Beaver Lake: Trolling is a good way to catch crappie and walleye.
James Whittle at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said trolling Bandit 300 crank baits is working well for both species. Plain gravel banks are good areas to troll. Creek arms with timber are also worth a try.
White bass are being caught at night under lights around the pilings of the Arkansas 12 bridge. Wait for baitfish to school in the light and use minnows 10 feet deep.
Try top-water lures at dawn and dusk for black bass. Use jigs and plastic worms 10 to 20 feet deep later in the day.
Garland Villines at Hickory Creek Marina also reports that trolling Bandit 300 crank baits is working on the south end of the lake. Troll over the river channel, flats and gravel banks.
For black bass, use jigs along points 10 to 20 feet deep.
Beaver Tailwater: Nancy Rose at the Beaver Dam Store said the best flies for trout are red zebra midges or pheasant-tails.
The top lure is a gold/nickel Colorado spoon. Small jigs in chartreuse or white are also working.
Power Bait or worms are the best trout baits.
Lake Fayetteville: Dolly Black at Lake Fayetteville boat dock said bluegill are biting worms or crickets 2 to 10 feet deep. Catfish are biting liver or nightcrawlers. Top-water lures are working for black bass at sunrise.
Lake Sequoyah: Mike McBride at Lake Sequoyah bait shop said white bass fishing is excellent with small top-water lures, jigs or any lure that resembles shad.
Black bass are biting spinner baits. Catfish are biting liver, nightcrawlers or stink bait fished near weeds. The lake will be open for fishing all night this Friday and Saturday.
Lake Elmdale: Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat said bluegill and redear fishing is good with crickets. Black bass to 7 pounds have been caught this week with spinner baits. Use dark colors on cloudy days. Try blue and chartreuse on sunny days.
Catfish to 24 pounds have been caught on limb lines baited with sunfish. Crappie are biting tube jigs 4 feet deep.
Siloam Springs Lake: Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said top-water lures are working at dawn and dusk. Use plastic worms or Baby Brush Hogs later in the day.
Illinois River: Stroud suggests using small tube baits, grubs or Rooster Tails for black bass.
Bella Vista: Justin McClelland at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said bluegill fishing is good at all Bella Vista lakes 12 to 15 feet deep with crickets.
Catfish at all lakes are biting nightcrawlers or liver. Black bass are biting jigs or crank baits 15 to 20 feet deep.
Eastern Oklahoma: Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass at Lake Eucha are biting top-water lures at dawn and dusk. Use plastic worms in dark colors later in the day.
At night, fish for bass with dark-colored jigs or spinner baits.
The Oklahoma Department of Conservation reports catfishing is good with cut bait or stink bait. Crappie are fair on jigs or minnows around brush and structure. Black bass are slow. A few have been caught with spinner baits or crank baits along points.
-- Compiled by Flip Putthoff
Outdoors on 07/03/2014