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Hotels in the Millwood Lake Area
Ashdown /Texarkana
Hotels .. Next Closest Towns
Current
Weather and Lake Levels
10
Pound Hog Caught and Released on Millwood Lake
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peter@fishin.com
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Millwood Lake Fishing Report Updated
March 8, 2010
The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are near normal elevation with moderate
current. 4 Foot Drawdown has ended. Exercise common sense and caution during navigation due to floaters and debris in Little River!
As of Monday 08 March, Largemouth Bass are continuing to slowly recover from 2 weeks ago back to back cold front passages, with increased day time highs and reduced low temperatures over the last week. The lake level has slowly fallen over the past week, and fish have pulled back into creek channels and deeper water areas. Largemouth Bass are slighly more aggressive with the improved day time highs and will continue to improve over the next week to ten days. Females remain definitely in a prespawn condition, and 2-3 pound males are being observed wanting to build beds in flats adjacent to deeper water sanctuaries and creek channels. Crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, jigs, and lizards have been the go to baits for Bass over the past week. Best bite is still occurring during mid day heating. We are seeing a few more Crappie and Bass fishermen out this past week with improved weather and surface temperatures. A nice, healthy 12 pound Largemouth Bass was caught and released over this past weekend!
As of Monday 08 March, the lake level is falling, and is now 0.95 feet above normal pool and falling, with moderate current in Little River. Drawdown has ended and Millwood is being allowed to remain above normal pool for an another couple weeks, until approx 12 March when the lake will be returned to normal conservation pool. Main lake and Little River's water surface temps are currently ranging from approx 49ºF early, to 56ºF late, depending of course, on location and time of day. Lake level on Millwood as of Monday 08 March is 260.15 feet and falling. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. USACE consistently holding gates at the dam, and as of Monday 08 March, 9 tainer gates are open at 2 feet, and 4 tainer gates are open at 1 foot for a total discharge of 10,271 CFS (cubic feet/second). Tailwater levels are currently at 236.99 feet. Clarity is heavy stain to muddy on main lake and river. The oxbows are fair to moderate stain with approx 15" visibility. Millwood's next 4' drawdown is currently scheduled to begin the week following 4th of July Holiday 2010 through February 2011.
To volunteer for one of the cleanup dates or ramp and USACE park information, contact Brooke Kervin at the Millwood Tri-Lakes Project Office.
To receive updates, call the Corps’ toll-free information line at 888-697-9830.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: The past week has seen a slow, continual recovery in bass feeding activities, with the warmer daytime highs and increased nighttime lows. The best bite over the past week is occuring mid-day. Now that the lake level is just slightly above normal pool elevation, over the past couple weeks, we have seen male bass observed returning to roam shallow flats adjacent to primary and secondary creek channels, where stumps and any remaining vegetation are located in a search for bedding areas. The females are definitely in a prespawn condition and have been staging in nearby creek channels or any nearby depressions or relative depth changes. A very slow moving, 3/4 size, red Rat-L-Trap, jig, or threadfin shad crankbait will randomly pull some keeper bass out of these deeper spots in the creek channels by deflecting off stumps or standing timber, but extremely slow is the most effective method.
Slow rolling heavy spinnerbaits (chartreuse / white or spot remover colors) or the larger size 3/4 oz red or Millwood Magic colored Rat-L-Traps are the best options for the stained water clarity in/around grass, along flooded creek channel swings, large cypress trees, stumps, and grass. These are taking a few males wanting to pull out of the creeks into the flats. The larger sized 3/4-ounce Rat-L-Traps, Cordell Big O or XCalibur Fat Free Shad Crank baits are still working to locate 16-20" male and prespawn females, but the key word remains VERY SLOW for a solid keeper bass bite. Jigs in black/blue/purple or Texas craw colors, and crankbaits are still best bet for finding a few keeper size bass. Add rattles to your jigs for sound attraction in the off-colored or stained water clarity.
The best Rat-L-Trap colors over the past week are Red Shad, Millwood Magic, or Toledo Gold. The best crankbait colors remain brown craw/orange belly, Foxy Shad or Root beer Float.
The clearest water areas available, typically up river oxbows have warmer temperatures than main lake or down river locations. As away from the current of Little River during warmer, sunny days are when bass maybe roaming shallow, during the mid day, in warming shallow flats adjacent to deep creek channels is the best areas to search for active fish. Slow moving suspending Cordell Red Fins, and Salty Rat Tails, PMT Stix and Twitch Assassins on wacky-rigs are working randomly for Bass, near remaining dead lily pad stems, hydrilla, and pondweed, where the vegetation is growing in close proximity to stumps. Texas rigged 6" lizards in blackberry, black neon, and black/blue tail are taking some bass in creek channels.
Southern Pro Flipping Tubes, Magnum gitzits & flipping tubes with rattles, will draw a slow strike when working in remaining flooded grass and stumps in the deeper sections of creek channels, over the past 2 weeks. Best colors we have observed working for tubes and gitzits were pumpkinseed/chartreuse tail, black/blue tail, or black neon, during the past several weeks. **TIP: Load your tube or gitzits with loud rattles in this off colored to muddy water!!
The jig bite, continues to improve over the past week, around cypress trees, knees, stumps and laydowns and best reaction colors over the past several weeks continue to be Texas Craw, black/blue/purple, or pumpkinseed/ chartreuse colors. These are taking keeper size bass in the 4 to 8 lb class.
White Bass: White bass are beginning to congregate near points and creek channel dumps into Little River above Highway 71 bridge, concentrating up Little River. Rocket Shads, Rat-L-Traps, and crankbaits are working, but the bite was random in the oxbows of McGuire and Horseshoe. The annual migration spawn should continue to heat up quickly, if the warming water/weather continues throughout this week.
Crappie: are improved to good primarily due to reduced lake and river flow, reaching slightly above normal pool and reduced current in Little River. We noted nice 3 pound slabs beginning to congregate in the oxbows around cypress trees and being caught on black/chartreuse jigs and Blakemore roadrunners over the past week with the warming water temperatures. The upriver, oxbow bite away from current, is the best location over planted brush, for the past several weeks. A few more Crappie fishermen were out over the past week, due much improved weather conditions.
Channel Cats: Channel Cats continue to bite well in the remaining current of Little River. Blues and Channel cats are biting good, best on cut shad, Charlie and chicken livers, by either anchoring and tight-lining, or trot-lines, along Little River between Jack's Isle and Mud Lake or on yo-yo's hung from cypress trees in the oxbows over 10-15 feet depths.
}> Millwood Lake Level & Little River Conditions Report < {
Navigation conditions in Little River are near normal elevation with moderate
current. 4 Foot Drawdown has ended. Exercise common sense and caution during navigation due to floaters and debris in Little River!
As of Monday 08 March, the lake level is falling, and is now 0.95 feet above normal pool and falling, with moderate current in Little River. Drawdown has ended and Millwood is being allowed to remain above normal pool for an another couple weeks, until approx 12 March when the lake will be returned to normal conservation pool. Main lake and Little River's water surface temps are currently ranging from approx 49ºF early, to 56ºF late, depending of course, on location and time of day. Lake level on Millwood as of Monday 08 March is 260.15 feet and falling. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. USACE consistently holding gates at the dam, and as of Monday 08 March, 9 tainer gates are open at 2 feet, and 4 tainer gates are open at 1 foot for a total discharge of 10,271 CFS (cubic feet/second). Tailwater levels are currently at 236.99 feet. Clarity is heavy stain to muddy on main lake and river. The oxbows are fair to moderate stain with approx 15" visibility. Millwood's next 4' drawdown is currently scheduled to begin the week following 4th of July Holiday 2010 through February 2011.
To volunteer for one of the cleanup dates or ramp and USACE park information, contact Brooke Kervin at the Millwood Tri-Lakes Project Office.
To receive updates, call the Corps’ toll-free information line at 888-697-9830.
Wear your Life Jacket and kill switch!! If you are suddenly or unexpectedly thrown from your boat, it could be your only chance of survival. Hypothermia can set in on an angler in water temps below 50 degrees in a matter of 15-20 minutes, unprotected against the elements. Use caution navigating Little River in low light conditions, SLOW DOWN, and pass friendly to other boaters! As always, careful watch for any random floaters and debris in Little River's current, and wearing your PFD and kill switch is a requirement!!
Don't forget, be courteous, and respect the other guy's right to use the lake too. Release those big bass to spawn and fight again, and take home those little 16"ers to fry up! Use caution in low light conditions, and wear your flotation device! If you are suddenly thrown from your boat, or knocked unconscious, your life preserver can potentially be your only hope to survive.
Visit us on the web for the most current Millwood Lake fishing report, updated weekly. See some great catch and release photos, sponsor links, tons of great information and resources on the lake available to you, along with excellent related direct links to Arkansas' State Parks, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Black Bass Program, The US Army Corps of Engineers, and Arkansas.com.
And As Always,
GOOD FISHIN'
Mike Siefert
Owner/Operator since 1992
Millwood Lake Guide Service
Shop: (870) 772-6840
Mobile: (903) 277-3401
email:MillwoodLakeGSVC@aol.com
Visit us on the web for the most current Millwood Lake fishing
report, updated weekly. See some great catch and release photos,
sponsor links, tons of great information and resources on the
lake available to you, along with excellent related direct links
to Arkansas' State Parks, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's
Black Bass Program, The US Army Corps of Engineers, and
Arkansas.com.
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The photo I sent you yesterday of that 10
pound bass, was caught on a Bass Assassin Shad Assassin
soft plastic jerk bait. The client and I were fishing on
Millwood Lake upriver between Mud Lake oxbow and McGuire
Lake oxbow in a small slough immediately off of Little
River. Per your request, here is the story:
Starting at daybreak, a slight cool front had passed
through the area the night before, and a light fog had
developed over the lake. Water temperatures ranged in the
low to mid-80º range. The morning started out quite well
with numerous bass above the 16" minimum length
requirement for a "keeper" size bass. By 9:00
we had already boated between 8-10 keepers, and many
"dinks" below the 16" minimum length; all
on the Bass Assassin Shad jerk baits and buzz baits which
I build for my own, and client's use. The bite had just
practically "shut down" in the area we had
begun fishing in, around 9-9:15am. I decided to make a
move further up river.
We idled out of the location above, on the river, and ran
approximately 20 minutes at full throttle up Little
River. We shut down and idled into another slough within
50 yards of the river to began our plan B assault.
Trolling motor humming, we graciously greeted a man and
wife Crappie fishing in the area and quietly eased passed
them as to not disturb their Crappie hole. The man in the
boat asked me, "Did you throw by that rock over
there?". I responded, "No sir, but I have
certainly caught some good bass back in here over the
years, we are just trying to get out of your way."
About 20 minutes later, around 10am, all hell broke
loose. We were fishing the Bass Assassin Shads around
coontail moss, hydrilla, and lily pads, when I felt the
boat rock to one side. I turned around to see what was
up, and Gary Moore, the client from east Texas was
setting the hook hard. Looking at his medium heavy rod,
it was doubled over. I immediately looked at his line
where it entered the water, and drag was singing off his
reel to the tune of "Mr Big headed for 30 feet
deep" of the river. Gary shouts, "GET THE
NET!" and in an instant, I was on my hands and knees
with the net in one hand, and my other hand on the
trolling motor turning the nose of the boat toward the
fish. The bass ran into a wad of lily pad stems and
swirled round and round. Gary says, "I cant feel
him!" I said "lighten up on him just a
hair". When he did, the fish pulled him further into
the pad stems. I began immediately to pull lily pad tops
back to find the fish. All I could see was the 4"
thick back and tail of this monster bass with his head
and face rooting downward in the lily pad stems. As I
pulled the pads apart, the fish made a run back to the
river again. Gary says, "He's loose, he's
running!" I said you best tighten that drag, or he
is gona wrap you up on a stump out on the edge of the
river in 15-20 feet and we will never see him!" As
he tightened his drag, he turned the fish again, and i
could see a huge flash as the pig rolled on her side,
turning back down into the lily pad stems again. I said,
"Dang she is huge, looks like the side of a BARN!
This fish is well over 8 pounds, and maybe bigger!"
As she rooted in the lily pad stems again, I grabbed my
pliers off my belt, and began lifting the pad tops and
cutting them and throwing them to the side. Gary says,
"you look like a weedeater down there!" I said
whatever it takes! As I pulled the last pad top back I
could see the back and tail of the monster again.
I lunged at her with the net and missed, she was deeper
than I had thought. I made one last swoop of the net with
the handle fully extended out to 6 feet and when we
looked as I brought up the net, she was in it. Not only
was she IN the net, she took up the ENTIRE net!
By this time, the old man and woman crappie fishin were
just intently watching all the commotion going on 40
yards away. When we got her in the boat, we both yelled
out WOW WHAT A HOG! I said, Gary this fish is well over 8
or 9 pounds, she maybe over 10. Taking her out of the
net, Gary commented "man you could put a softball in
her mouth!" He was holding the fish with both hands
like a pair of vice grips, as I worked the Owner hook out
of the cartlidge in roof of her mouth. Gary says
"look at her gullet! You could put a hot dog down
her throat its so big!"
We got the digital scales out and weighed her, the
digital read out flashed in pounds and ounces 9 lb 14-15
ounces, back and forth. I said shes as close to 10 pounds
as you are going to get. We put her in the livewell to
calm her down, put "Please Release Me" in the
livewell, and ran the aerator continually for about 45
minutes. A collegue guide of mine comes flying down the
river about 30 minutes later and I flagged him down. We
get his digital scales out, and reading in pounds and
tenths of pounds, it flashed 9.9-10.0-10.1. So there was
no doubt. Gary had landed the 10 pound bass he had came
after for so many years. Gary has been coming to Millwood
Lake fishing with me and my guides for over 7 years, and
he finally caught the hawg he had so desparately pursued.
We snapped a few more photos of the pig, took her
measurements, said our fond farewells, and turned her
loose to fight again. The woman crappie fishin' says,
"lookie there, they are turning that big fish
loose!" The huge bass blasted off to the side of the
boat, in the lake with a vengence, throwing a mighty
shower of water in our face with her tail, as if to say
"Thank you for letting me go", as we said,
"Thank YOU for the pictures, and truly the fight of
a lifetime!
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