I've been on lake Ouachita quite a bit with the ski boat, but I'm going to fish a bass tournament a friend of mines work is putting on in late march and neither of us have fished this lake. Anyone that has fished it have a good place to start or area to search? Looking for any ideas. We are going to do some fishing on the lake between now and the tourney, but just looking for some ideas on where to start since it's such a huge lake. :thumb: Thanks ya'll!
Good luck on getting any info on Quachita.:biggrin: The guys that wear 'em out are tight lipped and the guys that'll tell ya a spot are fibbin'.:smack: I've fished in the back of the boat on several tourney's and we always caught bass on points. But there are 1218+ points you can fish. All of them we pulled up on were productive though. It's hard for me to fish on a lake that I can't touch the bottom of with my rod tip. Throwing at nothing all day is a pain in the you know what.
I hear you!! Points out the wazzoo out there! I'm good friends with a guy who has fished there a ton so I can get some info from him if need be. :thumb:
i usually fish either around hwy 27 or around mt harbor. you can enter 3 different forks (river arms) around mt harbor. early in the year like march, i like running up the river arms, there is usually a little warmer water up there. there is some good fishing between mt. harbor and little fir. there is also a lot of timber and good flats up cedar creek off of north fork arm.:thumb:
I have often heard Ouachita referred to as the "Dead Sea"... I haven't fished it much at all in my life - so I can't speak for it. LOTS of water...
watch one of the professional tournaments when they come, it is definately NOT the "dead sea":biggrin:
I've fished the lake my whole life. My second home is on the bank of the lake. You can catch a limit up both rivers but you are not going to win a big tournament up the rivers. The big sacks come off of the main lake. If it's a big tournament it will take 18 to 25 lbs in March. I catch a 20 lb sack about one day per year and more than likely it won't be in a tournament, but if you have 25-100 boats someone will.:smack:
Multiple places. We will probably be heading out of Mountain Harbor because I am familiar with it. I've got some good areas to try from a good friend and the guy I am fishing with and I can usually find fish, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask some of ya'll since the lake is so big. Thanks for all the replies.
I am very fimilar with the lake. I fish it for fun sometimes but spend most of the summer weekends there. Send me a pm if you want a few suggestions
I like the area between Saddleback island- above big fir up to about the river- all depends on the water temp once it bust 52 them bigguns are prowling :thumb: The tournament last weekend took over 20lbs to win! Generally speaking the upper end early in the year the lower end later but I dont really like that clear water so I usually stay on the upper end! I can tell you Sunday that she had really came up heck by tomorrow she may be full!:thumb: Rip a Fat Rap around the grass edges, 4 inch green worm on inside and outsides edges of the grass- if you get a warm rain before your tournament hit the back end of some of the creeks- sometimes those areas are magical that time of the year! Good luck!
If the wind is calm the fishing is always tough there. Use Finesse type baits, one of the secrets on this lake is a small 1/8 oz gray hair jig on light line. If the wind is blowing use a Storm Magnum Wiggle Wart in Red or Watermelon and hold on. These two methods will work all over the lake but I always did well around the islands out in front of Crystal Springs and up Big Fir.
As far as fishin goes I know Around the hwy.27 area better. but as far as weekend fun we normally stay around brady mtn. or demby point.
