NWA FISHING REPORT

Beaver Lake: The holidays are shaping up to be happy ones for anglers at Beaver Lake.

John Hodge at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said fishing is good for black bass, white bass and crappie. Black bass are biting Alabama rigs and crawdad-colored crank baits worked shallow. For deeper bass, try a finesse worm on a drop shot rig or a jig and pig 20 to 30 feet deep. Spinner baits or crawdad-colored crank baits are the ticket on windy or cloudy days. Work these shallow. Crappie are biting best in the river arms, Hodge said.

Try minnows or jigs 10 to 12 feet deep, but anglers report bites as shallow as 2 feet.

The best jig color is a red or black body and chartreuse tail.

White bass are biting jigging spoons in the Prairie Creek area. Find shad schools with a depth finder and lower a spoon.

Striped bass are biting Rat-LTraps at night. The best fishingis over flats. Average water temperature at Beaver Lake is 58 degrees. Garland Villines at Hickory Creek Marina said striped bass are biting shad or brood minnows 10 feet deep on the south end of Beaver Lake.

For crappie, try jigs 10 to 12 feet deep around brush.

Jason Piper at J.T. Crappie Guide Services said crappie fishing is good. Fish around pole timber or brush piles that are close to a channel or ditch 25 to 45 feet deep. Fish shallower, 6 to 10 feet, on warm days.

Tube jigs or curly-tail grubs are working. Good areas to fish include Beaver Shores, Horseshoe Bend, Monte Ne, Eden’s Bluff and Pine Creek.

White River below Beaver Dam: Lisa Mullins at the Beaver Dam Store said the top flies for trout are midges, peachcolored eggs and olive woolly buggers. Effective lures include floating Rapalas in size 7 or 9 in a rainbow trout color. Brown/ginger micro jigs are also working. Bait anglers should try sunrise Power Bait tipped with a waxworm.

Lake Fayetteville: Dollie Black at Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock reports little fishing activity. She recommends using small jigs for crappie. Work them slowly about 20 feet deep.

Lake Sequoyah: Mike McBride at Lake Sequoyah boat dock said crappie fishing is good with jigs or minnows 4 to 9 feet deep along flats and near brush. Black bass fishing is good with crank baits or plastic worms. Try liver for catfish.

Lake Elmdale: Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat recommends fishing for black bass with dark-colored finesse worms rigged wacky style.

Lake Atalanta: John Hodge at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said trout are biting Power Bait.

Swepco Lake: Fishingactivity is picking up as the weather cools at the warmwater lake, said Kenny Stroud at BW Outdoors in Siloam Springs.

For black bass, try plastic worms in dark colors 1 to 25 feet deep. Use top-water lures at sunrise and sunset.

Swim baits are working. Cast them to the bank and work them out to 40 feet from shore.

Siloam Springs Lake: Stroud said crappie are biting small jigs.

Illinois River: Stroud said black bass are biting tube baits and other crawdad imitations in deep pools or around brush.

Bella Vista: Harvey Horne at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said black bass are biting at all Bella Vista lakes on Alabama rigs, jerk baits, crank baits or jig and pigs. Bluegill are biting crickets or nightcrawlers 8 to 12 feet deep. Trout at Lake Brittany are biting Power Bait or nightcrawlers.

Outdoor, Pages 9 on 11/29/2012

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