NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Beaver Lake: Fishing is good this week for black bass, crappie and walleye, reports Chris Johnson at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers.
Black bass are biting spinner baits in shad colors or top-water lures early.
Work spinner baits all day when it’s cloudy. Fish shallow along transition banks where chunk-rock and gravel banks meet.
Bass can also be caught deep with jigging spoons.
Bill Prophet and James Seals caught a mixed catch of 30 fish 41 feet deep that included largemouth bass of 3 and 5 pounds.
Crappie are biting minnows or jigs, but fishing is best with minnows 2 to 20 feet deep around any type of submerged timber.
Walleye are biting 10 feet deep on nightcrawlers rigged on floating jig heads and a bottom bouncer.
Wind-blown gravel points on the main lake are key spots to fish for walleye.
Jason Piper at J.T. Crappie Guide Services said the fall crappie feeding frenzy is on.
Crappie over 2 pounds have been caught with curly-tail grubs on a one-sixteenth-ounce jig head.
Good colors are yellow/white, red/white, pink/white or fire tiger.
Fish around brush piles or pole timber close to channel drops 20 to 35 feet deep.
Mike Whitehouse at Hickory Creek Marina said striper fishing is good in the War Eagle arm.
A 43-pounder was caught this week on shad. Several fish of 15 to 20 pounds have been caught.
Crappie are biting chartreuse jigs 15 to 20 feet deep around timber.
White River below Beaver Dam: Jessi Eardly at the Beaver Dam Store said trout are biting Power Bait, nightcrawlers or waxworms.
The top lures are red/gold Colorado spoons or burgundy/cold Little Cleo spoons.
Effective flies include a pink egg pattern, psycho prince, midges, gray WD-40 or Y2K bug.
Lake Fayetteville: Dollie Black at Lake Fayetteville boat dock said a few bluegill are being caught with crickets 12 to 15 feet deep.
A few white bass have been caught with white Rooster Tails.
Black recommends crank baits or Rat-L-Traps for black bass.
Lake Sequoyah: Jackie Smith at Lake Sequoyah boat dock reports little fishing activity.
He recommends fishing for black bass with plastic worms, spinner baits or buzz baits.
For catfish, try sunfish, liver, gold fish or Vienna Sausages for bait.
Lake Elmdale: Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat said black bass to 4 pounds have been caught on white spinner baits worked shallow. Stan Sloan spinner baits are particularly effective.
Worms are working for crappie, bluegill and redear off the Duck Camp dock. Garland Sandburgen of Springdale caught several crappie and bluegill with worms. Royland Eckner of Springdale caught 12 redear and 25 bluegill with worms.
Bella Vista: Nick Gann at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said good numbers of black bass are being caught at all the Bella Vista lakes on top-water lures early. Later in the day, work jigs or plastic worms 1 to 20 feet deep.
Crappie and bluegill are slow, Gann said.
Upper Table Rock Lake: J.D.
Fletcher at Eagle Rock, Mo., recommends using top-water lures or spinner baits early for black bass.
Crappie are biting 11 feet deep around docks with jigs or minnows.
Eastern Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said largemouth bass fishing is good at Grand Lake with dark-colored baits 12 to 15 feet deep. Catfishing is good with shrimp or worms.
At Lake Eucha, crappie fishing is good with minnows or jigs 12 to 14 feet deep around brush. Largemouth bass are biting buzz baits worked over grass beds.
Outdoor, Pages 6 on 10/28/2010