FISHING REPORT

Texas EDITOR’S NOTE: Special regulations are in Caddo, effect Lake for boaters O’ The and Pines, anglers and on Wright this Patman Lakes. Visit tpwd.state.tx.us/fishingregulations for more information.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water lightly stained; 79–84 degrees; 7.50’ high. Black bass are good on topwaters and hollow body frogs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on rod and reel.

BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 79–83 degrees; 0.75’ low. Black bass are good on topwaters and swim jigs near shallow cover. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on slabs and topwaters. Catfish are good on trotlines.

CADDO: Water stained; 80–84 degrees; 0.80’ high. Black bass are good on Texas rig Sweet Beavers in black/blue. White and yellow bass are fair on topwaters and slabs. Catfish are good on trotlines.

FORK: Water clear; 78–83 degrees; 3.09’ low. Black bass are good on football jigs. DD22s and Carolina rigged soft plastics. Hollow body frogs around vegetation near deeper water catching good numbers. White and yellow bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs near bridges. Catfish are good on trotlines and cut shad.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 79–83; degrees; 2.44’ high. Black bass are good on Texas rigged creature baits and topwater poppers near grass. Crappie are good on tube jigs. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 79–84 degrees; 0.16’ high. Black bass are good on Texas rigged green pumpkin Sweet Beavers and hollow body frogs near shallow cover. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

COOPER: Water clear; 79–83 degrees; 7.12’ low. Black bass are good on shallow crankbaits and Texas rigs worms. Crappie are fair on jigs. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. Catfish are good on trotlines and chicken liver.

FAIRFIELD: Fishing has been slow since the fish kill in September of 2010. TPWD has discontinued stocking the lake after another kill in early September 2011. Redfish and black bass survived the kill in limited numbers.

Arkansas

MILLWOOD LAKE: The lake level is 8 inches above normal conservation pool and rising. There is increased current of Little River with the gates releasing around 2,354 CFS. Surface temperatures range from 70 to 80 degrees. Continue to use caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, watching for floating debris and limbs from all the recent high wind and thunderstorms. Clarity and visibility is reduced compared to last week, most areas on main lake and Little River. Clarity ranges from 3 to 5 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake remains heavy stained to muddy. Little River’s visibility ranges 5-6 inches depending on location and current. Over the past week, largemouth bass have been biting well on topwaters early and late in pads and other shallow vegetation. Ken Pops, Cordell Crazy Shads, Baby Torpedoes, various frogs, and buzzbaits are the best bets. Find clearer water away from current in Little River. Bass Assassin Shads also continue working around vegetation, and crankbaits are better around deeper drops into the creek channels. Magnum sized, 4-inch salty tubes in pumpkinseed, black/blue tail, or bleeding shad colors were working last week. Rat-L-Traps in Millwood Magic, Sunrise Perch, or Chrome Black Zombie were working in the oxbows as far from the river current as possible around 4- to 8-foot flats near creek channel swings. White bass were found and caught on jigging spoons behind primary points in the river, just out of the current. No report of a consistent pattern on crappie. Blue and channel catfish continue biting well in the current in Little River on trotlines set 10-12 feet deep in creek mouths and outer bends of the river. The best trotline baits are cut shad, chicken livers and stink bait balls. Yo-yos were taking some 2-4 pound blues in Mud Lake oxbow up Little River using live shiners last week under cypress trees in 8-12 feet depths.

DEGRAY LAKE: The surface water temperature is in the upper 70s and the lake is clear throughout. Not much to report this week because very few fishing in the stormy wet weather. Recent rains have brought the lake well above full pool and the bass are now in the flooded shoreline brush. Good lures for this type of fishing include square-billed crankbaits, floating worms, spinnerbaits and buzz baits. Best colors are natural shad in clear water and something in chartreuse when the water is discolored. During the bright part of the day, try a Texas- or Carolina-rigged worm or lizard off the same points but deeper at 10 to 15 feet. Look for fish between Arlie Moore and Shouse Ford. Crappies are still a no show with nothing to report. Hybrids are scattered with no schooling activity. There are fish suspended at 30 to 35 feet in deep water in the DeRoche Ridge area but they are mostly single fish and very difficult to catch. The deep water pattern should pick up toward the end of June. Still plenty of white bass in the upper end around points 14 and 15. Look for breaking fish around sundown and throw small topwater plugs, Roostertails, small swim baits and 1/4ounce spoons. Bream fishing is good most anywhere there is cover in shallow water and coves. Use crickets for bluegills and redworms for shellcrackers. A few catfish were caught on trotlines set across points in 20 to 30 feet of water. Set the lines at night and bait with nightcrawlers, cut shad, Catfish Charlie, blood bait, hot dogs or chicken livers. Try Brushy Creek or the big flat at Point 10.