Fishing report
Posted on Thursday, August 21, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Outdoors/234936/
Northwest & North-Central Arkansas BEAVER Southtown Sporting Goods said the water is dingy in some areas and remains more than 6 feet above normal level. Bream are good on crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows. Bass are fair early on topwaters and spinner baits. Bass can be caught at night on jigs and soft plastics. J. T. ’s Crappie Guide Service said bass are slow. A few are being caught around main-lake and secondary points on Carolina-rigged plastic worms and drop-shot rigs. Crappie are fair around main-lake brush piles, particularly in the Monte Ne and Hickory Creek areas. Best tactic is to slow down once one is caught and float a minnow or vertically jig a Shineee Hineee jig around the brush. White bass are schooling randomly early mornings and late evenings in the Hickory Creek area and going for small casting spoons. Stripers are fair on deep-diving crank baits trolled near Rocky Branch. Catfish remain good lakewide on worms and livers fished from shore at night. Bream are 2-6 feet deep around bluffs and docks and good on crickets..
Hook, Line & Sinker said bass remain scattered between shallow and deep water. There’s some fair topwater action early mornings and late evenings. Otherwise, best bet is dragging Carolina rigs or football jigs around main-lake points and humps or working shaky heads in the same areas. A few bass are being caught at night on Texas-rigged plastic worms and dark-colored spinner baits. Crappie remain scattered and fair on minnows, jigs and trolled crank baits. Stripers, too, are scattered from the Clifty area to the dam and fair on big topwaters, live shad and umbrella rigs trolled about 40 feet deep. Fair catches of white bass, crappie and a few walleye are being made at night under lights on live minnows or small shad. Catfish remain good on cut bait, livers and other traditional catfish baits. Bream are good on crickets and worms.
Hickory Creek Marina said bass are only fair. Some are being caught shallow on buzz baits, spinner baits, jigs and soft plastics but most are small. Spider riggers are making fair catches of crappie around brush piles at depths of 15-20 feet. Other crappie are being caught by trolling Bandit 300 Series crank baits. Catfish remain fair on jugs rigged with live bream. Good numbers of bream are being caught on crickets in the shallows. BEAVER TAILWATERS Ken Richards at justfishingguides. com said the water level is finally getting down to where wading is possible near the dam. Fly anglers are taking good numbers of trout on gray scuds fished 2-5 feet deep under a strike indicator. Curved shank hooks are working better than straight shank hook patterns. Midge patterns including the Beadhead Zebra Midge in black-silver, gray-blue and red-gold are producing well. Many trout within the slot are being caught along with multiple species of warm-water fish. BELLA VISTA LAKES Hook, Line & Sinker said bass remain slow in daytime hours, although a few are being caught early and late on topwaters and on finesse worms and jigs fished around docks over deeper water. Action is a bit better at night, when fair catches are being made on jigs, Texas-rigged plastic worms and crank baits. Crappie and catfish are slow. Bream are fair on crickets and worms. BULL SHOALS Bull Shoals Boat Dock said the lake level remained very high Wednesday at 683. 2 feet but continues to fall by about 4 inches a day. Bass are fair on half–ounce spoons fished 28-32 feet deep near bluff ends and standing timber. Flukes, Spooks and other topwaters are working during low-light hours. Others can be caught on nightcrawlers, white Road Runners and drop-shot rigs fished over the top of brush and standing trees in 25-35 feet of water. White bass are fair on trolled Shad Raps and jerk baits in 25-35 feet of water. Some are being caught on spoons as well. Walleye have moved to the thermocline at depths of 25-32 feet of water. Spoons are working well along with nightcrawlers tightlined on a split-shot rig. Reef Runners and Wally Divers trolled about 25 feet deep also are producing some fish. Crappie are slow and scattered but a few can be caught on minnows at night under lights. Catfish are good in shallow water on stink bait, livers, shrimp and live bream. BULL SHOALS TAILWATERS Berry Brothers Guides said the upper river from Bull Shoals Dam through the State Park and down to Cane Island Shoals has been a real hot spot. Trout are excellent in morning hours, when it is much cooler and the flow is generally at its slowest. Most are being caught on midge or worm patterns fished under a strike indicator with a lot of weight to get it down to the bottom. Hot flies are black Zebra Midges with silver wire and silver bead and San Juan Worms in bright colors (cerise, hot pink and red ). Anglers also are reporting success on sow bugs and streamers. A hot new pattern is Jim Mengle’s Ozark Sculpin worked on sink-tip or full-sink line to get it down to the bottom. The section from Wildcat Shoals to Cotter also is producing well despite a good bit of fishing pressure. Hot fly patterns are trout crack, sow bugs, Zebra Midges and brightly colored San Juan worms. Another hot spot has been the Rim Shoals catchand-release section.
Mountain River Fly Shop said anglers are reporting good action from Wildcat to Ranchette on heavily-weighted olive, black or Bow River Woolly Buggers on a floating line. Streamers also are producing well, even in mid-day hours, when worked close to the banks and over grass beds and dropoffs. From Cotter to Wildcat Shoals, egg-and-worm combinations are producing well. Top combos include a red, orange or flame-colored egg paired with San Juans Worms or Dynamite Worms. Sow bugs reportedly are working well near the dam.
Sportsman’s White River Resort said eight generators are running regularly. Trout are fair on traditional spin-fishing lures and small pink or red plastic worms. KINGS RIVER The river was at 3. 5 feet on the gauge at Berryville on Wednesday, a decent level for float fishing. Guide J. D. Fletcher said bass are excellent on tubes in shades of brown or green. Rebel crawfish crank baits and buzz baits also continue to produce good numbers of fish.
Ken Richards at justfishinguides. com said recent rains raised the river to a good level for float fishing. Buzz baits, chuggers and torpedoes are working well for bass. Fly fishermen also are reporting good action on Crease minnows, streamers, hair poppers and crawfish patterns. LAKE FAYETTEVILLE Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the water is murky and at normal level. A few bream have been caught on crickets. Bass are fair on buzz baits. LAKE FORT SMITH No report. NORFORK 101 Grocery and Bait said water clarity is good, and surface temperatures are in the mid-80 s. Stripers are good on both live bait and artificials. Walleye are fair. Bream are good. White bass are fair. Black bass are good on topwaters in the evenings. Smallmouth are fair. Catfish and crappie are fair. NORFORK TAILWATERS Berry Brothers Guides said the river is getting a lot of fishing pressure from anglers in boats. Top fly patterns are the San Juan Worm in bright colors and various midge and sow bug patterns. Dry Run Creek is still producing some really big fish for youngsters. The hot fly this week has been a sow bug in size 14. Best action is coming in fast, deep water. SEQUOYAH Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said water conditions are normal. All species are slow. TABLE ROCK Guide J. D. Fletcher said the lake level was at 917. 5 on Wednesday, within a foot of normal pool. Largemouth bass continue to be caught around points and bluff ends on football jigs and plastic worms worked on shaky heads or Texas rigs. Deep-diving crank baits also are producing some fish in the river arms. Smallmouth and spotted (Kentucky ) bass are being caught in the same areas on topwaters, jigs, grubs, Carolina rigs, football jigs and live nightcrawlers. In the upper White River and Roaring River areas, there’s some bass action along bluffs and points on jigs and topwaters. A few white bass are surfacing and are fair on small topwaters and other shad-imitating lures, and a few walleye are being taken on jigging spoons and by trolling with deep-diving lures. A few crappie are being caught lakewide on minnows and jigs worked 10-15 feet deep. Catfish are fair on trotlines and limb lines baited with small bream. Bream are fair in the shallows on crickets and worms. TANEYCOMO OzarkAnglers. com said trout action is good. Best catches are being made drifting with Gulp Power Bait in orange or chartreuse. There’s also some action near the dam on terrestrial-pattern flies ( grasshoppers, crickets, ants and beetles ).
West-Central Arkansas ATKINS Lucky Landing said the water is clear and low. Bream are excellent in deep water on crickets. Crappie are good deep on minnows. Bass are good on spinner baits and plastic worms. Catfish are excellent on just about any bait. CATHERINE Catch’em All Guide Service said trout are very slow below Carpenter Dam and are expected to remain that way until restocking in November. However, there’s some fair action in the tailwaters with stripers and hybrids. Best catches are being made on live brood minnows or shad and big topwaters including C-10 Redfins and Super Spooks in rainbow trout colors. DARDANELLE Lake Dardanelle State Park said water flow is about 46, 000 cubic feet per second and surface temperatures are in the mid-80 s. Bass are good on crank baits, black spinner baits, black / blue jigs and Texas-rigged plastic worms in junebug worked near old creek channels and rock piles. Catfish remain good on prepared baits, worms, cut shad and crickets. Bream are good on crickets and worms just about anywhere you can find some cover hanging in the water. HAMILTON Poorman’s Guide Service said bass are excellent at night on 10-inch Power Worms fished 12-18 feet deep.
Trader Bill’s said stripers are fair on spoons and live bait. Bass are scattered, but some are being caught on buzz baits and spinner baits in creeks and coves. HINKLE No report. OUACHITA Mountain Harbor Resort said the lake is about a foot below normal level with surface temperatures of 86-90 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged worms and shaky-head finesse worms. Spotted (Kentucky ) bass are fair by drop-shotting finesse worms near river-channel drops. Walleye are good on spoons fished over brush on main-lake points and on nightcrawlers fished on a bottom bouncer rig. Stripers are good on live shad and trotline minnows. Bream are good on crickets and worms fished 18-25 feet deep. Crappie are fair over grass and brush in water 20-30 feet deep on minnows and crappie grubs. Catfish are good on live bait and cut bait rigged on jugs and trotlines. OZARK POOL Lakeside Food Mart said the water is clear and high. Bream are good on crickets and worms. Crappie are fair in creeks and sloughs on minnows. Bass are good on crank baits and soft plastics. Catfish are fair on worms and cut bait. hotspot THIS WEEK:
Lake Atkins Bream and catfish are excellent; bass and crappie are good.