Hello All! Yep, September is upon us! Greers Ferry in the fall is
one of the very best places in the world to spend some cool mornings
on the water chasing fish and taking in everything mother nature has
to offer. After brutal temperatures this summer we have cooled off
quickly and the season of change is upon us. September will offer
good to great action on most every species that swims here. Early
migrations of teal are already showing up and it seems we are in for a
moderate to cool, early fa,ll as we are now seeing below average
temperatures. Water levels are currently 7 feet below conservation
pool, with any amount of significant rain look for runoff location's
to harbor loads of bait and game fish of all kinds.
Junk fishing will rain supreme this month when pursuing our
largemouth, small mouth and spotted bass. At some point this month I
will have 12 rods on the deck of my boat and utilize every single one
of them throughout the day. Now, I'm not saying you have to fish this
way to be successful. I am, however stating you should be prepared
for an array of situations and be prepared to fish "current"
condition's in an instant. I will keep a top water walking bait, a
large swim bait, a small swim bait, a spoon and a fluke ready to grab
the instant things change and favor presents itself. In doing this
I'm prepared for any actively feeding fish I see with my eyes or my
electronics. September can be an awesome time to absolutely load the
boat with fish becoming more active with the cooling temperatures and
fall condition's becoming more prevalent.
The fall frenzy action with the white bass and hybrids should
progressively get better as the water temperatures fall into the mid
to lower 70's this month. With the most oxygenated water being above
32 feet right now look for this depth and higher in the column when
searching for the temperate bass. The mouth's of most creeks and
tributaries will harbor large amounts of bait fish along with these
white bass and hybrids. As always my first choice will be the Cindy K
spinner followed by a 3/4 oz. spoon. This will be my first fall
having the Alabama Rig in my arsenal for these temperate bass and
suspect it's going to be a killer tool in catching large numbers of
these fish while on the water.
As more and more of our bait fish population's move shallower in an
attempt to spawn look for our walleyes to follow them to the shallows.
Jerkbaits, Swimbaits and minnow imitating baits will produce. Live
bait option's are also a possibility as long as you are presenting
them in areas occupying active fish. Some of the smaller spawning
flats on the main lake and in the creek arms will be a good place to
locate schools of feeding walleyes. Main lake points with brush and
drops hold fish year round but concentrations should improve as bait
fish pass through on there migration to current and spawning
locations.
September is an awesome time to enjoy Greers Ferry. The bite on most
all species will be good and should become more and more consistent as
water surface temperatures fall and the amount of daylight becomes
shorter. Now is the time to throw everything in the box that
resembles a bait fish or forage specie. Covering lot's of water to
find large schools of fish will pay off this month. Don't stop moving
until you find evidence of forage and game fish. Prime location's
will continue to load up this month and can last until mid December
when fish start to slide out to more stable water. Start considering
mid day to early afternoon periods for some of the best feeding
activity.
--
Cody S. Smith
(501)691-5701
www.fishgreersferry.com
Friday, August 31, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Greers Ferry Fishing Report
Greers Ferry is currently at 456 ft and falling slightly due to daily
small release from the coe. The bite on most all species is still
sporadic with moderate success on recent trips. The dock bite is
picking up and is really one of the more consistent patterns we have
here right now. Drop Shot and Spoons are the way to go for these
fish. The deeper ledge bite is so hit or miss. Drops from 22 out to
35 feet are holding some schools of Ky's and small mouth but there
really not feeding aggressively. A slow drag with most soft plastics
will produce but you have to really soak it in order to get a bite.
The walleye bite has been dreadfully slow but should pick up towards
the end of the month. I look for the last week or so of the month for
the fishing to progressively get better into the fall.
small release from the coe. The bite on most all species is still
sporadic with moderate success on recent trips. The dock bite is
picking up and is really one of the more consistent patterns we have
here right now. Drop Shot and Spoons are the way to go for these
fish. The deeper ledge bite is so hit or miss. Drops from 22 out to
35 feet are holding some schools of Ky's and small mouth but there
really not feeding aggressively. A slow drag with most soft plastics
will produce but you have to really soak it in order to get a bite.
The walleye bite has been dreadfully slow but should pick up towards
the end of the month. I look for the last week or so of the month for
the fishing to progressively get better into the fall.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
August Forecast
Back to School time already??? Oh, I mean Fish not Kids! As the end
of the summer nears and our average daily temperatures start to slowly
retreat, look for the fishing to respond in a positive way. As our
water temperatures peak towards the middle of August we will see very
small windows of actively feeding fish throughout the day, timing is
key to boating higher numbers of fish during this month. As August
lingers on we will see all of our shad spawns from the spring and
early summer become larger in size and fish become less finicky for
larger offerings, as our natural forage will start to more closely
resemble our artificial choices of baits available. On with the
Forecast...
Let's start with what's hot, Big Ole Bull Bluegills in the 7" - 10"
range! If I had to choose one word to describe them it would be,
DELICIOUS! These fish are fun to catch and offer really good action
here on Greers Ferry while some of other species are not willing to
cooperate. Depths from 8 to 18 feet will harbor these fish in decent
numbers. Look at main lake points, humps and secondary gravel points
to hold some of the larger gills. Cover does not really seem to
matter although a nearby brush pile is always a plus! I like a whole
or half night crawler rigged on a drop shot for the deeper fish. While
crickets with a slip cork would be my number one bait for the
shallower fish holding in the 8 to 12 foot range. I have also had
some good success on the Lake Fork Tackle "Live Baby Shad" in these
same areas. The only problem with the "Live" Baby Shad is you are
likely to catch those pesky crappies and kentucky's while your Bream
Fishin! Check out Anglers Depot in Heber Springs for an awesome
selection of both Live and Artificial Baits and Lures. They open
early (6am) and stay late (7pm) just for us fisherman!
As August progresses towards the latter half of the month I expect to
see a big increase in actively surfacing fish in the morning, mid day
and evening hours. Largemouth Bass and Kentucky's along with our
White's and Hybrid Striper's will start to feed more towards the end
of this month as our day light hours get shorter. These fish will be
keying in and feeding on our shad forage here in the reservoir. Top
water walking baits, Spoons, Smitty's (modified) Alabama Rig and a
drop shot will all be great choices this month. When looking for
these fish consider deep flats with a shallow lip, bluff ends into
shallow drains, and the mouths of most major creeks on the reservoir.
If you choose to fish our tributaries this month concentrate on
channel swing locations into small flats or pockets along with bluffs
that have a shallower ledge to hold the highest concentrations of bait
and game fish.
Our Crappies are starting to slide out from primary ledges off of
spawning areas to the deeper portions of the creeks scattering a bit
through the timber. Long Lining Crank baits through these schools
will produce. While fishing with this method I prefer a Bandit 300
long lined at 120 feet back on 8lb. Fluorocarbon. This puts my bait
at 18 fow when trolled between .7 to 1.2 mph. This will work just
about anytime here on Greers Ferry but let current conditions dictate
what colors and sizes to choose. August is a great time to beat the
heat and long line some crank baits while searching for an active
school of fish. I've caught everything that swims in Greers Ferry
while utilizing this method and it sure beats sitting on the couch!
Right now most of our game fish are gobbling up piles of small 3/4
inch shad that are plentiful in the reservoir. August can be feast or
famine, it really all depends on location and timing. As a
professional fishing guide and angling teacher I find myself fighting
the timeline more so than the fish most of the time. Fish are on
their own schedule and some times they just don't want to eat when you
want them too! This is what keeps me going back, I always feel like
we are going to catch them better than we did the day before. If you
have any question's about this forecast or would like to book your
trip with Fish Greers Ferry please call me at (501) 691-5701 or email
me at fishgreersferry@gmail.com Check out fishgreersferry on Face Book
or the web at www.fishgreersferry.com
--
of the summer nears and our average daily temperatures start to slowly
retreat, look for the fishing to respond in a positive way. As our
water temperatures peak towards the middle of August we will see very
small windows of actively feeding fish throughout the day, timing is
key to boating higher numbers of fish during this month. As August
lingers on we will see all of our shad spawns from the spring and
early summer become larger in size and fish become less finicky for
larger offerings, as our natural forage will start to more closely
resemble our artificial choices of baits available. On with the
Forecast...
Let's start with what's hot, Big Ole Bull Bluegills in the 7" - 10"
range! If I had to choose one word to describe them it would be,
DELICIOUS! These fish are fun to catch and offer really good action
here on Greers Ferry while some of other species are not willing to
cooperate. Depths from 8 to 18 feet will harbor these fish in decent
numbers. Look at main lake points, humps and secondary gravel points
to hold some of the larger gills. Cover does not really seem to
matter although a nearby brush pile is always a plus! I like a whole
or half night crawler rigged on a drop shot for the deeper fish. While
crickets with a slip cork would be my number one bait for the
shallower fish holding in the 8 to 12 foot range. I have also had
some good success on the Lake Fork Tackle "Live Baby Shad" in these
same areas. The only problem with the "Live" Baby Shad is you are
likely to catch those pesky crappies and kentucky's while your Bream
Fishin! Check out Anglers Depot in Heber Springs for an awesome
selection of both Live and Artificial Baits and Lures. They open
early (6am) and stay late (7pm) just for us fisherman!
As August progresses towards the latter half of the month I expect to
see a big increase in actively surfacing fish in the morning, mid day
and evening hours. Largemouth Bass and Kentucky's along with our
White's and Hybrid Striper's will start to feed more towards the end
of this month as our day light hours get shorter. These fish will be
keying in and feeding on our shad forage here in the reservoir. Top
water walking baits, Spoons, Smitty's (modified) Alabama Rig and a
drop shot will all be great choices this month. When looking for
these fish consider deep flats with a shallow lip, bluff ends into
shallow drains, and the mouths of most major creeks on the reservoir.
If you choose to fish our tributaries this month concentrate on
channel swing locations into small flats or pockets along with bluffs
that have a shallower ledge to hold the highest concentrations of bait
and game fish.
Our Crappies are starting to slide out from primary ledges off of
spawning areas to the deeper portions of the creeks scattering a bit
through the timber. Long Lining Crank baits through these schools
will produce. While fishing with this method I prefer a Bandit 300
long lined at 120 feet back on 8lb. Fluorocarbon. This puts my bait
at 18 fow when trolled between .7 to 1.2 mph. This will work just
about anytime here on Greers Ferry but let current conditions dictate
what colors and sizes to choose. August is a great time to beat the
heat and long line some crank baits while searching for an active
school of fish. I've caught everything that swims in Greers Ferry
while utilizing this method and it sure beats sitting on the couch!
Right now most of our game fish are gobbling up piles of small 3/4
inch shad that are plentiful in the reservoir. August can be feast or
famine, it really all depends on location and timing. As a
professional fishing guide and angling teacher I find myself fighting
the timeline more so than the fish most of the time. Fish are on
their own schedule and some times they just don't want to eat when you
want them too! This is what keeps me going back, I always feel like
we are going to catch them better than we did the day before. If you
have any question's about this forecast or would like to book your
trip with Fish Greers Ferry please call me at (501) 691-5701 or email
me at fishgreersferry@gmail.com Check out fishgreersferry on Face Book
or the web at www.fishgreersferry.com
--
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