Lake Ouachita Limit

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Originally Posted by CrappiePro

Nice mess, You know I got a diving buddy who has been diving in every highland RES in our great state, One day I asked him where he saw the most and biggest crappie. His reply was Lake Ouachita with out a doubt he said that lake has some big Mamber Jambers in it.

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There are some really nice crappie in there and lots of them. The ones we have been catching are kinda small compared to what is possible. I have had some days were I hauled in a limit and didn't have a single fish under 14.5". Many years ago I watched my dad lose one right next to the boat I know would have gone 17.5" and it happened to be the exact spot where I lost one just as big only days before. I've caught a bunch out there in the 16" range over the years. I hope to find some of those big ones in the very near future. I usually fish the Crystal, Pollard Creek, and Avant area but I have caught crappie and bass from one end of the lake to other. I'm lucky to live so close to such a great lake, I just wish all the moss was still there.

Everybody in Arkansas probably knows this but me, but what happened to the moss in Ouachita? Used to go over there camping many years ago and I remember that moss everywhere! Great habitat for the fish. Just curious. :dono

Ski, High dingy water I assume, the moss had to have sunlight to live and thats what had limited its growth to about 20-25' depths. This is a persumption on my part. If wrong,,someone will point it out,,,lol

A few years ago the Corp and Game & Fish released the Pakistani Fly. The larva of the fly eats the grass. It was only going to be released in a few selected areas around resorts and marinas and would be contained there. I think it has got out of controll. You can not find grass hardly anywhere. You can google Lake Ouachita vegetation controll and read about how it was suppose to work but didn't. Another example of good intentions gone bad ?

I can't say for sure if it was the fly or something else. I've heard rumors I won't repeat on an Internet forum. I will say it is a result of "man" and not any natural occurrence. It really ticks me off. When will they learn to leave well enough alone. I often wonder how great the lake would have been if they would have never introduced stripers into it.

Nice catch

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Originally Posted by ski trip

Everybody in Arkansas probably knows this but me, but what happened to the moss in Ouachita? Used to go over there camping many years ago and I remember that moss everywhere! Great habitat for the fish. Just curious. :dono

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AGFC introduced the same bug into DeGray and made fitchin tough. Used to be coon tail moss everywhere and now your cant hardly find any and if you do get some on your jig it smells so awful you would wonder why a fish would get within 10 feet of it. We havent been able to see any advantages for those lakes to be de-mossed other than a cleaner environment for recreational boaters.

Thanks guys for the reply on the moss. Wasn't trying to hijack this thread, just curious about the moss.