Greers Ferry January Forecast 2010

[Cody Smith]

Hello All and Happy New year, Out with the old and in with the COLD! Throughout the first half of December we saw falling lake levels with very moderate water temperatures in the mid to low 50 degree mark. This in turn kept the bite consistent on most all species with our walleyes making a good showing throughout the first half of the month. Over the Christmas Holiday we saw upwards of 7 or more inches of rain which brought lake levels upwards once again. 2009 is now officially the wettest year on record, toppling the old record by more than 5 inches! Look for January to harbor some of the coldest water temperatures we will see here all year on Greers. Surface temperatures will range from the Upper to mid 40's on the main lake with some of the tributaries and feeder arms showing surface temperatures in the upper 30 degree range with below average temperatures predicted.

January will mark the beginning of the pre-spawn stage for our walleyes. Our toothy friends already have eggs developing and they will further this development throughout the month. All of the female eyes that where boated and dressed in December had eggs and where feeding up for this highly anticipated event which will occur in February and be finishing up by the first week of March. When pursuing our eyes during this month look to main lake points and secondary points up feeder arms as prime locations for the staging eyes to be holding. The Narrows will have a big push this month with our migratory population passing through this gateway before heading up the feeder arms to the spawning grounds. Depths from 16 - 44 feet will hold these fish with the primary depth on any given day being dictated by light penetration, wind, and forage. During January Large Minnows, Crawlers and hard plastics should be your primary baits with the minnows coming in number one. Drop Shot rig's, Lead head jigs and modified split shot set-ups will be the ticket in presenting your live bait offering slow and steady.

Our Hybrids and White Bass will be on the move as usual during this month feeding at opportune times during the day. They will be hanging at depths of 35 - 65 feet deep and feeding as they go. There will not be much consistency with these fish during this month but good days of 20 or more will be had to those who stay after them. Knowing how to read your electronics will pay Huge dividends as there will only be very limited surfacing during this period. If we get a string of warmer days put together to wards the end of the month expect the action and peak feeding times to increase. Mid day time periods will be key and will produce the most aggressive bite. As I have stated in previous articles, my go too number one bait for catching these fish at deeper haunts is the Fish Dinner line up of spoons. I prefer the 1/2 and 3/4 ounce white scale with the blue back version. These are NOW AVAILABLE on-line at http://www.fishdinnerlures.com, as well as, Golden Outdoors in Heber Springs.

One of the most dependent bites on this reservoir is within our Kentucky/Spotted Bass population. These fish are fun to catch, school in large concentration's and feed aggressively when presented with live bait offerings or artificial. Look at our rock bluffs at mid range depths for these fish to be hanging in larger concentrations this month. Secondary Ledges adjacent to channel swings on the main lake and feeder creeks will also hold these fish in high numbers as well as the old faithful Bridge Pilings. By far my most successful way to boat a handful of these fish is by utilizing a drop shot rig with live bait or soft plastics. This is a very versatile rig; you can cast and retrieve, drop it vertical to suspended fish or simply drag the rig when drifting over flats or humps. Look for these fish to be suspended just off the bottom to mid column depth with there primary forage.

Our small mouth population is already setting up on chunk and boulder rock piles in depths of 28 - 40 feet. During December at these very locations we saw them schooled and pretty active for short periods of time. During these windows we boated good numbers of these fish off of single locations within a very small area. I expect them to hold there locations over the next month with the windows of feeding time to decrease making them more difficult into taking your offering. Jig and Chunk combos, Jigging Spoons and finesse techniques with live or artificial bait should be your focus.

January can offer some really great days of fishing on the water as long as you pick and choose your days wisely. When on the water during our cold water months choose your location's according to the wind, light, time of day and let your electronics play the key factor in locating fish. Once you have marked and located fish, drop your lines and wait them out. Remember that our fish's metabolism have slowed but they still have to eat. They will prefer one large meal over several smaller ones during this period. They simply will not exert more energy to catch their prey than the energy they receive by consuming it. As always, any day spent on the water is a great one! If you have any question's regarding our lake area or would like more information on setting a trip to fish with me please call (501) 691 - 5701 for the best available dates this Spring! It's going to be a Great year to fish Greers Ferry, I wish you a Happy New Year and hope to see you all soon! Good Fishin`