Fishing report

By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Posted: August 27, 2009 at 5:06 a.m.

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LITTLE ROCK — Northwest & North-Central Arkansas

BEAVER As of Wednesday, the lake was at 1,120.0 feet, more than a foot below normal level.

Southtown Sporting Goods said bream are fair on crickets and worms. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs fished about 15 feet deep around brush. Bass are fair on crank baits, topwaters and spoons. White bass are surfacing early and late in the day and going for small topwaters and other shadimitating lures. Catfish are good on trotlines and jugs rigged with live bait.

Hook, Line & Sinker said bass remain in a summer pattern, and fair catches are being made by a variety of methods. Action is fair on deep-diving crank baits and plastic worms fished around brush piles, particularly in the river arms. In the same areas, others are being caught on jigs and soft plastics flipped to docks and shallow wood cover. Elsewhere, shaky-head worms worked around docks over deep water continue to work well in the middle and lower areas of the lake, along with other deepwater offerings including drop-shot rigs, Carolina rigs and football jigs. There's some fair topwater action with both black and white bass early and late in the day over mainlake flats and points. Night anglers are reporting fair action with both largemouth and spotted bass on dark-colored soft plastics, jigs and spinner baits. Crappie are fair by trolling deep-diving crank baits in the river arms and on minnows fished 12-18 feet deep along bluff lines. Stripers are fair on topwaters and live bait, particularly in early morning hours. Catfish remain good on trotlines or jugs rigged with live bait, and bream are good on crickets and worms. BEAVER TAILWATERS Ken Richards at Just Fishing Guides said the water level is a bit high because of Table Rock Lake being at 916.3 feet. There is also little flow, making for tough drift fishing conditions. However, fly fishermen are taking trout from the shallows on midge patterns (sizes 18-22). In deeper areas, larger flies (sizes 12-14) are working better, including the Copper John, assorted sow bugs, beadhead midges and olive Woolly Buggers. When there's flow, streamers and attractor-nymph patterns are working well, and some good-sized brown trout are being caught on crawfish-colored crank baits. BELLA VISTA LAKES Hook, Line & Sinker said bass remain fair early and late on a variety of lures including small topwaters, finesse jigs and shaky-head finesse worms. Nighttime action is good at times on dark-colored plastic worms, jigs, crank baits and buzz baits. Bream are good on crickets and worms, with the bigger ones being caught deep. There was no report on catfish or crappie. BULL SHOALS As of Wednesday, the lake was at 654.7 feet, just over a foot below normal level.

Bull Shoals Boat Dock said mixed bags of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted (Kentucky) bass are being taken on Zara Spooks and other topwaters early and late over main-lake points and near shoreline brush. Many anglers are upping their catches by adding a FrontRunner ahead of the main lure. Bass also can be caught along creek channel ledges and off points at depths of 25-35 feet on football jigs and various soft plastics fished on drop-shot, Carolina or Texas rigs. Jigs are producing particularly well in these areas at night. Walleye are fair on spoons, nightcrawlers fished on split-shot rigs and by various trolling tactics. Crappie are good at night under lights and fair in daytime hours, best on minnows fished 25-35 feet deep around standing timber. Catfish are good on trotlines or limb lines rigged with live bream. Bream are good on crickets and worms.

BULL SHOALS TAILWATERS Berry Brothers Guide Service said flows are weak in morning hours and stronger in afternoons. There's some good action during low-water periods in the catch-and-release area just below the dam, when fly fishermen are taking good numbers of rainbows on midge patterns including the Zebra Midge and Dan's Turkey Tail Emerger. Once the water rises, best bet is to fish brightly colored San Juan Worms or egg patterns below a strike indicator. Another hot spot is Wildcat Shoals, where favorite patterns include the Zebra Midge in black, soft hackles in partridge or orange and the Green Butt. Midge patterns also are working well at Rim Shoals. Also, hopper patterns are producing fair numbers of trout in various portions of the river. Sportsman's White River Resort said flows are generally weak and trout action is good on both flies and spin-fishing lures. KINGS RIVER As of Wednesday morning, the river level was at 2.6 feet on the gauge at Berryville, meaning floaters should plan on a good bit of dragging.

Guide J.D. Fletcher said bass action is good on tubes in shades of green or brown and on buzz baits.

Ken Richards at Just Fishing Guides said smallmouth bass are excellent on lizards, tubes or small plastic worms in shades of green. Fly fishermen continue to take bass and panfish on grasshopper or crawfish patterns and black Woolly Buggers. LAKE FAYETTEVILLE Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said all species are slow. NORFORK As of Wednesday, the lake was at 553.9 feet, about a foot below normal level.

101 Grocery and Bait said surface temperatures have cooled into the mid-80s. Crappie are fair on minnows fished 15-20 feet deep around brush piles. Stripers are good early and late on live shad and Road Runners. Walleye are fair on spoons jigged 40-50 feet deep. Bass are good on spoons and soft plastics worked about 40 feet deep. Bream are good on redworms, wax worms and crickets. White bass are good on Rooster Tails and small spinner baits but are scattered. Catfish are good on worms. NORFORK TAILWATERS Berry Brothers Guide Service said wading conditions are good, particularly in morning hours. Fly fishermen are favoring small midge patterns including black Zebra Midges, Norfork Beadheads in black or olive and Dan's Turkey Tail Emerger. Soft hackles in green, partridge and orange also are effective, along with grasshopper patterns. In high water conditions, best bets are brightly colored San Juan worms or egg patterns fished under an indicator. SEQUOYAH Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair on spinner baits and soft plastics. Catfish are good on bass minnows. TABLE ROCK As of Wednesday, the lake level was at 916.3 feet, a few inches below normal level.

Guide J.D. Fletcher said bass remain solidly in summer patterns. In the river arms, there's some fair topwater action early and late. During mid-day hours, the fish are gathered on channel ledges and points and going for deep-diving crank baits, Carolina rigs and football jigs. Guide Jeff Fletcher has had good success lately dragging Booyah football jigs in deep water off points. Otherwise, finesse worms rigged on shaky heads, split-shot rigs and drop-shot rigs are producing good numbers of bass lakewide. From Kimberling City downlake, the good-sized fish are coming from depths of 25 feet and greater. There's also some surfacing action in the lower section of the lake early and late, when small topwaters are working best. Bass are good at night lakewide on dark-colored jigs and plastic worms. Crappie remain fair on jigs and minnows fished 12-15 feet deep around standing timber and brush. Catfish are good on trotlines or limb lines baited with small live bream, and bream are good on crickets and worms.

West-Central Arkansas

ATKINS Lucky Landing said bream are good on worms and crickets. Catfish are fair on cut shad. DARDANELLE Spadra Marina said crappie are fair on minnows and jigs fished 8-10 feet deep. Catfish are slow, but a few have been caught near moving water on traditional catfish baits. Bass, too, are slow. HINKLE Bill's Bait Shop said bream are good on crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs around brush. Bass are excellent on spinner baits. Catfish are excellent on worms and blood bait. OUACHITA Mountain Harbor Resort bass are good on big Texas-rigged worms fished 18-25 feet deep. Mixed schools of largemouth, spotted (Kentucky) and white bass are surfacing and can be caught on white Rooster Tails or topwaters. Walleye are good on bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses fished 16-24 feet deep around main-lake points or humps. Jigging spoons are working well on suspended fish at the same depths. Stripers are fair, particularly on the east end of the lake, on live shad or trotline minnows. Bream are excellent on worms and crickets in 18-25 feet of water. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs fished 20-30 feet deep. Catfish are good on cut bait and live bait on jug lines and trotlines. Rod-and-reel fishing with stink bait or crickets is good in 15-20 feet of water. OZARK POOL Lakeside Food Mart said beam are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair on crank baits. Catfish are fair on cut bait, nightcrawlers and minnows.

Outdoors, Pages 30 on 08/27/2009

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