BEAVER LAKE
Night owls are catching black bass and catfish after dark. Aaron Jolliff at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said jug lines, limb lines, trotlines and rod and reel are all ways to catch catfish. Night fishing is best. Use sunfish or goldfish to catch flathead catfish, or liver or nightcrawlers for channel catfish. Black bass are biting at night on big plastic worms or spinner baits in dark colors. For daytime bass fishing, use top-water lures early, then small plastic worms on a drop-shot rig or Ned rigs. Crappie can be caught by trolling crank baits in creek arms. Jigging spoons are working for a mixed catch of fish in the middle portion of the lake. Locate schools of shad with a depth finder then work a jigging spoon near the bottom beneath the school. Mike Whitehouse at Hickory Creek Marina said catfish are biting well on sunfish and hot dogs. Walleye are biting well on night-crawler rigs. Trolling for crappie is good with Bandit 300 series crank baits in bright colors. Troll over the main lake channel. Crappie are also biting jigs 20 to 25 feet deep around brush.
BEAVER TAILWATER
Tom Steinke at the Beaver Dam Store said the top flies for trout are midges, nymphs and hare’s ears in size 16 to 18. A fluorocarbon leader is advised. Trout are also biting small countdown Rapalas and small spoons. Power generation is usually in the afternoon.
LAKE FAYETTEVILLE
Angela Perea at the lake office said bluegill are biting crickets or worms around the public dock. Fish for crappie early with minnows or jigs. Catfish are biting glow worms or liver.
LAKE SEQUOYAH
Mike McBride at the lake bait shop said black bass are biting top-water lures at first light. Catfish are biting liver or shad. Use worms or crickets for bluegill four feet deep. Early morning is the best time to fish.
BELLA VISTA
Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista reports black bass are surfacing early at Loch Lomond and Lake Windsor. Try small top-water lures, spoons or jigs to catch them. Bluegill are biting crickets or worms 10 to 15 feet deep.
SWEPCO LAKE
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass fishing is best at night. Use plastic worms two to 20 feet deep.
ILLINOIS RIVER
Stroud said black bass are biting tube baits, grubs or Rooster Tails.
EASTERN OKLAHOMA
Stroud said black bass are biting at night at Lake Eucha. Use dark-colored spinner baits, plastic worms or jig and pigs.
TABLE ROCK LAKE
Missouri Department of Conservation reports good bluegill fishing with worms. Black bass are biting fair on Ned rigs and top-water lures off main-lake points. Wake baits are the best top-water lure. Catfish are biting crawdads, nightcrawlers and cut bait.