Lake Dardanelle

[Dando]

1st - Danny and Sharon - 5 bass - 22.94 pounds.

Danny and Sharon's hot streak continues! They had two first place finishes,
a second place finish, and a third place finish during the four North Division
tournaments and have a commanding lead in the points race going into the
Championship event. Once again, they threw jerkbaits to catch their fish.
Sharon caught their two heaviest fish, including the day's big bass (a 7.52
pound "mule") , on a Rapala X-Rap. They fished mid-lake and caught 5
keepers on the day.

I sure am glad she caught those two (her smaller fish was over 6). In a tourny just made it that much better. Things like that a person remembers forever.

[Dando]

REPORT: Over the last two months pre-fishing has been tough. Prior to each tournament, I'd spend Thursday WAY upriver, from the dam, down to Spadra. Fishing jetty tips with a black bandit 200. ALWAYS a limit to be had fairly quickly in the 13lb range. That'd be plan "B". Problem was: LONG way to run for little weight, and, ya just never know if it's gonna hold up.
Friday, I'd spend in and around Shoal Bay with a White Wiggle Wart (new style with a solid white Krylon paintjob, and two suspend strips stuck on each side of it's bill), and, a suspending jerkbait. Brand was never the same. (Changing brands? it either didn't matter, or, it did matter. Just never really knew for sure??). This was always plan "A". It was "on the way" upriver, closer to run in fridgid temps, and the weight was usually better.
Any other days I pre-fished, I'd go to places I'd never fished before on the lower end and just drag that crankbait and jerbait around.
Aside from plan "B", Very Very FEW fish were caught anywhere else. But, of the few...it was usually just enough.

Now that it's over. Kevin Short had me worried one day. He was scouting around and found an old roadbed in Shoal. But, he was just idling and trolling. Scouting for an upcoming Elite series tournament. He DID fish some of the same tournaments I fished, but, I never saw him back in there on a tournament day.

Find a drop going from 2-4ft into 8-10ft. Use a med diving, suspending crankbait and reel it semi-slow. If you catch a fish, slow down more, pause more, and fish around that area more. If you get hung up, cut your line, attach a bobber..Fish area very well, then go get your lure (bobber will tell you where it is).
To me: Dardanelle isn't so much of a "pattern" lake. It's "spots" instead. If you catch a fish, there's probably more nearby.
If not, go look for a similar area, and return a few times later in the day. They stay there, they just turn on-off a few times a day.

[hagaj]

Thanks. Maybe I can use some of that info to be you all again at Lake Dardanelle at the Arkansas Couples Tournament. Stay with it. Looks like you guys are really on a roll. Congratulation.

[Dando]

Now Johny,
You do know that there's no fishing right at the ramp any more. It's just not right to win a tournament and not burn 100 gallons of gas...lol.
That last Dardanelle tournament...look at who came in 3rd. We worked on his hot foot cable right up until launch time. It finally broke for good, leaving him with just a trolling motor.
Needless to say, he's now real familiar with that rock wall, and, it almost paid off for him better than 3rd.
John sir, Will we see ya'll at Ouachita?

[lester547]

where is a place called "the landing"at dardanelle . A friend wanted to go crappie fishing and he heared that they were biting at "the Landing" can anybody tell me were that is?

[hagaj]

Sharon,
Do you or Danny know where he is talking about when he says the landing?? I am not really looking forward to seeing you all at Ouachita cause I am pretty sure we will be donating to the WFF OR Waldo Fishing Fund,but I will have to say all that money that you took from us all year really helped out on the taxes. Thanks again and keep up the great fishing. You guys are impressive. PS If we keep seeing your pictures and winnings every week we are thinking about taking up Crappie fishing. Any pointers there for Dardanelle or Ouachita???

[tablerock]

Hey Skeeter that's a great bag of fish and an even better write up. I've fished a couple of Central Pro Ams down there and love that lake. I'd love to come back down there someday.

Are you just sitting your boat in the channel and following the breaks where a flat falls off into the channel?

[Dando]

"the landing", I'll do some asking tonight. I never heard of it, but, different areas have different names.
"WE" have a name for every nook and cranny.
Folks from the other side of the river have different names for the same places.
I'll find out tonight though, and let ya know.

Johnsir, know anything bout Hamilton in cold water? I don't come by this fishing stuff naturally. I gotta ask, pry, beg, trade, share, and pre-fish my butt off to find fish that many can just "tell where they are". Is why I'm asking....anybody? Hamilton?

[Dando]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tablerock &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hey Skeeter that's a great bag of fish and an even better write up. I've fished a couple of Central Pro Ams down there and love that lake. I'd love to come back down there someday.

Are you just sitting your boat in the channel and following the breaks where a flat falls off into the channel?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Channels in feeder creeks yes.
Not main arkansas river channels UNLESS you get up above Horsehead Creek.
This is all going to change VERY SOON though. They start "moving up" sooner than ya think.

[hagaj]

Sharon,
Just email or give Hugh Albright a call tomorrow.He guides their and was catching over 50 fish a day last year about his time when he and I went to Ouachita. He will put you on the fish and the brushpiles. Also stop at Trader Bills and talk to Tim if he is still working the lure department . He lives on the lake and knows where there are about 60 brush piles. I will try and find his number for you tomorrow. I am at work and do not have it with me. But Hugh is defintely the man to talk to as he and Mark Davis really knows the lake. Tell him I will be calling him to go to Ouachita shortly. Good luck and keep up the winnings. I will be applying through the WFF for a loan shortly. See ya.

[Dando]

RE: The Landing.
Are ya sure that's not Lake Atkins instead of Dardanelle?
IF it's a place at Dardanelle, best I can figure (and this is just a wild guess), is that it's one of the strip pits back in Ouita. Nobody I know of has heard of it though.
The is for sure a place called The Landing at Lake Atkins though.