Arkansas River - Nuke Plant 12/16/24

[Ham]

I Don’t have a lot of trips to the Nuke Pla t on the books yet, but I am already learning how much it changes year to year, week to week, day to day, and actually minute to minute.

last year (Winter) Sauger we’re a Happy accident that I could repeat when desired. This Winter not a single sauger has shown up. I don’t think many ppl caught them and I don’t think ppl kept them for dinner so where are they?

Last winter, Drum we’re so common as to be disappointing that it wasn’t a catfish or Striper. I got a few every trip and could have targeted them. This winter I have not caught nor seen a single one caught. 
 

Yesterday was my second trip of this Winter and again it was a good Numbers day and variety day. Last Friday I caught 72 fish and 9 species. Yesterday, I caught 54 fish and 12 species. 
 

I had kept a few Yellow Bass and White crappie for the table Friday. Yellow Bass to me are much better than White Bass, but like the White Bass are much better fresh than frozen. We had those Sunday and they were wonderful so I wanted more of those. I let the intrusive thoughts win and chased species on Fly this year rather than numbers so I had to abandon the 3000 fish goal and hope/work hard for 2000 fish to hand this year. 
Another 125 miles 2 1/2 hour each wasy tough trailer to Arkansas Nuke One. Hwy 7 was not designed to drag a boat on. 
The weather was poor on the way down. Raining much of the way. I planned on being cold and wet all day, but weather was clear and warm when I got there so I did not put on waders, but I did have a rain jacket with me.

I bought a Daiwa Presso 7 ft UL rod and had put 4 lb Trout Magnet SOS line on it so I started the day out by trailing that line behind the boat and getting it on the reel tight and twist free.

A couple of boats were in my desired spots so I set up on scraps and started fishing. I scored several keeper Yellow Bass on the new combo quickly. I had though that an aggressive lift drop with a finesse lipless crankbait should work in the dingy water. 
I got more with a 2 jig combo. I usually like 1/8 oz  - 1/16 oz combo but you should let the current tell you what is needed. I feel like you need to be close to bottom to get em. I also did tandem set up on fly rod. Last Winter there were a lot of 2-3 lb Stripers. This year all I catch or see anyone catch are baby ones. Potato Chips. 

There are the ever present White Bass. But yesterday was Special in that I got my first Arkansas White Perch. I think they got into the Arkansas River via the Mississippi River. I would guess they entered the Mississippi River via navigation canals forma body of water that they are native in. They don’t get quite as large as White Bass and they don’t have the stripes. Just that prominent lateral line. 
I had not caught a Hybrid Striper at that spot until yesterday. Ate the Keitech 2.8.

I also caught some lackluster LMB, Spotted Bass, Bluegill, and LES. I repeated on the Emerald Shiners and Mississippi SS on fly again.

i had to work for them, but I got a nice mess of White Crappie as well. No pics of those for some reason. This Smallmouth Buffalo was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jig to the back. 
Big Thunderstorm cell dumped on me for a white. Rain Jacket was very helpful. The rain pants that I have in the boat at all times are intended for sprinkles not a deluge. I got a little wet. 
Another good day on the water. I learned the area a little better. I caught a couple meals worth of fish. And I added another 50 burger to this years total. 

[Quillback]

That's some great fishing!

I ate my first yellow bass this spring, was catching some white bass on Beaver and kept a few, then caught a 8 inch yeller and decided to give it a try.  It was OK, about the same as the whites taste wise IMO.  

Interesting to see a white perch, used to catch them when I lived in Massachusetts.  Didn't know they had made it out this way.

[Devan S.]

I'm hoping to drop down to Ft. Smith or Ozark at least a couple times in the coming months. Hopefully to find a sauger(would like a biggun) but at this point I'd take any fish.