Go where the water flows. Here is a little fishing hole most have never seen. It’s just a small opening about 100 yards downriver from the Houseman Access launch on the tailwaters. I have caught about every type of fish in the river from this little hole as people watch from Blue Spring. Just another amazing sight our Ozarks offer.
Seems everybody who is still enjoying getting a line wet is catching fish. Limits of stripers are being caught from Point 12 to the Hwy. 12 bridge area in Beaver Lake near Rogers, along with the dam area to Point 4 on our end of the lake.
I used to do real well on this end of the lake in the winter months with what we called residential fish, ones that don’t go upriver. The thing is, they can be harder to find since the gulls have found that the dump in Fayetteville is easy pickings for food. If you aren’t catching, just look for the birds.
We do seem to have a lot of surface activity going on this year at sunrise and sunset, which you can see just crossing the dam. As for me, I’m rubbing my phone like a genie lamp waiting for it to ring. If it doesn’t I will try to make a run up the river on my own because that’s where lots of big bait swim.
As for here at the Island, it’s crappie and walleye time with water temps still in the low 50s. Both can be caught on a jig and minnow worked slow, near brush for the crappie and near the bottom for the walleye. Don’t be surprised if you also catch your limit of spotted bass, along with a trout or two, for they’re enjoying this cool water.
If you don’t like the cold, remember the water is warmer. Or wait for the sun to rise. And take a kid with you.
Johnson Guide Service www.fishofexcellence.com (479) 253-2258