MURKY DEPTHS : Bass spawning at Bella Vista
Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE - Cool nights and high, dirty water continue to hamper fish and fishermen alike.
The best advice is to search out the clearest areas of Beaver Lake and hit 'em hard or venture to one of our smaller lakes.
Things are bound to get better soon. Good luck !
Beaver Lake Southtown Sporting Goods - Bass fishing is slow due to high, muddy waters. The white bass run seems to be slowing down. The confluence of the White River and Richland Creek has been pretty good lately for anglers using live bait. A few hybrids are being reported in the same area. Little activity being reported on crappie.
Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers - Aaron Jolliff says lots of smallmouth bass are being caught off points around the dam. Carolina-rigged lizards and centipedes are working well, as is dragging a tube bait. In the mid-section of the lake, bass anglers are tackling dirty water with spinnerbaits and jigs. Striper and crappie action is tough.
Hickory Creek Marina - Lee Winkler reports fair bass action near piled up flood remains. Spinnerbaits and jigs get top billing this week. Stripers are up both river arms in clearer waters. Night time catfish action is fair on jugs baited with liver or cut bait. White bass reports have slowed but they can still be caught in the rivers. Crappie anglers are struggling to find their favorite fish.
Beaver Tailwaters - Beaver Dam Store reports slow fishing and few folks out due to continued high-water problems. The best thing going for trout is artificial lures in shades of purple and orange.
Lake Fayetteville - Jim Black reports crappie biting minnows and jigs. Blue gill action is picking up on crickets. Bass will hit a variety of lures, including buzzbaits, jigs, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Catfishing is slow.
Lake Sequoyah - Jackie Smith says the lake is about a foot high but clearing. Crappie action is fair on minnows or tubes near cover from 1-6 feet. Catfish are slow. Few folks fishing for bream but worms and crickets should work well. Bass are pretty good on spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and crankbaits. Below the dam, crappie are biting well and a few spoonbills are being snagged.
Prairie Grove Lake - Bob Keen reports crappie biting both minnows and jigs. Bass are hitting crankbaits. The lake is now open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Bella Vista Lakes - Nick Gann at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bentonville reports good bass action in the shallows on trick worms and shaky head finesse worms. The bass are currently trying to spawn. Blue gill are biting crickets and worms in 20-foot depths. Crappie prefer 15-feet and will take minnows. Upper Table Rock Lake - J. D. Fletcher reports lousy fishing for the most part. A few bass will bite swim baits off points and small nooks inside bigger coves. Cold nights have shut much of the crappie fishing down.
(Bobby Hill is the outdoors columnist for the Northwest Arkansas Times. )
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