June brings better bream action

Update on fishing hotspots in Central Arkansas

Arkansas Wildlife Early June seems synonymous to us with big bream activity. But that's not all that's happening at DeGray, as our reporters tell us.

Capt. Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips guide service says that even with the water tempeatures unseasonably low (57 earlier this week) the crappie 'are hanging in there.

We've caught nice slabs as shallow as 6 feet and as deep as 15 feet.' And guide John Duncan out of Iron Mountain Marina says catfishing is really big now on DeGray, but crappie probably still provides the best report this week. 'The bigger crappie have started stacking up in the brushpiles.' Find those brushpiles above the thermocline, which is ays is around 20-22 feet now.

Then fish close to the top of the piles. He terms the best approach as 'run and gun': Fish a pile, catch a few, run to the next pile.'

No matter where you fish, send us your photos to jim.harris@agfc.ar.gov for publication in this newsletter and in the online Weekly Fishing Report.

And keep reading to find out where the other hot spots are this week…

Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir

Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the lake is its normal stain.

Water level has returned to normal. Bream reports continue to be good. They’re biting redworms, crickets and Dynamax Jigs. Crappie are good. Anglers are having success with minnows, jigs, hand-tie jigs and Dynamax Jigs, with white/chartreuse colors working best. Black bass are good. Try spinnerbaits, crankbaits, plastic worms, topwater lures, poppers, frogs and buzzbaits.

Catfish are biting well on stinkbait, goldfish, bream and nightcrawlers.

Little Red River

Greg Seaton of littleredflyfishingtrips. com (501-6909166) said the river is clear with one unit running round-the-clock. They are using Greers Ferry to regulate the electrical grid due to large releases at Bull Shoals and Table Rock on the White River. Due to heavy spring rains these lakes are at their maximum level and both generators and spillway gates are being used to lower these levels. “I was informed that this schedule would continue for several days, so it would be best to check the daily Southwestern Power Administration (swpa.gov) forecast before planning your trip,” Greg says.

“Wade fishing is not an option on the Little Red while we are on this schedule. Drift fishing with large nymphs, San Juan worms, and micro-jigs is the best option. Be aware of docks and obstacles while drifting since the current will be stronger than the last few mornings. Stay safe, and good fishing!”

Lowell Myers of Sore Lip’em All Guide Service (501-230-0730) says the Greers Ferry Lake level is still above seasonal pool.

Recent rains have caused the Little Red River to be off-color occasionally.

However, daily generation helps clear it up to fishable conditions. Generation pattern has been unpredictable recently, but most days see lower water providing wading opportunities especially in the mornings. Always check before heading to the Little Red River by calling the Corps of Engineers Little Rock District water data system (501-3625150) for Greers Ferry Dam water release information or check the Corps of Engineers website (swlwc. usace.army.mil) for real-time water release and the Southwestern Power Administration website (swpa.gov) to see forecasted generation schedule. For fly-fishing, Lowell recommends San Juan worms, caddis pupa, hare’s ear, sowbugs and streamers.

Hot pink and white bodies on chartreuse jigheads are recommended for Trout Magnet spin fishing. Be safe while enjoying the river.

Greers Ferry Lake

Tommy Cauley of Fishfinder Guide Service (501-940-1318) said the water level at Greers Ferry Lake is at 469.30 feet msl and on the rise. It is 6.76 feet above normal pool for this time of year of 462.54 feet msl. Crappie catching continues to be good in and around bushes and now out to pole timber and brushpiles, from super shallow out to 25 feet on jigs and minnows. Catfishing is good all over the lake and

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Photos courtesy of AGFC FISHING REPORTS(cont.)

rivers, with the flathead spawn upon us; use cut and live bait for any application. Walleye are scattered with the new rise and not a lot of sun. When things level out they should get grouped up good right outside of bushes and even in some bushes, Grubs and crawlers are working best.

Hybrid bass and white bass are eating at will all over lake and in the rivers on grubs, inline spinners and spoons. They’re found right in front of bushes out to 30 feet. Black bass are chewing well with shad spawns, and just plain eating after their spawns, on a variety of baits in a variety of places. Bream are doing well all over lake with limits coming in use crawlers, crickets, small inline spinners and crankbaits.

Fish ’N Stuff (501-8345733) in Sherwood says the water is high and the clarity is clear. Bass are biting in the early mornings on Whopper Ploppers in white and ghost minnow colors.

Caroline rigs are also working in 10-20 feet of water, and Gitzits are getting hit around trees. At night the bass are biting on black/purple spinnerbaits and plum apple Old Monster River Tail Worms.

Harris Brake Lake Resort (501-889-2745) said the clarity is “pretty clear” and the water is back down to normal level. Bream are good. They’re biting both redworms and crickets. The crappie bite is good at 1314 feet depth on minnows or jigs. Black bass are fair; no other details were provided. No reports on catfish.

Johnny “Catfish” Banks of Overcup Bait Shop and R.V. Park (501-354-9007) said Overcup’s water level is up 1 feet above normal, while surface temperature Tuesday was around 72 degrees. Clarity is off merely from the rain and wind. Black bass are doing well on crankbaits and plastic worms. Catfishing also are doing well on jugs and trotlines baited with perch or big trotline minnows. Bream are slow, but they were doing well before the temperature change and the rain.

Crappie are being caught on small minnows and jigs. Some crappie are being found in 3 feet of water and others in 6 feet depth.

Johnny says, “Come see us at Overcup Bait Shop on Highway 9 for all your fishing needs.”

David Hall, owner of Dad’s Bait Shop (501-977-0303), said the lake is fairly clear and the surface water temperature is ranging 70-75 degrees. Water level is high. Bream reports are good. Crickets are working great, and David reports he has crickets in stock.

Crappie are good. They are 12-20 feet deep in underwater brush. Use minnows.

Black bass are good. They are found at 5-6 feet depth and are hitting on top of the water when it warms up during midday. They’re being caught using goldfish, David said – “a lot of people do not have bass minnows” –l and on jigs.

Catfish are biting well on jugs and trotlines baited with goldfish.

Area anglers say they're catching catfish on fresh chicken livers, minnows, bait shrimp and stink baits.

Bream are moving up shallow, biting crickets and redworms and brown Rock Hoppers. Bass are doing best in the morning on black salties and floating worms. Crappie fishing has seemed to pick up later in the evening with crappie minnows and pink ones, too. Also with the crappie nibbles.

Bream have been doing well on crickets and worms in both ponds. Crappie fishing has been better in the back pond but most have been small to medium sized. No. 6 crappie minnows are catching them in the last hour of daylight.

Catfish have been biting slow to fair for customers using minnows, fresh chicken livers and bait shrimp. Bass are liking black salties, goldfish and live crawdads. And also red/ black core Trick Worms and watermelon /red Trick Worms.

Bream fishing has been fast and fun anglers using crickets and redworms.

Continued on Page 15 FISHING REPORTS (cont.)

Catfish have been biting minnows, worms and goldfish and black salties, and bream especially, on trotlines. Bass are biting minnows, small spinnerbaits and lizards and Rebel Crawdads. Crappie are biting fair on crappie minnows and Kalin's Grubs.

Crickets and redworms have been catching some really nice bream. Look for beds in shallow water but don't forget to fish around deep structure as well.

We've seen some big ones come from deep water on Lake Norrell. Catfish have been biting fair at night on nightcrawlers, minnows, fresh chicken livers and live crawdads. Bass have been biting early in the mornings, late in the day and at night on buzzbaits, floating worms and black salties. Crappie have been fair on crappie minnows and Kalin’s Grubs.

Crappie are biting minnows and various colors of Bobby Garland and Kalin’s jigs and grubs. Cajun Cricket and Tennessee Shad are the hottest colors right now. Some really nice bream have been caught on crickets. Both bass and catfish are hitting live crawdads, goldfish and black salties.

Charlie Hoke at Charlie's Hidden Harbor at Oppelo (501-354-8080) said he didn’t have a lot to report from the last couple of days as the river went on a high rise again. But earlier last week, a longtime customer and his wife stopped in after not haven’t been in the area in three years, the flow was around 60,000 cfs and they were catching catfish, particularly flatheads, using sandworms, Charlie reports. The customer then tried skipjack but didn’t fare as well. A week ago Monday, a father and son who also enjoy going after the catfish but hadn’t been out in the area in a while went out with skipjack, nightcrawlers and shrimp, “and everything they caught was on nightcrawlers,” Charlie said. “I don’t know if it’s because they (the Army Corps of Engineers) have been flushing the water through the river, but the water is muddy so worms are probably best.” That pair of anglers was fishing on top of jetties and throwing on both sides, pitching them over on the current side or the noncurrent side and catching fish on both sides in 4-5 feet depth, he said.

Other than those reports, it’s been real spotty, he said. “You get back up in some of the creeks, like Point Remove Creek, get back in that when the water is not flowing and the fish are around the wood structure, they are catching largemouth bass on shallow- running crankbaits in various colors – chartreuse, orange with black – and spinnerbaits. They aren’t big, but they are 2-pounder range.” Also on the Petit Jean River when water flow isn’t too high on the river, anglers have been catching both bream and crappie on redworms.

Crappie are also biting jigs in chartreuse/black or chartreuse with red heads and dark-colored skirts, he said.