Arkansas Lakes / Reservoirs Talk

[Cataholic]

Come On Folks!
Who is fishing where and who is catching what?
Ponds and Lakes ought to be good in the shallows this time of year with the heat like it's been or maybe deep holes in the rivers, chime in here and let everyone know how your doing! Here on the Arkansas around Dardanelle kitty's are scarce I've been skunked the last three times trying. :mad:

[catfishkay_]

We hadn't had much luck here until this past week and a half. Fishin on the North Little Rock side of the river at Cooks Landing and the Hydro plant area has picked up.

Trick is to put your weight on the bottom, hook full of liver in the middle and a good bobber on there and get it out into the current. You may have to wait a good 10 minutes but hey we been pullin in some good 3 to 5 pounders. Channel cat that is........

As for any other spots, well, it is a bit on the slow side......
Have a good one,
catfishkay_

[jtrew]

Catfishkay, does the fact that you fish below Murray L&D mean you're from the Little Rock area?

[Smellycat]

:cursing: Cataholic, we been waiting on some good reports to head back to Dardenelle. 90 mile drive for us. And we aint had much luck so far this year.

[jtrew]

Smellycat, if you'll put in at the launching ramp at Bigelow, about halfway between Murray L&D and Toadsuck, you'll find some good fishing around the dikes and bluffs. We've drifted down that far from Toadsuck both times I've put in at Toadsuck, and the further down that way we got, the better the fishing was.

[johnathon281]

well this is going to take some getting use to......lol....soon as i get use the the other one they go and change it on me.......
:rolleyes:

[Cataholic]

Hey John!
Better get on the bandwagon and git yerself some gear, My son in law tore em up this last weekend. Course he runs jugs round the London area of the river, but 175 pounds of fillets filled his freezer! Says he cant go anymore till he has room, PITY! I told him he could go again and fill mine... :rolleyes: Gimme a holler when yer ready!

[jtrew]

Cataholic, was he jugging at the nookie plant outlet, or out in the lake above there?

[Cataholic]

Hey Jerry!
He was fishing about two miles from the outlet upstream around the big island at London using big shiners...

[Little Mac]

hey Joe, what you doin monday? Think about fishinnnnnnn. :)

[Cataholic]

Hey Jim!
You know me! I live and breathe Cattin'

[Smellycat]

Thanks Jerry. Will try to get down there and try our luck. Need to try some different spots anyway.

[catfishkay_]

Catfishkay, does the fact that you fish below Murray L&D mean you're from the Little Rock area?
to reply hon, yep, N. Little Rock to be exact. and you?

[jtrew]

Catfishkay, I live in SW Little Rock, and so does my daughter, Gardenhawk.

[olefin]

Energy started lowering Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine levels this afternoon and said both lakes would be lowered a foot by midnight tonight to get ready for Rita. They have never lowered the lake levels that fast since we lived here. Glad to see they are making preparations before the rain gets here. Energy has been posting messages on TV telling folks to check their docks and boats for this sudden draw down.

The folks in Texas are getting hit right now... may God watch over them all.

[cat_assassin]

Hey I'm new to the area and tryin to find a good place for cats from the bank or a pier or something, please somebody give me some ideas. Miss my texas fishing ! :sad:

[VerotiK]

You should try Lake Ouchita. Its supposed to have some decent fishing.

[jtrew]

I've only catfished Ouachita one weekend. I started out using cut shad, because the lake has a large shad population. Didn't catch a cat. Switched to fresh chicken livers, and did well enough for a fish fry. That was back in stumpy coves that had some kind of channel in them running out to the main lake.
I heard stories of huge cats just above the dam, and graphed the area with a paper graph recorder; marked a number of fish in the 4'-6' length range, but don't know if they were cats, stripers, or gar.

[TOPS]

Cat assassin E-mail or private message old fin, he is from hot springs and should know that area. :D

[Cataholic]

Hello Fello Arkansans!

Update January 24, 2006...

Everyone knows one of the places I fish where the Illinois Bayou dumps into Lake Dardanelle. I've been noticing the Gulls are hanging around the cove I fish so I decided to go, took a package of 4 Frozen Skipjack about 14" and headed out at eleven A.M. By Noon I was putting Blues (about 3-4 pounds) on my stringer with constant bites making it difficult to fish the three poles I had in the water. The water is approximately 30 feet deep and clear, though I cain't tell you what the water temperature was the air temperature was 60 degrees and sunny with a barometer of 30.16 and steady to rising. By the time the sun started to ease behind the railroad bridge just to the south I had my limit with the biggest going about seven pounds! My Daughters 31st birthday is Friday so I guess it's time for a fry! She's nuts about Dad's fish!

So, Guys find the Gulls and sling some Skipjack!
Makes your mouths water don't it?

[Little Mac]

Ive been told by many fishermen to watch the birds and I do and your right Birds are after food, food=Catfish an other unmentionable fish. Glad to hear you had a good day and caught a mess. Mac

[jtrew]

Way to go!
aaaaaaaaaaaaa (added characters required by site)

[sgt_rob]

Anyone ever fished in Lake Chicot (Arkansas). We are planning a crappie trip in March and need some info.

[TOPS]

I fished years ago when I lived in northeast Louisiana. I know it is out of Lake village Arkansas. I can remember catching some slabs [crappie]. I can not remember the time of the year that we fished it. My brother-in-law took me. [ now deceased ]

[jtrew]

Don't know about crappie, but I seem to remember something about there being so many catfish in that lake that they removed the limit. Maybe it was just on channels. Check the regs.

[catfishkay_]

Catfishkay, does the fact that you fish below Murray L&D mean you're from the Little Rock area?
My bad hon, haven't been able to get on the puter for some months now but finally got her up and running again. Whew!!

In answer to your question, YEP! North Little Rock, Park Hill area.... How about you, LR or NLR?
Marilyn

[gofish]

Anyone ever fished in Lake Chicot (Arkansas). We are planning a crappie trip in March and need some info.

Rob, you better give me a call when you head to Chicot. That's about 10 miles from the Warehouse! I don't know much about crappie fishin so I can't offer much advice. I will go over and fish with y'all if I can though. What did you have in mind? Trolling? Fishing structure? Where are you planning on launching and/or staying?

It turns out that I'm not going to Iowa the week of the 20th after all. We have some things going on at work that demand that I be there. Too bad about the Chicot LA gathering. Next year!

Give me a shout if you need me to do any leg work for you or if you need any other information. 662 822 3628

[jtrew]

Catfishkay, I live in SW Little Rock just off Mabelvale Cutoff. My oldest daughter, Gardenhawk, lives with us right now. She's even more of a hardcore catter than I am.

[sgt_rob]

You've got it Joe. I've got you're number plugged into the cell phone. A buddie of mine and his family are going to be there the wee of 13 Mar; I am driving up on 17 Mar. He is making all the plans but we will be camping (RV Style). We have never been there before and are looking for some tips. You got any?

[Cataholic]

Hey Rob,
The best tip I can give ya is...
iffun your line ain't wet you ain't gonna catch fish.

[gofish]

Rob, I really don't know much about crappie fishin. I do know that there are some nice stringers caught in Chicot though. Do you know where y'all will be staying? There is a campground over near the visitor's center, a state park, and a county park on the lake. If I don't get the chance to fish I could at least meet y'all and have a cold one. Keep in touch and let me know what your plans are.

[Big Sam]

:) Allright folks...the catfish are starting to gather up in the coves in 2-5ft of water..Went down to the lake yesterday evening and they were eating every thing in sight...I bank fished in a small cove using dk's punch bait and bagged a 15.7lb channel cat on the first cast...my pole set less than 2 minutes...I ended up with a nice mess of blues and channels...Man that channel cat fought like a 30lb fish.;)

[squirtspop]

Last year me and bro in law put in at the ramp at Bigelow went across the river, slightly upstream where there was an island. Water coming around was 6 feet deep and dropped over to 23 feet where it curved around the island. Knocked the heck out of the channels just letting it drop down into the deeper water. We were using nightcrawlers and beef liver strips. Planning on hitting it again soon.

[Big Sam]

:) Well that rain we got over the past few days got the petit jean to flowing..it rose a couple of feet...went saturday and bagged the tar out of channel cats..couldn't keep your bait in the water they were biting so fast....DK was the bait...gonna be some good eating:cool:

[Big Sam]

Went March 26th at the outlet in russellville...The water temp was 65....Folks were catching sandbass like crazy..I tried a while for skips..Too many boats:crying: I did however break out the cat fish rigs and caught 25 catfish in 35 minutes on DK in the cove by the outlet...they were thick:)

[TOPS]

Sam, many thanks for the up date. That cove has always been a hot bed.

[jtrew]

Sounds like it's time to take the boat and motorhome up to the nookie plant for a few days fishing, just as soon as we get things settled after the baby tomorrow.

[squirtspop]

Went over to Horshoe Bend and fished one of their lakes tonight. 1 dinky channel, 2 bluegills about 5 inches long and a turtle about the size of a saucer. Did get some mosquito bites but I knew there was no size to them.

[squirtspop]

Back over to Horseshoe Bend in Crown Lake yesterday. 2 channels, 1 bullhead, 8 bluegill. Caught most of them on shrimp marinated in vanilla and a couple off of the bluegill off nightcrawlers. Transferred them all to my pond for the grandkids.