Tip for fishing in Arkabutla Spillway?

Hey there, new user on the forums but i've read them a few times in the years.I was looking for some advice on fishing in Arkabutla spillway. This pretty much my go-to fishing spot, with me living about 20minutes away from it. I'm not big on boat fishing, unless its bass at Sardis, so I tend to fish for catfish and crappie at the spillway. For the past few years its seems everything has just about went from majority of fishers there fishing with corks to the majority of fishers snagging now. I didn't really care for snagging for awhile, did it a little back when there was a season for it but it grows on ya. It's got a little more pace to it, and whether you hit a crappie, carp, drum, or gar you see that tug of line a bit more than with a cork I suppose. Anyway, to stay on topic - Any of you have any tips for fishing in the spillway? From fishing spots to snagging spots, I do it all. Catfish, crappie and bass. I don't usually fish in the winter, but i recently heard the crappie is pretty good at this time. I've never tried so I wanted to ask you guys

Take a bunch of jigs, and cast out in the water, let them settle to the bottom, and snap yer wrist. Let it settle and repeat. Most people will tie two 1/16 jigs about a foot or so apart. You'll lose a bunch of jigs, and color don't matter.

I use a heavy piece of coat hanger wire for a weight and a float with minnows, like a catfish rig with a float, and let it settle on bottom in the eddies, or slack water to CATCH them.

You can also put two 1/16 jigs under a pear shaped 1" float and catch them in the eddies. Attach the line to the bottom of the float by wrapping it around three or four times. The float will lay side ways, and when it stands up, set the hook.


BRM

BTW, most guys on the forum will frown on you for snagging, but for me, those fish are already outta the lake, and headed to oblivion, so I don't see much harm in it. On rare occasion, I do it. I had rather catch them tho. JMHO!!!


BRM

Yeah I figured most would frown upon snagging, as I said before - I frowned upon it myself for awhile until I gave it a try. I love fishing, most of the time I have the usual bait and catch fish the real way, much more than I'd snag but come spring time and that spillway is full of every type of fish arkbutla has to offer, it's mighty fun to snag a bit. Land in a big slab crappie and it feels like you got a largemouth on the end of your rod. Land a gar and you've got a fun fight. Hell, me and my brother went down there last spring and he snagged a snake out of there! you shoulda seen the people running up the rocks when they saw what he had haha.

But I definitely see why it's frowned upon, but if you're there to eat what you catch I don't see much harm. Only place thats reliable to snag is a spillway anyhow, you'd never see someone snagging on a lake or pond [assuming it's not turning over]

Anyway, back to topic. Any chance you can show a picture of your setup with the cloth hanger? I've seen guys do something like that, just never really got a good look at how it's set up.

Dont have one done, as I don't go often, but I just take a Heavy coat hanger, or heavy piece of wire about 14-16" long and bend it like a V. I cross the legs over to form a loop at the top to tie to. It looks like a V with a loop at the top. When the wire anchors in the rocks, it springs together and releases instead of getting hung between the rocks. You will lose some, but they are cheap and easy to make. A regular weight lets the line get between the rocks, and you lose a weight every time.


BRM

everything above is correct. I snag until I can find them on cork-n-jig. Nothing better than watching the cork pop. you will know when fish are being caught at Arkabutla Spillway cuz you will need elbow pads.

I went down there tuesday morning. Was a great trip. Didn't snag but 1 crappie, spillway is full of stripped bass right now. Saw a few guys pull out a couple nice 2poundish crappie.

You gotta be on the right rock. If youre off just a little, you won't catch many. Gotta read the eddies.


BRM

Any tips on reading the eddies?

Got to have bi focals hard to read without them

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Originally Posted by blah7

Any tips on reading the eddies?

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Yea, git closer to the guys that are catchin em!!!! They'll be in the right spot on the eddy. LMBO!!


BRM

Sometimes it is down to the right rock to stand on. couple feet either way and you are out of them. Look forward to catching them on cork down there here soon. Maybe extremely soon with this 60+ degree weather.

heard they were catching some in elbow creek