Keep on fishing!

Volatile weather patterns can change the fishing conditions with little notice

By Jim Harris

Arkansas Wildlife Editor

Spring is almost here, and while the weather in Arkansas in February and March is always subject to change, there’s always some good fishing to be had if you know where to look and prepare accordingly.

If there is a body of water you would like included in this report, please email jim.harris@agfc.ar.gov with information on possible sources for reports about that lake or river.

Reports are updated weekly, although some reports might be published for two weeks if updates are not received promptly or if reporters say conditions haven’t changed. Contact the reporter for the lake or stream you plan to fish for current news. Buy an Arkansas Fishing License by visiting www.agfc.com. Your purchase of a Fishing License helps support the AGFC’s work in maintaining the fishing resources throughout the state. For a look at what’s going on around the state, check out the weekly reports…

Southwest Arkansas Fishing Reports

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— As of Monday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 259.64 feet msl (normal pool: 259.20 feet msl).

Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said that as of Wednesday, Millwood Lake is approximately 4 inches above normal conservation pool and falling; the oxbows' water clarity is excellent, while Little River is normal stain. The gate discharge at the dam is around 6,400 cfs in Little River, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.The tailwater below the dam and gates, around 233 feet msl and falling with discharge.

Check the most recent lake level of Millwood Lake on the guide service’s website linked above, or the Army Corps of Engineers website, for updated gate release changes and inflow rates with rising and falling lake levels.

Surface temps jumped this week, ranging in 52-58 degrees depending on location. Continue to use caution in navigation on Little River and Millwood watching for random broken or floating timber in Little River. Lots of Little River buoy markers are missing along the main lake channel. Use extreme caution in navigation on the main lake. “There were only 2-3 markers from Yarborough point to Big Bayou Boat Run in Little River yesterday!” Mike said. Clarity improved over the past few days in the oxbow lakes along Little River. Current along Little River improved this week, and river clarity ranging 6-10 inches visibility depending on location. Clarity and visibility of oxbows along Little River is at 25-36 inches depending on location. Further up Little River has more heavier stain con-

See JUMP, page A2

Submitted photos FISH

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ditions. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, gate discharge, rain, or thunderstorms.”

As for the fishing specifics: Largemouth bass: Bass improved this week with warmer days and sun. Just over the past few days, bass have begun roaming and feeding shallow again.

Pockets along South Hickory and along the golf course on the west bank are beginning to see improvement and activity. Rat-LTraps in Millwood Magic, Ghost Craw or Rayburn Red Craw, and Red Chrome are catching fish.

Custom Chatterbaits in Texas Craw or Blue Glimmer Shad will draw a few reaction bites. Brazalo Spinnerbaits in Millwood Mayhem Bream and Spot Remover caught decent bass this week, and heavy thumping 1-Knocker Rat-L-Traps with a very slow and deep retrieve along creek channels picked up a few 2-3 pound largemouths this week. “Most bass we are finding continue randomly roaming shallow under full sun and bright skies in the 3- to 6-foot depths of flats adjacent to deeper drops into 7-10 feet depth ranges,” Siefert said.

“The best 3-4 hours is during the heat of the day, best on bright, sunny, clear days when water temps will rise a few degrees after lunch.

Little John Crankbaits, got a few slow responses over the past week. Anywhere a creek channel runs into the deeper creek bends or vertical structure and drops into the oxbows, where stumps and creek mouths drop, have held some decent-sized bass over the past few weeks.”

Beaver Bugs, Brush Hogs and lizards were taking a few good male bass on flooded cypress trees, stumps, and along vegetation lines in ditches, creeks and flats from 3-8 feet deep. Best colors were Purple Smoke, Pumpkinseed/chartreuse, blackberry and Big Texan.

Water clarity improved along the west bank pockets this week and visibility was 5-6 feet, which is extremely clear for Millwood. A few places we noted had the appearance of early bed-making activities in numerous locations between South Hickory creek and Millwood State Park; however, we are guessing these were made prior to the ice and snow (when the perimeter of Millwood froze over a few days last week) from the week prior.

We did not see any tending activities, just the initial clearing of places where bottom visibility and clarity allowed us to see depth and bottom in a few pockets along South Hickory.

White bass: Large schools of whites continue holding in deep holes along Little River and on the main lake in open water near standing timber, from 20-35 feet of depth. Vertical-jigging spoons caught a few hammer white bass the week before last along Little River and Saline River cutdouble See FISH, page A14 FISH

From page A9

off boat lane, between the 1-3 mile markers on Little River. Chrome/blue, chrome/chartreuse and Leadhead Spoons and hammered Cordell Slabs with bucktails got the best response from the anglers we talked to, he said.

“Several whites in the 3pound class were hardcharging the vertical-jigging spoons near any remaining standing timber/ stumps out in front of the dam and 1-3 miles from the dam where Little and Saline rivers junction. We have yet to locate, with any consistency, any large schools of whites running in Little or Saline rivers as of this point for their annual spawning runs. Once the water temps climb out of the 40-degree range overnight and into the mid 50-degree range all day and overnight hours, we are expecting the white bass run to fire up in short order.”

Crappie: Have been slow.

Nothing consistent to report.

Catfish: Channel cats and blues in Little River were improved on trotlines, and in the oxbows on yo-yos, using King's Punch Bait, hot dogs and chicken livers and gizzards.

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— Sportsman s One Stop in El Dorado (870-863-7248) had no report. Visit www.littlemissouriflyfishing. com for a daily update on fishing conditions.

As of last Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at Narrows Dam was 537.61feet msl.

• DeGray Lake — Local angler Charles Abernathy says water was around 5052 degrees as of Wednesday depending on location. “The water up in the river around Point Cedar/Cox Creek was a blueish-green color I have never seen before,” he said. “I’m still seeing crappie schooled up in mouths of some major creek channels. I’m also seeing the larger ones hanging out in open water.I was in 30 feet of water and the fish seemed to be using the entire water column, but the majority seemed to be within 15 feet. On my latest trip, I was using an orange handtie and also a monkey milk Slab Slayer with chartreuse green head. They both worked fine. If you haven’t seen my two previous reports, look them up. That information is still valid.”

“Spring is right around the corner and these crappie know it. If you wait for the spawn, you will miss a pretty good bite. They are feeding right now.”

“I get quite a few emails and I enjoy reading and /responding to every one of them. Thank you so much for reading these and thanks to everyone for letting me know. As always, feel free to reach out at c.abernathy32@gmail.com for more info. I have a new YouTube channel where I share some fishing content.

Look me up. Good luck out there and be safe and be nice.”

• De Queen Lake — No reports from the past week as the fishing has been slow since the thaw.

West-Central Arkansas Fishing Reports

• Lake Catherine — Donald Ramirez at Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said Tuesday the lake was clear and cool. He had no reports. For weekly flow releases from Carpenter Dam, visit www.entergy.com/hydro.

Shane Goodner, owner of Catch ‘em All Guide Service, reports that water temperature below Carpenter Dam is 55 degrees with clear conditions in the tailrace. Water levels are now back to the original 5-foot drawdown level established in November. Entergy is currently scheduling generation in the afternoon hours, which has enabled the public to take advantage of fishing opportunities and much safer boating. The weekly generation schedule is posted on the Entergy website each Wednesday afternoon, and anyone planning on using the Carpenter Dam tailrace is advised to check out the report. Currently, rainbow trout are the main attraction for anglers to target below the dam.