To get up-to-the-minute fishing reports or to book a trip with the "Crappie King," contact Jinkens at (580) 886-5170

LAKE EUFAULA
It's hard to talk about Oklahoma crappie fishing without mentioning Lake Eufaula. "Lake Eufaula is the best crappie lake in the nation in April!" exclaimed Todd Huckabee, who guides on the lake. "There are literally hundreds of areas teeming with crappie."

Though not exactly centrally located, this impoundment affectionately known at "Oklahoma's Gentle Giant" features the most surface-acres of any lake in Oklahoma: 102,200.

I cut my teeth on some real slab crappie action on Eufaula years ago, and it remains my personal favorite to this day. Lake Eufaula is two hours east of Oklahoma City on I-40. The lake features both murky water and areas that are exceptionally clear -- and the crappie fishing is generally good there year 'round.

It's hard to talk about Oklahoma crappie fishing without mentioning Lake Eufaula.

On one spring night we anchored our boat under the Highway 9 bridge. With the aid of lanterns and several dozen minnows, we caught a boatload of crappie as fast as we could lower our lines into the water. The slabs, which averaged 12 to 14 inches, provided my friends and me with several hours of fishing entertainment. Once our limits were reached, we threw back keeper paper mouths until we ran out of bait and called it quits.

All of the boat docks have numerous Christmas trees weighted and tied nearby to provide fish attractants.

When waters warm, spawning crappie head to the brushy, shallow areas that surround much of the lake. Minnows and artificials of the jig-and-grub variety will fool even the most discriminating slabs.

According to Huckabee, the best bets for crappie are Gentry Creek, Rock Creek, Coal Creek, Gaines Creek, as well as all of the bridges on Highway 69 and Interstate 40.

To book a trip with Huckabee call him at (405) 520-8980 or visit his web page at www.toddhuckabee.com.

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Well, there you have it: a plethora of lakes, each holding enough papermouths to fill your freezer with tasty filets. If you're lucky enough to pick a batch of the delectable morels to prepare for the meal, the dinner combo will leave your guests begging for more!