Ouachita suggestions

[G.Gordon]

Some family is heading down there to fish and have a good time next week. Any suggestions on the bass, crappie, and bream?

Thanks a bunch.

[howards cowards]

Was at the O twice this year. End of April and middle of May. Found crappie off the brush piles directly across from tyler bend. Minnow and jig tipped worked well. Caught a lot of little bass. Only ones of size where caught early morn and late afternoon. Morning topwater was great in mid May. Used pumpkin thumper worm and shad colored bomber off main lake points and coves. Still just a novice at Ouachita, say take my words litely. Late April I found Stripers trolling up to North Inlet from Buck ussing a shad rap about 30yrd of shore.

The Coward

[Slab Junkie]

For crappie fish 15-20 feet deep around brush. A Bobby Garland Baby Shad fished vertical is a good bet. If I was going after bream I would look for moss on points and fish the deep edge of it with crickets (tight line vertical fishing). I haven't bass fished much at all this year but usually this time of year you can catch them on a zoom Ol' Monster worm rigged Texas style, slow rolling a big spinnerbait, or at night on a pig/jig combo or black spinnerbait. If none of that seems to produce throw a Zoom trick worm rigged on a shakey head. The shakey head will always produce some bites. Concentrate on points and deep humps for bass and creek channel drops for crappie.

[Greg Parker]

The crappie are heading deeper but some can still be caught off brush piles in about 25 feet of water the hard part is finding the brush piles had really good luck out there earlier this year around twin creeks but not as good lately. Planning on putting some brush piles out there Father's day weekend.

[Little Skeeter]

What area are you going to be at kcbrown? There lots of good areas to fish. If I was down there at my home I would show you some good spots I always catch fish at. If you had a gps with the lake on it I can send you some coordinates for some big brush piles. Fish the back of coves and creeks for some fast and fun bass action, they always like those areas. Also if your up on the river end head up river and fish lay downs along the banks. It gets rocky as you go up and a jig works great moving it to you from the bank. Good luck bud.


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[G.Gordon]

I'm not going to be there. My sister and some of her friends are going there. They are camping at Denby Pt if that helps.

[DRPEPPER]

I'm not going to be there. My sister and some of her friends are going there. They are camping at Denby Pt if that helps.

I enjoyed my self a couple of months ago pulling Bandit 300s along the old river to the right of Denby. As those bluffs pass the point out in the main lake, it opens up onto a flat. The whites wore me down.
DP

[brosborough]

I take a few trips to here but never for crappie. This time of year, usually for me it is the last week of May because it is Striper fun and you don't have to troll for them. Shoot down to the Blakley Dam, the Dam that dumps into Lake Hamilton. On this dam, on the right hand side, you will see the little powerplant or whatever it is with a great big set of bouys there. They are HUGE all tied up in a line. Get there early, before dark, because there is only enough room for a few boats to tie up to these bouys. Let me backtrack a bit. Before you go there, go out and just fish shorelines for some bluegill, sunfish, you want little tikes. Maybe a bit smaller than the size of your hand. Put these guys in the livewell, that is your bait! OK, now run down to the dam, tie up to these ropes, and then just sit and wait for dark. The striper will all school inside this bouy area that is roped off. You sit there and trust me, you'll hear them suckers just going nuts, but you won't really see anything. Put a bluegill or sunfish on a hook, and you can either cast it out to where you hear them splashing around, or even just drop it down the side of the boat. I've pulled them from as far down as maybe 80 feet. Kind of have to test a few different methods to find which one works best. It is a lot of fun but have some big gear so you can haul them out of there. Don't want them to cut your line on the wire that holds all the bouys together.

NOW, I want to state that this year has been different than any other year we have had in Arkansas. Usually I do these kinds of striper runs in May. I take a trip up to Beaver and also a trip to Ouachita. Last couple of weeks. The fish on Beaver at this time of year will school on shad on points and certain banks and will surface. Always fun to see a dozen splashes from fish that are 20+ lbs. I can say that on Beaver, May was too late. I think everything spawned, schooled, whatever they do, EARLY!!! I wouldn't be surprised if everything happened in March this year. No promises for what you might see at the dam on Ouachita this time of year. This is really the only time I would ever go after Striper. My boat is not set up for trolling or downriggers etc. When they are breaking or schooling in this area though anyone can go and catch fish. Might give it a check. You'll know the first night if anything is happening cause you will hear the splashes after it gets dark.