NWA FISHING REPORT

Beaver Lake: Crappie fishing is good to excellent on the south end of Beaver Lake, reports Garland Villines at Hickory Creek Marina.

Crappie are biting minnows or jigs 2 to 10 feet deep around brush and stick-ups or along gravel banks. Good jig colors are red or black body with a chartreuse tail. Crappie must be at least 10 inches long to keep.

Black bass fishing is good with jerk baits, crank baits, jig and pigs and Alabama rigs.

John Hodge at Hook, Line and Sinker said black bass are beginning to spawn. Sightfish for them by casting a small plastic worm and split shot toward spawning beds.

Otherwise, try spinner baits, soft jerk baits or jig and pigs.

Bass can be caught a varietyof ways right now, Hodge said.

Crappie are biting jigs or minnows around bushes 2 to 4 feet deep. The white bass run is going strong on the White and War Eagle rivers.

Lit’l Fishies are the top lure.

Average water temperature is 56 to 60 degrees.

Jason Piper at J.T. Crappie Guide Services said crappie are spawning. Try a jig or swim bait 3 to 5 feet deep under a float along gravel banks with cover. Crappie that have not spawned are suspended 6 to 10 feet deep around timber. Try a 2-inch curly-tail grub for these fish.

Good areas to fish include Pine Creek, Hickory Creek and Monte Ne.

Chris Johnson at Cabela’s said black bass fishing is goodwith soft or hard jerk baits.

Crank baits and shaky-head worms are working, too.

Walleye are biting in the midlake area on nightcrawler rigs or crank baits. White bass are biting Roadrunners or grubs in the White and War Eagle rivers.

White River below Beaver Dam: Nancy Rose at the Beaver Dam Store said trout are biting Power Bait, worms or nightcrawlers.

Effective lures include Flicker Shads, gold spoons or Roadrunners. Top flies are olive or red midges, gray sowbugs or white woolly buggers with a red head.

Walleye and white bass are biting minnows in Beaver Lake along the north side of the dam.

Lake Fayetteville: DollyBlack at Lake Fayetteville boat dock said black bass fishing is good with a variety of lures in shallow water.

Crappie and white bass are biting minnows or jigs 3 to 15 feet deep. Bluegill are hitting crickets or worms 12 feet deep.

Lake Sequoyah: Mike McBride at Lake Sequoyah bait shop said crappie fishing is good with minnows or jigs 1 to 8 feet deep. Black bass fishing is good with crank baits, spinner baits or plastic worms. Jim Thomas of Elkins has caught largemouths to 5 pounds this week.

Bluegill are biting worms, crickets or small jigs. Catfish are biting liver or shad.

Lake Elmdale: Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat said crappie are biting jigstipped with a crappie nibble.

Black bass are biting spinner baits.

Prairie Grove Lake: Manager Dennis Kruse said fishing was good last weekend. Try spinner baits or jerk baits for largemouth bass and minnows or jigs for crappie. Try small jigs or crickets for bluegill.

The lake is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Only paddlecraft or electric motors may be used.

Swepco Lake: Kenny Stroud at BW Outdoors in Siloam Springs said largemouth bass fishing is fair early or late on plastic worms.

Illinois River: Stroud suggests using tube baits for black bass.

Bella Vista: Harvey Horne at Hook, Line and Sinker inBella Vista said bass fishing is good at all Bella Vista lakes on crank baits, jigs or Alabama rigs.

Upper Table Rock Lake: J.D. Fletcher at Eagle Rock, Mo., said black bass are biting jerk baits. Crappie are biting in the Holiday Island area on minnows, jigs or Beetle Spins.

Eastern Oklahoma: Kenny Stroud at BW Outdoors in Siloam Springs said black bass at Lake Eucha are biting plastic worms or lizards. Try a black and chartreuse jig for crappie 8 feet deep.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports good largemouth bass fishing at Grand Lake on jigs, jerk baits and crank baits.

Crappie are biting jigs or minnows 10 feet deep.

Outdoor, Pages 6 on 04/25/2013

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