Gooch - Little Maumelle River

Gooch (anyone else feel free to weigh in) -- have you fished the Little Maumelle enough to know what the pattern is? What I mean is it's been dead as the Dead Sea the past few weeks, even for bream. With cooler weather, do crappie begin to move back into and up the river? Hell, maybe they're not gone. I'm really confused by this beautiful little stream. I know CEB has been catching a few nice ones, but it's been at the mouth of the Little Maumelle and in the sidewaters of the Arkansas River.

Curious if you, or anyone else, had any thoughts.

Thanks.

Joe

Joe, Though I have fished the area several times with CEB neither he nor I have been out there in the past few weeks so I dont know whats going on with the fish. I do know CEB found a number of new brushpiles or condos out there. Next time we go with a gps we will mark them and post the coordinates and maybe that will help your catch.
I would just try and find some cooler water and see if that helps for now. With the break in temps the water should be cooling down and heating the fishing up.
Keep us posted on your success out there. I know CEB is covered up in school right now and would love a update of his favorite fishing hole.

I was up past Palarm on the river in that danged toon boat getting it dirty again (see "Green Stuff" in the main forum). Even though I was with freinds and family, it was eating me up watching some fishermen in a visable brush top in one of the slack water areas behind a jetty. We were on a sand bar and I know they were there for over 2 hours. That ususally means they were catching something.
That spot and several others I have seen in this part of the river reminded me of a spring time hole I had in Texas. Dose anyone know if the crappie will move into these areas in the spring?
DP

Thanks Gooch. We'll keep hitting it and I'll let you know.

Drpepper -- sounds interesting on the Arkansas River. I've just not ventured out on the main river. Need to start. I suppose the only way to learn to fish it is start doing it.

J

With the low flow it's anybody's guess guys. Back when I fished tournaments on the river, there was a sandbar and rock dike on the north bank we fished behind. It was real deep behind the sand bar and if river was low you could not get a boat in there. It was up close the the Fouche River area. When river flows are strong fish seem to seek out these protected areas. They should be good spawning sites for crappies too. If anyone can find it let me know.I have not fished there for several ,no many years.:D

I went to my usual spot yesterday morning. The fish were much more active than the past few trips. I caught a lot of fish, but the vast majority were in the 8-10" range. I kept 17 crappie, two of em' were about 12" and the rest about 10". I couldn't find the bigger fish on this trip, but it was nice just to get out and catch some. I had many doubles and a couple of triples, so the action was pretty fast. I found a good concentration of smaller fish on the side of a 4' deep hump right beside the channel. The fish were hanging out in 10-12' of water off the side of the hump. I caught the two larger ones under schools of minnows/shad. There were huge schools of baitfish roaming the surface. It was tough to stay with the schools because boat traffic became such a problem. With all of the boats out there yesterday, I just dropped out a bouy and fished that hump most of the day, but I know the bigger fish were out following the baitfish pods. Hope it helps you out some J.

Hey Chris, thanks for the update. I assume you're still fishing the mouth of the Little Maumelle. My wife and I went out to Lake Maumelle Saturday. Man, it's low. It's as low as I ever recall seeing it. Caught a few nice bream. Tha's about it. Seemed slow for everyone I talked to.

Was going to try to hit the Little Maumelle today but had too many other things getting in the way.

Many thanks.

J