LITTLE ROCK — On April 15, 1984, William Garvey of Indianapolis landed a 5-pound, 2-ounce white bass on Bull Shoals Lake, establishing a new high-water mark for that species from Arkansas waters. His lunker white bass surpasses the 4-pound, 15-ounce state-record white caught from the White River at Beaver Lake nearly 15 years earlier.
Garvey's record, however, didn't last quite as long as Stopple's. In fact, it didn't last the rest of the day. You see, Garvey's fishing partner, William Wilson, also of Indianapolis, landed a white bass only a few hours later that pulled the scales to 5 pounds, 4 ounces, and a new state record was established.
"They were really into some good fish that day," said Game & Fish Commission wildlife officer Barry McKenzie of Bull Shoals, who verified the weights of both fish. "In addition to two record fish, they had several that weighed more than 4 pounds."
Wilson's 5-pound, 4-ounce record stood for more than a decade. It's one of 12 record marks for white bass established since record-keeping began in 1959. Although white bass are common in waters throughout Arkansas, only a few bodies of water have produced records, including those described in the following paragraphs.
Bull Shoals Lake
As already noted, Bull Shoals Lake (45,440 acres in north Arkansas) produced two of the largest white bass ever recorded in Arkansas. Both were caught on April 15th at the tail end of the spring spawn.
Bull Shoals white bass tend to be hefty and in excellent shape. Two-pounders are a dime a dozen, and the big egg-laden females often push the 4-1/2-pound mark. When they ascend feeder creeks to spawn, it's not unusual to find them in only 1 to 2 feet of water.
In late March or early April, as the water warms, male whites ascend the spawning streams and are soon joined by the females. After spawning, both sexes return to the main lake. It's during their upstream and downstream runs that most whites are caught, often by bank fishermen working the streams with spoons, small crankbaits or live baitfish. Good areas to try include Big Music Creek, Sugarloaf Creek, West Sugarloaf Creek and Carolton Hollow Creek, all on the south (Arkansas) side of the lake.
Lake Hamilton
This 7,200-acre Entergy lake started the record white bass spree in 1959. On July 21 that year, Curtis Gober of Malvern caught a 3-pound, 7-ounce white that was the first record-book entry. Then, on April 4, 1960, Hamilton produced another record white, a 4-pound, 2-ounce fish caught on a jig by J.R. Chamberlain of Hot Springs.
Though no record whites have been caught in Hamilton in almost 40 years, this impoundment on the Ouachita River at Hot Springs still offers excellent fishing for these scrappy sportfish. In March, white bass congregate in the basins of Little Mazarn, Big Mazarn, Glazypeau, Kelly and Hot Springs creeks, awaiting the water temperature that will sendthem swarming up the streams to spawn in mid-April. The anglers swarm with them. Banks are lined with fishermen, and limit catches are common. Most white bass anglers must pursue their quarry from boats, however, because most shoreline property on Hamilton is privately owned. Tandem-rigged jigs, small spoons, crankbaits and live minnows are among the most popular white bass enticements.
Lake Norfork
Lake Norfork has produced three state-record whites, more than any other body of water in Arkansas. Arthur Bonde of Elmhurst, Ill., caught the first - a 3-pound, 10-ounce fish - on March 30, 1960. The other two fish - 4 pounds, 6 ounces and 4 pounds, 7 ounces, respectively - were taken outside the spawning season, in October and December.
Though best known for its top-notch largemouth, crappie and striper fishing, this 22,000-acre Corps of Engineers impoundment in Baxter and Fulton counties serves up excellent white bass fishing as well. Small horsehead spinners like the Blakemore Road Runner are popular with local anglers fishing Brushy Creek, Big Creek, Diamond Creek, Tracy Cove, Bennett's Creek and other tributary areas. During April, the creeks are pretty warm, and when the water temperature is in the upper 50s and low 60s, white bass make their upstream runs to spawn. It's not unusual to catch 50 to 100 in a half-day of fishing, including many in the 2- to 3-pound range.
White River below Beaver Lake
This white bass hot spot hada spurt of record-book action during the 1969 spawning run. On April 2, Richard Graves of Bush landed a new recordmaker just three ounces shy of 5 pounds. Then on May 8, Bud Stopple landed a 4-pound, 15-ounce record. Graves caught his fish just below a shoal on White River in the shadow of the U.S. 62 bridge not far from Beaver Dam. Stopple was fishing a bit farther downstream near the town of Beaver.
The White River below Beaver Lake has a northerly flow and becomes the headwaters of Table Rock Lake. During the April spawning runs, fish in this lake follow the urge to migrate upstream and run up the river (south) to the base of Beaver Dam. This shortstopping effect crowds white bass almost by the millions around the shoal areas from the tiny town of Beaver all the way to the dam. Spring white bass fishing is also excellent in Beaver Lake's headwater streams, including the three prongs of the White River and War Eagle Creek.
Lake Ouachita
Lake Ouachita, a 40,000-acre Corps of Engineers lake west of Hot Springs, is a sleeper lake in terms of white bass fishing. Stripers and black bass draw the attention of most Lake Ouachita anglers. But in April, white bass get a flash of attention from local anglers enjoying the fast-paced action spawning fish provide in major tributaries.
Ouachita entered the record-book scene on April 14, 1963, when Bill Stackhouse of North Little Rock caught a 4-pound, 2-ounce white bass that tied the state record. It's likely that white bass larger than Stackhouse's record have been caught in Ouachita in ensuing years, as this huge lake produces some enormous linesides. Every day during the spawn, many honest 3-pounders cross the fillet table.
Most fishing is done during the height of the spawning run in March or April, in primary tributaries. The headwaters of the lake - the Ouachita River, especially - give up enormous numbers of whites. Small in-flowing creeks sometimes may also hold a few spawners, but better fishing is available in large tributaries like the South Fork of the Ouachita at Mount Ida and the North Fork below Mount Tabor.
Greers Ferry Lake
A 4-pound, 9-ounce staterecord white bass caught on March 15, 1967, is testament to Greers Ferry's potential as a hot spot for gigantic whites. Jimmy West of Drasco caught the fish on a Rebel crankbait.
All feeder streams of Greers Ferry are attractive to white bass when they make their spawning migrations. PeterCreek, which enters the lake from the northeast a few miles uplake from the dam, is one of the most popular white bass hot spots and produces many fish in the 3- to 4-pound range. The four forks of the Little Red River above the lake - Devil's, Archey's, Middle and South forks - also offer opportunities for catching lots of jumbo whites during the spawn.
Whites and hybrid stripers move up the tributaries at the same time, and the same tactics usually result in mixed stringers. Ultralight tackle is OK for whites, but if you use it, you takea chance of losing any sizable hybrid that might come along. Good lure choices for both species include 1/4-ounce jigheads with 3-inch grubs, 1/4-ounce Rat-L-Traps or 2-inch crankbaits in shad colors.
For information on white bass fishing regulations, consult a copy of the current state fishing regulations guide available at www.agfc.com or from license dealers and Arkansas Game & Fish Commission offices statewide.
River Valley Ozark, Pages 152, 153 on 04/20/2008