"53- 



In sharp contrast ^ Upp>er Spavinaw combines grand scenic values with ex- 

 cellent fishing opportunities. Most anglers use boats and motors and cast for 

 bass, although bait fishing for bass and crappies is popular. Trotlining is 

 rare since the catfish population has not yet developed. 



Creel census data show that from 3 to 4 times as many fish were removed 

 from Upper Spavinaw than from Heyburn for the same unit of effort » Records 

 taken by the City of Tulsa for the period September 1^ 1954^ through August, 

 1955, reveal the average catch per fisherman hour to have been 0,94 legal 

 fish, of which 54.4 percent were largemouth bass^ 30=5 percent crappie (black 

 and white combined)^ the remainder consisting principally of smallmouth bass, 

 miscellaneous sunfishes and black bullheads o The Heyburn catch during the 

 summer of 1954, as recorded by the writer, was at the rate of 0,12 fish per 

 fisherman hour, or approximately one fish for every 8 1/3 hours fished. 

 The catch during September and October, 1954, as recorded by a local resident 

 employed for the purpose, was at the rate of 0,40 fish per fisherman- hour. 

 Combining the records for the two periods, the average catch was at the rate 

 of 0a25 fish per fisherman-hour, consisting of approximately 45 percent crappie, 

 35 percent largemouth bass, 15 percent channel catfish, 3 percent bullheads, 

 1 percent flathead catfish, and 1 percent mixed simfishes. These figures do 

 not include trot-line fishing, however. From June through October of 1954, 

 a total of 1,663,5 hours of trot-line fishing was recorded. This represents 

 the total hours when baited lines were in the water. The catch consisted of 

 195 fish (155 channel catfish, 36 flatheads, and 4 bullheads), representing 

 0,12 fish per trot-line hour. 



No creel census seemed justified at Heyburn in 1955 due to the extremely 

 light fishing pressure. Often several consecutive days were spent on the lake 



