Beaver Lake Fishing Report for April 5th

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http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/04/...shingreport.txt

Beaver Lake: The crappie spawn is on and fishermen are catching limits from all types of shallow cover on the upstream half of Beaver Lake.

Bill Pope at Hickory Creek Marina said anglers are plucking crappie from flooded grass, trees and brush piles. Minnows and jigs are both effective. Work either offering 2 to 10 feet deep.

Crappie fishermen are catching an occasional walleye and catfish.

Black bass are beginning to spawn and anglers report top-water lures are starting to work. Surface plugs, buzz baits and small jerk baits are all taking bass, Pope said.

Work the lures around shallow cover.

White bass are schooling on the surface at sunrise and sunset near Point 12 and in the Big Hickory area. Try jigs, spoons or top-water lures.

Striped bass are prowling the same areas. They are hitting shad or brood minnows. Trolling an umbrella rig is also effective.

Jason Piper at J.T. Crappie Guide Services said crappie fishing is excellent. The spawn is underway on the upstream half of the reservoir.

Black/green curly tails, jigs or minnows are good choices to work around any cover near shore. Weed lines have also been productive.

Some fish are a little deeper in bays and near channel drop-offs.

Hot crappie spots include Prairie Creek, Hickory Creek and Blue Springs.

Aaron Jolliff at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said the state of the crappie spawn depends on who you talk to.

"Some say it's about over and some guys say it's just starting."

Regardless, plenty of crappie are being caught from Monte Ne upstream into the White and War Eagle arms. Minnows or jigs in a variety of colors are both working well.

Fish 2 to 5 feet deep. The farther upstream you go, the shallower you should fish, Jolliff advised.

Black bass are scattered, he said. They're hitting spinner baits, soft jerk baits and jig-head worms. Lots of bass are being caught, Jolliff noted, but the size is running small.

Bob Bauer at Lost Bridge Marina reports good white bass fishing in the Indian Creek and Honey Creek areas. White jigs are working best.

Hybrid stripers are outnumbering stripers this week. Bauer said both are hitting shad or jigs.

White River below Beaver Dam: Betty Clark at Riverview Resort said trout are being caught with Power Bait or waxworms.

Colorado spoons or small Rapalas are good lure choices.

Some small white bass have been caught with minnows near Houseman Access, but no big numbers or large sizes have been reported.

Walleye are biting between Houseman Access and the town of Beaver. Try countdown Rapalas, Rogues, nightcrawlers or bass minnows.

Mike McLellan at McLellan's Fly Shop in Fayetteville said midge patterns are effective flies in low water. Gnats and midge dry fly patterns are working well in low water.

During power generation, try drift-fishing from a boat with San Juan worms or egg patterns.

Lake Fayetteville: Jim Black at Lake Fayetteville boat dock said the crappie spawn is over and crappie are scattered and at various depths.

Minnows or jigs work equally well.

Black bass are starting to spawn. Try shallow-diving crank baits around shallow cover.

Bluegill fishing is slow. No catfish have been reported.

Lake Sequoyah: Jackie Smith at Lake Sequoyah boat dock said crappie fishing is good with jigs, Roadrunners or minnows. Trolling or still fishing are both productive methods.

Crappie are along mud flats 4 to 6 feet deep, he said.

Black bass are hitting spinner baits, buzz baits and plastic worms 4 to 6 feet deep around cover.

Most anglers are crappie fishing, so no catfish have been caught. Smith recommends cut bait, liver or worms for catfish.

Prairie Grove Lake: Fishing was good for crappie and black bass last weekend, reports lake manager Paula Keen.

Brian Hawkins caught and released seven bass to 4 pounds with crank baits.

Larry Wilson landed eight crappie with jigs and three bass with crank baits. Shawn Miller used jigs to catch three crappie and minnows to catch five bass.

The lake is open Saturdays and Sundays from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. Gasoline motors are not allowed on the lake.

Bella Vista: Nick Gann at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said black bass fishing is good at all the village lakes.

Bass are preparing to spawn. The top baits are finesse worms, lizards and centipedes.

Crappie are hitting on all the lakes 8 to 10 feet deep. Jigs and minnows are working.

Bluegill are biting 8 to 10 feet deep on crickets and worms.

SWEPCO Lake: Kenny Stroud at the Siloam Springs Wal-Mart said black bass fishing is slowing down. Bass are hitting dark-colored finesse worms 15 to 20 feet deep.

Illinois River: Stroud said smallmouth bass are biting 4-inch lizards in dark colors

Siloam Springs City Lake: Stroud said crappie are biting chartreuse/white jigs. Try finesse worms for black bass.

Upper Table Rock Lake: J.D. Fletcher at Devil's Dive Resort said white bass fishing has improved.

Whites are hitting small jerk baits from the town of Beaver to Houseman Access. Fletcher's son, Jeff, has been guiding and reports catches of 25 white bass per trip.

Crappie are spawning and around shallow cover, Fletcher said. Tube jigs are working best.

Black bass are moving shallow and can be caught with spinner baits and jerk baits. Jeff Fletcher took advantage of a bright moon to do some night fishing last week. He caught 14 bass to 3.5 pounds on spinner baits and jerk baits.

Lake Taneycomo: Mike McLellan at McLellan's Fly Shop in Fayetteville said scuds, sow bugs and midges are the best fly patterns in low water.

During power generation, drift in a boat and fish large nymphs, scuds and sow bugs.

Eastern Oklahoma: Kenny Stroud at the Siloam Springs Wal-Mart said crappie are biting at Lake Eucha along main lake points. Roadrunners are working best. Any color is good, he said.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said white bass fishing is fair to good on points with spinners and spoons.

Crappie are fair to good around brush with minnows or jigs.

Black bass are biting at Lake Hudson 5 to 7 feet deep on jig and pigs.

At Lake Tenkiller, black bass fishing is slow, but a few are coming in 15 to 20 feet deep on jig and pigs.

Crappie fishing is fair by trolling deep-running lures in the morning.