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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
February 1, 2010
The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned due to below
normal elevation with current and discharge. 4 Foot Drawdown in
process. Stumps are exposed along Little River! Exercise common
sense and much caution during navigation!
As of Monday 01 February, Largemouth Bass good to fair, with lake
level condition near normal with increased rain and incoming fresh
water. The rise over the past week began pushing fish into creeks,
and mouth junctions with Little River. Crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, heavy
thumping spinnerbaits, tubes and jigs have been the go to baits for
Bass over the past several weeks. Best bite is occurring during mid
day heating. Carolina Rigs are continuing to improve. A few more
Crappie and Bass fishermen were out this past week with the
unseasonably mild, day-time temperatures.
As of Monday, 01 February, the lake level rose again, and is now 0.25
feet below normal pool, with reduced current in Little River.
Drawdown still in process, and returning back to 4' drawdown pool.
Main lake and Little River's water surface temps are currently ranging
from approx 46ºF early, to 50ºF late, depending of course, on location
and time of day. Lake level on Millwood as of Monday, 01 February is
258.96 feet and falling. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. USACE
made a gate change at the dam recently, and as of Monday 01 February,
13 tainer gates are open at 3 feet, and 2 sluice gates are open at 6
feet for a total discharge of 8,255 CFS (cubic feet/second). Clarity
is heavy stain to muddy, conditions. This week's lake level of 0.25
feet below normal lake pool has risen over the past week with the
thunderstorms contributing to much inflow of additional water.
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 bass slightly improved in
feeding activity with unseasonably warm day time highs, in spite of
the muddy water. The best bite over the past few weeks began shifting
to mid-day. Now that the lake level is just slightly below pool
elevation, the bass are concentrating at creek mouth junctions, creek
channels, and primary points with stumps exposed, associated with
sweeping bends of Little River.
The best bass bite over the past few weeks continues to be a reaction
bite on crankbaits, Rouges and suspending hard jerk baits, or slow
rolling heavy spinnerbaits. Slow moving, large 3/4-ounce Rat-L-Traps,
Cordell Big O or XCalibur Fat Free Shad Crank baits are still working
to locate 15-17" class bass, but the key word remains VERY SLOW for a
solid keeper bass bite. Carolina Rigs were improving along the
washouts and creek channel mouths intersecting with Little River and
taking some keeper sized bass from 16-19". Since the lake level has
risen slightly to just below normal level, bass are again relating to
the creek junctions, creek mouths, creek channels, and points along
the river. Crankbaits are still best bet for finding a few keeper
size bass, and are improved over the past week with the lake level
rise.
The best Rat-L-Trap or crankbait colors over the past week with the
muddy conditions, are red coach dog, red chrome, Millwood Magic, brown
craw/orange belly, or white and citrus shad.
Slow rolling, 3/4 ounce heavy spinner baits (chartreuse / white or
spot remover colors) are the best options for spinnerbaits in the
muddy water, with heavy thumping and slow rolling #7 Colorado blades,
along flooded creek channel swings and stumps. The clearest water
areas available, typically up river oxbows, away from the current of
Little River during warmer, sunny days 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 bass. "Dead
Sticking" soft plastic Bass Assassin Shads, and slow moving suspending
Rouges and hard jerk baits, continue working randomly for Bass, near
remaining dead lily pad stems, hydrilla, and pondweed, continue
working, where the vegetations are growing in close proximity.
Shallow to medium running depth crankbaits like the Cordell Big O, or
Fat Free Shads in white shad pattern in the clearest water, and Bandit
cranks in brown back/orange belly craw were taking some keeper size
bass heavier stained water.
Magnum gitzits & flipping tubes like the 3-4" Southern Pro Flipping
Tubes continue working in remaining flooded grass and stumps over the
past week. Best colors we have observed working for tubes and gitzits
were pumpkinseed/chartreuse tail, black/blue tail, or black neon,
during the past week. **TIP: Load your tube or gitzits with loud
rattles in this off colored to muddy water!!
Flipping stumps, cypress trees, and laydown tree trunks near deep
water at creek mouths and deeper sections of creek channel swings, are
the best bets with tubes or jigs. The jig bite, continues to improve
on cypress trees, knees, stumps and laydowns and best reaction colors
over the past 2 weeks continue to be Texas Craw, black/blue, or
pumpkinseed/chartreuse colors. These are taking a few keeper size
bass in the 3-4 lb class.
White Bass: White bass are scattered and slow... Not many White Bass
fishermen out.
Crappie: are beginning to improve, but the muddy current in Little
River has them deep and out of the main river channel. The upriver,
oxbow bite along Little River away from current, for Crappie, is the
best location over planted brush, for the past couple weeks. A few
more Crappie fishermen were out over the past week, we noticed with
the improved weather conditions. Crappie were suspending in planted
brush 12-16' deep and best on live shiners. A few prespawn Crappie
were caught on Blakemore Roadrunners around base of cypress trees in
8-12 feet.
Channel Cats: Channel Cats are loving the current in Little River.
Blues and Channel cats are biting good with the increased current
along Little River and best on cut shad, Charlie and home-made dough
balls, by either tight-lining, trot-lines, along the increased current
in Little River between Jack's Isle and Mud Lake or on yo-yo's hung
from cypress trees in the oxbows over 9-12' depths.
}> Millwood Lake Level & Little River Conditions
Report < {
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned due to below
normal elevation with current and discharge. 4 Foot Drawdown in
process. Stumps are exposed along Little River! Exercise common
sense and much caution during navigation!
As of Monday, 01 February, the lake level rose again, and is now 0.25
feet below normal pool, with reduced current in Little River.
Drawdown still in process, and returning back to 4' drawdown pool.
Main lake and Little River's water surface temps are currently ranging
from approx 46ºF early, to 50ºF late, depending of course, on location
and time of day. Lake level on Millwood as of Monday, 01 February is
258.96 feet and falling. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. USACE
made a gate change at the dam recently, and as of Monday 01 February,
13 tainer gates are open at 3 feet, and 2 sluice gates are open at 6
feet for a total discharge of 8,255 CFS (cubic feet/second). Clarity
is heavy stain to muddy, conditions. This week's lake level of 0.25
feet below normal lake pool has risen over the past week with the
thunderstorms contributing to much inflow of additional water.
Exercise extreme caution during running Little River during low light
conditions as there are still numerous river buoy markers pushed out
of place from river centerline, or missing, due to recent current and
major pool fluctuations over the past 2 weeks.
A drawdown of four feet on Millwood Lake, began July 13, 2009 until
Feb. 9, 2010 to control unwanted aquatic vegetation and make scheduled
repairs, according to the Corps of Engineers. The lake will be
allowed to refill 2 feet above normal pool elevation to 261.2 feet, in
February 2010, the 2-foot rise will last one month, and then the lake
will be returned to normal pool. Stumps are exposed along the river,
during the drawdown pool elevation. Use caution near end of boat
ramps due to sediment, gravel, and shallow pool levels.
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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