The big fish are back on Lake Texoma and not just monster striped bass. A recent trend of record breaking fishing on Lake Texoma began in 2013 when Don McFarlin broke the weight record for largemouth bass. Using a jig, his catch on February 17, 2013 weighed in at 11.90-pounds and 25.50-inches in length.

Then in August of 2013, eleven-year-old Keatyn Eitelman of Pottsboro became the states youngest Elite Angler, catching a 21.25-inch, 5.5-pound largemouth bass from Lake Texoma on July 23 and submitted it for a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Big Fish Award.

An Elite Angler is a one-time achievement award for an angler who catches trophy-class fish of five different species. There are freshwater and saltwater categories. To be eligible, an angler must earn five freshwater or five saltwater Big Fish Awards. A Big Fish Award is given for a fish meeting or exceeding a minimum length for each species.

Move forward to 2014. A black crappie caught in March from Lake Texoma set a state record as well as two water-body records. Johnny Summers, Jr. of Pottsboro caught the 2.93 pound, 16.88-inch fish in the Highport Marina Cove using a blue-and-silver Rat-L-Trap. The former weight record for Lake Texoma black crappie was 2.75 pounds, caught in 2008. After weighing and measuring the fish, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department released it back into the lake.

A few months later, according to a Dallas Morning News Report, Joe Dan Harper of Purcell, Okla., had never fished in the Red River before May 2, 2014, when he stepped aboard fishing guide Norman O’Neal’s custom airboat for a trip he won’t forget.

Harper’s first striped bass went screaming downriver on a 100-yard run, and O’Neal immediately knew his client was hooked to a big one. Harper got the fish turned and under control and eventually led the big striper into O’Neal’s oversized landing net.

The fish sagged O’Neal’s scales to 35 1/4 pounds. Harper held it up for a photo and seconds later, the fish was back in the Red River.

Most recently, Dallas resident Barbra Pope caught a Lake Texoma striped bass record weighing in at 27.29 pounds, and 38 ¾” in length on December 5, 2014. The fish has been certified by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife conservation as a Lake Texoma striped bass record on the Oklahoma side.

Pope is a life-long angler and was fishing with two girl friends from her sorority days at Oklahoma State University. Pope and her husband entertain friends by fishing on Lake Texoma often, coming in December for “trophy fishing”. They were fishing with Chris Carey of Striper Experss Guide Service in Pottsboro, Texas.

It appears the record breaking catches will continue into 2015. On February 11, 2015, Carey Thorne had a young angler set a new junior record for the lake at just over 18 lbs. We are still waiting for confirmation from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Bruce Hysmith, Texas Parks and Wildlife Biologist, thinks this trend may be a result of the drought. The reduced lake level has restricted the flow from Lake Texoma and reduced the number of fish going thru to the Red River. Other influencing factors may be a reduction in the number of fish. This affects the competition for bait, namely gizzard shad. As the numbers decrease the size of both the bait and the game fish tend to increase.

Chris Carey reported finding a 1.5-pound striper in the belly of one of the big stripers during the cleaning process in February. Known for fishing with artificial lures, Carey has gone to bigger heavier lures.

Another benefit of the drought has been the growth of “smart weeds” on the lake bottom exposed by the lower lake level. Lake Texoma is known for fluctuating water levels, which means it is likely to flood again. As the water level rises, these “smart weeds” will dye and decay, producing a mild organic acid. According to Hysmith, “That acid lowers silt levels and helps make the water clearer, providing fertilizer to the waters of Lake Texoma.”

Photo courtesy of Adventure Texoma Outdoors, Feb. 12, 2015