New To Forum - Seeking Beaver Lake Advice

[stump jumper]

I'm new to the forum - joined last Fall when I moved here from TN but haven't managed to get out on the water. I plan to put in at Hickory Creek this coming Sunday (June 22nd) and was wondering if anyone could shed some light on the black bass patterns in this part of the lake. I'm not asking for your honey holes; only some general info. Also, are there any specific hazards that I should be aware of? Does anyone know the recent water temps? I'm most familiar with fishing for bass in shallow lakes with lots of grass so Beaver will be a learning curve for me none the less.

Thanks for the advice in advance -- hopefully I'll land something picture worthy.

--SJ

(former contributor to the: www.chattanoogafishingforum.com)

[jolicious]

Hey bud,

I was out there last weekend, and try to go at least twice a week. Water temps Saturday were in the mid to upper 70's. Couldn't find a pattern, beacuse I didn't catch anything! But, they still seem to be chasing shad pretty hard around sun up and sun down. Water's still not as clear as I personally like it, but it's getting there.

[Hogfan]

Stump Jumper-

With the water high like it is there isn't to many hazards other than a few floating logs and trash. It seems to be the worst around dusk and dawn just because there are fewer boats on the water to keep it pushed to the bank. As far as fising goes I posted a report yesterday which may help you out a little. I would fish some gravel points in the horseshoe bend area dragging a carolina rigged lizard or brushhog. Set the boat in 30'-35' of water and cast towards the bank. Depending on cloud cover the bass will move so just vary your depth until you find them. Most of my fish have been coming shallow early in the day, but by 10am they've moved out in the 20'-25' range.

Hope this helps. Good Luck!

[J-Doc]

Here's a link I like to use to get a feel for what's going on with Beaver Lake. The local guide supplies a weekly report which can be usefull information.

Arkansas Game & Fish Report

Beaver Lake is a very strange fishing lake. There are some who really know where to go and what to do and then there are the weekend backlashers like myself that just enjoy being out fishing on the lake. It's a lot of work staying on fish and knowing where to go and what to use. I typically fish shallow water myself and I'm under the impression that deeper structure and offshore ledges near shallow water is where the fish are. How to catch them is a different story. I think a carolina rig, jig, and crankbait are the best tools.

Good luck!