Northwest & North-Central Arkansas BEAVER Southtown Sporting Goods said bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in brush. Bass are biting well on Carolina rigs and drop shots. J. T. ’s Crappie Guide Service said bass are biting small topwater baits early and late around Prairie Creek and Horseshoe Bend Parks. In the middle of the day bass can be caught on Hula Grubs fished around shaded banks near chunk rock. Crappie fishing has slowed since last week. The water temperature has gone back up a bit, halting the fall feeding frenzy. They can be caught under deep shaded docks and along bluff lines with standing timber. Black / chartreuse tubes or a minnow fished 10 to 25 feet over cover has produced best. White bass fishing has been almost non existent. A few are moving here and there and can be caught on small casting spoons. Catfish are biting liver, worms and minnows under docks and from the bank at night. Bluegill can be caught in the flooded cover with crickets under a float 2 to 4 feet deep.
Southtown Sporting Goods said bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in brush. Bass are biting well on Carolina rigs and drop shots.
Hook, Line & Sinker said high water continues to keep bass scattered. Fair catches are being made by a variety of methods. Some are still surfacing mornings and evenings and going for topwaters including the Zara Spook Jr. and Sammy. Others are being caught in flooded brush and grass on buzz baits, spinner baits, shallow-running crank baits and jigs. Carolina rigs, football jigs and finesse worms on shaky heads continue to work fairly well around main-lake points and humps. A few bass continue to be caught at night on Texas-rigged plastic worms and dark-colored jigs and spinner baits. White bass and some hybrids are surfacing early and late in creek arms and going for topwaters, spoons and grubs. Crappie remain scattered and fair on minnows, jigs and trolled crank baits. Stripers, too, are scattered and fair on big topwaters, live shad and umbrella rigs trolled about 40 feet deep. Catfish remain good on cut bait, livers and other traditional catfish baits. Bream are fair on crickets and worms.
Hickory Creek Marina said black bass are good on crank baits. Crappie have been good on minnows about 18 feet deep. Spider rigging minnows 10-15 feet deep for crappie remains fair. No report on catfish or bream. BEAVER TAILWATERS Ken Richards at justfishingguides. com said the water levels are beginning to get back down, so there are more wading opportunities. Gray or tan sowbugs, red copper Johns, Hornbergs and hare’s ear nymphs are good patterns for the tailwater now. During high water, large streamers such as # 4 black woolly buggers are picking up some nice fish. BELLA VISTA LAKES Hook, Line & Sinker said bass are fair. Top producers continue to be finesse worms and jigs, although there’s also some action on small buzz baits and other topwaters early and late and on cloudy days. Action is fair at night on jigs, Texas-rigged plastic worms and crank baits. Crappie and catfish remain slow. Bream are fair on crickets and worms. BULL SHOALS Bull Shoals Boat Dock said the lake remains very high. Fair catches of bass are being made on jigging spoons, live nightcrawlers and soft plastics on drop-shot rigs worked vertically at depths of 25-35 feet around standing timber, bluff ends and main-lake points. There’s also some scattered surfacing action with bass on small topwaters and other shad-imitating lures. Crappie remain slow, with only a few being taken at night under lights on minnows and jigs. A few walleye are being caught in the same areas and by the same techniques as bass. Bream are fair on crickets and worms. There was no report on catfish, though conditions are favorable for good action. BULL SHOALS TAILWATERS Berry Brothers Guides said generation from Bull Shoals Dam is relatively light, and the area from the state park and down to Cane Island Shoals remains hot. In high water, top flies are San Juan worms and egg patterns in red, cerise, hot pink and fire orange. On lower water, black Zebra Midges, scuds, sow bugs and soft hackles including green butts are working well. Another prime spot is the Narrows, where brightly colored San Juan Worms with a nymph on a dropper are working well. Popular nymph choices include Zebra Midges, Trout Crack, sow bugs, scuds and beadhead hare’s ears. The same nymphs in size 18, along with olive Woolly Buggers, are working well when the water level is lower. The Rim Shoals catch-and-release area also has been productive. Top patterns are brightly colored San Juan Worms in cerise, hot pink and red. Sportsman’s White River Resort said water conditions are normal with seven generators running around the clock. Trout fishing has been very good on trout worms, Rogues and Rapalas. KINGS RIVER The river was at 3. 2 feet on the gauge at Berryville at noon Wednesday.
Guide J. D. Fletcher said bass are good on tubes in shades of brown or green, and a few are going for buzz baits. Ken Richards at justfishinguides. com said fly fishermen are scoring with large streamer patterns fished on a sinking line and also are scoring with big topwater flies. LAKE FAYETTEVILLE Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said water conditions are normal. Bream are fair on crickets. A few crappie have been caught on jigs. Bass are fair on buzzbaits and plastic worms. NORFORK 101 Grocery and Bait said the water temperature ranges from the mid-60 s to the mid-70 s. Kentucky bass fishing has been good. Bluegill fishing is good. Crappie fishing is fair. Catfishing is good using trotlines. Striper fishing is slow. White bass fishing is fair. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass fishing is fair. NORFORK TAILWATERS Mountain River Fly Shop said there are still some wading opportunities available in the mornings. Soft-hackle flies in green, yellow and red-yellow are working well. Zebra Midges, tungsten WD-40 s, sow bugs and Woolly Buggers also are producing well.
Ken Richards at justfishinguides. com said small sowbugs, zebra midges and soft hackles are working well on the low water. During high water, Y 2 K bugs, San Juan worms and dynamite worms are working the best. SEQUOYAH Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said water conditions are normal. Crappie are good 4 feet deep on minnows. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits. A few catfish have been caught on chicken liver. TABLE ROCK Guide J. D. Fletcher said bas are fair with mixed bags of largemouth, spotted (Kentucky ), smallmouth and meanmouth bass being caught around points, bluff ends and deep docks on football jigs and plastic worms worked on shaky heads, Texas rigs and Carolina rigs. Crank baits, spinner baits and buzz baits also are producing some fish in the river arms. In the upper White River and Roaring River areas, there’s some bass action mornings and evenings along bluffs and points on 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. Crappie remain fair 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 nightcrawlers are accounting for good catches of trout lakewide, and there’s also some action on micro jigs fished under floats. Fly fishermen are scoring with gray scuds (size 12-14 ) worked along channel drops. Zebra midges worked about a foot under strike indicators also are productive. Baits and lures are working well during periods of generation. Top choices include Gulp Power Eggs (pink, orange or yellow ) and small to medium Rapala crank baits.
West-Central Arkansas ATKINS Lucky Landing said t water conditions are normal. Bream are picking up on crickets. Crappie are fair on jigs. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Catfishing is good on worms and minnows. CATHERINE Catch’em All Guide Service said that Entergy has Lake Ouachita out of flood pool and is now only running enough water to maintain normal lake levels. Beginning Wednesday, October 1, generation will occur from noon to 10 p. m. daily. Fishermen need to time their trips during this period at Carpenter Dam since the running water is key for striper and hybrid activity. Until the weather drops down into the 40 s at night for several weeks, the shad schools will remain in the tailrace. As long as shad are present, large stripers will be active and looking to feed. The migration of threadfin shad from shallow to deep water usually occurs in late October so there is still some time left for anglers to catch quality fish. Schooling stripers will attack large topwater presentations such as C-10 Redfins and Super Spooks in shad or rainbow trout colors. Remember to have soft plastics handy when these mainstay lures are refused. Stripers are often very picky about the shape of the prey they feed on. Having different bait can make the difference between strikes and wasted efforts. Never fish for large hybrids and stripers with tackle that can't handle the heavy pressure these fish produce. Rods 6 to 7 feet long are best rigged with lines of at least 17 pound test. Casting and spinning reels capable of handling these heavy lines are preferred and give the angler the best chance for success. Rainbow trout stocking will begin in November at Carpenter Dam and this will mark the much awaited trout season.
Diamondhead Marina said the water is at normal level and clearing up. Bass have been fair on shorelines on spinnerbaits and plastic worms. Catfishing is fair on jugs with minnows. Walleye are fair on minnows. DARDANELLE Lake Dardanelle State Park said the water color on Lake Dardanelle is variable with muddy conditions out in the main body of the lake and river channel and clearer water around tributaries such as Illinois Bayou and Big Piney. The surface temperature is 73 degrees. River flow is expected to slow from 64, 000 CFS to 58, 000 CFS by the weekend. Bass fishing has been tough on the lake the last couple of weeks and a cold front is expected to roll through Tuesday. Emergent and floating grasses have been areas known to produce some fish. Anglers are keeping it a secret on what baits they are catching fish on because this weekend 100 + anglers will try their luck on Lake Dardanelle in the Regional Bassmasters Weekend Series. Crappie fishing is slow, but they can be found hanging around brush piles and underwater structures. Minnows on yo-yos have been successful for some crappie fishermen. Catfish have also slowed down a bit. Fishermen are using liver, shad and nightcrawlers to catch a few. Bream species are still biting fairly well on crickets and worms along banks with overhanging trees and along boat docks. Murphy’s Sporting Goods said the water is muddy and high. All species are slow. HAMILTON No report. HINKLE Bill's Bait Shop said water conditions are normal. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are fair in deep water on minnows. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good worms, chicken liver and perch. OUACHITA Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is clearing and the surface temperature ranges from 72 to 76 degrees. Largemouth bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Kentucky bass and largemouths are breaking the surface on cloudy days and low-light hours. Walleye are biting very well on spoons fished over brush piles around main lake points. Bottom bouncers with spinners and crawler harnesses are working as well. Stripers are biting well on live shad and trotline minnows. White jigs and 3 / 4-ounce spoons are working well. Bream are fair on crickets and worms fished 18 to 25 feet deep. Crappie are biting well over brush in 20 to 30 feet of water. Tennessee shad and white are still the best colors for crappie. Catfishing is fair on cut bait and live bait suspended from jug lines and trotlines.
Poorman’s Guide Service said the water is clearing and the surface temperature ranges from 72 to 76 degrees. Largemouth bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Kentucky bass and largemouths are breaking the surface on cloudy days and low-light hours. Walleye are biting very well on spoons fished over brush piles around main lake points. Bottom bouncers with spinners and crawler harnesses are working as well. Stripers are biting well on live shad and trotline minnows. White ? -ounce jigs and 3 / 4-ounce spoons are working well. Bream are fair on crickets and worms fished 18 to 25 feet deep. Crappie are biting well over brush in 20 to 30 feet of water. Tennessee shad and white are still the best colors for crappie. Catfishing is fair on cut bait and live bait suspended from jug lines and trotlines. OZARK POOL Lakeside Food Mart had no report. THIS WEEK:
Lake Sequoyah Crappie are good 4 feet
deep on minnows.
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