Tailwater - Arkansas River - Ozark L&d

[Devan S.]

I've been to LD 13-3 times last year and skunked each time for sauger. 

Its highly intriguing to me. Will probably go back a couple times and may venture over to Ozark as well. 

[bfishn]

Back before the www, we got our fishing reports in the Friday paper. There were 2 bait shops reporting from Ozark and Van Buren that you could count on for sauger reports if you went that weekend... which means they'd been there for a week or better. There will be a few folks there when its on.

[Devan S.]

The worst problem I've found is the amount of gear the rocks eats. 

Jerkbaits....lost a bunch.

Jig/minnow....don't bounce them on the bottom. 

Add in its colder than heck and re-tying 40 or 50 times becomes a chore. 

[Quillback]

Sounds like a neat place to fish except for that darned rip-rap.  

[bfishn]

Reports and AGFC data lead me to believe Ozark L&D had more sauger caught than Van Buren, but as mentioned bank fishing there is for the nimble. Van Buren has a stretch where you're on a sidewalk fishing 20ft down over a rail in the generator outlet. Gotta be flow. 3-way rig with a light dropper for the lead... bring lots of lead, sometimes 3oz isn't too much.. The goal is to fish pretty straight down, finding (and avoiding) the bottom with the lead (lose lead, not baits). A ~2ft dropper for your bait of choice, one that works well in whatever current you have. If there's few people there you can walk the rail end to end. The only casting opportunities are on and around the downstream point, but you're off the sidewalk there. Twilight's best. Best is relative. I only connected twice out of probably 20 trips over a few years. Limits both times, nothing over 2lb. Both times were bitter cold and windy. And dark. Good times.

 

[Quillback]

"Bitter cold, windy, and dark."  Man you gotta suffer to get an AR river sauger. 😄

[Johnsfolly]

@bfishn thanks for giving up more discussion and tips for tailwater fishing. I still am looking for my first sauger. I have a possible trip to Nashville this spring to try for them again. Closest spot for me here is a five hour drive to Morgantown WV which I have done a few times to fish below Cheat lake. Skunked on each trip so far. I do have to try a spot below a lock on the Monongahela river. Don't  know if I will get there this winter.

I've lost a lot of lead bank fishing Truman and other tailwaters in MO. Truman rocks would just eat my jigs. I never really had any day where I felt that I did better than the rocks in terms of fish caught versus gear lost at least when fishing jigs. I did have some good days fishing Xraps for whites and hybrids.

The same is true out here in MD when fishing the inlets for tautog or blackfish. May lose a couple of pounds of lead per outing. Unlike sauger and walleye, togs head into the rocks when they bite your bait. Not unusual to have to break off the weight to land the fish. But to catch them you have to feed the rocks.

[bfishn]

2 hours ago, Quillback said:

"Bitter cold, windy, and dark."  Man you gotta suffer to get an AR river sauger. 😄

Well, the folks that live nearby and can go at their leisure don't have that problem. I was limited to weekends and by old 71. 🙂

[bfishn]

1 hour ago, Johnsfolly said:

...But to catch them you have to feed the rocks.

If you don't mind, I'm gonna borrow that line. Might even make a t-shirt, "Rocks gotta eat too."

[Quillback]

1 hour ago, bfishn said:

Well, the folks that live nearby and can go at their leisure don't have that problem. I was limited to weekends and by old 71. 🙂

I think I'd rather stand out in the dark, cold and wind than take a trip down old 71.  That road was brutal!