Elk River Largemouth!

[bfishn]

I always wonder if fish like that actually grow to that size in the river, or are washed over a pond dam during unusually high water? ...

Given that LM prevail in the Arkansas portions of Little Sugar, there's no doubt some have washed out of the Bella Vista lakes. I've seen some nice ones in the holes in Tanyard Creek and Thief Hollow Branch between the lakes and LS after a flood. I doubt the 12lb channel I caught in the creek was hatched there either.

That said, they're probably way safer in the creek than they were in the lake... :-)

[Quillback]

Definitely some bass in the BV creeks, never have seen one over about a lb. or so, but doesn't mean they aren't there. A larger fish would have to survive some nasty hydraulics and drops during a high water event if it was washed out of a BV lake.

[Guest]

The big ones are definitely washed in there.

I've seen them wading the golf course & below the lake on 71.

[Quillback]

"The lake on 71" Are you talking about lake Bella Vista? Lake BV had a pretty good population of bass and some crappie before they drained it a few years ago. If they'd quit jacking around with the water level that lake could be a good fishing lake. They lowered it again this year, but now it's full again. They lowered it in the past as they were worried about the dam collapsing, they did a few repairs and raised it again and I thought they'd leave it alone, but they dropped it for some reason earlier this year. They were also planning to build a new dam, but lost the funding for that. I haven't heard any news lately so I don't know what the heck is up with that lake. There are bass in the streams above Lake BV also.

[creekfreak]

That was indeed my friend in the picture, Quillback. I was the unlucky friend they mentioned who accompanied him on the trip.