Steve & Lisa Spencer give tips and conditions for local fishing holes in Saline County in this column. See more info about Steve and Lisa at the end.
Dennis Mozisek
Saline River – The river has been up and down a lot lately with the rains coming every few days. When it’s not too high or muddy the fishing has been good. Bass have been biting #12 and brooder minnows, Zoom lizards and baby brush hogs, crawdad crank baits and Zing Tail spinners. Catfish are biting #12 and brooder minnows, gold fish, back saltys and chicken livers. Crappie have been hitting #6 minnows, Kalins grubs and Beaver Bottom jigs. Walleye are slow and we’ve had no reports of catches this week. Bream fishing is fast and fun with crickets or red worms on small hooks and light line and tackle. There’s also a lot of fun gar fishing on the Saline. Use good, strong 12-20 lb. test line and a strong, sharp hook with a #12 minnow 18- 36 inches under a float or with just a small split shot sinker. When you see a gar or 2 at the surface, cast your bait close by and you’ll probably get their attention. When one takes it, give it slack line until it stops then wait until it starts to move again, tighten your line and set the hook. Gar are strong fighters, a challenge to land and some say they make decent table fare.
Bo with his mother Kala Tankersley, shows off about a 5lb catfish he caught at a private pond using night crawlers.
Sunset Lake – Crappie have been biting good on #6 minnows and Kalins Bleeding Tennessee Shad grubs. Fish shallow around the edges of grass or brushy areas. Bass have been hitting wacky rigged trick worms, Carolina or Texas rigged lizards and Baby Brush Hogs and live minnows. Watermelon/red, watermelon candy and red bug are the going colors in plastics right now. Catfish are being caught on chicken livers, night crawlers, minnows and Wild Cat stink baits. Bream fishing has been great for some youngs anglers fishing with crickets and red worms in mossy and grassy areas around the lake.
Lake Norrell – Crappie fishing is fair to good with #6 minnows and Kalins Tennessee Shad and Arkansas Shad grubs and Beaver Bottom Baits crappie jigs. Fish shallow around brush or deeper around submerged cover like logs. Bass have been biting #12 minnows, Zoom trick worms, baby brush hogs and zlinkys. Spinner baits have been good on windy days. Catfish are biting minnows, black saltys, gold fish, chicken livers and night crawlers. The best bite has been from dusk to an hour or 2 after dark, Bream fishing is about to get good. Some have reported catching some on jigs and smaller minnows while crappie fishing. Try dropping a cricket or red worm around brush or any underwater cover. The big red ear tend to come from deeper water in the lake.
Ryan Mozisek
Bishop Park Ponds –Crappie and bass have been biting #6 and #12 minnows, Kalins grubs and Zoom Trick worms. Catfish have been hitting minnows, night crawlers and bait shrimp. Bream fishing has been good with crickets and red worms.
Lake Winona – Crappie fishing has been hit and miss. Customers report good catches one day with #12 and #6 minnows, Bobby Garland baby shad jigs and Kalins grubs then only a few fish the next day. The fish have been coming from 16 inches to 12 feet deep and holding close to cover. One customer says they’re confused. Bass have been hitting the minnows and jigs as well as trick worms and brush hogs. Catfish are biting at daylight, dusk and after dark on minnows, night crawlers, chicken livers and stink baits. Bream are starting to move up to shallow water in the sunny parts of the lake but are still slightly scattered. They can’t resist a cricket, red worm or small jig like a Rock Hopper.
