That’s right, its halibut derby time again in Alaska, and there is not much time left to catch the jackpot halibut this year.  Currently, the leading halibut is coming in at 273 pounds and was caught by Mark Hilts from Grand Rapids, Minnesota.  Also, there are a couple of halibut in the 250 pound range that were landed in July too.

Weather has been typical Alaska weather, tiny bit of sun, tons of overcast and some rain.  Water conditions have been a little bit nasty several of the past few days with quite a few out of town anglers getting a bit sick out there.  But hey, its derby time, and you got to be able to play with the big barn door halibut if you are going to have any shot.

One of the big questions of the year is where the heck is Deep Creek Fishing Lodge right now in this derby?  Haven’t seen crusty man Steve Moe at the weigh in scales yet, so not sure if he has been able to get out of bed to do some fishing lately?  But, knowing him, he will probably be sliding in the winning halibut on the last day of the tournament.

Another trip to the Stanislaus River has just come to a close today, and here is how the fishing ended up:

For a total of three days spent fishing the river just above and below Boards Crossing near Sourgrass Day Use area on the North Fork of the Stanislaus, we caught a grand total of 1 6-7 inch trout.  Not too great as you can understand.

We used all different types of lures and baits and flies as well.  Compared to last year, the water was noticably higher and several degrees cooler too.

What was impressive was the amount of trout that could be seen breaking water and jumping into the air, but that is only fun for so long. When it gets to the point where you cast our line out and instantly two fish jump right next to it, but nothing hits your lures, then you start going crazy. That is where the funny guys come into play.

The one fish that was landed by Mr B Davis, was taken on a nightcrawler worm. There was one minor strike on the last day on a spinner. One bait that was night tried out were live crickets which seem to work relatively well on this river in the past. We were simply too lazy to go to Ebbets Pass Sporting goods and buy some, as the river is about a 30 minute or so drive to get there each way.

My suggestion to anyone who is headed up to the Stanislaus near Boards Crossing this July is to pick up some live crickets prior to making your way down to the river and seeing what type of luck you have on them. Or, figure out exactly what flies to use, as we surely did not have a clue this year.

Still, fish or no fish, the Stanislaus river is an excellent place to spend some time in the summer. Super nice swimming and beautiful scenery all around.

The Stanislaus is flowing quite heavily this week.  This week may even be the highest volume of water flowing down the river so far this year.  As there was snowfall all the way until the end of May, it appears as though there will be tons of water all summer long in 2010.

Finding some nice slower water is a bit of a challenge right now.  There are several fly fisherman who are having some luck with dry Griffiths Gnat.

Right now, it seems that the fish counts from some of the other locals are less than usual for this time of year, but everyone is optomistic that it will turn into some much better fly fishing on the Stanislaus really soon, hopefully before the 4th of July.

Fishing just South of Boards Crossing on Stanislaus

If you get excited about spin fishing the Stanislaus, you will still have some great luck using live crickets with a bobber or some light weight on 6lb test in many parts of the river.  The water is moving fast, so make sure to use propper hooks so the crickets stay on as best as you can, otherwise you will be casting out your bait all day long without any trout.

And of course, if you land a large trout from the Stanislaus, be sure to make a comment on this post and send the picture on over.

We took hundreds of pictures on the trip to Deep Creek Fishing Lodge in Kenai, Alaska. Here are a few of them.  The pictures are all from early June 2010. During the fishing trip, we fished the salt water for halibut, the river for king salmon, and a remote glacier fed lake for lake trout.  Some of the greatest times were spent just sitting around the fishing lodge which was located just next to Deep Creek, Alaska.  The staff and the guides and the owner of the Deep Creek Lodge are all excellent people.  With the views across the channel that were to die for, it was a vacation of lifetime that will not ever be forgotten.

One of the most spectacular parts of the fishing lodge experience was taking the float plane to the desolate lake to go fishing for trout. We caught all kinds of trout within just a few hours and then we fried them all up afterwards.  It was super tasty and alot of fun at the same time.

The fishing lodge is called Deep Creek Fishing Club and it is located in Kasilof, Alaska.  There is another deep creek fishing lodge so you need to make sure you fish the one with the captain called Captain Crusty.  Otherwise you won’t be getting the same experience you see in the pictures above.  The first night that you spend at the lodge, you will probably dig into a massive dinner of Alaska King Crab legs which should get your fishing vacation started off right.

Here is a brief overview in video of my first fishing trip to Alaska.  We visited the Kenai Peninsula and fished for halibut, trout, and salmon at the Deep Creek Fishing Club.

This place is amazing.  The first day we went out on the ocean and fished for Halibut.  There were two boats of us, 4 people on each boat, and one captain and another crew member per boat too.  All eight of us caught our limit of two halibut each.  The largest halibut of the day was 69.4 pounds on the scale outside the lodge.  It was great fun.  The weather out on the water was a bit choppy, but nothing too bad, infact nobody even got sea sick.  It did get a bit windy towards the end of the day

Kasilof float fishing

On the second day, we went fishing on the Kasilof River on the Kenai Peninsula.  Some of the video is also from salmon fishing on this river.  The fishing that day was pretty good for our drift boat.

We brought 3 salmon to the boat, and had a total of 5 salmon strikes.  We released two of the salmon because they were wild king salmon, and we kept one that was a hatchery fish.  Our guide Todd who works for the Deep Creek Fishing Club was excellent.  He had been guiding tourists who come to Alaska to fish for over twenty years now.

On the final day of our trip, we chartered a small airplane to fly us to some remote lake across the channel.  We landed and started fishing for lake trout.  We were using salmon eggs, and our group of eight caught about 15 trout in about one hour.  Next, our guides and Capta

fly-in lake fishing

in Steve aka Captain Crusty fixed up all the fish on the side of the lake with a bunch of charcoal, and we had some awesome fish tacos.  They setup a nice table and there was everything you could need for a great meal including wine and beer and best of all fresh caught trout for our taco meat.

Please enjoy the video of the fishing trip to the Deep Creek Fishing Club:

[ab id=23 control="Add a Fishing Report" variant1="Submit A Fishing Report" /]

Alaska Halibut Fishing Boats

The first morning of our Alaskan fishing trip, we decided to go out on the salt water and try out halibut fishing.  We were fishing in the Cook Inlet just south of Kenai, Alaska.  We had been told that the halibut fishing was great, and yes, there were tons of pictures of one hundred and two and three hundred pound halibut all over the fishing lodge, but you never really know what you are getting into.

The lodge that we stayed at (Deep Creek Fishing Lodge, owned by Steve Moe and his wife Vivian) has two 28 foot boats that they use on the salt water for halibut. These boats are awesome to say the least.  Below is a picture of the halibut boats so you can get a feel for what I am talking about.  They are perfect for halibut fishing and the potentially nasty Alaskan weather too.

halibut fishing on Cook Inlet

Once we started our journey just a mile away to the launch site, things got really interesting.  I have used many launch ramps before, but nothing quite like the deal they got going in Ninilchik, Alaska.  Basically, you trailer your boat down to the “launch site” and take your boat off your car trailer.  Then the crew down there completely takes over.  What they do is they use a crane that has a trailer hitch on it, and they back your boat up into the water.  Next, you start your engine and pull off the trailer and away you go.
Here is a video of the Ninilchik launch ramp for small boats:

It was wild to see, and amazingly quick and easy.  The same deal when you pull your boat out later in the day.  And the total fee for this service is $55  per day.

Once we got out about 20 miles, we started our day halibut fishing.  The deal was each of us had our own pole.  Our captain Skye and Jeremy did a great job of loading up our hooks with weights and bait all day long.  The halibut bait that we used was cod fish, herring, and octopus.  The fishing line was pretty heavy duty.  The leaders were about 30 feet long and the final portion was some 300lb test line.  So I wasn’t too worried about anything every breaking free on us.  Here is a picture right before we started catching halibut.

We were fishing in about 180 feet of water, and there was about two knots of current.  So we all had some considerable amount of fishing line out.  But, within a few minutes of dropping down our poles, we started noticing that something was beginning to bite on our halibut poles.  My pole was the first to go off, so I began reeling it in.  After a few minutes, and not too much of a fight at all, it was a false alarm, just a couple pound cod.  But we pulled it overboard, and the deckhands began cutting it up and said we could surely use it for bait for the halibut.

It wasn’t too much longer until some of the other fishing poles went off, and this time it was halibut action.  Some of the halibut that we caught were between 20-50 pounds.  No 100 pound halibut today, but we limited out our 2 halibut per person within two hours, and that was pretty good.  The weather was starting to pick up with some relatively heavy winds and some light rain and moderate seas, so we decided to call it a day right after landing the final fish.  And back in we went to put our boat back on the trailer.

Alaskan Halibut Fishing near Homer,AK

A super great day halibut fishing, and I was most excited about being able to bring a ton of fish home and share it with family and friends, and especially my wife who told me to make sure to come home with some halibut or else… Here are some more fishing pictures from the day we caught all the halibut in Alaska.

Deep Creek Fishing Club

[ab id=23 control="Add a Fishing Report" variant1="Submit A Fishing Report" /]

The halibut fishing has been pretty hot. Take a look at the guys filleting their day’s catch below. This group of guys went out on their private boat on Sunday before Memorial Day and caught 4 halibut. This was their first day fishing for halibut of the season, so my guess is that fishing must be pretty good right now if you know where to go for the halibut. They mentioned that they caught the fish just right off the Santa Cruz point, which I think is just south of Santa Cruz harbor less than a few miles.

Some other halibut fishermen from santa cruz harbor said they too had some good luck over the past few weeks fishing for halibut at the Santa Cruz Point. Most of them seem to be using live bait when its possible to get that. Others are using dead anchovies or sardines as bait and then just bouncing that off the bottom until the fish strike. The guys from the halibut video said that all of the fish gave them a pretty good fight, so get prepared for a little workout.

One quick fishing tip, be sure to only gaff the halibut that you are positive are legal fish. If you are bringing up a fish and you are not sure it is of legal size, you are better off netting it, and then measuring it. That way, it will if the fish is undersized, you will have a better chance of releasing it alive compared to if you have gaffed a hole inside of it already.

Good luck with the halibut fishing!

That’s right, its time to get your salmon gear together and make your way down to Santa Cruz or Monterey California to get your 2 daily salmon limit.  The fishing has been the best its been all year for several days now, and its not too far of a crawl to get to the fishing grounds.

Most of the anglers are choosing to fish salmon at the Soquel Hole which is just a 30 minute run for most boats from the Santa Cruz harbor.  If you are planning on coming from Monterey it will be a bit longer run to the fishing grounds.  And of course if you are making the trip by boat from Half Moon Bay harbor, it will be even longer again. The Soquel Hole is known for great salmon fishing because it is a collection pot for all types of bait fish with the massive depth changes it has.

The sea conditions the past few days have been relatively nice and calm compared to several weeks ago.  There has been a really nice calm feel out there early in the morning, and of course the afternoon winds have kicked up every single day so far this week, so get your fishing done early.

As the fish are now being caught closer to the surface, mostly between 30-80 feet of water, more and more people are stopping the trolling and opting to save some gas and energy with their mooching gear.  Of course, you won’t escape the numerous troll fisherman who are have tons of success with rigs like pulling a anchovy around or pretty much any other lure these days.

Most of the fish that are showing up at the docs in Santa Cruz have been in the 8-14 pound range, with 20 pound fish coming in daily as well.  Good luck, and if you are going out for the whole day and don’t catch anything, we’ll, better luck fishing next time.

The Salmon fishing has been luke warm still in the Monterey Bay.  The bets have still been the Soquel Hole off of Santa Cruz with some anglers catching their limits of reasonable sized salmon.

monterey bay

The fishing a bit north in Half Moon Bay has continued to be less attractive to the small skiff fisherman, and many have opted to launch their boats out of Santa Cruz in search of a faster ride to the more productive fishing grounds.  But, this surely doesn’t mean that fishing has been a complete waste out of Half Moon Bay.  There have been a few limits of salmon reported there as well.

The fishing out of Monterey has been reasonable, just under one fish per rod on some of the boats, and of course some limits and some skunked salmon fishermen mixed in too.  Most of the party boats are dropping anchovies and sardines down to relatively low depths of 150 feet or more to find the salmon while on the mooching rigs.   Overall, there seems to be a very high percentage of fisherman trolling hoochies and all sorts of other rigs for the salmon.  One of the common lures last week was a yellow Crocodile lure.

This week coming up should have some decent days for getting out and making another stab at the salmon if you are still in search of your first fish of the season.   There were several reports of boats who kissed their first salmon of the season over the weekend, and if you are still searching, don’t get discouraged.

The 2nd Week of April, 2010:

A salmon dodger used for trolling for salmon

Well, the salmon fishing has been decent for most people fishing near and around the Soquel Hole.  But, weather has started to take the fish counts down.  As the weekend went on, there wind and the waves and the rain made fishing conditions not worth it for many of the anglers, and the launch ramp at Santa Cruz harbor became a ghost town.  A big difference from opening weekend a week ago.

The overwhelming majority of salmon being caught from private fisherman is happening with trolling gear.  Most of these fish are being hooked at depths ranging from 120-200 feet down.  There was even a report of a kid fishing for halibut near the Soquel Hole bouncing a anchovy off the bottom who landed a keeper salmon (not confirmed though)

It’s too difficult to say what is working best, there is the usual mix of hoochie and dodgers/flashers and dead bait being dragged off the downriggers for the trollers.  And the few fisherman who are mooching are doing the typical sardine/anchovy rig with anywhere from 2-8 ounces of weight depending on the conditions.  If you asked me, mooching with anything over 6 ounces is not too much fun, especially if you are down deep.

So here’s the deal, we are all going to hope for some good weather these next few days off of the coast of California, and if that works out, there just might be some reports of some 30 plus lb. salmon next week.  If anyone has any reliable mile buoy reports for salmon fishing from either Monterey or Santa Cruz of even Half Moon Bay, please submit them via comments below.  There are quite a few smaller craft fisherman who are dying to know if they can just creep out of the channel and have some decent luck at catching their first salmon of the season.

The Salmon Season has officially begun in the Monterey Bay of California in 2010.Here is a video of the first salmon of the year caught off of Santa Cruz, California.

We left the Santa Cruz, California harbor at about 8:30 in the morning and were back at the dock at 11:30am with just one fish, but it was a nice one, and the first in two years!
What was the most amazing part of the day was the number of boats who went out looking for salmon. There were literally hundreds of boats out on the water according to California Fish and Game officials. The boats started leaving Santa Cruz Harbor before 5am, and were nearly lined up heading out of the channel until around 7:30 when it finally slowed down.

Here is a picture of the salmon that we caught in about 300 feet of water at about 10:00am Saturday April 3, 2010 off Santa Cruz.

King Salmon from Santa Cruz

As a bit of a follow up on how Half Moon Bay did with Salmon the first weekend, they did horrible compared to Santa Cruz.  Although I wasn’t up there, the reports are that the fishing was way less than one fish per rod, and more like 1 fish per 10 rods.  Also, the weather for the opening weekend was much nastier than down south in Santa Cruz.   So, if you are considering going fishing April 10th or 11th, my advice would be to fish Santa Cruz before leaving from Half Moon Bay.  The Soquel Hole was very nice to us, and to many other fisherman, and it sounds like the Soquel Hole might have been the best place in Northern California to be fishing for opening weekend of the Salmon Season this year.  If there are any other reports from Northern California salmon fishing trips, I will try to post them ASAP to get a better feel for what happened.  I am yet to hear anything from way up North at this point about the salmon fishing.

Central New York Fishing
February 26 – March 5

With all of the snow we have received over the last few days most areas now have lots of slush on the ice along with all the snow, making walking and fishing extremely difficult. There is little new fishing activity to report because of this.
Ice thickness varies greatly even on the same waterbody so please exercise extreme caution and your own good judgment if you decide to venture out onto the ice. A few fish are not worth risking a life threatening situation.

The time period for anglers to legally use and possess certified baitfish has been extended from seven to 10 days after purchase.

Region 7

Lake Ontario

map of lake ontario

The lake report has ended for the season. There are still steelhead and brown trout in some of the tributaries and many of the bays are beginning to freeze over.

Oswego River

the beautiful Oswego River

The river flow is currently at 5,780 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of 02/26. Ice and slush have been a problem on the river. Steelhead and brown trout are hitting beads, stickbaits, worms, minnows, egg sacs and white bucktail jigs.

Salmon River

Salmon River Fishing

The river flow is currently running at 500 cfs but will be dropping to 285 cfs. Slush ice has still been a problem on the colder mornings, but after it clears at mid-day fishing has been fair. Anglers have been able to spread out and are catching some fish in the lower and upper river. Good baits are black stoneflies, egg sacs (white or blue), pink worms and trout beads.

Oneida Lake

map of Oneida Lake

The area received close to two feet of new snow which has contributed to slush forming on top of the ice making conditions miserable for walking and four wheelers. Ice thickness is still varying greatly around the lake, so use caution if venturing out. Fishing picked up some last week for yellow perch in the 20-35 foot depth range. Anglers fishing very small jigs tipped with moussies are catching a few bigger perch. Big Bay is still producing bluegills and pumpkinseeds.

Sandy Pond

There is good ice on the pond with 18 to 24 inches reported. Yellow perch fishing has picked back up for anglers using small minnows, jigs tipped with spikes or perch eyes. A lot of small perch are being caught with some nice ones mixed in. Some bluegills are also being caught on small jigs tipped with spikes. Northern pike fishing has been fair with fish hitting on large suckers or shiners. An occasional walleye is also being taken on minnows.

Cayuga Lake

There are anglers getting out on the north end from the State Park, with reports of 4 to 5 inches of ice out to the channel, there is also a fair amount of slush and snow on the ice now. A lot of perch are being caught but mostly small fish and good numbers of chain pickerel are also being caught. Pickerel, though bony, are good eating. The easiest way to deal with the bones is to filet the fish and then grind the filets in a food processor and make fish patties with them. Size limit for pickerel is 15″ and the daily limit is 5. A few trout and salmon are being caught at AES, but overall it’s been slow shore fishing.

Owasco Lake

There are anglers getting out on the north and south ends of the lake with 3 to 6 inches of ice being reported on the north end and around 6 inches on the south end. Slush and snow are making walking very difficult. Yellow perch fishing continues to be slow but northern pike are hitting on large minnows. A few bluegills are also being caught in 10-12 feet of water on the south end.

Skaneateles Lake

There are anglers getting out on the north end with 3 to 4 inches of ice being reported to about the Country Club, there are also anglers getting out on the south end. Fishing has been slow for yellow perch and trout.

Otisco Lake

There is 8 inches of ice on the north end. Bluegill fishing continues to be slow as does the tiger musky fishing.

Whitney Point Reservoir

There are 12-14 inches on the reservoir. Some nice fish were caught during the derby including a giant 10 lb. 2 oz. walleye. Over all fishing has been slow but a few walleye are still being caught north of the islands.

Susquehanna, Chenango, Tioughnioga and Unadilla Rivers

The rivers are still unfishable at this time.
Lake Ontario

The Lake fishing report has ended for the season.

Genesee River

There is no new fishing activity to report.

Sodus Bay

There is reported to be 6-12 inches of ice on parts of the bay with snow and slush making walking difficult. Yellow perch fishing is still slow but some fish are hitting glo-jigs tipped with spikes, perch eyes or small minnows. Fish are being caught from 5 to 35 feet of water, and anglers having the best luck are moving looking for fish. Northern pike are hitting well on large minnows.

Irondequoit Bay

There is reported to be 4 to 6 inches of ice on parts of the bay with snow and slush on top. Yellow perch fishing continues to be slow for the larger perch but many small ones are being taken on jigs tipped with spikes or minnows. Anglers fishing the deeper water are getting some bigger perch.

Seneca Lake

Yellow perch fishing continues to be good in 30 to 45 feet of water for anglers using rosy reds, oak leaf grubs, spikes and worms around the Painted Rock area. Yellow perch are also being taken off the pier on small jigs tipped with spikes or moussies. Anglers top-lining stickbaits are still having very good luck on Atlantic salmon. A few Atlantics are also being taken off the pier on minnows.

Canandaigua Lake

There are anglers fishing the north end of the lake with around 5 inches of ice being reported.

Keuka Lake

There are reports of 5 to 10 inches of ice around the Penn Yan area. Fishing has been fair for perch and bluegills in 10 to 15 feet of water.

Waneta and Lamoka Lakes

There is reported to be about 12 inches of ice on both lakes with 3 to 4 inches of slush on top. Anglers are catching yellow perch on Waneta, and crappie and chain pickerel on Lamoka. Small jigs tipped with wax-worms are working well for the crappie.

Central Arkansas

Lake Conway:

Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the water is stained and at normal level. Bream are slow. Crappie are fair on white Crappie Stingers and chartreuse jigs. Bass are slow. Catfisihing is good on worms and chicken liver.

Dan at Gold Creek Landing (501-607-0590) said crappie have been biting fairly well some days and slow on others. All other species are slow.
Little Red River:

Lindsey’s Resort (501-302-3139) said the water is still running swiftly. The generators are down for about 4 or 5 hours early in the morning. Drift-fishing is about the only way to go. In-line spinners and Power Worms are working well.

Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides had no report.
Greers Ferry:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 462.49 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 461 MSL).

Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the lake level is falling and the temperature is in the high 30s to low 40s. White bass and hybrids are moving around. You have to be over the right school at the right time to get a bite. You can fish 4 hours and maybe pick up a couple out of suspended fish that are lethargic and then get over a school that is even the least bit active and start picking some up. Fish spoons and swim baits extremely slowly for the best luck. Black bass fishing is a slow grind as well; try Wiggle Warts, jerk baits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits as the shad die off will continue for a while. Crappie are biting fairly well on jigs tipped with minnows and fished 20 feet deep over 60 feet of water. Walleye have been hit pretty hard with the snow and cold. With a few days of sun, they will begin to get active again when the temp gets back to 46 or so. Try jigs tipped with minnows.

Shiloh Marina (501-825-6237) said there are a lot of baitfish flipping at the surface. No anglers have visited the marina lately, so there is no report on the fishing from this location.
Harris Brake Lake:

Coffee Creek Landing (501-889-2745) said the water is cold and clear. Bass are fair on Rebel crankbaits in 4 to 8 feet of water. All other species are slow. A few crappie have been caught on red/white jigs fished around brush.

Greer’s Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) said crappie are biting very well on white Crappie Stinger jigs with orange heads. The water level is beginning to rise.
Lake Overcup:

Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the water is 18 inches high and muddy. The surface temperature is 39 degrees. Fishing is slow.
Brewer Lake:

Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) had no report.
Lake Maumelle:

Jolly Roger’s Marina had no report.

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said fishing is slow for all species.
Lake Valencia:

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said trout are biting fairly well on Power Bait.
Sunset Lake:

Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the crappie are fair on 2-inch, lemon meringue grubs. Bass are biting fairly well on finesse worms in 18 feet of water. All other species are slow.
Saline River Access in Benton:

Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the water is high and muddy. Fishing is slow for all species.
Arkansas River at Morrilton:

Charley’s Hidden Harbor in Oppelo said the water is flowing around 95,000 cfs. Few people are fishing because of the weather. Catfishing is fair in deep holes below the dams on whole shad. Sauger are fair on chartreuse jigs fished below locks 9 and 10 and around Cypress Creek. Stripers are fair below dams 9 and 10 on whole shad.
Arkansas River (Maumelle Pool):

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said crappie are fair on pink minnows fished from yo-yos in the Little Maumelle River. All other species are slow.
Arkansas River (Little Rock Pool):

Vince Miller from Fish N’ Stuff (501-834-5733) said the water and weather are too cold for most anglers. A few sauger are beginning to bite around Terry Lock and Dam.

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said crappie are fair on pink minnows fished under a slip-cork rig. Sauger are fair on chartreuse ¼-ounce jigs. All other species are slow.

McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is muddy. Crappie are fair on jigs. Bass are fair on crankbaits. Catfishing is fair on skipjack. Bream fishing is slow.
Clear Lake:

McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is muddy and cold. Bream are slow. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs in the deepest parts of the lake. Bass are fair on jigs. Catfishing is slow.
Peckerwood Lake:

Herman’s Landing (870-241-3731) had no report.
Lake Pickthorne:

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report because of the weather.

North Arkansas
White River:

John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Service said fairly steady levels of heavy generation have impacted the fishing. The catch-and-release section below Bull Shoals Dam is open. Remember that there are numerous spawning beds (redds) containing freshly laid and fertilized eggs. Please avoid dragging chains through these areas. The redds will appear as clean depressions in the gravel. Some shad are coming through the dam. Be on the lookout for gulls feeding on the shad below the dam. The most effective flies will be white shad patterns. Be sure and have both floating and sinking versions. The hot fly during the past week has been a white marabou jig. The shad have been trickling through a few at a time. Concentrate on the bank or any heavy structure where fish can escape the current.

Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is still running high. Trout fishing is good on Power Bait, frozen shad and white jigs.

Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said Bull Shoals is running around the clock with seven units. Drift-fishing nymphs for numbers of fish or streamer fishing for fewer but larger are the two most popular techniques. For high water nymph rigs, use split shot and large indicators and adjust your indicator to maintain the proper depth. Use San Juan worms, scuds, copper Johns and egg patterns. Streamer fishing with integrated shooting taper sinking lines with 3-4 foot 0x-2x leaders and large flies is producing large fish. Try dead-drifting shad patterns with a twitching action near the dam or pound the banks with sculpin patterns further downriver. Fly patterns for streamer fishing should include circus peanuts, zoo cougars, fathead minnows, Arkansas beadheads, Davy’s shads, white zonkers and woolly buggers.
White River (From Shipp’s Ferry to Red’s Landing):

Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185) said fishing has been steady, but not fast-paced. The best fishing is before noon each day. For the artificial bait fisherman, the Rapala still reigns as the best producer. Black/Gold/White is the best color and the best size is No. 7 or 9. There is still plenty of water, as the Buffalo River is still 4 feet above its normal winter range. Combine that input with the six or seven generators coming from Bull Shoals dam. One-quarter ounce White River Zig Jigs will produce a few trout when worked slowly near the bottom.
Buffalo River:

Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said the water is too high for fishing pretty much through the entire river.
Crooked Creek:

Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said the water level is 13.71 feet, about 11/2 feet over the low-water bridge at Kelly’s Slab. The creek is too high for fishing.
Bull Shoals Lake:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 654.16 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 654 MSL).
Lake Norfork:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 552.11 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool: Sept.-April – 552 MSL, April-Sept. – 554 MSL).

101 Grocery and Bait said cold weather has kept some anglers off the water, but fishing has been good for those who have managed to get out. Live bait and jigging spoons are catching fish well. The surface water temp is in the mid-30s depending on the area of the lake you are in. (Last updated 2-3-2010)
Norfork Tailwater:

John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Service said there have been several windows of no generation at night. On the high flows, brightly colored San Juan worms (red, cerise and hot fluorescent pink) and egg patterns (peach and orange) have been the go-to flies. Work the banks and submerged weed beds. Dry Run Creek has fished well. The hot fly has been sow bugs in size 14. Worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns have also done well.

Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides had no report.

Northwest Arkansas
Beaver Lake:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,120.63 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 1,120 MSL).

Bailey’s Beaver Lake Guide Service (479-366-8664) said fishing has been slow, but there are fish to be caught. Patience and cold-weather fortitude are the keys. There is a shad kill going on at Beaver Lake. The bait is staying near the surface, looking for the warmest water. Watch for birds to determine the best areas. Stripers will start their push upriver for the spawn soon, probably near the end of February. Most fish are suspending 10-30 feet deep. Free-lining shad and fishing them under balloons are the best techniques to use. An umbrella rig also will produce. With the cold front look for the bait and the Stripers to move deeper again. Live bait will be the go to approach. Some fish can be caught on jigs or jigging spoons. You will have to get in their face with whatever you use. The following areas should hold fish, however try to find the clearest water possible. This will most likely be in the Rocky Branch area. You will find a link to the Beaver Lake level and Flow charts for Beaver Lake Here. On the White River from the Highway 12 bridge to Hickory Creek, concentrate efforts near the channel. The water temperature is about 39-40 degrees. In Hickory Creek, the water is dirty and fishing is extremely slow. In Prairie Creek, birds are feeding consistently in the area. Look for fish from the islands to the bridge. Around Copper Mine, points 8 and 9 and 10 are holding some fish. At Rocky Branch, there is a lot of birds and bait in this area. Look near the bluffs by the marina, in front of the marina along the gravel bank across the bay to the “big rock,” and near “Red Bluff” and the road bed extending from the gravel bank to the island. The shad are about 5-20 feet deep and the stripers are scattered from 8-35 feet deep. Several trophy fish have been taken here. Around the Van Hollow Area, Twin Coves and Point 6 are holding fish and bait. On the main lake, try fishing jigging spoons 20-60 feet deep around points 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10.

JT’s Crappie Guide Service (479-640-3980) said bass fishing has been a bit slow. Try a suspending jerk bait or a Wiggle Wart off main lake and secondary points with timber. Fish have been suspending deeper on dark days and shallower on sunny days. Good color choices have been white, clown, crawdad and chrome/silver. Crappie have been biting well on sunny days, but have been poor on cloudy days. Try upstream from Hickory Creek around brush or timber close to the river or any creek channel in 20 to 35 feet of water. A chartreuse Shinneee Hineee tipped with a minnow should do the trick. White bass are hanging out in channel bends and in mouths of coves. Try locating a school of shad or bass with sonar then lower a jigging spoon down to them.

Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are slow. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs in 4 to 8 feet of water. Bass are fair on jerkbaits and crankbaits fished around rocky areas. Catfishing is slow.
Beaver Tailwaters:

Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said generation has been lowered, offering many wading opportunities. The fish are very healthy and eating well. Warmer days will bring about smaller midges, so a zebra midge or cadion midge in a size 16-20 will do the trick. Many scuds and sow bugs have been seen. These flies need to be fished bouncing along the bottom. Larger fish are taking streamers stripped or dead-drifted along river bottom changes. Woolly buggers, Clouser minnows and slump busters in olive or white (when the shad come through) will get the more selective fish. Generation can start at any time, so be aware of the horn. Possible rain events later on in the week might make this low water a short gift. Get out and enjoy.
Kings River:

Just Fishing Guides said the Kings water level is 3.99 feet. This is good floating and fishing level, but the water is cold. Walleye should be staging in Table Rock to come up the Kings and spawn.
Lake Fayetteville:

Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said fishing is slow for all species.
Lake Sequoyah:

Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water is muddy and dropping. Bream are fair on crickets. Crappie are biting excellently on minnows and yellow Roadrunner jigs. Bass are fair on crankbaits. Catfishing is slow.

Northeast Arkansas
Crown Lake:

Boxhound Marina ( 870-670-4496) said the water is high, cold and clear. Bream are fair on worms. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs. All other species are slow.
Lake Frierson:

Lake Frierson State Park said a few anglers have been out, but fishing has been very slow.
Spring River:

Mark Crawford at Spring River Fly Shop said the weather is finally starting to improve and we had some great fishing over the weekend using Grandma’s Brownie and Cotton Candy. The warm spell brought on some great caddis and mayfly hatches. For daily updates, check out www.springriverflyshop.com. The river looks fantastic. Flows are at 460cfs and clarity is great. Float trips have been the most productive on numbers and bigger fish, but with the many access points are available and walk-in trips can be a blast also.

Southeast Arkansas
Lake Chicot:

Lakeshore Motel and Marina (870-265-9901) had no report.
Lake Monticello:

Fishing guide Greg Gulledge (870-723-3928) of MonticelloBigBass.com said not many anglers are on the lake. Fishing is slow for bass.

Southwest Arkansas
Millwood Lake:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 261.54 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 259.2 MSL).

Millwood Lake Guide Service said recent cold fronts dropped the surface temperature 8 degrees in five days. The lake level dropped slightly, but is still 2.35 feet above normal pool. Main lake and Little River surface temperatures are 42 to 47 degrees. Discharge at the dam is 13,296 cubic feet/second. The water is muddy in the main lake and heavily stained in the river. Bass have slowed with the recent cold snap. Some male bass were seen roaming flats before the cold and some prespawn females were staging in nearby creek channels. After the cold fronts, the most effective technique has been working a red Rat-L-Trap or threadfin shad-colored crankbait slowly through deep spots in creek channels. Slow-rolled chartreuse/white spinnerbaits are working along flooded creek channel swings and stumps. The Carolina Rig bite died with the cold. As the water begins to warm again, look for the clearest water available, typically upriver oxbows, during the mid-day and fish suspending Rogues and Cordell Red Fins in shallow flats near deep creek channels. The best locations are near remaining dead lily pad stems, hydrilla and pondweed, where the vegetation is growing close to stumps. Southern Pro Flipping Tubes, Magnum gitzits and flipping tubes with rattles, will draw a slow strike or two in remaining flooded grass and stumps in the deeper sections of creek channels. The best colors we have observed working for tubes and gitzits were pumpkinseed/chartreuse tail, black/blue tail or black neon. White bass are scattered but should begin their annual spawning run soon. They will be concentrated up Little River in the next few weeks. Crappie are slow, and the muddy current in Little River has pushed them deeper into planted brush. Not many crappie anglers were out over the past week, due to winter weather conditions. Channel catfish continue to bite well and are loving the increase of current in Little River. Blues and Channel cats are biting well on cut shad, Catfish Charlie and chicken livers along the increased current in Little River between Jack’s Isle and Mud Lake or on yo-yo’s hung from cypress trees in the oxbows over 10-15 feet depths.
White Oak Lake:

Local angler John Tilley said the lake is muddy and the water level is up and down. Fishing is extremely tough for all species. The new ramp and Starnes Landing is in place and open to the public.
Lake Columbia:

Steve’s Outdoor Sports (870-234-2222) said bream are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs. Bass and catfish are slow.
Lake Erling:

Steve’s Outdoor Sports (870-234-2222) the water is at normal level. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers. All other species are slow.
Lake Greeson:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 546.23 MSL (Flood pool – 548 MSL).

Lakeside Grocery and Bait (870-398-5304) said the water is dingy and the surface temperature is 48 to 50 degrees. Bream are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in 15 to 20 feet of water. Bass are fair on crankbaits fished in 2 to 5 feet of water. Walleye are fair on jigs and crankbaits. Catfishing is slow.
Cossatot River:

Cossatot River State Park had no report.
DeGray Lake:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 406.83 feet MSL (Flood pool – 408 MSL).

Local angler George Graves said the surface temperature is in the mid- to upper 40s. The water is slightly muddy above Point 15 and clear in the lower end of the lake. A few good reports on bass have been coming in between Arlie Moore and Cox Creek. Most bass are being caught deep (20 to 30 feet) on main lake points. On warmer days, some bass have been caught as shallow as 8 to 10 feet. The best lures have been heavy jig-and-pig combos, heavy Texas-rigged worms and Carolina-rigged lizards and Brush Hogs. The best colors are green pumpkin and red shad. Crappie fishing is fair on deep fish shelters, between 25 and 30 feet deep. Live minnows have been the most productive bait, but a few fish have been caught on 1/16-ounce red/chartreuse marabou jigs with a crappie nibble on the hook. The best brush piles have been between Caddo Drive and Point 14. A few nice bream have been mixed in with the crappies and are biting fairly well on redworms and crickets.

West-Central Arkansas
Lake Nimrod:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 345.52 feet MSL.

Lake Nimrod Bait and More II (479-272-4025) had no report.

Greer’s Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) had no report.
Lake Dardanelle:

Regina Olson at Spadra Marina said crappie have been biting fairly well. Some limits have been reported from morning fishermen using minnows and orange/chartreuse jigs close to the bottom. Catfishing is excellent on shad, worms and stinkbait. Not many bass anglers are on the water, and the bass fishing has been slow.
Blue Mountain Lake:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 387.62 feet MSL.

Teresa at CD’s Quick Stop (479-947-2178) had no report.
Lake Ouachita:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 578.06 MSL (Flood pool – 578 MSL).

Larry Hurley from Poorman’s Guide Service said Lake Ouachita had a large shad kill, and fishing is a bit tough because fish are feeding on the dead shad. Bass fishing is slow. Jerk baits, Rat-L-Traps and jigs fished around the grass are your best bet, but it’s a grind. Stripers are fair on spoons and shad-colored crankbaits at the far west side of the lake.

Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is 40 to 44 degrees and clearing. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs fished in brush piles on points or humps in 18 to 25 feet of water. Lipless crankbaits are working well fished near drop-offs, ledges and moss. Walleye are fair on jigging spoons or fluorescent jigs tipped with minnows on main lake points or humps in the river channels in 20-30 feet of water. These fish are slowly making their way upstream to spawn. Stripers are fair on live shad and trotline minnows. Main lake points near creek channels or open water humps are the best areas. Jigging spoons are working for these fish in 20 to 30 feet of water. Bream are slow on worms or crickets in water 20 to 25 feet deep. Crappie are biting well near brush in water 12 to 20 feet deep. Minnows or crappie grubs are still working best. Tennessee shad and Arkansas shad are the best colors for artificial baits. Catfish are still slow and being caught on cut bait and live bait hung from on jug lines and trotlines.
Lake Hamilton:

Daryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips said a lot of water is passing through Lake Hamilton as Lake Ouachita is being lowered. The lake will be allowed to rise to normal pool on March 4. Fishing is slow right now, but should improve with some warmer weather.
Lake Catherine:

Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service, (501-624-8757) said the Carpenter Dam tailwater is very fast and treacherous to navigate by boat or foot. Water temperature has fallen to 44 degrees. Rainbow trout are present in very good numbers, but are hard to catch from boat or bank as swift currents make fishing difficult. Bank anglers must find areas that are out of the main flow and concentrate on live bait presentations. Nightcrawlers and redworms fished just off the bottom with marshmallows offer trout a tasty meal as opposed to the thousands of injured threadfin shad that are scattered throughout the tailrace from generation. Fly fishermen using a variety of egg patterns have taken fish this week despite the conditions. Power Bait has accounted for several limits of quality fish in the heavy current. Until the flows slow, fishing for any species will be difficult. Walleye are spawning, but very little fishing is taking place. Crappie will move to the dam in March along with white bass. April brings freshwater drum and roaming stripers.
Lake Hinkle:

Bill’s Bait Shop (479-637-4719) said the water is clear and at normal levels. Fishing is slow for all species.
Lake Atkins:

Ken Vinson at Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said fishing is still slow, but looking better each week. A few bass were caught late Saturday, with one 81/4-pound fish being caught. Crappie and catfish are still slow. The water temperature is 41 degrees and slowly climbing.

South Central Arkansas
Moro Bay:

Moro Bay State Park at the junction of the Ouachita River, Raymond Lake and Moro Bay said the Ouachita River is at 82.00 feet and dropping. No anglers are out with the bad weather.
Tri-County Lake:

Bass are hitting fairly well on slow-running, medium-diving crankbaits and black/blue jigs. The fish caught are small, but they are beginning to bite.

East Arkansas
Arkansas River at Pine Bluff:

The Tackle Box (870-534-1498) said the water is high and murky. Bream are biting well on wax worms. Crappie are biting well on pink/chartreuse jigs and wax worms. Bass are biting well on chartreuse/blue crankbaits. Catfishing is good on large nightcrawlers and stinkbait.
White River:

Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the water is cold and high. Fishing is terrible.
Maddox Bay:

Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is clear and at normal level. Crappie are slow on minnows fished from yo-yos set in 1 to 2 feet of water. All other species are slow.
Island 40 Chute:

Daily’s Boat Dock (870-739-3478) said the water is high and rising. Fishing is bad for all species.
Horseshoe Lake:

Local angler Clyde Gregory said the water is cold and slightly high. Crappie are biting well on minnows and black/chartreuse jigs slowly trolled in deep water. All other species are slow.

Here is a Report From BaySide Marine from Santa Cruz
Feb. 17
The swells have started to drop here and things are looking much better at the Harbor mouth. The few reports that we have had this month include Seabass, Squid, Halibut, and Perch. There was a nice Halibut caught near the Mile Reef in Capitola. The Seabass and Halibut are still hit and miss in Monterey but there were a few good days last week. The Perch fishing has been good near Manresa and the Cement Ship. The best bet is to use Motor Oil Grubs and Coon Striped Shrimp. There is a Perch tournament on March 20 and once again I will have all the live shrimp and worms you need. Stop by the shop to get the entry you must sign up by Feb. 21.
JAN. 19
The fishing for Seabass has been good for the anglers who were in Monterey before the storm. The Squid is still the bait of choice. The swells and winds have become huge so there has been no action today. The Humbolt Squid are still wide open in the edge of the Monterey Canyon in 800-1200 feet of water. Fishing for crab has been decent on the north coast in 240 feet of water The Surf perch have been biting well on Coon striped shrimp.

Jan. 2 2010 Happy New Year!
The Squid fishing, crabbing, and Sand dabs are keeping anglers busy during these nice calm winter days. There has been a few swells but the winds have been generally light after the rain. There are big Squid in the Soquel Canyon and near Davenport. There was a good bite on Squid near 36’46/121’51. The Squid are in 800-1200 feet of water and the big Glow Ahi Jigs are working best. The crab fishing is still doing well up the coast in 200 feet of water. I still have crab pots rigged from Mc Kay’s with 300 feet of leaded rope for only $205.

Dec. 19
The crab fishing is still doing well for the anglers fishing up the coast. There have been a few good reports of Humbolt Squid being caught in the Canyons in 800-1200 feet of water. The swells have been up and down with the storms that have passed through. We have the 2010 Sport fishing License in stock along with Gift Certificates for stocking stuffers. We also have a great deal on McKay Crab Pots and Ace Line Hauler. I hope to see you soon. Happy Holidays!
Nov. 18
The crab fishing is still going well for the anglers up the coast in 180-220 feet of water. There were some Humbolt Squid caught in 1200 feet of water 8 miles from Santa Cruz in the Soquel Canyon.
Nov. 14
The fishing was great today near Franklin Point and there were some good scores near 4 Mile Beach. The best bet on crab seems to be up the coast in 200 feet of water. There was no wind in the morning but there was a breeze in the afternoon. The winds are reported to be calmer Sunday so come finish off the Rock fishing season in calm weather. The sun has been out with a little morning fog.
Nov. 13
The fishing was good today for the anglers who went looking for crabs. I spoke to one boat who had 30 crabs for 6 pots in 200 feet of water up the coast. The Rock fishing was decent for the anglers who worked the local reefs. There was some wind today in the afternoon which did not help. The winds and swells are expected to decrease all day Saturday and Sunday making this a great time to go fishing before the Rock fishing closes.
Nov. 11
The wind was down all morning and the fishing for crab has been great. I heard of good reports on the Becky Ann with Capt. Jimmy. The winds are going to remain light for the weekend so come crabbing and finish off the Rock fishing season.
Nov. 10
The crab season is open and there have been some good scores near Natural bridges and straight out of the Santa Cruz Harbor. The Crab are ranging from keeper to 6 + inches. The Humbolt Squid are showing in the deep canyons near the Soquel Hole and Davenport. There were a few boats up near Franklin Point in calm seas today and the action was good. The winds are down for the next few days and Rock fishing closes Sunday so come fishing.
PV Report
I was down for a few days fishing with my girl Regina in P.V. for a few days. I went fishing with Danny ” LuLu” on his father in laws boat “Balta” the first day and caught a nice tuna in the upper 180′s. We caught a few more Dorado and came home with the sun on our backs. I had Ryan “Salty” who works on Maximo as my deck hand for 3 days. Ryan was able to sneak out and pull on some fish for the first time this year. I can not say enough about how much this kid has become a seasoned Salty angler / deck hand. We had a great day one and my freezer was filled. The second day we went to the bank with Danny Osuna and Regina made her first appearance on the boat. We caught Tuna from 60-90 pounds on bullet Tunas on the troll. Regina did a great job on her first Tuna and had a great time on the water and in P.V. The last day things went slow at the Bank but we did end up with some nice Dorado. All in all it was a great trip and great weather. Thanks again to all my good friends in P.V. and in La Cruz! Until Next Time!

With the Sabine River feeding it nice Texas Water all the time, this is one of the best places to fish, especially for good old bass.  It is definitely true that this is a massive lake, and its also true that of the nearly 200,000 surface acres, there are parts that are in Louisiana, but much is within Texas which is why its in this section of the site.

There are several different times of year that you might fish Toledo Bend.  Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer etc… and the fishing can be quite different depending on when you go fishing.

In the springtime,

Expect to catch: Catfish, Crappie, White Bass, and Black Bass.

The bass are typical fish.  The males will sit around all day long and guard the eggs once the females have laid them in the egg bed.  This surely doesn’t mean you can’t catch them though.  Jigs and spinner baits work the best in these situations and for this time of year.  Heck, youngsters even have luck throwing down some fishing eggs with a bober from time to time.

A really good place is just off Farm To Market Road near county road 2650.  Fishing has been great around that section of the lake for over 10 years straight now.  As well, good fishing is consistently reported around Bill’s Landing.  There are good numbers of white bass for some reason in this area for much of the year after they get out of the river.   If you have the urge to go near Paper Company Road to fish for crappie, that is usually a sure bet,  or quite possibly you could get into some catfish in that area too.  When it comes to finding ways to lure the catfish, stinkbait and nice fresh worms are the best for the catfish for most people.