Seeking Advice From Those Who Fish Beaver Lake

[J-Doc]

Little more than a Wal-Mart!! Lol. That's funny. I don't blame her. That are of the country is spectacular but you have to live like a hermit.

Talk about a humbling lake.....

I heard Bull Shoals can be even harder on you than Beaver. Fish there only bite on a certain line, certain colors etc.

[jolicious]

Chartreuse hand grenades / red/white striped dynamite.

Hard to beat either

[J-Doc]

That's my boy!!! Lol

[Racker]

Wow, you guys are terrific, but on one hand you make Beaver Lake sound like a fisherman's paradise and on the other hand you make it sound like a hard lake to catch bass on but not impossible. The reports of huge amounts of bait fish in the lake foretells on a good future for fishing. Anyway I am excited to be thinking about moving to Beaver lake and for more reasons than fishing. You guys seem like good people and I look forward to meeting you.

Ron

[J-Doc]

Impossible? Heck no.

Tough?

Hahahahahahahahaahaha!!!

All the way to the bank bud. And not the shoreline type either.

I've been fishing this lake for bass for almost 10yrs now. Just the occassional weekend trip. There are things I've learned, baits that never work, baits that almost always work, and baits that I'm surprised catch fish.

It's not a paradise. But it is a nice lake with tons of fish. Thing is, it's hard to get a pattern because patterns change almost on the hour depending on weather. One thing is constant. Wind. The more there is, the better the fishing. Really turns them on. But it's harder to fish a main lake point with 25-30mph gusts. Those that can, catch big sacks.

Champ has given up on Beaver after many many trips to her. She's not been a nice gal to him. Heck sh hasn't been nice to most of us but when you roll up your sleeves, start watching your graph, learn more about the lake and it's history, things start coming together.

Let me know when you get here. I'll be glad to give you a tour.

[J-Doc]

I'll say this....

Recently I have found fish and dropped a spoon on them. They will only get interested in the spoon if I work it hard and start reeling it in really quick. Water is 46-47 mind you. The fish will rocket up to the spoon on my graph. I slow down to give them a chance to bite it and my body gets tensed up for the strike like a boy about to get his first kiss. Then.......nothing. the fish swim back down.

I've got a few new ideas on how to solve this issue and start catching them. Point is, don't give up. Figure them out. It's a challange and that makes it fun.

If one can fish this lake and master it, they should be able to fish most lakes. The tricks and tactics applied here should apply to many other lakes.

I had the same thing happen to me on Lake Ouchita just a few weeks ago. So I'm on a mission to figure it out. Once I do, I bet I can catch fish almost at will on a spoon. Notice I said......"almost". Lol!!

I gotta hand it to Champ though. The man can catch some fish on Table Rock. And his wife is a jig whisperer. I myself suck on a bass jig but I love the darn thing. Jolicious is also a jig master. But can't explain what he does. His is all instinct. I'm too technical with it I guess. I can catch them on a jig but few and far between. Donna is like every trip out!! Lol

So techniques that work for you is what you can rely on but learning new ones is awefully fun. I fish from the front of the boat more than I troll. Trolling is how I find them. Then I dropping the trolling motor and attempt to grow as an angler and hone my abilities.

There are MANY here who can out fish me and even from my own boat too!! But I enjoy learning from them. :-)

[Feathers and Fins]

It all depends on what species you want to catch.

Largemouth ( Blacks ) are more upriver say from hwy12 bridge north.

Spots ( annoying little things ) are more from hwy12 to the dam

Smallmouth well im not telling they are my pets lol. But they are plentiful if you know where to look.

Your average weight will be someplace around 1.8 to 2.5 pounds however there are much larger fish in the lake and if you work at it you will get your average up to closer to 3pounds. But with that higher weight your numbers go down as your targeting a different zone.

Now if you enjoy Crappie the lake is full of good size fish I actually have a 12 inch minimum I impose on my boat to keep even though the lakes is 10''. From February to late summer can be good but April and May are excellent.

Walleye are a year round proposition in fact I just took one on top-water a few weeks ago they really start turning on in Late January and are very good till about mid August depending on how warm it has gotten.

Stripers are a year round fishery and with the average fish being about 15 pounds will pull your line nicely and many in the 20 to 30 range are caught yearly.

A lot of people have taken up trolling but its because it produces and also the lake is Beautiful and its a great way to spend the day looking at scenery and fishing. Doesn't hurt that walleye and stripers like trolled patterns.

Spooning is a great tactic on the lake as is throwing wiggle warts or swim baits such as keitechs swing impact. It really depends on what you want to do and or catch. If your a numbers guy White bass will make your numbers high, if your a bass guy you might get frustrated but if your a fisherman who just wants to catch fish then you will not be disappointed at all ( after you figure out the lake a bit )

[J-Doc]

And War Eagle spinnerbait.

Don't fight it. Just throw it.

I've tried almost all brands. They only support local business and want a War Eagle. :-) I usually use a matching grub for a trailer. But those little Keitechs might find themselves as a trailer this year. Those are a hot little bait on this lake.

Some of my best fish have been in the spring on a spinnerbait. Love flinging that thing! I usually work mine back to the boat vs a cast retrieve. I make it look paranoid and trying to flee. That gets me more bites.

[Sore Thumbs]

Gonna piggyback off of Champ here. If you choose the Northern part of the lake. The water is clear. Less traffic and population. You are close to trout waters and within 30 min of Table Rock. Wish I could move there someday.

[Champ188]

Just for clarity's sake ... or maybe because I'm feeling a bit defensive about my abilities on Beaver. I fished the old Central Pro-Am bass circuit for six years before it changed hands (twice and counting) and became whatever it is now. It came to Beaver four of those years, and I managed to make a check in three of them.

I am just saying, it's not a lake that I choose to "play" on when Table Rock and Grand are within just more than an hour's drive.

Racker, my best advice would be not to put your boat in a dock and limit yourself to Beaver only. Sure, fish Beaver all you want. But consider trailering up to Table Rock and over to Grand, too.