FLW Tour preview: Lake Ouachita, March 13-16
FLW Tour heads to lesser-known Arkansas lake for first time in history
As the FLW Tour rolls into Mt. Ida, Ark., for the third tour stop of the 2002 season, anglers will be facing the intriguing prospect of fishing a lake that has never before been part of the FLW circuit. But while many anglers may be new to the waters of Lake Ouachita, the site of the March 13-16 FLW Tour, they may come to find that the lake has been worth the long wait. Considered by many to be the crown jewel of Arkansas waters, Lake Ouachita offers a stark contrast to Lake Okeechobee and Lake Wheeler – the site of the first two FLW tourneys of the year. For starters, Lake Ouachita is an extremely deep, clear lake that also boasts plenty of vegetation and standing timber. In addition, the lake is also rife with rocks, gravel as well as myriad tributaries, rivers and creeks.
Also, unlike many lakes its size, Lake Ouachita fishes big – extremely big.
“The whole place is fishable. There should be no crowding at all,” said FLW Tour pro Mike Wurm, a resident of Hot Springs, Ark., who probably has more knowledge of Lake Ouachita than any other angler on the tour today. “The lake is absolutely gorgeous. The first time the anglers see it, they’ll be amazed by how beautiful it is. The lake is just an awesome fishery. There is something here for everyone.”
Because Lake Ouachita offers such diverse habitats, cover, structure and depth, anglers should have little problem fishing their strengths. Whether an angler wants to concentrate on deep-diving crankbaits near standing timber, fish spinner baits around shallow grass or throw a combination of jigs and rattletraps, the opportunities will be there.
“Lake Ouachita is one of the best bass fisheries in the state of Arkansas. It’s known to have some quality fish in it,” said FLW Tour pro Jay Yelas. “And although the Ouachita is a medium-sized lake, it fishes pretty big. There are a lot of creeks, rivers and small coves to fish. Basically, the fish are all over the place.”
“People will be able to fish at whatever depth they’re comfortable fishing,” said FLW pro Marty Stone. “On Lake Ouachita, you catch fish from 1 foot to 50 feet. It’s definitely has the potential to be one of the best lakes we fish all year.”
FLW Tour pro Larry Nixon argues that Lake Ouachita is one of the state’s best-kept secrets.
“Lake Ouachita has everything any bass fisherman could ever want,” said Nixon, a resident of Bee Branch, Ark., and winner of last month’s FLW Tour event on Lake Wheeler. “It should be a very interesting tournament.”
Lake history/facts
Located in west-central Arkansas near the city of Hot Springs, Lake Ouachita boasts approximately 48,000 acres of deep, clear water that features a variety of grass, hydrilla, milfoil, rocks, gravel as well as a large number of rivers and creek tributaries. The primary rivers that feed Lake Ouachita consist of the Ouachita, the North and South Fork and Iron Fork. Major creeks, including the Big and Little Blakeley, Cedar Creek and Rabbit Trail, provide for numerous fishing opportunities as well.
Located along the edge of the Ouachita National Forest, Lake Ouachita has little, if any, shoreline development, which is one of the reasons that it is considered one of the most pristine and beautiful lakes in the entire southeast. Overall, the lake is extremely deep, with productive fishing depths ranging from 12 to 25 feet. However, due to the recent cold snap, bass could actually be as deep as 40 feet for the upcoming FLW tournament.
While largemouth bass will be the prize catch at Lake Ouachita – in fact, double-digit lunkers have been recorded there most years – the lake is also home to significant numbers of spotted bass. Recent stocking efforts (since 1996) have produced growing numbers of smallmouth bass, however it is doubtful the population is large enough to have much of an impact this tournament season.
Grass, grass and more grass
While good fishing spots abound, in all likelihood, it will be Lake Ouachita’s diverse grass habitats that will play a direct role in determining which pro walks away with the $110,000 top prize in next week’s competition.
“I think the winning strategies will center around fishing grass,” said Yelas. “That’s where all the good quality fish will be. The lake also has a lot of real deep water and a lot of spotted bass. But no one is going to win a tournament bringing in 6- or 7-pound limits of spotted bass. That’s why most anglers will be targeting largemouth bass.”
Nixon believes that anglers won’t be able to ignore the grass if they want to make a serious run at the tournament title.
“Lake Ouachita has a lot of vegetation and I think that vegetation is going to be a key pattern for many anglers,” said Nixon. “The rule of thumb is that if a lake has a lot of grass in it, you’d be fishing around it.”
Stone argues that the bass have become some accustomed to seeking shelter in the grass, especially when it’s available in such abundance as it is on Lake Ouachita, that they will stay there virtually all year – with the lone exception of spawning season.
“Anytime you put grass lakes and spring fishing together, you potentially have a great combination,” said Stone. “On Lake Ouachita, bass will seek refuge in the grass year-round except when they come out to spawn on the beds. But once they’re finished, they’ll run right back to that grass because that’s where they’re most comfortable. That’s why grass fishermen should have a big advantage this tournament.”
The deep-cranking bite
While many anglers believe that grass fishing will be the most pervasive strategy on Lake Ouachita, at least one angler isn’t so sure.
“Right now the water temperature on Ouachita is between 45 and 47 degrees. Normally, at this time of the year, the water temperature is in the 50s” said Wurm. “And from what I can tell, it appears that the fish haven’t moved up yet. So, at this point in time, it looks like it’s going to be a deep-water bite.”
Yelas acknowledges that in addition to the grass bite, anglers may have some luck fishing deep in standing timber.
“The grass grows down to maybe 12 to 13 feet and a lot of fishermen will be looking there,” said Yelas, who believes a combination of crankbaits, spinner baits and jigs will be the weapons of choice. “But there could be a lot of fish suspending on top of the tree tops in about 30 feet of water.”
Like most of the early spring tournaments on the FLW trail, weather could also play a very big role in determining strategy.
“If the weather warms up and the fish move up, grass fishing could become a big factor,” said Wurm. “But if it stays cool, grass fishing won’t be nearly as productive.”
Nixon said that he’s strategy could change daily, depending on what Mother Nature brings.
“All spring tournaments are weather-driven,” he said. “If it’s pretty and warm, I’m going to fish shallow. But if it’s real cold, I’m going to fish a lot deeper. As far as baits go, I think a jerkbait will be a solid choice. But crankbaits and jigs could work as well.”
Although strategies should vary, it’s clear that there is at least one technique that won’t come into play on Lake Ouachita next week.
“I doubt that there will be a lot of spawning bass at this time of year,” said Yelas. “So I really don’t think sight-fishing will be a factor in this tournament.”
“I think we’re still about a month away from the spawn,” said Stone.
Big fish could be waiting
While FLW anglers are familiar with Lake Okeechobee’s reputation of producing trophy-sized largemouth bass, anglers say that Lake Ouachita has a surprising amount of lunker bass as well.
“There are definitely some big fish in this lake,” said Wurm. “During a Wal-Mart BFL tournament a couple of weeks ago, someone caught a 9-pounder. So we could definitely see some big fish come out of here.”
“There are definitely some quality fish in that lake,” said Yelas. “You might even see some double-digit fish caught this tournament.”
However, as all tournament fishermen know, the most important weights are the ones that allow anglers to make the cut and advance to next round of competition.
“To make the top-20 cut, my guess is that you’ll probably need about 11 or 12 pounds a day,” said Nixon. “But if the weather gets warmer, that could change.”
“I would say that 10 pounds per day should be enough to make both (the top-20 and top-10) cuts,” said Yelas. “But I’ll have a better idea once I get down there.”
The contenders
Although it’s always difficult to predict who will be standing at the winner’s podium on the final day of tournament action, a few FLW pros had some definite ideas as to who to watch out for on Lake Ouachita.
“I think (George) Cochran (Sr.) and (Rob) Kilby are going to be tough,” said Nixon. “Jerry Williams and his son, Keith, could do well. And you can never rule out Clark Wendlandt.”
“I’ll tell you who you’d better look out for and that’s Kelly Jordan,” said Stone. “I think any of those east Texas guys are going to be tough – guys like Jay Yelas and Cody Bird. They’re big grass fishermen and they should do well.”
Yelas argued that the “locals” could have a big advantage, as many FLW anglers will be heading to Lake Ouachita for the first time.
“I think you have to focus on some of the guys from the Hot Springs area,” said Yelas. “Guys like George Cochran, Larry Nixon, Mike Wurm and Rob Kilby should have a leg up on everyone else. But in my mind, Nixon has got to be the top favorite.”
Exciting finish awaits
With only a handful of anglers heading into the tournament with any extensive experience fishing Lake Ouachita, the upcoming FLW tournament could prove to be one of the stiffest tests for the 175-member pro field to date.
“This tournament is definitely going to separate the men from the boys,” said Stone. “You can count on that.”