Limits Won't Be A Given At Muddy Dardanelle

By BassFan Staff

Catching limits for the rest of the season will become relatively easy for Bassmaster Elite Series anglers once they leave Lake Dardanelle and the circuit heads north. However, putting together five-fish stringers in Arkansas over the next four days will be a stern test of their skills.

There aren't as many tournament-quality fish in the lake as there was the last time the Elites visited three years ago. Also, conditions aren't conducive to catching the ones that are there, as heavy rains in the region throughout the spring have left much of Dardanelle sporting a chocolate-like hue.

"Considering the conditions, it's fishing decent, but it's not great," said former Elite competitor Kevin Short, who lives near the lake in Mayflower, Ark. "It's normally pretty clear by now, but we've had so much rain and it's really muddied stuff up.

"We've got more rain coming the rest of the week, but hopefully it's just spotty showers and not the two- to three-inch downpours that'll send a lot more mud. If that doesn't happen, guys should be able to catch some fish."

To avoid having the start of practice fall on Memorial Day, B.A.S.S. opted to have the sixth event on the nine-tournament schedule begin on Friday and run through Monday instead of the usual Thursday-through-Sunday format.

Before delving deeper into the bite, here's some intel on the fishery itself.

BassFan Lake Profile

> Lake name: Dardanelle
> Type of water: Pool on the Arkansas River
> Surface acres (full pool): 34,000
> Primary structure/cover: Shoreline grass, ledges and wood (stumps, laydowns, submerged timber)
> Primary forage: Shad, crawfish
> Average depth: Less than 10 feet
> Species: Largemouths, some spotted bass
> Minimum length: 14 inches for largmouths, 12 inches for spots
> Reputation: A lake that was turning out 20-pound stringers pretty regularly several years ago, but extended high-water events more recently have it on a bit of a down cycle
> Weather: After a warm, sunny and calm practice, anglers will see thunderstorms throughout the event, with high temperatures remaining mostly in the mid-80s
> Water temp: Low 70s to low 80s, depending on location
> Water visibility/color: Highly variable – some backwaters are quite clear, but the upper river is choked with mud
> Water level: About a foot above normal pool and dropping
> Fish in: Various depths, but mostly shallow
> Fish phase: Post-spawn
> Primary patterns: Jigs, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, crankbaits, flipping, frogs, topwaters, bladed jigs, soft plastics
> Winning weight: 56 pounds (4 days)
> Cut weight (top 50 after 2 days): 22 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 2 for Dardanelle
> Biggest factors: Water clarity – rain during the event could bring even more color
> Biggest decision: Join the mix in a crowded backwater or look for something more secluded
> Wildcard: Someone wiggling into an area they can have to themselves

Here’s a detailed look at Dardanelle, courtesy of the Navionics web app:

Reduced Playing Field

Dardanelle will fish much smaller than it did in 2014, when Jason Christie prevailed with a four-day total that exceeded 72 pounds. In the upper portion, the current in the Arkansas River channel is raging, rendering normally productive locales all but unfishable.

"The problem is the water's just red Oklahoma mud," Short said. "It's not impossible to catch them when it's like that, but it makes it really hard."

The two-time Elite Series winner predicts this week's champion won't venture far from shore.

"Technique-wise, the shallow bank-beaters who cover a lot of water are the ones who'll do the best," he said. "Your offshore, deep-water guys are going to struggle. Again, I wouldn't say it's impossible to catch them offshore, but it'll be tough.

"It's mostly going to be a case of what you see is what you pitch to, and the guy who wins on Monday afternoon will probably have to do two or three different things. I'll be surprised if he does the same thing in the same location – or even the same area of the lake – for all four days."

Some upper-teens stringers will cross the weigh-in stage, but they'll be difficult to duplicate and Short doesn't anticipate anybody approaching Christie's weight from three years ago. The number of fish-rich locales is limited this time around and the average fish just isn't as big.

"We had some good spawns from about 2012 through '14 and there's a lot of 10- to 12-inch fish in the lake right now, but it's kind of missing the three- to five-pounders. We lost a couple of year-classes due to high water for extended periods during both the shad spawn and the bass spawn. There were literally very few shad in the lake and the loss of that food base really put a dent in the population of the bigger fish that where here.

"Like anything else, it cycles. It's on an upswing right now and in a couple years it should be right back where it was."

Field Notes

Following are practice notes from some of the anglers who'll compete this week.

Brent Chapman
"My practice was so-so. The first day was decent, the second day was fair and (Thursday) was poor. It kind of went the wrong way, but I was fishing different areas and all that. At this point I think I know where I need to go and where I need to stay away from.

"I don't think the main channel is going to play much because the current's so strong and it's so muddy. The transition areas between the creeks and the channel should be pretty good. With the shad spawn and the mayfly hatch, the fish have plenty to eat.

"Some big bags will be caught, but it's going to be really hard to be consistent."

Mark Daniels Jr.
"It's been a rough week for me in terms of number of bites and trying to figure out a pattern. It's been hit or miss with a lot of different baits in a lot of different areas. It seems the majority of fish I'm catching are random – there's no rhyme or reason to them.

"The one consistent thing is there's a shad spawn in the morning, but whether you can catch fish on it or not is always the big question. They are spawning, though, and (bass) are around them.

"Most of the backwaters are pretty clean, but the main river's completely chocolate milk. There's still a few fish out there and I think some will still be caught out there, but this being my first time on this particular river system, it make it a little difficult for me."

Clent Davis
"This has been one of the toughest practices I've ever had. I caught a five- to six-pounder in the first 30 minutes of the first day of practice and I was thinking it's going to be a fun week, but it's been all downhill from there. I'm sitting beside Dustin Connell and Russ Lane and none of us has caught a limit on any day we've been here. You can catch a lot of non-keepers, but a limit is the golden ticket.

"All the creeks are clearing up and the water color is primo, but the problem is the water level's dropped a little every day and it puts the fish in a funky mood. There's a shad spawn and a mayfly hatch and bluegill are on the beds, but where are the bass? Somebody's going to crack them, but in my mind it's going to be a low-weight tournament.

"I'm sure a little weather will help – we've had nothing but bright, sunny and calm conditions. I could see guys getting more bites if we got some storms."

David Walker
"Knowing the track record of the Elite Series, when everybody's talking about how bad practice was, get ready because they're about to weigh the heck out of them. We've got some rain coming in after the last three days of it being real sunny and calm, so we haven't had the best fishing weather.

"There's a lot of current and you'd think the fishing should be good. A lot of the water's muddy, but it's been that way for a long time and they're pulling it down and it's starting to clear, but the fish seem to be totally uninterested in the swift water and I don't know why.

"I've fished here a bunch of times and the last time was the best I've seen it – there were a lot of big fish being caught and it was kind of entertaining. I've been here before, too, when it was just terrible. I'm interested to see what gets weighed this time – I'm thinking that a couple of limits will get you paid."

Top 10 To Watch

With the above in mind and more, here, in no particular order, is BassFan's recommendation on the top 10 to watch at this event:

1. Greg Hackney – He’s coming off a missed cut at Texas Fest, but Dardanelle is his kind of place – dirty with plenty of shallow targets. He was born in Arkansas and learned to fish in these parts, and rode a 3rd-place finish here in 2014 to an AOY title.

2. Jason Christie – He arrives as the leader in the current AOY chase. He’s won several times on the Arkansas River, including here in 2014 when he rallied from 4th on the final day to win by four ounces. Typically doesn’t like to play bumper boats in confined areas, but he’s been able to make the right move at virtually every turn this season.

3. Mark Menendez – Has a win (2009) and a top-30 (2004) at Dardanelle on his ledger, but is in the midst of a roller-coaster season. Based on his current trend, he’s due for a solid finish and these conditions suit his abilities.

4. Dustin Connell – He’s developed his skills on the Alabama and Coosa rivers, where the water is constantly changing. He won at Ross Barnett fishing flooded trees and bushes, so these conditions shouldn’t rattle the leading contender for Rookie of the Year.

5. Cliff Crochet – Since placing 100th at Lake Okeechobee, his finishes have improved at each (full-field) event leading to a 9th-place effort at Rayburn. He’s no stranger to dirty water and has committed to a do-it-my-way mindset this season

6. Stetson Blaylock – Few expected him to slump like he has in his first Elite Series season (one cut, 74th in points), but this is a prime chance for him to get some positive momentum before the schedule shifts north.

7. Stephen Browning – The Arkansas native isn’t freaked out by the high, dirty water or the swift current. He’ll put his head down and do as river rats do – grind. It’s been a feast or famine season so far with two top-15s and three finishes of 77th or worse, so he’s hoping being close to home is the right recipe.

8. Mike Iaconelli – At his best when others are whining about the conditions. He’s 54th in points, which means he needs to turn it on in the second half to keep his Classic qualification streak alive – he’s competed in 16 straight.

9. Tommy Biffle – Has finished in the money each time B.A.S.S. has come to Dardanelle with its top circuit. He’s fresh off a 29th-place showing at Rayburn, his best of the season.

10. Luke Clausen – Has rebounded well after a triple-digit bomb to open the season. He’s inside the top 40 in points now and could really make up some ground this week if others above him struggle amidst challenging conditions.

Launch/Weigh-In Info

> Anglers will launch at 6:15 a.m. CT Friday through Monday from Lake Dardanelle State Park (100 State Park Drive, Russellville, Ark.). Weigh-ins all four days will begin at 3:15 p.m. and take place at Lake Dardanelle State Park (same address).

Weather Forecast

> Fri., June 2 – Partly Cloudy – 84°/67°
- Wind: From the E at 5 to 10 mph

> Sat., June 3 – Thunderstorms – 86°/67°
- Wind: Light and variable

> Sun., June 4 – Variable Clouds/Chance of Thunderstorms – 86°/68°
- Wind: Light and variable

> Mon., June 5 – Partly Cloud – 90°/66°
- Wind: Light and variable