crappie on oxbow...

[As yet un-named]

BukuBass mentioned that he prefers Oxbow to brownlee. Did you mean for crappie? I've spent a week camped at Hells Canyon Res. the last two Mays. I plan to do it again this year. I've never caught a crappie on purpose and only a couple on accident. Anyway, both of the last years we've fished Oxbow for a day trying to catch a crappie in a "secret brush pile" a couple hundred yards south of the launch. Haven't caught one yet, though last year I had a pretty nice smallie on at the same time my son caught a real nice rainbow (are there stealhead in there?) about 28" long. So once again this year I'm going to go to the secret brush pile all my buddies have told me about and try again to catch a crappie. Plus others have told me here that fresh crappie fillets are top notch catfish and sturgeon bait on Hells Canyon. Any pointers for a crappy novice crappie fisherman? BTW the smally action was insane the last half hour of light on topwater lures both times we've fished it. And the hotsprings after it gets dark aren't too bad either.

Tight lines,
ML

[Striper Club]

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[baltz526]

just a little trivia on crappie/catfish= i can filet two 7lb catfish in the same amount of time as 1, 1lb crappie, me and my wife eat two large dinners on the two catfish. it takes about ten 1lb crappie to make one dinner, equal in size to the catfish dinner. when the cats are bitting i may catch 5, 4 to 8 pound cats on one 1 lb crappie. the waste to me is in the time cleaning crappie to cook. :jester:

[bucketmouth]

Brownlee is better for crappie populations then Oxbow is. When they are bitting, crappie are super easy to catch. Just throw out your jig either with or without a bobber depending on their depth and bam, fish on.

You do not necessiarly need brush structure to find them on. Try fishing vertical rock walls.

In Oregon, any rainbow trout over 20 inches is designated as a steelhead.

Smallmouth fishing on Oxbow can by dynamite.

Crappie fillets are indeed good catfish bait.

[6wapiti6]

I fish oxbow & hells canyon every year around memorial day and oxbow can be very good for crappie, finding them is the hard part. Depending on the water temps, and flow through the dam they can move quite a bit.
I do best on deep drops or off steep rocks on the banks. Fish shallow early in the day and move to shade or deeper water when the sun comes up. Don't spend to much time in one spot either...I like to move around casting jigs for bass until I find decent looking water or a school of fish on my depth finder.
I agree that catfish are bigger and a couple 5 lber's can make many a meal, but deep fried crappie fillets are hard to beat. Good luck!

[BuKuBass]

Chances are it was a steelhead. Notice the hatchery next to the power plant; many brooders are released after they're stripped.
Try the cove about a half mile down from the hot springs on the Idaho side. I never have cot sizable crappie at Oxbow; Brownlee's the place for that. Much like smallies, I prefer current. That's why I like Oxbow and the upper portion of Brownlee.
Re that "secret" brush pile: If it's the one that I know of, DSing a skin-hooked tube into it is deadly for smallies.

[As yet un-named]

BuKu,
I'm not all that worried about "sizeable" crappies, so much as being able to catch a few, and maybe keep a couple for catfish/sturgeon bait. My mom and step dad are meeting me there this year, and they've never fished for anything but trout and walleye in SW Wyoming. It'd be great to expand mine and their species lists. Where on Brownlee is a good place to go and how long does it take to get there from Hell's Canyon Res.? I've heard of guys doing good in the Richmond Arm (I think that's what they call it). I think it's on the northern end of Brownlee? Thanks again for all the info. I'm convinced that it was a stealhead my son caught. Hope its ok. I take my smoker every year, and that was one tasty snack the next day for lunch! Yum yum.

[BuKuBass]

If you're going to Hell's Canyon via Baker City and Richland, a mile east of Richland is the exit for Hewitt Park which is located on the Powder River/Richland Arm. Launch there; it's seven miles east to Brownlee. Mucho crappio are cot in the arm. Check with "Crappie Chaser", a frequenter on this forum, for more specifics.
To access Brownlee from HC, head upriver along the west side of Oxbow, cross the bridge, up the grade to above the Brownlee Dam and launch from the Idaho side; it's 12,13 miles uprez to the mouth of the Powder.
Here's a sat pic (http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=16&Z=11&X=38&Y=387&W=1&qs=%7crich land%7cor%7c)
Richland's @ the SSW, The Powder River arm is to the east of town, Brownlee runs to the NE. Owbow rez is the scrawny line heading NNE.

[Crappie Chaser]

In May you should be able to catch crappie by working the shoreline. Try 8'-20' deep and keep moving until you find them. Some guys do well trolling down the shoreline that time of year. Below Brownlee dam is a hotspot but it depends on flows.
I live near Richland so I do almost all my fishing on Brownlee, launching out of Hewitt Park.
I will be at the sports shows in Yakima Feb 4-6 and Portland 9-13. Look me up at the Brownlee Charters booth and I will help you out.