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.
 

Booyah Blade Spinnerbait

Spinnerbait - One of the most successful lures ever made, the spinnerbait has changed very little since its creation. The blades provide the vibration and flash to attract bass that are hungry and also create a reaction strike from bass that are not feeding aggressively. Spinnerbaits are simple to fish, just cast it out and reel it in at a steady pace. You can vary the retrieve to find out what the fish want. Sometimes, crawling or slow-rolling it along the bottom and giving it a quick tug will cause a fish that was following to strike solely out of instinct.

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 early mornings and late evenings on white or chartreuse buzzbaits and Zoom Horny Toads fished around lily pads. Dark plastic worms are catching a few fish near pads. Catfishing is fair on trotlines, yo-yos and jugs baited with cut shad.

Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said the river is low with most generation coming in the afternoons. This leaves plenty of excellent wading opportunities in the morning hours. In spite of fallout from Hurricane Rita, Saturday provided some excellent fishing. Bait fishermen did the best on Power Eggs, corn and nightcrawlers. Spin fishers also did well with marabou jigs drifted under a casting bubble or cork. Fly fishermen did well on sowbugs and scuds, especially in the morning.

Greers Ferry: Shiloh Marina said the lake is ultra-clear and low, making fishing difficult. Kentucky bass are schooling early and late in the day, randomly chasing shad. If you are in the right time at the right place, you can catch a few on crankbaits. Walleye fishing is fair around 35 feet deep on nightcrawlers drifted over the flats in the lake. Crappie fishing is fair around 12-14 feet of water.
Fish Finder Service said that after the almost six inches of rain around the lake, the lake rose about nine inches but is now falling again. The lake is at 453.21 and still eight feet low and falling. Largemouth and Kentucky bass ganged up in the run-offs for two days and are being caught frequently as are a lot of fish in the transition at the present. Fish are moving to shallow water, but cooler weather is needed to improve the bite. In the shallows, try traps, crank baits, jigs and finesse rigs along with a top water lure early and late in the day. The frog bite has been good throughout the day. The rest of the fish and smallmouths are in anywhere from 40 to 60 feet suspended and are hard to catch. When the fish are bottom feeding a Texas-rig or Carolina-rig is working. Worms on both and lizards and rite bite cinkos on the c-rig are also working well. The crappie fishing is excellent in standing timber as well as around man made brush piles. A few bream are ganging up in the areas around the docks. The catfish continue to bite well and can be caught all over the lake. The walleye have slowed some due to the stain , but should really turn on in a couple of weeks. The hybrid and white bass action is hot right now and can be caught all over the lake using a variety of baits. Also, black bass are schooling quite a bit now all over the lake, you just have to be in the right spot at the right time.
 
Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the water in the lake has excellent clarity. Crappie fishermen are doing fairly well on small minnows and jigs fished in 4-6 feet of water. Bass are back in the coves and are going for spinnerbaits and soft-plastic worms in 2-4 feet of water. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers and large live minnows. Bream are also biting well. Most of the bream are coming from 4-6 feet of water on crickets and worms.

Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the lake is clear and extremely low. Even the rains over the weekend didn’t bring it back up. A few crappie were picked up in the creek channels on minnows and jigs. The low water has turned many fishermen away from the lake lately.

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

Beaverfork Lake: Wooster Grocery said bream fishing is fair on crickets. Bass and crappie are holding in the shallows and occasionally take minnows. Some bass have been taken on top-water lures.

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the river is at normal level, but the clarity is extremely poor. Bream are biting well in 3 feet of water. Try tightlining a red wiggler or a cricket at the base of a brush pile or stump. Catfishing is good in the main channel on any live or prepared bait. All other species are slow.

Lake Cargile: Beeson's Grocery said the lake is almost 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:  Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said bass fishing has been fair to good on white spinnerbaits and white Zoom Flukes fished in shallow water. Catfishing is fair to good on cut bait, rice field slicks and minnows.

Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the flow from Lock and Dam #9 is 11,000 cubic feet per second with the headwaters at 285.55 and the tailwaters at 264.80. Few fishermen have ventured out onto the river due to the recent storms. Black bass are excellent on red blood worms in two to four feet of water around timber. Horny toads in black pearl are working well. Kentucky bass are schooling on jetty tops. Try a crawfish color Gitzit. Some really nice fish in the 12 to 15-inch range have been caught. Stripers are schooling on jetty tips near the mouths of creeks. Use spoons and rattle traps in shad or pearl in these areas. White bass are schooling late and early. Use rattle traps in pearl color. Bream are near the bank. Use grasshoppers to pull in some nice-sized bream. Catfish can be found below the dam. Try whole shad and drift fish below the dam. Crappie are fair on chartreuse and red tube jigs fished in the back water in three to six-foot depths near tree stumps.

Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said bass fishing has been fair to good on buzzbaits fished around jetty points. Quite a few catfish have been brought in on trotlines baited with live shad. Striper fishing has been good early in the morning around the Murray Hydroelectric plant. Try chartreuse Sassy Shads, Twistertails or split tails. Catfish have also been good around the plant on shad, slicks and nightcrawlers.

Sunset Lake: Turbyfill’s said the lake is low. Bass fishing has been good around the brush piles in 12 to 15 feet of water. Try using a soft-plastic worm in red shad or other dark colors.

Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s said the river is running low and clear. Bass fishing has been good on the smallmouths around brush piles on top-water lures. A few walleye have been picked up in the deeper holes on brightly colored crankbaits.

Terry Lock and Dam: McSwain Sports Center said some catfish have been caught below the dam on cut shad. The storms prevented most fishing last weekend.

Clear Lake: McSwain Sports Center said the water is high and muddy. The recent storms shut down the fish and kept the fishermen off the lake. All species are slow.


NORTH ARKANSAS:

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the river is running low and clear. Only one generator was running all last week. Wax worms, red worms and nightcrawlers caught quite a few trout. Yellow and orange Power Eggs, Little Cleo Spoons and Buoyant Spoons in gold and red worked well in the current. Fly-fishermen did well on olive wooly buggers and small sowbugs.
Wilderness Trail said fishing for trout on the White River has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and white or Nuggets in yellow and chartreuse. Buoyant Spoons, and Little Cleos are the bait of choice during generation. Fly-fishermen did well on olive Woolly Buggers, olive scuds and sow bugs.  The brown trout are being caught on Jointed Countdowns, Shad Raps and Rogues.   

Bull Shoals Lake: Wilderness Trail said lake temperature should come down a little this week. As of Sunday morning, the lake temperature is 78.7 degrees. Lake level is about the same as last week, at 647.80. The thermocline is at 31 feet and is 4 feet wide. Crappie pulled out of the brush piles and moved out into the thermocline. Crappie minnows and Swimming Minnows worked the best this week in 30+ feet of water. Largemouth bass will still be on the banks in the mornings but with the lower water temperatures some spinnerbaits and/or crankbaits should start working. Also stay with your Carolina rigs but change your baits over to smaller finesse worms, centipedes and Baby Brush Hogs or 5-inch lizards. Smallmouth will move into transition banks and points to forage on crawdads. The bite is already starting, but most of the smallies are under 15 inches.  Tubes, Spider Jigs, Mojo rigs with finesse worms or centipedes and grubs will be your key baits for the next few weeks. Kentuckies have been swimming with the balls of shad all summer, now the shad are moving in toward the banks in the cuts and coves and the Kentuckies will be forced to feed on crawdads along with the shad. Pop R’s and Chug Bug baits will start to pick up in the early morning; tubes, Spider Jigs and Mojo rigged centipedes or Fish Doctors will work during the day.  Walleye are very hard to target during the fall transition. Once the lake temperature makes the low 70s, the walleye that have been holding in the thermocline will move toward the drop offs and the points and forage on crawdads, sunfish or shad. They will be scattered and difficult to pattern.  Meanwhile stay with the spooning, pulling bottom bouncers and long lining Hot’N Tots and Reef Runners in 30 to 35 feet of water. 
 Sugar Loaf Harbor said the water is low. Crappie are biting well along the bluffs and in standing timber around 25 feet deep. Minnows have been the best bait for the slabs. Walleye are biting spoons well on the flats and long, extended points running from 28 to 55 feet deep. Catfishing has been good on noodles and jugs baited with live bream or shad.

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is clear and around 10 feet low. Bream are biting well on red worms and crickets fished around the brush next to the shoreline. Black bass are biting well early in the morning on top-water lures and buzzbaits. Jigs and plastic worms are also working during the day over the points in 25-35 feet of water. Hybrids are biting well on spoons, swim baits and umbrella rigs fished in 35-45 feet of water. Catfishing is good on cut bait and nightcrawlers fished on trotlines or jugs over major points and creek turns. Crappie fishing has been best at night on minnows and jigs fished over brush piles 35 feet deep.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said the lake is low and clear. Bream are biting fair on worms and crickets fished 4-8 feet deep. Crappie fishing is fair in 4-10 feet of water on minnows under a slip-cork rig. Bass fishing is fair on finesse worms and slow-rolled spinnerbaits in 20-30 feet of water. At night, the fish are moving up to the shallower water and going for dark soft-plastic worms and black spinnerbaits.
Hickory Creek Marina said the water level is low, but the clarity is ideal. With the cooling trend, spinnerbaits and crankbaits on the flats and long points are the places to head to for black bass. If you’re looking for stripers, they’re holding in the open waters on the lower end of the lake. Once the water temperature reaches 65 degrees, they should make their push to the rivers. Crappie fishermen are doing well under lights at night along drop-offs in 12 to 15 feet of water. Spider riggers are also having some good luck in Big Hickory, Eden Bluff and the Mouth of War Eagle Creek. White bass have been moving with the shad. Look for surface activity in the early morning and late evening. Jigging spoons have been producing good catches around balls of shad near the surface activity. The best action is coming from across the water intake and across from Eden Bluff. Incidental catfish catches continue with crappie fishermen and white bass anglers. The bluff line at Hickory Creek is still producing some large cats. Try fishing a large minnow underneath a slip-bobber rig at about 30 feet deep for the best luck.
  Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the lake is 6 to 8 feet low and the water is clear. Bluegill and redear sunfish are biting red worms well in 5 to 7 feet of water at the base of brush piles. Crappie fishing is fair in 10 to 12 feet of water on minnows fished around any submerged brush. Catfishing is fair, but no details are coming in from fishermen.

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is very low and clear. Bream fishing is fair in 4-8 feet of water on crickets fished around the stumps. Crappie are biting minnows and jigs well with the best action coming from stumps and weed beds in 4-6 feet of water. Bass fishing is good o buzzbaits, spinnerbaits and plastic worms on the mossy points and weed beds in the lake. Channel cats are biting well on goldfish and nightcrawlers fished in the river channel around 8-10 feet deep.



NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

Lake Hogue: With the cooling water, tilapia should be at their peak weights and easy to catch. There’s only a month or two left for tilapia this season. The best bet is using red worms fished right on the bottom near the rocks of the dam.

Lake Charles: Powhatan Landing said the lake is stained and low. Catfishing is good on Sonny’s Stinkbait, chicken livers and nightcrawlers fished along the bottom.

Black River: Powhatan Landing said the river is running very low. Some catfish have been coaxed into biting with chicken livers, nightcrawlers and Sonny’s Stinkbait.

Spring River: Many Islands Camp said the river is running clear and low. Trout fishing has been good on Rooster Tails fished across the current and salmon eggs drifted with the current. This will be the last report for the season on Spring River.

 
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

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


SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said largemouth bass are biting well and schooling upriver. The best schooling activity has been in mid-day around Mud Lake, Horseshoe Lake and Clear Lake. Heddon Dying Flutters, Clear Baby or Tiny Torpedos, Smithwick Rouges, Devil Horses, all are catching the schoolers on top water in the last few days. Zoom Horny Toads in black or Bass Assassin Shads in rainbow trout or gizzard shad colors, are all taking good size bass in the pads and vegetation. Jig bite continues improving. The most consistent bite remains at the bases of cypress trees and knees, in approximately 6-8 foot depths. Berkley 10-inch Power Worms in red shad or blue fleck colors are taking keeper length bass along the river stair-step washouts where laydowns or stumps are present. Crappie remain best early in the mornings. Best this week on smoke or orange/white colored grubs, 12 to 14 feet deep, in contact with planted brush piles and tops. The catfish bite is good using live shiners or cut bait on yo-yos under cypress trees in the oxbow lakes, and on trotlines in Little River set at 12-15 feet. White bass are still randomly schooling in Little River and are hitting 1/4 to 1/2 oz Rat-L-Traps in chrome, white, or chrome/chartreuse colors. Good areas this week continue to be in Little River around White Cliffs, McGuire Lake, and Highway 71 landing. Once you find those schools of shad, the whites are just below or adjacent to, the school on your graph.

Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said the yearling bass are schooling a little all over the lake. 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. Catfishing is fair on night crawlers.

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 spinner baits with large, black blades.

White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said the lake is low and clear. No reports for fishing have come in all week.

Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the lake is low and clear. Crappie fishing is good around 15 feet deep on minnows fished in the brush piles.
Mountain Harbor Resort said hybrids have slowed but are still schooling early in the mornings and late in the afternoons around the State Park and the spillway. They are biting spoons, shallow-running crankbaits and a wide variety of top-water lures. Bream are good on crickets and worms off of points and shallow humps in 16-22 feet of water. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in 15-21 feet of water off points and brush piles.  Catfish are fair in 15-18 feet of water off main lake points and rock piles on nightcrawlers and different types of stinkbait. Some have had good luck catching catfish on noodles, jugs or trotlines using shiners or chicken livers. Largemouth and spotted bass are fair. Bass are being caught on Texas-rigged worms and watermelon-colored jigs in 16-24 feet on the outside edge of the grass and in brush piles. With the weather changing, some largemouth and spotted bass are starting to move a little bit shallower. Although many are still being caught on the outside edge of the grass, some are being caught in the middle of the grass with heavy jigs. Spooks and Pop-R's have also been successful used right around the visible outside edge of the grass.

DeGray Lake: DeGray One Stop said the water level is still low on DeGray. The recent storms kept many people off the water, but some anglers did brave the waves. Bream fishing is good in 25 to 35 feet of water on crickets fished along roadbeds and on the islands. Crappie are fair at night along the creek channels and rocky points in 18 to 28 feet of water. Hybrids and black bass are good in the early and late hours of the day on top-water lures and Roostertails. The most action has been around Edgewood, the mouth of Brushy Creek and the Caddo Bend area. Catfishing is fair on live bait fished under jugs and noodles in 18 to 25 feet of water.


Little Missouri River:  There is little action going on in the Little Missouri because trout stockings have not been reinstated to the river yet.

 
WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the lake is high with all the recent rain. Bream fishing is fair in 3 feet of water on crickets and red worms. Bass fishing is fair in the weed beds and deeper grass on a jig-and-pig combo. Shallow-running crankbaits are also working well around any rocky banks. Catfishing is good on chicken livers, cut shad and live bait.

Lake Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Resort said largemouth bass are still fair early and late in the day. The best bets are with Texas-rigged Zoom U-tails and Speed Worms in watermelon/red or red bug. The floating worm bite is improving; try orange and watermelon seed trick worms in 12 to 20 feet of water near creek channels and points. Kentucky bass are biting live crayfish in 18 to 25 feet of water. Walleye are very good with many being caught on main lake points in brush piles 20 to 30 feet deep. Silver spoons and 3” grubs have been the best bet. Stripers are fair on live bait and hair jigs. The eastern end of the lake is producing the most fish. Try the Brady Mountain Area, Spillway Bay and Yorktown Bay.
Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the water is high and the temperature ranges in the low 80s. Bream are biting well in 5 feet of water on top of the moss line that is now submerged with the high water. Bass fishing is good on the points using buzzbaits and Zoom Flukes.
 
Lake Catherine: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the lake is at normal levels and the water is stained. The storms chased some anglers off the lake, but a few still went fishing. Bream are biting well in 5 feet of water on red worms and crickets. Bass fishing was good on topwaters fished over the points. 

Lake Hamilton: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said fishing was slow last weekend, but the year-end BFL tournament had quite a few anglers braving the weather. Top-water lures like Horny Toads and buzzbaits worked very well on the points, but anglers had to cover a lot of water to catch their fish. A few nice fish were pulled off of docks using jigs and soft-plastic crawfish imitations as well.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie fishing is nothing short of amazing right now. The papermouths are holding in 8 feet of water in the coves. Drifting minnows and jigs across the open water underneath a slip cork is bringing a lot of fish to the boat.

Lake Nimrod: Lake Nimrod Bait "N" More II says the lake is at normal elevation for this time of year at 342. Crappie fishing is good but they're still deep. Fishermen are using minnows and jigs. Bream are good with worms or crickets. Catfish are good using stinkbait, turkey liver, worms or yo-yo's baited with large minnows or goldfish. Bass are  hitting plastic worms and spinner baits.

Arkansas River: Tackle Box said the main channel of the river is muddy, but the creeks have much better visibility. Bream fishing is fair in 4-6 feet of water on crickets fished in the brush piles. Bass fishing is good on crankbaits fished over and around main river jetties. Catfish are good on cut shad just below the dam.

 
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Felsenthal: Crossroads said the lake is at normal level. Bream fishing has been fair on red wigglers fished around any shallow structure. Catfishing has been good on cold worms.

Saline River: Sanders Pawn and Bait said few anglers have been visiting the river lately.

Cox Creek Lake: Sanders Pawn and Bait said the lake is dark and low. Crappie fishing is fair with minnows deep after dark. Catfishing is fair on trotlines.

EAST ARKANSAS:

Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box said the river is running high and murky after the recent rains. Bream fishing is fair in 11/2 feet of water on crickets fished right next to the shoreline. Bass fishing has been good on buzzbaits around brush and rocks when the sun is behind the clouds. Catfishing is fair on worms and cut shad drifted in the current.
River City Sporting Goods said the bream are biting fair on worms and crickets around the brush in 4-6 feet of water. Largemouth bass have been good on top-water lures, spinnerbaits and soft-plastic worms. Catfish are fair in 25 to 40 feet in the main river channel on cut shad.

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the water is low with a slight stain. Bream are biting well on crickets fished around brush piles and stumps in 2-5 feet of water. They are also coming up for popping bugs fished on the surface in the same areas. Bass fishing has been fair in 2-5 feet of water on crankbaits. A local tournament last weekend saw some good bass brought to the scales. Catfish are good on stinkbait fished anywhere near deep water.

Midway Lake: Ed’s Boat Camp said the lake is too low for fishing.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake is clear and a little low. Crappie fishing is fair, but should improve with the cooling waters. Bream fishing is good around 3 feet deep on crickets. Some nice bull bluegills and stumpknockers have been pulled from the cypress. Bass fishing is very good, with many bass between 3-5 pounds being caught right now. The best action is on a white spinnerbait fished in 3 feet of water around the lily pads and cypress trees. Catfishing is good on stinkbait and nightcrawlers suspended underneath yo-yos around the cypress trees.

White River Refuge Lakes: Ed’s Bait Shop said the recent storms have kept fishermen off the water.

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