HOT SPOTS
LAKE MAUMELLE Anglers will find black bass biting well on wacky rig worms, spinnerbaits and jerkbaits. Best success is early in the morning or late in the day, and the bass are being caught in 15-20 feet of water. The fish are on the sharp banks and 15 feet off the weeds. Kentucky bass are being caught on crankbaits and jigs. They can be found in 10 to 15 feet mixed in with the blacks. The white bass bite is excellent. Use a CC spoon or deep-diving Bandits and Bombers. While they are all over the lake, they are schooling in the main lake and are hitting CC spoons, white jigs and Rooster Tails.
ARKANSAS RIVER (MORRILTON) Fish using a deep diving crankbait in white. When the shad are pushed up, use a clear Zara Puppy. Black bass are good around the wood; use a FireTiger spinnerbait. Catfish are in deep water and the bite is good; use buffalo chunks for bait. Bream are good on a Mepps or Rooster Tails in black. Bream are on the jetty tops in 3-6 feet of water and the bite is good.
NORTH FORK RIVER Fishing is better in the morning. Dry Run Creek has been less crowded with school back in session and has fished a bit better. It is yielding some trophy trout. The hot flies have been sowbugs, Y2Ks and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise).
BEAVER LAKE Some stripers are using gravel bars, points, humps, treetops and cuts in the shoreline to corner bait. Fishing weighted-down lines will definitely get some fish. There has been some topwater activity from striper and white bass. Striper fishing will be good with fish taken on live shad fished on down lines from 30-60 feet deep; also try trolling small umbrella rigs with white grubs or chartreuse for stained water, and plugs like Rapala No. 14 husky jerks in black back or purple back colors and Smithwick Rogues in similar colors in 5-6-inch model on downriggers. Jerkbaits like flukes, swimbaits and jigs also will produce.