Fishing report
Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Outdoors/225807/
Northwest & North-Central Arkansas BEAVER Southtown Sporting Goods said the water remains muddy and high. Bream are fair on redworms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and tube jigs. Bass are good on Flukes, finesse worms and spinner baits. J. T. ’s Crappie Guide Service said bass are good, best on spinner baits fished in the flooded timber and brush. Some fish have been seen on spawning beds near the dam in the clearer coves and creeks. Crappie remain slow, although a few can be caught on minnows fished shallow under a cork around flooded timber. Action is best in the river arms. White bass are scattered. A few are still coming from upstream in the rivers, but most have moved into the main lake. Stripers also are scattered and in the main lake. There have been reports of fair action in Indian Creek on live shad fished 10-20 feet deep under a float. Catfish are excellent throughout the lake on a variety of baits.
Hook, Line & Sinker said bass remain good in flooded trees, bushes and grass, although anglers are catching a lot of small fish. Popular lures include spinner baits, jigs, grubs, tubes, Flukes, Senkos, Trick Worms and Carolina-rigged soft plastics. Topwater action is beginning in the few areas near the dam where the water is clear. Crappie are scattered and slow on minnows and jigs fished 2-4 feet deep around flooded brush. Stripers are slow, but some are being caught in the midlake area on live bait and at night near the dam on big Rat-L-Traps. White bass have moved back into the main lake 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. Bream are fair on crickets and worms.
Hickory Creek Marina said bass are difficult to locate in the flood conditions. One angler reported making a fair catch on crank baits, but others have struggled. Crappie, too, are scattered from the shorelines out to 20 feet and only fair on minnows and jigs. Bream are fair on crickets and worms. Catfish are good on jugs rigged with a variety of baits including small live bream. 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 are about done spawning and are fair. Best action is on finesse worms and jigs worked from the banks out to 15 feet deep. A few are going for topwaters early and late in the day. 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 good 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. 5 feet with surface temperatures in the low 60 s. Bass action has picked up as the water has warmed. Fish are being caught by a number of methods including topwaters early and late in the day; shallow-running Rogues or Rebels and floating worms worked along the shores; tubes, jig-and-trailer combos and spinner baits worked around flooded brush; and drop-shot rigs worked 8-15 feet deep over flooded trees. White bass have slowed some but still are fair in the creeks on white spoons, jigs, Rat-L-Traps and other shad-imitating lures. Walleye are good at night on nightcrawlers and shallow-running diving lures worked along the shorelines. Crappie remain on the slow side but are improving on minnows and jigs fished around flooded brush and trees. Bream are fair on crickets and worms. Catfish are good on a variety of baits. BULL SHOALS TAILWATERS Berry Brothers Guides said fishing has improved in the past week, particularly in the upper river near the dam. Brightly colored San Juan Worms and egg patterns are the top choices of fly fishermen. There’s also some good action on the same offerings from Rim Shoals to Buffalo Shoals. Farther downstream, top patterns are midge nymphs (14-16 ), caddis pupa and Copper Johns. Copper John’s Resort said 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 and egg patterns.
Sportsman’s White River Resort said the water is clear and trout are good on small spinner baits or jigs, along with red or orange plastic worms fished on a river rig. KINGS RIVER The river was at 3. 9 feet on the gauge at Berryville on Wednesday. Guide J. D. Fletcher said bass action bass action has picked up considerably in the past week, with good catches being made on tubes in shades of brown or green. LAKE FAYETTEVILLE No report. NORFORK 101 Grocery and Bait said the water is high and clearing with surface temperatures of 63-71 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on topwaters and shallow crank baits in the flooded trees and grass. Stripers are good free-lining live bait. Catfish remain good on live bait fished on rods-and-reels and limb lines. Walleye are fair, best on spoons and live bait. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs, but finding them can be a challenge. Bream are beginning to hit 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. A few catfish have been caught on jugs baited with minnows. SEQUOYAH Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said water conditions are normal. Bream are good on crickets and worms. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Bass are good on spinner baits and topwaters. Catfish are excellent on worms, livers and nightcrawlers. TABLE ROCK Guide J. D. Fletcher said the lake remains extremely high but has cleared considerably in most areas. Surface temperatures are in the low 60 s. Good catches of bass continue to be made on a variety of lures including spinner baits, topwaters, 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 small topwaters and other 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 weak generation is creating excellent trout-fishing conditions. Fly fishermen are catching limits of trout below Carpenter Dam on streamers, micro jigs in white or gray and egg patterns. 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 nightcrawlers and redworms, and some good-sized trout are being caught trolling crank baits near the bridge pilings and the power plant. White bass are good below the dam on live minnows and small jigs. Stripers are fair below the dam on C-10 Redfins.
Diamondhead Marina said crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair along the shorelines. Catfish are fair on stink bait and nightcrawlers. DARDANELLE Murphy’s Sporting Goods said the water remains muddy and high. Bass are good in the shallows on spinner baits, buzz baits and topwaters. Catfish are good on stink bait, shad and nightcrawlers. HAMILTON Poorman’s Guide Service said Carolina rigs and crank baits continue to produce fair numbers of bass, but many are small. There was no report on other species. HINKLE No report. OUACHITA Mountain Harbor Marina said the lake remains about 3 feet above normal level with surface temperatures of 62-64 degrees. Largemouth bass are good 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 good along grassy points on jigs and plastic worms. Stripers are improving on both live bait and lures including Rat-L-Traps and big Redfins in trout color. OZARK POOL Lakeside Food Mart said the water is muddy and 10 feet high. Bream are fair on crickets. Bass are fair on spinner baits and crank baits. hotspot THIS WEEK:
Lake Sequoyah Catfish are excellent; bass, bream and crappie are good.