Duo tops at Castmasters
Dale Marsh and Jeff Cook won the NWA Castmasters bass tournament held Aug. 1 at Beaver Lake. Their five bass weighed 14.65 pounds. They also had big bass at 4.56 pounds.
Bill Ramsey and Justin Hoffman were second with five bass at 13.44 pounds. Ronnie Eldridge and Wes Usrey placed third with five bass at 11.17 pounds.
Fourth through 10th, all with five bass, were: fourth, Jonathan Best and James Leslie, 10.81; fifth, Dan Hudson, Brian Simco, 10.42; sixth, Ron Bates, Scotty Villines, 9.66; seventh, Allen Westfall, Jeff Swaffar, 9.54; eighth, Darren Clay, Levi Clay, 9.51; ninth, Ron Sowell, Wes Sowell, 9.28; 10th, Hunter Jordan, Hayden Kendall, 8.74.
Work tests Illinois River bass
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists will be electrofishing on the Illinois River in Benton County over the next two weeks to study the river's black bass population.
The bass population was last studied in 2014, said Jon Stein, district fisheries supervisor with Game and Fish. That research showed the stream had a good population of the three black bass species: largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. Spotted bass numbers were particularly impressive, Stein said.
The study turned up about 20 black bass per hour of electrofishing, including fish up to 3 pounds. Some 15% of the fish were 14 inches or longer, Stein said.
Florida bass stocked
Around 2 million Florida largemouth bass fingerlings have been stocked by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in lakes and rivers in the southern half of Arkansas so far this year.
The Florida strain of largemouth bass is known for fast growth and large size. The strain requires warmer water than the northern strain largemouth's found in most north Arkansas lakes. Both strains spawn naturally in Arkansas lakes.
Lake Conway received 105 adult Florida bass. Waterways stocked with Florida fingerlings include Arkansas River Pool 2. Lakes Chicot, Columbia, Erling, Millwood and Horseshoe are among the lakes stocked
Bow shoots canceled
Cherokee Bowhunters have canceled their remaining 3-D archery shoots for the season. Shoots will resume in 2021 at the Fort Crowder archery range southeast of Neosho, Mo.
Veterans waterfowl hunt set
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in June unanimously approved the addition of a veterans and active military duty waterfowl hunt. Veterans and active military members may hunt waterfowl on Dec. 5 and Feb. 6, 2021, in addition to the regular waterfowl hunting season.
These are the same dates as the statewide youth waterfowl hunting dates.