Get yourself a fishing buddy

Partner up and head to north Arkansas for some action this weekend

By Jim Harris

Arkansas Wildlife Editor

Jeff Berg and Tim Keeble, both from the Kansas City area and who are longtime White River angling visitors, caught trout (Jeff with the brown trout, Tim with the rainbow) while fishing with Cotter Trout Dock guide Eric Beecher this past week. The late spring bite is on up north as seen in the weekly reports:

North Arkansas Fishing Reports

— Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said the recent rains have increased the activity from the dams in the White River watershed, so prepare for faster water over the next few days. This provides the opportunity to reacquaint yourself with your favorite jerkbaits — maybe a No. 9 Rapala Countdown or a Smithwick Rogue.

Deeper water in the afternoon means more drift-fishing and limited wading opportunities, but trout love lots of water and bubbles. Look for structures on the riverbed that oxygenate the area and you’ll find a hangout for trout. Anglers have been nabbing lots of 12to 13-inch rainbows — best if you decide to keep any and absolutely perfect for lots of action, making some forever memories. Shrimp and PowerBait are a must in your bait bucket, but for larger fish and for the browns the guides say you can’t beat the real thing: live river minnows trapped fresh in the morning or some shad recently picked up in the lake.

The brown bite has been fantastic this week. They’ve shown up for sculpins, minnows, shad and even a random artificial pink mousetail worm.

We’re definitely seeing springtime temperatures — waking up to 60 degrees, give or take a few, with mostly blue skies ushering in the warmer afternoon temperature. Aside from showers now and again, our trout anglers have been blessed with gorgeous weather this week.

“Natural (State) fishing is pure fun and excitement.

Come visit Arkansas!”

Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said that late last week and through the weekend the fishing was tremendous, with several above-average rainbow trout caught as well as some nice brown trout measuring 22 inches or more. Success was had using many different baits and lures. The go-to lures continue to be quarter-ounce spoons (Thompson Colorado in nickel/gold or Little Cleo in silver or silver with fire stripe). Rapala Countdowns in rainbow trout and brown trout colors worked well. Uncommon Bait UV Neo pink eggs with corn or shrimp worked well for catching rainbow trout.

As the rain and storms moved through the area the river was dingy Monday and muddy Tuesday and into Wednesday.

With the Buffalo River clearing up and Bull Shoals Dam’s increased generation Tuesday afternoon, by Wednesday afternoon the river was still high at almost 10 feet but the water cleared a lot.

“Late this week and into the weekend I expect the river will continue to clear up,” Dave said. “This week we had one stocking when the AGFC pontoon raft stocked 1,000 rainbow trout between Calico Rock and Mt. Olive and another 1,000 rainbow trout between Mt. Olive and Sylamore Creek.”

Bull Shoals Lake — Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said the lake level Wednesday was 661 feet msl. “We shot up about a foot,” Del said. “Temps are around 64 degrees give or take, depending on where you are at.”

Del reports the bass are spawning and they are already catching a few post-spawn.

Fishing has been good and everyone is catching them, but it will definitely slow down after a cold front. Be sure to fish the conditions. If it’s cloudy, rainy and/or

See FISH, page A9 FISH

From page A8

windy you can powerfish shad-style baits, a square bill, spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits in the runoff. Make sure you’re covering water on windblown transition banks and swings. If it’s flat and sunny, fish swings and secondary points, as well as south-facing spawning pockets. Try a green pumpkin or puke tube, C-rig or a shaky head Senko, or a floating worm. Also a Jewel finesse jig and a Ned rig are all working. Best colors are green pumpkin orange/red variants.

In the dirty water you can get real skinny if it’s warm. The shad balls are definitely broken up, so if you’re fishing open water you’re going to have to pay attention — a lot of fish are moving into pockets. If shad are present, try a 2.8 swimbait, fluke or Tater Shad 2.8. Small topwater poppers and the Lucky Craft Gunfish are starting to produce, all in white or natural shad.

Southern Walleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) reports that walleye fishing has been steadily getting better. Fishing methods have not changed. If contour trolling, try stick baits or shad-style baits slow and shallow just before dark and after daybreak in 8-14 feet of water. Slide out to deeper water, 20-40 feet, after daylight. If open water trolling for suspended fish, find shad and try trolling with snap weights from 35-50 feet deep over 80 feet or more of water while using Berkley No. 9 Flicker Minnows or No. 7 Flicker Shads. Rapala Deep Husky Jerks and Reef Runner 800 series trolled over the old river channel at 1.2-1.8 mph should put some fish in the boat.

Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) reports crappie are spawning but seemed to be pretty scattered with the water level down. Fish are moving in and out on staging structures to beds, and we have started catching spawned-out females.

“Scuba” Steve Street at Blackburn’s Resort and Boat Rental said the rise is from the heavy rain from the Norfork River Basin is up 2.3 feet since last week but has not hurt anything as far as fishing is concerned.

There is some small debris floating out from the shore in the creeks but the main lake is still very clear.