Memorial Day 2020

M emorial Day honors the many men and women who have given their all to protect us and make it possible for us to enjoy our many freedoms and blessings. It is appropriate this year because of the federal and state quarantines and lock downs. We are fortunate in Arkansas and have not been under severe stay at home orders. The one good thing from the Chinese virus is that it has sent many folks to the lakes and ponds to enjoy fishing and to catch a good supper. All the local lakes like Horseshoe, Wampanocca, Midway, and the city park lakes are busy with fishermen. The good thing is all the lakes are producing nice catches of fish. For crappie, bass, and catfish head to Horseshoe. The best crappie catches come from “shooting” the piers and spider rigging. The boat ramps are extremely busy so allow extra time and please be courteous. Be helpful to folks getting their boats in and out of the water. The quicker they are done, the faster you can ramp your boat. While at Horseshoe, stop by Bonds Store for bait and some of

See CRINER, page A3

John Criner

Outdoors Columnist CRINER

From page A1

the best hamburgers. They slow cook BBQ over real hickory and Papa Duck got to enjoy the great ribs, butts, and Mama Duck’s favorite, the chicken.

Bonds will bbq again for the 4th July, so get your orders in early. Wampanocca fishermen are enjoying big bream in the cypress and can get out of the winds. The canoe trails are easy fishing. Midway is the choice of bream and bass fishermen, especially the “old fashioned big black river brim”. We fished Midway on Friday afternoon and after dodging a storm, found the big bream around the cypress close to the buck brush.

Papa Duck visited with several boats and most all have nice coolers full of bream and a few nice crappie they caught while bream fishing. We had a box full and caught 8 bass on jigs and spinner baits.

Two were over 5 pounds.

They do have pier fishing if you don’t have a boat.

$5 to launch or pier fish.

Fish bait is available at the boat launch. The river is on the rise so hurry up before it affects the fishing. Bear Creek continues to be low but the ramp is open to fishermen. Catfish are good at Burnt Cane and the water and launch are in good shape.

Papa Duck has received very few fishing reports on Bear Creek and Burnt Cane. Burnt Cane is an old river chute with a state ramp east of Forrest City.

It is very pretty and does not get much use.

Tilden Rogers continues to draw good crowds of people catching primarily catfish and small to medium sized bream. A few crappie and bass are occasionally caught. The Marion Recreation lake, (nobody knows its name), was stocked at the same time as Tilden Rodgers, but very few fishermen use it. It is extremely well maintained and has a very nice walk way pier across it. Some of you fishermen are missing a good place to fish! These are large parks and there is not a problem with “social distancing” Enjoy taking the family to the lakes and ponds.

This time of year Mother Nature can really entertain. Please take plenty of pictures and send them to Papa Duck along with some details of the outing. Let other people enjoy them also. Lakeside Taxidermy has been fishing too much, so bring you trophies to be mounted quickly, at a reasonable price, and beautiful mounts.

Papa Duck Lakeside Taxidermy 901-482-3430 jhcriner@hotmail.com

Buddy Dunston of West Memphis holds up a nice bass he caught during a recent fishing trip.

Photos courtesy of John Criner

Johnny Coleman was staying safe from the sun and the coronavirus while fishing out at Horseshoe Lake.