MUSKOGEE, Okla. — The Okie Division of the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine will take on the Arkansas River for its fourth event of the season on June 21.
The river is always a shallow-water, power fishing paradise, and recent flooding should make that more true than ever. Anglers could sack up big weights out of skinny water – if they can find the honey holes amid so much flooded cover.
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
It’s been an unusually wet spring and start to summer in Oklahoma, and as a result, the lakes that flow into the Arkansas River have been discharging high volumes of water. According to Oklahoma native Shonn Goodwin, that has the river high and muddy – even compared to its normal off-color standards.
While those conditions will change the complexion of the river, they’re not necessarily bad for the bite. Goodwin said high water makes it harder to find groups of fish, as they have more cover than normal at their disposal. However, if a competitor can find a sweet spot, he or she could get right in a hurry.
“They’ll group up behind specific current breaks, and if you can find that right current break or that right group of fish, that will be the key to win,” Goodwin said. “And when you find them, you’ll be able to stay right there with them.”
In addition to current breaks, another potential place an angler could find the mother lode is in one of the many backwater ponds and hard-to-reach areas on the river, as the high water could make them accessible.”
“You’re able to get back in some areas that are usually not accessible,” he said. “You’re reaching fish that haven’t seen a lure in a long time. So that can be very helpful.”
Regardless of the water level, it’s no mystery what type of habitat anglers will be targeting. Goodwin said the bass in the Arkansas River live shallow year round, and with the water being dirtier than usual, they should be tight to hard cover, be it rocks, timber or whatever else anglers can find.
“It’s always a shallow cover deal,” Goodwin said. “The fish live shallow there.”
Baits to bring
This event should be all about power fishing. Look for Oklahoma staples like spinnerbaits, squarebills and flipping baits to get lots of use. Goodwin said swim jigs and topwaters could play as well.
What will it take?
Goodwin said the river has been kicking out impressive weights in recent years – even in weeknight events, it took 18 to 20 pounds to win for most of the spring. Lately, those numbers have dipped a bit, but Goodwin thinks the bite could get better as the bass get more accustomed to the high-water conditions. He predicted the winner will weigh somewhere between 17 and 20 pounds.
Sign up to Fish 4 Free!
This marks the fourth event of the season for the Okie Division, which is significant because every Phoenix Bass Fishing League angler fishing the fourth event in each division this season 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. Click here to sign up for the Abu Garcia Fishing 4 Free promotion, or call 270-252-1000 to take advantage of this offer. Anglers will receive their gift pack at the event.