08-19-2004, 02:49 AM
Fishing Tip: Spinner baits are a favorite for bass in heavy cover. They’re nearly weedless, but the swivel often catches bits of fine weed, stopping the blade. Here’s a way to keep the swivel weed-free: Cut the last ¾- to 1-inch off the pointed top of a ballpoint pen. Poke or drill a small hole through the tip. Using needle nose pliers, open the loop at the end of the spinner arm and remove the swivel and spinner blade. Slide the plastic cone onto the spinner arm. Then reattach the blade and push the cone back along the arm so it covers the swivel.
CENTRAL ARKANSAS:
Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake is clear, and the water level is normal. Fishing has slowed some. Bream are good near the bank on wax worms and crickets fished over brush piles. Crappie are good 3- to 4-feet deep on small minnows over rocky points. Bass are good on plastic worms over rocky points. Catfish are fair on trotlines baited with large minnows or bream.
Little Red River: Lindsey's Rainbow Resort said the river clarity is good. The river level is low in the morning but up in the afternoon. Trout are good on Roostertails, wax worms with marshmallows and chartreuse-colored Power Bait.
Greers Ferry: Shiloh Marina said the weather is making fishing spotty. Bait Master said the lake clarity is really good, but the lake level is down about 5 feet and is on a slow fall. Crappie are slow on minnows fished 30- to 35-feet deep. Bass are being taken on soft plastics from 30- to 35-feet deep. Hybrids are good on a white jig-and-shiner combination fished 30- to 50-feet deep. Catfish are good on live bait. Walleye fishermen are doing moderately well on night crawlers 30- to 35-feet deep. Bluegills are good on crickets.
Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the lake clarity is fair, and the lake is dropping to a normal level. Some small bream are biting crickets. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs in pearl or chartreuse-and-white. Bass are excellent on spinner baits and crankbaits. Catfishing is excellent. Try using trotlines or bank fishing.
Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the lake is pretty clear and low. Boaters should watch for stumps. Bream are fair on worms. Crappie are fair in deeper water using minnows and jigs over stumps. Bass are good on red shad or black plastic worms. Catfish are biting fair on chicken liver, dog food and minnows.
Brewer Lake: Wooster Grocery said bream fishing is good on crickets. A few crappie are being caught using minnows. Bass are hitting minnows.
Toad Suck Lock and Dam: Bates Field and Stream said the water is the clearest it will get, and the water level is normal. Fishing has slowed somewhat. Bream fishing is good on worms fished 2- to 3-feet deep over brush piles. Crappie fishing is good 3- to 3½-feet deep using minnows and jigs over stumps. Bass fishing is good using plastic worms and top-water lures over brush. Catfish are fair on large minnows.
Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the river conditions are normal. Bream and redear fishing is good on worms and top-water poppers. Crappie fishing is slow. Bass fishing is fair on minnows and assorted spinner baits. Catfishing is excellent on about any type of bait.
Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger’s Marina said black bass are 10 to 15 feet deep and hitting plastics. Bream fishing is excellent using crickets or worms. White bass can be found in the late afternoon up near the restricted area and are hitting Roostertails, CC Spoons and Mr. Champs.
Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the flow at Lock #9 is 12,000 cubic feet per second with the headwater at 285.03 and the tailwater at 264.72. Blacks are strong on the front or upriver sides of the jetties, use Horny Toads early in the day, and later, use a junebug-colored Gitzit. For Kentucky bass, try using a pearl-colored Hawg Trap. If you fish along the grass line on the outside curve of the riprap, use a Jitterbug early in the day, and later, switch to a Black Bandit in the 400 series. Bream fishing is strong on the riprap using a black Roostertail. Try fishing for whites on the jetty tip using a white Roostertail or floating a large minnow about 6- to 8-feet deep. Catfish are on the jetty tops early in the mornings. In the late evening, try using live shad or bream 3- to 5-feet to catch catfish. Midday, fish for cats on the front-side of the jetties using Carolina Rigs with live bait from 18- to 25-feet deep. Crappie are suspended on wood structure about 20- to 30-feet deep; try using live minnows.
Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said catfishing is great off the edge of the flow using shad, night crawlers and slicks.
NORTH ARKANSAS:
White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the river is low. Trout fishing is really good on wax worms, corn, salmon eggs and yellow or white-and-red Power Bait. Fly-fishermen are also doing well using gray sowbugs, olive Woolly Buggers and peach, red or yellow egg-patterns.
Bull Shoals Tailwaters: McLellan’s Fly Shop said water levels remain low for wading most of the day, especially downstream. Scuds and sowbugs are working well the entire length of the river. Sculpins and crayfish are a good bet in the Rim Shoals area. The fish should be seeing enough terrestrials now to take a hopper or ant pattern. Best flies have been: McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan (14 to 16), McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Dirty Orange (14 to 16), Red Fox Squirrel Nymph (12 to 16), Little Brown Bug (14 to 16), Softex Scud (14 to 18), Gorilla Hopper, Dave’s Hopper (8 to 12), March Brown Spider (12 to 14), Rag Sculpin (6) and Baby ‘Dad (10).
North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been starting mid- to late-afternoon. Crane flies are beginning to hatch mid-river with adult patterns fooling plenty of fish. Terrestrials are a good bet at this time, and fishing with hoppers,
beetles or ants provides a nice diversion to fishing with strike indicators. Scuds and midges are reliable all day. Best flies have been: McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan (14 to 16), McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Olive (14 to 16), Yong Special (20 to 22), Jujubee Midge (20 to 24), Mercury Black Beauty (20 to 22), Gray Mercury Midge (20 to 22), Johnny Flash (20 to 24), Adult Crane Fly, Dave’s Hopper (8 to 12), and Club Sandwich (8).
Bull Shoals Lake: Lead Hill Boat Dock said bluegill and perch are being caught using night crawlers, red worms or crickets. Crappie fishing has slowed. Bass have picked-up using live crawfish off the points. Catfishing is pretty good on trotlines or jug lines. Walleye fishing is slow.
Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said several walleye are being picked up using spoons or night crawlers down toward the dam. Crappie are biting decent on minnows over brush piles. Bass fishing is fair at night using red/gold flake plastic worms, hula grubs and jigs. There has been some top-water action in the mornings. Also in the mornings, the bass have been going for spinner baits and buzzbaits. Stripers are good from 60- to 65-feet deep trolling a single Roadrunner down toward the dam. Catfish are fair drift-fishing with night crawlers on the bottom.
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said bluegill are good on crickets. Crappie are good trolling with crankbaits. Early and late, bass are good on top-water lures. At night, bass are very good on spinner baits and plastics. Catfishing is good on live bait.
Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the lake clarity is good, and the lake level is normal. A few bream are being taken using crickets. Crappie are biting really good about 15-feet deep using minnows. Early in the morning, bass are good on buzzbaits. Some catfish are being taken as fishermen attempt to catch bream on crickets.
Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the weather is making for some slow fishing. The lake clarity and lake level is good. Bream and redear are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is fair trolling with jigs and small crankbaits. Bass fishing is slow on spinner baits and crankbaits. Catfishing is slow on worms and chicken livers.
Beaver Tailwaters: Beaver Dam Store says with SWPA running very little generations mid- or late-afternoon, the fishing opportunities are endless. Fishing the morning times before 10 a.m. is excellent. For those fly fishers that like a late afternoon hatch, 6 to 8 p.m. makes for some dandy dry-fly action. Copper Johns, sizes 16 to 18, in red or copper and Red Brassies, sizes 16 to 20, are good choices for drifting under an indicator. The area around the boat ramp or upstream in “Boiled Okra Alley” is holding excellent numbers of fish. Dry-fly action is decent on Renegades, sizes 14 to 16; Adams, sizes 16 to18; Midges, black or cream, sizes 18 to 22. Late afternoon, rises are good on these little flies fished on a 6X or 7X tippet and 9- to12-foot leader. The Rock House to Trigger Gap trip on the river is floatable with a minimum of skinny water. Hula grubs and crawfish patterns are taking fish early and late afternoons. Buzz baits are also a good choice. Beaver Lake is at 1120.7 and fairly steady with the little generating activity. Striper fishing is still good around the 30- to 40-foot depth on live shad or large minnows. Catfishing is good on livers, shrimp and goldfish. McLellan’s Fly Shop said water releases have been held to the afternoons. So, wading is possible in the mornings and early afternoons most days. Midges are the most consistent food source at this time. Scuds have been reliable, and terrestrials are available to the fish in reasonable numbers. Best flies have been: UV Midge (22 to 26), Jujubee Midge (20 to 22), Johnny Flash (20 to 24), Mercury Blood Midge (20 to 24), Pure Midge (20 to 22), Black Beauty Emerger (22 to 24), Biot Midge (20 to 22), Rainbow Warrior (18), Chocolate Emerger (20), Adult Midge (24), JB Emerger (20 to 22), Zebra Copper John (18 to 22), McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan (14 to16) and Cinnamon Ant (16 to 18).
Kings River: Kings River Outfitters said the water temperature is about 70 degrees. The river is low, but it is still floatable from Rock House Landing going north. In the mornings and evenings, bass are good on spinner baits, crankbaits and plastics. However, it is mainly small fish being taken.
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
Lake Charles: Powhatan Landing said the lake clarity is pretty good. Bream are being picked up using wax worms and crickets. A few crappie are being taken on minnows and jigs.
Black River: Powhatan Landing said the river clarity is better, and the river level is down. Bass are pretty good. Catfishing is pretty good on night crawlers, chicken liver and rice slicks. Around Portia Bay, the crappie and bass fishermen are doing pretty well.
Spring River: Many Islands Camp said the river clarity is good, and the water level is normal. Trout fishing is good on bright-colored Power Bait, wax worms with marshmallows and night crawlers.
Lake Ashbaugh: Lake Ashbaugh Bait Shop said the lake is at a normal level for this time of year. Bream fishing has slowed. Bass fishing is good on small spinner baits and small, red-and-white plastic worms. Catfish are biting really well on night crawlers and blood stink bait.
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
Lake Enterprise: Fred's Sport Shop said the lake is clear. Bluegill are good on worms and crickets fished shallow. Catfish are good on night crawlers and cut bait.
Lake Chicot: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said catfish are picking up on worms, stink bait and cut shad.
Mississippi River: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said the water clarity is fair and the river is high. However, the river level has started to fall. The current is too strong for bream, crappie and bass. Catfish are excellent on shad and live bait
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature is from 82 to 89 degrees. The level is ¾-inch above normal with a light stain but steady. Largemouth bass, 2 to 5 pounds, are good on 5-inch Bass Assassin Shads in gizzard shad or rainbow trout colors, Rat-L-Traps in grasshopper, spring bream or bleeding diamond dust colors. Crankbaits in bream colors and brown craw/orange belly are catching keeper bass along points of feeding creeks and grass lines in Little River. Soft-plastic rats, Scum Frogs, and Zoom Horny Toads in green pumpkin or black colors are taking decent bass in the lily pads, coontail moss and hydrilla. Carolina Rigs using Zoom Lizards in watermelon red, junebug or redbug are catching keepers on points in Little River. Hogg Assassins in redbug, sour grape or black-and-blue are catching decent bass on stumps and scattered grass cover in the edges of the river. Fatbutt Gitzits in black-and-blue or pumpkinseed-and-chartreuse and 10- to12-inch Power Worms in blue fleck or black shad are still catching good 3- to 4-pound bass up river. White jigs with pearl plastic chunks or white grubs, Larew Hog Salt Craws in black-and-blue and magnum size blackberry lizards are catching keeper-size fish in the clearer oxbows. Visibility and clarity continues improving and is approximately 12- to18-inches on the main lake or the Little River. Little River's clarity continues improving daily. The upriver oxbows such as McGuire, Horseshoe, Mud Lake, Clear Lake etc, still have much better water clarity; it is estimated there is approximately 5- to 8-foot visibility in some places. Current in Little River is non-existent this week because the discharge at the dam is only 170 cubic feet per second. Most of the floating debris in Little River has settled out, and the river continues to improve daily. In the river channel, channel cats remain good using trotlines baited with cut bait, chicken livers and cheese bait. Blues in the 3- to 7-pound range continue biting well on cheese bait, shiners and liver on yo-yos underneath cypress trees set at 7- to 9-foot depths. White bass are still trying to school up; in Horseshoe Lake or Mud Lake oxbows, they are hitting chrome Little Georges or Chuck-n-Spins, small Roostertails in chrome, small Rat-L-Traps in chrome-and-black or Cordell Crazy Shad top-water lures in chrome-and-black. The schooling activities are random and most occurring after 4 p.m. As of Monday, August 16, the USCE reports no change in the gate discharge last week, and it is approximately 170 cubic feet per second at the dam. The lake level has risen this past week, and it is steady at 259.26, which is only 0.75 (3/4) inches above normal conservation pool. Water clarity in the river is improving, and visibility is approximately 12- to18-inches.
Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said the lake is clear and at a normal water level. A few good redear have been taken. Crappie are slow to fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are trying to school. Catfish are good on stink bait and live bait.
Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said some bream are being caught. Crappie are slow to fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are being caught at night using buzzbaits and spinner baits. Bass are trying to school. Catfish are good on live bait and stink bait.
Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the lake level is dropping. The generators are running daily. A few bass are being taken using top-water lures and soft plastics. A few white bass are schooling.
DeGray Lake: Point Cedar Bait Shop said the lake is very low. Bream are very good on crickets. Hybrids are good on spoons.
Little Missouri River: Fly-fishing guide Jeff Guerin said that trout have been hitting black ant patterns. Fish have moving up into the Flat to feed and on several occasions there have been many trout in the area. There are also a lot of trout in the closed area, which is a good sign for the fall when they’ll be moving down the river.
WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the lake conditions are average. Bream fishing is good on worms and crickets. Below the dam, stripers are good on chartreuse jigs. Bass fishing is good on deep-diving crankbaits. Catfish are excellent on shad and stink bait. Below the dam, try using chicken liver or shad for catfish.
Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the river is a murky green, and it is down quite a bit. A few bream are being taken using crickets. Crappie are good on minnows. Bass fishing is slow, but some can be taken on worms or jigs. Catfishing is fair on shad and chicken liver.
Lake Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Resort said the water temperature is from 82- to 87-degrees. The water is clear, and the lake level is 574.01. Largemouth bass are fair to good; these fish are schooling and can still be caught with Roostertails, hair jigs and spoons. Night fishing is good on main lake points; use black spinner baits and bloodline, tequila or redbug worms. Frog baits fished over the top of the moss are producing some fish as well. Walleye are fair to good with reports of these fish being caught over or near large moss flats and humps. Deep-diving rouges and live bait have been the most effective. Try water depths of 20 to 30 feet. Stripers are still very good on live bait on the east end of the lake. These fish are still located around main points and rock bluffs near or in the river channels. Bream are still excellent on crickets and worms. Try water depths of 8 to 20 feet. Crappie are fair and being caught over brush piles and moss flats using feather jigs, 2-inch grubs and minnows. Try main lake points and large moss flats 15- to 30-feet deep. The best colors are white, silver and Tennessee shad. Catfish are very good and being caught with night crawlers, stink bait, hot dogs and live minnows. Jug lines and trotlines are the most productive for these fish; however, rod-and-reel fishing is still very good.
Lake Catherine: Dozhier’s Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said walleye have become active and are hitting crankbaits trolled just off the channel. Deep-running cranks, such as Shad Raps and Bandits, fished 12- to 15-feet are doing well. Some of the best action is around the Carpenter Dam Bridge. Trout continue to be taken directly below the dam using night crawlers or Power Bait. Bass are hitting top-water lures, spinner baits and buzzbaits with most of the action at the east end of the lake. Stripers and hybrids are found breaking most mornings between Thunderbird Beach west to the dam. Bream are deep and hitting crickets and worms. Catfish are hitting chicken blood, cut shrimp and night crawlers.
Lake Hamilton: Dozhier’s Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said bass are going for top-water lures early, and later in the day, they are hitting Carolina-rigged worms and lizards. Some early morning hybrid action is being found directly above the dam. These fish are going for live shad and Flukes. Catfish are going for large shiners, night crawlers and blood and dough baits. Bream are deep, holding off deep structures and brush piles. Crickets and red worms fished 8- to 12-feet deep are taking some nice size bluegill and red fins.
Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the lake is clear and at a good level. Crappie are really good on minnows. Bass are really good on plastic worms and top-water lures. Catfishing is good on chicken liver.
Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is clear and at a normal water level. Bream are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is slow. Bass are fair on spinner baits and plastic worms. Catfish are fair on night crawlers and catfish bait.
Lake Nimrod: Lake Nimrod Bait ‘n’ More II said the lake is at a 345, which is a normal level. The fish are biting. Crappie fishing is good from 5- to 12-feet deep on minnows and jigs. Bream fishing is great using crickets and worms. Catfishing is also great using worms, stink bait and rice slicks.
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Felsenthal: Benson’s Grocery and Bait said the lake is low and as clear as it will get. Bream fishing is good on worms, but fishermen are mainly taking smaller fish. Bass fishing is good on Zoom Flukes.
EAST ARKANSAS:
Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the weather is making fishing slow. The lake is low and falling. Some small bream are being caught; try fishing 2 ½- to 3-feet deep for larger fish. Some crappie are being taken in deep water over treetops.
Midway Lake: Ed’s Boat Camp said the lake clarity is good. Bream fishing is good using red worms and crickets. In attempts to catch bream, some fishermen have taken some small catfish on worms and crickets. Several bass have been taken using Brush Hoggs fished on the bottom.
Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said the weather has had a bad effect on the fishing. However, the lake is clear and at a normal level. Crappie are good, but only small fish are being caught.
Mississippi River: Arkansas Outdoors said the weather has slowed-down fishing activity.
Lower St. Francis River: Arkansas Outdoors said fishing is slow due to the weather.
Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake conditions are excellent. Bream fishing is excellent on crickets fished around the cypress trees. Crappie are good fishing deep near the piers using minnows and black-and-chartreuse or red-and-chartreuse jigs. Bass are really good on spinner baits and plastic worms fished around the cypress trees. Catfishing is really good on night crawlers, cut bait and crickets around the cypress trees.
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CENTRAL ARKANSAS:
Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake is clear, and the water level is normal. Fishing has slowed some. Bream are good near the bank on wax worms and crickets fished over brush piles. Crappie are good 3- to 4-feet deep on small minnows over rocky points. Bass are good on plastic worms over rocky points. Catfish are fair on trotlines baited with large minnows or bream.
Little Red River: Lindsey's Rainbow Resort said the river clarity is good. The river level is low in the morning but up in the afternoon. Trout are good on Roostertails, wax worms with marshmallows and chartreuse-colored Power Bait.
Greers Ferry: Shiloh Marina said the weather is making fishing spotty. Bait Master said the lake clarity is really good, but the lake level is down about 5 feet and is on a slow fall. Crappie are slow on minnows fished 30- to 35-feet deep. Bass are being taken on soft plastics from 30- to 35-feet deep. Hybrids are good on a white jig-and-shiner combination fished 30- to 50-feet deep. Catfish are good on live bait. Walleye fishermen are doing moderately well on night crawlers 30- to 35-feet deep. Bluegills are good on crickets.
Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the lake clarity is fair, and the lake is dropping to a normal level. Some small bream are biting crickets. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs in pearl or chartreuse-and-white. Bass are excellent on spinner baits and crankbaits. Catfishing is excellent. Try using trotlines or bank fishing.
Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the lake is pretty clear and low. Boaters should watch for stumps. Bream are fair on worms. Crappie are fair in deeper water using minnows and jigs over stumps. Bass are good on red shad or black plastic worms. Catfish are biting fair on chicken liver, dog food and minnows.
Brewer Lake: Wooster Grocery said bream fishing is good on crickets. A few crappie are being caught using minnows. Bass are hitting minnows.
Toad Suck Lock and Dam: Bates Field and Stream said the water is the clearest it will get, and the water level is normal. Fishing has slowed somewhat. Bream fishing is good on worms fished 2- to 3-feet deep over brush piles. Crappie fishing is good 3- to 3½-feet deep using minnows and jigs over stumps. Bass fishing is good using plastic worms and top-water lures over brush. Catfish are fair on large minnows.
Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the river conditions are normal. Bream and redear fishing is good on worms and top-water poppers. Crappie fishing is slow. Bass fishing is fair on minnows and assorted spinner baits. Catfishing is excellent on about any type of bait.
Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger’s Marina said black bass are 10 to 15 feet deep and hitting plastics. Bream fishing is excellent using crickets or worms. White bass can be found in the late afternoon up near the restricted area and are hitting Roostertails, CC Spoons and Mr. Champs.
Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the flow at Lock #9 is 12,000 cubic feet per second with the headwater at 285.03 and the tailwater at 264.72. Blacks are strong on the front or upriver sides of the jetties, use Horny Toads early in the day, and later, use a junebug-colored Gitzit. For Kentucky bass, try using a pearl-colored Hawg Trap. If you fish along the grass line on the outside curve of the riprap, use a Jitterbug early in the day, and later, switch to a Black Bandit in the 400 series. Bream fishing is strong on the riprap using a black Roostertail. Try fishing for whites on the jetty tip using a white Roostertail or floating a large minnow about 6- to 8-feet deep. Catfish are on the jetty tops early in the mornings. In the late evening, try using live shad or bream 3- to 5-feet to catch catfish. Midday, fish for cats on the front-side of the jetties using Carolina Rigs with live bait from 18- to 25-feet deep. Crappie are suspended on wood structure about 20- to 30-feet deep; try using live minnows.
Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said catfishing is great off the edge of the flow using shad, night crawlers and slicks.
NORTH ARKANSAS:
White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the river is low. Trout fishing is really good on wax worms, corn, salmon eggs and yellow or white-and-red Power Bait. Fly-fishermen are also doing well using gray sowbugs, olive Woolly Buggers and peach, red or yellow egg-patterns.
Bull Shoals Tailwaters: McLellan’s Fly Shop said water levels remain low for wading most of the day, especially downstream. Scuds and sowbugs are working well the entire length of the river. Sculpins and crayfish are a good bet in the Rim Shoals area. The fish should be seeing enough terrestrials now to take a hopper or ant pattern. Best flies have been: McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan (14 to 16), McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Dirty Orange (14 to 16), Red Fox Squirrel Nymph (12 to 16), Little Brown Bug (14 to 16), Softex Scud (14 to 18), Gorilla Hopper, Dave’s Hopper (8 to 12), March Brown Spider (12 to 14), Rag Sculpin (6) and Baby ‘Dad (10).
North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been starting mid- to late-afternoon. Crane flies are beginning to hatch mid-river with adult patterns fooling plenty of fish. Terrestrials are a good bet at this time, and fishing with hoppers,
beetles or ants provides a nice diversion to fishing with strike indicators. Scuds and midges are reliable all day. Best flies have been: McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan (14 to 16), McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Olive (14 to 16), Yong Special (20 to 22), Jujubee Midge (20 to 24), Mercury Black Beauty (20 to 22), Gray Mercury Midge (20 to 22), Johnny Flash (20 to 24), Adult Crane Fly, Dave’s Hopper (8 to 12), and Club Sandwich (8).
Bull Shoals Lake: Lead Hill Boat Dock said bluegill and perch are being caught using night crawlers, red worms or crickets. Crappie fishing has slowed. Bass have picked-up using live crawfish off the points. Catfishing is pretty good on trotlines or jug lines. Walleye fishing is slow.
Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said several walleye are being picked up using spoons or night crawlers down toward the dam. Crappie are biting decent on minnows over brush piles. Bass fishing is fair at night using red/gold flake plastic worms, hula grubs and jigs. There has been some top-water action in the mornings. Also in the mornings, the bass have been going for spinner baits and buzzbaits. Stripers are good from 60- to 65-feet deep trolling a single Roadrunner down toward the dam. Catfish are fair drift-fishing with night crawlers on the bottom.
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said bluegill are good on crickets. Crappie are good trolling with crankbaits. Early and late, bass are good on top-water lures. At night, bass are very good on spinner baits and plastics. Catfishing is good on live bait.
Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the lake clarity is good, and the lake level is normal. A few bream are being taken using crickets. Crappie are biting really good about 15-feet deep using minnows. Early in the morning, bass are good on buzzbaits. Some catfish are being taken as fishermen attempt to catch bream on crickets.
Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the weather is making for some slow fishing. The lake clarity and lake level is good. Bream and redear are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is fair trolling with jigs and small crankbaits. Bass fishing is slow on spinner baits and crankbaits. Catfishing is slow on worms and chicken livers.
Beaver Tailwaters: Beaver Dam Store says with SWPA running very little generations mid- or late-afternoon, the fishing opportunities are endless. Fishing the morning times before 10 a.m. is excellent. For those fly fishers that like a late afternoon hatch, 6 to 8 p.m. makes for some dandy dry-fly action. Copper Johns, sizes 16 to 18, in red or copper and Red Brassies, sizes 16 to 20, are good choices for drifting under an indicator. The area around the boat ramp or upstream in “Boiled Okra Alley” is holding excellent numbers of fish. Dry-fly action is decent on Renegades, sizes 14 to 16; Adams, sizes 16 to18; Midges, black or cream, sizes 18 to 22. Late afternoon, rises are good on these little flies fished on a 6X or 7X tippet and 9- to12-foot leader. The Rock House to Trigger Gap trip on the river is floatable with a minimum of skinny water. Hula grubs and crawfish patterns are taking fish early and late afternoons. Buzz baits are also a good choice. Beaver Lake is at 1120.7 and fairly steady with the little generating activity. Striper fishing is still good around the 30- to 40-foot depth on live shad or large minnows. Catfishing is good on livers, shrimp and goldfish. McLellan’s Fly Shop said water releases have been held to the afternoons. So, wading is possible in the mornings and early afternoons most days. Midges are the most consistent food source at this time. Scuds have been reliable, and terrestrials are available to the fish in reasonable numbers. Best flies have been: UV Midge (22 to 26), Jujubee Midge (20 to 22), Johnny Flash (20 to 24), Mercury Blood Midge (20 to 24), Pure Midge (20 to 22), Black Beauty Emerger (22 to 24), Biot Midge (20 to 22), Rainbow Warrior (18), Chocolate Emerger (20), Adult Midge (24), JB Emerger (20 to 22), Zebra Copper John (18 to 22), McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan (14 to16) and Cinnamon Ant (16 to 18).
Kings River: Kings River Outfitters said the water temperature is about 70 degrees. The river is low, but it is still floatable from Rock House Landing going north. In the mornings and evenings, bass are good on spinner baits, crankbaits and plastics. However, it is mainly small fish being taken.
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
Lake Charles: Powhatan Landing said the lake clarity is pretty good. Bream are being picked up using wax worms and crickets. A few crappie are being taken on minnows and jigs.
Black River: Powhatan Landing said the river clarity is better, and the river level is down. Bass are pretty good. Catfishing is pretty good on night crawlers, chicken liver and rice slicks. Around Portia Bay, the crappie and bass fishermen are doing pretty well.
Spring River: Many Islands Camp said the river clarity is good, and the water level is normal. Trout fishing is good on bright-colored Power Bait, wax worms with marshmallows and night crawlers.
Lake Ashbaugh: Lake Ashbaugh Bait Shop said the lake is at a normal level for this time of year. Bream fishing has slowed. Bass fishing is good on small spinner baits and small, red-and-white plastic worms. Catfish are biting really well on night crawlers and blood stink bait.
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
Lake Enterprise: Fred's Sport Shop said the lake is clear. Bluegill are good on worms and crickets fished shallow. Catfish are good on night crawlers and cut bait.
Lake Chicot: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said catfish are picking up on worms, stink bait and cut shad.
Mississippi River: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said the water clarity is fair and the river is high. However, the river level has started to fall. The current is too strong for bream, crappie and bass. Catfish are excellent on shad and live bait
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature is from 82 to 89 degrees. The level is ¾-inch above normal with a light stain but steady. Largemouth bass, 2 to 5 pounds, are good on 5-inch Bass Assassin Shads in gizzard shad or rainbow trout colors, Rat-L-Traps in grasshopper, spring bream or bleeding diamond dust colors. Crankbaits in bream colors and brown craw/orange belly are catching keeper bass along points of feeding creeks and grass lines in Little River. Soft-plastic rats, Scum Frogs, and Zoom Horny Toads in green pumpkin or black colors are taking decent bass in the lily pads, coontail moss and hydrilla. Carolina Rigs using Zoom Lizards in watermelon red, junebug or redbug are catching keepers on points in Little River. Hogg Assassins in redbug, sour grape or black-and-blue are catching decent bass on stumps and scattered grass cover in the edges of the river. Fatbutt Gitzits in black-and-blue or pumpkinseed-and-chartreuse and 10- to12-inch Power Worms in blue fleck or black shad are still catching good 3- to 4-pound bass up river. White jigs with pearl plastic chunks or white grubs, Larew Hog Salt Craws in black-and-blue and magnum size blackberry lizards are catching keeper-size fish in the clearer oxbows. Visibility and clarity continues improving and is approximately 12- to18-inches on the main lake or the Little River. Little River's clarity continues improving daily. The upriver oxbows such as McGuire, Horseshoe, Mud Lake, Clear Lake etc, still have much better water clarity; it is estimated there is approximately 5- to 8-foot visibility in some places. Current in Little River is non-existent this week because the discharge at the dam is only 170 cubic feet per second. Most of the floating debris in Little River has settled out, and the river continues to improve daily. In the river channel, channel cats remain good using trotlines baited with cut bait, chicken livers and cheese bait. Blues in the 3- to 7-pound range continue biting well on cheese bait, shiners and liver on yo-yos underneath cypress trees set at 7- to 9-foot depths. White bass are still trying to school up; in Horseshoe Lake or Mud Lake oxbows, they are hitting chrome Little Georges or Chuck-n-Spins, small Roostertails in chrome, small Rat-L-Traps in chrome-and-black or Cordell Crazy Shad top-water lures in chrome-and-black. The schooling activities are random and most occurring after 4 p.m. As of Monday, August 16, the USCE reports no change in the gate discharge last week, and it is approximately 170 cubic feet per second at the dam. The lake level has risen this past week, and it is steady at 259.26, which is only 0.75 (3/4) inches above normal conservation pool. Water clarity in the river is improving, and visibility is approximately 12- to18-inches.
Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said the lake is clear and at a normal water level. A few good redear have been taken. Crappie are slow to fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are trying to school. Catfish are good on stink bait and live bait.
Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said some bream are being caught. Crappie are slow to fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are being caught at night using buzzbaits and spinner baits. Bass are trying to school. Catfish are good on live bait and stink bait.
Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the lake level is dropping. The generators are running daily. A few bass are being taken using top-water lures and soft plastics. A few white bass are schooling.
DeGray Lake: Point Cedar Bait Shop said the lake is very low. Bream are very good on crickets. Hybrids are good on spoons.
Little Missouri River: Fly-fishing guide Jeff Guerin said that trout have been hitting black ant patterns. Fish have moving up into the Flat to feed and on several occasions there have been many trout in the area. There are also a lot of trout in the closed area, which is a good sign for the fall when they’ll be moving down the river.
WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the lake conditions are average. Bream fishing is good on worms and crickets. Below the dam, stripers are good on chartreuse jigs. Bass fishing is good on deep-diving crankbaits. Catfish are excellent on shad and stink bait. Below the dam, try using chicken liver or shad for catfish.
Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the river is a murky green, and it is down quite a bit. A few bream are being taken using crickets. Crappie are good on minnows. Bass fishing is slow, but some can be taken on worms or jigs. Catfishing is fair on shad and chicken liver.
Lake Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Resort said the water temperature is from 82- to 87-degrees. The water is clear, and the lake level is 574.01. Largemouth bass are fair to good; these fish are schooling and can still be caught with Roostertails, hair jigs and spoons. Night fishing is good on main lake points; use black spinner baits and bloodline, tequila or redbug worms. Frog baits fished over the top of the moss are producing some fish as well. Walleye are fair to good with reports of these fish being caught over or near large moss flats and humps. Deep-diving rouges and live bait have been the most effective. Try water depths of 20 to 30 feet. Stripers are still very good on live bait on the east end of the lake. These fish are still located around main points and rock bluffs near or in the river channels. Bream are still excellent on crickets and worms. Try water depths of 8 to 20 feet. Crappie are fair and being caught over brush piles and moss flats using feather jigs, 2-inch grubs and minnows. Try main lake points and large moss flats 15- to 30-feet deep. The best colors are white, silver and Tennessee shad. Catfish are very good and being caught with night crawlers, stink bait, hot dogs and live minnows. Jug lines and trotlines are the most productive for these fish; however, rod-and-reel fishing is still very good.
Lake Catherine: Dozhier’s Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said walleye have become active and are hitting crankbaits trolled just off the channel. Deep-running cranks, such as Shad Raps and Bandits, fished 12- to 15-feet are doing well. Some of the best action is around the Carpenter Dam Bridge. Trout continue to be taken directly below the dam using night crawlers or Power Bait. Bass are hitting top-water lures, spinner baits and buzzbaits with most of the action at the east end of the lake. Stripers and hybrids are found breaking most mornings between Thunderbird Beach west to the dam. Bream are deep and hitting crickets and worms. Catfish are hitting chicken blood, cut shrimp and night crawlers.
Lake Hamilton: Dozhier’s Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said bass are going for top-water lures early, and later in the day, they are hitting Carolina-rigged worms and lizards. Some early morning hybrid action is being found directly above the dam. These fish are going for live shad and Flukes. Catfish are going for large shiners, night crawlers and blood and dough baits. Bream are deep, holding off deep structures and brush piles. Crickets and red worms fished 8- to 12-feet deep are taking some nice size bluegill and red fins.
Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the lake is clear and at a good level. Crappie are really good on minnows. Bass are really good on plastic worms and top-water lures. Catfishing is good on chicken liver.
Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is clear and at a normal water level. Bream are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is slow. Bass are fair on spinner baits and plastic worms. Catfish are fair on night crawlers and catfish bait.
Lake Nimrod: Lake Nimrod Bait ‘n’ More II said the lake is at a 345, which is a normal level. The fish are biting. Crappie fishing is good from 5- to 12-feet deep on minnows and jigs. Bream fishing is great using crickets and worms. Catfishing is also great using worms, stink bait and rice slicks.
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Felsenthal: Benson’s Grocery and Bait said the lake is low and as clear as it will get. Bream fishing is good on worms, but fishermen are mainly taking smaller fish. Bass fishing is good on Zoom Flukes.
EAST ARKANSAS:
Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the weather is making fishing slow. The lake is low and falling. Some small bream are being caught; try fishing 2 ½- to 3-feet deep for larger fish. Some crappie are being taken in deep water over treetops.
Midway Lake: Ed’s Boat Camp said the lake clarity is good. Bream fishing is good using red worms and crickets. In attempts to catch bream, some fishermen have taken some small catfish on worms and crickets. Several bass have been taken using Brush Hoggs fished on the bottom.
Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said the weather has had a bad effect on the fishing. However, the lake is clear and at a normal level. Crappie are good, but only small fish are being caught.
Mississippi River: Arkansas Outdoors said the weather has slowed-down fishing activity.
Lower St. Francis River: Arkansas Outdoors said fishing is slow due to the weather.
Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake conditions are excellent. Bream fishing is excellent on crickets fished around the cypress trees. Crappie are good fishing deep near the piers using minnows and black-and-chartreuse or red-and-chartreuse jigs. Bass are really good on spinner baits and plastic worms fished around the cypress trees. Catfishing is really good on night crawlers, cut bait and crickets around the cypress trees.
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