Fishing report
Posted on Thursday, May 8, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Outdoors/225120/
Northwest & North-Central Arkansas BEAVER Southtown Sporting Goods said the water remains at flood stage, 1, 128. 7 feet, and muddy. Bream are good on crickets. Crappie are fair in 6-8 feet of water on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair in the shallows on crawfish. J. T. ’s Crappie Guide Service said bass are good on spinner baits fished around points and in flooded timber. There’s also some good bass action in Indian Creek and the Clifty area. Crappie remain scattered and only fair on minnows fished 2-6 feet deep around flooded brush and timber in the White River and War Eagle arms. White bass have completed their spawning run and moved back to the main lake, where action is fair on shad-imitating lures. Stripers are scattered and slow, although a few have been caught around Point 12 on live shad. Catfish are excellent throughout the lake on traditional baits.
Hook, Line & Sinker said bass are good in flooded trees, bushes and grass. Popular lures include spinner baits, jigs, grubs, tubes, Flukes, Senkos, Trick Worms and Carolina-rigged soft plastics. Topwater action is expected to begin when the spawn is complete. Crappie are scattered and only fair on minnows and jigs fished 2-4 feet deep around flooded brush. Stripers are slow, but some are being caught in the mid-lake area on live bait and at night near the dam on big Rat-L-Traps. White bass are moving out of the river arms and are fair on shad-imitating lures including Rooster Tails, grubs and small topwaters. Catfish are excellent on cut bait, livers and other traditional catfish baits.
Hickory Creek Marina said the water remains extremely high and muddy. Bass are fair on spinner baits in the shallows. Stripers are scattered but fair on live bait including big shiners. Catfish are excellent, best on trotlines baited with chicken livers. Crappie are fair on minnows. Small bream are being caught on crickets and worms around the banks. BEAVER TAILWATERS McLellan’s Fly Shop said frequent high water and strong flows are keeping most anglers off the river. Some have reported fair catches of trout fishing from the banks with live bait and fly patterns similar to the Woolly Bugger. BELLA VISTA LAKES Hook, Line & Sinker said bass remain good on all the lakes. A variety of lures are working well including floating worms, Senkos, Flukes, finesse worms, spinner baits and topwaters. Crappie remain fair on jigs and minnows fished 10-15 feet deep around brush. Catfish are good whenever rains bring fresh water into the lakes, mostly on nightcrawlers. Bream are fair in deep water on crickets and worms. BULL SHOALS Bull Shoals Boat Dock said the lake remains near the top of flood stage at 693. 6 feet. Surface temperatures remain in the upper 50 s to low 60 s. Bass action is fair on a number of patterns including swimming grubs and Road Runners or drop-shotting 8-15 feet deep around flooded trees, dragging tubes or lizards 10-20 feet deep around gravel points, and working floating worms or flipping jigs in flooded brush. There’s also some largemouth action on spinner baits in the shallows, and some smallmouth and spotted (Kentucky ) bass are chasing shad and going for shad imitations including grubs, small feather or hair jigs, Rat-L-Traps, jerk baits and crank baits worked in the backs of creeks. White bass are in the same areas and going for the same lures. Walleye are good at night under lights on white jigs and soft plastics including Beetle Spins and tube baits. Others are going for jerk baits including Rogues, Rebels and X-Raps worked slowly. Crappie are slow but expected to improve soon. There was no report on catfish or bream. BULL SHOALS TAILWATERS Berry Brothers Guides said high water and strong flows are keeping most anglers off the river. A few have tried with some success, particularly in the catch-and-release area below Bull Shoals Dam. Copper John’s Resort said despite high and fast water, some lunker trout are being caught on lures including spoons and small plastic worms. Bait fishermen are favoring live worms. Fly fishermen are scoring with San Juan Worms, although fishing them in the high and fast water is challenging.
Sportsman’s White River Resort said the water remains high and swift. Trout are good on small red or purple plastic worms with heavy sinkers, Rapalas and Rogues. KINGS RIVER The river was at 4. 0 feet on the gauge at Berryville on Wednesday. Guide J. D. Fletcher said some smallmouth bass action is beginning to take place, but most of the fish are small. Tubes in shades of brown or green and crawfish-colored Rebel crank baits are top choices. LAKE FAYETTEVILLE Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the water is dingy and at normal level. Crappie are scattered but fair on minnows. Bass are good on spinner baits and crank baits. NORFORK 101 Grocery and Bait said the lake remains high with surface temperatures of 61-64 degrees. Walleye are good on live bait, spoons and Rogues fished 6-10 feet deep along bluffs and main-lake points. Crappie are fair on minnows and small chrome-dome jigs. Stripers are good, with most are being caught on live bait and stick baits. Bass are fair. Catfish are good on limb lines and rods-and-reels rigged with live bait. Bream are fair and improving on wax worms and crickets.
Cranfield Junction said crappie are good along the banks on minnows. Stripers are good in 25-30 feet of water on Flukes and Stump Jumpers. Catfish have being caught on jugs baited with minnows. SEQUOYAH Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the water is clearing and at normal level. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair on minnows. TABLE ROCK Guide J. D. Fletcher said the lake remains extremely high but is clear enough for good fishing in most areas. Surface temperatures remain around 60. Good catches of bass are being made on a variety of lures including spinner baits, jigs, grubs, Carolina rigs and football jigs. Others are biting in the flooded shallows on floating worms, Flukes, jerk baits and jigs flipped tight to flooded brush. White bass are moving back into the main lake and are fair on shad-imitating lures. A few crappie are being caught on minnows and jigs worked shallow, but the fish are scattered with so much timber and brush in the water. TANEYCOMO No report.
West-Central Arkansas ATKINS Lucky Landing said lake conditions are normal. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on shad and large minnows. CATHERINE Catch’em All Guide Service said the tailrace is now clear and the lake is back to normal pool. Fly fishermen are catching limits of trout below Carpenter Dam on streamers and micro jigs in white or grey. Boaters are landing good-size trout by trolling the channels with small crank baits. Spin fishermen are scoring limits by casting Rooster Tails and Super Dupers. Bank fishermen are favoring corn with a marshmallow floater. White bass are excellent below the dam and are in full spawn. Best catches are being made on jigs, crank baits and live bait. Stripers are fair below the dam on C-10 Redfins.
Diamondhead Marina said bream are fair on crickets and worms. Crappie are fair on minnows. Bass are fair along the shorelines on silver and white lures. Catfish are fair on stink bait and nightcrawlers. DARDANELLE Murphy’s Sporting Goods said the water is muddy and high. Bass are good in shallow water on topwaters. Catfish are good on shad. HAMILTON Poorman’s Guide Service said Carolina rigs and crank baits are working well on flats near brush and stumps. Some walleye are being caught on jerk baits. OUACHITA Mountain Harbor Marina said the lake remains about 3 feet above normal level with surface temperatures of 62-64 degrees. Largemouth bass are excellent on Yum Dingers, floating worms and Carolina rigs. Walleye are excellent on jerk baits worked around main-lake points. Stripers are excellent on live bait and topwaters including C-10 Redfins. Bream are excellent on crickets or worms in 10-20 feet of water. Crappie are good over grass and brush on minnows or jigs fished 10-20 feet deep. Catfish are excellent on cut bait and live bait on jug lines and trotlines. Several large fish have been caught this week.
Poorman’s Guide Service said walleye are excellent. Many big fish are being caught on spinner baits, jigs and jerk baits over the grass. Bass are excellent, with some good-size fish being caught on crank baits and jigs. Best action is around points and in creek turns. Stripers are improving on both live bait and lures but action is inconsistent. OZARK POOL Lakeside Food Mart said the river is muddy and high. Bream are fair in the creeks on nightcrawlers and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair on spinner baits. Catfish are good below the dam on cut bait, nightcrawlers and minnows. hotspot THIS WEEK:
Lake Ouachita Bass, bream, catfish, stripers and walleye are excellent; crappie are
good.