Fishing Report
August 31, 2005

Lure of the Week: To familiarize new anglers with the huge variety of lures available, we will be using the fishing tip section to describe a new lure every week.

Horny Toad or Buzz Frog – One of the best innovations for bass anglers in many years is the Zoom Horny Toad and Yum Buzz Frog. These lures are essentially a soft-plastic worm that is designed to look like a bullfrog, one of the largemouth’s favorite meals. It can be worked as a top-water lure, much like a buzzbait, through the densest lily pads and moss you can find. Just rig it Texas-style on a wide-gap hook, cast it out and reel it straight in like a buzzbait. Works great early and late in the day from late spring to early fall.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS:

Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake is clear and a little low. Bream fishing is good on worms, wax worms, crickets and TiniMite Bream Jigs fished next to the bank. Crappie fishing is good on minnows fished on the shady side of the cypress trees. Bass are good in the early mornings and late evenings on white or chartreuse buzzbaits and Zoom Horny Toads fished around the lily pads. Dark-colored plastic worms are also catching a few fish near the pads. Catfishing is fair on trotlines, yo-yos and jugs baited with cut shad.

Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said the river is running low and clear with one generator coming online in the afternoons. Fishing has been good on wax worms and Power Bait. Little Cleos and Rooster Tails are also catching quite a few fish in the faster moving areas.

Greers Ferry: Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water level at Greers Ferry is 454.02 feet. The hybrid and white bass continue to school all over the lake at times and can be caught in Cove Creek, the humps east of Shiloh, the rock piles in Salt Creek on the south end and on the north end at the old bridge out in front of the swimming area at Choctaw. Black bass have moved a little shallower with the cooler nights, but the most are still being caught around 25-to 40-feet deep with the Kentuckies deeper at 50 to 65 feet. The catfishing is still excellent all over the lake. The crappie have moved shallow also and can be caught as shallow as 8-feet deep over brush piles and suspended on bluffs and standing timber.

Shiloh Marina said the lake is clear and low. Hybrids are schooling around the Pryor Mountain area.

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the lake is low and clear. Bream fishing is good in 2 feet of water or shallower on crickets. Crappie fishing is good on small minnows fished around 6-feet deep. Bass are biting well in the weed beds in the mornings. Find a cove with good vegetation and work it with a buzzbait, spinnerbait or soft-plastic worm. Catfishing has been poor.

Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the lake is low and clear. Bream are biting fair in the backs of the coves on pieces of nightcrawlers and crickets. Bass fishing is fair on white frogs fished around the weeds. Catfish are biting well on trotlines baited with live bait, Catfish Charlie and dog food.

Cadron Creek: Wooster Grocery said fishing for all species has been poor. A few bream are being caught on crickets and a couple of anglers have caught a few crappie on live minnows.

Beaverfork Lake: Wooster Grocery said the creek is running high and the water is stained. Catfishing has been decent around Lake Brewer on chicken liver and worms. All other species have been slow. A few bass have been caught on jigs and top-water lures in the early hours of the day.

Toad Suck Lock and Dam: Bates Field and Stream said crappie fishing is fair behind the jetties on minnows. Bass fishing is good early in the mornings on large stick baits and black Bandit crankbaits behind the jetties. Catfishing is fair on shad, trotline minnows and nightcrawlers.

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the hot weather is keeping the fishing slow and the anglers off the water.

Lake Cargile: Beeson’s Grocery said the lake is clear and low. Bream fishing is good on red wigglers and crickets. Crappie fishing is good on live minnows under a slip-cork rig. Bass fishing is fair at best.

Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger’s Marina said largemouth bass are biting well. The fish are holding in deeper water, out to 25-feet deep, but should be coming up to the shallows soon. During the day, try Carolina rigs and drop-shotted soft plastics. Kentucky bass are being caught 20- to 25-feet deep on 3-inch pumpkin grubs and tubes. White bass are schooling from the marina east to Three-fingers Cove. There are also some reports of schooling fish around Jim’s Island. Catfish are biting well on large minnows and prepared baits in 25 feet of water. Crappie fishing is fair around 18-feet deep on small, 1/32-ounce jigs and crappie minnows. Bream are biting well on crickets and worms. The larger bream are holding around 20-feet deep.

Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the flow from Lock 9 is 53,000 cubic feet per second and increasing with a headwater of 284.5 and a tailwater of 269.2. Catfishing is still excellent drifting whole shad. With the flows going up, cats have moved to the backside of jetties and the jetty tips. White bass are good on the jetty tips around mid-day. Late in the day and earl in the morning, fishing is strong on the backside of the jetties on Tiny Torpedoes, Spooks and Pop-R’s. Shad Rap crankbaits and Super Spots are working when the fish go deeper. Stripers are good below dams 8, 9 and 10 on casting spoons in the evening. Largemouth bass are moving to the backwaters as the flow increases. Use top-water lures early and late in the day. Try deeper with Junebug and tequila sunrise soft plastics when the sun is high. Kentucky bass are on top of the jetties and directly behind them. Work the sides of the jetties in 2 to 6 feet of water with crankbaits in bream or baby bass colors. Bream fishing is good on the backside of the jetties on black Rooster Tails and crickets.

Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said catfishing is good on rice slicks and cut bait drifted in the channel.

David D. Terry Lock and Dam: McSwain Sports Center said the water is muddy and low. Bream are biting fair on crickets fished near the stumps. Bass are fair early in the morning on top-water lures fished near any visible brush. Catfishing is good below the dam on large minnows and spoons fished in the flowing water.

Tom’s Lake: Shirley’s Bait said the hot weather has kept the fishermen off the lake.

Bradford Lake: Shirley’s Bait said the weather has kept the anglers away from the lake.

White River: Shirley’s Bait said the river is low. Catfishing is about the only thing going right now on the White. Worms, jumbo bass minnows, nightcrawlers and Docs bait are working well on the cats.

Pickthorne Lake: Outdoor Super Store said the lake is low and dingy. All species are poor except for the crappie. Some papermouths are being caught by drifting minnows along the levee in 5 to 7 feet of water.

Sunset Lake: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said the lake is low. Bream fishing is fair on crickets. Bass fishing is good in the early morning and late evening on top-water lures. Catfishing is fair at night on blood bait and stinkbait.

Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said the river is low and clear. Bream fishing is fair along the bank to the first drop off. Bass fishing is good on small crankbaits and small plastic worms.

NORTH ARKANSAS:

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the river is extremely low in the mornings with good clarity. Two to six generators are running in the afternoons. Trout fishing has been good on live red worms, nightcrawlers and Power Eggs in the mornings and Countdown Rapalas in silver and gold and Rooster Tails in yellow or white when generation begins.

  North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been coming online around 2 p.m., providing plenty of wading opportunities. During low water, concentrate your nymph fishing on the faster runs and riffles. During high-water conditions, streamer fishing has been excellent from a boat (especially on overcast days). Many trout are being hooked on terrestrials – grasshoppers, ants and beetles – and it will only get better as summer continues. 

Bull Shoals Lake: Wilderness Trail said the lake temperature dropped to 85 degrees in most areas. The lake level is 649.26, five feet below normal pool. The thermocline dropped to 31 feet. Crappie remain slow and in deep water. Points and pole trees along the cliffs are good holding areas. Crappie minnows are the best bait fished on a red or chartreuse jighead. Catfish were very active this week in main lake pockets and coves. The best baits have been chicken livers, Magic Bait, nightcrawlers and frozen shad. Largemouth bass have slowed in the mornings and the top-water bite has become  hit-and-miss. Secondary points in the creeks and main lake points are your best bet. Fish these areas with a jig-and-pig, tube or Carolina-rigged finesse worm or Brush Hog. Most of the largemouth are holding close to the thermocline at 30 to 31 feet. Smallmouth bass are also using points and this week we saw some action with the smallies pushing shad to the surface in the mornings. Zara Spooks, Chug Bugs and buzzbaits are triggering some nice fish during early morning frenzy feeding. Spider Jigs, tubes and drop-shotted 4-inch worms are working in 30 feet of water around points during the day. The best bite is early morning and from 2 p.m. until dark. Kentucky bass are still hard to find as they are traveling with the shad. Every once in a while you will see a school on top, but it’s not a pattern you can count on. Best baits on top have been clear Pop R’s or Chug Bugs and Zara Spook Jrs. Spoons and drop-shot rigs are working the best on the Kentuckies under the shad. Check the ends of the bluff walls and over the channels in the creek arms for schools. The walleye must love the heat because the best bite is in the middle of the afternoon. A number of baits and techniques are catching keeper walleye in 30 to 32 feet of water along the elongated points and main lake transition banks.  Some of the techniques and baits are crawler harnesses or leech harnesses with bottom bouncers, long lining with Reef Runners, long lining with lead core line and blue Glass Shad, vertically spooning with ¾- to 1-oz white or gray spoons and dragging a shiner on a split-shot rig.

 Sugar Loaf Harbor said the lake is clear and about 6-feet low. Walleye are biting decent on nightcrawlers drifted along the deeper flats. Crappie are biting well. Bass are fair.

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is at 543 feet. Bream fishing is good on nightcrawlers and crickets fished on the first drop from the banks. Crappie are fair in 30 feet of water on minnows fished under a slip-cork rig. Striped bass are good in the morning and evening hours on hair jigs and large top-water lures. Catfishing has been good on trotlines baited with live shad.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said the lake is low and clear. Bream fishing is excellent from 1- to 2-feet deep on crickets. Largemouth bass are best at night on jigs, plastic worms and spinnerbaits fished slowly over the points with rock piles topping out at 13-feet deep. Catfishing is good on live and prepared baits. Crappie fishing is fair, with some decent catches coming from 5 to 17 feet of water on trolled crankbaits and minnows fished under slip-cork rigs around brush piles.

Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the lake clarity is poor as is the fishing.

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is low and the water is clear. Bream are biting well in 2 to 8 feet of water around the stumps and brush piles. Fishermen are doing the best on crickets and red worms. Crappie anglers are reporting good catches on minnows and jigs fished in the same areas. Bass fishing is pretty good around brush piles in the mornings using buzzbaits, spinnerbaits and soft-plastic worms. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and chicken livers in the open water from 8- to 10-feet deep.

Beaver Tailwaters: Fly anglers are reporting catches on brown Beadhead Woolly Buggers (size 10); olive Submarine Soft Hackles (size 16); and olive Lightning Bugs (size 16). Lower river levels and spooky trout demand longer, finer leaders, good drifts and quiet wading.
 

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

Lake Charles: Powhatan Landing said the lake level is returning to normal and the water has a slight stain to it. Bream are biting well right off the bank on crickets. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers.

Black River: Powhatan Landing said the river is running low. Bass anglers are reporting some decent catches.

Spring River: Many Islands Camp said the water is clear and running at normal level. Trout fishing is good on brightly colored Power Bait.
 

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

Lake Chicot: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said the bream are biting tiny tube jigs fished near the stumps, but most of the activity is early or late in the day.

Lake Monticello: Outdoor Super Store said the lake is low and clear. Bream are biting fair in 7 feet of water on crickets. Bass fishing is fair in the early morning and lat evenings on top-water lures.

Grand Lake: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said crappie are fair on jigs tipped with small minnows.

Arkansas River: Sanders Pawn and Bait said there have been no reports coming in of any good fishing.
 

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water is 85 to 89 degrees and the lake is 1 inch above normal pool with a discharge at the dam of 172 cubic feet per second. Largemouth bass are good early and late on Pop R's or Ken Pops in Gold-orange/black back with feather-tails and Cordell Crazy Shads in chrome/black. Zoom Horny Toads, Turbo Shads or Bass Assassin Shads in white and silver shad colors are still working in the pad edges along Little River. Twitch Assassins in Alewife, Smoke Pepper Shad, or Chartreuse Diamond are working well, as are Johnson gold or silver spoons with spilt-milk or white grub trailers in the backs of pad fields. Smithwick Rouges in baby bass/orange belly or gold/black back are working in 10 to 12 feet of water along the Little River are taking nice size bass late in the afternoons after the direct sun fades.  Baby Brush Hogs and lizards in cherryseed or watermelon with red flake are still taking some smaller bass on stumps in creek channels. Yearling bass were schooling in Mud and McGuire Lakes at daybreak last week and hitting Cordell Crazy Shads, Zara Puppies and buzz baits in firecracker colors. Two fishermen boated more than 40 in less than an hour.  The jig bite is beginning to improve with the best colors being Texas Craw, black and blue, or pumpkin-watermelon rind. Crappie remain best early in the mornings, on 1/16-ounce jigs with smoke grubs fished 12- to 17-feet deep in contact with planted brush piles and tops.  The catfish bite remains fair on cut shad suspended on yo-yos or trotlines under cypress trees around Jack's Isle and Clear Lake. Trotlines in Little River set at 15-20 feet depths are still working well. The best yo-yo bite remains at night on live shiners, in 9-14 feet depths.

Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said bream are biting well on red wigglers in 3 to 4 feet of water. Crappie fishing is fair on gray and pink jigs from 10- to 12-feet deep. Largemouth bas are good in 6 to 8 feet of water. Catfishing is fair on nightcrawlers.

Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said the lake is low. Catfishing is fair on chicken livers. A few black bass have been caught at night on spinnerbaits with large, black blades.

White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said the prolonged heat is keeping the fishermen off the lake. The lake is also starting to get low with the lack of rain in the area.

Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the lake is falling and the water in the deeper areas is gin clear. Fishing has been poor for all species.

Brady Epperson Guide Service said black bass are hitting plastic worms in 15 to 25 feet. The crappie are in brush around 15- to 25-feet deep, hitting minnows and jigs. Catfish are holding in 10 to 15 feet and are being caught on stinkbait. Bream are in 8 to 12 feet hitting crickets. A few stripers are being caught early in the morning on swim baits and shad.

DeGray Lake: Point Cedar Bait Shop said the low water and heat are keeping most people inside. A few catfishermen are catching some fish trotlining at night.

Iron Mountain Resort said hybrids and white bass are schooling early in the mornings and late in the afternoons around Arlie Moore and the mouths of Brushy and Yancey creeks. They are biting on spoons, Rooster Tails, and top-water lures. Largemouth and spotted bass are beginning to move deeper with the warming temperatures. Bass are being caught on Texas-rigged plastic worms in about 16 to 22 feet of water. Some are being caught on the surface, schooling early in the mornings and late in the afternoons.  Bream are good on crickets and worms off points and shallow humps in 10 to 18 feet of water. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in 12 to 18 feet of water on points and brush piles. Catfish are good in 15 to 18 feet of water on main lake points and rock piles.

Little Missouri River:  No report.
 

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the water is low but clearing a little. Bream were starting to bed up again in 1 to 3 feet of water and anglers finding them had little trouble catching a few on crickets. Catfishing is excellent on cut bait, shrimp and shad.

Cross Creek said bream are biting fair on crickets. Bass have been biting well on Reaction Innovations Sweet Beavers and other creature baits. Catfishing has been good on live bait and cut shad.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the fishing has been so poor and the gas prices so high, not many people are headed to the water.

Lake Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is clear. The lake level is 569.39 and the surface temperature ranges form 88 to 94 degrees. Largemouth bass are slow to fair early and late in the day. They are biting well on Texas-rigged Zoom Old Monsters, U-tails and Speed Worms in strawberry, watermelon with red flake and redbug. Try main lake points and large bay pockets near creek channels for the best results in 12 to 20 feet of water. Kentucky bass are good on live crayfish in 18 to 25 feet of water near brush piles. Walleye are biting well on the main lake points around brush piles. Try silver spoons, 3-inch grubs and silver Rat-L-Traps in 15 to 25 feet of water. Stripers are fair on live bait and hair jigs. The eastern end of the lake has seen the best success. Areas around Brady Mountain, Spillway Bay and Yorktown Bay are still the best early and late in the day. Bream are biting very well on crickets and worms. They are being caught from 12 to 20 feet of water. Crappie fishing is still slow with a few fish being taken around the moss flats on 2-inch grubs, minnows and feather jigs. Areas from 15- to 35-feet deep are the best bet. Catfish are still good on live bait, hot dogs and cut bait around 10- to 20-feet deep.

Cross Creek said the bream are biting well in around 6 feet of water on crickets and worms. Crappie are fair on Bandit crankbaits in Tennessee shad colors. Bass have been biting well on Reaction Innovations Sweet Beavers and other creature-type baits.

Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the water is clear and low. Moss has matted up in the guts of all the shallow pockets of the lake. Bream fishing is good on worms and crickets fished 10-feet deep. Black bass are biting well on Zara Spooks and other top-water lures in the early hours of the day. Stripers are biting live bait around 20-feet deep in the mornings. Walleye are holding in 25 to 35 feet of water and are hitting heavy jigging spoons worked just outside of the brush piles.

Lake Catherine: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the lake is clear and low with a lot of vegetation appearing in the shallows. Bream are biting well on red wigglers and crickets fished near the bottom in 25 feet of water. Bass are biting well in the early morning on top-water lures like Zara Spooks and Flukes in the early hours of the morning. Walleye are biting well around the brush piles near the current breaks.  

Lake Catherine State Park said fish are breaking on the state park end of the lake. Crappie fishing is good around the brush piles near the main river. Bream fishing is good on worms and crickets fished in 3 to 6 feet of water near the bank.

Lake Hamilton: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the lake is clear. Bream fishing is good in 6 to 7 feet of water on red worms and crickets. Bass have been biting in the mornings on top-water lures and soft-plastics. Stripers are biting well on live bait. 

Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the lake is at normal level and has decent clarity. Crappie fishing is fair around 25-feet deep on tight-lined jigs. Bass are schooling in open areas of the lake. Catfish are fair on worms and chicken livers.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said bream fishing is excellent on crickets. Catfishing is good.

Lake Nimrod: Lake Nimrod Bait ‘n’ More II said the lake is at a normal level. Crappie fishing good but slow using minnows, pink-and-white jigs and Bandit crankbaits. Bass are biting well early and late using spinnerbaits and plastic worms. Bream anglers are doing well using worms and crickets. Catfish are great on worms, minnows, chicken or turkey livers. They are also biting well on yo-yos baited with large minnows or goldfish.

Arkansas River: Cross Creek said the river is low. Crappie and bream fishing have been poor, but the bass are making up for that. Bass have been excellent on Zoom Horny Toads and Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver creature baits fished in 3 to 10 feet of water. Catfishing is good on live bait and blood bait in the deeper holes around the dams early and late in the day.

Tackle Box said the river is clear and at normal levels. Crappie fishing is good on minnows fished from 8- to 10-feet deep. Largemouth bass are biting well in the mornings around the jetties on crankbaits. Catfishing is good below the dam on cut shad.
 

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Felsenthal: Benson’s Grocery and Bait said bream and bass fishing are good. All other species are slow. The hot weather is still keeping anglers off the water.

Saline River: Sanders Pawn and Bait said fishing has been slow for all species.

Cox Creek Lake: Sanders Pawn and Bait said fishing has been slow for all species.

 

EAST ARKANSAS:

Old Town Lake: Old Town Fish Camp said the lake is low and the water is clear. Bream are biting on wax worms and crickets around the cypress trees. Bass are fair on buzzbaits and top-water lures fished next to the bank. Catfish are good on trotlines baited with minnows and set in 12 feet of water. Crappie are fair around cypress trees.

Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): River City Sporting Goods said the river is at normal levels with a light stain to the water. Bream are biting fair on crickets and panfish worms around stumps in 4 to 8 feet of water. Crappie fishing is poor, but some have been caught on crappie minnows and jigs around 14-feet deep on brush piles in the backwaters. Bass fishing is fair on top-water lures fished over the tops of brush piles in the mornings and crankbaits and soft-plastics fished within the brush later in the day. Catfish have been good on bass minnows.

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the water is at normal level and is stained. Bream are fair on crickets and fly-fishing equipment in 121/2 feet of water. Crappie fishing is poor, with only a few keepers coming from 2 to 5 feet of water. Bass fishing is fair around 2- to 5-feet deep on crankbaits in the mornings. Catfishing is fair around the still-water areas.

Midway Lake: Ed’s Boat Camp said not many fishermen are going to the lake.

Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream fishing has been good in 5 feet of water on red worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is good slow-trolling minnows in 12 to 14 feet of water. Catfishing is good on jugs baited with sunfish or cut bait.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake is at normal levels and the water is clearing up. Bream fishing is good around the cypress trees in 3 feet of water on crickets. Crappie fishing is good around the piers in deeper water on minnows. Bass anglers are doing well in the shallow water on spinnerbaits and top-water lures. Catfishermen are bringing a few fish home on yo-yos baited with nightcrawlers and hung from the cypress trees.
 

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