August 28Th 2014 Report

[Feathers and Fins]

August 28^th 2014

It is the last big hoorah of the summer season, but with the storm forecast the lake will either be a crowded or vacant all bets are off.

Starting this report off with the Stripers as the top bite again, though im calling it the top bite they are more unpredictable than our weather this year. At least with them though, if you can find them they are biting well. The zone is large from the Dam to Coppermine and has many anglers scratching their head as to wear to go, so let me try and break it down by school size and activity.

Thanks to many people reporting in this week here is how it shapes up.

1. Coppermine; the school is biting from 5am till about 8 possibly 9am and it does have some top water action but most fish are caught on Flicker Shad or Brooder minnows. As of right now Damsite is not carrying them so your Bait will have to come from HLS in Rogers it appears for brooders ( thanks to Jim at the damsite store for that update on brooders). The size of fish in this school is smaller 6 to 10lb class with a couple of 15’s thrown in the mix.

1. Rocky Branch to Point 4; These as well are a morning bite starting as early as 3am, I talked to a couple nice people who said they had shad swarm under the lights and then had stripers come in on them and got a couple. They also said at first light the fish were surface busting schools, they had 4 fish from 15 to 25lbs and they were nice fat bellied fish. They were using shad they caught under the light.

1. Dam area; these fish have been unpredictable at best for many anglers but one theme is 30ft depth at or just above the thermocline, pulling Bomber Long A’s or Umbrella rigs, some using brooders or shad.

Walleye; It’s a summer pattern bite 25 to 40fow near the channel and at the tips of long points. Preferred bait of choice is still crawler harness both Bead and Blade or Floating with Blade, Slow Death rigs also producing. The spoon bite just has never materialized this year.

Best area to look has been from 12 bridge all the way down the old river channel to Starky, I know it’s a big area but people are getting them by putting in the miles and hours. With the rain prediction if it comes true and we have it plus generation think about looking on flats where bait will pass over and open water humps.

White Bass; It sounds like a broken record but 12 bridge still! Next area is a nice school showing up at Rocky Branch area, and another near Clifty that all seem to be willing to bite at one point during the day, you just have to find them and stay on them till they decide to bite. This is the spoon bite when deep and when they come up Flicker Shad and Rattle traps seem to be working well. Don’t expect a lot of them but a few to pull your line.

Catfish; Trot line, jugline and even a few pole fishermen are getting them on Liver, Goldfish and Nightcrawlers. Best areas seem to be Horseshoe bend, Prairie Creek and Rocky Brach areas.

Bass; Everett Classic is coming up and no one is talking much, Now that said the Hickory creek tourney last week took almost 18lbs to win with the top 3 place all over 15lbs and that boys and girls means a river bite and some big fish. Also as we all know River fish can bite for 30 minutes a day and you can drop a grenade on them and they will just give you the fin.

If you must go bass fishing My top bet would be finding open water humps and try to spoon or dropshot smallies in the clear end of the lake. Rocky Branch to the Dam.

Two things to know Goose Season opens Monday and Teal opens the 13^th, so if you see hunters show them respect and stay out of the decoys and area not only is it respectful it’s the LAW. And to hunters do not coral birds or run up in people yards to scare them out it is illegal as well. Also remember 150 yards from a house with a gun so be sure of where you are at.

Lastly if you are purchasing minnows be ready to put them in the shade and keep them cool they will NOT live long in this heat. Also DO NOT add city water to your minnows it can kill them. Tips would be;

1. Keep them in an aerated container of some type that is insulated
2. Fill 16oz water/soda bottles with water the day before you get bait and add 1 bottle every 3 hours or more often if needed to keep the bait cool and lively
3. If keeping them longer than one trip bring them in the house to help keep them cool and feed them fish food just like you would pet fish and change the water daily with lake water or you can buy stabilization additives.

Good Luck everyone

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beaver-Lake-Arkansas-Fishing-Report/745541178798856?hc_location=timeline

[nathanhooper]

Go to Indian creek if you want to kill geese. Them dang things have just about covered the entire dock with crap! Had them almost take off our heads coming into the dock also.

[Tanderson15]

Good report. So the leach bit in 5 ft of water is off for walleyes??

[jolicious]

Well done / written / said, brother Scott. Thanks as always.

[Feathers and Fins]

Nathan they have to be offshore in that area and its the one flock that is a nightmare to hunt because of the habit of sitting on the parks or in somones yard. I have plenty of others that need to be thinned and a certain farmer who's wife makes awesome peach pie who I need to get at first. Besides taking his grandkids out and seeing the smiles is worth more than a million dollars to me.