Driving through this area, you’ll want to stop by Fletcher’s Grocery and Hardware in Ida.  They have all your needs covered for camping or fishing supplies, gasoline or a picnic lunch.  Fletcher’s also has hunting and fishing licenses and is also a wildlife check station.  You will want to check out all their wildlife photos while you shop.

Fishing has been very good recently out of the Little Red River.  The trout have been going for wax worms, Power Bait and nightcrawlers.  The best artificial baits are the Buoyant Spoons and Roostertail jigs.  Greers Ferry Lake hybrids are being caught up against the banks at night with spinnerbaits.  Black bass smallmouth and walleye are all hitting nightcrawlers.

Fishing Tips

When wade fishing Arkansas’ famous trout waters, always use a sturdy walking stick for added stability when crossing the river.  The walking stick can serve two purposes:  One - to provide stability on slick rocks and also, to prevent that uncomfortable rush of cold water in the waders.  Use a permanent ink marker to indicate the height of your waders on the stick so that you can check the depth of the water before stepping into water deeper than your waders. One of the great things about fishing is eating the day’s catch.  In Arkansas, catfish are prized for their tasty filets.  Catching them is almost as much fun as eating them.  Catfish can be a little tricky, but a few tips can help bring in the day’s meal.  Bait can vary anywhere from nightcrawlers, minnows, and shad, to liver, corn and dough.  Most fish have noses for smelling food.  Catfish have an unusually strong sense of smell.  Some of the most effective baits are those that are left out in the sun in a plastic bag and allowed to rot for as long as a month.  Chicken and beef liver, canned ham and spam work very well.  Practically anything that is rotten and smells bad will work fine.  As a general rule, begin by dragging the bait deep and then work the bait shallower if there is no action on the bottom.  Just keep adjusting your depth until you find where they are feeding.