GREERS FERRY, Ark. — The Arkie Division of the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine continues the season on Greers Ferry after two events at Hamilton and Ouachita to get the year rolling. In the midst of a very damp spring, the anglers will have to deal with flooded conditions at Greers.
This year, BFL anglers benefit from an expanded slate of Regionals, which minimizes travel costs and provides more opportunities to qualify for the $120,000 BFL All-American while fishing familiar, closer-to-home waters. Click here to find out more.
What to expect
Perhaps the main thing to expect at Greers is a lot of water, as the lake is currently about 9 feet above full pool, and there could be more rain on the way.
“It’s one of those lakes that naturally has flooded buck brush, you know, quite a bit of it,” said Matt Wood, who currently sits second in Fishing Clash Angler of the Year in the Arkie Division. “But when it’s that high, you’re going to be fishing flooded trees, not buck brush anymore.”
A lake with lots of rock and some steeper banks as well, it should be possible to catch fish that aren’t in the jungle, but you can bet on there being plenty of flooded cover to fish. How muddy the lake is by tournament time could be a key factor, and everyone is on standby to see how smallmouth play.
“That lake has a lot of smallmouth in it, and they’ve been a factor, but never you know,” Brown said. “Sometimes they play a factor and sometimes, you know, it may not help you at all. This year, there are multiple tournaments being won on nothing but smallmouth. And I don’t know what the trick is on that, but anybody who knows that secret or knows where to catch those larger smallmouth is definitely going to have an upper hand.
“But that lake does not have grass, and lakes like that struggle to clear up quicker,” Wood said. “So, if you get super muddy water, smallmouth don’t like muddy water typically. I don’t know how much smallmouth will play a factor if it is, you know, 75% muddy.”
Baits to bring
For high water fishing, staples like a spinnerbait or a flipping jig are hard to beat. Plus, considering the season, there could be a shad spawn in play, and a white swim jig or vibrating jig could be a good bet as well.
Last year, Justin Swayze won the Greers BFL with a Biffle Bug, and in 2022, Josh Ray won the Greers BFL with a shaky head. Given the amount of rock in the lake, a jerkbait or crankbait could be a good bet for fish that aren’t in the woods.
What will it take?
Historically, Greers isn’t a big weight lake – 14 pounds will give you a shot to win. Considering the higher water and spread out fish, that weight total could tick down a little lower for this one, but plenty of fish are still highly likely – keepers are rarely a problem at Greers.
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Every Phoenix Bass Fishing League angler fishing the fourth event in each division will receive an Abu Garcia gift pack valued at $230 for boaters and $180 for co-anglers – a value that exceeds the entry fee. It’s like Fishing 4 FREE! Plus, participants will receive a code for 25% off an order at AbuGarcia.com. Sign up today at MajorLeagueFishing.com or call 270-252-1000 to take advantage of this incredible offer. Anglers will receive their gift box at the event.