Recording with Nellie
If you hear heavy breathing, it's Jeff's dog Nellie panting in the back of the truck. He dropped his wife off at the store and recorded the report in the parking lot.
Fall fishing
It's fantastic. There are probably fewer anglers out now than at almost any time of year, the big boats aren't running, and it doesn't matter what species you target.
White Bass
Troll small swimbaits, little lipless crankbaits or inline spinners in the evenings, or throw them at shallow gravel bars, surfacing fish and diving seagulls. It'll keep getting better through November. Usually by the end of November the water is cool enough that surface activity fades.
Crappie
Good reports from Twin Bridges, where guys are finding nice limits around the bridge pilings. Haydn has slowed down on Crappie as he shifts to deer hunting, his usual time off.
Paddlefish / Bass
Paddlefish snagging is going on at the upper end. As the water cools, the GRDA allows more Bass tournaments, because it's easier to keep the fish alive out of the extreme heat.
Catfish
Catfishing is excellent. Prepared dip and fiber baits are great in shallow water. Get on big flats in 6 feet or less with a little wind blowing across, scatter several rods, and you can have a good time on manufactured Catfish bait.
Deer
Check the Oklahoma Bowhunter page on Facebook to see giant Oklahoma bucks being taken all over the state. Lots of rain this year made native browse plentiful and nutritious, which especially helped deer in western Oklahoma.
Family bear season
Jeff didn't bear hunt, but Patricia got a really nice bear, Owen shot a really nice bear, and Haydn took a humongous sow estimated at 475 pounds, all in southeast Oklahoma on the first day of the season. Patricia joins a very short list of women who have taken an Oklahoma black bear with archery equipment. They weighed in the first two bears of the season, and Jeff doesn't know of anyone weighing one bigger than Haydn's. Next up: deer season, including youth hunts for Haydn and maybe Patricia's first deer hunt.