New to the site frome northeast arkansas.

Hi all. I have already been welcomed in on the welcome page of the newbie thread. Wanted to tell a little about myself and my reason for joining, as well as get a few tips!

I am close to manila, so i mainly fish at mallard lake as well as big lake. As a kid growing up, my uncle took me fishing almost every Saturday that the weather was nice. We always bank fished since he never owned a boat. We caught a lot of brem and some crappie there over the years. Well, i got older and started working and lost time to fish. Over the past 5 years or so, i have gotten back into fishing. I now have a son that will soon be old enough to go with me, so i want to make great memories with him.

For now, i dont have a boat. I would like to buy one down the road, but as of now im stuck to bank fishing. With that being said. what are the best tips yall can give to max out my chances of getting the best out of my fishing trips? What time of the year is the best? What bait should i use? What jigs to use? I seen the cheap ones at walmart, but not sure if those are the best to use. What are tell tell signs that there is a good chance crappie could be where im fishing at?

Anyone else here fish at mallard or around mallard? I would travel to other lakes if i got great tips from others. Not looking to take anyone's honey hole, just looking to bring home some great tasting fish! Thanks in advance!

Welcome from Lake Conway

Welcome from Marion

Mallard is a great lake to fish.Fish the north by the pier and drain. Minnow under cork

BillyE is correct. Also go buy the best reel you can afford load it with soft line with low memory in a 4 or 6 lb test. Also use slip floats, this will extend your bank fishing area considerably. Fish with the sun in your face, on a cloudy day, or stay low to keep from shadowing the hole. Some of my best fishing has come off the bank.

Welcome from NLR. Billy have give so good info to you, have fun fish

Welcome aboard

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Welcome from Searcy

Welcome

I have thought about going this weekend. Will the fish be biting that close to the bank by the back pier, or would i be wasting my time? Also, any suggestions on fishing line? I have just been use to using line for catfish, so i dont know much about lightweight line. Should i jig this weekend, or buy minnows?

Welcome from Greers Ferry Lake

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Originally Posted by mo_86_05

I have thought about going this weekend. Will the fish be biting that close to the bank by the back pier, or would i be wasting my time? Also, any suggestions on fishing line? I have just been use to using line for catfish, so i dont know much about lightweight line. Should i jig this weekend, or buy minnows?

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Apparently there is a deeper hole by the back pier, so you should be able to work yourself up and down the bank fishing both deep and shallow just like a guy with a boat. Get some 6lb low memory and spool it according to the specs on the reel. If the reel specs says 100yrds of 6lb, I measure off that much line and then spool it on. I'm not that great just eye balling how full the reel is. Go get some minnows and hook them through the back just behind the dorsal fin. Through the eyes or lip is for another type fishing. Fish them with a float and a small split shot above a #2 hook. This will let your bait swim. I'm not saying this is the very best way to do it, but it is gonna give you your very best shot at catching a crappie without some inside info about the specific bite.

I like minnows in the winter time bank fishing. use 6-8 lb mono on a spincast reel. use 2 poles if you can and set at different depths. Cast out as far as you can. every minute reel in 5 feet. Keep a fresh minnow on.

From one newbie to another welcome from greenbrier:)) great area up there. Having spent a big part of my younger days in the Wilson Osceola area with great memories of bank and boat fishing around there.

Welcome from West Memphis, home of Big River Marine!


Big River Marine
Bill Burnett
870-635-0202

We sell XPRESS, EXCEL, and ALWELD Boats. Yamaha, Suzuki, Evinrude, Mud Buddy, and Tohatsu/Nissan Engines.
Pro Staff, Southern Pro Tackle and Ozark Rods.
Member, Tri-State Crappie Anglers

Welcome from northeast arkansas.

Welcome from Conway!!!!


You can take the boy out of the country but you can't take country out of the boy

Tell Randy Hutton I said howdy.


Big River Marine
Bill Burnett
870-635-0202

We sell XPRESS, EXCEL, and ALWELD Boats. Yamaha, Suzuki, Evinrude, Mud Buddy, and Tohatsu/Nissan Engines.
Pro Staff, Southern Pro Tackle and Ozark Rods.
Member, Tri-State Crappie Anglers

I'm new to the site also and have been fishing mallard my whole life. That being said you'd have better luck fishing a mud puddle in Walmart parking lot. One of the culverts failed at Mallard and drained it last summer. As of september you could walk across anywhere on the lake. The only spot that was still holding fish was on the south end by the boat ramp where the water was about 2 feet deep. The herrons and carmarans where in the trees by the hundreds, eating all the fish. They got the culvert and valve fixed but not before a total loss of fish, it will have to be restocked and i dont think it has happened yet. Give it a few years and it will recover. Try fishing the ditch between Manila and Big Lake(the one that runs by the Sportsman Bar), its a bit muddy right now, but two weeks ago i did good along the west bank north of the boat ramp.