[Brownie52]

Has anyone fished below Copan Dam lately? I would think the catfish would be coming-up to the dam if the flow is sufficient. Showing over 1000 cfs discharge at this time on the COE site.

 

[Osage78]

I haven't ever fished it so I'm interested in hearing as well. I live outside of hominy and we used to fish under the bridge on 99 where it crossed over the Caney. When I was a boy about 10 I saw a fish swimming that river that looked like a submarine to me then, probably a gar but I'm 44 now and have never seen another fish that big in person since

 

[Brownie52]

I haven't ever fished it so I'm interested in hearing as well. I live outside of hominy and we used to fish under the bridge on 99 where it crossed over the Caney. When I was a boy about 10 I saw a fish swimming that river that looked like a submarine to me then, probably a gar but I'm 44 now and have never seen another fish that big in person since

In the '60s we used to go to that area everyone called Elgin, Ks. We'd start fishing it in early March and it was great for white bass below the riffles. There was a road to the river back then. That river was the Caney and below those riffles were some nice catfish holes. A good catfisherman taught me to fish the holes below riffles, and he was right, it is a great place for cats. Camping near what is called the Hog Pens during summer you can set lines and rod & reel fish with great success. A friend caught many flatheads over 30 lbs one year around Labor Day. If camping, take a generator as it gets hot and you'll need A/C.

 

[Osage78]

How's the catfishing in Copan, I've looked it over on navionics and it's a pretty shallow lake in general. I see a section that gets up to 33ft but nothing much deeper

 

[Brownie52]

It's pretty good in the summer in various spots in the channel and drop-offs into deeper water from the south to the north, and on the flats beside the channels. We usually set jugs out and often fish the flats near Wash Cove for channel cats & blues at night. I use cut shad and whole shad, sunfish, sometimes Danny Kings punch bait for anchoring & fishing.

 

[Osage78]

Thanks for the info I'm going to try and get up there before weather gets colder this year.

 

[Brownie52]

How's the catfishing in Copan, I've looked it over on navionics and it's a pretty shallow lake in general. I see a section that gets up to 33ft but nothing much deeper

Yes, it is pretty shallow. My LiveScope programs only show one area down by the dam to be 33 feet. The Copan Point area is decent for catfish, but it is crammed full of brush for Crappie and I hang-up a lot. 10-20 feet to the west off Copan Point is a pair of submerged ponds that are decent to fish around. Oddly it's better in the spring & fall.

 

[Osage78]

Are there any flatheads caught there? My uncle use to catch decent ones under the bridge up river

 

[Brownie52]

Are there any flatheads caught there? My uncle use to catch decent ones under the bridge up river

Yes, there are some good sized flatheads in Copan. The ones who only use live sunfish catch them on limblines, trotlines and even sometimes on jugs. Below the dam is good for flatheads using live bait. Each spring when I hit the crappie spawn I always catch small flatheads so it makes me believe the population is decent.

 

[Osage78]

Thanks for the info, I'll definitely put it to good use

 

[Brownie52]

You're welcome for the info. That's how I learned to catch 'em - other fishermen shared info with me. Another thing I wanted say is the noodlers get nice flatheads from Copan. With the new maps and electronics they find them fairly easily. And a lot of them grew-up in the area before it was dammed so know where to look for them.
Best of luck when you go fishing.

 

[Osage78]

I was a noodler many moons ago, a local guy who was known to be one of the toughest guys around got bit in the face or neck by a water moccasin can't remember, anyway he made it to his truck and lit out for the emergency room but died on the way there. That and a few other bad incidents caused me to keep my hands out of holes and let them other boys have that style of fishing

 

[Brownie52]

I was a noodler many moons ago, a local guy who was known to be one of the toughest guys around got bit in the face or neck can't remember, anyway he made it to his truck and lit out for the emergency room but died on the way there. That and a few other bad incidents caused me to keep my hands out of holes and let them other boys have that style of fishing

After I heard a man in Iowa had his hand bitten off by a Beaver in a hole I never tried it. Not worth it. Sorry this unfortuante man died from his wounds. Bad deal

 

[bvomark]

Haven't fished Copan in about 10 years. We used to catch blues on jugs all the time. We caught a 51 lb flathead and one blue over 50 when we fished there. There is a flat south of Osage point that we caught a lot of fish with jugs.

Crappie were good as well.

 

[Osage78]

Haven't fished Copan in about 10 years. We used to catch blues on jugs all the time. We caught a 51 lb flathead and one blue over 50 when we fished there. There is a flat south of Osage point that we caught a lot of fish with jugs.

Crappie were good as well.

Appreciate the tip sir

 

[Brownie52]

Haven't fished Copan in about 10 years. We used to catch blues on jugs all the time. We caught a 51 lb flathead and one blue over 50 when we fished there. There is a flat south of Osage point that we caught a lot of fish with jugs.

Crappie were good as well.

South of the Osage Plains point? It wouldn't be Copan Point near the swimming beach, would it?

 

[catfishcentral]

Tons of blues in Copan…caught thousands in the lake…plenty in the 1 1/2 to 4 pound range. River channel on the north end by the islands is deep and tons of fish. Good fishing if you can make it up to the log jam in the spring

 

[Brownie52]

Tons of blues in Copan…caught thousands in the lake…plenty in the 1 1/2 to 4 pound range. River channel on the north end by the islands is deep and tons of fish. Good fishing if you can make it up to the log jam in the spring

I've caught thousands of catfish from Copan, too. Caught big blues during the summer heat on the flats near the intersection of the Caney river channel & the creek channel going toward Endicott's pond. There's also a good hump by Washington Cove campground. Been to the log jams many times in the spring.

 

[bvomark]

Osage plains is an old campground on the west side almost at the north end of Lake. There is a ramp up there that I have used in the past.

 

[Osage78]

Sounds like a better place to catch eating size fish rather than the bigger fish I'm after but maybe I'll check it out before summer is over