Catfish are slow some are being caught oh live in the hickory creek area

Crappie are bighting minnows and jigs tipped with minnows 20 to 30 feet deep

Stripers ARE VERY GOOD RIGHT NOW in prairie creek 10 to 40 feet deep on live shiners and spoons there are a good number up in war eagle creek from 5 to 15 feet deep on live shiners also try free lines and balloons and in prairie creek on balloons and down lines

Largemouth Bass are bighting good with spinner baits and jigs from point 8 to war eagle

White Bass No Report

April 11, 2005

The big story this last week was the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour pros competing against Mother Nature. As the tournament kicked off on Wednesday the pros found the following conditions. Lake level was at or close to normal pool, as of Sunday morning we are at 654.25. The lake temperature was around 53 degrees, which rose to 57 degrees by the weekend and the walleye were right in the middle of their spawn and post spawn phase. Tough conditions ? – You bet.

We will give you the results of the tournament later in the report.

Crappie moved out over deep water in the cuts and coves – for what reason no one knows. Bobby Garland swimming minnows and live crappie minnows are working the best. Look for the crappie to swim to the banks and go into pre-spawn this week. White Bass are finally becoming active in the back of the creeks. They are not in full spawn yet but should be by the end of the week. A number of shad baits are already triggering some nice whites. Rapala Countdowns, small spoons, roadrunners, rooster tails and white grubs are just a few baits working well.

Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and Kentucky bass are migrating to the back of the creeks and main lake pockets like a swarm of bees. We have already seen a few false beds being made by largemouth and Kentuckys in the back of a few coves. 

Largemouth bass are now keying in on crawdads that have come out of hibernation. Use crankbaits, spinnerbaits and Spider Jigs fished around secondary points, watersheds and at the back of the cuts or coves. 

Smallmouth bass are moving to pea rock banks where there are ledges present. They will start spawning in the 58 to 59 degree temperature range. Fish in 10 feet to 20 feet of water with tubes, Spider Jigs, trick worms and centipedes on a Mojo rig. 

Kentucky bass are feeding on shad that are in the back of the creeks and also roaming the banks for crawdads. Wiggle Warts and Bandit crankbaits are a good bet along with Spider Jigs and Lucky Craft Pointer 78DD’s. Work transition banks for the best results.

The PWT tournament will be at Bull Shoals May 11 through the 13th. The PWT will once again operate from Bull Shoals Boat Dock and the weigh ins will be held every day at the dock. Come to the weigh-ins all three days.

Walleye are in full spawn and will be in post spawn for a few days yet. The FLW pros had to focus on the males that had spawned out and roaming the banks. Jerk baits were the key to their success; Lucky Craft Pointer 78DD’s, Suspending Rogues, Rapala X-Raps and Husky Jerks were the winning baits. By next week everyone should be able to catch walleye as the post spawn will be coming to an end and the feeding frenzy will turn on. Congratulations to Nick Johnson of Elmwood, WI who won the FLW Walleye Tournament with 20 pounds and Co-Angler William Brewer of Omaha, NE with 18 pounds, 12 ounces.

Lake Rating: Walleye are not feeding and are in post spawn. Largemouth, smallmouth and Kentuckys are putting on the feed bag before they stage for spawning, crappie are headed towards the shallows and White bass are in the position to spawn. This week we will rate the bite between good to excellent – it’s a spring thing!

Fishing for trout on the White River has been good this past week. When there is not much generation, Berkley Power Eggs in yellow, chartreuse and pink have done well. With generation the Little Cleo’s, Blue Fox and Krocodiles are the bait of choice. The fly fisherman has done well on small chrome domes, Olive Woolly Bugger, and scuds. The Brown trout are being caught on Countdowns, Shad Raps, Suspending Rogues and nightcrawlers.

Remember to keep only what you can eat and release the rest for another day. Rick Culver of Wilderness Trail does the research for this report and the writing of this report.

}><(((º> Millwood Lake Fishing Report 4/10/05 <º)))><{

A gorgeous & healthy 11.5 pound Largemouth was caught and quickly released in 2 feet of water, around Red Slough this week on a War Eagle spinnerbait in Firecracker color!

Largemouth Bass are excellent on red & orange chrome, or smokey joe Rat-L-Traps, soft plastic 5" Bass Assassin jerk baits, buzz baits, brush hogs, lizards and spinnerbaits. Jigs continue to improve, as the bass roam shallow flats and creek channels, many noted on the beds. We are seeing many bass on the beds, nesting males, and females, in the nearest drop of approx 2-4 feet depths, from Cottenshed to Paraloma and pockets along the west end, and south to Millwood State Park, all along the south Hickory Creek pockets. In addition, Black bass remain good on Carolina rigs with Zoom lizards in green pumpkin or pumpkinseed and Lake Fork Fries in watermelon red along Little River. Several good bass over 5 pounds, have been caught on Bass Assassins in the last few days. Some Largemouth Bass remain in a pre-spawn pattern with the water still warming up.

Various Zoom Lizards and Brush Hogs are working very well on Millwood. Best working colors in the last week include: cinnamon-raisin, black and blue, blackberry, scumpernong, cotton candy; all are catching nice bass from 3-6 pounds each. Carolina rigs along the river around stumps in 9-12 feet, seem to be working better in the last week. Crankbaits and Rat-L-Traps are working equally in these same areas, around hydrilla, coontail, and stumps.

The larger female bass have began moving to the beds, In the last 2-3 weeks, with daytime highs in the upper 60º and mid 70º range, this has allowed the surface temps to rise up to 20 full degrees compared to 4 weeks ago, and the bass are relating to the warmer water by becoming much more aggressive, and moving up to more shallow areas, chasing baitfish. Just 4 weeks ago, water temps ran in upper 40ºs. Over the last 2-3 weeks, the surface temperatures have risen to mid and upper 60º range during the heat of the day. We are seeing male and female bass up to 6-9 pounds on beds on areas all around Millwood in the last week, and still catching pre-spawn females on the Rat-L-Traps and Carolina rigs just out in the next deeper water drops, not yet on beds.

Crappie and Bream also continue to transition to spawning areas, with some beginning to prepare beds, other Crappie are on beds in shallow flats close to cypress trees and laydowns. We noted an additional improvement in the Crappie bite just a week ago, since water began clearing, and with the increase in surface temps, the Crappie are beginning the annual spawn. Nice slab catches have been taken on live shiners and jigs in last few weeks, in 2-5 feet depths along Little River and its oxbows.

Longnose or Spotted Gar have been noted cruising in shallow water areas of 1-3 feet, in back of Horseshoe Lake, McGuire, Mud Lake, Little River flats next to Hurricane Creek, and other oxbows of Little River in the last week. Several up to 8 or 12 pounds each, have been noted extremely shallow, considering spawning activities. This is an excellent time for bow fishermen to take some nice size Gar OUT of Millwood!!!

White Bass or Hybrids continue their annual spawning run up Little River, and have been caught in the last few days around mouth of Cossotot River, on points extending into Little River, bar pits, and further up toward Patterson Shoal areas. These White Bass and Hybrids up to 3 and 4 pounds each, are hitting Little Cleos, Little Georges, Rooster Tails, Chuck-N-Spins, & Tiny Trap Rat-L-Traps (1/8oz), all in chrome/blue or silver/white color patterns. Excellent time to take a kid fishing for the whites! Catches of 50-60 per day, 2 whites at one time, on a single lure, with several more chasing the lure, are not uncommon!

}><(((º> Millwood Lake & River Conditions Report <º)))><{

Use EXTREME caution while navigating Little River in low light conditions, and SLOW DOWN! Careful watch for floaters and debris in Little River's current, and wearing your PFD is a requirement!!

For those fishing the river and below the spillway, as of Monday, April 10, the lake level has risen from the last week. Currently, the lake is approx 8.76 inches above normal conservation pool, with stain improving, still muddy in main lake areas such as Saline River inflow, Paraloma Pockets, etc., due to high winds and rains. Areas around Cottenshed or Saline River, are muddy, and current is increased. The lake elevation is 259.93, and falling. Water clarity in the river is approx 6-9". Clarity is much worse on the main lake. North eastern sector of the lake around OK Landing and Mine Creek remains muddy, as well as in the Saline River. Creeks and sloughs of Little River are beginning to clear with increase in current release and with the lake falling back to normal pool.

The upriver oxbows such as McGuire, Horseshoe, Mud Lake, Cemetery Slough, etc, away from the current in Little River still have much better water visibility, estimated at approx 2-4 feet in places. Water temperatures have increased in the last 2 weeks due to unseasonably warmer ambient temperatures, and range approx 59ºF early to 67ºF later in the day, depending on area of the lake, wind and sunlight penetrations.

Per conversations with the USA Corps of Engineers over the past few weeks, the US Army Corps of Engineers operating Millwood Lake completed installing 22 buoys on Little River between mile marker #1 (open water) and #16 (White Cliffs) effective March 2. Additionally, USACE installed were 16 buoys between Jack's Isle and White Cliffs and 6 from Paraloma Trail to open water. Thursday and Friday plan to GIS the Little River channel buoys, remove old buoys from the river bank and those that have drifted into sloughs, bushes, etc.... per email from the Millwood USACE office, and through the USACE work on Millwood, it is very obvious & evident, that "We are committed to improving water safety for the boating public".

Millwood Guide Service and all the Millwood anglers, would like to take this opportunity to thank the US Army Corps of Engineers for their dedication to continual improvement in the navigability and maintenance of Millwood Lake, continually fighting mother nature and the rising and falling level due to influx of run off from area lakes and rivers, and rain.

Don't forget, be safe, and respect the other guy's right to use the lake too. Release those big bass to spawn and fight again, and take home those little 16"ers to fry up! Use caution in low light conditions, wear your Life Preserver and SUNSCREEN! If you are suddenly thrown from your boat, or knocked unconscious, this time of year, hypothermia can set in as little as 5 minutes in 60º water, and your life preserver can potentially be your only hope to survive, so PUT IT ON!