# Lake Frank Jackson - Opp, Al.



## FishWalton

Rain all day, nothing to do, got out of the house and drove up to Lake Frank Jackson just to see. Raining at the boat ramp. Not a sole on the lake today and no one at the Park parking lot or ramp. Read all the notices. One said - 30 crappie limit, 9 inch minimum. Another no jugging, no trotlines, no water skiing, no water scooters, and don't feed the gators Plenty of stumps with warnings to beware 

From what I could see I was impressed with the lake. 1000 acres and plenty of cover for fish. Over by the bridge on hwy 331 it sure looks like crappie territory. Didn't see a bait shop around town to do a little intel with, but I'm sure there is one somewhere that may have some helpful insight on do's and don'ts. Honor box entry fee $1 for geezers, $2 for young folks, and $2 for boat. 52 miles from the house to the ramp....not all that bad of a drive.. 

Choctaw river gauge at Caryville predicting a slight rise due to rain but will be dropping in a few days. May as well hook up and see if I can catch an Alabama crappie.

Don't know a thing about this lake but have a puddle jumper with good electronics that will work on this lake and have licenses, will travel, so maybe tomorrow, weather permitting.

Gas in Opp $1.87.....Florala $1.95. DeFuniak $2.06 yesterday 

Anyone know anything about the fishing up there?


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## billyb

I had a friend who would not bass fish anywhere but Frank Jackson. Me and him would go every week except when it was too cold. He would not stop the motor until we were well past the bridge on 331 and we would weave through those stumps. He died a few years back and I still went up there by myself until this year. It just ain't no fun going by yourself.

There are a lot of crappie in that lake. We never caught any big bass, but always caught quite a few. The summer of 2013 I baited a catfish hole at 7am and bass fished to 11am. Went back to my hole just to see if anything was there. Ended up catching 35 catfish in 3 hours. About half of them were over 5 pounds.

There is a bait shop in a parking lot downtown on the right just before where you turn off the road to the lake. It looks like an old house that is about to collapse. Their is a big grocery store behind it. A lot of old timers hang around there.

They have a nice campground so if you were going to fish a few days I would stay. Let me know what you find out about the crappie fishing.


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## davdoc0011

Fished up there a few times and its a tough lake... Larry Stretch Gaines gave me some insight on the 331 bridge and how to fish it... Well no luck for me.. A few small bass here and there but nothing to write home about! We had a damn good time up there


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## FishWalton

Thanks billyb for the bait shop location. I fish a good bit by myself primarily because it's difficult to find someone to go with me when I'm ready to go....and that's often. I don't let that hold me back though. I just let my neighbors know where I'm going and go fishing. Looks like it's going to be a little raw out there tomorrow although the rain will be gone and that's good. When that sun shows itself it's like a magnet drawing me to the water. LOL. Thanks to all for your info on Frank Jackson. Now I have to go see for myself.

Incidentally, my bass fishing is mostly by happenstance. I keep a bass rod in the boat most of the time to fill in down time when I get bored poking around for bream and crappie and not getting any action.


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## billyb

When we started fishing in March after it warmed up there were a lot of people targeting crappie. We never fished for them I have included a link that will show a picture of the bait shop. The man that runs it knows everything that goes on in Opp.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/5...1s0x88921e02b6ad67a1:0x939e6523aed085d5?hl=en


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## FishWalton

LOL I saw that place......thought it was closed. I better get back up there before it falls down.


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## Try'n Hard

billyb said:


> The man that runs it knows everything that goes on in Opp.


 Don't want to hurt anybody's feelings but that made me laugh right there!! Spent a few weekends in the campground at frank Jackson. On the weekends a few locals will roll in and fish the walk bridge that goes to the island from the boat ramp after dark with lanterns and minners. They always had a good catch in their five gallon buckets. Biggest crappie I ever saw I found dead next to the bank. Probably 3 # +. Had my pic took holding him lol


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## johnboatjosh

I worked in the little bait shop for 4 years during high school and part of college. The man who owns and runs is named Jimmy Flowers. While he does know everything that goes on in Opp; his knowledge of the lake is limited. I promise. By in large, the fishing in the lake is fair at best. It has a better reputation for channel catfish than anything. There are excellent crappie in the lake and the area you noticed around the bridge with standing timber is best. The creek channel runs right through that area and usually holds good #'s of crappie. Getting them to bite is a different story. The bass fishing is good during spring and summer "in the sticks" (the area north of the bridge). Do watch out for submerged stumps and floating logs. After you leave the boat ramp and go by the island there's a stump out in the middle of the lake that is barely visible and has gotten a few lower units.


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## FishWalton

According to what Alabama Fish and Game website says say it's only fair in numbers for crappie but good on size. We have some small state lakes not far from here that are about the same category on numbers and maybe less on size. I'm always looking for different waters to fish just for the experience. Heck, I've fished areas of the Choctaw recently that some people who have fished the river all their lives have never fished to this day. Nothing wrong with sticking to familiar waters if that's your thing, but I simply enjoy the hunt as much as catching. The big one is always just over the next hill .....LOL


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## jstblsd

davdoc0011 said:


> Fished up there a few times and its a tough lake... Larry Stretch Gaines gave me some insight on the 331 bridge and how to fish it... Well no luck for me.. A few small bass here and there but nothing to write home about! We had a damn good time up there


 Hey I know Stretch he taught me how to bass fish and we fished that lake in a couple of tournaments years ago. It does have some nice crappie. I haven't fished there in years but I've seen some nice bass out there but no luck myself.


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## CatHunter

It would be interesting to see if that lake is how Flatheads got into Yellow River


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## CatCrusher

CatHunter said:


> It would be interesting to see if that lake is how Flatheads got into Yellow River


Nope


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## FishWalton

*Frank Jackson health report*

http://www.outdooralabama.com/lake-frank-jackson

The lake is not a hot spot but it's a spot and like any lake can have a hot day.

It's certainly an asset to Covington County and the surrounding area.


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## jcoss15

CatHunter said:


> It would be interesting to see if that lake is how Flatheads got into Yellow River


 I've wondered how they got there myself, I always thought they just worked their way there through the bays from Escambia, Applac. intercostal waterway and such...


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## CatCrusher

They got in there the same as Perdido, Blackwater and Escambia (Conecuh). Somebody thought the rivers needed some and dumped some in. I'm sure it's possible a few went through the bays, but I doubt it.


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## firespan1

I live near the lake,good catfishing sometimes on a baited hole,but they usually taste like pond catfish at best. Crappie bite is slow,very slow.Beautiful place, but tough fishing.


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## CatHunter

I like the looks of the spillway up there. Thought about fishing it many times.. Iv thought that same about the Gantt Lake dam


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## CatCrusher

CatHunter said:


> I like the looks of the spillway up there. Thought about fishing it many times.. Iv thought that same about the Gantt Lake dam


Point A Dam or Gantt Dam?


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