Hot spots
ARKANSAS RIVER (ROCKEFELLER LAKE POOL) The flows have dropped greatly. Catfishing has been very good early and late in the day using shad and night crawler combinations in 6-10 feet of water behind jetties and inside backwaters. Bream are behind jetties and under overhangs, and are biting well on black Mepps spinners and crickets fished near floating grass beds early in the mornings. Bass are biting very well on black Jitterbugs fished around grass near the main points of the river entrances and on jigs in the middle of grass mats around jetty tips early and late in the day. Some large drum are being caught around rip-rap on crankbaits in crawfish colors.
LAKE CONWAY The water is stained and low. Bream fishing is excellent using wax worms and crickets, and should get even better as the full moon approaches. Crappie are biting well on small minnows fished around cypress trees in shaded areas with 8 feet of water. Bass are biting well on frogs and other topwater lures fished around lily pads early and late in the day. Catfishing is excellent on trotlines baited with minnows and shrimp.
LAKE DARDANELLE The river is still swift and muddy. Fishing is slow upriver, but the midsection of the lake has been very good because of the recent mayfly hatch. Bream fishing has been excellent 1-3 feet deep using worms, crickets and mayflies. Catfish have been in the same areas on shallow flats with coontail moss and are hitting live sunfish. Bass are biting well on jigs and Bamboozie Craw trailers, frogs and topwater poppers. White bass and stripers have been hit or miss in the creeks and at the inlet of the nuclear plant on Rat-L-Traps, jerkbaits, topwater poppers and swim baits.
LAKE MAUMELLE Largemouth bass fishing is excellent. They are hitting spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, jerk baits and wacky-rigged worms in 10 feet of water and less. Evening fishing has been the best for the largemouth. Spotted bass are biting excellently on crankbaits and jigs in 5-10 feet of water. White bass are just east of Jolly Roger’s Marina and are excellent on CC spoons, white jigs, Roostertails and trolled, deep-diving Bandits and Bombers that run about 14 feet deep. Crappie fishing is fair in about 20 feet of water. Bream fishing is excellent using crickets and live worms anywhere from 1-15 feet deep. Catfishing is good using stink bait, bream and chicken livers in 10-15 feet of water.
MILLWOOD LAKE Most bass are aggressive around shallow vegetation at dawn and are biting topwater presentations. Later in the morning and in the heat of the afternoons, crankbaits and bulky 10-inch worms are working around cover and cypress trees in 8-10 feet of water. Buzzbaits, solid body frogs and Bass Assassin Shads are also working. White bass are roaming Little River and the oxbows and have been caught on red/white Roostertails, chartreuse/white Little Cleos, shad-colored Rocket Shads and Tennessee shad or citrus shad crankbaits in the backs of the oxbows. Catfishing is fair to good using Catfish Charlie, chicken livers, hearts and gizzards and homemade cheese dough balls.