HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — After the season-opening event for the Arkie Division of the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine initially scheduled for Lake Ouachita was postponed, Arkie anglers will open competition Saturday on Lake Hamilton. There’s no concern about inclement weather this time. With highs reaching the upper 70s every day this week, the bass are moving shallow, and it should be an excellent time to be on the water.
There’s still time to sign up for the event. This year, the BFLs are offering an expanded slate of Regional events in 2025, which minimizes travel costs and provides anglers more chances to qualify for the 2026 All-American – which will take place on Lake Hamilton. Anglers are able to fish closer to home on familiar lakes, with a chance to take home a $50,000 Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard as a boater, and a new $20,000 cash award as a co-angler.
What to expect
While only about 7,200 acres, Lake Hamilton is a diverse fishery. It starts below Blakely Mountain Dam, which sends cold, clear water from Lake Ouachita into the fishery, then widens and sprawls until it ends at Carpenter Dam.
Between the two dams, Hamilton offers ample offshore and shallow bass habitat, from boat docks and submerged vegetation to brushpiles and offshore humps. Bass Pro Tour angler Spencer Shuffield, who lives on the lake and fishes there regularly, thinks just about all of that could be in play during this event.
In Hamilton’s clear waters, there’s always bass to be caught relating to bait offshore. However, Shuffield thinks this event will be won fairly shallow due both to the recent warming trend and the fact that the lake level has been steadily rising from its annual winter drawdown. It should be back near full pool by derby day.
“The fish, they’ve made a big move,” Shuffield said. “Of course, there’s always a lot of shallow fish on Hamilton, but what I’ve noticed is all the fish that are always usually out on the bait – the fish you can catch on A-rigs and Damikis – they weren’t out there. Or, at least the couple of places I checked yesterday that I usually catch them on, they weren’t there. Seemed like they’ve all kind of moved up toward shallower brush and on boat docks.”
Shuffield predicted this event will be won in 15 feet of water or less, most likely in the area near takeoff at Hulsey Hatchery Access. That doesn’t exactly narrow down the winning pattern, though. He can envision anglers finding success winding lipless crankbaits or vibrating jigs through grass, throwing crankbaits, jerkbaits and jigs around brushpiles or skipping big swimbaits around boat docks. He isn’t totally discounting Alabama rigs and jighead minnows offshore, either.
“It could be won throwing a ‘Trap or a ChatterBait or a jerkbait over some of the places that’s got a little grass on it,” Shuffield said. “But more than likely, the fish will be caught around brush or by somebody covering a lot of water shallow with like a Megabass Magdraft, Berkley CullShad, something of that nature. Or an Alabama rig; an Alabama rig could play big.”
Whoever does manage to find the winning fish will likely need at least one big bite. While the average size on Hamilton might not compare to, say, Lake Murray, Shuffield said it’s not unheard of to see 10-pounders caught at this time of year. In fact, a recent local tournament took 26 pounds to win, and a near-12-pounder hit the scales.
Ultimately, Shuffield thinks it’ll take about 18 pounds to take home the trophy, but that number could be higher if an angler finds a group of big ones. He guaranteed that the Berkley Big Bass will weigh more than 6 pounds.
“Just because the fish are in such a big transition with the water coming up and all of this warm weather we’re getting, I’m going to say it won’t take more than 18, 19 pounds,” Shuffield said. “But, it could potentially take as high as 23-plus. Because it’s got them in it. It’s definitely got the fish to put a mid-20-pound bag out.”