Paddle Bassin'

I remember well my first taste of "paddle bassing." A friend, Dr. Jim Davis of Black Springs, invited me on a fourmile float down the Ouachita River, a beautiful smallmouth bass stream coursing through west Arkansas' Ouachita Mountains.

On our first morning out, he paddled his canoe through the labyrinth of boulders and rocky ledges that characterize the upper Ouachita. It was ideal smallmouth habitat, and Jim proved it.

"Cast above that rock," he said. "Then let your bait drift by it."

I followed his directions, using the jig-and-pig he recommended. The lure hit the swirling current just shy of the boulder, drifted slowly downstream and danced past the rock. I saw a flash of gold and felt a solid hit. Instantly, a 3-pound smallmouth went airborne. The next 30 seconds of acrobatics were enough to make an Olympic g ymnast blush with shame, but I soon gained the upper hand and boated the hefty bronzeback.

"There you go," Jim said, smiling. "Your first Ouachita Mountains smallmouth. And it's a dandy."

Jim took the next smallmouth from shallows edging a long pool. Casting beside a treetop, he waltzed his jig-andpig through the bass refuge.

A subt le t appi ng t ele - graphed the brownie's strike. Jim's pole rainbowed when he set the hook. I watched excitedly as four pounds of smallmouth tailwalked across the Ouachita. Slugging it out to the finish, the copper-hued bass finally came to the boat. Jim released it, as I had done the first.

From many of Jim's selected targets, a sassy smallmouth raced out to wallop our offerings. By the time we canoed to our takeout point, we had caught 16 bronzebacks ranging from 3 to 5 pounds, and a host of smaller fish.

That day was a turning point for me. You see, prior to that time, it never occurred to me that a canoe offered special advantages over other crafts used for bass fishing. I learned, however, that some waters, like that little stretch of the Ouachita, can be properly fished no other way. A canoe provides access impossible in a bass boat or even a small johnboat. A canoe carries you over boulders and gravel bars larger craft couldn't navigate.A canoe lets you fish where other anglers rarely go.

There's a little cypress lake on Henr y Gray/Hurricane Lake Wildlife Management Area in east Arkansas I once only dreamed about fishing. I walked to it often while squirrel hunting and knew itprobably harbored abundant largemouths, if only because of its remoteness. The lake was a mile from the nearest road. It's doubtful many people ever fished there.

I took a friend one time, atthe end of a hunt.

"Would you look at that!" he exclaimed. "I bet there's bass in there long as your leg. We gotta come back and fish it."

"Maybe you haven't noticed," I said. "There aren't any roads coming in here, and there's no way to fish it from the bank."

"Then we'll bring my canoe," he said.

I didn't relish the thought of portaging a canoe a mile through the woods, but the prospect of fishing that little lake was too much to resist. The next day we did it, and to my surprise, carrying my buddy's canoe wasn't much worse than toting a big tackle box. In less than an hour, we traversed the woods and launched the canoe. And though we didn't catch any bass as long as our legs, the fishing was extraordinary. It wouldn't have mattered if it wasn't, though. The experience of fishing a scenic lake that probably hadn't been visited by another angler in decades was enough to make the effort worthwhile.

You can fish from a canoe on almost any type of water, of course. A pleasant experience can be had in a quiet cove on a large reservoir, or floating a popular stream in a national park. It's adventuresome forays into the back country, however - trips to the back of beyond where few anglers go - that make paddle bassing among the most memorable of all ways to pursue black bass.

The canoe carries you, your buddy and a surprising amount of gear, making it ideal for extended back country fishing excursions. You can carry some luxury items such as air mattresses and a roomy tent. Before you venture off, however, be properly prepared. If you rent a canoe, check its condition thoroughly. Call the outfitter's attention to anydamage before you accept it. Carry three paddles per canoe - one for you, one for your buddy and a spare. Have a life jacket for each person, and wear it or keep it properly secured in the canoe and readily accessible.

When you cast off, be sure your cargo and passengers are balanced from side to side and end to end according to weather and water conditions and the canoeists' and cargo's weight. Pack your clothes, bedding, etc. in waterproof float bags, and secure the bundles with shock cords to prevent shifting. W hen you stop to camp or fish, carry your canoe well up from the water's edge. Stow it upside down in an area out of the wind.

Pick your fishing gear carefully so you're not overloaded, but be sure to stow a spare rod and reel and extra lures in a safe place in case of mishaps. Many companies make great multipiece pack rod combos ideal for this kind of fishing.

Pick a time to travel when weather conditions are good,and then prepare yourself for the adventure of a lifetime. Paddle bassing seems like a lot of work at times, but almost invariably, the extra efforts prove worthwhile. No other form of bass fishing can better soothethe soul of a person weary of the modern world. Best of all,paddle bassing makes memories you'll always cherish.

CANOE WATERS FOR ARKANSAS BASS

The Natural State encompasses many scenic rivers and lakes where a canoe is the ideal craft for bass fishing, including these first-rate waters:

Upper Ouachita River. Smallmouth bass fishing is excellent in the Ouachita River above Lake Ouachita. Several good floats are available, one of the best being the 10-mile stretch from Oden to Rocky Shoals Campground. The put-in point is the Highway 379 bridge just south of Oden. The campground take-out is at the U.S. 270 crossing.

Henry Gray/Hurricane Lake WMA. Nestled at the juncture of the White and Little Red rivers in White County just east of Bald Knob, this 17,000-acre area serves up great largemouth bass fishing in more than a dozen oxbow lakes and along Glaise Creek and the two major rivers. A canoe provides the ideal means for fishing back country waters here rarely visited by anglers.

Saline River. Several stretches of this Ouachita Mountains stream offer good bass fishing, but the best for a one-day float is from Benton's Lyle Park (on Arkansas 5 at the north edge of town) to theInterstate 30 access (off the eastbound access road at Exit 116). The distance is only about three miles, but if you fish the pools thoroughly, it's a nice four- to five-hour trip with a short shuttle and you're likely to catch largemouths, smallmouths and spotted bass.

Strawberry River. The Strawberry in north-central Arkansas is a friendly river good for family fishing excursions. An excellent float is the 10-mile section between the U.S. 167 crossing north of Evening Shade (Sharp County) and the low-water bridge two miles north off Arkansas 56. This stretch has loads of smallmouths and bonus spotted bass, too.

Illinois Bayou. It's called a bayou, but there's nothing bayou-like about this stream. The three upper forks dish up some of the state's best whitewater action. The main stem of the river is much calmer, however, at least in the lower sections, and the seven-mile float from the Arkansas 27 bridge north of Hector to the Arkansas 164 bridge north of Scottsville (all in Pope County north of Russellville) is a great stretch to try for the river's abundant smallmouths.