Beaver Lake
Anglers report good crappie fishing on the south half of the lake. James Whittle at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said crappie are biting 15 feet deep on minnows or jigs fished around brush. Gray and white is a good jig color. Fishing is best south of the Arkansas 12 bridge. Some anglers are catching crappie by trolling crank baits. Red and chartreuse is a good crank bait color, Whittle said.
Mike Whitehouse at Hickory Creek Marina said crappie are biting 18 to 20 feet deep on tube jigs or hair jigs fished around brush.
Black bass are biting top-water lures early. Try spinner baits or jig and pigs at midday.
Striped bass are scattered lake wide. Fishing is slow. Try brood minnows or shad.
Beaver tailwater
Lisa Mullins at Beaver Dam Store said trout are biting well on a waxworm-Power Bait combination. Fishing is best drifting in a boat. The top flies are midges, pheasant tails or Copper Johns. Small spoons are the top lure. Spoons work best during power generation, which is usually in the afternoon. The store is on its winter schedule, open Thursday through Sunday.
Lake Fayetteville
Al Perea at the lake office said black bass are biting plastic worms or minnows. Crappie are biting minnows around the public dock.
Lake Sequoyah
Mike McBride at the lake bait shop said catfish are biting well on small sunfish for bait. Some big flathead catfish to 20 pounds have been caught. Crappie fishing is fair with minnows eight feet deep. Black bass fishing is slow. Try plastic worms or spinner baits.
Bella Vista
Nick Gann at Hook, Line and Sinker said black bass are biting Senkos or jig and pigs fished around docks at all Bella Vista lakes. Trout are biting small spoons at Lake Brittany.
Swepco Lake
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said fishing has improved steadily as the weather cools. Use any type of soft plastic lure two to 20 feet deep.
Illinois River
Stroud recommends using tube baits or jig and pigs for black bass.
Eastern Oklahoma
Stroud suggests fishing for crappie at Lake Eucha with minnows 10 to 15 feet deep around brush.
Table Rock Lake
Pete Wenners at Pete's Professional Guide Service said black bass fishing has improved. Try jig and pigs along points at the mouth of creek arms, or in the back of the creek arms five to 12 feet deep. Top-water lures may work on sunny days, which is the opposite of a normal cloudy-day pattern, Wenners said. A walking lure like a Zara Spook or Strike King Sexy Dog works best.
Sports on 10/31/2017