Anything Happening at Branched Oak??

[catfishjohn54]

Any catfish action at Branched Oak???

[catfisherman_eky3]

welcome to the boc good to have you aboard

[bigredcatfish]

They were catching flat heads in 26 feet of water last month. The biggest one that I heard was 54 inches, but most were 10 to 20 lbs. I talked to a guy that said that he caught a blue in the backwaters. I am planning on going out there next week to pre fish for the tourny. Anyone fishing out there next saturday for the tourny??

[bigredcatfish]

Picture that you see by my name is from Branched Oak last year around this time. We had ten fish, but those were our largest ones. They are all over 10 lbs.

[catfishjohn54]

Where is trhe best place to fish in the shallows. i have been around to the northernmost side and it is obstructed by trees. How and where does one get back in the trees?

[bigredcatfish]

To get to the north arm you can only get there by boat. There are some good spots if you work the trees and sticks. You might be able to find a few places on the south that would produce fish. Stay shallow and find structure!!!!!!!!

[skawez]

To get to the north arm you can only get there by boat. There are some good spots if you work the trees and sticks. You might be able to find a few places on the south that would produce fish. Stay shallow and find structure!!!!!!!!

there wont be a problem finding that. the water is way way back in the sapplings. we were out there and we lapped the whole thing that north leg you cant get past them things maybe a chainsaw? theres big ones in there and boy the holes on the other side those sapplings are goin to be killer fishin holes now if i could only get to them. Oh and with out passing the sapplings on the north side i couldnt find anything shallower then 6' on the south side how ever you could get down to 3 but averaged 4 before you got into the trees again.

[bigredcatfish]

what do you mean sapplings?? Why do you think that there are big ones in there?? What did you see to make you think that?? There is a way to get past those tall weeds, if that is what you're talking about. I did it last year, but never got a bite.

[skawez]

what do you mean sapplings?? Why do you think that there are big ones in there?? What did you see to make you think that?? There is a way to get past those tall weeds, if that is what you're talking about. I did it last year, but never got a bite.

sapplings small trees. because with the wind coming from the south the dead vegetation and trash and fish will get caught in up in the "sappllings" or cover the "feeder fish" will hover in that cover. its not weeds they are sapplings or small trees weeds you can go thru over these there is no choice but to go around. and they are thick! youd have trouble trying to walk thru them if it wasnt 6' deep there.

[bigredcatfish]

Did you see any holes or open water on the other side??

[skawez]

Did you see any holes or open water on the other side??

Oh yea nice ones. like i had said before if a guy could back in them i think theyd do really well next time your out there go on back and take a look its just the lake is up so far. when it was down all the trees grew up and now the back water is way back there. theres other holes on the southside but you can get to some of them.

[bigredcatfish]

did you try along those sipplings on the outter side?? Did you try the south side holes??

[skawez]

i tried along both sides and into one hole on the south side. it was just one of those days. where the experience of being there is more then what you catch. nothing wrong with that. that was last friday tomorrow is a new day.

[bigredcatfish]

oh hell ya!! I am thinking about going on Sunday sometime!!!

[catfish_jordan]

geez guys now you make me want to go out!!! but is snowing now!!!:angry::angry::angry:

[bigredcatfish]

Call me crazy, but I am headed out into the wind, snow and cold. I am going to try the back waters and the sapplings.

[skawez]

Call me crazy, but I am headed out into the wind, snow and cold. I am going to try the back waters and the sapplings.

good luck! i plan on firing up the grille and cookin me some ribs and brats! ill go fishin tomorrow when its not gonna rain.

[catfish_jordan]

ill be fishing too, gunna try some of my homemade baits. if my bait keeps preforming like it has in the past i could be on to something here?:ooooh:

[bigredcatfish]

Crazy day to go fishing but I caught so huge blues today!!! I was fishing on the south side back by the trees in 5 feet of water. My first fish hit and it was a blue that was 11 lbs. My second fish was a blue that topped the scales at 21 lbs. My third and final fish was about 6 pound channel. I was only out there for 2 hours fishing. It was cold, windy but fun. I am working on loading some pictures and a video that my buddie took of the 21

[kingneck76]

Nice catch. I wanted to go out today. I got my son this weekend though. He wanted to go, but its just too cold for him to sit on the bank. Cant wait till next weekend. Lows in the mid 40's.:big_smile:

[catfishjohn54]

Thanks for the reply! I went to Branched oak today and fished for three hours in the shallows off of area 2 with shad sides and shrimp... not a bite. I am considering fishing off of the bank you gain access to from the southside marina. Wind was real strong today, however. Then i went up to the north side near the old boat ramp. completely grown over, What a shame. I could see where there was once great access to the shallows, by the current garden plot, but now it's too thick with saplings. Not a bite there either. Anyone else go out there today?

[catfishjohn54]

You are right, Skewz! I'm "between boats" right now, and I'm new to the Lincoln Nebraska area. I would gnaw off my right arm for a boat right now. Anyway, I spent the whole day yesterday (in the wind) scouting Branched Oak lake from the shoreline. What a depressing experience. Yes, the rock jetties and the face of the dam are open, but I can just picture the boats and stuff in my mind this summer. I found sapplings have blocked off the really good access areas to the shallows on both the north and south sides. A significant lack of foresight on the parks people. I talked with a parks employee out there yesterday and he told me the reservoir had been low for six years but is now back to normal. Meanwhile, the sapplings grew up along the shoreline, he said, and he thinks it is good for the fish. But he asked me if it was good for the fishing. Sure, I said, if you own a boat! But right now you have roads leading to areas that have been rendered useless. Even boat ramps are blocked or nearly overgrown. Several miles of secluded shoreline have been taken away from fishermen, and campgrounds have had lake access ruined too. What's up with that? He didn't answer. So it appears to me if a guy wants to catfish this summer at the big BO he will be forced to do so amongst the cowboys and yahoos in boats and jet skis. Yes? Someone told me marina cove is a hot spot for catfish. Any feed back? I'll bet it's a zoo out there when it gets warm. Wagon Train is looking a whole lot better to me right now.

[skawez]

once the jetskis hit the water i wont go to BO its just worthless and at night its a city of boats on the water so thats almost pointless too

[catfishjohn54]

That's what I thought.

[bigredcatfish]

If you can fight off the crazys, you usually find good fishing!! Here is a picture of the blue that I caught the other day.

[catfish_jordan]

NICE! what did you catch him on?

[bigredcatfish]

All I use this time of year is fresh cut bait!

[catfishjohn54]

Well, guys, I'll be banging away at it again this weekend. Good luck to all of you, too! Let's get back together this weekend and compare notes. By the way, last year in Kansas, about May 5th, I switched from shad sides and cut bait to large raw shrimp, caught nice blues and channels. good lord they went nuts on the shrimp! I have pics. Nightcrawleers too, but i was right on top of a spawning area for carp. But, thank god we don't have those alligator gar in our lakes. they will strip you clean of a bucket of live bait real quuickly. Anyway, do any of you have luck around here on live bluegills?