Fishing Reports News

Arkansas weekly fishing report — March 15
By Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

Fishing Tip: The best catfish baits can be found at your local grocery store. Just slice the cheapest hot dogs you can buy and place in a jar filled with the water and oil drained from a sardine can. Cover the jar and let the mixture sit overnight. You can also throw in a bit of garlic or shrimp to give the lure an extra kick. The finished product is just as potent as any off-the-shelf catfish bait and is much cheaper to make.

Statewide Urban Fishing Report: Trout fishing has been very good with warmer temperatures and plenty of fish willing to bite. Pond anglers have caught many fish with pink or white PowerEggs tipped with a wax worm and fished a foot off the bottom. Rock Creek anglers have had similar success with PowerBait and small spinners.

Hybrid striped bass were stocked on March 13th in Kiwanis Park Pond, Boyle Park Pond, MacArthur Park Pond, War Memorial Park Pond, Sherwood Community Pond, and Cabot Community Pond. The fish are catchable size and will bite white twistertail grubs on small jigheads, Rooster Tails, spoons, chicken livers, minnows and nightcrawlers. The daily limit is three.

For the latest urban stocking information, call toll-free (866) 540-FISH (3474) or check our Web site www.agfc.com/fishing/trout_stocking_urban.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS:

Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake is dingy and at normal level. Redeared sunfish are biting fairly well on worms, crickets and brown Tensel Teaser jigs fished on the bottom in 12 to 18 inches of water along the flats. Crappie are fair early in the morning on pink minnows, regular minnows and brown-and-black Tensel Teasers fished along the brush and stumps as well as the lily pad flats. Bass are biting fairly well around 3 to 4 feet deep on dark soft-plastic lizards and white spinnerbaits. Catfishing is improving on trotlines and yo-yos.

Little Red River: Lindsey’s Resort said the water is dingy from the recent rains. Generation has been minimal, with two generators coming on Saturday for about two hours to flush out the river. Trout fishing has been pretty good, with darker colors working the best in the murky water. Nightcrawlers and wax worm and marshmallow combinations are working extremely well this week.

Greers Ferry: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 454.37 feet MSL.

Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water came up 3.32 feet since last week, so we still have a little less than 7 feet to go for normal pool. The surface temperature ranges from 50 to 64 degrees, but will cool back down some now with the cooler nights. The walleye fishing has still not been very good. White bass and hybrid fishing is good in any creek you want to try in and if you can’t catch any with traditional spoons and Rat-L-Traps, try a blue-backed Rebel jerkbait and paint a little red on it. Work the bait very slowly. Bream have moved up and can be caught with crickets and or nightcrawlers from 20 feet deep up to 2 feet or shallower. Crappie are all over the place, with some as shallow as 1 foot of water and others as deep and 40 feet. Bass fishing has been very good on spinnerbaits, Rat-L-Traps, and firetiger-colored crankbaits in as little a 1 foot of water. A good jig bite has developed also, but the bait that seems to be the catching the bigger fish is the new Rite Bite Baits Shakey Hooker, a new version of a chatterbait.

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the lake is coming up and the water is fairly clear. Bream fishing has picked up on crickets and worms. Crappie are biting well, mainly on jigs but a few are being caught on minnows. Bass fishing is nothing short of excellent, with plenty of bass being taken on dark-colored soft plastics and crankbaits fished in transition areas between spawning flats and deeper water. Catfishing is slow.

Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the lake is rising and the water has a green tint to it. Bream are biting well on red worms and crickets. Crappie fishing has been pretty good, with many crappie being caught on black-and-yellow and red-and-white jigs. The crappie should be coming into the shallow spawning beds in the next few weeks. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. The best action on catfish has been on trotlines set about 4 feet deep and baited with minnows.

Toad Suck Lock and Dam: Bates Field and Stream said bream are biting fairly well on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair in 5 to 8 feet of water on minnows fished around the jetties. Stripers are fair on large white hair jigs with a white or shad-colored soft-plastic trailer. Black bass are biting fairly well on red Bandit crankbaits. Catfishing is fair on trotlines baited with minnows and shad around the dam.

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the river is muddy and high. Bream are biting well on worms fished along the bank. Crappie are fair on minnows and assorted crappie jigs. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits and a few are being caught on minnows by the crappie anglers. Catfishing is fair.

Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger’s Marina said the lake level is 5.1 feet below the spillway. The black bass are in the spring pattern again, shallow and hitting on spinnerbaits and shallow-running crankbaits. With some of the cold weather, many can also be caught on deep channels and points with drop-shot rigs and tubes. Kentucky bass are being caught about 15 to 20 feet deep in the same places as the largemouths. They are hitting pumpkin-colored grubs, worms and tubes. White bass have been hitting consistently for five weeks and it should continue for another three weeks. They are around the chimney and getting ready for the spring run that goes through mid April. The whites are close to the channel 15 to 20 feet deep and are feeding on schools of shad. CC Spoons have been effective on them. If this doesn’t work, go shallow with orange belly Rogues or similar baits. Crappie fishing is excellent. They are in about 25 to 30 feet of water and are being caught on 1/32-oz. jigs and crappie minnows. Catfish are fair. They are hitting in the channel about 20 feet deep on large minnows, Canadian nightcrawlers and chicken livers.

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said with bass are in the west end of the lake and the spawn is here. Many whites are being caught on white Road Runners, Mann’s Split Tails and Beetle Spins.

Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the headwater at Lock 9 is 285.50 and the tailwater is 265.10. The warm weather has spread the catfish out, and many cats are being caught on whole live shad below dams 9 and 10. Some channel cats are being caught around the front side of the jetties on stink bait as well. Black bass are moving into backwaters like Flagg Lake and are biting fairly well on white spinnerbaits. Kentucky bass are still holding around the riprap and are fair on crawfish-colored crankbaits. Crappie are in Flagg Lake, Point Remove Creek and Coppers Gap and are biting well on minnows in 4 to 8 feet of water. White bass and stripers are staging at the mouths of main creeks entering the river and are being caught on white CC Spoons.

Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said white bass and stripers are biting well on white and chartreuse Mann’s Twin Tails and Mister Twister curly-tailed grubs. Crappie are biting well on minnows fished on a slip-cork rig in 6 to 8 feet of water.

McSwain Sports Center said the water is clear and at normal levels. Crappie are biting fairly well in 10 to 12 feet of water on pink-and-white Road Runner jigs fished around the rock jetties. White bass are also holding around the jetties, and many are being caught with the crappie. Catfish are fair on whole shad fished on the bottom.

Outdoor Super Store said white bass are being caught on white Road Runners and red-and-chartreuse crappie jigs below the dam. Black bass are fair around the ends of the jetties on finesse worms. Black spinnerbaits are working well on the black bass in the early morning and late evening in the shallows and on top of the jetties.

Peckerwood Lake: Herman’s Landing said the water is clear and at normal levels. Bream fishing hasn’t kicked in yet, but it’s not too far away. Crappie fishing has been excellent, with many 1-11/2 pound slabs being pulled from the water on minnows and jigs. Bass fishing is fair on spinnerbaits fished around the shallow cover. Catfishing has picked up on minnows and prepared baits.

Pickthorne Lake: Outdoor Super Store said the lake is muddy and about 1 foot low. Crappie are biting fairly well in 2 to 3 feet of water on red-and-yellow tube jigs tipped with minnows and drifted across the main part of the lake. Catfish are fair on shrimp cast out from the edges of the lake. All other species are slow.

Lake Valencia: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said some trout are still being caught on Rooster Tails and PowerBait. Catfishing is picking up on nightcrawlers and chicken livers.

Sunset Lake: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said the water clarity is good and the water level is normal. Crappie are biting fairly well on Kalin’s grubs fished around the points in 4 to 6 feet of water. Bass are biting well on soft-plastic lizards fished around stumps in 6 to 8 feet of water. All other species are slow.

Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said the river is running at normal levels and the clarity is good. Bream are biting well in 4 to 6 feet of water on live worms and crickets fished around any brush. Crappie are fair in 6 feet of water on Kalin’s grubs fished near the stumps along the edge of the river. Bass are biting well in 3 to 4 feet of water on Texas-rigged soft-plastic lizards fished around brush piles. Catfish are slow.

Terry Lock and Dam: McSwain Sports Center said the river is clear and at normal level. White bass and stripers are biting well on 4-inch white curly-tailed jigs around the rocks in 15 feet of water. Catfish are biting fair on cut shad fished on the bottom just off the main river channel.

Clear Lake: McSwain Sports Center said the lake is 3 feet low and the water is clear. Bream are biting fair in 5 feet of water on wax worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs fished around 2 to 4 feet deep around the bank. Bass are biting well on jigs fished around brush or rocks near the bank in 2 to 4 feet of water

NORTH ARKANSAS:

White River: Gaston’s White River Resort said generation has been very minimal, as we only had one day of any generation, and that was one unit for about four hours. The fishing has remained excellent using white or yellow PowerBait with a wax worm on a No. 6 hook. If you prefer artificials, any type of white or silver spoon, such as the Little Cleo, Rooster Tail, and Krocodile lures, are excellent. The Flat Fish lure in gold has been the hottest lure lately. Anglers have been having a lot of luck with Mepps and Rapalas spinners in No. 7 or 9 sizes, preferably in silver or gold colors. Fly anglers are still using the Y2K bug with much success, as well as sow bugs, woolly buggers and midges. The warmer weather has brought us a hatch of midges, so dry fly fishing should be productive. The big story last week was the rain we received, which is bringing the lake up very quickly. This will help generation levels on the river tremendously in the near future.

Wilderness Trail said fishing has been up and down, depending on generation. With low or no generation, Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and white have worked well along with a floating Rapala. With generation the Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleos and Countdown Rapalas are the baits of choice. The fly anglers have done extremely well with little generation on olive woolly buggers, zebra midges and caddis dry flies. The brown trout are being caught on Countdowns, Jointed Rapalas, suspending Rogues and nightcrawlers.

North Fork River: Norfork Trout Dock said the generation has been low and fishing has been pretty good. When the water is low, most anglers are doing well on crawdad baits, corn and PowerBait fished around the mouths of creeks and inlets. Once the river begins its rise, shad lures like Countdown Rapalas and Flatfish crankbaits have been good bets for some nice action on rainbows and browns.

Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 645.97 feet MSL.

Wilderness Trail said main lake temperature is now 49.2 degrees with temperatures as high as 52 degrees in the back of northern creeks. White bass are already moving back to shallow water in the northern creeks. A few are being caught in Howard Creek, Sister Creek, Spring Creek and Big Creek on Roadrunners and Lucky Craft Pointer 78DDs. Crappie are still slow except in the upper lake areas above Lead Hill. Dragging a crappie minnow will trigger a few around brush piles and points in the mid to lower lake. In the upper lake tubes, crappie jigs and a jig-and-minnow are the baits of choice around blow downs and brush piles. Largemouth bass made a major move off the main lake into the creeks and coves last week. The big largemouth haven’t shown up yet, but there are plenty of 15 to 16 inch males in the spawning areas. Jigs are great, crankbaits (Bandits and Wiggle Warts) are even better, but suspending Rogues are HOT! Smallmouth bass are showing up on transition banks and points and holding in 26 to 30 feet of water from the main lake to three-quarters of the way back into the creeks. Spider jigs and tubes are primary baits and on windy days, Wiggle Warts and Bandit crankbaits are also triggering some nice strikes. Suspending Rogues are working in sunny, glass-water conditions, and the best colors are blue, black and black back/orange belly. Kentucky bass are still with the shad but the shad have moved into the pockets and creeks and so the Kentuckies have moved with them. Spoons are still taking a few but the best bite is on grubs and Rogues fished off the banks that have some large chunk rock. Other baits that are worth fishing are Lucky Craft Pointer 78’s and Junior X-raps. Walleye are just now moving to the chunk rock banks on the main lake and in the creeks. It is true that there were walleye in the back of some creeks in the upper lake areas a few weeks ago when we had the big warm up but that was a short-lived deal. Start working the entrance points and banks to small pockets or coves in the northern creeks with Rogues, Lucky Craft Pointers, X-raps, Shad Raps and Glass Shad.

Sugar Loaf Harbor said the lake is coming up. Crappie are decent, with some suspended fish in 15 to 25 feet of water. Drift minnows above this depth for the best action.

Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 541.58 feet MSL.

Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the rains brought the lake up and muddied the water substantially. Crappie are biting fairly well on minnows and tube jigs. Bass are biting well with the most action coming near spawning areas on crankbaits, jigs and flukes. Catfishing is good on prepared baits. Striper activity is increasing during the early and late hours of the day, and many are being caught on jerkbaits and flukes. Walleye are in the creeks and biting well on jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Beaver Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,105.86 feet MSL.

Southtown Sporting Goods said the recent rain has muddied the water. Bream are beginning to bite well, and crickets seem to be the bait of choice. Crappie are biting well in the shallows of the river arms on tube jigs fished around planted brush piles. Bass are biting well on jerkbaits in the mornings and jigs fished tight to cover during midday. Stripers are holding in the mouth of the White River and the War Eagle Area. Most success on stripers has come on shiners and shad. White bass are in the river arms and will move even further into the river with the recent rain. Minnows, tube jigs and Road Runner jigs are working well on the whites.

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is muddy and about 8 to 10 inches above the flood stage. Crappie are biting well in 4 feet of water on minnows and jigs drifted along the open water of the mud flats. Bass are biting fairly well on soft-plastic worms, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Catfishing is fair on worms, chicken livers or cut shad in 8 to 10 feet of water. The wind has been too rough for many anglers lately.

Beaver Tailwaters: McLellan’s Fly Shop said there has been very little generation over the past few days, providing plenty of wade-fishing opportunities. Of course, scuds and sow bugs as well as midge pupa patterns have been very productive; however, cream midge adult patterns have hooked several trout over the past week.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

Lake Chicot: Lake Chicot State Park said crappie fishing has been good on red wigglers, minnows and the occasional cricket. Most of the action has been around the piers and stump fields. Catfish are biting well on worms fished just off the piers.

Lake Monticello: Outdoor Super Store said the lake is low and clear. Crappie fishing has been good lately with many slabs being caught on minnows. Bass fishing is also picking up. Now is the time to get out and search for a trophy. Usually a jig-and-pig combo, soft-plastic lizard or white spinnerbait will coax the bigger fish from their hideouts. Creature baits like Zoom’s Baby Brush Hog are also deadly on prespawn bass.

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

Millwood Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.61 feet MSL.

Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature ranges from 58 to 68 degrees with most of the warmer water upriver. The river and oxbows have an improved stain, while the main lake is muddy from recent high wind. The lake level is approx 3.5 to 4″ above normal, which should be good for the spawn. If water temps hold for another two weeks, the bass and crappie spawn will be in full swing. Many cleared and fanned beds have been found in 3 to 4 foot water depths in the last few days. No fish have been observed on the beds yet. Current in Little River increased with a gate discharge of 384 cubic feet per second. Many river markers are missing so be careful. Largemouth bass and crappie have made a move shallow in the last few days with warmer weather and increasing water temps. Many female bass in the 6 to 9 pound class with eggs, have been caught and released upriver in the last two weeks. Black bass activity levels are good on shallow-running, slow-moving crankbaits, such as firetiger-colored Baby Minus-Ones, and ½-oz. to ¾-oz. slow-moving Rat-L-Traps in white, spring bream or red chrome colors and War Eagle spinnerbaits. The Rat-L-Traps in white or spring bream colors are best on cloudy days, and the red chrome is best on sunny days. Keeper-size largemouths are still hitting dead-sticked trick worms and Bass Assassin Shads around vegetation and stumps near drop-offs to 9 or 10 feet. We have been using the War Eagle spinnerbaits in copper peach or firecracker colors around remaining dead vegetation and stumps and finding a few decent fish. Texas rigged Brush Hogs in blackberry or watermelon are working well. White Bass are still upriver, hitting white or red Little Cleos or Little Georges and Rooster Tails in white/chrome/red. Several schools are still between the Highway 71N Bridge and Patterson Shoals. Two fishermen caught and released over 50 whites in just a few hours last week. Crappie also have spawning on the brain and are trying to spread horizontally again. Crappie are holding 6 to 8 feet deep, but closer to shallow flats with cypress trees. Mid-day has been the most consistent crappie bite over the last week or so, because of increased surface temperature. Jigs underneath cypress trees were catching some decent prespawners early this week, when the daytime highs were in the low 80’s.

Lake Columbia: Steve’s Marine said the lake is about 18 inches low. Catfishing has been good on stinkbait, and shiners set on trotlines over deep water. All other fishing has been slow.

Lake Erling: Steve’s Marine said the lake is stained and the water level is low. Crappie are biting well in the shallows, near the bank. Yo-yo fishing with shiners near the edges of the bank is also very good.

Ark-La Outdoors reports crappie are being caught in the shallow water close to the bank in the grass. Most of the action has come on minnows lately. Bass are hitting Zoom Fat Albert grubs in watermelon seed color, near creek channels.

Lake Greeson: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 539.38 feet MSL.

Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said crappie are beginning to bite extremely well around Daisy State Park. Some white bass are mixed in with the crappie, making for some fun surprises for panfish anglers. Black bass have been caught on the deeper end of the ledges on spoons and swim baits jigged off the bottom.

DeGray Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 398.75 feet MSL.

DeGray One Stop said the south end of the lake is clear, but the mid-section is murky with a definite mud line between Shouse Ford and Point Cedar. The water is still low and the surface temperature has risen to 62 degrees. Bream are biting well in deep water on red wigglers. Crappie fishing is improving, with many crappie moving into the shallows and biting well on jigs and especially minnows. Bass have also moved shallow, and both largemouth and Kentucky bass are being caught on spinnerbaits and shallow-running crankbaits fished along the inside weed line. Hybrids and white bass are running up the rivers and are biting well on Rooster Tails, spoons and shad-colored grubs. Catfish are moving into the shallows at night and are biting well on live bait fished 12 to 25 feet deep.

Little Missouri River: Jeff Guerin of Little Missouri Flyfishing said the fishing action is really picking up. The bad weather chased many anglers from the water last week, but the March Browns are hatching and it’s a great time to get out the A&W Emergers. Smidges worked under riffles in deeper areas are also bringing in quite a few fish.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the lake is muddy and the surface temperature is around 58 degrees. Crappie are biting well in 1 to 3 feet of water on minnows. Bass are coming out of their winter pattern and are being caught on jerkbaits and spinnerbaits in transition areas between deep water and spawning flats. Catfishing is good on live bait fished on or near the bottom.

Blue Mountain Lake: CNC’s End of the Line in Ashley Creek said the lake has risen about 4 feet and the fishing is getting good. The ramps in Ashley Creek are back in the water as well as the buckbrush. The crappie are beginning their move to the shallows and are biting well in 12-18 inches of water near the shore. A jig-and-minnow combination has been the best bait. CNC’s is holding a big crappie contest, and more than 100 entries have been taken already, with the biggest slab weighing 2.7 pounds. Catfish are getting active as well, and the best baits have been nightcrawlers and chicken livers.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the backwaters are muddy, but the rest of the river is in good shape. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in 6 feet of water. Bass are biting fairly well on jig-and-pig combos. Catfishing has been slow, but a few have been caught on whole live shad.

Lake Ouachita: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 569.40 feet MSL.

Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is 50 to 54 degrees in the main lake, with some northern creeks as warm as 60 degrees. Largemouth bass are biting well on jerkbaits, crankbaits and jigs. Try moss flats, standing timber and points for best results. Swim baits also are working well around structure. Walleye are fair with reports of these fish being caught up the river channels. Jigging spoons or jigs tipped with minnows are still the most effective. These fish are spawning and crankbaits are producing some good catches. Stripers are good on live bait, bucktail jigs and spoons. These fish are still around main lake points and rock bluffs near or in the river channels on all sections of the lake. Bream are fair and are being caught around structure with small jigs, crickets or worms. Crappie are still good and being caught over brush piles and moss flats using feather jigs, 2-inch grubs and minnows. Try pockets and large moss flats 3 to 8 feet deep. The best colors are still white, silver and Tennessee shad.

Lake Ouachita State Park marina reports fishing is good. Recent storms have clouded the water in the bays with water temperatures ranging from 55 to 58 degrees. The lake is still rising. Anglers have reported decent catches of crappie around the hydrilla lines and drop-offs on Kalin’s Tennessee shad and John Deer colored jigs. Striper fishing is good in areas where the shad are located and many have been caught on gray flukes, spoons and crankbaits. Brood minnows have worked on the stripers as well. C-10 Redfins have been successful on breaking fish. Bass fishing has been fair on the traditional baits such as finesse worms and spinner baits. Top-water action is good in the mornings. Anglers have been catching walleyes at night off rocky points and submerged humps on crankbaits. The bream fishing is slow and there have been no reports of catfish success.

Lake Catherine: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the lake is at normal pool again and the water clarity is low. Crappie are biting well in 5 to 6 feet of water on minnows and jigs fished around brush. Bass are biting well on crayfish-colored crankbaits in 5 to 8 feet of water. The trout are below Carpenter Dam and are being caught on Power Eggs drifted along in about 5 feet of water.

Lake Hamilton: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the lake is at full pool. There is a lot of debris in the water from the fast rise. Crappie are biting well in 8 feet of water on jigs and minnows around brush piles. Bass are biting well in 6 feet of water on crankbaits fished around main lake and secondary points. Trout are being caught fairly well below Blakely Mountain Dam on Power Eggs.

Lake Hinkle: Bill’s Bait Shop said crappie are biting well in 5 feet of water and are picking up. If the weather holds, we may see the spawn in as little as two weeks. Minnows and jigs are working well around any structure you can find. Bass are biting well on soft-plastic worms and creature baits. Catfishing is slow, but a few have been caught on chicken livers.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is at normal levels and the water clarity is fair. Bream are biting fairly well on worms and crickets. Crappie are in 3 feet of water and are biting extremely well on jigs and minnows worked along the cypress trees. Bass fishing is picking up, with many largemouths being caught around brushy areas on jig-and-pig combos. Catfishing is excellent on nightcrawlers and minnows fished on the bottom about 30 feet away from the bank.

Lake Nimrod: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 343.34 feet MSL.

Lake Nimrod Bait ‘n’ More II is back in business and said the lake is at normal level. Crappie fishing is excellent on pink minnows in 10 feet of water. The best bite is coming on minnows set at 6 to 8 feet. Bass fishing has been hit-or-miss. Catfish are biting well on Danny King Stinkbait.

Arkansas River: Moss Point said catfish are biting fairly well on cut shad fished near the bottom on the outside turns of the river.

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Felsenthal: Hale’s One Stop said crappie have begun to bite very well and most anglers are having the best luck on minnows fished near the traditional spawning shallows. Catfish anglers are catching some decent stringers of cats on yo-yos baited with shiners.

EAST ARKANSAS:

Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): River City Sporting Goods said the water is clear and there is a steady current in the river. Bream are biting fairly well in 5 feet of water on red worms or pieces of nightcrawler fished close to bottom. Crappie are fair in 5 to 8 feet of water around any brush piles. Bass are biting well on crankbaits and jerkbaits up in the shallows. Catfish are fair on cut shad and nightcrawlers.

The Tackle Box said the river is muddy. Bream are biting well in 7 to 8 feet of water around the harbor. Crappie fishing is good in the harbor on minnows and jigs and there are many crappie being caught in Pine Bluff Lake as well. Catfish are biting fairly well on nightcrawlers fished from the bank.

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the water is stained and the crappie are biting well during the day. Minnows seem to be the best lures. Bass are biting fairly well on the usual spinnerbaits and soft-plastic worms. Catfishing is good using yo-yos baited with minnows.

Bear Creek Lake: Six Rivers Sport Center said the lake is clear and at normal levels. Bad weather kept some anglers off the lake on Sunday, but they’re back out now. Bream are biting well on wax worms, and the cricket bite is beginning to start up. Crappie are moving to shallow water, and many are being caught in 8 feet of water on minnows and jigs. Catfishing is good on trotlines and jugs baited with shad.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said bream are biting well in 4 feet of water on worms and crickets fished around the piers. Before the wind on Saturday, many crappie were being caught on dark green-and-chartreuse jigs. The action should pick back up with some stable weather