HOT SPOTS

ARKANSAS RIVER (MORRILTON) Catfishing is good early and late around creek mouths and wherever there are deep drops. Whole shad have been the best bait. Kentucky bass are schooling around creek mouths early and late and are being caught on Spooks. Bream fishing is excellent in the overhangs and grass beds using crickets. Striper fishing is good below Dam 9 when they are generating.

BULL SHOALS LAKE Bass are biting top water lures early in the morning and soft plastics and live bait during the day. Crayfish and night crawlers fished on split-shot rigs are working well on brush piles, points and drop-offs in 15-40 feet of water. Walleye are biting crawler rigs trolled on bottom bouncers and crankbaits in 25-40 feet of water. Jigging spoons are catching walleye, bass and crappie on brush piles and bluff ends in about 30-40 feet of water.

LAKE CONWAY Bream fishing is good using redworms and crickets. Crappie are biting fair in the deep water in the channels around the cypress trees on minnows and jigs. Bass fishing is good early and late in the day with top water baits and soft plastics. Catfishing is good using night crawlers and cut bait.

LAKE MAUMELLE Bass fishing is good. Floating worms, swim baits, top water lures, jigs and other deep-water baits have been effective throughout the day. White bass are biting all over the lake on CC spoons, Roostertails and Spooks. Crappie fishing is good in 15-20 feet of water around any structure. Dull color jigs with bright neon jig heads and minnows have been the go-to baits. Bream fishing is excellent using worms and crickets in 10-15 feet of water. Catfishing is good using night crawlers and prepared bait.

LAKE NIMROD Bream fishing is excellent using night crawlers, redworms, meal worms, crickets and rock hoppers. Crappie fishing is good using minnows, Slab Slay’rs, Stroll’rs, jigs, PowerBait and Crappie Nibbles. Catfish are being caught in deep water using minnows, worms, stink bait and chicken, turkey or rabbit livers. Bass are being caught on tequila sunrise worms, spinnerbaits, Roostertails and Flukes.

Sports, Pages 22 on 07/25/2013