Quillback

Like they have in Texas. Doubt one over 10 will come out of Beaver, but you never know. Launching January 1, 2026 - The Legacy Lunker Program! Big news for Arkansas anglers! The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is excited to announce the launch of our new Legacy Lunker Program, officially kicking off on January 1, 2026! This initiative empowers anglers to create lasting memories, contribute to vital conservation efforts, and solidify Arkansas's reputation as a premier destination for trophy bass. Here's how you can participate and be rewarded: The Legacy Lunker Donation Program (Jan. 1 - March 31 Annually) Catch a largemouth bass weighing 10 pounds or more from public water in Arkansas between January 1 and March 31 each year, and you can donate it to the program! Your donated lunker will be transported to the Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery, where it will be paired with genetically superior male Florida bass to produce offspring with incredible growth potential. After spawning, your lunker and its offspring will be released back into the lake where it was caught, boosting the genetic potential of the lake! Incredible Rewards for Donating a 10+ Pound Lunker: An exclusive invitation to our first annual Legacy Lunker Banquet in Fall 2026. Prize packs from sponsors like Bass Pro Shops and PRADCO, with more sponsors coming. A replica mount of your fish from Harper's Pure Country Taxidermy. A chance to win a brand new, fully decked out 21-foot Xpress Boat with a 250 horsepower Yamaha outboard, valued at $80,000! Year-Round Angler Recognition Program Even if your trophy catch is outside the donation window or not quite 10 pounds, you can still be recognized! Enter largemouth weighing 8 pounds or more (or 6 pounds for youth anglers) on www.agfc.com/legacylunker for prizes and recognition. Bonus prizes for 10+ pound fish caught outside the donation window. Additional prizes and recognition for smallmouth and spotted bass catches weighing over 4 pounds! We've already had successful trial runs, highlighting the potential of the program. We're incredibly excited for the official launch and can't wait to see your lunkers! Stay tuned for more details! Follow the AGFC and AGFC Fisheries Division on social media and visit www.agfc.com/legacylunker.

I'll have to give it a try. I like eating walleye, but would rather have gill fillets.

I can't remember if I told this story here or not, but if you have heard it before, my apologies. Went on a guided salmon trip of the coast of Vancouver Island, this was probably 25 years or so ago. We were trolling anchovies behind flashers off of downriggers. The guide rigged those anchovies with the line through the head connected to a treble hook where he'd pin the treble hook to the back of the chovie. So he set one up, let it out behind the boat about 50 feet where it was on top and was getting ready to hook it to the downrigger ball when out of nowhere a seagull came down, grabbed the chovie and got hooked. The guide went ahead and hooked the line to the downrigger, dropped the cannon ball, which then took that gull on a diving mission. Kept it down a minute or so, brought in the gull, which was about 3/4 dead, got the hook out, and released the gull. We went back to trolling, slowly leaving the gull behind. The gull was kind of flapping around on the surface, a bunch of other gulls came in and were flying around squawking at the one on the surface, when they all bolted and out of nowhere an eagle swooped down and got that poor half dead gull. Just for the record, I have not caught a bat.

Very nice! I would be very happy to stumble upon some chasers! I'm thinking of chasing some gills if I could find some sizeable ones, are they off the gravel rolloffs?

Yes it is up the creek arm itself in spots. Seems like it is getting more widespread. If I remember correctly, we ran into it back in Little Clifty too. Dredged up more of that stuff this spring than I ever have.

I now feel personally attached to that bear. Speaking of Alaskan bears, if you have not seen that documentary Grizzly Man, it is worth a watch.

Neat little video, hope the link copies over. Some nice looking gills. Beaver and Bob Kidd Lakes Native Aquatic Plant Projects Check out this video to see the abundance of fish interacting with aquatic vegetation in Beaver Lake! The AGFC and Northwest Arkansas Fish Habitat Alliance are collaborating to enhance fish habitat in Beaver and Bob Kidd Lakes through the introduction of native plants. Currently, we have 14 floating cages (Arkansas Cubes) in Bob Kidd Lake and 24 in Beaver Lake, all stocked with aquatic plants. The objective is to facilitate plant reproduction and establishment within these lakes. The integration of native plants is expected to significantly bolster fish habitat and populations. Aquatic vegetation is crucial for fish, providing vital habitat for species such as bass, crappie, bream/sunfish, and walleye. It offers cover for ambushing prey, improves feeding success, and increases survival and spawning rates for juvenile fish. Beyond its benefits to fish, robust plant communities stabilize sediments, safeguard shorelines, and enhance water clarity and quality. These plant communities aid in pollutant removal and nutrient absorption, fostering a healthier aquatic ecosystem and mitigating issues like shoreline erosion, poor water quality, and harmful algal blooms. Twitter Facebook Instagram Fishbrain Our mailing address is: 2 Natural Resources Drive Little Rock, AR 72205 unsubscribe from all emails update subscription preferences

Dutch and I hit the lake this morning. Slow for us, 10 bass total, 2 were keepers. We did very little deep fishing, mainly fishing banks with jigs and the c-rig. No hot spots, a bite here and there kind of thing. Lots of what looked to be gizzard shad flipping around on top, quite a few scattered small shad too. You'd think there might be a top water bite in places, but no evidence of that. Some gar on top, but never saw much of anything that resembled bass. Water is kind of a murky brown color and was already at 88 first thing in the morning. Very few bass fishermen out, a few boats stationary on the gravel points, I'm guessing walleye chasers.

Seattle's border on the east is Lake Washington. Lake Washington gets a sockeye run, and if that run exceeds a certain number (I think it used to be 250,000) then they open up a recreational sockeye fishery in the lake. The way just about everyone fished for them, including me, was to troll a couple of bare hooks behind a dollar bill sized piece of metal called a dodger. You'd tie the hooks about 18" behind the dodger, the dodger gives the hooks a sort of herky-jerky motion. The sockeye would eat the bare hook, it was an effective way to catch them. Would not surprise me at all that if you are hooking them in the mouth that they are "eating" whatever it is you guys throw at them in rivers. Sockeye are goofy fish, hard fighters and great to eat, but weird when it comes to fishing for them.

I know of an Arkansan or two that fish the RR catch and release season. I believe you need the annual trout stamp to fish it. I doubt a $40 fee will stop them. Probably will cause some grumbling however. 😀

None for me. There's a little banner ad in the White River subforum and general fishing subforum, but it is small in size.

$40 is pretty stiff. Especially for a day. Arkansas charges $20 for a NR trout stamp. Both AR and MO get the majority of their fish and game funding through the sales tax surcharge. Looks like that revenue stream ain't enough, so we're seeing fee increases. Give them more money, they'll spend it.

Feeling old?

Thanks for posting. Were there many other fishermen around?

Sweet - may have to tie on a spinner bait next time out.

Well they better get to work, flies all over the place this year.

From AGFC: Know Your Goggle-Eye For anglers who enjoy wading through the cool, clear streams of the Ozarks, there is a thrill of catching a unique "goggle-eye." But did you know that not all goggle-eye are the same? The Ozark Bass is a species found only in the upland streams of the White River system in Arkansas and Missouri. It shares the goggle-eye nickname with its relatives, the Shadow Bass and the Northern Rock Bass, which can make identification challenging. The key is to pay attention to the color pattern of the fish and your location. The Ozark Bass, found in the White River drainage in northern Arkansas, has a "freckled" appearance, with irregular dark spots scattered across its sides. The Shadow Bass occurs in the Red, Ouachita, Arkansas, Illinois, Little Red, Strawberry, Spring, Black, and St. Francis river drainages. It has dark vertical blotches, giving it a camouflaged look. The Northern Rock Bass, found in the Neosho River drainage in Northwest Arkansas, has spots arranged in neat, parallel rows that resemble horizontal stripes. All three species of goggle-eye are excellent sport fish, known for putting up a lively fight on light tackle. You will find them in their preferred habitat of deeper pools, hiding near cover such as large boulders, submerged logs, and root wads. They are aggressive predators with a diet mainly consisting of crayfish, aquatic insects, and small fish. To catch them, try bouncing small jigs, beetle-spins, or crayfish-imitating lures or flies along the bottom close to cover. Live bait, especially small crayfish and hellgrammites, are also very effective. In Arkansas, all goggle-eye species are managed together as "Rock Bass," with a daily limit of 10 and no minimum size limit. As a slow-growing species and with its schooling nature, the Ozark Bass can be vulnerable to overharvest, so by being selective with their harvest, anglers can play a key role in conserving this unique Ozark species for future generations. We hope you have time to get out on the river this summer and catch one of these feisty fish!

Way to go! Isn't that the group that changed the rules on you a few years ago?

Nice fish!

Kansas Alps - northwest corner of the state, best time to visit is in the fall when the maples are turning.