Arkansas Bass Fishing Vacation?

I'm taking a couple of days off next month and just want to get away to some place that's scenic with good bass fishing. There also has to be plenty of stuff that the wife and kid will enjoy. I originally thought about going to Colorado to find some cool weather but time is going to be limited so Arkansas came to mind. Where should we go to catch some quality bass that still offers lots of stuff for the family?

Table Rock. OK, that's in MO but right on the AR border. Branson has Silver Dollar City, a huge water park and shows out the wazoo. Lots of stuff for the wife and kiddos. The fishing is good but it is a huge clear water lake. A lot different than around hear in Ft Worth.

Monte

Table Rock is the Mecca of bass fishing. I spent a week camping there last month. Lots of scenery & lots to do. If you go, hit the main lake for lots of Smallmouth action. I go there every year (mom lives there), if you want more info on campsites, or lodging, just PM me.

Lake Ouachita located close to Hot Springs AR. It has a good bass population as well as stripers. I'm heading there in Sept for a week or so.

I am fishing on Table Rock this weekend, and fished on Ouachita last month. I live in between both. I will post again after this weekend. Ouachita is typically slow in the summer except early and late.I hear fishing is better on Table Rock right now. Will let you know. Either lake would make a good trip.

Don't overlook Bull Shoals. A lot less pressure than Table Rock and it has some nice smallie action as well.

Oh Yea, KingwoodCat is right about Bull Shoals. Still close to Branson for the family's entertainment pleasure. Kids will love Silver Dollar City. Great second choice!

Also consider Beaver Lake outside of Springdale, AR. Just be ready to fish Gin Clear water if you go there.

What about Lake Dardanelle?

Thanks for the info guys....

+1

It's not far over the border & worth the extra drive. There is plenty of family entertainment available.

dardonelle will be a zoo with the guys practicing for the flw out there the 2nd weekend in august...Not to mention the fishing has been terrible out there!

When I lived in north Arkanas I fished Table Rock extensively. There are two great patterns that will work this time of the year. One is to fish the main lake area at night for spots and smallies, mostly spots. Early and late the bass school and when they come up you have to be ready. We used to load the boat when we would sein crawfish and use ultralights to fish for spots and smallies all day. We would catch 50 or 60 and break off as many with the light line.
Another and really the best pattern was one that we stumbled on by accident. In late July and August we found that we would go up the creek arms of the lake. We would go up the Kings River arm almost as far as you can go and fish every bit of timber with crankbaits, bumping the stump and worms. We always believed that fishing cranks you needed wind. This was the exception. One labor day my partner and I caught 95 black bass. We fish the same pattern up the long creek arm. Again we go all the way up the creek and fish our way out. It is hot but this was an almost every time success especially if the creeks were running.

I just got back from Table Rock from a day of fishing with 2 of my sons. We fished on the Kings River arm near Berryville Ar. We caught some kentuckys on citrus shad Norman crankbaits and another crankbait my son threw that was orange, I don't know the brand. Then we figured out they would hit the green pumpkin finesse worm on a shakey rig. We seemed to catch them around timber stickups and off of points in about 25 feet of water on the shakey heads later in the day. The 3 of us caught about 30 fish today, mostly small with a few nice Kentuckys in the mix.There was slight wind this morning, cloudy, with slow light rain setting in about noon. We fished thru the rain till about 2:00. Fishing with my kids is always fun. Hope this helps.

Stay away from the Arkansas River, thats all the advice I have

David Cosner