any small fish just about everything is over a pound I talk to people all the time over there and they just arent catching very many at all. This time last year all the big ones seemed to come out of the river surely they will start getting in the docks soon. I have started to fish Oolougha way more than Gibson almost any day you can catch 30-50 nice fish I prefer to eat the smaller ones at 10-12 inches which are plentiful up there and brushpiles can be found everywhere because that corps office dont sit on their butt just the other day they put lots of piles in with some volenteer helpers they must be lazy over on Gibson they never do anything like that these days

I made a living as a photojournalist many years ago. When they were first proposing the north ramp at Taylors Ferry the locals were in an uproar because they were being almost cut off from the south side. Anyway - I talked to the Corp director at that time and was told the corp was NOT in the recreation business. I found it difficult to understand how they weren't when they were making so many recreational decisions.

That was when I realized that the powers that be at Fort Gibson could care less about the lake as a fishery. This mind set has prevaied to this day while other Corp lakes seem to at least make an attempt to satisfy the needs or desires of their local fishermen. To compensate for the Corps lack of interest local fishermen and groups/clubs have placed their own habitat in the lake. Often this is done without Corp permission or knowledge at the risk of fines!

Yep! The Corp on Ft. Gibson has even been known to fight improvements to the fishery! In fact they have even stopped locals from brush-hogging the shore adjacent to their property to reduce fire hazard and critter infestation! That happened at Toppers a few years back.

Oh well - enough ragging on the Corp at Ft. Gibson - I've got a few spots with brush and plan on installing a few condo's this winter. I may have to do it under the cover of darkness - but they are going in the lake none the less!

Best to Ya

Larry

Please don't say that the Corp. at Gibson has never put in brush. They just haven't done it lately. I have personally witnessed them putting it in off the big barge. They also have a map of their locations available at the field Fish and Game office on 69 highway between Wagoner and Muskogee.

Larry,
I just called the Corp. of Eng. at the Ft. Gibson dam and talked to a lady named Sherri and she said it OK to put brush and fish habits in as long as they don't pose a hazard to navigation.

There are marked brush piles but these were put in by the Oklahoma Wildlife Department and are not Corp. They may take some measure of credit for the habitat but as I have been told in the past, and as I published in the local paper, The Corp of Engineers is not in the recreation business. In a one on one interview for the local paper the Corp director stated the he could care less if there was a boat ramp or camp site on the lake.

The legal actions taken and threatened by the Corp in years past is documented fact. The Corp policies on Ft. Gibson may have changed over the years. But I doubt it. I have seen no independant effort on their part to improve the fishery.

The Oklahoma Fish and Game Department on the other hand is totally opposite. Their efforts on Gibson, as well as other fisheries in the state, is to be complimented.

Larry

I Agree With With George We Have Encountered The Same Thing And I Tend To Agree With Larry. I Still Want To Know Has Anyone Been Fishing Gibson And Doing Any Good?

The bite has been best on minnows or minnow tipped jigs over the last week, which is normal. Overall it seems to be picking up as the lake cools. No braggin size crappie but since the rain the numbers of keeper size fish has increased.

Larry

Thanks So Much I Will Let You Know How I Do