Fishing this week

A map showing the location of Arkansas fishing spots.
A map showing the location of Arkansas fishing spots.

HOT SPOTS

LAKE MAUMELLE Black bass are biting shaky head jigs, crankbaits, drop-shots, buzzbaits, wacky rig worms and spinnerbaits in the weeds and off the edge lines. They’re shallow during dusk and dawn. Kentucky bass are being caught on hair and finesse worm jigs, spoons and minnows. Lots of 11- to 15-inch crappie are being caught in depths of 7-12 feet and 18-22 feet with minnows and soft plastic bodies on jig heads. Fish off the channel or over submerged bridges. Catfish are being caught in depths of 15-25 feet on stink bait, small bream, worms and chicken livers.

BEAVER LAKE Stripers are hitting topwater lures over points, humps, pockets or tree lines. Have spoons, jigs or topwater plugs handy to capitalize on schooling activity when stripers push bait to the surface. Try trolling umbrella rigs with white or chartreuse jigs/grubs or plugs like Rapala No. 14 husky jerks in black back or purple back

colors. They will also bite Smithwick Rogues in similar colors on downriggers or snap weights and planer boards. Walleye are in their fall migration and can be found from 20-30 feet deep.

MILLWOOD LAKE Bass fishing with topwater lures is excellent for schooling fish all over the lake. Catches of 40-60 largemouths and

Kentucky bass per day are still common on flats in the lily pads and in Little River chasing huge shad schools. You can catch 2- to 4-pounders on topwaters, Rat-L-Traps, Bass Assassin Shads, Stuttersteps and square-bill crankbaits near creek channels and flats with vegetation and lily pads. The best colors for Rat-L-Traps and squarebill crankbaits are almost any shad pattern, chrome/black or Ghost Shad. Also try Black Bone Nova, Gold Tennessee Shad and Holographic Transparent colors. After the topwater excitement slows, a shallow squarebill and Rat-L-Trap will catch fish in cuts, ditches, creek channels and lily pads.

Upcoming Events