Beaver Lake
Catfish are "going crazy" on the south end of Beaver Lake, reports Mike Whitehouse at Hickory Creek Marina.
A group of catfish anglers camped at Hickory Creek park have been catching good numbers of big flathead catfish. They're using small sunfish for bait. Catfish can also be caught with hot dogs soaked in strawberry Kool-Aid or with liver, Whitehouse said.
The best way to catch crappie is by spider rigging or trolling crank baits. Bandit crank baits are a popular brand, Whitehouse said.
Walleye are biting in the Rocky Branch area. Worms are the best bait, rigged on a bottom bouncer.
Aaron Jolliff at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers recommends fishing for black bass in the backs of creek arms with spinner baits. Try flipping tube baits, plastic worms or jig and pigs into flooded bushes anywhere on the lake.
Crappie can be caught with minnows or jigs as shallow as 3 feet or as deep as 25 feet, mostly in the midlake area. Try worms or crickets for bluegill.
Beaver tailwater
Natalie Howe at Beaver Dam Store said trout are biting Power Bait or worms.
The top lures are small jigs, small spoons or countdown Rapalas. Try fly fishing with nymphs or midges in low water. Use streamers in high water.
Lake Fayetteville
David Powell at the lake office said crappie fishing is good with minnows or jigs 6 feet deep. Black bass are biting jerk baits or plastic worms rigged on a shaky head. Use glow worms for catfish.
Lake Sequoyah
Mike Carver at the lake office said crappie are biting well on minnows or jigs fished close to shore. Black bass fishing is fair in shallow water with chartreuse spinner baits.
Try minnows or cut bait for catfish. Use small jigs or worms for bluegill.
Bella Vista
Nick Gann at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said the bluegill fishing is "on fire" at all the Bella Vista lakes. Use worms or crickets 2 to 10 feet deep.
Black bass fishing is good at all Bella Vista lakes with Senkos, finesse plastic worms and Ned rigs. Catfish are biting well on liver in the backs of coves.
Swepco Lake
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs recommends fishing for black bass with soft-plastic lures rigged Carolina style. Try top-water lures at dawn, dusk and cloudy days. Medium-diving crank baits may also work.
Eastern Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports fair crappie fishing at Lake Eucha with minnows or jigs. Largemouth bass action is slow. Try crank baits, jig and pigs or spinner baits.
At Grand Lake, crappie are biting well on minnows or jigs 14 feet deep around docks and structure. Catfish are biting well on shad on the main lake.
Table Rock Lake
Focused Fishing guide service reports good fishing for black bass with swim baits along flat gravel points. Most are smallmouth bass.
On calm days, try tube baits in green pumpkin color. Flip them around isolated bushes along ledge-rock banks. Go with a spinner bait around bushes on breezy days. The top-water bite is hit or miss.
Sports on 05/14/2019