RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — No visibility, no problem. At least, not with how well Lake Dardanelle has been fishing.
Even with a rough spring and “horrible conditions” – by Dardanelle’s standards – Arkie Division anglers fishing the June 14 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine event should have little problem catching limits, and good ones, at that.
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What to expect
Every fishery goes through cycles, and right now, Dardanelle is definitely in a good one.
“The lake has done nothing but improve for the last three or four years,” says local Sawyer Grace. “We’ve had some great spawns the last few years, and now we have so many 3- and 4-pounders. We’re seeing 5- and 6-pounders caught regularly, too, and everyone is catching limits.”
And that’s despite water conditions he’s said are just “horrible.” Like most the rest of the southeast, Dardanelle has seen significant rain and resulting muddy water of late. But considering Dardanelle is pretty murky even with great conditions, Grace says the fish are pretty used to it.
That said, finding some cleaner water could be key, as it may be scarce. On the flip side, something that hasn’t been hard to find lately is the shad spawn.
“The biggest shad spawn we’ve seen in years is happening right now,” Grace said. “I mean, it’s everywhere you go. Now, will it still be going come the event? It might be the tail end, but then the mayflies might start hatching.”
One last thing to consider is Dardanelle is one of the best sneaky fisheries where an angler can tuck away and have something all to themselves. If an angler finds one of those honey holes, they could get right in a hurry.
Baits to bring
Grace says this event will be a bank beater’s paradise, with covering water being a necessity.
“You have to cover a lot of water this time of year,” Grace said. “So, a BOOYAH Mobster swim jig or a BOOYAH Poppin’ Pad Crasher are both great for that.”
Grace also advised bringing plenty of your favorite flipping baits, as well as buzzbaits and vibrating jigs.
What will it take?
Considering he just won a local derby last weekend with 21 pounds, it’s not hard for Grace to predict a winning weight.
“I think somewhere between 21 and 23 pounds,” Grace said. “Someone will sack them up. Anyone decent at fishing shallow will have a shot.”
Sign up to Fish 4 Free!
This marks the fourth event of the season for the Arkie 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.